Exercise Steel Knight: 3rd LAR Seeks and Destroys

Photo By Sgt. Seth Starr | Lance Cpl. Luke Evans, a mortar man with Company A, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, listens to commands from the gun line during exercise Steel Knight. Marines from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion recently took part in training exercise Steel Knight 15 aboard the Marine Corps Air ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

12.19.2014

Story by Cpl. Seth Starr 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Marines from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion recently took part in training exercise Steel Knight 15 aboard the Marine Corps Air ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 12-17, 2014.

Steel Knight serves the 1st Marine Division as a refinement period to effectively coordinate units in both large scale and amphibious operations and include assets from throughout I MEF; units are deployed into scenario based environments and operate together to meet mission accomplishment.

Marines with 3rd LAR conducted operations and utilized light armored vehicles, mortars, artillery and mounted infantry to suppress and overtake targets to enhance their effectiveness in combat.

Sergeant Ryan Zander, a vehicle commander and mortarmen with Company A, 3rd LAR said that taking part in an operation on such a large scale is a big undertaking even on his level of command.

“As far as a mortar gun line goes, it’s about knowing the tasks at hand and setting a pace,” said Zander. “The flawless operation of a single gun within a gun line comes when everyone knows every job, backwards and forwards, and we’re able to establish a consistent rate of fire.”

During an unrelenting barrage of mortar and artillery fire, Company A’s LAV-25 tactical assault vehicles, dispatched infantry scouts and gained ground on designated targets.

Combat engineers from 1st Combat Engineer Battalion worked alongside 3rd LAR scouts to set explosives, clearing barricades and enemy bunkers.

“We do our best in training scenarios like this,” said Cpl. Austin Taylor, a combat engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion. “It’s a welcome challenge when we’re expected to assault and clear the way for the main body of attack.”

Company A continued through the passage of enemy lines and continued on to the main objective.

“In a real world scenario, our goal is to close with and destroy the enemy,” said Zander. “Overall, 3rd LAR accomplished what we were tasked to do. Our Marines executed the mission and performed with tactical and technical expertise, exactly as we expected them to do.”

3rd LAR continued through to the end of the exercise, eventually overtaking and securing enemy positions, accomplishing their mission according to the commander’s intent.

• Date Taken: 12.19.2014
• Date Posted: 12.19.2014 18:11
• Story ID: 150818
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US