Fox Company reinforces simulated U.S. Embassy in support of Bold Alligator

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, UNITED STATES

11.03.2014

Story by Lance Cpl. David Hersey 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, Ind. - More than 40 Marines with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division landed at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Nov. 3, during an embassy reinforcement training exercise in support of Bold Alligator 2014.

Bold Alligator is a scenario-driven, simulation-supported, amphibious assault exercise and is the largest exercise held on the East Coast of the United States. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 10.

The Marines departed from Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, aboard two MV-22B Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162.

After landing at the training center, the Marines patrolled to the simulated embassy where they established fixed-site security and a quick reaction force. The Marines were divided into three teams on a rest rotation to ensure two teams were capable of reacting immediately to any situation that may present itself while working with the existing security already present in the embassy.

“We haven’t done too many things like this,” said Sgt. Richard Rosales, an infantryman with the company. “We hooked up with the security here to get an idea of how they run their day-to-day operations and how we could augment that schedule.”

Protecting an embassy is both similar and different from combat situations, according to Lance Cpl. John E. Holmes, an infantryman with the company.

“In a combat situation, you need to always expect and prepare for the worst,” said Holmes, a Six Mile, South Carolina, native. “It’s the same thing with this, but there are some things we had to get used to like not being able to carry our rifles inside because it could heighten the tension when the embassy continues about its normal business.”

• Date Taken: 11.03.2014
• Date Posted: 11.13.2014 10:52
• Story ID: 147717
• Location: MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, US
• Hometown: NEWHALL, CA, US
• Hometown: SIX MILE, SC, US