Photo By Master Sgt. Warren Peace | Combat engineers set off charges such as grape shot, water charges and shape charges...... read more read more
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By Cpl. Warren Peace
III Marine Expeditionary Force
CAMP FUJI, Japan — Ranges and landing zones near Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji turned into what seemed like a battlefield June 13-21 as Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 invaded the area during Exercise Natsu Bulldozer.
More than 80 service members with MWSS-171, based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, participated in the exercise that included several scenarios involving high explosive ordnance.
Every company within MWSS-171 was represented as Marines from a wide array of military occupational specialties conducted training on demolition, crew-served weapons, establishing ammunition and fuel resupply points and land navigation training.
"It is more than just meeting standards and qualification requirements," said Capt. Anthony R. Mitchell, the MWSS 171 detachment commander. "It is important for Marines to get away from their duty station and see more of Japan and to conduct training in an unfamiliar environment. It builds cohesion and it's motivating for the Marines."
It also gave the Marines a chance to conduct training with another service.
On June 15, a Black Hawk helicopter from the 78th Aviation Battalion, 9th Theater Army Area Command, landed and refueled at an arming and refueling point constructed by the squadron's airfield operations company.
"It worked out great," said Cpl. Jared B. Mills, the line non-commissioned officer who was in charge of the operation and safety of the arming and refueling point. "We used standard international hand and arm signals to guide the pilots."
The squadron also fired MK-19 40mm machine guns, M-240 medium machine guns and M-2 50 caliber machine guns during the crew-served weapons portion of the exercise. During the demolition training, the Marines set off detonation cord, Composition C-4 Explosive and TNT.
"The exercise went well," Mills said. "It was a good learning experience and a welcome addition to our daily training on Iwakuni. We got to work in a forward environment and everything from planning to execution came into play."
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2007 01:08 |
| Story ID: | 10987 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 162 |
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