MARINE CORPS TRAINING AREA BELLOWS, Hawaii -- Marines with 3rd Radio Battalion concluded a weeklong field exercise at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows Sept. 27, 2013.
Split into six teams, more than 80 Marines from Alpha and Bravo Companies were spread out in different areas around the training area to conduct signals intelligence training. During the exercise, the Marines were evaluated on a company-wide level to ensure signals intelligence support is being provided consistently and accurately.
“This is a smaller scale field exercise, but we’re running operations normally,” said 1st Lt. Shelley House, a 30-year-old who is the company executive officer for Bravo Co., 3rd Radio Battalion, and native of Hastings, Neb. “The Marines are out here for consistency. The idea is muscle memory; to be able to easily execute their job while deployed.”
Alpha and Bravo Co. each established their own operational command element and sent teams out into the field to establish connection to their corresponding OCEs.
“The OCE acts as a hub, in a sense. It gathers the intel provided from our support teams out in the field and that information is spread laterally,” House explained. “All of the training we’re doing out here is a building block for the Marines. We send them out there (in the field) to work out the kinks to make their job more efficient.”
A team is usually comprised of six Marines: two linguists, three analysts/operators and one radiotelephone operator. These teams are easily able to provide general support and information to the OCEs. They can also provide warnings and support for Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Emergency Relief situations.
The teams can also transition between three different types of supporting unit, ranging from static, mobile (vehicles) or foot-mobile.
“When we’re in the field, there can come a certain time when we may need to pick up our gear and move locations,” said Cpl. Nicholas Spinosa, the 22-year-old team leader of SIGINT Support Team 2 with 3rd Radio Battalion, and native of Milford, N.H. “When we’re tasked with that assignment, we can go from static to either mobile or foot-mobile and still provide intel and support while on the move.”
As the Marines concluded their training and company-wide evaluation, they will prepare for their upcoming battalion-wide evaluation in a similar field exercise in October.
These evaluations are being conducted to help the Marines with Alpha and Bravo Co. prepare for their upcoming deployments with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines.
“3rd Radio Battalion continually trains and prepares detachments for deployment,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Heck, the 26-year-old officer in charge of Detachment-31 in Alpha Co. with 3rd Radio Battalion, and native of Zionsville, Ind. “These field exercises are designed to keep the Marines on their toes and ensure they’re always ready, and they’re doing one hell of a job.”