2/7 Assaults An Entrenched Enemy Position
(February 9, 2011) |
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February 4, 2011 -- Since the dawn of warfare,
attacking forces have had to oust entrenched
defenders, a practice which will continue until
the end of war.
The Marines and sailors
of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine
Regiment, performed three, platoon-sized
exercises against entrenched positions with
machine gun support at the Combat Center's Lead
Mountain Saturday.
“We are going against
a fortified unknown enemy position,” said 1st
Lt. Paul Mayhugh, the 2nd platoon commander for
Company G, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. “We will be |
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Marines with 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, lay covering fire for their assault squad on an entrenched enemy position at Lead Mountain Jan. 29, 2011.
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moving from our assembly area, and moving up
into the attack position and establishing our
support by fire positions.” |
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To improve the effectiveness of the exercises, each platoon
was given critiques after each attack. “Our company
commander will be going down range with each platoon,
evaluating them,” Mayhugh said.
“It is sort of
difficult for a platoon commander to evaluate how his
platoon is performing because he is so focused on the
attack. Ultimately having those outside eyes, from the
company commander giving us those learning points, is the
most effective way to evaluate these guys today.”
As
Capt. Marcelo Castro, the commanding officer of Company G,
2nd Bn., 7th Marines, watched each platoon execute the
attack on the entrenched position with an eye for different
skills.
“At the individual level we are looking at
the fundamentals of marksmanship and their comfort level
with the ability to shoot with their buddies to their right
and left,” Castro said. “At the platoon commander level we
are talking about lapping those fires, the ability to
communicate, and command and control not only his platoon
but his platoon augmented with machine gunners.”
All
of the Marines stressed the importance of the small unit
leadership and why it is important in a fight.
“Ultimately, things are not going to go the way we practice
and it is not going to go how it was briefed,” said Mayhugh,
a Lancaster, Pa. Things are going to change, so as long as
the leaders understand the order they will have the ability
to make the decisions at the small unit level and accomplish
the mission.”
The leaders added how Marines need a
broad idea of what their objective is.
“The platoon
commander gives the order and paints the picture of how we
are going to attack our enemy or for how they are possibly
set up,” said Staff Sgt. Jose Cueva, platoon sergeant for
1st platoon, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. “They are not
going out there and fighting the unknown. They have some
sort of idea of what's expected and what's going to happen
to them.”
As the training finishes the Marines and
sailors know that the information they learned that day will
be used in the not too distant future.
“Our future
mission is being a mechanized company for the 31st (Marine
Expeditionary Unit) it bottom line dictates that we continue
to do exercises like this for once we dismount the
(Amphibious Assault Vehicle's) we close with the enemy,”
Castro said. This is exactly what we are going to be doing
and Twentynine Palms provides this type of environment.” |
Article and photo by USMC LCpl. Andrew Thorburn
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms
Copyright 2011 | |
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