thedrifter
05-08-03, 06:12 AM
Lejeune gun range picks up Vieques workload
Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A formation of rusted tanks on part of the outback of Camp Lejeune is one of the new targets for naval gunfire now that the Navy has stopped using a range in Puerto Rico.
The ground shook and smoke billowed as 5-inch shells fired from the destroyer Cole five miles off the North Carolina coast kicked up dirt amid the tanks Tuesday.
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Garren, the 2nd Marine Division naval gunfire officer, said he liked the exercise.
“We had a group of tanks and the (explosive) kill radius is fairly decent,” Garren said.
The Cole lobbed the shells into Lejeune’s G-10 impact area as part of training for Marines and sailors who help direct offshore naval firing.
Lejeune was one site the Navy picked for naval artillery training after it agreed to close the range in Puerto Rico, where residents protested. The military also may use six or more ranges in Florida.
Garren said the Marines and Navy plan to hold naval gunfire spotter training about once a month at Lejeune after the war in the Middle East settles down.
“We’re hoping to add four more shots this year, but there are not a lot of ships at home right now,” Garren said.
Marines said they like the convenience of being able to train in their own back yard instead of having to deploy to the Caribbean Sea.
Staff Sgt. Robert Russell, the gunfire liaison chief of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, said he had not been able to spot naval gunfire since 1998.
Similar firing was tested at Lejeune on two previous occasions — October 2001 and October 2002, Garren said.
Precautions during the training included closing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to boat traffic through the base and closing N.C. 172 on the eastern side of the base.
Marines and sailors also spent a couple of hours searching the area to make sure no one had wandered in by mistake.
“With every shoot, safety is the most important thing.” Garren said.
The firing follows a script that includes tests to guide the rounds to the targets.
“We have a format scripted that includes the unit, the ships, the target, the size, their numbers and what kind of protection there is,” said gunfire liaison chief Staff Sgt. Robert Russell of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment.
“They choose the best shell-fuse combination with relationship to the friendlies. You spot what you see and correct what you spot.”
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Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Sempers,
Roger
Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A formation of rusted tanks on part of the outback of Camp Lejeune is one of the new targets for naval gunfire now that the Navy has stopped using a range in Puerto Rico.
The ground shook and smoke billowed as 5-inch shells fired from the destroyer Cole five miles off the North Carolina coast kicked up dirt amid the tanks Tuesday.
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Garren, the 2nd Marine Division naval gunfire officer, said he liked the exercise.
“We had a group of tanks and the (explosive) kill radius is fairly decent,” Garren said.
The Cole lobbed the shells into Lejeune’s G-10 impact area as part of training for Marines and sailors who help direct offshore naval firing.
Lejeune was one site the Navy picked for naval artillery training after it agreed to close the range in Puerto Rico, where residents protested. The military also may use six or more ranges in Florida.
Garren said the Marines and Navy plan to hold naval gunfire spotter training about once a month at Lejeune after the war in the Middle East settles down.
“We’re hoping to add four more shots this year, but there are not a lot of ships at home right now,” Garren said.
Marines said they like the convenience of being able to train in their own back yard instead of having to deploy to the Caribbean Sea.
Staff Sgt. Robert Russell, the gunfire liaison chief of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, said he had not been able to spot naval gunfire since 1998.
Similar firing was tested at Lejeune on two previous occasions — October 2001 and October 2002, Garren said.
Precautions during the training included closing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to boat traffic through the base and closing N.C. 172 on the eastern side of the base.
Marines and sailors also spent a couple of hours searching the area to make sure no one had wandered in by mistake.
“With every shoot, safety is the most important thing.” Garren said.
The firing follows a script that includes tests to guide the rounds to the targets.
“We have a format scripted that includes the unit, the ships, the target, the size, their numbers and what kind of protection there is,” said gunfire liaison chief Staff Sgt. Robert Russell of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment.
“They choose the best shell-fuse combination with relationship to the friendlies. You spot what you see and correct what you spot.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Sempers,
Roger