Photo By Sgt. Timothy Hernandez | U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard H. Robinson III speaks to Marines during the...... read more read more
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U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division participated with the Artillery Relocation Training Program 19.4 at Hijudai Maneuvering Area, Oita, Japan from February 6-27, 2020 while on a Unit Deployment Program from Oahu, Hawaii. ARTP is a regularly scheduled training exercise conducted by several units within the 3rd Marine Division. The program provides essential live-fire training in different regions throughout Japan to increase combat readiness and better support the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
During this training, 3/12 conducted artillery live-fire, small-arms weapons training, long-haul high-frequency communications, as well as further integrate infantry into artillery movements. Marines from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and a section of Target Acquisition Platoon also took part in this training exercise.
“Once all the elements arrived [to hijudai] we were all unified under one command in order to execute this ARTP,” said Capt. Alexander Ponce, the battery commander for Alpha Battery, 3/12. “We were started by receiving our equipment, checking everything, and going through a series of live-fire evolutions that will allow every element to fulfill their training opportunities; validating the 12th Marines operating concept that we are trying to pursue here.”
Long-haul high-frequency communications was a major objective for the Marines’ training goals. Being able to have one central command post that can give fire missions to different gun positions in the region is a major advantage the U.S. Armed Forces has in their arsenal.
“ARTP is an exercise where we are doing a hub and spoke concept,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Crider, the platoon sergeant for Guns Platoon, Alpha Battery, 3/12. “We’re getting missions from Okinawa, which in turn goes through pur Fire Direction Center and is related to the gun line. It’s important because we are essentially shooting missions from a C3-hub that is 600 miles away. The purpose of ARTP is to lighten our footprint a unit to become more lethal and deadly when it comes to conventional warfare against our enemies.”
While Marines in Alpha Battery are on this UDP, they have the opportunity to visit different areas of Japan to learn more about Japanese culture and see places they wouldn’t normally see in the United States.
“[One of] my favorite things is being able to experience different places and at the end of training, we get to go on a local tour so we get to experience the culture of wherever we go,” said Cpl. Matthew Aulger, a recorder with Guns Platoon, Alpha Battery, 3/12.” It’s nice to see a different side of the world every now and again.”
The Marines of 3/12 spent eight days in the field, training and enhancing their readiness and lethality with artillery fires, small-arms ranges, and enhancing their communications abilities. The Japanese-funded exercise, which has taken place for the past two decades, provides Marines with the opportunity to train and experience the culture Japan has to offer.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.28.2020 21:54 |
| Story ID: | 364009 |
| Location: | OITA, JP |
| Web Views: | 306 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, U.S. Marines participate in Japanese-funded exercise ARTP 19.4, by Sgt Timothy Hernandez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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