Javelin Thrust participants conduct rehearsal of concept drill

Photo By Cpl. Mark Garcia | Lt. Col. Michael Myers, the RCT-24 operations officer, shows where individual units will be located throughout Javelin Thrust 2011 during a rehearsal of concept drill, July 23. The ROC drill laid out, in the dirt, a step-by-step walk-through of Javelin Thrust. By talking out the entire exercise Marines could expose and fix any possible gaps in the training.  

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, CA, UNITED STATES

07.23.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Mark Garcia 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, Calif. – Commanders and staff from 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Marine Division came together to rehearse a large-scale exercise for Javelin Thrust 2011, July 23.

The rehearsal of concept drill laid out, in the dirt, a step-by-step walk-through of Javelin Thrust. Marines went over what each element of the notional operation would be doing so they could expose and fix any possible gaps by talking out the entire exercise.

Maj. Gen. Melvin G. Spiese, the commanding general for 1st MEB; Brig. Gen. James S. Hartsell, the deputy commanding general of 1st MEB; and Brig. Gen. James M. Lariviere, the Commanding General of 4th Marine Division attended the drill.

Spiese said this type of training is essential to keeping 1st MEB prepared to quickly deploy forces on short notice to any place in the world for a wide range of contingencies, from humanitarian aid and disaster relief to combat.

“As 1st MEB, we are the headquarters element for this exercise, and we need to have oversight of what each subordinate element is doing. So with an exercise of this scope there are a lot of moving pieces, and it’s important that the key players are aware of what one another are doing,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Laughlin, the 1st MEB current operations officer.

Laughlin, a Fort Worth, Texas native, said ROC drills like this one also help build unit cohesion by allowing the different units to have face-to-face interaction.

Marines who briefed practiced the ROC drill several times before the actual event to make it as thorough as possible. During the rehearsals, improvements were made to clarify certain aspects of the training exercise.

Marines from Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 24, along with the Scout Sniper Platoon and Marines from 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, built the terrain model.

Because of the complexity of Javelin Thrust, it took more than 25 Marines working over a two-day period to build the model – an approximately 25-foot by 50-foot terrain map with piles of dirt representing the mountainous terrain and rope representing the roads. Signs showed where each unit would be throughout the exercise. The terrain model was so detailed that it depicted an exact replica of the areas surrounding Hawthorne Airfield, Nev., and the Bridgeport training center.

“The Marines that built this terrain model went above and beyond. Many of the Marines were working after completing a eight or 12-hour shift and then coming out and working another four to eight hours on the terrain model,” said Lt. Col. Michael Myers, the RCT-24 operations officer. “If not for the Marines of the RCT and 2nd Bn., 24 Marines, the completion and success of the terrain model would not have occurred.”

“This particular ROC drill was pretty elaborate, and there was a whole lot of work put into developing that terrain model. But we have talented Marines that could put together a hasty terrain model at a moment’s notice,” said Laughlin.

Javelin Thrust is the largest Marine Corps total force exercise of the year. More than 5,000 Marines are training over several locations in California, Nevada and Arizona until July 31.

• Date Taken: 07.23.2011
• Date Posted: 07.25.2011 15:06
• Story ID: 74296
• Location: MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, CA, US