Charging forward: 1/2 assaults the objective, completes live-fire range

Photo By Sgt. Aaron Henson | Lance Cpl. Kevin Perez, an automatic rifleman with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment provides suppressive fire during a live-fire range at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 13, 2017. During the training, a fire team of Marines exited the tree line and began providing suppressive fire on their objective while the rest of the squad dispersed to take on the target. The Marines then traversed through an open field where they bounded to secure their objective. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aaron Henson)  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

12.14.2017

Story by Cpl. Aaron Henson 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment conducted a live-fire range at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Dec. 12-14, 2017.

The Marines trained during the day and night, bounding and providing support by fire while sharpening their marksmanship skills and better familiarizing themselves with their weapon systems.

The live-fire range consisted of squad attacks where Marines maneuvered toward and eliminated an objective, enabling them to improve the squad leaders’ ability to communicate and direct their Marines.

“The squad attacks are focused on the squad leader and the employment of his squad,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Moyer, the platoon sergeant with the unit. “It shows the transition from a junior Marine that is just worried about their weapon system, to an individual who is responsible for multiple lives and employing Marines to accomplish the commander’s mission.”

A squad is comprised of 13 Marines, which is broken down into the squad leader and three fire teams. Each fire team includes a team leader, an automatic rifleman, an assistant automatic rifleman and a rifleman.

To begin the training, a fire team of Marines exited the tree line and began providing suppressive fire on their objective while the rest of the squad dispersed to take on the target. The Marines then traversed through an open field where they bounded to secure their objective.

“We start at the individual and team level attacks and then we build up to the squad level attacks,” said Moyer. This is the first time we have been able to do fire and maneuver, which is what we, as infantrymen, are supposed to do. It is going to set the standard for the rest of our pre-deployment training.”

Lance Cpl. Zachary Mauney, a squad leader with the unit, explains that the training allows new Marines to take a step in the right direction and prepares the unit for their upcoming deployment by maintaining combat readiness.

The infantry Marines’ mission is to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or repel the enemy’s assault with fire and close combat.

“The Marines are doing a great job,” said Moyer. “We are hammering down the basics and building their confidence in each other and their leadership to do their assigned jobs."

The unit is slated to deploy with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit next year.

• Date Taken: 12.14.2017
• Date Posted: 12.14.2017 16:44
• Story ID: 258967
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US