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2/3 Marines become cold-weather warriors

USMC News

Story Identification Number: 2003324202429
Story by Sgt. Nathan Laforte

HOKKAIDO, Japan(March 25, 2003) -- Capt. Jason Perry is familiar with snow. Growing up as a kid he built snowmen from the small amounts that would fall during the winter months in his hometown of Flat Rock, N.C.

However, Perry recently saw enough snow here to build a snowman for everyone in his hometown, approximately some 2,653 people--and then some.

Perry, company commander, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division and his Marines recently wrapped up the second edition of exercise Forest Light 03 with a closing ceremony accompanied by the Japan Ground Self Defense Force's 25th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division, Northern Army.

The exercise was one segment of a two-part, semi-annual, bilateral training exercise with the JGSDF that focuses on the interoperability of U.S. and Japanese forces in a combat environment. The other segment of the exercise took place during Oct. 2002.

The level of interoperability and cooperation between forces reached new heights during the exercise, according to Perry.

"The most positive thing overall about the exercise is just seeing the camaraderie between the Marines and the JGSDF troops," the North Carolina, native remarked. "Individual Marines and Japanese soldiers have really gotten along well. They have interacted more than any other bilateral exercise I've ever done.

"The 25th Regiment is one of the top units with the Japanese Northern Army," Perry stated. "They are very detailed planners and they think of things down to the smallest details. Their skiing skills are incredible especially when compared to ours."

Aside from simply learning how to ski, the Marines learned many other important lessons from their Japanese counterparts, added 1st Sgt. Raymond L. Ramirez, company 1st Sergeant, Company E.

"What I expected was to learn about cold weather and how to train and survive in it," Ramirez explained. "What we learned was a lot about cold-weather fighting, from building fortifications with ice and snow to how to travel in the snow safely and still conduct operations."

Conducting operations in the cold climate is definitely an important skill to learn, but preparation of equipment for the cold and snow is an important facet of the training, Ramirez explained.

"It's very hard to move and operate in this environment," Ramirez said. "It's painful. You feel it in your toes, your fingers and every time you move and if you don't have the gear you are totally immobile."

The gear made not only mobility possible in the snow, but also made quality of life better for the Marines training in the cold, according to Cpl. Jason Griggs, machine-gun squad leader, Weapons Platoon.

"The Marine Corps did a good job of supplying us with some good gear," the Reston, Va., native noted. "We have the cold-weather gloves, gortex coats and trousers and cold-weather fleeces. All the gear they gave us worked pretty well."

Ramirez added that the training has prepared the Marines for future engagements by giving them a powerful tool they lacked before coming to Hokkaido, Japan--confidence.

"This is a great opportunity to get in a different training environment. It is something that will really help us out so we won't be too apprehensive about going into this type of weather because now we know how to deal with it," Ramirez declared.

"2/3 has been to the Philippines and now a cold-weather environment at Hokkaido. This has totally rounded us out and has made the battalion a better fighting force," he added.

The new confidence the Marines have in the cold supports the battalion's claims of being able to travel to distant lands and operate efficiently, Perry claimed.

"Marines boast the way we can fight in every clime and place, and for us to be able to go from the jungles of Okinawa to the frozen icelands of Hokkaido has really given us an idea of what it would take to fight in an environment like this if the need arose," Perry proclaimed.

Marines have constantly shown their prowess in battle throughout history, but in today's world theater, friends and allies such as the JGSDF are important to have, Griggs expressed.

"2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines is so used to training in warm environments that this field exercise brings to light a whole different world," the 22 year-old, South Lakes High School graduate said. "What I will take from this exercise is the fact that fighting in a cold climate in the future would be difficult to overcome without our interactions with other countries."