Marines Train for Overseas Emergency Relief

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, UNITED STATES

06.16.2016

Story by Pvt. Michael Jennings 

209th Broadcast Operations Detachment

By U.S. Army Pvt. 2 Michael Jennings
209th Broadcast Operations Detachment

The 1st Civil Affairs Group (CAG), of Camp Pendleton, Calif., the 3rd CAG, of Great Lakes, Ill., and the 4th CAG, of Hialeah, Fla., trained at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., on June 16, 2016. U.S.

Marine Corps Lt. Col. Bruce A. Cupit, 3rd CAG Detachment Commander, said that the purpose of the training was to “bring our CAGs together to train in different civil affairs scenarios. It could be key leadership engagements, setting up a civil military operations center, assisting with humanitarian assistance, or disaster relief.”

Under the Force Headquarters Group Marine Force Reserve, the CAGs conducted key leader engagement. This involved using an interpreter to find out what is going on with the local population, including discussing their concerns with the supply of water, food, and medical supplies. This allowed Marines to make recommendations to commanders to solve issues before they become major problems. The training also allowed younger Marines, who have never deployed, to understand how to use an interpreter. They also learned how to build trust with the locals and the importance of building trust.

With 46 Marines on site, there are several different scenarios set up so the younger Marines have the chance to work through the scenarios. They learned to set up a civil military operations center where they worked with other organizations in the same building. The training is designed to build from day to day and to end in a final culminating exercise on the last day to see what the Marines have learned from their training.

The Marines enjoyed using the numerous areas that Muscatatuck offers for different types of training. “It’s a sterile environment where we can set up different scenarios,” Cupit said about the facilities at Muscatatuck. “It’s easy to have training in a class room,” Cupit said. He explained that it is completely different when you start acting out the situation with role players as "it adds realistic stress to the situation.” Cupit also said, “It’s one thing to talk about something. It’s different actually seeing it.”

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• Date Taken: 06.16.2016
• Date Posted: 06.17.2016 14:30
• Story ID: 201588
• Location: MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, US
• Hometown: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US
• Hometown: GREAT LAKES, IL, US
• Hometown: HIALEAH, FL, US
• Hometown: MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, IN, US
• Hometown: ROME, GA, US