Marines shoot in stress-filled environment

Photo By Lance Cpl. Damion Hatch | U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy Wisdom puts on a gas mask during a stress shoot on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, March 21, 2018. Marines conducted a stress shoot to overcome a high- pressure situation during a live- fire course. Wisdom, a Volvo, Kentucky native, is a team leader for 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. The North Carolina-based unit is forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan, as part of the unit-deployment program. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Damion Hatch Jr.)  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

03.21.2018

Story by Lance Cpl. Tegra Shepherd 

3rd Marine Division     

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division participated in a stress shoot, which took place March 21, 2018, on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.
“The purpose is to elevate your heart rate and make it tougher to breathe,” said 2nd Lt. Joseph Monaghan, a platoon commander for 2/8 from Clayton, Indiana. “It let us see how theses Marines would handle stress and gave us ideas on how to improve their training for these situations.”
The Marines, while wearing plate carriers and kevlar, were required to sprint a quarter mile, climb over a hill, and shoot in buddy pairs. Halfway through shooting, they were told to put on their gas masks and perform 28 pushups before completing the live fire course.
The Marines wore gas masks to simulate a gas attack, during the course of fire.
“I don’t like shooting with my gas mask on, because it’s very different,” said Lance Cpl. Matthew Tataseo, a rifleman with 2/8 from Newcastle, Pennsylvania. “It’s harder to see the targets and position your rifle.”
They concluded the shoot with the instructors yelling colors, shapes and numbers off the target for the Marines to aim at before running off the range to perform a casualty evacuation drill.
“It was good training,” said Lance Cpl. Devin Getes, a rifleman with 2/8 from Panama City, Florida. “It let us know our limits and what we need to work on.”
This exercise gave the Marines a chance to train in a high pressure environment to improve their skills for future deployments.

• Date Taken: 03.21.2018
• Date Posted: 03.25.2018 04:04
• Story ID: 270369
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP