Photo By Sgt. John Baker | Marines with Company I, 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment, escort role players onto an...... read more read more
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BARSTOW, Calif. - As the week came to an end, training was just beginning for the Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response Central Command 15.2, as they took to the field to begin their Certification Exercise for their upcoming deployment.
The SPMAGTF was spread throughout multiple locations in the Western United States, in preparation for the training missions that would take place from Feb. 9 through Feb. 14, 2015. Each of its locations simulated unique environments and scenarios using role players, creating realistic situations Marines could encounter during future operations. The dispersed locations were engineered to mimic the broad swath of land within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.
“All of the scenarios we’ve been put through are things that can or will happen wherever we go,” said Sgt. James M. Horton, from Lynchburg, Tennessee, a platoon sergeant for Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. “There are always things we can improve, but overall, this training has put us in a good spot.”
The SPMAGTF is made up of a command element from 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division; a ground combat element from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment; an aviation combat element from 3rd Marine Air Wing; and a logistics combat element from Combat Logistics Battalion 7.
“The main three parts of the SPMAGTF are the air, the ground, and the logistics portion,” said Sgt. Ashley Nelson, from Delran, New Jersey, and an intelligence specialist with Expeditionary Operations Training Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. “They all support the ground side that is out executing the mission.”
This SPMAGTF is trained and equipped to quickly respond to any mission required by U.S. Central Command - including embassy reinforcement, tactical recovery of aircraft personnel, theater security cooperation, stability operations, humanitarian assistance missions, and more.
“When you’re operating in these scenarios, there are a lot of eyes on you,” said Horton. “When you have a quick response time, it puts everyone else on their heels and gives you the upper hand.”
At one training area aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, in scenario referred to as “Country X,” the Marines were faced with multiple challenges that truly showed the diverse skill set of the SPMAGTF.
“Right now, we’re in an embassy holding security to keep everyone safe,” said Horton. “We’re monitoring the populous to establish a baseline to see if we can get a grasp on what they are trying to do.”
The embassy had initially asked for humanitarian assistance from SPMAGTF because of an influx of refugees putting a strain on the local and national economies. The SPMAGTF deployed a Forward Command Element and a Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team to evaluate the local resources and infrastructure in an effort to enable follow-on relief actions. While those teams were busy making plans to receive, coordinate and distribute humanitarian aid, a new problem arose.
“There was an escalation of force,” said Nelson. “There was a buildup of hostile civilians outside of the embassy. [The role players] were using small arms fire as well as improvised explosive devices.”
The SPMAGTF’s mission quickly transitioned from humanitarian assistance, to embassy reinforcement.
“Once we got in, the local populous gave us very little time to set up,” said Horton, “they started coming over the fence, our Marines, who had been briefed on our rules of engagement and escalation of force, were stopping and detaining them.”
The Marines are well-trained and know exactly how they should respond to hostile situations. They were able to keep themselves and the embassy safe without having to engage the hostiles with deadly force. That can be important in the context of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and foreign countries.
“It’s important to keep it a non-combatant mission because of the politics,” said Nelson. “It’s how America views us and how that country views us. If American troops go in, guns blazing at any threat that comes their way, they could end up the enemy of that country.”
Though the riots had settled down, the local population continued to protest just outside the embassy, causing multiple close encounters.
“There were wedding processions through the streets, which can happen in real life; there were shots fired off in the distance; there were guys coming over trying to find weak spots in our security; there were people in elevated positions taking pictures,” said Horton. “All of these things can happen wherever we go.”
After securing the embassy, the situation on the ground was such that the role-player acting as the U.S. Ambassador to Country X requested help with a Non-combatant Evacuation Operation, during which the SPMAGTF would need to facilitate the movement of U.S. citizens out of the country. After quickly shifting focus and putting a new mission into motion, the Marines had to balance their focus between multiple tasks while still remaining aware of their surroundings.
“A non-combatant evacuation’s purpose is to evacuate Americans out of any country,” said Nelson. “They relocate the Americans [to a place where they can] provide them with medical care, food and shelter.”
There are a lot of potential problems that Marines could face during a NEO, both from external forces and from our own American citizens.
“People could try to bring weapons or excess materials, such as pets or luggage that is not a necessity,” said Nelson. “That takes up room that we need for American citizens.”
Despite the challenges the Marines faced, they stayed focused and completed their mission.
“Good leaders always have their head on a swivel,” said Horton. “We have a lot of experience, not necessarily in embassy scenarios but experience overall. This gives us a head start and an idea of things to look for so we can see problems coming before they happen.”
Several other missions were thrown at the SPMAGTF during the same time period, requiring concurrent planning for TRAP, air strikes, and mass casualty evacuations, in addition to the heavy load at the embassy in Country X.
Resource allocation and mission de-confliction at the SPMAGTF staff level is essential to success on the battlefield, said 1st Lt. Matthew Gonzales, from Jacksonville, North Carolina, the SPMAGTF Forward Command Element assistant officer in charge. The exercise is just as important for the Marines planning in the operations center as it can be for those on the ground.
By successfully completing the Certification Exercise, the SPMAGTF demonstrated the ability to go forward as a shore-based, scalable Marine Air-Ground Task Force available to meet any mission that may present itself.
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2015 20:44 |
| Story ID: | 154547 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Hometown: | DELRAN, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSONVILLE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | LYNCHBURG, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 1,430 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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