SIM ASSAULT: 3/3, ROK Marines Conduct Sea-Base Operation

Photo By Matthew Callahan | Republic of Korea marines provide simulated medical aid to an enemy combatant after assaulting radio hill at the Kahuku Training Area, Hawaii, July 11, during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014. The ROK Marines are attached to Company Landing Team 1 during RIMPAC, and are partnered with U.S. Marines with India Co, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, as well as attachments from the New Zealand Army. Their objective for the day was to eliminate opposing forces occupying the terrain surrounding radio hill. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Matthew Callahan/Released)  

KAHUKU, HI, UNITED STATES

07.16.2014

Story by Cpl. Matthew Callahan              

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

KAHUKU TRAINING AREA, Hawaii - U.S. Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, teamed up with Republic of Korea marines and attachments from the New Zealand Army to conduct a simulated assault on opposing forces at the Kahuku Training Area (KTA), Hawaii, on July 11 as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2014.

U.S. Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, teamed up with Republic of Korea marines and attachments from the New Zealand Army to conduct a simulated assault on opposing forces at the Kahuku Training Area (KTA), Hawaii, on July 11 as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2014.

Held every two years, RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise. The exercise provides a unique training opportunity that strengthens international maritime partnerships, enhances interoperability and improves the readiness of participating forces for a wide range of potential operations.

Units from participating nations are attached to Company Landing Team 1 to conduct training at KTA to implement sea-base support and field test developing technologies during the Advanced Warfighting Experiment with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.

The troops’ objective for the day was to neutralize simulated enemy forces being played by U.S. Marines from Kilo Company, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines. Company objective one was to maneuver up and through a winding and densely vegetated hill where opposing forces had a foothold close to CLT-1.

“Their [opposing forces] primary goal is to create situations that make it as difficult as possible for the exercise forces to operate in,” said 1st Lt. Sean Rutherford, platoon commander for Alpha Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Marine Regiment, and serving as an opposing forces controller for the Advanced Warfighting Experiment.

At KTA, Marines were resupplied with water and meals, ready-to-eat, every 24 hours, forcing them to conserve their supplies. That, in addition to rollercoaster terrain, made for a unique training environment for the U.S. Marines and their partnering nations to operate in.

Marines with second platoon, India Co., 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines guided the ROK Marines through the terrain to assault Radio Hill so that they could occupy the space and conduct follow-on patrol base operations from there.

Once the ROK Marines made contact with opposing forces and eliminated the simulated threat, they immediately provided medical aid to the downed enemy combatants until Navy corpsmen arrived at the scene with the remainder of second platoon.

Once on scene, the corpsman employed Tactical Tele-Medicine, experimental technology that transmits vital signs, photos and videos to the Shock Trauma Section at CLT-1’s Command Operations Center. The Tactical Tele-Medicine is part of the Advanced Warfighting Experiment portion of RIMPAC, conducted by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.

“A lot of the time, we end up using notional casualties, but here, they actually go through a full [casualty evacuation] process, and it’s some of the best training I’ve seen so far,” said Sgt. Robert Nishnic, platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, India Co., 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. “If we take a casualty here, we bring the corpsmen up and use some of the new technology to actually send real-time information [on the casualty] back to the STS. [The TTM] sends up the most accurate kill card you could possibly do.

“All this is taking a step in the right direction as far as being able to really assess casualties,” Nishnic added. He said that from start to finish, the casualty is assessed, treated and airlifted out of the training area and onto the sea-base ship.

“At the end of the day, technology cannot take the place of the individual,” Nishnic said. “But at the same time, we need to realize we have these technologies we’re coming out with that can make us operate more efficiently.”

An added challenge to the operating forces was the use of sea-basing: the deployment, assembly, command, projection, reconstitution, and redeployment of joint power from the sea without reliance on land bases within an operational area, according to JP-3-02 Amphibious Operations for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Nishnic said the Marine Corps is using the sea-base concept with a twist during the RIMPAC exercise. Traditionally, ships would send all the supplies and logistics support Marines needed to shore in bulk, requiring a constant guarding of the assets from the enemy.

“The new sea-basing concept is to give you only what you need to survive for that day,” Nishnic said. “It’s driven by resupplies all over the battlefield, wherever we’re at.”

The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 07.16.2014
• Date Posted: 07.16.2014 22:43
• Story ID: 136330
• Location: KAHUKU, HI, US