Endurance course teaches 9th ESB jungle warfare

Photo By Sgt. Tyler Vernaza | Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force play a "Keep In Mind" game July 23 at Jungle Warfare Training Center. The game is designed to test each Marine's ability to memorize small, mission-critical information and retain it in the heat of battle.  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

08.12.2010

Story by Lance Cpl. Tyler Vernaza 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

Approximately 20 Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, participated in an endurance course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, July 23.

The 3.8-mile endurance course is designed to challenge the mental and physical courage of each Marine, and help each of them understand the challenges of fighting through fatigue and a dense jungle environment, said Sgt. Joshua Mathes, JWTC instructor, 3rd Marine Division, III MEF.

The course demands small unit leadership and teamwork, he added, completing the course as a team and with a positive mental attitude was the overall goal. In a combat environment, the skills developed in the course should help Marines stay alive.

"I learned a lot of rescue techniques," said Lance Cpl. Ben Giraldo, an armorer with 9th ESB.
Giraldo says he is more confident in assessing high-stress situations.

"I know if a Marine goes down, I'll be able to take care of him," added the 19-year-old. "(The course) definitely boosted my confidence."

The course challenged Marines with more than 30 obstacles.

The course began with a 50-foot hasty rappel where the Marines at the bottom had to provide security for Marines making their descent.

The Marines also played "keep in mind" games, or memorization games designed to test their ability to remember mission-critical information after a physically or mentally exhausting exercise, said Lance Cpl. Matthew Truba, facilities engineer for JWTC.

Another obstacle the Marines had to face was the commando crawl.

Approximately 25 feet above water, 9th ESB Marines had to negotiate a 50-foot rope without falling off or losing any critical equipment.

One of the last challenges the Marines conquered was the "pit and pond."
Marines were required to low crawl approximately 200 feet through trenches of water, under barbed wire, under logs and a variety of other challenging obstacles, said Truba.

According to Mathes, a few Marines were hesitant to complete some of the more challenging obstacles.

"Once we got their motivation up, they were able to continue," he said. "They felt great about it afterwards."

All you need to do is stay positive and keep a clear head to get through it, said Lance Cpl. Christina Friday, supply clerk with 9th ESB.

• Date Taken: 08.12.2010
• Date Posted: 08.12.2010 22:26
• Story ID: 54498
• Location: OKINAWA, JP