Photo By Staff Sgt. Victoria Ross | Marines with 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division use an exterior strip...... read more read more
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On a drizzly wet day at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Marines broke from the dull grey afternoon with a bang on Feb. 12, 2018.
Marines with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division worked with the Expeditionary Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group to review urban breaching techniques in preparation for their upcoming deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“We went over how to build certain charges, how to calculate net explosive weight and calculated how close we can stand to the explosion without suffering hearing damage,” said Cpl. Samuel Valderas, a reconnaissance Marine with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
The Marines built exterior strip charges before moving downrange in teams to practice placing and detonating the charges in order to observe the effect it had on the doorway or window they were attempting to enter through.
“Having breach trained Marines on the team helps relay any pertinent information for a raid force going into a compound or building,” said Capt. Benjamin Lowring, the Charlie Company executive officer.
Having urban breaching skills expedites the Marines’ ability to enter a building and maintain a certain level of surprise.
“Getting hands-on is the best way to get familiar with anything new,” Valderas said. “We had the breach trained Marines build the charge first and explain what they were doing and how the charge worked.”
Senior Marines passed on their knowledge to Marines who had not yet had the opportunity to go to a formal breach school. The hands-on nature of the range gave junior Marines an idea of what to expect when earning their official qualifications.
“This training is beneficial for us to prepare for our own precision raids and to assist any infantry unit when conducting reconnaissance and surveillance for them,” Lowring said.
The platoon’s unique and varied skill set enables them to conduct ground and amphibious reconnaissance and surveillance to support 2nd Marine Division and the 22nd MEU in accomplishing their mission during their overseas deployment.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2018 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 266374 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 194 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Element of surprise: 2nd Recon conducts breaching range, by SSgt Victoria Ross, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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