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2/3 Island Warriors deploy 'down under'

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 9/22/2003

Story by Lance Cpl. Monroe F. Seigle

MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(September 5, 2003) -- Marines from different companies within the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment aboard MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, left the island of Oahu with their sights sets on Exercise Crocodile '03 in Australia Sept. 5.

As many of the new Marines looked forward to their first deployment in the land down under, they also looked forward to having a chance to cross-train with our allies in the Royal Australian Army.

Once the Marines arrive in Australia, they will be working with the Maritime Prepositioning Force to unload all vital equipment and set up a base camp in Showalter Bay Training Area. The MPF is responsible for the transportation of the equipment needed to accomplish missions for the Marines in 2/3, along with several other reserve units who will be deployed from all over the United States in support of Exercise Crocodile '03.

"One of the most difficult aspects of this mission is going to be getting all parts of the battalion landing teams to operate as a whole with the assistance of the MPF," said Lt. Col. Andrew MacMannis, commanding officer of 2/3. "There will be Marines from units all over the United States present and it is going to be a difficult task to get them all on the same sheet of music once we arrive."

After the Marines set up and secure a base camp, their first combat mission is to be one that will test their proficiency and ability to adapt and overcome in territory they are not familiar with. The Marines and soldiers from the RAA will integrate to conduct force-on-force training as they challenge one another in a four-day combat mission containing several different objectives.

"We are trying to get the U.S. and the Australians to operate as a combined force," said MacMannis. "That is the main goal of our training in Australia."

In the third phase of the exercise the intensity will heat up as the Marines conduct a unilateral and combined, live-fire exercise with the RAA.

The Marines will have a chance to use a variety of RAA ranges to fire small-arms weapons and execute live-fire missions.

Once the majority of the training is completed, the fourth phase will be in effect and the MPF will be back in action to assist the Marines in the reconstitution and regeneration to return the gear, depart Australia and return the Marines to their respective units.

"This is going to be a chance for us new Marines to get some awesome hands-on training in a new place," said Lance Cpl. Dustin Overly, police sergeant with Golf Co., 2/3. "We will be able to work with the Australians and learn some of their tactics. I know I am looking forward to this deployment and so are the rest of the Marines."