FIVE HILLS TRAINING AREA, Mongolia -- U.S. Marines of the Jungle Warfare Training Center in Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa, Japan, honed their survival techniques alongside Mongolian Armed Forces soldiers Aug. 4-12.
The survival course is a new edition to Exercise Khaan Quest 2013, which is in its 11th iteration and has played a part in training thousands of service members from around the world in peacekeeping and stability operations.
“We came out expecting to teach them, but we’ve learned a lot,” said Cpl. Brian M. Ashworth, the lead instructor for the survival course and instructor with JWTC, Camp Gonsalves, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Marine Corps Installations Pacific. “For example, the way they cook meat and the way they preserve it make it last longer, it shows they have solid survival skills.”
During the training, the three Marine instructors and 33 MAF noncommissioned and commissioned officers constructed field shelters, made and set traps, built and used field weapons, traversed rivers with rope bridges, patrolled, conducted land navigation, and learned first-aid techniques.
The combined Mongolian-U.S. team set up camp Aug. 4. The rain started falling early the next morning and it did not stop for more than 24 hours. Bonds often form through hardship, one example was when the MAF soldiers rebuilt the Marines’ rain-soaked and smoldering campfire before dawn on Aug. 6.
“I’ve seen friendships grow, through all the time we’ve spent together, we’ve gotten really close,” said MAF Senior Sgt. Ch. Batbold, a member of the 330th Infantry Battalion. “(The Marines have) taught us many things, and they’ve learned some good things from us as well.”
The troops plan to break-down the camp Aug. 10 and begin a patrol to the river where they hope to find food.
“We’re going to try to fish, though they’re going to end up teaching us more,” said Cpl. Evan D. Frickey, a JWTC instructor.
The combined MAF-U.S. platoon covered a significant amount of ground by foot over several days, set-up patrol bases at night, and moved through Five Hills Training Area. They are scheduled to rejoin the rest of the field training exercise before the closing ceremony Aug. 14.
Until then, the Mongolian soldiers and Marines will continue to focus on learning new tactics, techniques and procedures from one another, as well as surviving whatever the Mongolian wilderness sends their way.
“Hopefully, we don’t ever get into a (survival) situation,” said Ashworth. “But if so, we’ll know what to do.”