Courtesy Photo | Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, 11th Marine Expeditionary...... read more read more
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, set up a combat operations center in support of a training exercise at Red Beach, here, Aug. 13.
The mission of CLB-11’s COC is to command and control the logistical support within the battalion, as well as provide support to the MEU command element, aviation command element, and the battalion landing team of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
“It’s the brain of the operation,” said Sgt. Shaun R. Finch, training chief, S-3, CLB-11, 11th MEU, I MEF. “We have to be able track, plan and know of future operations in order to support other elements of the 11th MEU.”
The COC commands and controls those logistics functions of supply, landing support, medical and dental services, security, motor transport services, heavy equipment and engineering services, providing direct support to the 11th MEU.
“Besides the basic logistics support, COC also conducts specialized missions in [the] combat service support element such as noncombatant evacuation operations, mass casualty evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations,” said Master Sgt. Craig Gamache, operations chief, CLB-11, 11th MEU, I MEF.
Within a NEO, the COC specializes in the evacuation control center, explained Gamache. The battalion landing team provides security elements to the operation, and together, they make up the NEO team.
Finch said it took the Marines about a day to set up the COC and about the same amount of time to completely tear down all the tents and pack away all the maps, computers, satellite dishes, communication devices and any other equipment.
“Setting up always takes longer than tearing it down, but we try to pack everything in order so the next set up can be faster and smoother,” said Finch, 26, from Dunlap, Tenn. “I always tell my Marines - slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. They might as well do it right the first time so they don’t have to go back and look for things they missed.”
Finch believes that by setting up the COC so often, the Marines will be more efficient during their deployment with the 11th MEU.
“It may be hard being away from the family a lot, but it’s good to come out here and train to do what we’ll be doing in the future,” said Finch. “Being able to help someone and not just say it, that’s why we’re out here conducting and supporting training operations. You’ll never know when you might be shipped out to places you’ve never been to in order to help out the third country nationals. So train like you fight. If you don’t sharpen the knife, it’s going to get dulled.”
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2011 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 75652 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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