Supply Marines on Okinawa get a taste of urban warfare training

Photo By Cpl. Thomas Provost | Two Marines with Ammunition Company, 3rd Supply Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, assist a casualty to the landing zone during a mock urban patrol in the Central Training Area Jan. 23. Marines from the company under went close-quarters battle, urban patrolling and room clearing training, under the instruction of Marines from 1st. platoon, Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, to sharpen their urban combat skills.  

01.25.2009

Story by Lance Cpl. Thomas Provost 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

By Thomas Provost
III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs

OKINAWA, Japan - Ammunitions Company, 3rd Supply Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, built a field ammunition supply point at the Central Training Area Jan. 10, to train Marines of the company in a field environment. The exercise concluded Sunday.

The company, in addition to training, supported III Marine Expeditionary Force operations during their time in the field.

"The exercise provided them an opportunity to establish a field ammunition supply point in an expeditionary environment," said Brig. Gen. William M. Faulkner, the commanding general of the 3rd MLG. "The Marines also took advantage of the opportunity to complete their block one annual training requirements."

While manning the field ammunition supply point, the company's platoons alternated weekly for two weeks to participate in Block 1 of their pre-deployment training.

The training included a machine gun shoot, the gas chamber, Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer qualification and a shot-gun shoot.

"Normally we just count ammunition, but now we get to use it," said Sgt. Jason A. Watson, an ammunition technician with the company. "We can actually fire the weapons and see how the ammunition works."

At the end of each week, the platoons under went urban warfare training with Marines from 1st platoon, Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, instructing them.

The urban training was the highlight of the training evolution for many of the Marines, said Warrant Officer Christopher M. Lamson, the storage officer for 3rd Supply Bn.

The Marines were split into four teams at the beginning of each day. Each team had approximately three reconnaissance Marines as their instructors.

The first order of business was conducting a patrol through Combat Town.

The recon Marines ran through scenarios step-by-step with the teams to drill-in proper techniques for entering buildings, providing cover and getting them into the combat 'mindset.' The combat 'mindset' is the acceptance and willingness to use deadly force and maintain a level of aggression to successfully complete combat missions.

The morning consisted of dry runs through the town but by the afternoon the streets and buildings were littered with simulated paint round casings.

At the end of the day, the Marines were put to the test. The four teams were combined into two and put head-to-head.

They used teamwork and the skills practiced that morning against the recon Marines to fight each other.

The recon instructors told the Marines they had placed a small ammo can in one of the buildings in Combat Town.

The first team to return the can to their starting point won.

The recon Marines served as referees for the final engagement.

The battle raged on as the teams ducked, searched, cleared rooms and shot at each other in their effort to find the ammo can.

The engagement ended after all of the ammunition was discharged and the Marines realized they were fooled; there was no ammo can hidden in Combat Town.

• Date Taken: 01.25.2009
• Date Posted: 01.30.2009 01:41
• Story ID: 29445