Photo By Cpl. Garrett White | Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, clear rooms during their final...... read more read more
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment conducted their final exercise of the Urban Leaders Course aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 17, 2014.
Fire team and squad leaders from infantry and weapons companies with 1st Bn. attended the three week course to both increase their individual skill sets, and take their knowledge back to their parent units.
“The ULC is a course to teach units the basics of military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) and close-quarters battle (CQB),” said Cpl. Andrew Figueroa, a rifleman and instructor at the ULC. “We teach students about the history of urban warfare, and the tactics and mindset needed to operate in an urban environment.”
The first week of the course is designed to build up the individual skillsets of the Marines, explained Sgt. Robert Garza, a squad leader with 1st Bn. Marines took classes on how to take cover, maneuver, and engage the enemy in an urban environment. Following the classes, they conducted movement and shooting drills on the range.
“A lot of Marines don’t get this kind of training,” said Garza. “Most of our training is focused on conventional warfare like attacking a piece of terrain and taking it. Out here (at ULC) you need to operate with a different mindset. You don’t know where the enemy will pop up and start engaging you, so you have to constantly be alert.”
Week two focused on applying those individual skills in small unit settings, Figueroa added.
“Students can go through a shoot house to develop their communication skills as they clear from room to room,” he said. “The big thing here is getting the Marines comfortable working together and relying on one another while clearing a building.”
During the final week, the Marines go to a MOUT town designed to immerse the Marines into an urban environment. Armed with rifles and pistols using non-lethal training rounds similar to a paintball, the Marines take on different scenarios where they utilize all the skills and abilities they developed over the previous two weeks to accomplish their missions.
“In week three we have to set up our own patrol bases, establish a command operation center, and plan and execute our own patrols and raids,” said Garza. “Using all the CQB and MOUT tactics we learned we have to clear house to house, room to room, against the instructors who are using (simunition rifles), improvised explosive devices, and tear gas grenades to try and stop us.”
The final exercise is a 24-hour urban operation where the Marines have to attack and secure a building within the town, then defend it from enemy counter attacks.
“The two squads of Marines started just outside of the town where almost immediately came under fire from our instructor opposing force,” said Figueroa. “Following their plan, they engaged the enemy and began clearing the town house-by-house, room-by-room, floor-by-floor. They took casualties, had limited ammo, and contended with an unknown enemy force. But using everything they learned throughout the previous week they were able to take and defend their objective.”
Once their objective location was secure, the Marines called in a casualty evacuation for their dead and injured and coordinate ammunition re-supply. Throughout the remainder of the exercise they had to conduct security patrols and maintain security on their objective all while dealing with random attacks from the instructors.
“The training we got here at the ULC is invaluable,” said Garza. “We have been able to do things here that most of us would never be able to do back at our parent units. The best part is that we as team leaders can now go back to our companies and teach the rest of our Marines these essential skills.”
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2014 16:09 |
| Story ID: | 150791 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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