Photo By Staff Sgt. Victoria Duran | Cpl. Justin Goodchild, a low altitude air defense gunner with the 2nd Low Altitude Air...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT STEWART, G.A. – More than 1,700 Marines, representing elements from the Carolina Marine Air-Ground Task Force, converged in Fort Stewart, Georgia in support of exercise Arrowhead Thunder.
The Regiment’s ability to make an operational movement and enhance their capability to exercise combat operations for future contingencies was tested during exercise Arrowhead Thunder.
“The only way you know what you’re capable of is by pushing yourself, if you don’t, if you just quit and said it’s too tough, you’re never going to know how far you can push yourself and the time to find out what your limitations are, is not in a combat zone,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Rogers, the regimental operations chief.
Hands-on work and real experience will never be replaced. The exercise provided experience for Marines at all levels. For many Marines, Arrowhead Thunder was the first opportunity to get used to the discomfort of being forward deployed.
“Once the units completed their basic core level tasks at their section, platoon, battery or company, we integrated them into a battalion exercise,” said Lt. Col Mark McCarroll, regimental executive officer with 10th Marine Regiment. “We used a block and tackle approach that allowed us to work at the section, up to the company or battery, to the battalion, to the regiment and it culminated in a division phase exercise at the end.”
The forward operating base stayed mobile, moving to numerous locations in the training area throughout the 30-day training evolution.
“It culminated in a live-fire combined arms exercise and a mechanical breach by the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion. We moved into a defensive position, sounded our end exercise and started our retrograde.” McCarroll said.
The combat logistics battalion, Intel and Radio Battalions played an important role in an exercise as large as Arrowhead Thunder. The air wing as had an essential role with support from the low altitude air defense and the air support squadron, said McCarroll.
“Fort Stewart offered a tremendous amount of things, but one of the key things was the proximity to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. We really capitalized on many things that we can’t do on a regular basis,” said McCarroll.
Most units arrived in Fort Stewart by August 10th, some, such as the combat logistic battalion, showed up earlier. The Army enabled and supported Marines as they moved in and out of Fort Stewart’s training area.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2016 09:13 |
| Story ID: | 208579 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 329 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 10th Marine Regiment Conducts Exercise Arrowhead Thunder, by SSgt Victoria Duran, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
