Photo By Sgt. Justin M. Martinez | Marines with Tank Platoon, India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd...... read more read more
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CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - A storm rolled through Kuwait. But it didn't bring water to replenish and hydrate the earth. Mother Nature had nothing to do with the deadly metal downpour that demolished the local desert. The havoc that rained down came from the combined force of the major subordinate elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Marines with India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, with the support of aviation, mortars, artillery, tanks and Amphibious Assault Vehicles, participated in a Deliberate Assault Course training exercise at a training area near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Aug. 31 — Sept. 1, 2009.
As Marines awoke in the cool dry air, they dusted away the overnight sand deposit that sprinkled their sleeping bags and readied for the day's events.
The calm breeze began to pick up as India infantrymen wearing digital camouflage and tan protective gear, scrambled into the troop compartments of green, brown and black AAVs.
The AAVs' engines revved and whined as the lumbering vehicles cut a wake through oceans of sand toward their objective. In the distance, a rumble of explosions like distant thunder foretold an approaching deluge of steel rain.
"First, Sierra Battery launched some rounds down range to soften up the target for a bit," said Gunnery Sgt. Shawn C. Souders, the platoon sergeant for the AAV Platoon and native of Chester, Pa.
The 155 mm shells from Sierra's M777 Howitzers pummeled the ground, kicking up clouds of sand where the high-explosive rounds impacted.
Following Sierra's steel rain, Weapons Company's 81mm Mortar Platoon hurled rounds downrange as an AH-1W Super Cobra from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), sliced through the air, striking with rockets and guns to further scour the desert of threats.
"It's good for them, as infantrymen, to see that there are other Marines that do other jobs," said 1st Lt. Matthew K. Seglem, the executive officer for India and native of College Station, Texas. "To see pilots, the artillery Marines, the mortar Marines -- Marines we don't really interact with on a daily basis -- to see them in action supporting what we do on the ground is a good opportunity."
In a final gust of obliteration, three camouflage tanks blew through the deep sand, their sights set simultaneously on the same subject. Flames billowed out of the tanks' main guns raining death on the demolished objective. The firing continued for several minutes as AAVs advanced forward.
A beam of sunlight pierced the shadows of the troop compartment in the AAVs, illuminating the chaos that lay beyond the protective shell of the vehicle.
"We set up a support-by-fire position for them," said Cpl. Nicholas C. Whatton, an AAV crewman from Point Pleasant, N.J. "We sent our 50-cal rounds down range. Once we were out of rounds we dropped ramp and deployed the infantry."
The Marines stormed out of the AAVs and took up position behind a small berm circling a training village. In teams, the warriors flooded over the edge and into the makeshift town.
A few moments after the grunts entered the town, the call came that a Marine had been hit. A notional chest wound was taking a toll on the Marine and he needed to be evacuated for further care.
"As the corpsman in the AAV platoon, I know my job is to save lives, and although the casualty might have been notional I know my job was the same," said Petty Officer 3rd Class David T. Spanding, the hospital corpsman for the AAV Platoon, and native of Rockford, Mich.
The MV-22B Osprey, from VMM-263 (Reinforced), came in kicking up a large cloud of sand as a team of four moved the casualty to the safety of the aircraft.
As the aircraft lifted, the Marines secured their objective. The combined force of the 22nd MEU, supporting the main effort of India Company, brought a rain of metal death to the desert and showed how combined arms work together as whole to shoot, move, communicate and devastate a challenger.
The 22nd MEU, led by Col. Gareth F. Brandl, is a scalable, multi-purpose force of more than 2,200 Marines and Sailors. The unit is composed of its Ground Combat Element, BLT 3/2 (commanded by Lt. Col. Robert C. Fulford); Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced) (commanded by Lt. Col. Paul P. Ryan); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22 (commanded by Lt. Col. Gary F. Keim); and its Command Element.
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2009 00:18 |
| Story ID: | 38414 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 1,538 |
| Downloads: | 1,422 |
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