Marines and Army Unite-15th MEU and 1-9 Infantry clear out parts of Ar Ramadi

Photo By Spc. Courtney Marulli | Capt. Jonathan R. Smith, commander of Company F, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, worked with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment twice while deployed to Ar Ramadi. The integration taught both services new techniques and a new way of speaking.  

IRAQ

09.10.2007

Story by Spc. Courtney Marulli 

2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

By Spc. Courtney E. Marulli
2nd BCT, 2nd Inf. Div. Public Affairs

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit found support and a home from the Army during their numerous missions in Ar Ramadi when they worked with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division on clearing out bad neighborhoods such as Sophia District, while helping establishing a joint security station.

1st Sgt. Eric D. Carlson, of Company F, Battalion Landing Team, 2/4 Marines, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is on his eighth deployment but worked with the Army for the first time in his 22 year career.

"The working relationship we have with 1-9 is second to none," Carlson said. "They've been very supportive of us."

The 15th MEU was attached to other units during their time in Iraq, but 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment supported them twice and the relationship that was forged is one that benefited both the Army and the Marines.

Carlson, of Chicago, said he was apprehensive about working with the Army at first, as he hadn't worked extensively with the Army before, but the only difficulty was learning new lingo and even that didn't take long to overcome.

"I think universally, grunts, no matter what service you're in, speak the same language," he said.

That language is one based in a common bond of being out in combat where most people don't or won't go.

The Marines managed to stay positive, Carlson said, despite being extended twice. Their first extension was expected, but the second wasn't. However, they stayed and carried out the missions they needed to in order to help with the overall fight.

"Small unit leadership keeps morale up," he said. "We all knew we couldn't get extended forever. The ships can't wait so we have to get back," he said.

A MEU typically gets on a Navy ship, carries out various missions and then gets back on the ship. However, during the mission phase they can cover several different areas of operations and Carlson and his company covered four different areas of operations.

"It didn't give us time to get complacent and it kept everyone on their toes," he said.

The time they spent off the ship was a welcomed break. Carlson said it was nice to get away as being stuck on the ship can lead to restlessness. But now, after several missions and two extensions, it will be a welcomed return.

During their stays with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, Carlson said the Marines were taken care of from everything to logistics.

Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis P. Bergmann and the First Sergeants of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment helped in any way they could, especially when tragedy struck, Carlson said.

Carlson said the Marines lost their highest enlisted member, Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Ellis, when he was killed by a suicide bomber. But Bergmann stepped up and acted as their leader so they could continue having that presence.

"It was nice to have that mentor for the younger Marines," Carlson said. "It was a senior enlisted person for them. It doesn't matter about Army or Navy."

Carlson said he appreciated how Bergmann was there for him personally and for his company and was always ready to help in any way he could.

There were many benefits from working together such as learning new terms and how the other service carries out operations, but working with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment allowed new and old Marines to work side-by-side with Soldiers. Carlson said this was a great opportunity for his younger Marines to learn how other branches of service work.

"I think the future of the military will be joint forces," he said. "Honestly, it was a really good experience for all the Marines in the company, for working with the Army. The future will be mixed services, especially with the war on terrorism."

Carlson said he would work with the Army again in a heart beat.

Capt. Jonathan R. Smith, the commander of Company F, 15th MEU, is on his second deployment and had worked with the Army previously, but this is the first time on this scale.

The first time he worked with the Army he was in charge of a platoon and they were just doing a command turnover. However, this time his company is attached to an Army unit and he said it's unusual for a company to be detached from their parent battalion.

"For a company to independently operate without the mother battalion forces the company to think about things they might not otherwise," Smith said. "Support wise."

Smith said his Marines worked on clearing and building a COP, but they also detained over 100 insurgents, including the Multi-National Force West High Value Target number three. They helped get an IP station fully functioning.

Working with 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment was good and Smith was proud of how well his Marines adapted to each environment they were thrown into.

"The Marines have been awesome," he said. "They've been able to adapt to each one of these battalions, to include 1-9, and really fit in well because that's the caliber of Marines we have in the company."

He said 1-9, and other Army units they worked with, supplied them with radios, vehicles and anything they needed.

"They bent over backwards to get us what we needed," he said. "It helped with the success out there."

For Smith, like Carlson, the challenge was getting used to the Army way of doing things and the lingo. But the experience was a good one all around.

"Every Army battalion we worked for, they treated us like their own," he said. "It helped us out a lot. I can't say enough about all the support we received from the battalions."

Smith said he thinks the exposure to the Army will make his Marines more well-rounded individuals.

"The Marine Corps doesn't always have the best way of doing things and same with the Army," Smith said. "But adopt techniques as your own and vice versa, a cross-pollinization. We can learn from one another."

Overall, he said his company learned how to integrate with another unit. But they also took away knowledge.

"We had a great experience working with the individuals here," he said. "We owe our success to the Marines because we're able to sit down and talk with the Army to learn lessons from them that we normally wouldn't have learned."

• Date Taken: 09.10.2007
• Date Posted: 09.10.2007 08:25
• Story ID: 12267
• Location: IQ