MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. -- Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, hit the ground running after debarking CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters during a company-sized air assault course in the Quackenbush training area Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., as part of the Integrated Training Exercise, Sept. 11, 2013.
The ITX is a battalion level combined-arms exercise designed to test the skills of all personnel within units preparing to deploy. An AAC is a simulated company level attack. Marines are transported by means of rotor-wing aircraft to designated landing zones to assault objective points.
This assault course commenced Sept. 10, with a hike from Forward Operating Base Four at the Combat Center’s Range 220, to a landing zone approximately two miles away. There, the ‘War Chiefs’ cleared the LZ to allow the helicopters to land safely the following day.
Fox Company loaded up into the helicopters and began their assault on three objectives in Gays Pass within Quackenbush.
Platoons split up to assault the simulated enemy. Infantrymen rushed the targets, maintaining constant fire while engineers cleared the area of mines with Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching Systems, allowing the platoons to overrun the enemy.
Marines in the exercise used 81 mm and 60 mm mortars, machine-gun fire, artillery, snipers and attack helicopters to accomplish their mission.
“Everything that we’ve been learning up to this point, you can see it all played out in front of you in a broader scale than just seeing it on a white board,” said Lance Cpl. Jeremy Eldridge, infantryman with first platoon, Fox Co. “You can do a lot more out here than you can anywhere else. It was a really long range, but there was a lot of cool stuff going on in the background.”
Second Lt. Oliver Noteware, platoon commander for third platoon, Fox Co., said the assault was a good learning tool for his platoon and allowed him to see his Marines’ strengths and weaknesses while carrying out the mission.
“The Marines did a really good job,” Noteware said. “We positioned ourselves in such a way that we could observe everything that was happening on the battlefield, we had good (communications) so we understood what was going on. Once we got approval from the (commanding officer), we did our thing earlier, faster and more aggressive than we planned on.”
Once the three objectives were taken, the Marines pushed forward and set up in a defensive position. Marines dug in fighting holes and set up obstacles, like razor wire and berms, to deter potential enemy.
“One thing the squad leaders have impressed me with is their ability to communicate laterally,” Notware added. “They don’t have to radio up to me and tell me what they’re doing, then I don’t have to tell the other squads what’s happening, they just talk to each other. They are very good at understanding the plan and commander’s intent and they know how to execute (it)."
The Hawaii-based Marines came to the Combat Center to train in an environment, which allows them to expand their training, utilizing every element of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.
“Doing this kind of attack in this kind of environment for a Hawaii-based unit is good because we don’t get to train in this regularly, so the incorporation of outside agencies — air, artillery, the use of mortars — all at the same time, is always going to provide some sort of a learning curve to it,” said Capt. Tom Morrow, company commander for Fox Company. “Not being able to train with that stuff, they still performed well, it’s a learning experience getting everyone incorporated.”
Fox Company is not only training in a new environment, but training with a new set of Marines. The unit has received new leadership within the last year, as well as many junior Marines. The ITX is for the training as well as a tool to build unity among the “Island Warriors’” ranks.
“The leaders are strong,” Morrow said. “There’s good camaraderie among the enlisted ranks. They have a tight-knit crew already, so it makes it easier for the leaders, it’s like a seamless transition for those guys. (The leadership) provides some rotor steers and the Marines have taken care of everything themselves already. They’re the ones who achieved any success we had here (today).”
Cpl. Timothy Motley, squad leader for first platoon, Fox Co., said his squad has only been together for three months and none of his Marines have ever been to the Combat Center.
“We got a pretty good group of guys,” Motley said. “Everybody is in pretty good shape and holding their own. (Being here) really puts into perspective all that you are a part of when you see the big picture.”
The company headed back to FOB 4 when the exercise concluded Sept. 12. Noteware said the AAC was just another statement of the hard work the “War Chiefs” put into their training.
"The training that we are doing at ITX is only verifying what we’ve already known, which is that we have a great company,” Noteware said. “We are ready to deploy that’s for sure.”