POHAKULUA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii -- Marines here conducted platoon-sized assaults Sept. 21 as part of their overall training package, to help prepare them for the upcoming Mojave Viper exercise and eventual deployment to Iraq.
Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, cover and suppressive-fire, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, engaged and pushed through targets and an enemy-held hill, ending at a bunker.
Senior Marines guided the assault, correcting the infantrymen on errors such as improper use of terrain.
“Its terrain warfare; we cover squads as they advance and move, and they do the same for us,” said Lance Cpl. Travis Ledbetter, a machine gunner with Echo Co., 2/3. “You’re coming at them with overwhelming firepower, and working as a team pretty much makes sure that they’re going to lose the ground.”
During the assault, they employed M240G machine guns and other heavy weapons, as well as other weapons inherent to Marine Corps infantry. Echo Marines used the overwhelming firepower to its full potential, as they rapidly maneuvered and set up positions to successfully engage the enemy.
“The training might not be how we’ll operate in Iraq, but it’s the basics of infantry training,” Ledbetter said.
“Mojave Viper will focus more on Iraq situations, while this training is good because it helps mentally, knowing where your Marines are, how they work, and physically. It’s not easy running with a full load and your 240 Golf.”
Marines did a dry run first, to get a feel for the area and potential positions. After that, they loaded their weapons and prepared for a live “fire and maneuver” range.
“This is phenomenal training,” said 1st Sgt. Brian Fogarty, Echo Co. first sergeant. “Marines are constantly training and are moving from one range to another. It builds confidence and teaches Marines how to communicate. On Oahu there’s a lot of delays in setting up; here, you have a training area that takes a lot of those problems out and focuses on the training itself.”
The first sergeant seemed pleased with his Marines’ performance during the training.
“The Marines are some of the best we’ve had,” Fogarty said. “They learn fast, they’re motivated and they want to train.”
With the basics enforced here, Marines should be fully prepared for the challenges they’ll soon face in California at Mojave Viper, where they’ll train for situations they might face in Iraq