thedrifter
06-28-07, 01:25 PM
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's 2007 deployment was a journey that began Jan. 6 and ranged from the rocky hills of Djibouti to the steaming forests of Kenya and the sweltering, wind-blasted deserts of the Middle East.
As the MEU nears the end of its tour with the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group and closes on the eastern coast of the United States, the unit's major subordinate elements have gained six months of real-world experience to reflect and draw on as they prepare to detach from the air-ground task force.
What made the experiences so valuable is that it offered the opportunity to operate alongside nearly every capability possessed by the Marine Corps, said Sgt. Ryan M. Cahill, training non-commissioned officer for Company G, Battalion Landing Team 2/2, 26th MEU.
"Marines on a MEU get to participate in training evolutions and operations that broaden their view of the whole Marine Corps," explained the Baton Rouge, La., native. "The result of that experience is well-rounded Marines who are comfortable with a wider array of missions."
The deployment, which featured four bi-lateral training exercises alongside foreign militaries in Djibouti, Kenya and the Middle East, also gave the MEU's troops invaluable experience working with different cultures, a key focus of the ongoing Global War on Terror.
"I think all the bilateral training we accomplished will benefit (our troops) down the road," said Cahill, a veteran of 2/2's 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "You have to be able to overcome cultural differences and communication blocks to accomplish the mission in today's conflicts."
In addition to training with foreign militaries, the Marines of BLT 2/2 engaged in virtually every aspect of ground warfare, including raids, fast-roping, marksmanship and urban combat tactics.
The learning experiences were not limited to exercises ashore. BLT 2/2 and other MEU elements conducted numerous live-fire ranges, martial arts training and classes on everything from land navigation to communications equipment.
For the Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-264 (Reinforced), the MEU's aviation combat element, the deployment afforded the unique chance to become familiar with numerous Marine aviation aspects, said Capt. Stacy M. Martinez, a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter from the squadron.
"In the MEU, you have all kinds of different aviation communities coming together," explained the Sutter Creek, Calif., native. "Back in North Carolina we are just a (CH-46) squadron. This deployment has carried a big learning curve, and given us a very good idea of how all the pieces fit together."
All of the lessons learned from training and operations accomplished by the MEU would not have been possible without the support provided by Combat Logistics Battalion-26, the unit's combat service support element.
Present for all the MEU's exercises ashore, CLB-26 was challenged with balancing continuous support with the need to provide training for its own personnel, said Sgt. Lamar D. Moore, CLB-26 supply warehouse chief and a native of Fayetteville, N.C.
"If the (other elements of the MEU) are not getting the support they need, they cannot function," he noted. "But at the same time, if something comes up and our guys are not trained, we are the ones being deprived."
With at least one deployment now under everyone's belt, the way is paved for productive deployments in the future, he added. "I have been in [the Marine Corps] for more than eight years, and done two MEU deployments in a row. I have learned more about the Marine Corps in those two (deployments) than in all the other years combined."
As the MEU nears the end of its tour with the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group and closes on the eastern coast of the United States, the unit's major subordinate elements have gained six months of real-world experience to reflect and draw on as they prepare to detach from the air-ground task force.
What made the experiences so valuable is that it offered the opportunity to operate alongside nearly every capability possessed by the Marine Corps, said Sgt. Ryan M. Cahill, training non-commissioned officer for Company G, Battalion Landing Team 2/2, 26th MEU.
"Marines on a MEU get to participate in training evolutions and operations that broaden their view of the whole Marine Corps," explained the Baton Rouge, La., native. "The result of that experience is well-rounded Marines who are comfortable with a wider array of missions."
The deployment, which featured four bi-lateral training exercises alongside foreign militaries in Djibouti, Kenya and the Middle East, also gave the MEU's troops invaluable experience working with different cultures, a key focus of the ongoing Global War on Terror.
"I think all the bilateral training we accomplished will benefit (our troops) down the road," said Cahill, a veteran of 2/2's 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "You have to be able to overcome cultural differences and communication blocks to accomplish the mission in today's conflicts."
In addition to training with foreign militaries, the Marines of BLT 2/2 engaged in virtually every aspect of ground warfare, including raids, fast-roping, marksmanship and urban combat tactics.
The learning experiences were not limited to exercises ashore. BLT 2/2 and other MEU elements conducted numerous live-fire ranges, martial arts training and classes on everything from land navigation to communications equipment.
For the Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-264 (Reinforced), the MEU's aviation combat element, the deployment afforded the unique chance to become familiar with numerous Marine aviation aspects, said Capt. Stacy M. Martinez, a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter from the squadron.
"In the MEU, you have all kinds of different aviation communities coming together," explained the Sutter Creek, Calif., native. "Back in North Carolina we are just a (CH-46) squadron. This deployment has carried a big learning curve, and given us a very good idea of how all the pieces fit together."
All of the lessons learned from training and operations accomplished by the MEU would not have been possible without the support provided by Combat Logistics Battalion-26, the unit's combat service support element.
Present for all the MEU's exercises ashore, CLB-26 was challenged with balancing continuous support with the need to provide training for its own personnel, said Sgt. Lamar D. Moore, CLB-26 supply warehouse chief and a native of Fayetteville, N.C.
"If the (other elements of the MEU) are not getting the support they need, they cannot function," he noted. "But at the same time, if something comes up and our guys are not trained, we are the ones being deprived."
With at least one deployment now under everyone's belt, the way is paved for productive deployments in the future, he added. "I have been in [the Marine Corps] for more than eight years, and done two MEU deployments in a row. I have learned more about the Marine Corps in those two (deployments) than in all the other years combined."