Photo By Cpl. Angel Alvarado | Royal Marine Mne. William Pagan, with 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal...... read more read more
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NAVAL NORTHWEST ANNEX, Va.— Force Protection Group Royal Marines Mne. William Pagan, a rifleman for 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines, is assigned to Recapture Tactics Troop (RTT), Royal Marines. Pagan was selected to participate in Tartan Eagle, a bilateral biyearly training exercise for the U.S. military and British Royal Marines to train close-quarters battle strategy (CQB) and tactics. As a result, active duty service members from the British Royal Marines like Pagan were able to walk away with new insight on close-quarter battle and a memorable experience.
“I joined mostly for the challenge, and I wanted to travel.” Pagan stated, “This exercise gave me the chance to meet hundreds of different people we would never normally work with or see, which is why I joined the Royal Marines.”
The Royal Marines trained with their American counterparts, the U.S. Marines, during exercise Tartan Eagle 2021. The two forces compared CQB techniques, to identify their differences in execution.
“We noticed the most difference in communication. The U.S. Marines use more vocal commands; however, we have a more silent approach to CQB.” Pagan continued, “ Both have their pros and cons, but it was good to see the contrast between the two.”
Pagan continuously trains with 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines on CQB tactics and operations in an unknown urban environmentnment. However, when new tactics were introduced, so were new challenges; Pagan had to take in the new information and be malleable to quickly adjust.
“When having to use the new skills, the muscle memory is not quite there yet, so you have to think twice as hard. Our brain wants to take us back to what we normally do and not have to think. Adapting was key.”
The first few days of exercise Tartan Eagle were dedicated to establishing basics and identifying minor training differences. As the two military forces worked together, the similarities in mission objectives, teamwork and personalities were apparent.
“The U.S. Marines are a great bunch of lads, we both have similar humor and our basics of CQB are so much alike, more than I expected.”
After comparing how the U.S. Marines train, teach and employ Marines with Marine Corps Security Force Regiment, Pagan left exercise Tartan Eagle with a new perspective in his occupational field.
“Personally, between the two forces, Tartan Eagle gives me another aspect to see how other people do it (CQB), and showed me a different way the challenges can be faced in the job that we do,” stated Pagan, “ very similar to what the U.S. Marines do out here.”
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2021 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 405913 |
| Location: | CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 417 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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