Courtesy Photo | BELLOWS AIR FORCE STATION, Hawaii (July 18, 2022) Paratroopers from the Malaysian Army...... read more read more
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A fictional village bustles with the chatter of role players and enemy party as Australian and Tongan infantry teams wait, unseen, outside the walls, ready to attack. Urban close combat training is about to kick off at United States Marine Corps Training Area Bellows during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.
Just days before, Malaysian, Australian, Sri Lankan and United States military soldiers joined together to make one multi-national landing force, embarking on the Royal Australian Navy’s Landing Helicopter Dock, HMAS Canberra. Now, they are disembarking the ship on United States Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Stallions as part of a multinational urban assault exercise.
Called in by a team of Australian Army and United States Marine Corps reconnaissance soldiers, the landing force arrives. Green figures donned with helmets and rifles run down the ramp of a whirring helicopter, dust stirring at their feet. The reconnaissance team leads the way as a Company of soldiers patrol through the jungle toward the village. Rifles in hand, they are ready to put their Urban Close Combat training into action.
Their aim is to master the element of surprise. Together, His Majesty’s Armed Forces from Tonga (HMAF) and Australian Army teams are tasked with pushing the enemy out of fictional Village Three, their counterparts from nations across the Pacific tackling number One and Two.
Australian Army Lieutenant Colonel Mark Tutton was impressed at the teams’ professionalism in training.
“Australian and Tongan teams have been training together for almost 2 months now, their comradery and cohesiveness really shows on the battlefield in an exercise like this,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tutton. “Urban Close Combat is perhaps the most difficult and dynamic infantry operating environment. It’s a 3 dimensional battlespace, 360 degrees and operating 24/7.
“You can see play out right in front of you the three-block war concept developed by General Charles Krulak. In any one moment in time, our members will be providing humanitarian assistance, conducting peacekeeping operations and fighting a lethal battle all within the same day. It’s complex; your ethical decision making is really tested.”
Lieutenant Filise Siale enjoyed the experience leading the Tongan forces as the HMAF Platoon Commander.
“The boys went through clear and secure tasks throughout a complex urban area for the first time with live enemies and role players. The sound effects made the environment more confusing and interesting.”
“It was a great experience for the boys which adds to their individual skills and on the other hand, shows where there is room for improvement,” Lieutenant Filise Siale said.
For the days following the activity, the teams will continue working together in the United States Marine Corps facility to perfect their skills.
Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2022 21:16 |
| Story ID: | 425463 |
| Location: | BELLOWS AIR FORCE STATION, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 203 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Training is Taking Off on RIMPAC 2022, by Lily Lancaster, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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