Photo By Lance Cpl. Tyler Andersen | A Marine with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment provides security for...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - In the beating sun and muggy humidity, the grit of each Marine is tested as they keep their minds on the task at hand. Nine squads run through the course twice each day, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. As Weapons Company covers the assault men with machine gun fire hitting targets approximately 100-300 meters away, a squad of riflemen makes their way up to the first objective, where they throw a blue body training grenade into a machine gun bunker.
Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine regiment conducted a squad supported live-fire and maneuver exercise at range SR-9 aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 8-10.
The training is in preparation for their upcoming deployments with Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa and Black Sea Rotational Force. The most important part of the training is to ensure company readiness, said 1st Lt. Noah Miller, a weapons platoon commander with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. In order to evaluate the company’s readiness, 1/8 evaluated the effectiveness of its Marines at its second lowest level; squad size attacks.
“The focus of this range is for the rifle squads,” said Miller. “The machine gun squads out here are supporting the rifle squads, so it’s great training for my machine gunners because they actually get to practice hitting targets down range in support of a maneuver element. During a scenario like this they have to work on shifting and ceasing fires, and securing an area critical to the mission.”
Each squad focused on completing three separate objectives while conducting the training. In support of their mission, squads were supported by machine gun fire and the utilization of AT-4 light anti-tank weapons systems.
The range had a variety of targets for each objective. The assaulting squads primarily engaged green human- shaped silhouette targets and the supporting machine gunners engaged machine gun bunkers, tanks and vehicle silhouettes.
“Squad level training is really important because it teaches Marines at the most basic level in a rifle company,” said Miller. “A squad level operation allows us to train our Marines in realistic scenarios; it helps them focus on their individual level of skill, and helps them build cohesion as a unit with their fire-team. With this training they are going to build integrity as a unit and come out stronger on the other side of it.”
The Marines move through the course, working together towards each objective. The riflemen take charge of the fields and bunkers while the machine gunners support the squad occupying each position.
Working together, they finish the course of fire with empty magazines, and a new found confidence in their abilities to accomplish a mission, building camaraderie amongst the Marines.
Miller said, “They are going to trust each other more, and they are going to have that shared experience, [which] builds integrity as a unit, and they are going to come out stronger on the other side.”
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2015 09:25 |
| Story ID: | 170187 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Honing the Basics: 1/8 Marines Conduct Squad Support Attacks, by LCpl Tyler Andersen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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