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2nd ANGLICO Marines train with Army for Afghanistan deployment

US Marine Corps News

9/3/2010 By Staff Sgt. Jayson Price, II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs, II MEF

FORT IRWIN, Calif. — Marines from 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group trained with Army soldiers at the Army’s National Training Center aboard Fort Irwin, Calif., July and Aug. 2010 to prepare for an upcoming Afghanistan deployment.

The deployment will require Marines from 2nd ANGLICO to link U.S. and coalition forces to the firepower of the Marine Corps: such as Marine aviation and artillery.

“For example, we will be able to provide fires capability and liaison capability to a unit that’s operating within a Marine [area of operation],” said Capt. Joshua D. Rogerson, team leader for Supporting Arms Liaison Team D. “We provide the liaison that allows a unit to operate under our rules and to more effectively get bombs on target.”

During the training, Marine Sgt. Maurice D. Sharpe’s role as a communications chief was to make sure communication assets were where they needed to be and that communication was maintained and always available. Once communication was established, it was important everyone spoke the same language.

“The terminology between the Marine Corps and the Army – totally different,” said Sharp. The training though helped iron out verbal communication issues while exposing both services to joint and combined military environments.

The environmental conditions at the Army’s NTC also helped improve the realism of the training. The training grounds in California for example are similar to the hot desert climate of Afghanistan. For Sharp, it was an opportunity for his Marines to do their jobs while being physically tested by a hostile environment.

“We spent a week with [the Army’s 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment],” said Marine Capt. Matthews Raske, the team leader for Firepower Control Team 7. “The best part of that training was being in a miserable place for a week – it was good for my team.”

Sharp says one of his most memorable moments was on a hillside at night looking down toward a training town used for military operations on urban terrain (MOUT).

“We had designated targets, we were using NVG’s and seeing the F-15s overhead as they did their simulated runs,” he recalled. “It was exciting to be out there.”

“We conducted night close air support with Saudi F-15 fighters,” said Rogerson. “We had to target buildings in a MOUT facility and effectively drop ordnance on that town.”

Fighter jets from both the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force also participated in the training along with the U.S. Air Force and an Army infantry brigade.

Raske said he felt that 2nd ANGLICO’s greatest impact on the other services was in helping them better understand the concept of combined arms, which is the strategic power behind a Marine Air Ground Task Force.

“We brought [combined arms] to the fight and showed them that they can have air support hitting the target at the same time as their artillery while they’re maneuvering [on the ground],” said Raske. “I thought it was beneficial for them.”

“I don’t know if [the U.S. Army] necessarily agreed with it at first, but I think they liked the outcome,” said Rogerson. “We had a lot of aviation assets that showed up. If it was off the ground, I pulled it directly to me and I made sure they came up on my frequency. I deconflicted [sic] their altitude and as the situation developed, I distributed aircraft elements as necessary.”

The ability to strike the enemy through the coordinated employment of close air support and artillery while ground forces maneuver to close and destroy the enemy is unique to the Marine Corps.

“Right now [allied or coalition forces] do not have the combined arms capability that the Marine Corps has,” said Rogerson. “And ANGLICO has the ability to advertise to the world that this is what the Marine Corps is capable of doing, and we can integrate with you to help you maximize the effects of fires on an enemy.”