By Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani
31st MEU PAO
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan -- Marines and sailors of Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, completed their six-month deployment here, Jan. 14, after handing over their battalion's mission to the Camp Pendleton-based 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, now serving as the battalion landing team of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The Marines and sailors of BLT 2/1 are no strangers to the Marine expeditionary unit, as they recently completed a deployment to Iraq with the 13th MEU. The unit is eager to serve as the ground combat element for the 31st MEU, said Lt. Col. Francis Donovan, BLT commanding officer.
"We're looking forward to joining the Marines and sailors here in Okinawa and coming together as a Marine air-ground task force," said Donovan.
Many of the service members of the battalion are looking forward to this deployment because the Pacific theater is different than anything they have experienced to date, said Lance Cpl. Josh Malchow, an operations clerk with the BLT's Headquarters and Service Company.
"This is great for us because we'll be out of our comfort zone, learning new things. We're lucky to be here," Malchow said.
Donovan asserted that this deployment will be a tremendous experience for his battalion's Marines and sailors because they get to see a different part of the world.
The strategies for the War on Terror in the Asia-Pacific Region are different from the Middle East, he said. The battalion will have a broadened perspective on the different strategies used in this diverse region.
With the service members' motivation high, Donovan has great expectations for his battalion.
"I expect them to quickly gain unity as a command so we can fully exploit the capabilities of a BLT," he said.
The battalion landing team has begun training and will not be slowing down anytime soon. Some of the training packages scheduled include boat raids, urban sniper and non-lethal weapons courses, helicopter egress training, company level live-fire events and close quarters battle.
Date Taken: | 01.14.2002 |
Date Posted: | 01.26.2007 10:49 |
Story ID: | 8949 |
Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
Web Views: | 177 |
Downloads: | 94 |
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