Combat Operations Center keeps Javelin Thrust Marines working as single entity

Photo By Cpl. Christofer Baines | Lance Cpl. Pablo Pena, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment and Chicago native, marks unit positions in the 2/24 Combat Operations Center, July 19. One of the COC’s primary missions is to maintain accountability of all units under its command.  

HAWTHORNE, NV, UNITED STATES

07.19.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Christofer Baines  

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

HAWTHORNE ARMY AMMUNITION DEPOT, Nev. & MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, Calif. – Whenever a unit goes into the field, whether it be in a training or combat environment, there will always be a comprehensive system behind it in the form of a Combat Operations Center.

When it comes to ensuring units are where they need to be, staying well supplied and receiving support, the staff of a COC see to it that troops in the field are taken care of.

The COC keeps track of units, ensures they have what they need and coordinates support, such as casualty evacuations, and fire support missions, said Staff Sgt. Neil Maaske, operations chief for the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines Regiment COC. Overall, the COC manages the fight and ensures that everything is operating efficiently and safely, according to the Juneau, Wisc., native.

For Javelin Thrust, the 2/24 COC is responsible for ensuring that the ground combat element is properly delegated to the various ranges and supplied with everything from food and water to ammunition and transportation.

Behind the success of the COC are a number of elements, but two of the most integral are the logistics and communications elements.

The communications element ensures that the COC has an accessible means to accomplish its goal in maintaining full accountability of units and their logistical needs. Also, if a unit is in the field and requesting fire support or a casualty evacuation, two potential life or death situations, the COC can pinpoint their location for safety and ensure that the proper support arrives in the proper place.

“Things that come over the wire paint the picture of the battle space for the battalion commander,” said 2nd Lt. Kurt Prill, communications officer for 2/24. “At the COC, you have the operations officer taking taskers directly from the battalion commander as far as missions go and things of that nature. Coming back up the chain are requests for support, [situation reports] and [position reports], giving the commander that information.”

But the communication element comes with its fair share of challenges. One challenge Marines face here is the mountainous terrain that can interfere with radio communication.

“We do training like this in a mountainous environment because we’re basically prepping for war,” said Prill, a Chicago native. “This is the closest thing we have and we try to work out any issues we have here so that we can apply lessons learned in country. By the time we get to Afghanistan, we should have our technique, tactics and procedures down.”

Where the COC would be the brain and communications the nerves, logistics is the blood that allows the muscles to function properly. Keeping Marines in the fight supplied with food, water and ammunition ensures that they are in peak condition to win wars.

“Everybody needs logistics,” said 2nd Lt. Kyle Wehrenburg, motor transport officer for 2/24. “You can run a battalion without logistics, but the efficiency levels drop hugely. Many modern things that have come along have made us much more efficient and give us a lighter environmental footprint. We’re going for light, expeditionary logistical operations to support the mission.”

Overall, the COC is the mechanism of order and coordination in the operational environment. Without the COC, unit cohesion and accountability could not be managed as effectively without that essential central node of information and management. From beans, bullets and band-aids, to fire missions and transportation, the COC makes it all happen.

• Date Taken: 07.19.2011
• Date Posted: 07.20.2011 09:49
• Story ID: 74006
• Location: HAWTHORNE, NV, US