POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii -- Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii is located 6,000 feet above sea level with hills
overlaid in sharp, jagged lava rock. This is where Hawaii-based Marines go for
Exercise Lava Viper, a building block in Hawaii-based Marines’ pre-deployment
training.
The “Island Warriors” conducted live-fire exercises on
the offense and defense Nov. 6 through 8, at Range 10, in support of Exercise
Lava Viper. 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment has been training in preparation
for Integrated Training Exercise in Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine
Palms, Calif., where the battalion gets evaluated as a whole.
“In the infantry we have to hit certain training
standards to be fully trained and able to deploy,” said 1st Lt. Oliver
Noteware, Fox Company executive officer of 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines. “PTA is a
great place to conduct this training because on our home island of Oahu we are
severely restricted when conducting (platoon-level) attacks.”
Lava Viper allows the battalion to practice their
logistical movement as well as tactical training. Headquarters and Service
Company within the battalion is critical, Notewear said. Each shop is crucial
to ensure the training runs properly. The Marines of Fox Company are
approaching the end of Lava Viper, and have improved their skills and are developing
well together, Noteware said.
“Morale is very high,” Noteware said. “Fox Company is
doing well as we progress between each of the stages of this training. The
(Marines) get more and more excited because they are doing bigger operations,
with more assets. This is one of the only times that (Fox Company) will spend
in the field together as a company, out in the elements, just us — so it leads
to a lot of unit cohesion.”
The better the Marines get to know each other the better
they will work together as a unit, he said. While training at the Platoon
Battle Course, Range 10, the Marines conducted live-fire simulated operations
against the “North Shillian Forces.” They have also been engaging in
platoon-sized attacks on the offense and defense.
While on the offense, Marines surged towards their
objective. Each squad had a different purpose, whether they were machine
gunners, assaultmen, riflemen or engineers, they all had a specific job that
was paramount in the completion of the mission. While on the defense, the
Marines held their position and suppressed heavy fire to force the “enemy” to
retreat.
The “North Shillians” counterattacked with grenades of
tear gas — forcing the Marines to properly use their M50 gas masks and stay in
the fight against the enemy forces. The tear gas helped the Marines utilize
their gas masks in case they were ever put into a situation where a nerve agent
was used in a real combat situation. The Marines have come along and are
working well as a unit, said 1st Sgt. Jody Armentrout, Fox’s company first
sergeant.
“Fox is always motivated,” Armentrout said. “The Marines
are strong and are showing a lot of improvement. We are all proud to be a part
of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.”