thedrifter
10-03-09, 08:11 AM
Riding in style; 1/6 trains for heliborne operations
10/2/2009 By Lance Cpl. James W. Clark , II MEF
It feels more like a line for a ride at an amusement park than a training exercise for the Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. Instead of holding tickets or tokens, they wait holding weapons and clad in helmets and body armor with nervous excitement as MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft flare in for a landing aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., Sept. 17, 2009.
For the past several days, the Marines have rehearsed procedures for boarding and disembarking aircraft during a heliborne raid and are about to commence their first live run.
As the Ospreys land in the clearing, the Marines push forward through clouds of billowing dirt and loose grass to quickly board the aircraft and strap themselves in. When they lift off, the anxiousness is gone and all that remains is the joy of the ride.
The Marines yell and laugh at a reference to a famous scene from the movie “Apocalypse Now” – when a squadron of helicopters soar into a Vietnamese village amidst smoke and machine gun fire as aircraft-mounted loudspeakers blare Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”
The Marines immediately regain their composure as they land and sprint down the ramp. They bound forward by fire teams, with each four-man unit covering each other’s advance. As they reach the tree line and finish their assault, they head back and prepare to do it again.
“This is the first time that we’ve had a chance to use [aircraft] since we returned from our last deployment,” said 1st Lt. Phillip Davis, a platoon commander with Company B. ”This is probably going to be the only [heliborne] training we’ll get before we deploy again, hence all of the incredible detail we’re going into.”
The use of aircraft has become essential for success during operations in places like Afghanistan where maneuverability is severely limited by rough terrain and the threat improvised explosive devices. This has led to increased Ground-ir Integration Training, Davis said, adding “Every Marine is a riflemen and our goal is to have every rifleman become helo-trained.”
For many of the Marines at the exercise, it was the first time they had stepped foot in an Osprey.
“It was a lot smoother of a flight than I thought it would be,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Schuler, a rifleman with 2nd platoon. “I wish we could have had more time in the air. We pushed ourselves a lot today and because of it, it felt very rewarding.”
According to Capt. Ben Willson, the forward air controller for Company B, the battalion has a long history of conducting heliborne operations, and pointed out that most of the 1st Battalion was airlifted into the Garmsir district of the Helmand province during the unit’s 2008 deployment to Afghanistan to combat Taliban diehards and other anti-government forces.
Any heliborne operation is prone to certain risks and faces its own set of challenges, Willson said.
“Any time that you integrate with aircraft you create a great deal of friction. You’re moving into unknown terrain and while you’re in the air your knowledge of the situation on the ground is limited,” he added.
One of the ways to remedy the problem is through countless rehearsals and dry runs. Units going on heliborne operations also prepare for the loss of communications and have contingency plans in place to signal friendly forces through the use of smoke and air panels.
Ultimately, regardless of the operation, whether it’s a foot patrol, a convoy of vehicles, or a heliborne raid, communication between Marines and sailors is what determines the success of the mission, Davis said.
“A platoon commander’s job is incredibly easy - your unit leaders get the work done,” Davis continued. “A platoon is only as good as its squad and team leaders, and I have the best in the company.”
Ready to go through the exercise again as the Ospreys return, Marines receive unspoken orders from squad leaders. Through the use of hand signals, the Marines are told to grab their gear and form up for the next run.
For more information on the II Marine Expeditionary Force, visit the unit’s web site at www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil.
Ellie
10/2/2009 By Lance Cpl. James W. Clark , II MEF
It feels more like a line for a ride at an amusement park than a training exercise for the Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. Instead of holding tickets or tokens, they wait holding weapons and clad in helmets and body armor with nervous excitement as MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft flare in for a landing aboard Fort A.P. Hill, Va., Sept. 17, 2009.
For the past several days, the Marines have rehearsed procedures for boarding and disembarking aircraft during a heliborne raid and are about to commence their first live run.
As the Ospreys land in the clearing, the Marines push forward through clouds of billowing dirt and loose grass to quickly board the aircraft and strap themselves in. When they lift off, the anxiousness is gone and all that remains is the joy of the ride.
The Marines yell and laugh at a reference to a famous scene from the movie “Apocalypse Now” – when a squadron of helicopters soar into a Vietnamese village amidst smoke and machine gun fire as aircraft-mounted loudspeakers blare Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”
The Marines immediately regain their composure as they land and sprint down the ramp. They bound forward by fire teams, with each four-man unit covering each other’s advance. As they reach the tree line and finish their assault, they head back and prepare to do it again.
“This is the first time that we’ve had a chance to use [aircraft] since we returned from our last deployment,” said 1st Lt. Phillip Davis, a platoon commander with Company B. ”This is probably going to be the only [heliborne] training we’ll get before we deploy again, hence all of the incredible detail we’re going into.”
The use of aircraft has become essential for success during operations in places like Afghanistan where maneuverability is severely limited by rough terrain and the threat improvised explosive devices. This has led to increased Ground-ir Integration Training, Davis said, adding “Every Marine is a riflemen and our goal is to have every rifleman become helo-trained.”
For many of the Marines at the exercise, it was the first time they had stepped foot in an Osprey.
“It was a lot smoother of a flight than I thought it would be,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Schuler, a rifleman with 2nd platoon. “I wish we could have had more time in the air. We pushed ourselves a lot today and because of it, it felt very rewarding.”
According to Capt. Ben Willson, the forward air controller for Company B, the battalion has a long history of conducting heliborne operations, and pointed out that most of the 1st Battalion was airlifted into the Garmsir district of the Helmand province during the unit’s 2008 deployment to Afghanistan to combat Taliban diehards and other anti-government forces.
Any heliborne operation is prone to certain risks and faces its own set of challenges, Willson said.
“Any time that you integrate with aircraft you create a great deal of friction. You’re moving into unknown terrain and while you’re in the air your knowledge of the situation on the ground is limited,” he added.
One of the ways to remedy the problem is through countless rehearsals and dry runs. Units going on heliborne operations also prepare for the loss of communications and have contingency plans in place to signal friendly forces through the use of smoke and air panels.
Ultimately, regardless of the operation, whether it’s a foot patrol, a convoy of vehicles, or a heliborne raid, communication between Marines and sailors is what determines the success of the mission, Davis said.
“A platoon commander’s job is incredibly easy - your unit leaders get the work done,” Davis continued. “A platoon is only as good as its squad and team leaders, and I have the best in the company.”
Ready to go through the exercise again as the Ospreys return, Marines receive unspoken orders from squad leaders. Through the use of hand signals, the Marines are told to grab their gear and form up for the next run.
For more information on the II Marine Expeditionary Force, visit the unit’s web site at www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil.
Ellie