Photo By Staff Sgt. Kirstin Spanu | A Marine with 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, dons his gas mask and mission...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Marines, sailors and soldiers completed exercise Rolling Thunder 1-15, a bi-annual training exercise where artillery units complete live-fire training missions with the support of logistics and aviation combat elements, operating as a Marine Air Ground Task Force, Oct. 30, 2014.
The event was hosted by 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, and supported by Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and Marine Air Control Group 28, 2nd Marine Air Wing.
Alpha, Charlie, and Kilo batteries set up their howitzers in several locations and rained steel on targets as the main effort, but every element of the MAGTF played an important part in the success of each fire mission.
“It’s a series of movements that only through the [Marine Corps’] core values [honor, courage and commitment], teamwork and esprit de corps, is it possible for the Marines to accomplish the tasks they need to, in the time allotted to them,” said Lt. Col. Todd Sermarini, executive officer with 10th Marines, 2nd MarDiv, and a Toms River, New Jersey, native.
Marines specializing in several different job fields, from intelligence to food service, worked side-by-side to complete the unit missions in the MAGTF training exercise.
In addition to the coordinated artillery missions, the Marines and sailors also completed individual readiness training events such as: Combat marksmanship, biological attack reaction, and mass casualty training events.
The Army also played a large part in the success of the exercise. Fort Bragg provided sizable artillery and small arms training ranges not available on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The Army also provided airborne transportation from the 169th Aviation Regiment, increasing the Marines’ mobility throughout the exercise.
“Marine Corps artillerymen go to school on an Army base, so there’s an inherent relationship where Marines feel a brotherhood with the Army,” said Sermarini. “Our relationship with Fort Bragg is very strong and, every time we come up here, we try to make it a little stronger.”
The mass casualty training, organized by corpsmen from 10th Marines, allowed Marines to practice battlefield trauma techniques on their peers. The dynamic nature of the field instruction caused many to express a desire for additional training.
“I would like to follow this with a combat life-saver class, so I can be better prepared to help my fellow Marines if I were to deploy,” said Lance Cpl. Marshall Little, a fire direction control man with 10th Marines, from Crestview, Florida.
The dynamics of Exercise Rolling Thunder provide opportunities for development at every level of the MAGTF organization.
“Whether you’re a lance corporal or a lieutenant colonel, you have training and readiness standards and you need to be able to achieve those standards,” said Sermarini. “Rolling Thunder is one of the building blocks we use to achieve those individual standards and build the unit’s standards at the same time, in order to accomplish the unit’s mission essential tasks.”
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2014 14:32 |
| Story ID: | 147215 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | CRESTVIEW, FL, US |
| Hometown: | TOMS RIVER, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 328 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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