U.S., Indonesia Marines conduct grenade tosses at PTA

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada | A Marine with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment instructs an Indonesian Korps Maranir prior to throwing an M67 Fragmentation grenade, July 19, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014, July 19. Twenty-two nations, 49 ships and six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Erik Estrada/Released)  

POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HI, UNITED STATES

07.22.2014

Story by Cpl. Erik Estrada 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific

POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii – Indonesian Korps Maranir and U.S. Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, trained on proper throwing for M67 Fragmentation grenades, July 19, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.

RIMPAC started in 1971, and is the largest multinational maritime exercise with 22 nations participating in this year’s training with nations and forces exercising the ability to demonstrate inherent flexibility of maritime forces, and foster cooperative relationships critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s ocean.

“The training is great, we have integrated a lot with Marines but we can still learn a lot more,” said 2nd Lt. Pramarchta Wiratama, an interpreter with the Korps Maranir.

“The Indonesians were extremely proficient on the grenade range. They already had lots of experience with grenades, we just have different techniques,” said Cpl. Joseph Joselyn, a mortar section leader with India Co., 3rd Bn, 3rd Marines, and a liaison to the Indonesian Korps Maranir.

Although the M67 fragmentation grenade is essentially the same as the one used in Indonesia, there is one major difference in the throwing techniques each country uses.

“In Indonesia we throw it underhand, here in the U.S. we were showed the overhand technique,” said Capt. Agus Mutaqim, commander of the Indonesian platoon attached to Combined Landing Team 1. “It’s a little different, but ultimately (learning is) what RIMPAC is for.”

The Korps Maranir take great pride in their jungle warfighting techniques, which include grenade throwing. Earlier in RIMPAC the Indonesians did training in the jungle-like environment of Kahuku Training Area on the island of Oahu.

“We like to call ourselves “the Kings of the Jungle,” said Wiratama. “It’s there where we can share our techniques with other countries, just like we did at Kahuku Training Area.”

Earlier in the exercise the Indonesians did training in the jungle like environment of KTA on the island of Oahu and felt they excelled best.

A goal of RIMPAC is to train and improve leadership, as well as proficiency of troops, sharpen command and control skills while challenging participants in a combined force.

“I like it here a lot, we’ve learned things we could (have) never imagined, but we’ve also left our mark,” said Mutaqim.

RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants forster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 07.22.2014
• Date Posted: 07.22.2014 22:35
• Story ID: 136952
• Location: POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HI, US