thedrifter
08-25-08, 09:09 AM
BRUNEI —Sgt. Michael K. Kamerer’s Squad was first for the jungle patrol. They made their way into the jungle armed with small-arms weapons and supplied with two days of food and water. The squad climbed steep hills, crossed streams, and ridgelines.
Kamerer and his squad were among 40 service members from Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, who trained with Brunei’s 1st Infantry Battalion Land Forces Aug. 3, as a part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2008, an annual series of bilateral military training exercises between the U.S. and several Southeast Asia nations, designed to increase cooperation and enhance security in the region.
Marines learned jungle survival from the Brunei special forces that included building different types of shelters, setting snares and identifying edible vegetation in the jungle.
After a class familiarizing Marines with different aspects of jungle survival, Brunei’s forces separated the Marines into four teams to compete against one another building shelters, booby traps, a hammock with canopy and finding food.
"They gave us a good chance for practical application," said Lance Cpl. Kenneth C. Lansdell, a fire team leader. "Building the booby traps was definitely my favorite."
The jungle survival class was given in preparation for a four-mile patrol and ambush assault exercise. After the patrol, Marines quickly settled into an ambush along the trail and waited near a simulated enemy base.
They didn’t have to wait long before three enemy role players on patrol made their way by the Marines’ position. The Marines waited for the perfect moment to open fire. Within seconds, they took out the enemy patrol in a barrage of gunfire. The squad then camped for the night after hiking for nearly 11 hours. As it began to sprinkle in the darkness, Marines pulled out their ponchos and tried to get a couple hours of rest before stepping off in a dawn attack on the enemy base.
"No one cared about the rain," said Lance Cpl. Vladimir A. Esipenko, a rifleman with CAC.
The Marines awoke in the morning and set out to close the gap between them and the enemy base. They spotted the base just before 8 a.m., nestled against a ridgeline. They immediately began taking fire.
"The enemy was in a good position," said company rifleman Cpl. Josue Gonzalez. "They knew we were coming and we still had to make it up the hill through all the vegetation."
The squad bound quickly up the hillside to the right of the base, going over the crest of the ridge and flanking it from behind.
"In a real life scenario, the squad would have called for fire first in order to suppress the enemy," said Kamerer. "But in this case, flanking the enemy was the only real way."
After a firefight that lasted no more than five minutes, the squad of Marines successfully took the hill from six simulated enemy guerrillas, searching each of the bodies for intelligence before returning to their patrol base camp just over the ridge.
Once there, they were debriefed by Lt. Kyle Johnson, platoon commander, who went over some of the challenges of the patrol to include the importance of good communication, pace and tactics. The squad hiked approximately 13 hours covering nine miles in the hot climate, on winding trails.
"It’s important not to concentrate on the negative," said Cpl. Christopher Guthrie a fire team leader. "We feed off each others energy; we look to each other for strength."
The Marines rested up, hydrated and cleaned their weapons preparing for the next event, a live-fire exercise at the Brunei Land Forces’ Close Quarters Battle course. The course is designed for individual trainees to patrol along a roughly 400 meters route, looking for hidden enemies; in this case plastic pop-up insurgents.
There were 12 targets located within the course, which moved when an instructor pulled on a length of twine attached to pulley systems. With 50 rounds each, the Marines engaged the targets, which were mostly camouflaged in the surrounding jungle.
Brunei land forces complete this kind of intense training once every three months, said Lt. Bahrum B. Pg Hj Ali, course instructor with Brunei Land Forces. Most of those who go through the course get 11 targets but only about one percent will get them all.
"The key is to be alert," said Ali. "It is very hard to spot the enemy out of the corner of your eye."
Two Marines hit all 12 targets.
"I went through slow, kept my eyes open and had just a little bit of luck," said machine gunner Lance Cpl. Derrick J. Baker.
Marines then went to a more conventional range where they watched a Spur demonstration, or what Marines called an Australian peel.
A group of Brunei land forces rose out of their seats, formed a single file line and began patrolling calmly downrange. A shot was fired by the instructor signaling the direction of enemy contact unleashing what Marines would call "a hell burst of lead down range at the targets."
"That’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen," said Kamerer.
The land forces quickly maneuvered together taking a knee, firing a couple of rounds before bounding back, keeping a constant rate of fire.
"This tactic provides the most firepower possible to suppress a much larger enemy allowing for retreat," Kamerer said.
After the Marines successfully performed the Australian peel, it was time for the Marines and Brunei Forces to compete against one another in a game of accuracy and quickness. Two teams of four would sprint 100 meters with their rifles, get in prone positions, and load their magazines of five rounds.
Whichever team shot all seven, six-by-six-inch metal-plated targets placed on sandbags 50 meters away, won the round.
The Marine and Brunei forces played this game for nearly an hour. The Marines kept their reputation of excellent marksmanship, shooting all seven targets within a few seconds.
The live-fire exercises provided "good" training and "fun" training," Lansdell said.
After the hot day on the range, some of the Brunei and U.S. forces went swimming at a nearby beach to cool off and relax. "It was a good week. We learned together, we trained together, and we had fun together, that’s a bilateral exercise," said Lt. Ismael Samid, 1st Infantry Battalion platoon commander.
At the closing ceremony and barbecue, the two militaries exchanged goodbyes and thanks.
"This has been the best training we have had on CARAT," said Capt. Christopher Kim, CAC commanding officer. "This was a good balance of training, fun and camaraderie, which we look forward to again, in the near future."
Kamerer and his squad were among 40 service members from Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, who trained with Brunei’s 1st Infantry Battalion Land Forces Aug. 3, as a part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2008, an annual series of bilateral military training exercises between the U.S. and several Southeast Asia nations, designed to increase cooperation and enhance security in the region.
Marines learned jungle survival from the Brunei special forces that included building different types of shelters, setting snares and identifying edible vegetation in the jungle.
After a class familiarizing Marines with different aspects of jungle survival, Brunei’s forces separated the Marines into four teams to compete against one another building shelters, booby traps, a hammock with canopy and finding food.
"They gave us a good chance for practical application," said Lance Cpl. Kenneth C. Lansdell, a fire team leader. "Building the booby traps was definitely my favorite."
The jungle survival class was given in preparation for a four-mile patrol and ambush assault exercise. After the patrol, Marines quickly settled into an ambush along the trail and waited near a simulated enemy base.
They didn’t have to wait long before three enemy role players on patrol made their way by the Marines’ position. The Marines waited for the perfect moment to open fire. Within seconds, they took out the enemy patrol in a barrage of gunfire. The squad then camped for the night after hiking for nearly 11 hours. As it began to sprinkle in the darkness, Marines pulled out their ponchos and tried to get a couple hours of rest before stepping off in a dawn attack on the enemy base.
"No one cared about the rain," said Lance Cpl. Vladimir A. Esipenko, a rifleman with CAC.
The Marines awoke in the morning and set out to close the gap between them and the enemy base. They spotted the base just before 8 a.m., nestled against a ridgeline. They immediately began taking fire.
"The enemy was in a good position," said company rifleman Cpl. Josue Gonzalez. "They knew we were coming and we still had to make it up the hill through all the vegetation."
The squad bound quickly up the hillside to the right of the base, going over the crest of the ridge and flanking it from behind.
"In a real life scenario, the squad would have called for fire first in order to suppress the enemy," said Kamerer. "But in this case, flanking the enemy was the only real way."
After a firefight that lasted no more than five minutes, the squad of Marines successfully took the hill from six simulated enemy guerrillas, searching each of the bodies for intelligence before returning to their patrol base camp just over the ridge.
Once there, they were debriefed by Lt. Kyle Johnson, platoon commander, who went over some of the challenges of the patrol to include the importance of good communication, pace and tactics. The squad hiked approximately 13 hours covering nine miles in the hot climate, on winding trails.
"It’s important not to concentrate on the negative," said Cpl. Christopher Guthrie a fire team leader. "We feed off each others energy; we look to each other for strength."
The Marines rested up, hydrated and cleaned their weapons preparing for the next event, a live-fire exercise at the Brunei Land Forces’ Close Quarters Battle course. The course is designed for individual trainees to patrol along a roughly 400 meters route, looking for hidden enemies; in this case plastic pop-up insurgents.
There were 12 targets located within the course, which moved when an instructor pulled on a length of twine attached to pulley systems. With 50 rounds each, the Marines engaged the targets, which were mostly camouflaged in the surrounding jungle.
Brunei land forces complete this kind of intense training once every three months, said Lt. Bahrum B. Pg Hj Ali, course instructor with Brunei Land Forces. Most of those who go through the course get 11 targets but only about one percent will get them all.
"The key is to be alert," said Ali. "It is very hard to spot the enemy out of the corner of your eye."
Two Marines hit all 12 targets.
"I went through slow, kept my eyes open and had just a little bit of luck," said machine gunner Lance Cpl. Derrick J. Baker.
Marines then went to a more conventional range where they watched a Spur demonstration, or what Marines called an Australian peel.
A group of Brunei land forces rose out of their seats, formed a single file line and began patrolling calmly downrange. A shot was fired by the instructor signaling the direction of enemy contact unleashing what Marines would call "a hell burst of lead down range at the targets."
"That’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen," said Kamerer.
The land forces quickly maneuvered together taking a knee, firing a couple of rounds before bounding back, keeping a constant rate of fire.
"This tactic provides the most firepower possible to suppress a much larger enemy allowing for retreat," Kamerer said.
After the Marines successfully performed the Australian peel, it was time for the Marines and Brunei Forces to compete against one another in a game of accuracy and quickness. Two teams of four would sprint 100 meters with their rifles, get in prone positions, and load their magazines of five rounds.
Whichever team shot all seven, six-by-six-inch metal-plated targets placed on sandbags 50 meters away, won the round.
The Marine and Brunei forces played this game for nearly an hour. The Marines kept their reputation of excellent marksmanship, shooting all seven targets within a few seconds.
The live-fire exercises provided "good" training and "fun" training," Lansdell said.
After the hot day on the range, some of the Brunei and U.S. forces went swimming at a nearby beach to cool off and relax. "It was a good week. We learned together, we trained together, and we had fun together, that’s a bilateral exercise," said Lt. Ismael Samid, 1st Infantry Battalion platoon commander.
At the closing ceremony and barbecue, the two militaries exchanged goodbyes and thanks.
"This has been the best training we have had on CARAT," said Capt. Christopher Kim, CAC commanding officer. "This was a good balance of training, fun and camaraderie, which we look forward to again, in the near future."