Dutch Marines clear MOUT with 2nd LE working dogs

Photo By Staff Sgt. Victoria Ross | Dutch Marines with 32nd Raid Squadron, start to search the edge of the city for a notional weapon cache during a Military Operations on Urban Terrain training exercise at Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 23, 2018. Marines with 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion, military working dog platoon, integrated with Dutch Marines as an asset to search for improvised explosive devices, weapon caches, and hidden compartments. Marines with 2nd LE Battalion annually conduct training with the Dutch Marines to increase interoperability. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Victoria Ross)  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

03.23.2018

Story by Cpl. Victoria Ross 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

Dutch Marines move house-to-house through a mock city with a U.S. Marine dog team at their side during a training scenario at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 23, 2018.

Marine dog handlers with 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion integrated with Dutch Marines during Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training to assist in the search of notional weapon caches and improvised explosive devices.

Dutch Marines annually come to Camp Lejeune to use the training areas that allow for commanders to implement many assets, such as air support, unmanned aerial vehicles, and medical support in a single, combined exercise.

“It was good to have the dogs and to train this way because the scenario is very realistic,” said 1st Lt. Van Zutphen with the 32nd Raid Squadron, Dutch Marines. “We are training integrated with the United States Marine dog handlers, and the helicopter assets. We have our own Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and medical personnel and unmanned aerial vehicle pilots here to train at the troop level.”

Dutch Marine attack controllers worked with Marine Corps pilots to coordinate air support while troops pushed forward on the ground level. Dog handlers showed Dutch Marine commanders how they can be an asset and a quick and easy way to sniff out hidden weapons or people.

“We’re out here to assist the Dutch and show them how to use a military working dog team in a deployed setting,” said Sgt. Landon Gilliam, a dog handler, 2nd LE Battalion. “Throughout the scenario, my main job is to search for improvised explosive devices or any weapon caches inside all of the buildings being cleared. I search for trapdoors, hidden compartments, or people hiding behind barricaded doorways.”

The Dutch Marines amped up their training over the course of several days, forcing them to change their mindset from rural terrain tactics to urban environments.

“The first week we had section level [about 12 people] scenarios, and this week we are training at the troop level [about 27 people] scenarios,” Zutphen said. “It is good to combine the militaries, we speak the same language, and we have the same tactics and training programs.”

Training together promotes interoperability between U.S. Marines and the Dutch Marines allowing for an easier transition should the two militaries ever work together in future operations. Military working dogs continually prove their value in operational battle spaces and show that they too can integrate with other nations.

• Date Taken: 03.23.2018
• Date Posted: 03.29.2018 15:58
• Story ID: 271143
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US