Lance Cpl. Eric D. Arndt, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit,
Okinawa, Japan: Infantry Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit emphasized becoming an agile, fast-moving force during a recent training exercise in the Okinawa Central Training Area. III Marine Expeditionary Force's Special Operations Training Group and B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, trained in the combat doctrine of maneuver warfare Aug. 21 to Sept. 1. The battalion is currently serving as the 31st MEU's battalion landing team.
The platoon practiced mounted patrolling tactics using the Interim Fast Attack Vehicle and advanced communication techniques to operate more efficiently as a distributed operations platoon.
The distributed operations platoon concept is a maneuver warfare tactic the Marine Corps is testing, said 1st Lt. David T. Russell, a platoon commander with B Company. The platoons trained to adapt instantaneously to deadly force threats and attacks, operating with increased agility to counter enemies who use dispersion tactics rather than brute strength.
Rather than amassing at one location, distributed operations units spread out over a larger area and use advanced communication and hasty transportation to quickly assess threats, regroup and respond to the enemy in full force, Russell said.
“It's a new way to train for a new fight, so that in the future (the Marines) will be able to perform (both direct and indirect combat missions),” Russell said.
The speed and maneuverability of the Interim Fast Attack Vehicles makes the vehicles a reasonable choice for jungle operations and open-desert missions, said Russell.
The Marines practiced several skills with the vehicles, such as obstacle avoidance, crossing submerged terrain and vehicle formations and defensive postures.
The Marines also practiced airborne insertion and extraction options with CH-53D Sea Stallions from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265. The ground troops and air crew practiced picking up and dropping off the vehicles.
The Marines also learned about advanced communications systems, which allow for more flexibility within widely dispersed units.
For the final three days of the exercise, the distributed operations platoon patrolled the central training area, encountering ambushes, obstacles and improvised explosive devices. The exercise culminated with the platoons conducting a nighttime raid on Combat Town on the last day of the exercise.
