Once at the objective, the Marines were briefed on the first obstacle.

Marines from various units of 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, were traversing the endurance course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center. The course simulates combat situations in a jungle setting.

The Marines attended the training to acquire lasting knowledge and skills and to maintain combat readiness, said Chief Warrant Officer Daniel G. Lawrence, platoon commander for Electronics and Maintenance Company, Combat Logistic Regiment 35, 3rd MLG, who took his Marines and other 3rd MLG Marines through the course.

Clinging tightly to heavy gauge wire, the Marines, being careful not to fall in the river below, shimmied across a wide ravine. From the sidelines, Marines cheered encouragement to their comrades.

As a safety precaution, the Marines were secured to the wire. An instructor could use a pulley and rope system and have Marines who had already crossed the ravine assist in pulling any fallen Marines across.

At the next obstacle, Marines tackled a course flooded with dirty, foul-smelling water. As simulated rounds zipped overhead, exhausted Marines charged the waist-deep water.

The Marines had to swim 15 feet underwater through a large pipe with the aid of a rope. As each Marine surfaced on the other side, the snarling screams and shouts of the instructors hurried them to keep moving.

The Marines low crawled through muddy water until they came to an area strung with barbed wire. To navigate their way through the barbed wire, the Marines crawled through the water on their backs, pushing the barbed wire away from their bodies with their weapons.

The final obstacle required teamwork from the Marines.

"Teamwork played a big part ... because everything we did needed some sort of teamwork," said Lance Cpl. Stephen M. Hernandez, a warehouse clerk with CLR-35. "Without teamwork, we wouldn't have made it."

At this obstacle, the objective was to carry a simulated injured Marine through the jungle's slippery and rough terrain, which included steep hills and narrow paths. Along the way, the Marines stumble into what the instructors called "peanut butter" - mud so thick it resembled peanut butter.

"Don't stop! Keep moving! If you stop you will sink!" yelled Sgt. Joshua Mathes, an instructor, as the team carried the simulated casualty on their shoulders.

The Marines struggled through the thick, knee-high mud, replacing each other when they became stuck. After inching their way forward, the Marines tackled a steep hill riddled with tree roots.

Using a "railroad" system, the Marines lined up in two columns and pulled the casualty up the hill by replacing the top Marines with the bottom Marines.

"The instructors told me that my Marines developed a teamwork methodology for the stretcher carrier that was the best ever seen at JWTC," said Lawrence.

"I feel so relieved that the training is done, and I can't wait to take a shower," said Hernandez. "I didn't think the training week was going to be that fun, but it turned out to be an exciting week."