Dawn Blitz; 'Dark Horse' engages MOUT training

Photo By Sgt. Levi Schultz | Pvt. Norberto Raya and Pfc. Julius Reed, riflemen, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, prepare to clear a building during Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain training as part of Exercise Dawn Blitz 2015 at Range 220 aboard the Combat Center, Sept. 8, 2015. The Combined Arms MOUT facility aboard Range 220 and more than 60 role players provided K Co. Marines with a realistic and reactive setting to prepare the unit for future deployments. (Official Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Levi Schultz/Released)  

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, UNITED STATES

09.10.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Levi Schultz 

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

Marines with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, conducted Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain training as part of Exercise Dawn Blitz 2015 at Range 220 aboard the Combat Center, Sept. 3 to Sept. 8, 2015.

“Kilo Company was involved with Dawn Blitz as an experimental company landing team for the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab out of [Marine Corps Base] Quantico, Virginia,” said Capt. Ben Phillips, company commander, K Co., 3/5. “Our mission, in support of the [1st Marine Expeditionary Brigades’] mission, was to secure the [Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field] aboard the Combat Center to facilitate the flow of supply and logistics to the main force.”

The operations performed by ‘Dark Horse’ tied in with Exercise Dawn Blitz 2015, tasking the Marines to perform an aerial insert utilizing MV-22 Osprey and CH-53E Super Stallion fixed-wing aircraft and securing the area limiting national enemy influence through stability and counter insurgency training.

“The SELF was identified as key terrain; our support of the overall mission was to secure that terrain,” Phillips said. “It’s a small portion of the pie, but this enables the MEB operations to have a forward staging point approximately 120 miles away from the sea base where it is located.”

This year was the third iteration of Dawn Blitz, a multinational amphibious training exercise held in southern California. The exercise is designed to train U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Strike Group 3, 1st MEB and coalition forces from Japan, Mexico and New Zealand in maintaining sea bases, amphibious landing and command and control.

“Dawn Blitz is an opportunity to demonstrate and assess the Marine Corps’ amphibious capabilities,” Phillips said. “In addition, it demonstrates our ability to partner with nations from across the world and enable them to gain a greater understanding and capability of amphibious operations.”
During the exercise, the Marine Corps worked closely with the U.S. Navy, showcasing the ability of amphibious forces to rapidly move to a position to influence potential crises while limiting escalation.

“The exercise requires us to work side by side with the Navy to receive support from ships and aircraft, which requires a great deal of communication from both sides,” said 1st Sgt. Oscar Ornelas, company first sergeant, K Co., 3/5. “It’s reality. It provides a great opportunity for the junior Marines to see the Marine Corps concept from both land and sea.”

The Combined Arms MOUT facility aboard Range 220 and more than 60 role players provided K Co. Marines with a realistic and reactive setting to prepare the unit for future deployments.

“This training is critical because a lot of the junior Marines haven’t been to Iraq and Afghanistan or experienced real combat in urban situations,” Ornelas said. “While aboard the Combat Center, we can get them the best training the Marine Corps has to offer.”

• Date Taken: 09.10.2015
• Date Posted: 09.11.2015 11:04
• Story ID: 175716
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US