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“When we do actually get tanks attached to us or where it’s the first time we link up together it’s either at [Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Training Center] Twentynine Palms or an operation that’s leading to a deployment,” said Gunnery Sgt. James Woolford, a chief combat instructor for IULC 2-16.
In the 12 week course, the tank integration exercise is the culminating events, Woolford said.
The tankers explained the capabilities and limitations of the tanks and worked with the leaders to find the best way for the tank assets and infantry Marines to communicate during various exercises.
“[The tankers] talked a lot about the main gun’s capabilities. A lot of the information that I thought for years was correct, was wrong,” said Staff Sgt. Caleb Little, a student in IULC 2-16.
It was really nice to have the subject matter experts there to clear that stuff up, to delineate what they can and can’t do, and to show us what they can do for us and what we need to do for them.”
The training was beneficial to the tankers as well. First Lieutenant Brian Miller, a platoon commander with 2nd Tank Battalion, said it helped resolve communications issues they have faced with the infantry before.
“We can better sequence the events in a MOUT town because it is a complex environment,” Miller said. “So working with them has allowed us to tighten down on some of the things that we already know how to do. It has allowed us to give them lessons and classes on a platform that they’re not necessarily familiar working with.”
Some of the students haven’t done this type of training in years. Little said this was the first time he’s worked with tanks since 2006.
“They walked away a lot better prepared than when they started off with tanks. Even though it was a three-day package, it’s probably becoming one of our more heavy driven events that we do here in the twelve-week course because of that gap,” Woolford said.
The students will be able to apply this training to their respective units upon completion of the course.
“Combined arms is what we do in the Marine Corps. Working with each other and doing it enough is going to show,” Woolford said.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2016 12:25 |
| Story ID: | 195135 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Infantry Unit Leaders train with 2nd Tanks, by Sgt Melodie Snarr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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