MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marines with Scouts Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, increased their tactical proficiency and mission readiness by conducting a scouts’ patrolling exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Dec. 15, 2015.
The platoon split into two separate patrol teams to conduct force-on-force drills which allowed them to focus on building their reconnaissance skills.
The Scout platoon is dismounted infantrymen who go forward to provide reconnaissance for the LAR vehicles.
“Scouts’ primary mission is to dismount light-armored vehicles and push into areas of interest to observe and report,” said Staff Sgt. Stephen Lawson, a chief scout with 2nd LAR.
First the scouts established patrol bases as a notional headquarters, which served as the starting point for the patrols.
“This is important because we are the forward reconnaissance for 2nd LAR; we are painting the battlefield for any units behind us,” said Cpl. Steven Hill, a squad leader with the unit.
Chief scouts evaluated the performance of the platoons based on their preparation for combat, observation techniques, and their immediate action tactics when faced with enemy contact.
“The training is going very well,” Lawson said. “Upon wrapping up the evaluations, there has been mastery across the board between the two platoons.”
Although the unit recently returned from a deployment with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the underlying goal of the training was to prepare for any future deployments or missions that may come their way in the future.