Marine Corps Air ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, calif. -- Marines and sailors of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, stormed the Combat Center’s Range 210 during their Mission Readiness Exercise May 16. Cutting Edge is preparing for their upcoming deployment later this year.
Range 210 is a company-level mechanized attack that spans the Combat Center’s Lead Mountain and Bullion training areas.
The exercise utilized 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, personnel as evaluators during their training. They also utilized 1st Tank Battalion, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion and various air elements during the exercise.
“We’re just providing the evaluation, like safety officers, and giving them a different view on training,” said Gunnery Sgt. John Austin, company gunnery sergeant, Co. G, 2/7. “The most important thing is to allow the Marines to see the ability of combined arms. Once you have all of the agencies working together, the Marines on the ground can actually see how we go from the assembly area to the limit of advance, with all of those agencies doing their job. It’s a good thing to have the Marines see that this actually works.”
After unloading from the back of amphibious assault vehicles and setting up a support position, Co. K rushed into the town which dominates the range.
The Marines assaulted the buildings, clearing each building as they advanced toward the simulated enemy. The layout of the town gave the Marines different challenges, including simulated enemy targets and weapons caches.
“I was pretty impressed,” said 2nd Lt. Tyler Winters, maintenance management officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 3/7. “It’s nice to see the combination of fires, like indirect fire form artillery, 81mm mortars and tanks.”
The five-hour assault came to a close after they took control of the town. The company set up a defensive perimeter around the town, preparing to defend against an imminent counter-offensive from the insurgents.
The Marines and sailors of 3/7 will be continuing their predeployment training during their 28 day Integrated Training Exercise this summer. They plan to train and push themselves hard before their deployment later this year.