Marines rock Exercise Heavy Metal 2014

Photo By Cpl. Joseph Karwick | Marines with 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, move down a road while the street is covered by an M1A1 Abrams tank during an assault on a simulated enemy town Aug. 17, 2014, aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., during exercise Heavy Metal 14. As the assault continued, instructors and safety personnel would point out a Marine to play the role of a wounded casualty to assess the team’s casualty evacuation performance.  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

08.17.2014

Story by Cpl. Joseph Karwick 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines participating in exercise Heavy Metal 2014 found themselves in a simulated combat scenario Aug. 17, facing a tough and hardened insurgent enemy force. Their objective: Seize the town.

Reserve Marines from around the country participated in HM14, which gave 15 units, from logistics, aviation and ground combat elements, a chance to work together as a functioning Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Among the units participating in HM14, 4th Medical Battalion provided corpsmen for safety on the ranges, 1st Bn., 10th Marine Regiment provided artillery support, and Combat Logistics Battalion 25 showed its skill in the construction of a forward operations base all in preparation for the final exercise.

“Instead of doing separate annual training sessions across the United States, we took the opportunity to bring all the elements of a MAGTF together to work in a regimental headquarters and to complete individual training as well as regimental training,” said Col. Russell Smith, commanding officer of 25th Marine Regiment. “This provides a venue where the Marines can cross coordinate and provide information up and down the chain of command, which is something many Reserve units don’t get to do on a regular basis.”

The days leading up to the final exercise were used to ensure each Marine knew their task thoroughly enough to perform effectively under duress. Unit commanders focused on honing their Marines’ skills, maximizing their training schedules and pushing their troops to perfection.

“We needed to get them out here working on gun drills and breaking off the rust,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Alexander Carlson, battalion gunner for 1st Bn., 24th Marines. “We have been tasking them with advanced missions, because our fire control center is a young group, and we are trying to season them further.”

For Reserve Marines, shorter training schedules and gaps in between can pose a challenge to their readiness and proficiency. Logistical capabilities can be taxed under limited time tables, and weapon systems on which Marines need to remain proficient, are constantly being updated.

“We wanted to get our weapons company a chance to hone the perishable skills of using their weapons systems, such as mortars and machine guns,” said Carlson. “The mortarmen usually only get a chance to work with the 60mm systems, so we wanted to give them a chance to work with the 81mm system. Our machine gunners usually only work with smaller systems; bringing them here gives them the chance to break out the .50 caliber machine gun and the MK 19 grenade launcher.”

Heavy Metal 14 also gave infantry Marines a chance to return to their amphibious roots in a way that Reserve Marines rarely get to do, which included training alongside tracked vehicles until the final culminating assault.

Second Lt. Benjamin Rochner, an assault amphibious vehicle commander with 4th Assault Amphibian Vehicle Bn., described his unit’s role and strategy during the culminating event for HM14.

“Our plan of attack is to push out from where we are now, and quickly move infantry into the town using our AAVs with tanks supporting,” said Rochner. “My guys are going to move in toward the town, drop our doors and let the grunts in to capture objectives throughout the town.”

Once the Marines were prepped and the day of the final exercise arrived, the movement began. As the Marines came within distance of the town, tanks held strong firing points at its edge. When the simulated enemy was suppressed, the AAVs moved into position, dropped their doors and released infantry Marines that swarmed the town, moving building to building to sweep it clear of enemy combatants. The units received notional fire support from mortars and aircraft when needed, and directed tanks and AAVs to new targets. At the end of the FINEX, with the town cleared and all objectives achieved, the Marines of HM14 took their new experiences back to their home units, relevant and ready to respond to missions across the range of military operations.

• Date Taken: 08.17.2014
• Date Posted: 08.21.2014 14:22
• Story ID: 140047
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US