thedrifter
07-28-04, 07:47 AM
Machine Guns, Missiles Are Weapons Company's Specialty
CAMP FUJI, Japan - Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, conducted live-fire training using three different weapons systems.
The Marines arrived here to participate in Fuji Integrated Training Program 2004. Marines with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and Combat Logistics Company-33, 3rd Force Service Support Group, supported the battalion in its training.
FITP is a six-week training program involving Marine reservists with 2/25, headquartered in Garden City, N.Y., and 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, headquartered in Encino, Calif. The program is designed to enhance their combat readiness and operational familiarization.
"This two-week deployment has come at a good time for us because we have several new Marines in the unit who have not had the chance to practice their skills under live-fire conditions," said machine gunner Lance Cpl. Christian Martinez. "Most of the company went to Iraq and these training opportunities are necessary for us to be combat-ready."
Moving the Weapons Co. Marines around the live-fire ranges were eight high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles mounted with tube launched, optically tracked, wire guided missile systems and M2 .50 caliber machine guns.
"The HMMWVs make us extremely mobile," Martinez said. "We can respond to threats, seek out targets and destroy them while on the move."
According to Weapons Co. Marines, getting in and out of a hot zone is essential because the vehicles are highly visible and don't offer much protection from enemy fire.
"The TOW is a pretty unbelievable weapon and will take out just about anything we fire it on," said TOW section leader Sgt. Jason R. McGill. " We try to get the vehicle in a stationary position to fire the weapon and then get on the move again in under 30 seconds."
Later in the evolution, the Weapons Co. Marines also dismounted their HMMWVs for a refresher course on the firing the M240G 7.62 mm medium machine gun.
"We could be called upon for garrison defense instead of a patrol in our vehicles, so practicing on the M240G medium machine gun is necessary," said Pfc. Sean R. Kellenberger. "Firing the M240G medium machine gun is a lot like being in the vehicles because there has to be communication between the assistant machine gunner and the machine gunner to achieve hits on the target."
The field-fire training by Weapons Co. culminated in a coordinated live-fire evolution alongside infantrymen with Company E, 2/25. Two HMMWVs mounted with M2 .50 caliber machine guns, and two mounted with TOWs, engage targets on a hillside downrange, while the Company E Marines moved in behind the vehicles employing their squad rushes.
"It was really cool to see the two companies assault an objective using coordinated fire," Martinez said. "Not everything went perfectly, but this is training, and hopefully we can use the lessons learned here to keep each other safe when we go to combat again."
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_1.jpg
Two Marines prepare a tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missile weapon system. The battalion is here to participate in Fuji Integrated Training Program, a six-week training program designed to enhance combat readiness and operational familiarization.
(Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo By Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. Teslevich)
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_2.jpg
Machine gunner Pfc. Sean R. Kellenberger
sights in wit an M240G 7.62 mm medium
machine gun.
(Photo By Jonathan K. Teslevich)
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_3.jpg
A tube launched, optically tracked, wire guided missile
system is fired downrange from atop a high mobility
multipurpose wheeled vehicle.
(Photo By Jonathan K. Teslevich)
Ellie
CAMP FUJI, Japan - Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, conducted live-fire training using three different weapons systems.
The Marines arrived here to participate in Fuji Integrated Training Program 2004. Marines with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and Combat Logistics Company-33, 3rd Force Service Support Group, supported the battalion in its training.
FITP is a six-week training program involving Marine reservists with 2/25, headquartered in Garden City, N.Y., and 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, headquartered in Encino, Calif. The program is designed to enhance their combat readiness and operational familiarization.
"This two-week deployment has come at a good time for us because we have several new Marines in the unit who have not had the chance to practice their skills under live-fire conditions," said machine gunner Lance Cpl. Christian Martinez. "Most of the company went to Iraq and these training opportunities are necessary for us to be combat-ready."
Moving the Weapons Co. Marines around the live-fire ranges were eight high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles mounted with tube launched, optically tracked, wire guided missile systems and M2 .50 caliber machine guns.
"The HMMWVs make us extremely mobile," Martinez said. "We can respond to threats, seek out targets and destroy them while on the move."
According to Weapons Co. Marines, getting in and out of a hot zone is essential because the vehicles are highly visible and don't offer much protection from enemy fire.
"The TOW is a pretty unbelievable weapon and will take out just about anything we fire it on," said TOW section leader Sgt. Jason R. McGill. " We try to get the vehicle in a stationary position to fire the weapon and then get on the move again in under 30 seconds."
Later in the evolution, the Weapons Co. Marines also dismounted their HMMWVs for a refresher course on the firing the M240G 7.62 mm medium machine gun.
"We could be called upon for garrison defense instead of a patrol in our vehicles, so practicing on the M240G medium machine gun is necessary," said Pfc. Sean R. Kellenberger. "Firing the M240G medium machine gun is a lot like being in the vehicles because there has to be communication between the assistant machine gunner and the machine gunner to achieve hits on the target."
The field-fire training by Weapons Co. culminated in a coordinated live-fire evolution alongside infantrymen with Company E, 2/25. Two HMMWVs mounted with M2 .50 caliber machine guns, and two mounted with TOWs, engage targets on a hillside downrange, while the Company E Marines moved in behind the vehicles employing their squad rushes.
"It was really cool to see the two companies assault an objective using coordinated fire," Martinez said. "Not everything went perfectly, but this is training, and hopefully we can use the lessons learned here to keep each other safe when we go to combat again."
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_1.jpg
Two Marines prepare a tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missile weapon system. The battalion is here to participate in Fuji Integrated Training Program, a six-week training program designed to enhance combat readiness and operational familiarization.
(Official U.S. Marine Corps Photo By Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. Teslevich)
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_2.jpg
Machine gunner Pfc. Sean R. Kellenberger
sights in wit an M240G 7.62 mm medium
machine gun.
(Photo By Jonathan K. Teslevich)
http://images.*************/pics/072604_Weapons_3.jpg
A tube launched, optically tracked, wire guided missile
system is fired downrange from atop a high mobility
multipurpose wheeled vehicle.
(Photo By Jonathan K. Teslevich)
Ellie