POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii --
Roughly 6,000 feet above
sea level, Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment prepare for their
annual training exercise Lava Viper, one of the staples of their pre-deployment
training, aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Oct. 22, 2015.
Lava Viper provides the Hawaii-based Marines with an
opportunity to conduct various movements, live-fire and tactical training before
departing for Integrated Training Exercise aboard Marine Air-Ground Combat
Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., where the battalion will train and be
evaluated as a whole.
“The purpose of Lava Viper is to sustain and improve the
battalion’s efficiency in combat,” said Lt. Col. Timothy S. Brady, the
commanding officer of 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines. “The training is more advanced here
because the terrain is more challenging than what Oahu has to offer, meaning
the command and control of live-fire maneuvers, as well as the integration of
combined-arms, becomes much more difficult for the Marines here.”
Brady, a Fairfax, Va., native, said he expects Marines
participating in Lava Viper to train all the battalion’s assets, from the
individual Marine up to the company level. He said it’s important to not only
focus on the skills of an individual, but on the progression of each company
through combined-arms attack and defense.
“I hope the Marines of ‘Trinity’ improve their occupational
proficiency and combat readiness – we need to be prepared to fight tonight,
that’s what Marines do,” Brady said. “We are the nation’s crisis response
force, and we must be vigilant and ready when the rest of the country is least
prepared. While this training might tire them out, I want my Marines to make
every minute of every hour and every hour of every day to count. I hope they
work hard and to the best of their ability, and I hope they enjoy themselves
and have fun while working closely with one another.”
2nd Lt. Ian Voss, the communications officer for
Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines said working together
like this is going to help the battalion understand how well everyone can
operate together in a combat environment. The Newport Beach, Calif., native,
said this is his first experience with Lava Viper and he is excited to see what
lies in store for he and his Marines.
“These are some of the hardest workers I have come across,”
Voss said. “However, the Marines are going to make mistakes and that’s all
right, that’s a good thing. It’s better to err during training and learn from
our mistakes while we can, rather than err in combat and risk loss of life.
It’s important for these guys to become more familiar with their occupation so
that they may perform to the best of their ability in order to further enhance
the battalion’s performance.”
Pfc. Devon Waddell, a machine gunner with Weapons Company,
3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, said coming out of Lava Viper, he hopes to attain more
knowledge in his field.
“At the other ranges, we are limited as to what rounds we
can or cannot fire – out here, however, we actually have the room to fire
without those restrictions,” said Waddell, a Greensborough, N.C., native.
“Through this, I will be able to better understand what it means to be a machine
gunner.”
Having only been with Weapons Co. for about four months, he
said his expectations with the battalion are set high.
“This is my first real training operations and the newer
guys, including myself, are learning more about our roles every day,” Waddell
said. “The Marines around us have made sure we are very prepared, just like
they do before any op. We continuously study our jobs, day and night, to ensure
we can effectively cope with any tricky situations, should they arise. Over the
next couple weeks, I may not know what to expect, but I am very excited for it
and I feel prepared for what’s coming.”
Voss said Lava Viper is important because it benefits the
battalion, allowing the leadership to see what each Marine’s strengths and
weaknesses are.
“This is a very tight-knit group of people and the senior
Marines always have the junior Marines’ best interest in mind – it’s like that
all across the board for the entire battalion – and that’s good because it can
be a challenge to make sure everyone works together,” he said. “Personally, I
expect my Marines to utilize their knowledge, experience and expertise in order
to work together and accomplish the mission.”
Voss said he is looking forward to working with the Marines
of 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, for the duration of the exercise.
“I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 15 years, and these are,
hands down, some of the finest Marines I have ever come across,” Voss said.
“They are highly trained and skilled, they think for themselves, and they are
very intelligent. Within the past week, two of our most senior billets had to
be filled and, so far, the Marines who rose to fill those positions are doing a
tremendous job – they take initiative and I am truly impressed by what they do.
This is truly an incredible group of Marines.”