Photo By Cpl. Alexander Hill | Spanish Marines observe the arrival of the MV-22B Osprey during a bilateral training...... read more read more
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MORON DE LA FRONTERA, Spain - A platoon of U.S. Marines from Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response conducted bilateral training in Sierra del Retin with their Spanish Marine brethren, March 18-21.
BREDEX 14.1, as the exercise was called, included various tactical and live-fire training events designed to sustain proficiency in marksmanship and infantry skills. This was the first opportunity for the Marines of SP-MAGTF Crisis Response to train with their Spanish counterparts.
The exercise began when 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion – the ground combat element for SP-MAGTF Crisis Response – flew into Sierra del Retin via MV-22B tiltrotor Ospreys.
“We linked up with the Spanish platoon, and went to a small-arms range,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Youngstrom, the platoon commander for 4th Plt. “We shot M4s, M27s, M16s…Then we paired up and did some combat marksmanship drills.”
Additionally, BREDEX provided both units with the opportunity to practice their interoperability.
“This training exercise was integration to the fullest extent,” said Cpl. Joshua Collins, a squad leader with 4th Plt. “A lot of our tactics are pretty similar, so it went hand in hand with the way we work.”
The culminating event for the week combined Spanish and U.S. forces. Platoons were mixed by switching one Spanish squad with one American squad. Together, the mixed platoons would have to conduct a coordinated attack on a fortified objective.
“They might as well have been our own Marines. It’s like if we took a squad from one of our other platoons and attached it to us,” said Collins.
According to Collins, the similarities between the two units allowed them to operate seamlessly together. This was true even with the challenges of a language barrier.
“We brought interpreters with us, and we also managed to figure out who could translate between English and Spanish. We put them in the right places to make things happen,” said Youngstrom.
Both groups appeared to enjoy the training, the camaraderie and the international competition. For many of the Americans, this was the last opportunity to do something like this before their replacements take over in April.
“We’re close to going home, so I think they surprised themselves with how hard they pushed,” said Youngstrom. “They just kept going and going, and I think they were pretty pleased with themselves afterwards.”
Taking opportunities to train with Spanish forces and other partners throughout the region develops the teamwork and interoperability needed to address changing threats in the global security environment. This supports SP-MAGTF Crisis Response’s primary mission of providing a rapid-response force to designated areas in Africa and Europe.
“They’re really easy to work with, they have a really good training area, and they know what they’re doing,” said Youngstrom. “It would be an honor to work with them again.”
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2014 06:19 |
| Story ID: | 122496 |
| Location: | MORON DE LA FRONTERA, ES |
| Web Views: | 349 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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