KIN BLUE, Okinawa, Japan – Marines with Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division participated in a five-day exercise called Samurai, Jan. 22-26, 2018.
During the exercise, the Marines learned the fundamentals of being a “Division Forward” by planning and constructing a combat operations center while keeping a constant line of communication.
In a real life scenario, the commanding general will send their division-forward to establish command and control ahead of the staff arrival to transition from one position to another.
"Movement throughout the battlespace is essential to gaining momentum," said Capt. Kyle Britt, camp commandant for the exercise. "By establishing a forward COC, we facilitate a smooth transition of command and control throughout a battlespace."
The procedure had Marines bring enough supplies and equipment to a secured and surveyed area where they set up and broke down the command center as quickly as possible.
“We have a security element going out to secure objectives, the [coordination] party to lay out the blue print of the camps and the working party to build the camps,” said Britt.
The training gave those who have never deployed the opportunity to perform their jobs in a field environment.
“This exercise gives Marines more experience being in the field, and it’s a helpful reminder that we are Marines,” said Lance Cpl. Kelwin Diaz, a radio maintainer for the exercise. “There is a possibility that we will deploy in the future, and it gives us a chance to prepare for it mentally and physically.”