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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – The ability to do
every aspect of one's job is a necessity in the Marine Corps. The
lives of others depend on it. They must be both technically and
tactically proficient, and physically and mentally ready for
anything: willing to risk life and limb to complete missions.
To ensure their readiness, Marines with Battery Q, 5th
Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, conducted their first quarantine
combat skills and endurance challenge on Marine Corps Base Camp
Pendleton Feb. 5, 2016. The challenge consisted of hiking nearly
seven miles, testing weapons systems and combat lifesaving skills,
land navigation, and simulated casualty evacuation.
“The
challenges presented to our Marines for this exercise are not things
that we do on a day-to-day basis,” said 1st Lt. Chad Wheeley, the
operations officer for Bty. Q, 5/11. “These are situations that our
Marines could face in actual combat. That's what makes this type of
training so important.”
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Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Eric Mathews, a launcher crewman, provides security for a simulated casualty during a combat endurance challenge February 5, 2016. The challenge consisted of hiking nearly seven miles, testing weapons systems, combat lifesaving skills, land navigation and simulated casualty evacuation. The Marines with Battery Q, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment conducted the training aboard MCB Camp Pendleton. (Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss)
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The challenge began with Marines being split into six
groups. Each group had to reach five objective points using
land navigation skills.
“I didn't know what to
expect when we started out,” said Sgt. Jonathan GonzalezCruz, a launcher crewman with Bty. Q, 5/11.
“One minute we were doing functions tests on weapons
systems, the next we were transporting a simulated casualty
over a mile of rugged terrain. It was crazy, but it was
worth it.”
The stations were randomly set up and each
objective provided a challenge for the Marines. One station
was a weapon functions test, where Marines disassembled and
reassembled weapons. If any member of the team made a
mistake, they were all penalized with rigorous physical
exercises, such as buddy carries, mountain climbers and
burpees, all while in full combat gear.
Another
station tested the Marines' combat lifesaving skills, such
as applying tourniquets and how to treat a sucking chest
wound. Teams were then required to carry a simulated
casualty nearly a mile in rugged terrain.
Completing
the challenge wasn't the only accomplishment the Marines of
Bty. Q took home that day. The winning team won a plaque
with their names engraved on it and unlimited bragging
rights. Although the Marines had fun with the competition,
each of them knew what was at stake: The Marine to their
left and right.
“Today was a great experience,” said
Cpl. Alexander Ocken, a launcher chief with Bty. Q, 5/11.
“But at the end of the day, those were some very real-life
scenarios that each of us could be facing someday. I think
that's the most important thing to takeaway from this.”
After the course was complete, Marines crossed the
finish line weary, but accomplished. They had seized the
day, but many more challenges lie ahead. Training never ends
for the Marines of 5/11.
Training like this endurance
challenge gives Marines the tools to gain new techniques in
an ever-shifting battlefield. Regardless of the location or
condition, today's Marines are ready to face the challenge
head on.
By U.S. Marine Corps Pvt. Robert Bliss
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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