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CHOCOLATE MOUNTAIN AERIAL GUNNERY RANGE, Calif. – Marines from Echo Battery 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment conducted an artillery fire mission in support of TALONEX at Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range on Sept. 26, 2017. TALONEX is pre-deployment training that coincides with Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI) Course.
WTI is a 7 week long course designed to teach pilots and air crew advanced graduate level tactical training that they bring back to their parent units. These graduates serve as Pilot Training Officers working alongside Squadron Operations Officers in order to train the next generation of pilots to fight and win against current and emerging threats. WTI is hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One. TALONEX combines coordinating fire support such as artillery and mortars with close air support while the ground unit conducts operations to close with and destroy the enemy.
Aspects of TALONEX include ” IED lane training mixed in with urban patrol and vehicle checkpoints,” said Sgt. Nicholas Santin, an Anti-tank missile gunner with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Combined Anti-Armor Team 2, Weapons Platoon.
The Marines conducted simulated fire support missions, military operations in urban terrain and urban patrolling. Later in the course, the Marines will be practicing insertion via helicopter and raiding a village with close air support assistance.
“We support all the other companies, and the main effort is always getting that rifleman into the fight,” said Santin. “To be able to do that you need supporting assets like heavy machine guns, you need mortars, artillery and then close air support comes in.”
Santin said the battalion can't tackle everything on their own, enemy armor is a lot easier to deal with when supporting assets are there.
On Sept. 26, 2017, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Echo Battery conducted a fire support mission using artillery in support of TALONEX. The units will be working in conjunction over the course of WTI and TALONEX.
“They [Close air support] have a certain target that they’re trying to get to, but they can’t necessarily execute because there’s some air defense,” said 2nd Lt. Jessi Gomez, an artillery officer with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Echo Battery. “So our job is to suppress or neutralize that air defense aspect so they can come in and knock out a different target.”
“I believe it gives everyone that good training value and you hear of immediate action; you hear of rehearsals [that] if we train like we fight and we all have our piece down it will come together and flow smoothly when we’re all thrown together.”
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2017 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 250278 |
| Location: | CHOCOLATE MOUNTAIN AERIAL GUNNERY RANGE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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