Pendleton unit switches future mission from MEU to OIF
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, calif. (May 11, 2007) -- West Pacific deployments typically consist of humanitarian assistance efforts in places such as Australia, Guam and Indonesia. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division is no longer slated to enjoy these stops now that their original assignment serving as the Battalion Landing Team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit has been redirected as a combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/3E7FC0DC06AFAD02852572E40065405D?opendocument
May 11, 2007; Submitted on: 05/23/2007 02:25:56 PM ; Story ID#: 2007523142556
By Lance Cpl. Jerry Murphy, MCB Camp Pendleton
Stu Segall Productions provided real-life scenarios to Marines of Company L and Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Bn., 5th Marines, which they will face while deployed to Iraq, during a training evolution May 7-11.
“Going from deploying with the 31st MEU to OIF threw off some of our young Marines who haven’t been deployed yet,” said Sgt. Luis A. Macias, squad leader, Company L. “But we have great leaders who’ve experienced combat to help guide those new Marines and make sure they know what is necessary for Iraq.”
3rd Bn., 5th Marines, recently returned from training at Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, Calif. and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. to prepare for their deployment with the Okinawa-based 31st MEU, but it was passed down from Headquarters Marine Corps that the battalion would instead be deploying to Iraq.
“We were caught off-guard a little but are confident we know what we’re doing, and we will get the job done,” said Macias, a 29-year-old from Panama City. “No matter what our mission is, the Darkhorse is always ready.”
The training schedule was revamped by special operations training groups in order for the battalion to receive the proper training for OIF.
“This is the best training you can get before deploying,” said Lance Cpl. Justin W. Lillywhite, squad leader, Company L. “It gives you a chance to experience what a real IED is and what insurgents in Iraq will do.”
This training is different from deploying with a MEU because its mission can change constantly, meaning the Marines will not always know where they will be going or what they will be doing, said Staff Sgt. Narciso C. Aleman, platoon sergeant, Company L.
Deploying with OIF, the battalion knows exactly where it is going and what their mission is, which makes for a more typical training schedule, Aleman said.
There are four training blocks that are required in order for Marines to deploy:
Block one involves elementary skills as basic marksmanship training, common combat skills, swim qualifications and physical fitness tests. Block two delves further into marksmanship training, IED recognition, motorized operations and precombat actions.
Training block three is designated for non-OIF units, and block four consists of Mojave Viper, Stu Segall’s training and other various exercises used to portray combat environments.
“When it comes to combat readiness, there isn’t a more-prepared unit in the Marine Corps than 3/5,” said 21-year old Lillywhite, originally from Aztec, N.M. “The Corps can tell us we’re deploying tomorrow, and we’ll be ready.”