MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- The Marines and sailors with Battery T, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, got a chance to practice their craft while providing artillery support for units training for their deployment during Enhanced Mojave Viper June 13 to 16, 2011, at the Quackenbush training area.
“Out here we have a lot of units calling for support, and they run us though lots of different scenarios with who we are supporting and why,” said Cpl. Ricardo Mange-Salinas, a section chief with Battery T, 5/11.
While adding to EMV’s diverse training, the battery received valuable experience handling live ammunition with their High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
“Anytime we can get out and do our job [in the training area] is twice as good as being at the gun park at Camp Pendleton just running though dry-fire missions,” said Cpl. Adam Christman, a section chief with Battery T, 5/11. “For a lot of the guys who haven’t shot a lot of rockets, it will be good for them when the launcher starts acting funny, and they will be able to troubleshoot [the problem] in the real world. You learn by experience in this job, so the field is definitely the place to be for HIMARS.”
The training 5/11 conducted aboard the Combat Center was a change of scenery from the normal training they perform at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.
“It is the best time for us to come out and do our training, coming out from the backyard at Pendleton,” said Christman. “Once we get in country, this is what we can expect.”
With their upcoming deployment, the training also serves to advertise the HIMARS capabilities to the units they may be working with.
“Many don’t know our capabilities, don’t know who we are or what we can do, so we are trying to put ourselves out there.” Mange-Salinas said.
Battery T, 5/11 will begin their pre-deployment training later this summer and are scheduled to ship out early next year.