Defeating an unseen enemy: 9th Engineer Support Battalion on Okinawa conducts improvised explosive device training

Photo By Lance Cpl. Robert Frenke | An instructor for IED Defeat, a training team with the Engineer Center of Excellence based in Camp Lejeune, N.C., shows Marines an example of what improvised explosive devices may resemble, during 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Groups IED training at the Central Training Area Apr. 2.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

04.11.2008

Story by Pfc. Aaron Hostutler 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

By Pfc. Aaron Hostutler
3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs

LANDING ZONE FALCON, OKINAWA, Japan– The path ahead seems clear. Everything is quiet. Marines are on high alert looking for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, a Marine disappears in an explosion of baby powder.

As the air clears, the Marines realize that if they were in a combat zone instead of a training environment, they would have more to worry about than a powder-filled improvised explosive device.

With insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan continuously evolving their IED tactics, it is vital that Marines receive constant training to keep them aware of what to look for in a combat environment, said Gregory Sedia, a mobile training team instructor with IED Defeat. The training team is part of the Engineer Center of Excellence based in Camp Lejeune, N.C. and is in Okinawa to help Marines here deploy with the best training available on IEDs.

The mobile training team used their expertise to enhance the readiness of Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group April 2.

"There can never be enough training. Because as fast as we adapt, the insurgents adapt, which is why we want (Marines) to be aware of the signs of IEDs," Sedia said.

Sedia said Marines on the battlefield must be "hyper vigilant" to be able to effectively identify IEDs.

"Insurgents have learned to make almost anything explode, so we try to give (Marines) a whole spectrum of what they can expect," he said.

In order to expose the Marines of 9th ESB to several types of IEDs they could encounter in combat, instructors hid nine simulated explosive devices along a patrol path in Central Training Area to test how many each Marine could find. Some did well, and others, such as those covered in white powder, did not. Either way, many Marines said they benefited from the course.

"I now know what to look for and what to do when I come into contact with an IED," said Pfc. Jason Fisher, a line walker for Bulk Fuel Company. "That's the kind of information that will keep me alive in Iraq."

The training also covered immediate action drills following an IED explosion that results in casualties. Instructors explained this is a very important part of the course since a Marine's instincts will often drive him to immediately rush to the aid of a wounded comrade.

However, an IED detonation is often the beginning of an extremely volatile situation that may include secondary attacks or a direct assault from the enemy, Sedia said. Therefore, Marines were instead taught to first wait for further attacks and then set up security and a safe zone before attempting to bring the casualties to safety.

The improvised explosive device training course was designed to give the Marines a look at as many different situations as possible to better prepare them to make the right decisions when it counts most.

"It's important to understand that no two situations are the same," Sedia said.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2008
• Date Posted: 04.10.2008 18:53
• Story ID: 18301
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ