2nd AA Bn. makes a splash on Onslow Beach

Photo By Sgt. Jeff Drew | An amphibious assault vehicle with Company E, Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, travels along the beach after returning from the water at Onslow Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 24. A platoon of six vehicles spent the day participating in waterborne operations.  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

03.24.2011

Story by Cpl. Jeff Drew 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - The waves crashed as Marines from Company E, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, readied their amphibious assault vehicles for a splash into the cool waters of Onslow Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 24.

As part of a series of waterborne operations, six amphibious assault vehicles stood defiantly, aligned along the water’s edge. Marines dressed in oil-caked jumpsuits moved from vehicle to vehicle, making last-minute adjustments and finishing their pre-operation inspections.

“A good inspection takes anywhere between 30 and 40 minutes,” said Lance Cpl. Chad W. Dugger, a crewman with the company. “We need to check the suspension and all the lines to make sure nothing is loose or leaking. We do this to get experience because there are all kinds of conditions that can change and affect the way the vehicle needs to be operated. There’s always something new to learn. I’ve been with this unit for a year and I still learn something new every day.”

This was a routine splash into the friendly North Carolina waters, but for some Marines the experience of working with the AAVs was a completely new training opportunity.

“This is my first training operation and I love it,” said Seaman Apprentice Nicholas R. Guzman, a corpsman who recently attached to the unit. “I’ve learned about the AAV and I’m having a lot of fun. It’s a good group of Marines out here and I’m looking forward to a lot more.”

With inspections finished, the Marines boarded the vehicles and prepared to drive into the ocean.

“Our primary focus [for this training] is conducting tactical raids coming from the ocean and splashing on the beach.” said 2nd Lt. Elijah A. Vidal, a platoon commander with the company. “For this tactical evolution, the whole platoon will hit in one wave, focusing on wave coordination. The platoon will be on line and on time. Overall, we are trying to build confidence in and break in some of the new vehicles to see how they hold up.”

With a start of the motors, the AAVs drove into the water and breached the breaking waves. Within minutes they became distant specs, barely visible above the crashing ocean water. For nearly an hour, the amphibious vehicles traversed the deep sea until returning to the beachhead leaving deep tracks in the sand, a testament to the amphibious roots of the Marine Corps.

“We won’t be in Afghanistan forever,” said Vidal. A large portion of the world is surrounded by water and there are coastlines everywhere, so we always need to be ready. We are America’s force in readiness.”

• Date Taken: 03.24.2011
• Date Posted: 03.28.2011 16:01
• Story ID: 67881
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US