|
The fumes of diesel and oil surrounded Marines as they sat
in the small, dimly lit hull of an Assault Amphibious
Vehicle. The massive gate to the USS Essex's (LHD 2) well
deck slowly lowered, disappearing under the surface of the
water. The AAV-7 jolted forward as the driver increased the
speed as the end of the ramp approached. The Marines felt a
brief instant of weightlessness as the AAV-7 drove off the
ramp into the Pacific. The jets engaged and propelled the
AAV-7 through the waves as it piloted toward the shore.
The Marines of Company A, 3rd Assault Amphibian
Battalion, 1st Marine Division, began their pre-deployment
Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) at Camp
Pendleton, Feb. 24, 2016, by launching an amphibious assault
from the USS Essex. A MCCRE is a training evolution in which
a unit is evaluated on their readiness and ability to
perform tasks required by the unit's mission essential task
list.
February 23, 2016 - A U.S.
Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) breaks through the fog
to arrive at the well deck of the USS Essex (LHD 2) off the coast of
Camp Pendleton. It along with other AAVs were involved with a beach assault
that was part of the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation
(MCCRE) of Company A, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Timothy Valero) |
In preparation for the MCCRE, Co. A rehearsed operations at
the individual vehicle level. They practiced mechanical
failure drills, water infiltration drills and disabled
vehicle recovery maneuvers. They built upon their training
by conducting drills with the entire company and moving from
the calm waters of their basin at Camp Pendleton to the surf
of the beach.
“The company started by conducting
training in the boat basin at the small unit level, which
built up to the platoon level training in the ocean and
eventually company level operations and movements,” said
Master Sgt. Shawn Souders, the operations chief with Co. A,
3rd AA Bn.
Marines were provided with a realistic
training atmosphere with support from the Essex and Assault
Craft Unit 5 of Expeditionary Strike Group 3. The
opportunity allowed the Marines to become familiar with the
challenges of ship debarkation and amphibious landing.
“U.S. Navy 3rd Fleet played a vital role in the entire
evaluation,” said Souders, from Chester, Pennsylvania.
“[Company A] supported us with the USS Essex and [Landing
Craft Air Cushions]. Everything we did – from amphibious
planning, to the debarkation of our vehicles and going
ashore, and landing on two separate beaches – was
incredible. We could not have done it without the support of
3rd Fleet.”
The AAV-7s launched from the Essex. Once
ashore, the Marines were faced with a series of challenges
which tested their skills and performance in fast-paced,
high-stress situations. The Marines were evaluated on how
they handled each situation.
“The Marines could
expect to be evaluated on how a [simulated] casualty is
assessed, reported and transported to medical, as well as
the evacuation of the crew and recovery of a vehicle after
it had been disabled by a simulated improvised explosive
device,” said Souders.
Between evaluations, Marines
received a class from Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah Wilcox, a crew
chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, on the limitations and configurations of the
CH-53E Super Stallion. They also learned how to refuel
AAV-7s from an aircraft. This was a unique experience for
the Marines, as refueling an AAV-7 from an aircraft is not a
typical skill taught to most AAV companies.
“It was
something we wanted our Marines to know how to do in the
event they are presented with a situation where they need to
be refueled,” said Souders. “They now understand there are
refueling capabilities when conventional refueling
procedures are unavailable.”
After the week-long
crucible of scenario-based training, Co. A returned with new
and refined knowledge that will aid them in their upcoming
deployment to Okinawa, Japan.
“We conducted
everything the same as if this was a real mission,” said
Cpl. Eric Galcik, a crew chief with 2nd platoon, Co. A, 3rd
AA Bn who is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “After seeing
how we sit in the defense and how we debarked from the ship
together, we looked absolutely fantastic.”
The
Marines will continue to build on the lessons learned from
the evaluation. With their deployment date growing closer,
the Marines utilize the remaining time to further hone their
skills, and while their mission may be uncertain, the
Marines of Co. A, 3rd AA Bn. are prepared to answer the
call.
More photos available below
By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Timothy Valero
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
|
Comment on this article |
