CLB-11 conducts machine gun live-fire shoot

Photo By Cpl. Kenneth Jasik | Lance Cpl. Fletcher M. Metten, motor transport operator, Combat Logistics Battalion 11, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, fires a .50 caliber machine gun during a crew-served weapons live-fire shoot at Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 28. Those who participated during the shoot recently finished learning about automatic weapons during the Basic Machine Gun Course designed to teach them about various crew-served weapons prior to putting rounds down range.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

03.28.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik 

1st Marine Logistics Group

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducted a crew-served weapons live-fire shoot here, March 28, during which they fired the 240G and .50-caliber machine guns.

The live-fire shoot was conducted after the Marines recently finished leaning about automatic weapons during the Basic Machine Gun Course designed to teach the Marines about various crew-served weapons.

“We had Marines at the [Basic Machine Gun Course] last week,” said Lance Cpl. France P. Horselooking, motor transportation operator, CLB-11, CLR-17, 1st MLG. “We came out here today to make sure they had hands-on experience and conducted live fire with these weapons on the range.”

“We were able to conduct live-fire drills from crew-served weapons on trucks,” said 1st Lt. Jorge A. Ornelas, motor transportation platoon commander, CLB-11, CLR-17, 1st MLG, who also stated that firing crew-served weapons is where motor transportation Marines are most likely to engage the enemy.

Several of the Marines training for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit have already deployed to Afghanistan, and they are excited they will get a chance to experience another type of deployment later this year.

“I’m excited for [this deployment], I’ve been told it’s a lot different from a tour to Afghanistan,” said Lance Cpl. Phillip J. Martinez, motor transportation operator, CLB-11, CLR-17, 1st MLG.

The experience many of the CLB-11 Marines gained in Afghanistan helped them teach the newer Marines the mechanics of the weapons.

“This is good training,” said Martinez, who has deployed to Afghanistan. “Many of these Marines [have never fired] these weapons before, and now they are getting a chance to fire them.”

The course taught the Marines everything they needed to know about the two machine guns, and they accurately employed what they learned during the hands-on portion of the training.

“The Marines operated the machine guns very well,” said Ornelas, 30, a native of Los Angeles. “They put effective fires on target.”

• Date Taken: 03.28.2011
• Date Posted: 04.04.2011 15:39
• Story ID: 68261
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US