COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER, Camp Fuji, Japan -- Marines and sailors from 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, conducted training at the Combined Arms Training Center to hone warfighting skills and maintain unit readiness Oct. 7-Nov. 2.
The training was intended to mold Marines and sailors into a cohesive headquarters unit capable of deploying and employing at a moment’s notice.
“Our goal is to have our forward command element prepared to deploy anywhere in the III MEF area of responsibility within 12 hours of notification,” said Col. Stephen M. Neary, 4th Marines commanding officer.
This training marks the first time in several years that 4th Marines, the “Oldest and Proudest,” has conducted off-island training, said Lt. Col. Brian A. Ross, 4th Marines’ executive officer.
“Deploying over 140 personnel and 25 vehicles from Camp Schwab to Camp Fuji is an accomplishment in itself,” explained Ross of the personnel and equipment movement to Camp Fuji to conduct the training.
Training included command and control operations within the unit’s Combat Operations Center; live-fire exercises with individual and crew-served weapons and hand grenades and training in a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear environment.
“Deploying to the Fuji training area has truly shown us our strengths and weaknesses, resulting in a stronger unit with a plan for action,” said Staff Sgt. Benjamin Barron, 4th Marines CBRN chief.
Neary added, “The deployment to Camp Fuji not only provides 4th Marines the opportunity to deploy, employ and redeploy, but to (conduct training for) individual skills to regimental mission essential tasks in a new environment which has a totally different climate and altitude than Okinawa.
“A lot of character is developed when we are displacing the Combat Operations Center in 45 degree temperatures and rain,” he said. “Furthermore, the (unit) cohesion that is built when the entire command is living and eating together for 30 days is priceless; Fuji will serve as a great reference point for future deployments.”
The deployment’s culminating event was a field training exercise in which the COC and assigned personnel were loaded onto tactical vehicles and maneuvered through the CATC training areas. For two days, the regiment conducted command and control operations within a simulated hostile environment.
“Our mission as a regimental headquarters is to provide command and control across the battle space. In order to do that, it requires us to displace our COC to forward positions,” said Capt. Stanford H. Shaw, Headquarters Company commander, 4th Marines.
Future operations by 4th Marines will involve embarking on amphibious ships and participating in additional off-island training opportunities, Neary said.