Photo By Lance Cpl. Shannon Kroening | Non- commissioned officers motivate the Marines to keep pushing and that together they...... read more read more
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BRIDGEPORT, C.A. - Approximately 750 Marines with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, traveled to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to undergo the Summer Mountain Exercise at Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California, from Aug. 23 to Sept. 28, 2016.
“Coming here to Bridgeport and getting hands-on training in the mountains is a great opportunity for the battalion,” said Lt. Col. Kemper A. Jones, the battalion commander for 3rd Bn., 8th Marines.
The Marines were tested in their ability to function in an environment with which they are unfamiliar. The battalion is stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where the terrain is nothing like the environment they have immersed themselves in. The battalion can only do so much at Camp Lejeune to help ready the Marines for what they will encounter on their UDP.
“There are a lot of different training scenarios here that we can’t train for back in North Carolina,” said 2nd Lt. Viktor Greve, a platoon commander with Lima Company, 3rd Bn., 8th Marines. “We plan to take full advantage of this training opportunity.”
While at Bridgeport, the Marines were given tasks that would challenge them physically and mentally.
“We conducted a gorge crossing where you’re strapped into two ropes and a carabineer in a Swiss-seat going across a 200-foot drop and 300-foot wide gap with rocks strewn about the basin floor,” said 2nd Lt. Victor Grevel, a platoon commander for Lima Co.
The Marines spent 12 days at four different locations learning essential skills to master the rough terrain. At each of the four locations, the Marines learned rock climbing, cliff assaults, rappelling, survival techniques, and casualty evacuation.
“All this training will be beneficial for the Marines and it will best prepare them for the challenges they will face during our upcoming deployment,” said Jones. “I’m confident in their ability to overcome these challenges and be that much more prepared for our next incursion into the East.”
The training allowed 3/8 to acclimate in a mountainous environment in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Okinawa, Japan, through the Unit Deployment Program.
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2016 21:59 |
| Story ID: | 209785 |
| Location: | BRIDGEPORT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 357 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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