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thedrifter
04-23-09, 06:32 AM
Marines go back to their roots
They'll do amphibious assaults with troops from Mexico, Colombia.
By Timothy J. Gibbons
Story updated at 7:15 AM on Thursday, Apr. 23, 2009

The Marines from three countries stood waiting in loose formation as the giant hovercraft swung onto the beach at Mayport Naval Station, blowing sand around as its pilot made a precise turn and killed the engine.

The mission they were waiting to start, said U.S. Marine Sgt. Scott Seals, just felt right.

"This is what the Marine Corps does," he said. "The Marine Corps is an amphibious force. It's what sets us apart."

The hovercraft would carry the U.S., Mexican and Colombian troops out to amphibious dock landing ships, big deck vessels from which they will assault Mayport this weekend. The mission is part of Unitas, a multinational exercise the Navy's been running for 50 years.

The Marines' involvement in the exercise harkens back to their earlier days when most of the missions involved coming in from the sea.

The Marine commandant has called for the corps to return to those expeditionary roots, which some feel it has strayed from as the troops spend more time in Iraq and Afghanistan rather than the waters near, say, the Gulf of Aden.

That's the position Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joe Tryon is in. Assigned to the Marines, who get all their corpsmen from the Navy, Tryon deployed to Iraq last year but has never spent time at sea.

"It will be nice to learn what life on a ship is like," he said.

That's what makes training like this week's so important, said Marine Cpl. Josh Stone, who led the troops down the beach.

"It's my first time ever doing it," Stone said about amphibious assaults, as he waited for his chance to climb aboard the giant Landing Craft Air Cushion hovercraft Wednesday afternoon. "It should be good training."

After the Marines were aboard the hovercraft, the vessel took them to the USS Ashland, sister ship to the USS Mesa Verde, which had its own contingent of Marines. Once the vessels with the Marines headed out to sea, the troops would have the chance to practice for Saturday's assault.

It's very important for the troops from various nations to work together in training, said Colombia Lt. Camilo Castillo, particularly because they might be called on to fight together in combat.

Some of the 25 ships taking part in Unitas, meanwhile, will be going through their own exercises, practicing everything from mine-sweeping to fighting off aircraft.

Those exercises will continue at sea next week, but the Marines will be gone, headed back to Camp Blanding, the Florida National Guard base near Starke where they were training this week.

As they head back to dry land, though, they hope to carry with them the lessons they'll learn on the water, the connections to their history.

timothy.gibbons@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4103

Ellie