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    Junior Marines Lead the Way for Task Force Koa Moana

    AT SEA, USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) — Leadership is a trait recruits arriving at Marine Corps Recruiting Stations San Diego or Parris Island will have engrained into their lives from day one, and they will be demanded to build on that ideology until their final day of service. Marines are often given the opportunity to lead early in their military career and are mentored until they are capable of living up to the Marine saying, “Non-commissioned officers are the backbone of the Corps.”
    When Lance Cpl. Nathan D. Lyons, a combat engineer assigned to Task Force Koa Moana, was given the opportunity to showcase his leadership as a combat marksmanship coach during their deployment, he stepped up to the plate.
    “I’m here to train the guys, who have and haven’t shot, how to handle the Beretta M9 better and to be more proficient when they shoot,” said Lyons, originally assigned to Bravo Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
    Lyons, along with Marine non-commissioned officers and Sailors, are responsible for conducting basic military training, such as live fire ranges, non-lethal weapons training and combat medical training, with military forces in Fiji, Tonga, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea. Task Force Koa Moana deployed May 17, 2016 from Okinawa, Japan to train with the countries to increase interoperability and relationships in the Asia-Pacific region.
    “They’re our backbone,” said Staff Sgt. Leroy N. Richie, a combat engineer with the task force. “As a staff non-commissioned officer, I lay the groundwork for what the training should look like. It’s the corporals and sergeants who carry it out for the Marines and (allied services) conducting the training.”
    Richie harped on the importance of junior Marines and NCOs leading the way.
    “We instill and demand leadership from Marines at all levels,” said Richie, from Lapeer, Michigan. “We place them in situations where they are required to display that. This is a perfect example. We have a lance corporal as a marksmanship coach, and he is making it happen.”
    At sea, Lyons has been training in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program during the mornings and coaching live fire ranges in the afternoons, preparing to continue to train the host nations once they reach shore.
    “It’s enjoyable,” said Lyons, from Peoria, Illinois. “I get to work with a lot of different people. They all have different jobs and backgrounds, and I get to learn about them.”
    Having a second MOS gives Lyons the opportunity to give back to the Marine Corps and the Marines around him.
    “It makes my journey more interesting,” said Lyons. “It’s been a pleasure and a good experience.”
    Having already trained in Papua New Guinea once, Lyons is eager to go back and continue to increase interoperability and relations.
    “That’s what keeps me going,” said Richie. “I’m most proud when I see my Marines operating successfully and learning. It’s a good feeling when I see the influence I’ve had on them play out.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.24.2016
    Date Posted: 06.02.2016 20:54
    Story ID: 199542
    Location: AT SEA
    Hometown: LAPEER, MI, US
    Hometown: PEORIA, IL, US

    Web Views: 70
    Downloads: 0

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