CAAT and Snipers conduct live-fire training at Fuji
COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER CAMP FUJI, Japan (Aug. 31, 2006) -- When heavy fire power is needed quickly, combined anti-armor teams are the ones who are called to action. The CAAT provides heavy fire power at a moment’s notice in the heat of battle. Two combined anti-armor teams and a sniper element with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team, spent a day conducting various live-fire exercises here Aug. 31.
http://192.156.19.109/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/78DD8C486FC17511852571E100207B72?opendocument
Aug. 31, 2006
Story ID#: 20069615447
By Lance Cpl. Kevin Knallay, 31st MEU
“Our goal was to sharpen our immediate action drills, heavy machinegun skills and target suppression,” said 1st Lt. Juan R. Plascencia, a CAAT platoon commander.
A CAAT is a mobile assault team consisting of humvees mounted with weapons such as M2 .50-caliber machineguns, M240G medium machineguns and tube launched optically tracked wire guided (TOW) missiles according to Sgt. Freddie Cavasos, a CAAT section leader. The team’s purpose is to be a very mobile unit with a large amount of firepower to counter threats from enemy armored personnel and vehicles.
Through the exercise, the team fired their machineguns while mounted on humvees while the sniper element employed their M40A3 sniper rifles and M82A3 .50-caliber special application scoped rifles.
“Working with the snipers was a new learning experience for us,” Plascencia said. “The training exercise was more productive because their involvement allowed us to participate in more scenarios.”
During one scenario, snipers would find targets and request permission to fire upon them; however, the snipers were not allowed to engage their targets until a CAAT team was in place for support to provide suppressive fire. Once the simulated engagement was finished, the Marines were extracted out of the site.
As the teams progressed through the scenarios and provided suppressive fire with crew-served weapons, the training became more difficult as they engaged undersized targets. This allowed the Marines to improve their accuracy throughout the course, explained Staff Sgt. Robert A. Chute, the platoon sergeant of CAAT-1.
“The smaller targets at this range work for our benefit,” said Chute. “We need to be precise and accurate in firing. It’s essential for us to function properly and do what needs to be done. It may be frustrating for some of the gunners, but it makes them try harder.”
Great effort was put into teamwork during the scenarios, which allowed personnel to improve unit cohesion.
“Small unit leadership really shines during training like this,” Cavasos added. “Guns are going off and everyone is screaming, but it’s the leaders that control the confusion and get the task done quickly.”
“There is a great burden of responsibility lying on the shoulders of these Marines and sailors to support the line companies with heavy firepower,” Cavasos said. “Whether if they are old blood or new blood, the training was helpful for preparing the entire platoon for whatever mission they get handed.”
Marines and sailors of the BLT, arrived to Camp Fuji, Japan Aug. 23, to conduct training for heavy weapons, maneuvering and tactics until Sept. 14 when they are scheduled to return to Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.