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Testing the limits... CARAT conquers Singapore training

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 7/23/2003

Story by Cpl. John F. Silwanus

CHANGI NAVAL PORT, Singapore (July 21,2003) -- Lance Cpl. Nathan Glover crouched down on the side of the road and waited for his platoon sergeant to give the all clear. He tried to relax during the patrol before his company conducted its final assault of the Singapore training phase of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training (CARAT).

Glover, a rifleman with 3rd Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, the Ground Combat Element (GCE) for the Landing Force (LF) of exercise CARAT, took advantage of the break because he didn't get much sleep the night before.

His anticipation for this assault on the Sarimban Fiba Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Facility here had kept him awake and he knew the night attack would afford him little opportunity for rest. His determination to finish was one of the things that kept him driving ahead.

Pushing themselves and trying new things defined the Marines and Sailors of LF CARAT during the Singapore phase of training.

"We had to push ourselves several times throughout the Singapore training," Glover said. "There were events that kept us awake for more than a day or so, and there were others that were just physically draining. Overall though, it was a good exercise because it was pretty cool to learn about the tactics of the Singapore Army as well. They were great people to work with."

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 SE 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 weeklong Singapore phase began with the Marines traveling to the High Confidence Course at Hendon Camp. The Marines spent two days attacking the 75-foot high obstacles, which are designed to help build the confidence of servicemembers with a fear of heights.

"The course was more fun than it was challenging," said Lance Cpl. Samuel Batts, heavy equipment operator, Combat Engineer Company, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, now attached to LF CARAT. "We were always connected to the course by a safety harness, so it didn't really challenge me physically. For some people, the challenge was just being very high in the air, which was the fun part for me."

According to Maj. Christopher Soh, operations officer, 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, the confidence was a good opportunity for servicemembers to get more familiar with the way the Singapore military trains.

"It's very beneficial for the Marines to try the course, because we have found it to be a great confidence builder for our soldiers," Soh said. "Plus, many of these Marines have not done anything like this since their boot camp, so it is a good refresher for them."

Once the Marines had tackled the confidence course, Glover and the Marines of the GCE moved on to train with the Singapore military in the Sarimban Fiba Village MOUT Facility. The Marines and Singaporean soldiers each demonstrated their techniques in a MOUT environment for the benefit of the other.

"We got a chance to showcase our abilities in the MOUT facility and the Singapore soldiers were very willing to learn," Glover said. "We showed them how we clear rooms, how we enter and how we secure buildings. It was great for me to get a refresher on my MOUT skills and an introduction to the way Singaporean soldiers handle business."

The bilateral training was not limited to the MOUT facility. It was the norm wherever CARAT Marines traveled. The Marines of the Combat Service Support and Command Elements participated in a live-fire course at the Pasir Laba Camp, Live Firing Range and completed the Advanced Training Fire Package for the Singapore Armed Forces.

Once at the range, the Marines and Sailors practiced their course of fire on a simulated trainer, the Individual Marksmanship Trainer. Once they had a good idea of what to expect from the day?s course of fire, they moved on to conduct the live fire portion of the training. The servicemembers fired only from the 100-meter line on mechanical targets, which reset after each shooter completed that portion of the course.

"I liked the fact that the targets would only stay up for a few seconds and then drop automatically," said Batts, a Houston native. "The fact that the targets popped up and returned into the pits had a moving targets kind of feel to it. It was a great time."

The Marines and Sailors then moved on to begin the final assault. During the final assault the Marines and Sailors of Company I were dropped at a landing zone nine kilometers from the MOUT facility, then had to patrol the rest of the way to conduct the final assault. Once at the MOUT facility, the Marines assaulted several buildings and provided security for the infiltrating Singapore soldiers.

The servicemembers began their trek to the MOUT facility in the afternoon and continued through, finishing the assault the next morning. Glover said he'd looked forward to the endurance test.

"Since we were conducting the attack at night, I was interested to see how our attack would pan out in the darkness," Glover said. "It worked out pretty well and the darkness provided some cool effects because there were flash grenades going off and the Singapore soldiers had red lights on their weapons. It was a really great show."

Overall, the Marines who participated in the exercise said it went very well. So, too, did those who played a role in planning it.

"We had some great interaction between our Marines and Sailors and the Singapore Army and Navy," said Maj. Matthew McDivitt, operations officer, LF CARAT. "From the top down we demonstrated professionalism between both countries. This was a very successful evolution."

With the Singapore phase complete, the Marines and Sailors of the Landing Force will now move into the final training phase of exercise CARAT - Malaysia.