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Marines train with Russians at BALTOPS 2004

Marine Corps News

Submitted by: Marine Forces Europe
Story Identification #: 2004625907
Story by Maj. Sean Clements

USTKA, Poland(June 19, 2004) -- A Lithuanian Mi-8 transport helicopter inserts a U.S. Marine ANGLICO team. Marine infantry and Illinois National Guard soldiers fire their weapons over the Baltic Sea, and Marines receive orientation on how to embark and debark from Russian BTR armored personnel carriers. Marine Recon conducts small boat operations to link up with a German submarine four miles off shore.

These are only a few of the unique training opportunities that were presented to Reserve Marines during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2004.

BALTOPS -- in its 32nd year -- is an exercise developed to support the spirit of the United Nations resolution that established the Partnership For Peace program in 1994. Consisting of more than two dozen European and Central Asian nations, the PFP program was designed to assuage tensions after the Cold War between the NATO alliance and former Soviet bloc states. This year, 13 nations contributed maritime, land and aviation forces to the exercise that affords member nations the opportunity to interact and train together in an atmosphere of good will.

Marine Forces Reserve represented the Marine Corps by sending B Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines from Saginaw, Mich.; a team from 3rd ANGLICO, Long Beach, Calif.; and a detachment from 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, from Albuquerque, N.M. and San Antonio, Texas.

The exercise involved a two weeks of unit, joint and combined training with other armed forces of member nations on the Polish Navy's Ustka Range complex in north central Poland. The exercise culminated in an amphibious landing by a multinational force from six countries to conduct a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation.

"This is the first I've worked with different countries, and it has taught me a lot," said Cpl. John Montgomery, D Co., 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, of Albuquerque, N.M. "It's interesting to learn about other forces' tactics, weapons and even their chow."

After the first week of training, the Marine forces played both friendly forces and opposing forces for the scenario phase of the exercise, which centered around a NEO by an international landing force consisting of U.S. Marines, Russian Naval Infantry, Lithuanian infantry, German infantry and Army National Guard infantry. The Marines on the opposing forces role-played as irregular militia threatening civilians and diplomats the landing force was tasked to evacuate.

"The opposing forces tested the landing force by confronting them with different scenarios for the friendly forces to react to," said Maj. Steve Prather of the Saginaw, Mich.-based, B Co., 1st Battalion, 24th Marines and commander of the opposing forces. "Marines trained with German, Lithuanian, Danish, Polish, Russian and Finnish ground forces, as well as C Co., 66th Brigade, 35th Infantry division of Illinois National Guard. The 66th Brigade also served as the land component command for the exercise.

This is the second year that BALTOPS included a land portion of the exercise, and it involved more than 600 service members from six countries.