Photo Information

Assault amphibious vehicles sit silently on Onslow Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 8, 2015. A platoon of AAVs, filled with a company of infantry Marines from Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, embarked on the USS Wasp off the coast of Onslow Beach to prepare for the next day’s mechanized infantry assault. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Justin T. Updegraff/ Released)

Photo by Cpl. Justin Updegraff

Mechanized integration: 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion conducts mechanized infantry assault

14 Apr 2015 | Cpl. Justin Updegraff The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website

Marines with Charlie Company, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment came together to conduct a mechanized infantry assault from USS Wasp off the coast of North Carolina to Onslow Beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina April 8-9, 2015.

“Assault Amphibious Vehicles are what allow the Marine Corps to meet the amphibious assault mission,” said 1st Lt. Jeffrey P. Horwitz, a platoon commander with Charlie Co., 2nd AA Bn. “That is the bread and butter of what Marines do. That’s what makes us different from every other branch; the ability to put ground troops from ship to the shore safely and follow on to other objectives.”

A platoon size element of AAV’s splashed off the beach hauling a company of infantry Marines from 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines. The Marines embarked on the USS Wasp and began to prep for the following morning, where they conducted a beach assault and continued to a follow on objective inland.

“[2nd Bn., 2nd Marines] was brought along on this training evolution primarily to give them AAV familiarization,” Horwitz said. “The reason why that’s important right now is because a lot of the Marines in today’s Marine Corps don’t have that skill set, nor the relationship. This training allowed us to get back to the amphibious roots of doing those beach assaults.”

Having both units working together allowed them to figure out what works and what doesn’t work. The Marines worked on tactics, techniques and procedures to see what works best when conducting a mechanized infantry assault.

“The training is very significant,” said Sgt. Joshua Geswell, an assistant section leader with Charlie Co., 2nd AA Bn. “We don’t really get to do that much out here, that’s more Marine Expeditionary Unit operations. But starting on the ship then making our way inland is a very big step for all these guys.” 

Geswell said that for being the first operation with this platoon and the first time they have conducted a mechanized infantry assault, it was one of the smoothest ops he has been on.