Motor Transport Company conducts Improvised Explosive Device drills

Photo By Jennifer Brofer | Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 1's Motor Transport Company conduct various drills to practice what to do if their convoy comes across an improvised explosive device at Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 18. Each ammo can represented a certain position in a vehicle patrol. They went through scenarios where the patrol is riding along a street in Afghanistan and an improvised explosive device is spotted. Certain protective measures were taken depending on which truck spotted the IED. Other training exercises Motor Transport Co. has been conducting are day and night movement vehicle patrols, and off-roading drills to prepare them for the rough terrain in Afghanistan.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

06.18.2009

Story by Lance Cpl. Jerrick J. Griffin 

1st Marine Logistics Group

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — "Practice makes perfect" is a phrase that many Marines strive to embody on a daily basis.The Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 1's Motor Transport Company conducted various drills, June 18, to practice what to do if their convoy comes across an improvised explosive device while deployed.

CLB-1 will be the first battalion in 1st Marine Logistics Group to deploy to Afghanistan and is scheduled to deploy this fall.

They used ammo cans to simulate the trucks, and each ammo can represented a certain position in a vehicle patrol. They went through scenarios in which the patrol was riding along a street in Afghanistan and an improvised explosive device was spotted. Certain protective measures were taken depending on which truck spotted the IED. The variation of the scenario was the patrol riding along and one of the trucks took a hard hit from the IED.

"These are rehearsal drills we perform so when we deploy we won't go into Afghanistan not knowing what to do," said Lance Cpl. Deo A. Lachman, a vehicle operator with Motor Transport Co., CLB-1, 1st MLG. "This will definitely help. We actually get a visual of how to perform every step by using these ammo cans," said Lachman, 21, from O'Fallon, Ill.

Other training exercises CLB-1 Motor Transport Co. has been conducting are day and night movement vehicle patrols, and off-roading drills to prepare them for the rough terrain in Afghanistan.

"As we go over these immediate action drills over and over, it is stuck in our minds and becomes muscle memory," said Pfc. Brett Shanahan, a vehicle operator with Motor Transport Co., CLB-1, 1st MLG. "I'm looking forward to this upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. I'm ready to go over and do my job and use everything that I have learned so far to make sure it gets done," said Shanahan, 25, from Eagle River, Alaska.

Every scenario used during the drills required full knowledge from the Marines on which position in a 360 degree formation each truck had to go and who called in the report.

"We're just familiarizing these Marines with drills that could potentially save their lives," said Staff Sgt. John Horsley, 4th platoon sergeant, Motor Transport Co., CLB-1, 1st MLG, 31, from Detroit.

IEDs are among the leading causes of deaths to service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CLB- 1 Motor Transport Co. will also participate in the Enhanced Mojave Viper training next month at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. before its scheduled deployment to Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 06.18.2009
• Date Posted: 06.23.2009 11:44
• Story ID: 35529
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US