Photo By Cpl. Joshua Brown | U.S. Marine Cpl. Joseph N. Scotto (left) and Cpl. Trevor P. Reilly (right), trainers...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Readiness is the mantra of the Marine Corps. Operating as the United States premier expeditionary force, Marines are tasked with maintaining combat fitness at all times. Combat Logistics Battalion 6 conducted a field exercise to refresh and sharpen their deployment effectiveness and efficiency Sept. 9 to 11, 2014.
Marines and sailors with CLB-6 operated at training site ETA-2, establishing a forward operating base, posting in guard towers around the FOB and conducting patrols with spontaneous mock engagements organized by the exercise trainers.
“We sent some of our Marines to Basic Skills Training School a few months ago where they learned skills they need to know,” said 1st Lt. Ryan McGrail, the officer in charge of the exercise of the exercise. “The Corporals we sent to the course excelled, so we tasked them with making their own modified version of the course to teach the Marines in the company.”
McGrail said the letting the noncommissioned officers run the exercise empowered them and gave them room to improve their leadership skills while instructing the junior Marines.
“They organized the exercise and focused on the skills that were necessary and applicable to the training participants,” said McGrail.
Exercise participants received classroom training while combat engineers constructed the patrol base on day one of the exercise. The engineers received training with various heavy equipment used to construct the berm and facilities for the exercise.
A practical application of the skills the Marines learned in the classroom portion of the exercise was conducted day two of the exercise.
The training instructors role-played, acting as aggressors, and performed mock engagements and assaults on the patrol base and patrols to test the Marines retention of skills taught in the classroom.
“The importance of the challenges we presented [the Marines] was getting them outside of their comfort zone,” said Cpl. Joseph N. Scotto, an instructor and aggressor in the exercise. “For Marines to excel they have to be pushed outside their comfort zone, because non-infantry Marines throughout history have been put in combat situations.”
“Every Marine a rifleman” is part of the Marine Corps’ philosophy. It’s based on the premise that any Marine at any moment could be called upon to function like a Marine infantry rifleman.
A basic infantry rifleman is tasked with a wide range of responsibilities that include acting as a navigator, scout and assaulting objectives and returning fire during engagements. “Every Marine a rifleman” demands that ever Marine be both ready and capable of performing these tasks regardless of rank and military occupational specialty.
“[The Marines] executed reconnaissance and security patrols and experienced attacks from aggressors,” said Scotto. “They also had to manage the response of local nationals (role-players) which wasn’t necessarily positive.”
The Marines role-playing as local nationals simulated both nationals hopeful about a Marine presence and bitterly against a Marine presence.
The training scenarios afforded Marines a chance to keep their deployment skills sharp and hone in on those traits necessary to fulfill “Every Marine a rifleman.”
“They have a brighter vision of how to execute tactics and maneuvers and operate under conditions associated with deployment,” said Scotto. “It’s a rewarding experience, it’s a good experience for the Marines and I would definitely do it again.
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2014 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 142159 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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