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CARAT takes Brunei training by storm

USMC News

Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification Number: 200379191220
Story by Cpl. John F. Silwanus

BINTURAN RANGE, Brunei(July 7, 2003) -- The Brunei training portion for the Landing Force, Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training, also known as Exercise Green Canopy, kicked off with the opening ceremonies June 23 and never slowed down.

The more than 350 Marines and Sailors of the Landing Force trained bilaterally with members of the Royal Brunei Landing Force (RBLF) and followed a high-speed training schedule throughout the weeklong evolution.

"Overall, the exercise went very well. It was well-organized and provided all the participants with many opportunities to participate in live-fire training," said Capt. Roberto J. Martinez, company commander, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Ground Combat Element for LF CARAT. "In fact, it was some of the best live-fire training we will do on CARAT."

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

CARAT demonstrates U.S. commitment in Southeast Asia while improving operational readiness, interoperability and the capabilities of U.S. forces. The 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, 3rd Marine Division, which is comprised of multiple units. The major units represented are: Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, which is deployed to Okinawa from Camp Lejeune, N.C., as part of the Unit Deployment Program; a Combat Engineer Platoon; an Assault Amphibian Vehicle Platoon, which is UDP to Okinawa from Camp Pendleton, Calif.; a detachment from 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division; a Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, CAB, 3rd Marine Division, which is UDP from Company C, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Salt Lake City, Utah; and finally, a Combat Service Support Element from 3rd Force Service Support Group.

The servicemembers participated in many events during the week, including day and night-live fire exercises, amphibious raids, a rifle competition, casualty evacuation drills and reconnaissance training, which included two days of fast-rope training.

"The soldiers in the RBLF were kind of crazy when we did the rappel training, because we had some equipment that we use when we rappel and they told us they didn?t need any of 'that stuff'," said Cpl. Aaron Carmody, assistant team leader, 1st Platoon, Company B, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, currently attached to the LF CARAT Command Element. "Other than that, they were very willing to learn about the equipment and techniques we use when we train and in real-life situations. It was a great experience because we were also able to see how they do things in the RBLF."

The two services combined efforts to coordinate their training schedules, and even showed some flexibility in their plans to organize a few events as the training was being conducted. The rifle competition, which took place on the second day, was scheduled as a result of this flexible attitude toward training. The rifle competition pitted the servicemembers against one another in a competition in which they had to run 100 meters to the firing line and shoot several targets, all for time.

The several live fire ranges included infantry and small arms munitions, as well as amphibious assault and light-armored vehicle weapons firing. The culminating event of the training featured a multi-element amphibious attack on several of the ranges within Binturan, including a beach assault, a platoon attack on an objective with suppressive fires from the LF?s Light Armored Vehicle Platoon and from a platoon from the RBLF, as well as suppressive fires from the LF's Amphibian Assault Vehicle Platoon.

"The beach assault was one of the best ranges I have ever fired on," said Pvt. Jason Alexander, machine gunner, 2nd Platoon, Company I. "It was the first time during an assault that I have carried a (Squad Automatic Weapon) and I loved it. We had good coordination from our platoon sergeant and squad leaders, which helped everything run smoothly."

The training was not only geared toward combat readiness, but also included a noncommissioned officer leadership symposium. The Landing Force hosted the symposium to help the RBLF soldiers learn how noncommissioned officers in the Marine Corps hold leadership roles within their units.

The Marines of Company I also took this training opportunity to help give their junior Marines a chance to experience leadership roles they are not usually put in.

"A lot of our senior (noncommissioned officers) will be getting out of the Marine Corps when we return to Camp Lejeune, so we have begun to put the junior Marines in leadership roles so they will have the skills needed to run the platoon when the senior NCOs are gone," said Cpl. Kevin Hacker, team leader, 2nd Platoon, Company I. "This was a really good chance for them to gain some experience not only leading Marines but leading Marines on a live fire range."

Servicemembers had to put up with many elements during the bilateral training, including the searing heat and constant rain the Brunei climate threw at them. Fighting through those elements, many of the servicemembers felt the training went well and that the two services learned quite a bit from each other.

"The Marines have some very different equipment than we use to train with, and it was very good for me to learn how they use it," said Pvt. Mdzaki, radio operator, Company B, 2nd Battalion, RBLF, who goes by his last name only. "It was also nice getting to know the Marines. They showed us a lot."

Martinez said CARAT has two missions each time the Landing Force trains with another country -- eliciting host nation interaction and increasing proficiency within the unit - and it accomplished both with during Exercise Green Canopy in Brunei.

"The RBLF was very much involved with every aspect of the evolution and that made our job that much easier," the Toms River, N.J., native said. "We were also able to help ourselves by making our Marines more proficient with the AAVs and how they operate. I think we conducted a very successful training evolution here in Brunei and we look forward to getting better with each stop we make during CARAT."