CLB-5 trains to conduct IED sweeps, evacuate casualties

Twentynine Palms -- Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, which is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., conducted training at Range 114 as part of Integrated Training Exercise 1-18, aboard the installation, Oct. 21, 2017.

Each ITX is a 29-day evolution comprised of intense training cycles, which involve multiple live-fire exercises that assess the ability and adaptability of each force. Every iteration of ITX is focused on the tactical application of combined-arms maneuver warfare during global contingency operations.

For ITX 1-18 CLB-5 focused training on evacuating personnel from a vehicle that had been struck by a notional IED and using compact metal detectors to detect improvised explosive devices. The culminating event for the training was a motorized fire and maneuver exercise.

“This training event was important because it helps us to boost our survivability and adaptability as a platoon,” said Capt. William Pendergast, transportation services company commander, CLB-5. “The platoon simulated movement through an unblocked ambush, taking contact from the east and engaging while moving logistics vehicles and gun trucks out of kill zones. They were effective in suppressing the targets and moving the whole convoy out of the kill zone.”

According to Sgt. Devin Crawford, assistant operations chief, CLB-5, this training is vital in teaching Marines how to respond in real-life scenarios. Whether it’s receiving contact, being hit by IED strikes or evacuating casualties, training like this benefits not only individual units but the Corps as a whole. Bettering their unit directly affects the units they interact with therefore improving the operational readiness of America’s force in readiness.