Adviser training cell preps female engagement team for deployment

Photo By Sgt. Joshua Young | Marines with Female Engagement Team 12-1 make their way through a mock village prior to a training exercise involving Afghan role players at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 9. The village resembles Afghanistan to give Marines a better training environment.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

01.12.2012

Story by Lance Cpl. Joshua Young 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - The I Marine Expeditionary Force Female Engagement Team 12-1 conducted final pre-deployment exercises at the military operations in urban terrain town, Jan. 9.

“It really helps them to come here in this different atmosphere,” said Lance Cpl. Saje E. Mrowinski a 20-year-old ATC instructor. “There are different set-ups throughout the MOUT town including props, decorated rooms, pillows and everything from chai glasses to the general attitudes Afghans might have toward Marines out there.”

The mock village resembles an Afghan community with role players to give Marines a realistic training environment.

“It lets them step into a reality in the Afghanistan world,” Mrowinski said. “This is going to be a reality in a couple of months. This is what they’re going to be dealing with. It’s really going to be all on them.”

The FET is trained to engage the people of Afghanistan, primarily the females, and build a trusting relationship by providing medical aid, supplies, education and other opportunities that will benefit families.

“We do this to practice engagements that we may have out there so we can get a feel for what exactly we’ll be doing,” said Lance Cpl. Mary K. Watkins, a 20-year-old team member with FET 12-1. “It gets me out of my comfort zone so I’m more prepared to be in Afghanistan.”

The Marines are taught how to approach and speak to female Afghans and in an effort to learn some of their language and culture.

“We try to be our normal, happy selves and always have a smile,” Watkins said. “Having a positive attitude can take you far when trying to communicate with people.”

The FET will speak to Afghans and teach them valuable skills such as hygiene and first aid to help improve their way of life.

“We have toothbrushes, toothpaste and little hand sanitizers in a hygiene bag to show them what we’re trying to convey,” Watkins said. “We aren’t only there as Marines, we are also trying to build a relationship between the communities and the Marines.”

Some of the lessons the FET has learned were to have a positive attitude and expect the unexpected.

“We learned that if we have the time to engage someone, to keep talking even if we’ve reached our goals,” said Capt. Jewlie Hartshorne, the officer in charge with FET 12-1. “We’re here to get to know people and build rapport with them, not just get the information we need and move on.”

The FET is conducting final training exercises and reviews to make sure they have all the tools they need to be successful.

“The ATC has given us really good training,” Hartshorne said. “They’ve really prepared us to go forward and be successful. We know what to expect going into it. We were given a lot of tools to help us succeed in the mission we have.”

The training over the last few months included crew-served weapons training, patrolling, advanced first aid and driving. As their training wraps up, they are putting all they have learned together for their final exercises.

“No matter how much we try to train them and prepare them, until they can actually get out there using hands-on and start doing it, they can’t understand the possibilities and how much they can do,” said Sgt. Sheena Adams, a 26-year-old adviser with I MEF ATC from Kauai, Hawaii. “They’ve done as much training as they can get. It is now taking everything they’ve learned and putting it together. When these girls go out there, they’ll actually see how much of a difference they can make in the community.”

• Date Taken: 01.12.2012
• Date Posted: 01.12.2012 18:16
• Story ID: 82333
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US