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Soldiers with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, conducted assaults in a military operations on urban
terrain training environment, Feb. 5, 2016, aboard Marine Corps
Training Area Bellows, Hawaii.
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Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division move to clear a
building while conducting assaults in a military operations on urban
terrain training environment aboard Marine Corps Training Area
Bellows, Feb. 5, 2016. The purpose of the training, which served as
part of exercise Lightning Forge, a 10-day test of the brigade's
ability to respond at a moment's notice, was to provide the brigade
with an opportunity to test their ability to locate, kill or capture
high valued targets while maneuvering in an urban environment.
Members of the 25th Infantry Division utilized MCTAB due to its
extensive, complex training grounds, which are able to help provide
the soldiers with a realistic, high-speed training environment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas)
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The purpose of the training, which served as part of
exercise Lightning Forge, a 10-day test of the brigade's
ability to respond at a moment's notice, was to provide the
brigade with an opportunity to test their ability to locate,
kill or capture a high valued target while maneuvering in an
urban environment.
“This exercise is important
because we're given the chance to replicate various
battlefield conditions to the best of our ability and train
in those conditions,” said Cpl. Adam Huntoon, a team leader
with 2nd Squadron. “When you have scenarios such as this in
areas like this, it really helps paint a vivid picture,
especially for those who have not yet deployed.”
Huntoon, a Flint, Mich., native, said these exercises help
the soldiers of the 25th Division to ensure their mission
readiness.
“We're preparing to fight anytime,
anyplace,” he said. “It's critical that we maintain and
further enhance our capabilities – and Lightning Forge gives
us the perfect opportunity to do just that. I'm not going to
lie, it can be pretty challenging, especially because we
must constantly readjust to whatever is happening, but
staying motivated, staying focused on the mission helps you
move forward.”
1st Lt. Jared Heslop, a scout platoon
leader with Bravo Troop, said the training definitely
provides tough and realistic training to help maintain the
division's readiness, despite being as far away from the
continental United States as they are.
“Despite being
located away from the mainland, it is key that we maximize
our readiness,” said Heslop, a Hollidaysburg, Pa., native.
“I am grateful that we've gotten the chance to come out and
train aboard MCTAB. It has certainly helped to make this a
better training experience and we're learning a lot out
here. There's no doubt in my mind that this has helped make
me a better leader, it has made my soldiers better and they
continue to gain experience each day.”
Maj. Val Moro,
the ground force commander for 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry
Regiment, 2nd SBCT, 25th Infantry Div., said that Bellows
provides a very complex facility to train and operate in.
“It challenges your ability to amass combat power at any
one decisive point because there is so much ground to
cover,” said Moro, a Lacey, Wash., native. “You really have
to think through the geometry of the city itself, as well as
take you and your enemies' weapons capabilities into
consideration, which adds its fair share of strain on the
timing and planning of the exercise.”
He said MCTAB
is a great training area and he's always glad whenever the
Army has the chance to train aboard the facility.
“I
would like to thank everybody who has helped put this
together and helped us get here, who helped provide us with
a safe, rewarding mission,” Moro said. “I hope all of the
soldiers out here see that all the skills they've learned
and all the hard work they have put in really does pay off
when they get to see it all come together during training
exercises like this. I think that, at the end of the day,
they can look at themselves in the mirror and think, ‘Today,
I earned my pay. I love what I'm doing and I am ready to
defend my country.'”
More photos available below
By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Harley Thomas
Marine Corps News
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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