COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER CAMP FUJI, Japan -- U.S. Marines and sailors with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 participated in Exercise Eagle Wrath 18, providing basic utilities, field mess, medical and religious services to MWSS-171 and Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12. Service members trained to support units in a forward operating environment, familiarizing themselves with equipment and increasing their combat readiness.
The Marines and sailors providing these amenities train to ensure that supporting units have everything they need to fight in every clime and place, while maintaining an expeditionary mindset.
While living in the field, utilities Marines provide some of the most vital assets to any mission. When a clean water source can’t be found, they use a Tactical Water Purification System, or TWPS, to ensure Marines have drinkable water. Besides keeping everyone hydrated, utilities Marines provide other essential assets: floodlights to ensure Marines can safely work at night, air conditioning for medical facilities, generators to provide power for essential functions in the field, showers and laundry facilities to ensure proper hygiene and refrigeration to keep food fresh. During Eagle Wrath, these Marines trained to familiarize themselves with these systems and employed them for use.
While Marines can sustain themselves with Meals, Ready to Eat, or MRE’s, in the field, a freshly cooked meal provides a boost in quality of life for service members living in austere conditions. Food service specialists used an Expeditionary Field Kitchen, or EFK, to cook and serve meals during Exercise Eagle Wrath 18. Using one EFK, food service specialists can serve 750 personnel two hot meals per day. From eggs and pancakes for breakfast to spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, these Marines provide a welcome change from a typical MRE diet.
With Marines spending hours per day in the scorching sun, walking over rugged terrain, and doing all types of manual labor; Navy corpsmen provide a wide range of medical care for the service members. During Exercise Eagle Wrath 18, corpsmen trained to respond to major injuries with simulated casualty drills while providing standard medical facilities for Marines in the field. Corpsmen carry medical gear for injuries that require immediate action, have a safety vehicle prepared for any necessary medical evacuations and operate out of a centrally located medical tent equipped with everything necessary to treat any situation.
“We provide emergency services,” said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nicholas Mcclellan-Gray, an independent duty corpsman for MWSS-171. “We also perform routine care on a daily basis such as sick-call procedures for Marines who get sick in the field.”
Chaplain services provided by the Navy operate everywhere Marines go, with services given regularly. During Exercise Eagle Wrath 18, the chaplain conducted Sunday services and daily Bible studies. Religious program specialists go with the chaplain everywhere. These sailors train to protect the chaplain in any situation, and are a fundamental asset to chaplains.
“Our mission in the field is to provide religious ministry to every person of every faith background,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Andrew Forester, a chaplain with MWSS-171.
All these amenities make life as comfortable as possible for Marines. Throughout Exercise Eagle Wrath 18, utilities Marines, food services Marines, corpsmen, and chaplains ensured that Marines were taken care of and the mission was accomplished while training to be better prepared for combat.