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LAR pounds ground in the Outback

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 10/1/2003

Story by Lance Cpl. Monroe F. Seigle

SHOALWATER BAY TRAINING AREA, Queensland, Australia(Oct. 2, 2003) -- After being activated for more than six months, the reservists with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Salt Lake City, Utah, deployed from Okinawa, Japan to the "land down under" as part of the Ground Combat Element, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, for Crocodile 2003.

One of the many challenging missions while deployed to the land down under, was a live-fire exercise conducted Sept. 19 that gave the warriors in the 4th LAR a chance to release some stress and put tons of firepower down range with a variety of weapons.

"The last time we were able to fire these weapons was while we were in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom," said 1st Lt. Alex Howard, platoon commander with the 4th LAR. "Considering the last time we fired these weapons we were in a real-world situation, we were all more than ready to fire them up again and send some rounds down range."

Just as the Marines had deadly accuracy while in Iraq, they proved their skills were still razor sharp once again when they lit up the SBTA skies with thousands of rounds of ammunition.

As the hot Australian sun pounded down on the Marines, a few of them were battle-zeroing the 25mm cannon on the Light Armored Vehicle-25 (LAV) on targets 1000 meters away.

During the hours of daylight, the mission was a section fire and maneuver where a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun laid down a base of fire and the 25mm was able to be mobilized from the turret of the LAV.

As the two weapons laid down direct and indirect fire, the LAV crewman began to move closer and closer to the target taking turns bounding forward while taking advantage of the firepower covering them from their fellow LAV crewman.

"We focused on our timing and our maneuvering during the first exercise," said Howard. "It can be quite difficult to maintain a base of fire while maneuvering the LAV. However, if done correctly like the Marines did, it is highly effective and destructive to enemy personnel because the amount of firepower is overwhelming."