Photo By Cpl. Khoa Pelczar | Cpl. Mercedes Armstrong, 21, from Rome, N.Y., food service specialist, S-4, Combat...... read more read more
Subscribe
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 11, 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducted a Non-combative Evacuation training Operation at White Beach, Dec. 7, to prepare for their upcoming deployment with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“This is a great opportunity for us to be able to come out and train in a different environment,” said Sgt. Christopher Gentz, landing support specialist, Landing Support Detachment, CLB-11, 1st MLG. “It gets the Marines ready for the deployment and gives them more knowledge about the job.”
Gentz, 26, from Sparta, Mich., won’t be deploying with the unit, but he’s passing down everything he knows about NEO missions to his Marines.
A NEO mission is an evacuating drill conducted by Marines with the intent of evacuating all non-combative personnel from danger zones, explained 2nd Lt. Ryan Betters, officer in charge, LS Detachment, CLB-11, 1st MLG. With the support of 3rd Tracks, 1st Marine Division, Marines with CLB-11 learned how to conduct a NEO mission.
“We have a great crew supporting us,” said Cpl. Roosevelt Jones, heavy equipment operator, Engineer Detachment, CLB-11, 1st MLG. “[The instructors] are very informative and clear on what they want us to do, which helps most of our junior Marines here to follow the instruction as this is the first time that some of them get to do something like this.”
During the training, Marines were divided in three squads – operators, security element and role players, explained Betters, 31, from Batavia, N.Y. The squads rotated with each other to learn the different elements of operation. The operators would learn how to operate the NEO Tracking System while the security team secured the area for them. As for the role players, their mission is to help the Marines familiarize themselves with any type of situation they might encounter.
“The purpose is to get the Marines ready for deployment and field test the new NTS,” said Betters. “There’s a limit to how much you can learn in a classroom as compared to doing it in the field so this is good training for them.”
The NTS allows Marines to keep track of non-combatants they’re evacuating as the system can pick up wireless transmission from satellite, said Betters.
“There are many challenges to overcome as it’s not the same as doing it in the classroom,” said Betters as he observed the Marines on the first day of training. “I have no doubt that they will pull through as I’ve already seen improvements.”
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2010 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 62113 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
This work, CLB-11 Marines conduct NEO training, by Cpl Khoa Pelczar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
