Combat Hunter teaches Marines to stalk enemies

Photo By Lance Cpl. Jerrick J. Griffin | Marines with Military Police Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, search for items that pose a possible threat during the observation portion of the Combat Hunter course on June 9 at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Gen. James N. Mattis saw the need for greater focus on hunting-related skills while overseeing combat forces at Camp Pendleton in 2006 and ordered the formation of various training programs for the Marine Corps. Marines have learned what to look for when observing enemies.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

06.09.2009

Story by Lance Cpl. Jerrick J. Griffin 

1st Marine Logistics Group

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Trying to increase their predatory instinct, Marines with Military Police Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, participated in training here, June 9, designed specifically to keep service members from relying so much on optics while hunting the enemy.

Combat Hunter's mission is to help Marines stalk insurgents by using their senses and instincts. It relies heavily on a Marine's keen observation of his or her surroundings, according to Gunnery Sgt. George F. Allen, Combat Hunter instructor with MP Company.

"This is the most comprehensive training of its kind," said Cpl. Clarke Fable, military police, MP Company, CLR-17, 1st MLG. "It keeps Marines focused on their surroundings at all times," said Fable, 23, Mackinaw, Ill.

The Combat Hunter concept was designed by Jim Martin, the program manager of the Combat Hunter course, and Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, ordered the formation of various training programs in the Marine Corps. Mattis saw the need for greater focus on hunting-related skills while over-seeing combat forces at Camp Pendleton in 2006, added Allen.

At that time, the Marines had recently turned the corner on roadside bomb attacks that killed and maimed so many in Iraq. They became better at detecting improvised explosive devices and minimizing their impact, said Allen.

Mattis considered adding Marine snipers to protect his units, but he rejected the idea because it would take too long to train and field them. Then he hit upon the idea of Combat Hunter, a strategy that squared with the Marine Corps' aggressive fighting style, Allen added.

The program utilizes skills and specialties such as the tracking abilities of David Scott-Donelan, a former officer in the South African Special Forces and a veteran of civil wars in Africa.

Marines learned what to look for when observing enemies. As they peered through their binoculars, the Marines tried to catalog hundreds of details to form a baseline of knowledge of the area. They also looked for any sign of things that didn't belong or looked out of place.

"I think it's absolutely critical training," said Cpl. Andrew Moul, military police with MP Company. "In Afghanistan, we need this skill set to keep civilians and Marines alive by making better decisions," said Moul, 25, from Hart, Mich.

With the new techniques Marines learned from the Combat Hunter course, they will be more aware of their surroundings while patrolling through Afghanistan, potentially decreasing the chance of ambushes.

• Date Taken: 06.09.2009
• Date Posted: 06.12.2009 11:01
• Story ID: 34964
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US