CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. --
As clouds rolled across the wide
California sky, sending shadows racing across the green hills in Camp Roberts
National Guard training center, thundering booms echoed through the valley as
mortars found their targets. Half a mile away, Marines with 6th Air Naval
Gunfire Liaison Company relayed target trajectories and coordinates to the
mortarmen of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division. The
units partnered together Jan. 23, 2016 to conduct live call-for-fire training
with mortars, as well as machine gun ranges to qualify their Marines.
“For this drill
weekend, our mission was to conduct indirect and supporting arms training,”
said Col. Seth Milstein, 6th ANGLICO commanding officer. “We completed that in
conjunction with a mortar platoon from 2/23, as well as continued illumination
fire and machine gun ranges for our Headquarters and Service element and brigade
element.”
Since its
inception in 2013, 6th ANGLICO faces unique challenges as a young unit, which
includes quickly retraining Marines in new military occupation specialties to
bring the unit to the optimum readiness level. ANGLICO Marines often train with
virtual simulators, so having the chance to complete live-fire training was a
crucial step to reaching the unit’s training and readiness levels.
“As a newer unit,
we face a number of interesting challenges, the biggest being getting our
Marines through the high-demand, low-density school seats to complete their
training and specialty requirements,” Milstein said. “It’s the issue of forming
these teams and developing their skills to the level that’s required to
maintain optimum unit functionality.”
The Marines of 6th
ANGLICO provided target coordinates and trajectories for the mortar platoons to
affect with suppressive fire, illuminating fire, or fire-for-effect
drills. In addition to the live-fire
training, training alongside the mortar men from 2/23 gave the unit unexpected
benefits.
“There is no
substitute for live-fire training,” Milstein said. “Being able to participate
in live-fire drills with indirect fire units is valuable training for the
Marines, and also gives other units insight into our capabilities and functions
as an ANGLICO unit.”
According to
Milstein, much of the Marine Corps’ ANGLICO capabilities have been shifted to
the reserves. In recent years, there has been heavier use of Reserve units to
fulfill capabilities which cannot be covered by the active component due to
budget restrictions. This means it is imperative to have all Reserve Marines
fully and comprehensively trained for missions that may surface at any time.
“They are building
better unit integrity at the small unit level,” Milstein said. “Our firepower
control teams and supporting arms liaison teams have the opportunity to work
together to complete basic ANGLICO training readiness standards, particularly
on indirect fire support, with firepower support teams working with their
headquarters element, the supporting arms liaison teams.”
The ANGLICO
Marines were able to practice technical proficiencies unique to their mission
such as radio functions, etiquette, programing and troubleshooting, as well as call-for
fire formats.
“We often train
using virtual simulations, so conducting live-fire training with a different
unit exposes us to the many variables that can come about in combat situations,
which gives us experience in how to deal with those variables,” said Sgt.
Christopher Cropley, a forward observer with 6th ANGLICO. “This has been a
valuable experience for myself and my fellow Marines. Our technical proficiency
is something that needs to be practiced regularly, and conducting live-fire
training is invaluable for that.”
The brief training exercise allowed 6th ANGLICO
to hone their skills in forward observation and indirect fire, leaving the California
hills speckled with smoking craters. Despite the challenges it faces, the young
unit aims for explosive development into a formidable element in the Marine
Corps Reserve’s ongoing mission to remain technically and tactically
proficient.