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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – In the Mojave Desert, the environment itself is an adversary who never rests and will send those who are inattentive directly to medical – if they’re lucky.
When service members arrive at the Combat Center, one of the very first things they do is listen to a desert survival brief. The topics cover noteworthy information like “drink water even when you’re not thirsty” and “distance yourself from the wildlife while you’re here.” However, one particular survival technique that is being driven home to those currently participating in Exercise Javelin Thrust is “have a buddy.”
More than 4,000 Marines and sailors participating in this year’s Javelin Thrust come from locations in 38 different states across the country. Almost all of them have limited experience in the desert.
Almost none of them are acclimatized to the heat and altitude.
The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center is spread over terrain that varies from 1,900 to 2,300 feet above sea level, and temperatures in the summer can spike into the 110s during the day. To mitigate the inherent risk of putting inexperienced desert dwellers into a dangerous situation, the Marines and sailors participating in Javelin Thrust have a policy to turn to for guidance – the “Javelin Thrust 2012 Buddy System Policy Letter.”
According to the letter, “The buddy system is a technique which enhances our ethos of ‘Marines take care of their own.’ The system pairs two Marines as ‘buddies’ who together operate as a single unit. Buddies safeguard each other from physical and psychological dangers, consistent with our Core Values.”
There have been many occasions where both civilian and military personnel have gotten lost in the 842 square miles of training area and died from exposure to the elements here.
Having a buddy who knows where you are maintains accountability, keeps a second set of eyes on your physical condition, and in the event of an accident or emergency, your buddy becomes your first responder.
“The biggest thing is accountability,” said Cpl. Matthew Frutiger, a combat engineer and fire team leader with 6th Combat Engineer Battalion headquartered in Springfield, Ore. “And you always have somebody in case you get hurt.”
Having somebody else with you who also knows how to get where you’re going is also a safeguard, says the Portland, Ore., native. Lance Cpl. Austin Harrell agrees. Harrell is a motor transport operator with Headquarters Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, stationed in Atlanta.
“That’s why we have an ‘A Driver,’” Harrell said. Assistant drivers act as navigators and another set of eyes on the road, allowing the drivers to concentrate on the road and the load.
“If you’re on a convoy and you get separated, after an improvised explosive device for instance, you can rely on you’re A Driver,” he explained.
After only a few weeks in the field, the environment has taken its toll on the exercising Marines with more than 90 visits to medical and four visits to the hospital. There haven’t been any serious, long-lasting injuries or ailments because Marines were nearby and able to respond immediately.
If the adversary is the desert, the buddy system is the key to victory.
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2012 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 91204 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | ATLANTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | PORTLAND, OREGON, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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