MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Swift, silent and deadly, reconnaissance Marines are famed for sneaking through missions undetected, even when the situations and terrain they operate in are impractical and hamper their inconspicuous arrival at an objective. As a result, landing and disappearing without a trace is vital to their mission’s success.
Marines with 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division, executed helicopter rope suspension technique training in preparation for future operations and an upcoming demonstration at the Kaneohe Bay Air Show 2010 on Landing Zone Boondocker here Aug. 2.
“The HRST training prepares the recon Marines for insertions into areas inaccessible by helicopters and raids on hardened facilities,” said Maj. Ian Brooks, a platoon commander with 4th Force. “It allows us to put forces anywhere, anytime, as quickly as possible. By doing this training, we can simply drop a six-man team into an objective instead of leaving a huge footprint by landing a helicopter.”
Although the training is a simple building block, it’s important because it allows recon Marines to insert into their objective with speed, said Brooks, of Annapolis, Md.
“When we’re operating 60 or 70 miles out of friendly lines, loaded down with gear and carrying extra ammunition, we need to be able to establish long-range communication and still be ready to execute a variety of different operations,” said Brooks. “This allows us to give eyes to the infantry and commanders and ensure they get the information they need.”
Locally, recon Marines operate out of the company’s Marine Corps Base Hawaii-based detachment though it is headquartered in Alameda, Calif. They conduct military occupation specialty-specific training approximately once every two months, including parachuting, endurance swimming with fins, and fast roping, Brooks said.
“Versatility is the recon Marine’s trademark,” said Capt. Luke Gaffney, inspector and instructor, 4th Force, of Union Springs, N.Y. “Fast roping gives us another ability to insert into a situation and adds to our other capabilities of static line jumps.”
This training can’t be conducted without a HRST master. Cpl. Byron Cheekenriques, a scout with 4th Force, earned this qualification after enduring an 11-day course on rappelling, fast roping, and special purpose insertion and extraction. Under the watchful eye of his staff noncommissioned officer, he utilized his qualification to prepare an operational risk management worksheet and letter of instruction before setting up the fast rope class and conducting the training.
During the first stage, Cheekenriques observed the recon and support Marines executing braking techniques used to stop while fast roping. As they got more comfortable, they progressed to practicing it with three Marines on the rope at a time. In the final stages, the Marines simulated an actual insertion by executing fast roping with packs on their backs.
“Fast roping betters our capabilities as Recon Marines,” said Cheekenriques, of Aiea. “It allows us to insert into a situation more quickly instead of just humping in, and benefits us time-wise by enabling us to leave the situation faster.”
After completing HRST training qualification, the recon Marines will practice spie rigging, which involves inserting into or extracting from areas of operation on a rope held by a helicopter. Following this training, they’ll conduct a wet jump in early September, during which they will parachute 2,500 feet from a helicopter into the water, swim 1,500 meters to shore and execute a tasked mission.
This will prepare them for a Marine Air Ground Task Force demonstration they’re slated to perform in during September’s Kaneohe Bay Air Show 2010, an event presented by MCB Hawaii. During a simulated trap mission, eight recon Marines with 4th Force will fast rope out of a helicopter and take part in rescuing a “downed” pilot while an infantry unit provides security on the ground, Gaffney said.