Photo By Cpl. Tyler Reiriz | Sgt. Luis Leon, radio operator with Regimental Combat Team 5, hugs his wife, Cristina...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – For Pfc. Jerome Young, his deployment with Regimental Combat Team 5 to Gasmir District, Afghanistan, will be his first, but he said he’s ready.
“Everybody has been on point with everything,” said Young, an electrician.
From physical training to marksmanship and weapon familiarization training, Young said the Marines and sailors have prepared well for the yearlong deployment to southern Helmand province.
Marines, sailors and families gathered at San Mateo early Aug. 13 to say goodbye before RCT-5 departed.
More than 200 Marines and sailors who make up the headquarters element of the RCT left Camp Pendleton for Afghanistan to replace RCT-1, another Pendleton-based unit.
“We will continue the mission that NATO has set forth,” said Sgt. Maj. Ernest Hoopii, RCT sergeant major. “We will continue to train the Afghan National Security Forces so they can take over our battle space in the fight. We are giving them the technical assistance and training so they can take over the civil affairs, and the military and police work.”
The Marines of RCT-1 have spent the last year working toward those goals. They have trained the Afghan forces in the detection of improvised explosive devices and worked to gain the trust and support of the local civilian populace.
That work has already paid off, as the Marines have had success in cooperating with the local communities. The civilians have helped the Marines locate dozens of weapons caches hidden by the Taliban, intended for use in attacks against coalition forces.
The deploying service members have been preparing for this deployment since February, readying themselves for the year ahead.
Hoopii said the best training the Marines and sailors received came during their time in the Enhanced Mojave Viper exercise, a month long combined arms training evolution at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. During the exercise, RCT-5 was able to command and control an infantry battalion, combining air and ground support to realistic training scenarios – preparing them for their mission in Afghanistan.
The Marines haven’t been the only ones preparing for the deployment ahead. Kim Merkel, RCT-5’s family readiness officer, has been helping the families prepare themselves.
“Back in February, we opened a dialogue with the families to tell them about this deployment,” Merkel said. “We had monthly meetings, brought in some resources for them to plan for any contingencies or emergencies and talked to them about Afghanistan so that they feel like a part of the family too.”
The support didn’t end when the Marines boarded the buses to leave. The family readiness office put systems in place to keep families informed while the Marines are overseas.
“We push out information through social networking and our websites to get them the information about what is going on with their Marines so they can stay connected,” Merkel said. “We have been preparing for this for six months, so I feel confident we are ready.”
Even with those reassurances, leaving loved ones behind was still difficult for many departing troops.
“It was a sad thing, saying goodbye. I am the only boy in the family, so everyone was crying,” Young said. “But I told them not to worry, and that I would be ok. I have trust and faith in my country and in my fellow Marines.”
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2011 17:30 |
| Story ID: | 75394 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 801 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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