Marine Corps Base Hawaii --
Marines with Bravo Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion,
joined members of the Underwater Demolition Group with Singapore’s Naval Diving
Unit, to exchange dive tactics and training Feb. 27, 2015 in one of the School of
Infantry-West classrooms in building 223 aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
The training was part of Exercise Sandfisher, an annual
exercise that provides hands-on experience for Okinawa-based Marines
specializing in combatant diving; small-boat operations; underwater navigation;
high-altitude, high-opening parachuting and ground reconnaissance tactics. This
year, the exercise also provided an opportunity for the Marines to conduct
bilateral training with Singapore’s Navy.
“We’ve been showing (the NDU) our capabilities,
limitations and planning process to give them a general overview of how
reconnaissance Marines operate,” said Capt. Richard Laszok, the Bravo Co. commander
with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. “We showed them what we could bring to the table in any
future partnership during exercises or partnered operations.”
Laszok said the focus of the exchange was to look at the
tactics, techniques, planning and procedures of each group. He said exercises
such as these support a portion of the U.S. Pacific Command commander’s
campaign to maintain friendly relationships with other nations within the PACOM
area of responsibility.
“Every Marine who participated got something out of this
and it has certainly increased our reconnaissance proficiency,” Laszok said.
“This exercise gave us an opportunity to work closely with our counterparts and
it’s important we do, (so we may further) foster our partnership with
Singapore’s military and better understand what they’re capable of.”
Maj. Gen. James S. Hartsell, the mobilization assistant
to the PACOM commander, said there is a great relationship between the two
nations’ militaries because of the work the U.S. has done with Singapore over
the years.
“Sharing our knowledge and tactics like this only betters
our relationship with Singapore,” Hartsell said. “This partnership improves
because we now know more about each other. We understand them more, and they
better understand us. Coming together like this improves our communication and,
in turn, our ability to execute together.”
Hartsell said the 3rd Recon. Marines might work with the
NDU in the future, so it’s important to have the opportunity to sit down,
face-to-face, in order to share their tactics and techniques, increasing the
proficiency of both units.
“It’s great for our Marines to see what other military
services do,” Hartsell said. “Members with the NDU show us what they go through
for their specific diving or reconnaissance skill sets, and we get to see the
similarities. Our Marines get to see Singapore’s proficiency and quality of the
dive unit, and know they are like that because of their training. It validates
what our Marines have been through to get to where they are today.”
Hartsell said as soon as he heard Singapore was training
with the U.S., he wanted to physically come out and show them how important
they are as a partner. He said he wanted to show support for members of
Singapore’s NDU and reconnaissance Marines, and each unit benefited from the
exchange.
“The U.S. is a very valuable partner to us, not only for
the NDU, but for the Singapore armed forces as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Francis
Goh, the commanding officer for the UDG. “We’re always happy to share our real
world experience and learn from each other. By reaching out, we are able to
keep ourselves relevant and maintain our ability to build a competent and
professional military force.”
Goh said because today’s world is so interconnected, it
is important to maintain these ties so, when they need to call upon a friend
for help, they have links they are able to utilize.
“This exercise allowed us to continue to build
interoperability between the two countries and, at the same time, maintain the
kind of relationship that is important in today’s world,” Goh said. “I just
want to thank the Marines, and I appreciate all the help they have given us.
They have really helped my divers but, while my members did do a good job, they
need to remember to stay sharp and stay open so they may continue to learn. I
hope this relationship between the U.S. and Singapore will continue, (with)
this trust and understanding, where we can learn and share openly as we move
toward the future.”