Courtesy Photo | Ensign Francisco Perez, attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4,...... read more read more
PORT HUENEME, Calif. – In preparation for the upcoming deployment to Pacific Command, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 sent its Chief Petty Officers, Junior Officers and a few select First Class Petty Officers to Camp Pendleton and Point Mugu as participants in the annual Tactical Unit Leadership Course (TULC).
Spanning the course of two weeks, the training covered numerous topics including the creation of operation orders, terrain model briefing, fire plan preparation and land navigation.
The first week consisted of classroom instruction in Port Hueneme before traveling to Camp Pendleton for a practical application of the covered topics. For many of the Junior Officers it was their first opportunity for hands-on experience in terrain model creation and briefing defense plans.
“Coming from the Air Force we have little exposure to tactical planning and execution as Civil Engineering Officers,” said Capt. Sarah Ziaja, NMCB 4’s Air Force Exchange Officer. “So it was very insightful and informative to learn how to plan in a tactical environment.”
After their tenure at Camp Pendleton, the students engaged in a simulated convoy operation at Point Mugu.
Donning Kevlar helmets and vests, students jumped into High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, or Humvee, situated in training rooms that projected a three-dimensional replication of a Middle-Eastern desert. Students used simulated M-16 rifles and simulated mounted machine guns to engage hostiles while avoiding improvised explosives devices on the way to checkpoints.
“Giving a convoy brief and being a convoy commander even for a simulated convoy was something I didn’t expect to happen for me with this training,” said Ensign Matt Carmody, who acted as convoy commander for the exercise. “I feel like I gained a lot of good experiences from it, and luckily I had a lot of good enlisted personnel and officers giving me advice which allowed the convoy to run very smoothly in my opinion.”
Overseeing the course of the training, TULC Officer in Charge Lt. j.g. Caroline Mastrangelo was elated to see the positive reaction to the exercise.
“The simulator provided the students with an excellent opportunity to execute their convoy orders in a real time convoy,” said Mastrangelo.
Indeed, as NMCB 4 prepares to deploy to the Pacific Theater in late 2014, the leadership is making tremendous strides to ensure the battalion leads the way to success.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2014 17:23 |
| Story ID: | 120599 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | VENTURA, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 212 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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