Photo By Sgt. Ezekieljay Correa | U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine...... read more read more
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U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, responded as a quick reaction force to a simulated embassy reinforcement as part of Steel Knight 24 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 5.
Steel Knight is an annual exercise conducted by I Marine Expeditionary Force as a means of training all elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force at various locations across the Southwest.
Phase one of the exercise serves as a mission rehearsal exercise, evaluating 2nd Bn., 1st Marines’ readiness to be certified as the ground combat element and 1st Marine Regiment as the command element within the MAGTF of Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, a six-month deployment to Australia.
“Steel Knight creates a realistic training scenario where a rifle company is fully integrated into the MAGTF and has the capabilities and support that is not often found in other training,” explained Capt. Carter J. Collins, the company commander of Echo Co. “It stresses our communication, logistics, and administrative planning while validating our tactics and techniques.”
Contingent on a series of events set by the exercise’s scenario, the embassy reinforcement resulted from a notional information campaign by adversary forces to de-legitimize the presence of the United States within the host nation. Regional instability from recent natural disasters in scenario, along with the enemy information campaign, led to the host nation populace turning to the U.S. embassy for assistance.
“While embassy operations are often specific to a country or region, they expose Marines to cultural sensitivities, geopolitical awareness, and regional security challenges,” said Collins.
Echo Co., along with Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, Marine Logistics Group 1, were tasked with conducting surveillance, securing the perimeter from hostile forces, and conducting a military assisted departure for role players.
Marines stood guard and provided tactful, non-violent responses to hostile role players acting as protesters and American citizens crowding the perimeter. This training allowed Echo Co. Marines to practice de-escalation techniques with a simulated local populace in the face of an unpredictable and chaotic situation.
“The Marines consistently executed their mission tasks with precision, showcasing advancements in small unit tactics, combined arms integration and situational awareness,” Collins stated.
As the scenario’s conflict intensity increased, Marines continued to conduct the proper procedures in different situations, such as protesters breaching the embassy perimeter.
“Echo Company responded with determination and resourcefulness, demonstrating their readiness to operate under challenging and unpredictable conditions,” Collins explains. “Overall, Steel Knight increased the overall lethality and performance of the company, reinforcing its ability to meet the challenges of deployment with resilience and professionalism.”
As a result of the collaborative efforts of Echo Co. and CLB-1, the Marines departed the embassy the morning after the reinforcement, successfully securing the perimeter and accomplishing the mission.
“Conducting an embassy reinforcement or military assisted departure prepares Marines for a deployment to MRF-D by honing critical skills and fostering operational readiness that aligns with the demands of both missions,” stated Collins. “These operations provide real-world training in contingency planning, rapid response, and multinational coordination, all of which are directly applicable to the roles Marines fulfill as part of MRF-D.”
By demonstrating their tactical proficiency during the exercise, the Marines of 2nd Bn., 1st Marines showcased their ability to operate within the MAGTF construct on deployment.
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2024 20:08 |
| Story ID: | 487863 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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