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Forest Light 2-99 Wraps Up in Japan

SEKIYAMA TRAINING AREA, Hokito, Japan (Mar 10) -- Marines in Force Reconnaissance have a variety of missions when it comes to patrolling the field to gather enemy information, or scouting an area for potential supply routes. With a mission as diverse as Force Recon's, it's imperative for them to have experience in patrolling in any climate.

The Marines from 5th Force Reconnaissance Bn. recently took their patrolling skills to the snow where they spent about two weeks honing their cold-weather patrolling skills.

In conducting cold weather training, SSgt. Kevin P. Daly, third platoon sergeant, Co. B, said these Marines found conducting a patrol in a winter environment has its own set of rules.

"These Marines' procedures for ground patrolling are going to change in the snow because they can't do the same things in the snow on skis as they can in a jungle environment," Daly said. "These Marines had to develop procedures for patrolling in a cold weather environment."

Throughout their journey, Sgt. Scott A. Gardner, team leader, 1st Plt., Co. B, said the Marines found one of the problems they ran into was their tracks.

"Everywhere a patrol goes it is going to leave ski tracks in the snow, and that really limits movement," Gardener explained.

As a reconnaissance unit, these Marines must conduct all their patrols without being seen by anyone, whether it be enemies or allies. By conducting security patrols and observing "enemy" command centers, the recon Marines put these fundamentals to work by skiing across the training area alongside soldiers from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force.

The terrain offered challenges the Marines had to overcome, but this only included a few challenges they faced.

"In the cold weather environment, Marines have a lot of extra clothing and equipment that make it difficult to move around," Gardener said.
Inexperience in the winter climate was another challenge the Marines had to face.
"For some of these Marines, this was the first time they had ever seen snow, let alone ski five to 10 kilometers on a patrol," Daly said.
Despite these odds, Gardener said the Marines were able to identify effective solutions and apply them to their mission.
"In actuality, you have two enemies _ the enemy and the environment," Gardener said. "Out here, it's not just about patrolling without compromising the mission, it's about learning how to survive in the environment."
And to that, the recon Marines found methods not only to survive, but to overcome their enemies.

"We realized if a team moved during bad weather, they would be moving at a time when the enemy would probably be too cold to move," Gardener said. "Not only could we move around without being seen, we could also attack the enemy at their weakest point while they're sitting there shivering."

Although Forest Light 2-99 was a two-week evolution leaving little time for in-depth study on patrolling in a winter environment, Daly said the recon Marines managed to gain an ample amount of knowledge on the skill.
"These Marines did a great job," Daly said. "They have absorbed the information from the classes they received and they have applied it in their exercises. If these Marines learned one thing, then it wasn't a waste of their time, and that piece of knowledge can benefit them and their mission."

In addition, Daly said the Marines who participated in the exercise became more proficient in their trade and more valuable to their unit as a whole.

"Marines fight in every clime and place, and that is why we train in jungles, mountains, deserts and cold weather environments," Daly said. "We need to be able to conduct and perform our mission in any environment.
fire ...

Marines have a worldwide reputation when it comes to rifle marksmanship. From the first time any Marine touches an M-16A2 service rifle in boot camp, accuracy is the key objective.

The Leathernecks from 5th Force Recon recently took marksmanship to a whole new level when they opened fire on pop-up targets in the frozen regions of the Sekiyama Training Area despite a blizzard.

The Marines initiated the exercise by firing from the standing, kneeling and prone positions while wearing skis. They also learned how to fire accurately by balancing their weapons between their ski poles.

Upon completion of this rotation, they performed fire team rushes, then closed off the exercise with a night ambush. While the environment may have been different, White said the Marines' marksmanship capabilities still held their weight in upholding the Corps' reputation.

Although the primary intent of the live-fire evolution was to familiarize Marines with firing their weapons in a winter environment, Capt. Ryder A. White, Co. B commander, 5th Force Recon, said safety was their initial concern.
"We still do business the same with marksmanship, but we really focused on safety and weapons handling," White said. "We made our money out here with two hours of dry firing drills so everybody learned muscle memory."
In addition, White said the Marines shouted a few songs while performing their firing drills, and they paid extra attention to weapons maintenance by clearing any snow out of the barrels of their weapons before they fired.
"Weapons can be tricky to maintain in a cold weather environment," White said. "The Marines had to use special lubrication to prevent their weapons from icing up, and they had to extract snow from their muzzles before they ever fired.

"The Marines put forth a great effort, and I think it was mainly due to the quality of Marines we have and the great instruction from our Japanese counterparts," White said. "They did just as good as the JGSDF, who train in this environment regularly. They are truly mission capable."

For some Marines like Sgt. Mark D. Rapoport, platoon sergeant, Combat Assault Bn., this was a first.
"This was the first time I ever fired in the snow," Rapoport said. "As Marines, we are required to go to any clime or place to perform our mission and we need to train in these environments to be proficient at them."

By the end of the evolution, the Marines had become accustomed to firing in the winter environment while maintaining a high caliber of marksmanship by leaving the targets of yet another range riddled with holes.
... and ice

When an infantry unit conducts a patrol in a polar environment, a pair of skis and a backpack full of gear isn't always going to cut it. Nor will they enable Marines to use every asset they have to accomplish their mission.

The recon battalion, participating in Forest Light 2-99 recently had this in mind when they conducted Ahkio sled training and ski joring training.

The evolution started with an introduction to Ahkio sled training where a team of four to 10 Leathernecks strapped themselves onto "the beast" and pulled it across the training area. One Marine strapped himself to the rear of the sled to provide stability to the load while the rest remained at the front.

"The Marines can use an Ahkio sled to pull their tents, extra food, water and all the extra gear they don't want to pack on their back," said GySgt. Stryker Davis, 2nd platoon sergeant, Co. B. "They could actually pack
everything they would need to set up a bivouac in one of those sleds.

"It takes teamwork, rhythm and proficiency to accomplish this mission," Davis explained. "The better off the Marines are as skiers will determine if you can get the job done."

"You get a great appreciation of teamwork when you're pulling a sled out here," added Cpl. Daniel J. Hadley, Co. B. "Everybody pulls together and it's up to them to get the mission accomplished."

Once the Marines finished honing their skills with ahkio training, the instructors from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force had another exercise for them to master - skijoring training.

The skijoring training required Marines to grab a rope tied to the back of a vehicle and hang on as their instructors pulled them across the Sekiyama Training Area. Once the vehicle started moving, it was up to the Marine to maintain balance while enjoying the ride.

"A `snow cat' will seat up to 12 people, but if one has to transport 60 people up a hill, they can just pull them up," Davis explained. "An infantry unit could also use skijoring training to insert patrols."

The instructors sped up training using skijoring throughout the exercise to pull Marines up hills for skiing.
While this training may have been an ample amount of information for some, JGSDF Capt. Mizoe Yoshiichi, training officer, 2nd Co., 2nd Infantry Regiment, said the Marines all caught on to the action quickly and had a good time in the process.

"For most of the Marines, this was the first day they had ever done this, but they have become very proficient in the little time they had," Mizoe said. "I can understand, however, why they are so well adjusted _ because they are Marines."
Although the recon Marines' efforts impressed, and perhaps surprised a few of their instructors, their proficiency was no surprise to Davis.

"These Marines are picking all of this up very quickly," Davis said. "But that's what happens when you get a group of Marines who have the guts to train hard, and they are the cream of the crop. When you get a Marine who has the guts and the cream, you have a recon Marine."

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