thedrifter
09-12-08, 10:19 AM
AFTER ACTION
USS TORTUGA, South China Sea (September 12, 2008) -- After a three-month deployment to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, Brunei and Singapore, the Marines and sailors of Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, may never quite be the same.
Returning to Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, with sea bags full of souvenirs and minds full of memories of new experiences, the 43 Marines and sailors made their final stop on Okinawa last week, where they had time to look back on their deployment as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2008.
CARAT is an annual series of bilateral maritime training exercises between the United States and Southeast Asia nations designed to enhance the operational readiness of the participating forces.
"This deployment is one of a kind in the Marine Corps," said 1st Lt. Kyle Johnson, the platoon commander of CAC. The deployment changed the way he looks at the jungle, foreign cultures, militaries and his own military heritage.
Before the platoon-sized element left Okinawa May 20 aboard the USS Tortuga with augments from Okinawa-based units, Maj. Gen. Robert B. Neller, commanding general of 3rd Marine Division, encouraged each Marine to make the most of the experience.
"You are a soldier of the sea. You are a Marine, and as a Marine you are going back to your roots," he said.
Since that day, CAC has traveled nearly 11,000 nautical miles experiencing in-depth the ship life that Neller spoke of.
Although it was far from what he expected, Cpl. Andrew Carlson, a rifleman with CAC, admitted his experience was interesting and unique.
"Some things took some getting used to, but the opportunity to experience other cultures made the trip worthwhile," he said.
CARAT stopped to conduct one-week military exercises and cultural exchanges in each country from the end of May through August.
During the exchanges, the unit, primarily made up of amphibious assault vehicle crewmen, combat engineers and infantry Marines, provided numerous classes to their foreign counterparts.
The classes covered weapons breakdown, vehicle checkpoints, patrolling and escalation of force. Medical classes were also taught by CAC corpsmen including combat lifesaving steps, casualty evacuation procedures and administering intravenous fluids.
These were all areas where the CAC Marines and sailors had plenty of experience, said Johnson. More than 80 percent of the unit has been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or both, he said
There were a few challenges along the way to include overcoming language barriers in the many countries visited.
During their first experience in the Philippines, the Marines and sailors learned the hands-on approach was the most effective teaching method, said Lance Cpl. John Jones, a rifleman with CAC.
"When going through the classes, it was hard to convey ideas," he said, "but when we worked side-by-side through practical application, they understood."
The Marines and sailors maintained this training approach throughout the deployment.
The training was not all one sided, however. Host countries trained the Marines and sailors in jungle warfare to include jungle patrolling, defense, evasion techniques and basic jungle survival.
"The jungle is neutral," said the Malaysian Deputy Inspecting General of the Army, Colonel Doan S. Lock. "The jungle doesn't favor one side over the other - it favors the fighting force that understands its nature best," he said.
Operating in a tropical climate, far different from that of Iraq and Afghanistan, provided a fresh perspective for the Marines and sailors.
"It made me realize that jungle warfare is a lot harder than I could have expected," Carlson said, "I have a newfound respect for those who fought in Vietnam and other jungle engagements."
The bilateral exercises conducted tested the cooperative militaries' teamwork and communication and promoted camaraderie in many different scenarios.
During the cooperative training, professionalism was constant and the mood normally serious. However, one constant throughout the exercise was debriefings, when military members got a chance to wash off their camouflage paint and share stories.
"Our troops face some of the same hardships as their troops and this shared understanding transcends many of the cultural and language barriers that might be present," Johnson said, "We never really knew how much we had in common until we found ourselves laughing at the same jokes."
Of the Marines and sailors who participated in CARAT 2008, all have a different story. But nearly all of them agree that it was an eye-opening experience and they will not soon forget their foreign friends - a feeling that is shared by their friends across the Pacific.
USS TORTUGA, South China Sea (September 12, 2008) -- After a three-month deployment to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, Brunei and Singapore, the Marines and sailors of Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, may never quite be the same.
Returning to Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, with sea bags full of souvenirs and minds full of memories of new experiences, the 43 Marines and sailors made their final stop on Okinawa last week, where they had time to look back on their deployment as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2008.
CARAT is an annual series of bilateral maritime training exercises between the United States and Southeast Asia nations designed to enhance the operational readiness of the participating forces.
"This deployment is one of a kind in the Marine Corps," said 1st Lt. Kyle Johnson, the platoon commander of CAC. The deployment changed the way he looks at the jungle, foreign cultures, militaries and his own military heritage.
Before the platoon-sized element left Okinawa May 20 aboard the USS Tortuga with augments from Okinawa-based units, Maj. Gen. Robert B. Neller, commanding general of 3rd Marine Division, encouraged each Marine to make the most of the experience.
"You are a soldier of the sea. You are a Marine, and as a Marine you are going back to your roots," he said.
Since that day, CAC has traveled nearly 11,000 nautical miles experiencing in-depth the ship life that Neller spoke of.
Although it was far from what he expected, Cpl. Andrew Carlson, a rifleman with CAC, admitted his experience was interesting and unique.
"Some things took some getting used to, but the opportunity to experience other cultures made the trip worthwhile," he said.
CARAT stopped to conduct one-week military exercises and cultural exchanges in each country from the end of May through August.
During the exchanges, the unit, primarily made up of amphibious assault vehicle crewmen, combat engineers and infantry Marines, provided numerous classes to their foreign counterparts.
The classes covered weapons breakdown, vehicle checkpoints, patrolling and escalation of force. Medical classes were also taught by CAC corpsmen including combat lifesaving steps, casualty evacuation procedures and administering intravenous fluids.
These were all areas where the CAC Marines and sailors had plenty of experience, said Johnson. More than 80 percent of the unit has been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or both, he said
There were a few challenges along the way to include overcoming language barriers in the many countries visited.
During their first experience in the Philippines, the Marines and sailors learned the hands-on approach was the most effective teaching method, said Lance Cpl. John Jones, a rifleman with CAC.
"When going through the classes, it was hard to convey ideas," he said, "but when we worked side-by-side through practical application, they understood."
The Marines and sailors maintained this training approach throughout the deployment.
The training was not all one sided, however. Host countries trained the Marines and sailors in jungle warfare to include jungle patrolling, defense, evasion techniques and basic jungle survival.
"The jungle is neutral," said the Malaysian Deputy Inspecting General of the Army, Colonel Doan S. Lock. "The jungle doesn't favor one side over the other - it favors the fighting force that understands its nature best," he said.
Operating in a tropical climate, far different from that of Iraq and Afghanistan, provided a fresh perspective for the Marines and sailors.
"It made me realize that jungle warfare is a lot harder than I could have expected," Carlson said, "I have a newfound respect for those who fought in Vietnam and other jungle engagements."
The bilateral exercises conducted tested the cooperative militaries' teamwork and communication and promoted camaraderie in many different scenarios.
During the cooperative training, professionalism was constant and the mood normally serious. However, one constant throughout the exercise was debriefings, when military members got a chance to wash off their camouflage paint and share stories.
"Our troops face some of the same hardships as their troops and this shared understanding transcends many of the cultural and language barriers that might be present," Johnson said, "We never really knew how much we had in common until we found ourselves laughing at the same jokes."
Of the Marines and sailors who participated in CARAT 2008, all have a different story. But nearly all of them agree that it was an eye-opening experience and they will not soon forget their foreign friends - a feeling that is shared by their friends across the Pacific.