Photo By Sgt. Jonathan Sosner | Marine walks across desert in a Combat Operation Center during a Deployment for...... read more read more
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Hidden behind the mountain ridgeline, the Marine Combat Operation Center is out of sight. To the naked eye, it looks like just another mountain, but upon closer inspection there are hundreds of Marines and gear concealed under camouflage netting.
Marines from 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion participated in a Deployment for Training (DFT) exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, Jan. 13-23, 2017. They fought a notional war alongside the Army’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, against the Army’s 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
Cover and concealment was an integral part of 2nd LAR’s DFT. As soon as the vehicles found their place in the Forward Operating Base, camouflage netting was set up in a perimeter covering the vehicles.
“Cover consists of a wall or hard structure that can protect you from receiving contact from live fire,” said Lance Cpl. Bryant De Santiago, an intelligence specialist with the unit. “Concealment could be under camouflage netting or a bush, which can disguise you, but can’t stop live rounds.”
2nd LAR emphasizes the importance of concealing their vehicles and gear. The FOB was nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding terrain when looking down on it from a higher point of view. The tan and green scales on the camouflage netting complimented the tones of the desert environment, mimicking the surrounding sand and vegetation.
“LAR bases itself on being light and mobile in conducting reconnaissance outside the forward edge of the battle space,” said Sgt. Alexander Warf, an intelligence analyst with the unit. “Without concealment, we’re easily spotted by enemy counterintelligence.”
Even the unit’s vehicles are draped in camouflage netting. This is essential because not all vehicles are a tan color similar to the desert surroundings.
“One of the major problems is that many enemies have Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other air assets,” said De Santiago. “Because of this, we need to put up camouflage netting to disrupt their imagery so that we may show up as mountainous terrain.”
Failure to properly cover and conceal all aspects of operations can jeopardize the mission. For this reason, 2nd LAR emphasizes the importance of camouflage netting so that maximum effort is stressed on concealing gear and vehicles.
“With the camouflage netting employed properly, it breaks up the thermal signature completely,” said Maj. Aaron Lenz, the 2nd Light Armored Battalion Executive Officer. “The vehicles are close to indistinguishable from the terrain.”
2nd LAR accomplished their reconnaissance missions during this DFT by successfully concealing their vehicles and gear and adapting to their surrounding environment.
“This DFT gave the Marines a real world example of what a Light Armored Reconnaissance Unit should be doing,” said Lenz. “We should be out forward in front of the supporting commander observing, reporting and shaping the battlefield for him; that’s exactly what we were able to do out here.”
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2017 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 222475 |
| Location: | FORT IRWIN, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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