POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii -- Numerous M240 Bravo automatic weapons, Squad Automatic Weapons, M16A4 Service Rifles, M4 Service Rifles, grenades and rockets were all in the arsenal of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines on April 29 as they conducted a live fire and maneuver training on Range 10 of Pohakuloa Training Area.
The platoon-sized range was advanced, interactive and intense as live rounds were used and targets bobbed up and down for Marines to test their combat marksmanship skills.
Marines had to engage multiple enemy entrenchments on hills using maneuver tactics as a fire team, squad and platoon. One particular platoon that benefited from the range training was Weapons Platoon.
“It was good training for our group because we don’t have a lot of junior Marines, so it allows us to enhance our leadership skills before actually taking on the responsibility of new Marines,” said Lance Cpl. Kevin T. Zavadil, Weapons Platoon squad leader and native of Milwaukee. “Every time I run a range, I have to be sure and personally improve how I run a squad,” he said. “We came from a weapons company, so we used to not get opportunities to do many things like this.”
Another reason these Marines don’t get as many training events is the Hawaiian environment.
“This is essential training for any infantry platoon but especially for us,” said Dallas native Lance Cpl. Alex J. Zirnheld, a team leader for Weapons Platoon. “Being a Hawaii Marine means limited places you can do live fire ranges.”
Due to lack of regular repetition, his squad has to put out 100 percent effort every time they train, he said.
“We take this training as serious as we can to accomplish as much as we can in a short amount of time,” Zavadil said. “Some Marines may take this training for granted but we consider it an opportunity.”
Ranges that allow working with other squads and infantry MOSs [Military Occupational Specialties] are important too, Zavadil said.
“If we’re tasked out to other platoons this is how you learn,” he said. “You have to know how the 11s [MOS 0311 riflemen] work, as well, and learn to work together. Everyone gets to know each other more both tactically and personally. This range provides more building blocks to achieve that.”
That’s the thing that the machine gunner squad improved on the most, Zirnheld said.
“I think we did really well on learning how people operate, how they move and their habits,” he said. “Not only that, it was really motivating and we had a good time out here.”
This squad, along with the rest of 2/3, have until May 14 to take advantage of training opportunities like this. Next, the battalion looks forward to participating in RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific exercise), the largest multinational maritime exercise in the world.