Reserve Reconnaissance Marines showcase their skills

Photo By Cpl. Devan Barnett | CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. – Marines with 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, conducted jumps from the back of a C-130 during Exercise Northern Strike 2016 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Mich., Aug. 17, 2016. The Marines demonstrated their skills and kept their qualifications up to date with six jumps at this exercise as a apart of their minimum ten needed. Exercise Northern Strike 16 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise uniting approximately 5,000 Army, Air Force, Marine, and Special Forces service members from 20 states and three coalition countries. The exercise strives to provide accessible, readiness-building opportunities for military units from all service branches to achieve and sustain proficiency in conducting mission command, air, sea, and ground maneuver integration, and the synchronization of fires in a joint, multinational, decisive action environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Devan Alonzo Barnett/Released)  

CAMP GRAYLING, MI, UNITED STATES

08.23.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Devan Barnett 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. – Reserve Marines with 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, supported exercise Northern Strike 16, Aug. 6-20, 2016 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan.
Northern Strike 16 is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored multinational, multilateral combined arms, live-fire exercise with members from 20 states and three coalition countries. The exercise brings together over 5,000 service members and strives to provide accessible, readiness-building opportunities for military units from all service branches. The focus of the exercise is to achieve and sustain proficiency in conducting mission command, air, sea, and ground maneuver integration, and the synchronization of fires in a decisive action environment.
During the exercise, the Reserve Marines focused on maintaining their jump qualifications. They also supported the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion through water jump recovery from their F470 Combat Rubber Raiding Craft.
U.S. Air Force C-130s at the Grayling Army Airfield offered the Marines an opportunity to requalify and perfect their skills. To do so, Recon Marines participated in free fall, static, and tandem jumps. The mission of 4th Recon is to conduct amphibious reconnaissance, deep ground reconnaissance, surveillance, battle space shaping, and limited scale raids in support of the units participating in Northern Strike 16.
“We are here to get these Marines to be trained up in all aspects of reconnaissance to include amphibious and airborne operations,” said 1st Sgt. John Herrera, company first sergeant of Company C, 4th Recon Bn., based out of San Antonio.
At first, the Marines were nervous about jumping from the C-130s into the lake on Camp Grayling because some of the Marines were qualifying for the first time while others haven’t jumped in a while. The team of Marines participated in 6 jumps over the exercise which is part of their annual qualifications needed to maintain their jump wings. The requirement to wear the wings are to conduct at least 10 free fall jumps total during the day and night.
“With our combined knowledge and experiences, we were able to accomplish so much together,” said Sgt. Juan Gonzalez, a paraloft chief with 4th Recon Bn. “All of us were pretty ecstatic. At first they were nervous, but after several jumps they are already looking forward to their next chance to do it again.”
The Marines also conducted operations on the lake at Camp Grayling assisting the 4th AAB and the jumpers, after their static line jumps into the water. They used the F470s, the inflatable speed boats, to recover Marines in the water, as well as assisting the amphibious assault vehicles and their track movements from ship to shore. The AAVs are the quickest and safest way to get ground units from the transportation to the fight.
The Reserve Marines have shown their skills to everyone in attendance at Northern Strike 16 with their expertise in the Air and in the water. 4th Recon Bn. gave a show to not only the other Marines but also to the Air and Army National Guard at the massive exercise.

• Date Taken: 08.23.2016
• Date Posted: 08.23.2016 16:04
• Story ID: 207971
• Location: CAMP GRAYLING, MI, US