Marines Improve Ability to Quickly Acquire Targets

1/4/2010 By Lance Cpl. James Clark, Regimental Combat Team 7

CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan — Adjusting his body armor, a designated marksman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment tracks the progress of a patrol of Marines from his perch atop the rocky hillside. The marksman follows the line of tan figures as they plod along towards the platoon attack course at Range 3, Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, Jan. 2, 2010.

CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan-Marines and sailors with Bravo Co., 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, respond to simulated enemy contact during a training exercise at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, Jan. 2, 2010. The Marines ran a platoon attack course focused on the positive identification of targets and precision fires in order to reduce the risk of civilian causalities during future operations.

The patrol rounds the bend and approaches a cluster of HESCO barriers that represent the first set of houses. There’s a brief sputter of chatter across the radio before the patrol separates into squads, which break down further into four man fire teams. Each element pushes towards a predetermined objective, but must also remain cognizant of the situation as it develops and targets are identified.

As the patrol nears the houses and responds to simulated enemy fire, they must determine which targets are hostile and which are friendly as they prepare to return fire.

The exercise simulates a patrol taking on an enemy position without the use of indirect fire due to risk of causing civilian casualties. This in turn forces the Marines to rely on accurate small arms fire, said 1st Lt. Mark A. Greenlief, the executive officer for Bravo Co., 1/6. The purpose of the training exercise is to further develop the Marines’ ability to quickly acquire enemy targets and engage them, while minimizing the risk to civilians.

“Coordination is essential at the individual Marine level, and all the way up. The goal is to teach that the kinetic solution isn’t always the best one,” said Greenleif.

As the Marines moved through the course they came across silhouettes marked by different colors meant to indicate a hostile or friendly target.

“The exercise gave us the chance to distinguish between targets in the heat of the moment,” said Lance Cpl. Brandon C. McConnell, a team leader with Bravo Co., 1/6. “It’s pretty easy [during training], in the real world, it won’t be like this, and you’ll have only a few seconds to make that judgment. The biggest challenge is trying to determine who’s friendly and who isn’t.”

McConnell, who was with 1/6 on their last deployment to Afghanistan as a part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, described the challenge of making careful and good decisions in the middle of combat. “You have to maintain control. You’re getting shot at by one person, and you want to just shoot back at everyone, but you know you can’t.”

The success of counterinsurgency operations relies heavily on the ability of Marines and sailors to reduce civilian casualties. This requires each individual Marine to take great care in acquiring each and every target.