Task Force Koa Moana: Combining capabilities

Photo By Sgt. William Hester | MOTUTAPU ISLAND, Tonga — Combat engineers sprint to cover during a live-fire range, July 28, 2016, on Motutapu Island, Tonga, to prepare a demolition charge to clear an obstacle, as part of a multi-national, bilateral exercise, between U.S. and Tongan forces, designed to increase interoperability and relations. The service members combined skills practiced during the exercise during a culminating range such as high explosive exploitation, demolition, buddy rushing and beach insertion. The engineers are with Task Force Koa Moana and are originally assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. William Hester/ Released)  

TONGA

08.01.2016

Story by Cpl. William Hester 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

MOTUTAPU ISLAND, Tonga — As unique of a deployment as it has already been for Task Force Koa Moana, traversing the Pacific aboard the USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) to operate in multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, they continued to push and challenge each other by combining skill sets in Tonga.
U.S. Marines, sailors and Tongan soldiers conducted basic infantry, demolition and live-fire range training, July 22-28, 2016, on Motutapu Island, Tonga, as part of a multi-national, bilateral exercise designed to increase interoperability and relations.
“The last couple days let us show the capabilities we have and how we fit in with engineers,” said Lance Cpl. E. Gieseke, an assaultman with Task Force Koa Moana, originally assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Assaultmen and combat engineers integrated to conduct demolition and breach obstacles with explosives while the infantrymen conducted live-fire ranges with the Tongan soldiers.
“We incorporated more movements and breaching, which we didn’t do anywhere else,” said Cpl. Matthew A. Wagner, an infantryman with the task force, originally assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st MarDiv, I MEF.
The task force focused more on static ranges in the prior countries during their deployment. They were able to combine different capabilities to create a broader training avenue in Tonga.
“This training involved a lot more skill sets,” said Wagner, from Arcadia, California. “We felt more at home doing something more day to day for us infantrymen coming from more static ranges in the other countries. This is what we do.”
Tonga provided a more unique opportunity for the assaultmen and engineers to integrate and apply the skills they have specifically to their jobs such as demolition and obstacle breaching.
“A lot of things we do are the same, but there are some smaller things we do different,” said Gieseke. “I picked up and learned things working with them. We get to see what the other elements do and how they support the infantry when we integrate. It expands our capabilities and allows me to do more.”
The engineers and assaultmen provided the infantry with demolition assets and support during the culminating range, giving a new element to the training after already throwing in beach insertions via combat rubber raiding crafts.
Not having as many opportunities to train with HE and demolition, the Tongan soldiers didn’t let that affect the training.
“They handled it well,” said Wagner. “Everyone knows what’s going on when you’re with your own guys. It can throw you for a loop when working with other countries because you have to slow down at first and evaluate everything that is going on. They knew what we were doing, they grasped the concept and moved with us. I think they had a really good time.”

• Date Taken: 08.01.2016
• Date Posted: 08.07.2016 19:30
• Story ID: 206326
• Location: TO
• Hometown: ARCADIA, CA, US
• Hometown: NEW ULM, MN, US