TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - The Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, have finished with the extreme heat and dust of the sands in the Mojave Desert. After more than a month of intense training during the unit's Integrated Training Exercise, the battalion wrapped up its pre-deployment training here, June 6.
The next time the Marines step outside the wire, it will be in direct support of combat operations for Operation Enduring Freedom.
"Every Marine now has confidence in their ability to perform under difficult circumstances," said Maj. Peter T. Borsay, a Muncie, Ind., native and operations officer for CLB-6. "We've had a chance to grow as a battalion. This has offered us an environment where we can come together and really create that necessary camaraderie, that trust in each other and our ability to provide the best support in a combat environment."
CLB-6's participation in ITX came on the heels of nearly half a year of continuous battalion and company level exercises at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Fort Pickett, Va.
The battalion performed a host of logistical operations in support of infantry and artillery battalions operating in the area and completed multiple air and ground resupply missions. CLB-6 also coordinated close-air support operations with helicopter and fighter-aircraft units in a realistic Marine Air Ground Task Force environment, integrating the full scope of the Marine Corps' fighting spectrum into the unit's day-to-day operations.
"One of the things everyone should know is the difficulty associated in every aspect of the training we conducted, and the fact that CLB-6 did it so well, so competently, is a trademark of this unit’s capability," said Borsay. "It is a true testament to the staff [noncommissioned officers] and NCOs of the battalion."
The battalion conducted a myriad of convoy operations, engineering projects and live-fire events to include crew-served weapons gunnery and the battalion’s Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs) conducting close-air support.
ITX allowed the unit to complete training where it provided essential supply, maintenance and transportation support to unit's operating in an unforgiving desert environment, where temperatures averaged in the hundreds and work days routinely stretched beyond 20 hours.
CLB-6 also completed an assortment of exercise events meant to increase preparedness in care of battlefield injuries, engagement with hostile adversaries and identification of improvised explosive devices in the field.
"I am extremely proud of the Marines in this battalion," said Borsay. "I'm also encouraged, as we go forward into a combat deployment, that the Marines and sailors are prepared. Serving with this Battalion has been a significant highlight of my career."
In spite of the intense training schedule and complex network of missions, CLB-6 finished its training without incident and above the expectations of their evaluators.
Once the Marines return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., the battalion will finalize its preparations for deployment.