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LF Det 2/24 conducts LFAM in South Korea

US Marine Corps News

7/20/2010
By Lance Cpl. Colby W. Brown, Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training

RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, Republic of Korea -- More than 150 Marines from Landing Force Detachment, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment locked and loaded in the Korean Mountains here during a live fire and maneuver exercise July 19-20.

The exercise was part of the LF’s unilateral military operations here and is the last infantry training exercise the LF will conduct while in the Republic of Korea.

Operating as squads, working as a unit to assault an objective and firing live rounds down range, the Marines had the opportunity to build their fundamental infantry skills of closing with and eliminating enemy units.

“This training gives the Marines confidence as a team that while I’m moving the rest of my team has me covered but won’t accidentally shoot me in the back,” said Sgt. Scott Seals, platoon commander, 3rd Platoon, Company A, LF Det, 2/24, native of Kearney, Neb. “They’ll be able to move toward the target with confidence knowing that another Marine is laying down cover fire.”

Training included live fire of the M224 60mm Mortar System and Shoulder-fired Multi-purpose Assault Weapon, explosive ordnance disposal/combat engineers demolitions and assaulting an enemy position as a squad-sized force.

Mortars Section staged at Manchu Hill, a live fire mortar range, while the rest of the Company hiked to Cherokee Valley, a live fire and maneuver range, to train with their weapons systems.

At Manchu Hill, Mortars fired direct lay, firing on visible enemy positions as opposed to indirect fire or concealed enemy positions, on targets more than 1800 meters away. They cycled through various firing procedures including immediate suppression, multiple shots on target in succession, and search and traverse, one shot every thirty-seconds.

“When the concussion goes off it feels like freedom and when you see the round hit it’s cool to know that you can cause that kind of damage from so far away,” said Cpl. James Green, gunner, Mortars Section, Weapons Platoon, Company A, LF Det, 2/24 native of Rochester Hills, Mich.

In Cherokee Valley the company assaulted an enemy position as squads. During each assault the squads chose between buddy or team rushes as the procedure of movement. Demolitions were set off and SMAW’s were fired to simulate support fire and build experience in the fundamental operation of the weapon systems.

Throughout each day of the exercise, dry runs the first day and live fire the second, Marines were able to work on small unit leadership and build their standard operating procedures as squads when conducting live fire and maneuver exercises.

“This exercise was designed for the squad leaders to take charge of their squads and the team leaders to take charge of their teams, as far as ammo conservation and making sure the Marines are moving and firing when they were supposed too,” Seals said. “It was centered on small unit leadership.”

The opportunity to fire multiple weapons systems and live fire their personal weapons built confidence for Marines and was a satisfying ending of their infantry training in Korea.
“It’s definitely a morale boost being able to work together as a unit and fire off our weapons,” Green said. “It was a good confidence booster and a great range – it’s definitely a great way to end the deployment.”