POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HAWAII, Hi -- Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, conducted their Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation Jan. 27 through Feb. 17 during the Hawaii Combined Arms Operation 2-01 "Kona Winds" exercise.
Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation System Mission Performance Standards establish the minimum acceptable standards to properly execute the infantry's basic missions, according to Marine Corps Order 3501.3 B.
"The evaluation is like a report card for the unit commanders," said Col. R.B. Peele, commanding officer for Marine Air Ground Task Force 3. "It shows them what areas they need to work on."
Marines from 1/3 were tested on their combat readiness.
"We practice the way we would fight a war," said Capt. Erik Kish, commanding officer for Headquarters and Service Co., 1/3.
The 1/3 Marines were aggressed by 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Alpha Battery, 1/12.
Alpha Battery was tested on it's mission of being able to provide direct fire support for ground units during it's MCCRE a week prior.
Alpha Battery, 1/12, had to meet time limits when setting up a position, tearing down the position and firing rounds, while maintaining a high level of safety, according to Sgt. Stephen Lapek, a section chief from Bravo Battery, 1/12, and evaluator for Alpha Battery.
"Much of what we do is shoot, move and communicate," said Staff Sgt. Waco Ashlock, the section chief for gun one, Alpha Battery, 1/12. "We fire our rounds, pack up, move and wait for a fire mission."
After the evaluations were completed, there was just one more movement to conduct - the return trip to MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.
Though the MCCRE and training on the Big Island may have just ended, preparation for another training exercise in Australia for Operation Tandem Thrust begins.
Operational tempo will not end there either because deployment to Okinawa, Japan is also just around the corner this summer.