MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. --
“C-130 rollin' down the strip, task force Marines gonna take a little trip! Mission
top-secret, destination unknown! Don't even know when we're comin' home! Stand
up, buckle up, shuffle to the door, jump right out and shout Marine Corps!”
More
than 400 Marines and sailors with the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task
Force yelled motivation as they sported boots and utilities during a three-mile
cadence run, Oct. 17, 2014.
Leaders
within the companies shouted cadence as Col. Matthew G. St. Clair, commanding
officer, GCEITF, and Sgt. Maj. Robin Fortner, sergeant major, GCEITF, led the
task force from start to end.
At the conclusion of the run, the
unit conducted cool-down stretches and exercises, and welcomed their newly
joined Marines and sailors, building an indomitable fighting spirit that will
keep the task force running strong throughout their training evolution.
From
October 2014 to July 2015, the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force will
conduct individual and collective skills training in designated combat arms
occupational specialties in order to facilitate the standards based assessment
of the physical performance of Marines in a simulated operating environment
performing specific ground combat arms tasks.