Just Got Back From Mojave Viper

[bgsuwoody]

Hey everyone just got back this evening from Mojave Viper.Don't know really what is going on now, but its real hard to get time around here to talk but I will be trying hard. I just found out 2 weeks ago that we will be relieving 2/7 in Afghanistan instead of going to Iraq and its a pretty big kinetic change in attitude and area. I'll keep you updated, but I'll get on as much as possible soon...Gotta start the boozing...its not only the day back from CAX, but its my birthday in 2 hours.

[yellowwing]

God Bless Secretary Gates for seeing the Light!

[skaterjon89]

yeah I heard 2/7 is hurting in Afghanistan. Mojave viper eh? I just got to my unit down here and I heard that we help you guys train for deployments, I'm with 1st Tanks C Co

Edit: I'm PFC now with global war on terror ribbon, **** is all screwed.

[Justin493]

Happy birthday brother. Keep us informed.

[lagrand]

How long were you at Mojave Viper and what are some of the training exercises you guys do out there?

[Justin493]

Amazing what a google search can do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmOPveWfHS0

[Quinbo]

Happy Birthday Woodall

[NeedSomePT]

Do only combat MOSs go through Mojave Viper?

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

CAX is to train as a MAGTF, so yes non-combat types end up there. But they will be doing what they do, not playing with the grunts.

[Achped]

2/7 has what, 30 KIA and 100 or so WIA? For OEF that is a **** ton of casualties, maybe instead of relieving them with one battalion they should send three. **** some *****es up!

[0231Marine]

2/7 has what, 30 KIA and 100 or so WIA? For OEF that is a **** ton of casualties, maybe instead of relieving them with one battalion they should send three. **** some *****es up!

That's a lot for anywhere. There have only been two units in Iraq that have lost near that amount. One was 3/5 in Fallujah during Phantom Fury and the other was 3/25 out in Hadithah...I think that reserve unit lost 16 in one day when an Amtrack was blown up and nobody could get out. The Marine Corps is sending more units into Afghanistan though and as the draw down happens in Iraq, the focus is going to shift to Afghanistan again. General Petreaus is running the show at Centcom now and he knows what he's doing so expect some big changes over the next 6 months, especially after the election.

[Achped]

Awesome. We're slated to come back here in 2010, but I really don't see that happening unless something absolutely unexpected happens in either country.

[MarinesFTW]

I have a feeling that they might pull alot of the Army Soldiers out of Iraq... but the Marines will proble end up staying. This is all in my head so dont flame me tbh i want to go when i enlist that way i can live up to my grandfathers name

[Achped]

Negative, the Army will stay in Iraq and do what it is, a large scale occupation force, and the Marines will go to Afghanistan and do what we do, kill bab...bodies!

[AL49BGN]

Happy B-Day brother!Be safe.

[degenerate138]

Nice... if I happen to go 03xx, I'm hoping I'd go to Afghanistan and not Iraq... I don't think I'd like Iraq much.

[MarinesFTW]

Nice... if I happen to go 03xx, I'm hoping I'd go to Afghanistan and not Iraq... I don't think I'd like Iraq much.

Arn't they both hot...? Right now I dont care, ill go and do what im suppose to do and not aruge i guess.

[0231Marine]

Arn't they both hot...? Right now I dont care, ill go and do what im suppose to do and not aruge i guess.

Iraq is much hotter than Afghanistan, especially if you end up in the mountains in Afghanistan. Better pack your cold weather gear!

[HurricaneRJ]

I feel sorry for you Woody. Your going to freeze your ass off!!

Also, I heard that your Bn had a couple incident in where Marines were shot during training, it's a shame that one of them happened to be a squad leader.

Poolees who have an 03xx contract. If a Marine ask you what is a squad leaders primary weapon. It's his squad. Don't forget that, you might be able to skip out on the days daily hazing 16.

[MarinesFTW]

Iraq is much hotter than Afghanistan, especially if you end up in the mountains in Afghanistan. Better pack your cold weather gear!

Ahhh.... make sence thanks for clearing that up

[Achped]

I'm sure its cold in Afghanistan, but its cold as fck in Iraq too! (Actually Im just a ***** from Florida, so I don't really know what cold is) but seriously its freaking cold.

[MarinesFTW]

Ummmm.... 20 degrees outside in no wind and bout 0 in wind is cold i would say.. Minnesota man, it gets cold as f*ck

[bgsuwoody]

Well let me give you some insight on what went on at Mojave Viper and especially the new program designed especially for OEF. We definitely hit the ground running as soon as we got to Camp Wilson at 29 Palms. The second day there we began our first range after a 5 mile hump to get there. It sucked, hot as hell and just a constant dust cloud made by the company. Pretty simple squad assault range, but it was done at night. Our first major use of NVG's on a range in months. However, due to the ND incident (the 1st of 2) discussed by Raymon (which I won't discuss) I did not get to run this range. We then flowed into some basic team/squad MOUT scenarios with a grenade house, some kill houses. I learned a **** load as a team leader here, but my team prevailed on I was constantly praised for my teams abilities under a "boot team leader"

We did a lot of classes on everything from being a forward observer to IED drills. Soon after we went headlong into range 410A and range 400, the major efforts at Mojave Viper. Company and Platoon size assaults and we ran these ranges amazing. First major opportunity to lead and my team and I's evals were quite good. We were the first in a long time to run range 410A at night and it went well. 410 was changed for OEF in that we were mounted in vehicles and 7-tons and were responsible for supression fire and dismount from the vehicles before assaulting the objectives. 400 remained the same...long, miserable, hot. We had limited ammo and water and it provided for a bad day. Our platoon assaulted our objectives and due to the inability of another platoon, we were assigned to assault their objectives as well. This was my first time seeing a APOB and some of the other breeching done by the Combat Engineers.

Oh yeah this was also the morning we found out we were going to Afghanistan instead of Iraq

We went into range 210 for the Deliberate Assault Course on several different occassion. First from AAVs and that was an experience let me tell you. It became a cluster **** quick due to a logistics problem where we were dropped off on the wrong end of the town we were to assault. Still did quite well and our squad just made our own plan and assaulted more objectives than were necessary. It was a quite fun day. Did a basic cordon from 7-tons on the next assault of that range and it went pretty well too.

Then we rolled straight into the Mobile Assault Course. This was a tiring 12 hours spent in the back of a 7-ton. This range began quite pointless as we had some serious problems here. Mostly from higher as they dropped dummy bombs within 100M of their position. We also fired from trucks while they were moving when we were supposed to wait for them to stop...OOPS..our fault! The only thing I got out of this was good training in calling in a bird. I was made to be security for the radio officer on my truck. He however was notionally killed and I was forced to help call in the bird for a CASEVAC in progress. I was told I did exceptionally well for not being trained, but I passed off this responsibility as quickly as I could when I found my platoon sergeant.

The last 7 days were spent in the amazing MOUT village there doing lane training and assaults. Everything from the blood house for treating injuries, to how to respond to fire, to deliberate assault, to meet and greets with Afghans to IED reactions, hostile FOB attacks, etc etc happened here. It was some good training. One night we were sent to set up an OP for the snipers in the town. We ruined all the coyotes morning plans because they did not know we were out there and we watched them as they placed all the IED's, cordoned off the area, and set up snap VCP's It was followed up by a night clearing patrol in the mountains. This was miserable. Worst terrain ever, pure mountains, utter hell. I took a few hella falls and have the scars to prove it. My A-gunner knocked his stupid ass out on a fall for nearly 30 seconds. and my pointman fell down a 10 foot cliff which was unseen by us all. Thank god for no depth perception in NVG's. When we reached the town it was a good time. They threw a party for us and we got to watch a guy eat a live scorpion. Pretty cool. The coyotes told us that we were the first to not only run that range in a long time 4-5 years, but our platoon was the first to finish it since Force Recon in the same time limit. Not bad. The next day we got to do a fly around on the 46's. Pretty fun if you haven't done it before.

I learned a lot, I learned comm is so damn important, I learned that 90% of the time nothing goes as planned. I learned a lot of what its going to take to kick some ass in Afghanistan and keep my men safe. I think I am ready for this **** now. I'm on a 96 now and am going to try to be on for a while if you have questions, but I don't get much time lately and I am going to try whatever I can to help.

[lagrand]

2 quick questions: What do the numbers designate when speaking about the ranges (i.e. 400, 410A, etc.)? Also, what is an APOB? Sounds like some good training LCpl. When is your deployment date?

[thewookie]

Well let me give you some insight on what went on at Mojave Viper and especially the new program designed especially for OEF. We definitely hit the ground running as soon as we got to Camp Wilson at 29 Palms. The second day there we began our first range after a 5 mile hump to get there. It sucked, hot as hell and just a constant dust cloud made by the company. Pretty simple squad assault range, but it was done at night. Our first major use of NVG's on a range in months. However, due to the ND incident (the 1st of 2) discussed by Raymon (which I won't discuss) I did not get to run this range. We then flowed into some basic team/squad MOUT scenarios with a grenade house, some kill houses. I learned a **** load as a team leader here, but my team prevailed on I was constantly praised for my teams abilities under a "boot team leader"

We did a lot of classes on everything from being a forward observer to IED drills. Soon after we went headlong into range 410A and range 400, the major efforts at Mojave Viper. Company and Platoon size assaults and we ran these ranges amazing. First major opportunity to lead and my team and I's evals were quite good. We were the first in a long time to run range 410A at night and it went well. 410 was changed for OEF in that we were mounted in vehicles and 7-tons and were responsible for supression fire and dismount from the vehicles before assaulting the objectives. 400 remained the same...long, miserable, hot. We had limited ammo and water and it provided for a bad day. Our platoon assaulted our objectives and due to the inability of another platoon, we were assigned to assault their objectives as well. This was my first time seeing a APOB and some of the other breeching done by the Combat Engineers.

Oh yeah this was also the morning we found out we were going to Afghanistan instead of Iraq

We went into range 210 for the Deliberate Assault Course on several different occassion. First from AAVs and that was an experience let me tell you. It became a cluster **** quick due to a logistics problem where we were dropped off on the wrong end of the town we were to assault. Still did quite well and our squad just made our own plan and assaulted more objectives than were necessary. It was a quite fun day. Did a basic cordon from 7-tons on the next assault of that range and it went pretty well too.

Then we rolled straight into the Mobile Assault Course. This was a tiring 12 hours spent in the back of a 7-ton. This range began quite pointless as we had some serious problems here. Mostly from higher as they dropped dummy bombs within 100M of their position. We also fired from trucks while they were moving when we were supposed to wait for them to stop...OOPS..our fault! The only thing I got out of this was good training in calling in a bird. I was made to be security for the radio officer on my truck. He however was notionally killed and I was forced to help call in the bird for a CASEVAC in progress. I was told I did exceptionally well for not being trained, but I passed off this responsibility as quickly as I could when I found my platoon sergeant.

The last 7 days were spent in the amazing MOUT village there doing lane training and assaults. Everything from the blood house for treating injuries, to how to respond to fire, to deliberate assault, to meet and greets with Afghans to IED reactions, hostile FOB attacks, etc etc happened here. It was some good training. One night we were sent to set up an OP for the snipers in the town. We ruined all the coyotes morning plans because they did not know we were out there and we watched them as they placed all the IED's, cordoned off the area, and set up snap VCP's It was followed up by a night clearing patrol in the mountains. This was miserable. Worst terrain ever, pure mountains, utter hell. I took a few hella falls and have the scars to prove it. My A-gunner knocked his stupid ass out on a fall for nearly 30 seconds. and my pointman fell down a 10 foot cliff which was unseen by us all. Thank god for no depth perception in NVG's. When we reached the town it was a good time. They threw a party for us and we got to watch a guy eat a live scorpion. Pretty cool. The coyotes told us that we were the first to not only run that range in a long time 4-5 years, but our platoon was the first to finish it since Force Recon in the same time limit. Not bad. The next day we got to do a fly around on the 46's. Pretty fun if you haven't done it before.

I learned a lot, I learned comm is so damn important, I learned that 90% of the time nothing goes as planned. I learned a lot of what its going to take to kick some ass in Afghanistan and keep my men safe. I think I am ready for this **** now. I'm on a 96 now and am going to try to be on for a while if you have questions, but I don't get much time lately and I am going to try whatever I can to help.

I'm just wondering if the Corps has OPSEC anymore?

[bgsuwoody]

Really, I don't think I went over a lot off TTP or otherwise...if everyone thinks I went to far explaining this I am more than willing to erase it. About 99% of this information can be found on a simple search engine search.