United States Marines are some of the most capable individuals in the United States armed forces. Their specialized training seeks to prepare them for every possible scenario on the battlefield, and they are often called upon to handle some of the most challenging situations.
Their expertise and teamwork were on full display during a training exercise at a facility in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where they conducted an impressive urban assault live drill.
Check out the Marines in action in the video below:
“The scenario is that there was an enemy force, specifically three squads spread throughout the town, and our mission was to clear the town of all insurgents and to retain it with a defensive sector for a period of two days,” explained company commander Capt. Kevin Jones.
The exercise, conducted by 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, called for a number of squads to work separately but simultaneously on different objectives throughout the town in order to successfully complete the overall mission.
U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conduct an urban assault during Integrated Training Exercise 2-16 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (USA Patriotism!/YouTube)
“Clearing it down to the squad-level tactics is extremely important,” Jones said in the video. Each squad must not only achieve their own objectives, but ensure that the bigger mission with the other squads also gets conducted properly.
“Recon the objective, isolate, gain a foothold and then seize the objective – and that applies to the big picture platoon, and down to the squads,” Jones explains.
U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conduct an urban assault during Integrated Training Exercise 2-16 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (USA Patriotism!/YouTube)
The exercise was a multi-level mission that required countless rooms in dozens of buildings to be raided and secured. Jones said that the teams needed to “take it one building at a time using the different squads to isolate other objectives with heavy suppression before the assault team goes in – just take it one building at a time.”
U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conduct an urban assault during Integrated Training Exercise 2-16 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (USA Patriotism!/YouTube)
While the standards are always high for the Marines, Jones said that he was extremely pleased with how the platoon conducted the exercise.
“I’ll be honest – and I know everyone says this about the Marines – but I was extremely impressed and proud with how the Marines did,” Jones said. “We always say, ‘shoot, move, communicate,’ and Lima company can definitely shoot and move. Sure we need to work on communication, but we are a better company by learning basic urban tactics and how to apply the process down to the squad level.”
