« A columnist's reaction to The Green Side | Main | Guard Duty »
June 22, 2004
Update from the 11th MEU
Here's the latest from on board the USS Belleau Wood and Denver, both en route to to Iraq this summer where they will replace elements of the Army’s 1st Armored Division.
Training as usual continues aboard the USS Belleau Wood. Marines spend their time practicing skills they will need during their tour in Iraq. In one area of the ship, the hangar deck, you can see Marines practicing Marine Corps Martial Arts while young corporals practice sword manual for the Corporals Course. Other Marines practice rapidly changing magazines on their rifles and pistols during immediate action drills and yet others unobtrusively clean their weapons in secluded corners.
Here's a picture of an immediate action drill:
Staff Sgt. Ian W. Bonnell shows Pfc. Jeremy A. Smith, mortarman, what to do with his weapon during an immediate action drill class in the hangar deck on board the USS Belleau Wood.
Immediate action drills, designed to train Marines to reload their magazines quickly and efficiently from any shooting position, are conducted for one hour every day in order for them to maintain their combat skills.
“It’s really designed to take them out of the rifle range mindset and put them in a quick reaction, combat mindset,” said 1st Lt. Lamar D. Breshears, platoon commander.
The update continues:
The ship is a hotbed of activity.If you climb up topside in the early morning you'll see Marines in body armor jogging around the outskirts of the flight deck while groups of Marines in green on green do calisthenics near CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters and AV8B Harrier jump jets that sit silently on their chained down positions. To you at home all this may sound somewhat strange, but to us it's a daily routine.
Aboard the USS Denver, Marines huddle together learning Arabic during language classes. They shuffle from place to place in full gear with blank-loaded rifles. Their physical training (PT) is no less vigorous, when the ship isn't rocking too much, and the Marines pass their spare time playing card games and bingo.
We will be acclimated to doing strenuous activity in the heat before we even get to the Middle East. Preparing for the mission ahead is a never-ending job.
No matter how much training we do or how busy we are we haven't forgotten our friends and loved ones at home. Happy Father's Day!
And a slightly belated Happy Father's Day to all Marines who are separated from their children as they protect and defend the rest of us.
Posted by Deb at June 22, 2004 05:25 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marinecorpsmoms.com/mt-tb.cgi/123
Comments
you guys are the best happy father to all you dads out there im am a former jarhead so im proud of all of you i cant tell you how much but take care and remember your drills the more you bleed in training the less you bleed inwar god bless you all we love you
Posted by: Ben Cardenas at June 23, 2004 06:57 AM
I was in ian bonnell's(the marine in the photo) squad eight years ago but lost contact with him. If some one could e-mail me an address, or info on how I might be able to get in touch with him I'd be very gratefull
Posted by: greg parsons at October 2, 2004 08:03 AM
Greg, I hope you get this brother.My address is ianlovesshaylee@yahoo.com.im still in Iraq and i would love to hear from you.Semper Fi.
Posted by: Ssgt Ian Bonnell at December 4, 2004 05:44 AM