MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment honed their individual and
collective infantry skills during a battalion field exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina, Dec. 7 – Dec. 11.
The purpose of the exercise was to
enhance proficiency at the fire team and squad level, and prepare the battalion
for their upcoming training evolution during Talon Exercise at Marine Corps Air
Station Yuma, Arizona.
“Our battalion is in a transition phase where a
lot of our Marines are leaving,” said Capt. Jonathan Lucas, the company
commander of India Company. “This is about building readiness for these new
Marines that we are receiving.”
Talon Ex is an exercise held in the
grueling terrain of the desert, specifically for the infantry, that focuses on
air assault operations like helicopter raids, and groundside unit operations
like patrolling and ambushes. It runs concurrently with the Weapons Tactics
Instructor Course.
Rifle companies primarily reinforced tactics and
techniques such as patrols, buddy rushes and immediate action drills - skills
that are at the very core of a Marine infantryman. Elsewhere, weapons-specific
platoons honed their skills with the .50 caliber machine gun and M-41 Saber
missile launcher
“Exercises like today are excellent for readiness,” said
Lance Cpl. Dylan T. Burel, a section leader with India Co. “It takes us back to
the basics of what the infantry operates on and brings our newest Marines up to
speed on where we need them to be in this battalion.”
According to Lucas,
the exercise not only engages the infantry, but the support elements such as the
combat operations center, communications and logistics.
“Having these
companies out here at the same time but doing different things enhances the
command and control for the battalion and the lateral communications between the
companies,” Lucas said. “We’ve seen the battalion get into a rhythm for all of
those things this past week.”
Achieving and maintaining an exemplary
level of capability is important; it means Marines can accomplish the mission
even when they are not alongside those they normally train with, according to
Burel.
“This training establishes a base line for the battalion to
operate on when it later gets temporarily reorganized,” Burel said. “If there is
interchanging within the companies, we are all still prepared to operate on the
base line of where an infantry battalion should be.”
With their
foundation on infantry tactics made stronger, leaders feel confident about their
Marines’ ability to meet the upcoming challenges of Talon Ex.
“Brilliance
in the basics, and shooting moving and communicating are essential,” Lucas said.
“If our squads can execute their tasks well, we will be successful.”