1st Tank Battalion blasts through Steel Knight 2015

Photo By Cpl. Jonathan Boynes | An M1 Abrams prepares for a mechanized assault during Steel Knight 2015 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Dec. 13, 2014. SK15 is an annual exercise designed to train and prepare the 1st Marine Division for deployment as the Ground Combat Element (GCE) of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF).  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

12.19.2014

Story by Lance Cpl. Jonathan Boynes 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Marines with 1st Marine Tank Battalion conducted a series of large-scale mechanized assaults aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, as part of exercise Steel Knight 2015 Dec. 13-23.

SK15 enables 1st Marine Division to test and refine its command and control capabilities by acting as the headquarters element for forward-deployed MAGTFs. Participating units honed their conventional warfighting capabilities by practicing skills needed to deploy and fight as part of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force.

“Having the opportunity to work with so many different units on such a large scale benefits everyone involved in a lot of different ways,” said 1st Lt. James Reid, an anti-tank tube launched optically-traced wirelessly guided weapon system platoon Commander with 1st Marine Tank Battalion. “For the newer guys, it’s a great introduction to what it’s like to operate during large exercises. In a way, it connects all the dots and gives them a better idea of what the Marine Corps’ larger mission is. For everyone else, it’s a good refresher for all of the perishable skills they have to maintain to be the best fighting force that they can be.”

The battalion’s training simulated an assault against a large, conventional, and mechanized force. The Marines learned the importance of teamwork and communication as tanks, amphibious assault vehicles and other mechanized units assaulted through each new objective within the vast and mountainous terrain.

“When dealing with exercises this large, it’s vital that everyone knows what they need to be doing and when they need to be doing it,” said Reid. “Fast and effective communication is important at every level. Good communication is what’s going to quickly eliminate the enemy and reduce our casualties when these Marines find themselves in real life combat situations.”

Lance Cpl. Mitchell Braun, a gunner with TOW platoon, 1st Marine Tank Battalion, said the exercise not only helped him understand the importance of his role within his unit, but the Marine Corps at large.

“It’s easy to understand the mission at a small scale. But when it comes to larger scale operations, the intent is less clear for Marines at the lower levels. Steel Knight was a good way to refresh our skills and remind us of the larger Marine Corps mission. It puts all of the planning into practice.”

• Date Taken: 12.19.2014
• Date Posted: 12.19.2014 18:33
• Story ID: 150829
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US