MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Approximately 65 Marines with Combat Logistics Company 36 returned here from Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, July 22 upon completion of Exercise Dragon Fire 2010.
Exercise Dragon Fire, a 10-day exercise designed to refamiliarize Marines with weapon systems, convoy operations, military operations in urban terrain, land navigation and patrolling, took place at the base of Japan’s largest and most prominent mountain Mount Fuji.
According to CLC-36 Commanding Officer Maj. Dustin Thorn, the purpose of the exercise was to increase the unit’s ability to function in a combat environment, build esprit de corps and facilitate engaged small-unit leadership.
To build confidence in weapons handling and intermediate marksmanship skills, the Marines practiced throwing M-67 fragmentation hand grenades and fired the M-16A2 service rifle, vehicle-mounted M-2 .50 caliber machine gun, M-203 grenade launcher, M-249 squad automatic weapon, and M-240G medium machine gun.
Overall, more than 44,700 rounds were fired during the exercise.
The Marines also practiced patrolling. Squads patrolled from the grenade range to the armory of Camp Fuji, performing several maneuvers such as patrol formations and contact responses.
“(The junior Marines) were put in positions of fire team leaders and such where they had other Marines under their control, and I think a lot of the E-3 and below that are getting ready to pick up (rank) gained a lot of experience dealing with that type of situation,” said Lance Cpl. Martin Prado, motor-transportation mechanic with CLC-36. “When I do get thrown into that situation of having control over other Marines, I’ll have a little bit of experience. I think it helped out a lot. You see a different angle of it, the bigger picture."
Daytime and nighttime land navigation events were executed to allow the Marines to apply the fundamentals of azimuth orientations and to navigate through terrain with low-light visibility.
New to this year’s training evolution was convoy operations and military operations in urban terrain training.
“The convoy operations were most beneficial for the Marines,” said Thorn. “They are the deadliest events in theatre, so it’s important they get that training.”
During convoy operations, Marines simulated improvised explosive device counter measures to prepare for real-life combat scenarios. T
hey performed immediate actions drills as well as vehicle recovery. When a vehicle is struck by an IED, Marines first have to determine if the vehicle is mobile and able to drive out of the kill zone. If it isn’t, they then have to decide if it should be recovered or abandoned.
In executing a vehicle recovery, they practiced hauling the vehicle out of the zone, repairing it and assisting the corpsman with treating casualties.
“We learned to recover a vehicle in two to three minutes,” said Prado.
The Marines focused on squad-versussquad aggression and urban environment familiarization during the MOUT training, which was designed to improve urban warfare skills.
“The scenarios were all played out by sergeants and staff (noncommissioned officers) who have been deployed, and we used real-life scenarios,” said Sgt. William H. Smith, motor-transportation maintenance chief who has deployed to Iraq three times. “We used (our experiences) to kind of gear the Marines toward (the scenario) as far as going in the buildings, but the training in general was very much real-life scenarios.”
After completing the training, Smith says he feels more confident in his abilities and the abilities of his Marines to succeed in a combat environment.
The MOUT training proved to be the most realistic training of the exercise.
The Marines brought a lot of new skills back with them in addition to improving old skills.
“I think the biggest thing (the Marines) took away from it was every Marine is not just their (military occupational specialty),” said Smith.
“They don't just turn wrenches or work in a warehouse. They have to stick to the fundamentals of being a rifleman, being able to move and maneuver with a 240 and .50 cal and assist a corpsman if we have casualties on the deck.”
The Marines were given liberty in Tokyo to wrap up the training sequence and completed a 3,776-meter ascent to the top of Mount Fuji the following day.
“We had the day off to go to Tokyo but Fuji itself, to me, was a lot better and more rewarding because you had to work for it. It wasn’t like something just given to you,” said Smith. “It was definitely rewarding on a personal level and seeing all the Marines make it up there together was even more rewarding.”
This was the first training exercise Thorn led as the new commanding officer of CLC-36.
“To see the Marines get out there, they're a very tight-knit group with a lot of camaraderie,” said Thorn. “To see that at that level is exhilarating.
“They’ll expand on everything they got out there,” Thorn added. “The small-unit leadership goes down to the lowest level. I saw a lot of NCOs step up. I’d like to see that trickle down to the lance corporals and even (private first classes). They will take from their NCOs the things they saw and emulate that in day-to-day operations.”
The exercise prepared the Marines for combat, ensuring their confidence in their abilities and the abilities of their fellow Marines.