Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune -- As he negotiated terms on how to help a village doctor take care of a civilian casualty, Cpl. Willis Shifflett, a squad leader with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, remained vigilant of an ambush by local insurgents. Although this was a training event, Shifflett and the Marines in 2nd CEB know it could eventually be real.
Realistic training was the goal when Marines with 2nd CEB participated in the Infantry Immersion Trainer at Camp Lejeune, Oct. 9, 2015.
The Infantry Immersion Trainer puts Marines in an environment that simulates a deployment. The participants of the training were tasked with conducting a cache sweep of a simulated West African village while interacting with native civilians, engaging with enemy combatants and identifying mines and improvised explosive devices.
“This training is really just to build small unit leaders and build their experience and their confidence,” said 1st Lt. Ian Simpson, a platoon commander with the battalion. “It gives them a chance to run the show for a second and experience what it’s like to make decisions in a stressful environment.”
While in the IIT, Marines conduct missions they are assigned, such as counterinsurgency operations and clearing an area allowing reinforcements to come through, while over 175 cameras record their every move.
After the missions are completed, Marines watch a playback of the training and take constructive criticism from their leadership.
“You’ll have a Pfc. or a Lance Cpl. who isn’t paying attention, or thinks he’s doing the right thing when he’s not,” Simpson said. “When you go back and watch it on video, you can speak to those points and show the Marines ways they can improve themselves.”
The Marines with the battalion try to run a simulated combat deployment training exercise frequently so they can adjust their skills and exceed the standards of readiness set by the Marine Corps, Shifflett said.
The IIT prepares Marines for some of the unexpected things that may happen while deployed in foreign countries.
This type of training is important because you have to interact with the role-players and understand there are more than just combatants to consider when a in a real-life deployment situation, according to Simpson.
Simpson also said that in addition to preparing Marines to act in a deployed environment, training in the ITT helps Marines with 2nd CEB build unit camaraderie and correct mistakes that could ultimately be the deciding factor between life and death.