Australia
and U.S. in
TANDEM THRUST Amphibious Operation
- continued -
“We
are committed to optimizing every opportunity to integrate 31st MEU
and 2RAR forces into a single fighting element,” Col. Lowe said.
The ADF is well equipped to conduct amphibious operations. “We
take joint operations very seriously. The geographical environment
here encompasses a lot of water and air, so the effective defense of
Australia requires cooperation from the army, navy and air force,”
said Lt. Col. Flowers, interjecting that Australia does not have a Marine
Corps. “We’re a small defense force, so we have to make
the best use of our capabilities ... We are providing our troops firsthand
experience, and seeing how the Marines do business [gives] us a jumpstart
at developing our own amphibious capability.”
The 31st MEU also included the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-265
(HMM-265 “Dragons”) as the aviation combat element and the
MEU Service Support Group-31 (MSSG-31) as the combat service support
element. These elements joined forces with the ADF and engaged
in various aspects of field training that included the combined amphibious
landing, force-on-force training ashore, and two live-fire weapons shoots.
The MEU ground control element (BLT 1/5) supported the exercise with
four companies. Company A, the MEU’s boat company, was attached
to 2RAR in exchange for one of 2RAR’s rifle companies. Company
B was the MEU’s amphibious assault vehicle company, securing the
battalion landing sites on Blue Beach, clearing the route for follow-on
forces and conducting a link-up with 2RAR. Company C was responsible
for heliborne insertion operations. A Light Armored Vehicle platoon
reinforced the Weapons Company.
Fox Battery, 2d Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment – the artillery
unit attached to the ground control element - covered the movement of
the ground forces. “We were in an ideal location, and all we had
to do was keep adjusting our fires in covering their movement,”
said 1st Sgt. Armando N. Ybarra. “Coordinating and massing
fires between mortars and artillery was a first for us. The big
pay off, though, was Townsend Island.” The Island is
one of the two live-fire locations where the battery could send live
rounds down range and show that the M198 howitzer is truly the “king
of battle.”
..... 
..... 