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BRIDGEPORT, Calif. – Hours passed as Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 26, Headquarters Regiment, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, built the command and control center from the ground up. This was the base of operations during their month-long training aboard Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center at Bridgeport, California, Jan. 9 – Feb. 10, 2015.
The command and control center consisted of a battalion aid station, dental, radio communications and the combat operations center, providing a stable source of support for the Marines and sailors braving the mountain during their month-long training above 8,000 feet in elevation.
Marines operating at a lower base camp provided everything necessary in order for units to train, said Lt. Col. Daniel Coleman, the commanding officer of CLB-26.
“We have our motor transport operators busy running food and supplies up and down the mountain,” Coleman said. “We have the combat operations center controlling all of those movements. Very critical things are happening down here that allow 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, and the Marines of CLB-26 to train.”
The Marines operating in the command and control center quickly became a vital part of supporting their peers as they began their rigorous journey into an unfamiliar terrain.
“(This exercise) was completely different from anything I’ve ever done before,” said Cpl. Stephen St. Clair, a landing support specialist with CLB-26. “We hiked up the mountain, stayed the night in our tents and moved to our bivouac site. We learned how to ski and build shelters, then moved up to Levitt Lake where we learned basic survival skills for cold weather conditions.”
Between setting up tents, boiling water and standing guard throughout the bivouac sites, each of the Marines combined their efforts and worked as a team. St. Clair was confident in his battalion’s ability to work together towards mission accomplishment from the beginning.
“Teamwork was very strong up (in the mountain),” St. Clair said. “It was a combined effort to get everything done. We had to keep up a positive mental attitude the whole time.”
As the Marines pushed through day after day of snow, ice and cold winds, hiking with snow shoes and skis, the battalion’s leaders took notice of their noncommissioned officer’s engagement with the instructors and the junior Marines.
“The Marines were taken out of their comfort zone,” said Sgt. Maj. Phillip Billiot, the sergeant major of CLB-26. “Coming from the Carolina MAGTF, Marines are traditionally not exposed to mountainous terrain. As the training progressed, the NCOs took an active role in leading their Marines. It’s refreshing to see that happen.”
Billiot said that the training they accomplished taught his Marines a great deal about small unit leadership and overcoming challenges.
“As a leader, you look at yourself and what your weaknesses are, and the mountain will expose those weaknesses,” said Billiot. “What the Marines have learned up here on the mountain, whether it’s sustainment or effective leadership, translates to anywhere in the world.”
After completing 10 days of mountain survival and mobility, the Marines quickly charged into the next evolution. They pulled their weapons from the armory and loaded their magazines in preparation for simulated enemy encounters during patrols or firefights in the mountains.
“CLB-26 will be moving in conjunction with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines,” said Billiot. “Once we move into position, we will provide a forward element for logistical support as they engage the enemy on the mountain.”
The Marines cycled through shifts of security and controlling the command operations center as they provided support to 2/6 against a simulated enemy. They took heavy fire during the exercise, but remained in control of their bivouac site and maintained communication lines. The commanding officer of CLB-26 expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his Marines during their training.
“The most important skill learned here is to be able to adapt to challenging environments and to be able to execute our mission,” said Coleman. “This is an absolutely unique environment that most of these Marines have never seen, and they’ve performed magnificently.”
The training is in preparation for CLB-26’s upcoming deployment to the Mediterranean with 2/6. Support and collaboration between the units during the training exercise helped build confidence in each other’s ability to overcome any task, which will hold true for their future endeavors.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2015 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 154483 |
| Location: | BRIDGEPORT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Logistics Marines Brave Mountain During Cold-Weather Training, by Sgt Kaitlyn Klein, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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