MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii — The sound of bullets piercing targets echoed through the hills as Marines from 3rd Marine Regiment’s Combat Assault Company met at the Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility to shoot and qualify with their .50-caliber machine guns and 40 mm. grenade launchers Sept. 16.
Amphibious assault vehicles lined up facing hilltop targets on the far side of the range. A coach was set up in each AAV to assist the Marines while shooting. These coaches were also there to answer any questions the shooter might have.
“This trains us and helps us get more comfortable with using these weapons,” Lance Cpl. Emmanuel Paul, AAV crew member, CAC, said. “The more you shoot the more comfortable you get, so in real life situations you won’t be surprised but we’ll know exactly what to do.”
The unit has undergone various amounts of training in the last couple of months, from beach assault tactics at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows to qualifying with their heavy weapons.
“We’re trackers and we have to stay ready in case we are called to the fight next,” Lance Cpl. Trevor Johnson, AAV operator, CAC, said. “For the last couple of months we’ve been on the go. But it’s training like this that keeps us ready.”
Many targets were hit in the distance as the shooters were given a pass or fail for their performance.
Capt. Matthew Pizzulli, commanding officer of CAC, was there to watch and analyze his Marines in action.
According to Paul, learning beach assault tactics and mastering the AAV weapons systems is a vital role in CAC’s main mission of providing support, transportation, and communication in combat or other operations.
“Guys are working hard,” Paul said. “Anytime we’re able to come out and do stuff like this, it’s always a good time and we also learn a lot.”
The companies’ role is broad considering all that they offer to the Marine Corps. Long days of training continue to sharpen the skills of these Marines, whether they are AAV operators, crew members, or mechanics.
“This is a great company,” Johnson said. “We are apart of a great unit and it seems like everything is falling into place.”
From the communications Marine who sits by the turret to the AAV operator in the pit, every Marine has a vital job in the unit.
However, like all Marines their first job was becoming riflemen and by continuously training hard, they are ready to fight in any clime and place.