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U.S. Marines train with Latin American counterparts in UNITAS exercise

Marine Corps News

Submitted by: UNITAS PAO
Story Identification #: 2004712134836
Story by - Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Grills

ANCON MARINE BASE, Peru(June 30, 2004) -- With one hand holding a tin of hot coffee and another rubbing his tired eyes, Cpl. Adam Franco, from Marine Forces UNITAS, has been going nonstop for days.

"But I'm fine with it. Looks like fun, actually," he says, nodding in the direction of a Zodiac Mark V boat about 500 meters out in the Pacific. Six Marines are aboard, following the instructions of a Peruvian commando in how to handle the craft.

Acting as translator, Franco coached his fellow Marines in a few basic Spanish commands before their boat launch. The rest, likely to be hand and arm signals, will be a test of their ability to overcome the language barrier. Put simply, the bilingual Franco is in demand and can't be on every Zodiac breaking surf off Peru's Anchon Marine Base.

The boat exercise is one of several training events for UNITAS 45-04, the largest-ever multinational operation in the Southern Hemisphere, which is hosted by the Peruvian Navy. Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, Rear Adm. Vinson Smith, led the forces participating in UNITAS 45-04.

On this particular day, Marines from Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the United States are getting an education in everything from rappelling and mountaineering to water survival and small-arms fire. Each evolution is a work-up to the actual exercise, known as the "final battle problem," a final exam of sorts for participating units in jungle, desert and at-sea warfare.

Upon landing, the Marines cheerfully pose for a group photo with their Peruvian teachers, then strip off the scuba gear and don their camouflage. Next up: a dip in the pool with full combat gear, weapon included.

"Same thing they go through in boot camp and advanced training," says Capt. Toriono Davis of Cleveland, commander, 2nd Platoon, Marine Forces UNITAS. "They're going to tread water for 10 minutes, then some skill testing. This here is more of a familiarization, more with the spirit of UNITAS, trying to get our Marines used to working with their marines to counter the drug threat and other threats specific to our region."

This multinational amphibious training is a first for UNITAS, which since 1959 has improved working relations and promoted understanding between U.S. and South American naval and marine forces. With 11 nations participating, this year's exercise aims to build an even stronger partnership.

"We see it as a way to get closer to other Latin American nations," says Dominican Republic Marine Cmdr. Marte Matias. "Our different countries share problems, and we need to start looking for ways to work together. I think this is a good start."

Prior to the boat exercise, U.S. Marines of the II Marine Expeditionary Force practiced room-clearing with 9mm Berettas. The close-quarters combat drill is designed to hone their skills against single targets and multiple hostiles. Considering that many of these Marines may be deployed to Iraq, and that many have just returned, learning other nations' defensive techniques can only help.

"It also gives us an opportunity to meet our counterparts," says Sgt. Mayland Downing of Bronx, N.Y. "They train with us, we train with them, to get to know each other better in the event we work together someday."

At the top of a nearby hill, half a mile from the Zodiac evolution, Marines from Ecuador, Peru and the United States cluster around a 70-foot rappelling tower. Here they'll train in fast rope, rock-climbing and rappelling techniques under the careful watch of U.S. and Peruvian instructors.

Sgt. Patrick Frost of Marshallville, Ohio, demonstrates the Peruvians' method of securing rope around the waist in preparation to climb. "We take ours on the outside. He does his underneath. We tie ours with a square knot. They tie theirs over here," Frost says, gesturing toward his hip.

A few steps away, Peru's Infanteria de Marina 2nd Lt. Rafael Negreros tugs on the rope of a U.S. Marine, who winces as Negreros pulls it even tighter.

"The first thing Marines notice when they work with other countries like this is that we aren't the only professionals out there," says U.S. Marine Capt. Daniel Kaspar, gesturing toward the tower. Kaspar is instructing the Ecuador, Peru and U.S. Marine platoons in fast rope, a means of heliborne insert in the event a helicopter can't land on deck.

"Fast rope is nothing more than a high-speed fireman's pole," he explains. "Grip the rope and slide using your feet and hands. It's basically a controlled fall. Some foreign marines are familiar with it, others aren't."

As an officer, Kaspar is working especially close with his Latin American counterparts.

"We sleep near them, eat chow alongside them," he says. "We've seen a little confusion, trying to figure out who's responsible for what. But everyone is friendly and interested in professional exchange. They consider themselves Americans too. This is a way of reinforcing to us that we are all Americans. This is the American hemisphere."

A few miles from Ancon Marine Base, at Peruvian military training ground Quebrada Inocente, the desert hills are alive with the sound of mortars, grenades and 76mm rockets. Trudging through the sand, one range station to the next, Marines from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, United States and Uruguay undergo training in a variety of weapons.

Lance Cpl. Ernesto Dorado, of Riverside, Calif., instructs platoon after platoon in the 249 SAW, or squad-operated automatic weapon. Born in Mexico and now a U.S. citizen, Dorado's fluency in English and Spanish gives him added value.

He relishes the opportunity to train in foreign firepower too, including some time behind the Peruvians' Ultimax machine gun.

"It's good to know all the weapons," Dorado says. "You never know when you may be caught in the same battle with them. And they're eager to learn from us. We're like the big brother here."

Peruvian and U.S. Marines trade off on giving instruction on a smorgasbord of weapons, including the 240-G, the AT-4 single-use squad-level 76mm rocket launcher, the M-203 automatic grenade launcher and more. Marines from participating countries sit on makeshift bleachers of sandbags, waiting their turn in the firing pit.

"Everybody's eager to shoot," says Sgt. Chris Watkins, of Lexington, Ky., as a platoon of Mexicans arrives for training on the 249 SAW.

On another range, Bolivian Marines take turns painting a mountainside fluorescent orange with the M-203 grenade launcher. Observing from a distance, members of Peru's Infanteria de Marina talk with a group of U.S. Marines through Lance Cpl. Ramon Matta of Springfield, Mass.

"I'm participating in a different UNITAS," says Peruvian 1st Officer Vincae Silva, 2nd Battalion, as translated by Matta. "I feel I have done something for my country. I hope UNITAS will continue."

In the following days, the Marines' training will go to the next level as naval forces join the "final battle problem" scenario, forming a coalition force to accomplish the ultimate objective of the exercise: establishing and maintaining peace and offering humanitarian assistance.