Ready to fight: ‘Wolfpack’ field meet promotes mission readiness

Photo By Sgt. Medina Ayala-Lo | A Marine with 3rd Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion, conducts the marksmanship event of the 3rd LAR field meet aboard the Combat Center, Nov. 20, 2014. The competition began and ended at Del Valle Field. (Official Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Medina Ayala-Lo/Released)  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

11.20.2014

Story by Lance Cpl. Medina Ayala-Lo 

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - It’s a brisk morning as Marines and sailors run through the desert. Sweat drips from their brow as they arrive at their destination. They quickly form a chain and begin rigorous group exercise. They work together, encouraging each other to complete the task at hand. As teams finish each exercise, the Marines and sailors relentlessly advanced along the 10-mile course, eager to tackle the challenges ahead.

The Marines and Sailors of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion conducted a field meet, beginning and ending at Del Valle Field, Nov. 20, 2014.

“About once a month, we have to do something that tests things like cohesion, morale, teamwork and leadership,” said Lt. Col Matt Good, commanding officer, 3rd LAR. “We try to do something like a field meet that incorporates basic combat skills, the ability to communicate and the ability to shoot under duress.”

The field meet commenced at Del Valle Field at approximately 6:30 a.m. with each team departing the field two minutes apart. Each team’s objective was to complete the competition in a timely manner, while working together.

“I think it brings a lot of camaraderie within the companies,” said 1st Lt. Brian Hua, assistant operations officer, 3rd LAR. “It’s internal competition, which is good because it’s a Marine’s job to want to be the best.”

For the competition Marines and sailors were broken down by companies, sections, squads and platoons. The four-hour event included seven different challenges. Competition kicked off with squad physical training and ended with a buddy-carry run to Del Valle Field. In between those events there was a call-for-fire station, a marksmanship event, and an event testing their knowledge on basic operations of the M240B medium machinegun.

“It’s really beneficial in the infantry field because this is stuff you would see if you actually got deployed anywhere. There’s combat fatigue, you have to shoot, you have casualties,” said Cpl. David Christopher McCaslin, light armor vehicle crewman, 3rd LAR. “Anybody in a combat [military occupational specialty] field can get a feel for combat and even the people who aren’t can experience the day-to-day life of an infantryman.”

Marines and sailors are expected to accomplish the mission no matter the circumstances. Training like this preserves the readiness of the battalion.

“I think it keeps you more in the mindset of actually having to perform in many aspects,” said Cpl. Eric Ostrand, LAV crewman, 3rd LAR. “It’s about mentally focusing on yourself and the men to your right and left.”

Not only does the competition boost camaraderie, it also provides the men with a platform to say ‘I was the best at this.’ There’s pride within the unit, and the battalion doing something strenuous together and experiencing the shared hardship brings them together as a whole.

“We try to simulate the stresses of combat as much as we can,” Hua said. “So being able to work together here and to communicate and exercise team work in this environment is a good picture of how they’ll perform in combat.”

• Date Taken: 11.20.2014
• Date Posted: 11.24.2014 13:12
• Story ID: 148666
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US