thedrifter
02-22-09, 07:53 AM
Londonderry battalion trains for trip to Ukraine
By Jarret Bencks
jbencks@eagletribune.com
February 22, 2009 12:30 am
—
NASHUA — The Bravo Company 1st Battalion 25th Marine Regiment trained inside an abandoned warehouse yesterday, kicking down doors, clearing rooms and running through theoretic scenarios.
But the Londonderry-based battalion isn't preparing for a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is training for a trip to the Ukraine this summer, where it will be aiding soldiers from that country in training.
"People tend to focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, and they forget about other parts of the world," Maj. Derek Grader said.
Approximately 80 members of the battalion trained at the Nashua Police Department's urban training facility from early yesterday morning to late last night.
Gunnery Sgt. Ron Taylor said the old warehouse was a perfect facility to practice skills to be trained in Ukraine and for future tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. Unlike most marine training facilities, the warehouse is filled with old furniture and industrial scraps and other obstacles that make it akin to what the battalion has seen in previous tours overseas.
"This may even be a little more challenging than some of the areas we went into in Iraq," Taylor said.
The battalion last toured Iraq in 2006, and many of the Marines who were part of that trip are still with the battalion.
For Leading Chief Petty Officer Jameson Brown of Atkinson, the drills were nothing new. A member of the battalion since 2005, he served in Iraq in 2006.
"When it comes to deployment, you put everything — school, work, family — on hold," he said.
While the national guard has been traditionally known for its one weekend a month, two weeks a year philosophy, Grader said most serving in the guard dedicate far more, with some taking months of duty overseas.
"That motto is a fallacy," he said. "I really applaud some of these guys who have a lot of other things going on in their lives."
Along with conducting field training, the Marines also worked yesterday on mixed martial arts skills, which all marines are mandated to be certified in this year, Grader said.
The trip to Ukraine will last three weeks, and the battalion will likely tour again in either Iraq or Afghanistan sometime in 2010, Grader said.
"Everything is fresh in their minds," he said. "You never get in that mind set where you can relax."
Ellie
By Jarret Bencks
jbencks@eagletribune.com
February 22, 2009 12:30 am
—
NASHUA — The Bravo Company 1st Battalion 25th Marine Regiment trained inside an abandoned warehouse yesterday, kicking down doors, clearing rooms and running through theoretic scenarios.
But the Londonderry-based battalion isn't preparing for a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is training for a trip to the Ukraine this summer, where it will be aiding soldiers from that country in training.
"People tend to focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, and they forget about other parts of the world," Maj. Derek Grader said.
Approximately 80 members of the battalion trained at the Nashua Police Department's urban training facility from early yesterday morning to late last night.
Gunnery Sgt. Ron Taylor said the old warehouse was a perfect facility to practice skills to be trained in Ukraine and for future tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. Unlike most marine training facilities, the warehouse is filled with old furniture and industrial scraps and other obstacles that make it akin to what the battalion has seen in previous tours overseas.
"This may even be a little more challenging than some of the areas we went into in Iraq," Taylor said.
The battalion last toured Iraq in 2006, and many of the Marines who were part of that trip are still with the battalion.
For Leading Chief Petty Officer Jameson Brown of Atkinson, the drills were nothing new. A member of the battalion since 2005, he served in Iraq in 2006.
"When it comes to deployment, you put everything — school, work, family — on hold," he said.
While the national guard has been traditionally known for its one weekend a month, two weeks a year philosophy, Grader said most serving in the guard dedicate far more, with some taking months of duty overseas.
"That motto is a fallacy," he said. "I really applaud some of these guys who have a lot of other things going on in their lives."
Along with conducting field training, the Marines also worked yesterday on mixed martial arts skills, which all marines are mandated to be certified in this year, Grader said.
The trip to Ukraine will last three weeks, and the battalion will likely tour again in either Iraq or Afghanistan sometime in 2010, Grader said.
"Everything is fresh in their minds," he said. "You never get in that mind set where you can relax."
Ellie