CLB-1 conducts live fire shoot

Photo By Lance Cpl. Jerrick J. Griffin | Lance Cpl. Thomas Walders, Amphibious Assault Vehicle crewman, Charlie Company, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, attached to Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, participate in a crew-served weapons live-fire shoot at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., April 14. The Marines conducted the shoot as part of their monthlong Enhanced Mojave Viper training in preparation for a future deployment to Afghanistan. The 3rd AABn. Marines will augment CLB-1 in providing security while deployed.  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

04.15.2011

Story by Cpl. Kenneth Jasik 

1st Marine Logistics Group

MARINE AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Ca¬lif. – Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, alongside about 100 Marines with Charlie Company, 3rd Assault Amphib¬ian Battalion, participated in a crew-served weapons live-fire shoot here, April 14.

The 3rd AABn. Marines will augment CLB-1 in providing security while deployed. The shoot was part of CLB-1’s monthlong En¬hanced Mojave Viper training.

“By going through [live fire shoots], it helps keep our skills sharp on how to use these weapons,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas Walders, Amphibious Assault Vehicle crewman, 3rd AA Bn., attached to CLB-1, CLR-1, 1st MLG.

The Marines fired the 240B machine gun, the .50 caliber machine gun and the MK-19 au¬tomatic grenade launcher, mounted on a vehi¬cle. They also went over immediate action and remedial action drills, in case a weapon jams.

“Those are important to know because you don’t want to be in a firefight with a weapon down,” said Sgt. Lee Marine, Amphibious As¬sault Vehicle crewman, 3rd AABn., attached to CLB-1, CLR-1, 1st MLG. “We are the ones who will be manning the weapons out there.”

The exercise gave the Marines the opportunity to handle the weapons and know what to expect should they have to engage targets. It also provided them with info needed to be able to fix the weapon on the fly.

“After a while, it becomes muscle memory,” said Walders. “When a weapon jams, I know what to do to have it firing again. That’s the purpose of the shoot.”

Marine said it is important to prepare for any situation because they never know when these skills may come in handy.

“It’s a good thing we go through these shoots, so that the Marines know what to expect in case they have to fire one during a deployment,” said Marine.

• Date Taken: 04.15.2011
• Date Posted: 04.22.2011 16:11
• Story ID: 69198
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US