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Storming the beaches... 'India' Company dives into LF CARAT

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 5/28/2003

Story by Cpl. John F. Silwanus

CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa, Japan(May 28, 2003) -- In the movie Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks' company of Army Rangers travels rough seas in an open-air Higgins Landing Craft to land on Normandy Beach. The soldiers then battled their way through heavy machine-gun and artillery fire to capture the beach and begin taking back Europe.

While it was Army soldiers conducting the amphibious raid in the movie, the Marine Corps, through wars and battles over the years, has made amphibious assaults the hallmark of the Corps.

Continuing that hallmark recently, were the Marines of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, who rehearsed amphibious raids and safety techniques with Marines of Assault Amphibious Vehicle Company, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, as the two units prepared to deploy in support of Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (LF CARAT).

LF CARAT is an annual exercise consisting of a series of bilateral training evolutions between the U.S. and several Southeast Asian countries, in which our Marines and Sailors train cross-culturally with servicemembers of these nations.

LF CARAT demonstrates U.S. commitment in Southeast Asia while increasing operational readiness and the capabilities of U.S. forces. This exercise is designed to promote cooperation with other countries, and to continue to build lasting, working relationships, which will add to security and stability in the region.

The primary Marine unit participating in this year's LF CARAT exercise is Combat Assault Battalion, which is comprised of multiple units. The major units represented are I Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, deployed to Okinawa from Camp Lejeune, N.C., Combat Engineer Platoon assigned to Combat Assault Battalion, and Assault Amphibian Vehicle Platoon, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, which is UDP to Okinawa from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Also represented is a detachment from 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, Light Armored Reconnaisance Platoon, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, which is UDP from the reserve 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance, Salt Lake City, Utah, and a Combat Service Support Element from the 3rd Force Service Support Group.

The rehearsals included drills on procedures the Marines may need to use in an emergency when traveling in an AAV through water, as well as how the Marines would react should the AAV deliver them onto a hostile beachhead.

"It is important for our AAV crewmen and the infantry both to receive this type of training whenever they come together and attach in an AAV platoon," said Sgt. Jimmy Hardin, section leader, AAV Company. "It is a good opportunity for us to show them how we operate and how they should respond to situations."

The Marines practiced a few procedures, to include crew transfers - moving all the personnel in one AAV to another - as well as a beach landing. One platoon of infantrymen conducted the troop transfer drill with two AAVs in the water off Splash Beach here. The AAVs then came ashore and the rest of "India" Company practiced the movement with the AAVs stationary. The Marines practiced the troop transfer while the AAVs were side-by-side, and again while the vehicles were head to head.

According to Cpl. Peter Gunn, assaultman, Weapons Platoon, I Company, many of the Marines of the company have participated in AAV training before.

"We just finished training with an AAV platoon a few weeks ago, so the techniques were still fresh in our minds," the Manchester, N. H., native said. "The Marines are deploying with this unit, so this is an important aspect for them to be familiar with."

After completing both types of troop transfer, the Marines converged to conduct and amphibious raid on the beach. This gave the AAV crewmen a chance to practice formations and remain together in a tactical situation. This helps not only the infantry, but also the AAV crews.

"One of our biggest concerns out there is safety, everyone has to know how a situation will play out," Hardin said. "We (AAV crews) really only get to do this when we attach to an infantry unit, so it is important for us to remain on top of our game as well."

After a long, thorough day of training a few experienced infantrymen passed on some words of wisdom and advice to the Marines of I Company.

"It's not every day that you get to come out here and ride around in an AAV, so it was a good learning experience and was pretty fun as well," said Lance Cpl. Khalid Rahmaan, mortarman, Weapons Platoon, and Little Rock, Ark., native. "It's easy as long as you stay relaxed and listen to the AAV guys. They really know what they are talking about."