Photo By Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez | U.S. Marine Cpl. T.J. Cameron a mortarman assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Perched over a hill concealed by their environment, a small team of Marines conduct training operations in one of the largest military training exercises in the U.S.
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division are conducting their pre-deployment training, and testing their war fighting skills during Integrated Training Exercise 2-16 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 23, 2016.
U.S. Marine Cpl. T.J. Cameron, a mortarman is sketching the surrounding terrain on some cardboard ripped from a Meal, Ready-to-Eat box, which helps his fellow Marines engage enemy targets by providing plotting coordinates for indirect fire support.
“Twentynine Palms is probably the best place in the world to conduct infantry training,” said Cameron. “There is no other place to get this kind of training; the size of this location provides very little distraction.”
Cpl. Cameron and the Marines of 3rd LAR will spend most of their time on the firing ranges, living in field conditions and working long hours sharpening their combat skills. The Marines will be evaluated by Tactical Training Exercise Control Group “Coyotes” who will provide feedback on how they perform in this simulated combat environment.
The Mojave Desert, with its extreme fluctuations of daily temperatures and arid climate, provides the perfect setting to simulate the rough terrain they will encounter when they deploy to the Middle East. Over three thousand Marines will cycle through these harsh conditions in a thirty-day period. They will develop skills to help them better adapt to their forward deployed locations. The ranges on Twentynine Palms and combined arms movements conducted will provide Marines with combat scenarios they cannot find anywhere else.
As Cameron focuses on the enemy target downrange through his VECTOR 21 binocular, he inscribes careful notes on his drawing board and inputs data onto his pocket-sized forward entry device. His duties as a forward observer include communicating battlefield intelligence and providing enemy positions. He has to be extremely aware of the location and movements of friendly troops as well as the enemy.
The mission of 3rd LAR is to conduct light armored reconnaissance, security and offensive maneuvers. On this day they are calling indirect close air fire support provided by Air Force A-10 Thunderbolts II.
According to U.S. Marine 1st Lt. David Shank, artillery forward observer, one of the goals for this training is to provide Marines the opportunity to work alongside the other military branches such as the Army and Air Force. The integration gives service members the ability to operate in a joint operations environment, which makes this exercise unique.
Looking over the valley several miles down range, explosions are visible as artillery and gunship fires hits their mark based on the critical information supplied by the Marines. For Cpl. Cameron and Lt. Shank it’s just another day on the range to complete their evaluation.
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2016 01:04 |
| Story ID: | 188691 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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