11th MEU Raids Mock Enemy Stronghold in Two-week Training

Clouds of dust billowed from several sand-colored humvees as they advanced in tandem through a gated area known as Red Beach at the northern section of Camp Pendleton Tuesday.

The day closely marked the beginning of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s second week of its current pre-deployment training. The unit is scheduled for another training event in two weeks, then will conduct three more exercises at sea aboard its ships.

The 11th MEU, comprised of about 2,100 Marines and sailors aboard three ships, the Makin Island, Pearl Harbor and New Orleans, is set to deploy to the Western Pacific and Middle East regions in the fall, 11th MEU spokesperson Capt. Roger Hollenbeck said.

Last week, the Marines simulated an amphibious landing on the beach and proceeded to set up camp. Tents and camouflage netting speckled the landscape.

Several rows of a dozen or so small “hooches,” or tents, stood on the periphery of the beach landing and an area labeled “Hygiene” was roped off nearby.

On the other side of the camp, a group of three engaged in Marine Corps martial arts training while a Marine near them did squats with another Marine draped over his shoulders in a “Fireman’s Carry.” 

Some of the Marines looked fatigued. One lance corporal mentioned he was only eating one meal a day after another Marine commented on how much weight he’d lost. 

Further inland aboard the base, Col. Michael Hudson, commanding officer of the 11th MEU, gave a demonstration of Marine combat capabilities to Navy officers of the USS Makin Island and others.

The demonstration was part of a training exercise meant to simulate a raid on a mock town during which an enemy combatant of interest was to be captured alive.

“Everything you’re seeing today is coming off of your ships,” Hudson told the eight sailors in the group. “It’s kind of to give you an eye on what the other half of the team is doing.”

The visitors were led to a three-story structure in the center of the Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) town. A few Marines dressed in white gowns with fabric draped over their heads to simulate combatants and noncombatants.

Some held weapons and some did not, so the raiding teams would have to distinguish within seconds between friend and foe.

There are several MOUT towns located on the base; this one has 30 buildings of various sizes. Battlefield technicians ran wires and prepped explosive effects in anticipation of the Marine raiding team.

“What you see with the effects here, is to kind of let you know that … there’s some chaos out here,” Hudson said.

Several guide wires were strung from building to building to simulate a rocket-propelled grenade attack. The device was made by attaching a propellant—much like what can be found in a simple model rocket kit—to a plastic plumbing pipe. Once the makeshift rocket was ignited and reached its destination, technicians detonated a fireball explosive.

There were similar devices located in different places around the compound—some buried in the dirt under rocks, to simulate enemy improvised explosive devises (IEDs).

“It took us a couple of hours to set everything that we’re setting up today,” battlefield technician Miguel Corona told Patch.

The distinctive thudding sound of helicopter blades resonated overhead and grew louder. Huey helicopters and Cobra aircraft circled in the distance.

Two CH-46 helicopters landed to the west of the town, then to the north and finally to the south, offloading Marines at all points to set up blocking positions to keep enemy combatants from entering the town and increasing the enemy’s numbers.

“The one bird that’s in the overhead now is the command and control. It’s a UH-1 Yankee and the FACA (Forward Air Controller Airborne) was up there coordinating all the air assets, in accordance with all the ground assets,” said Sgt. Brian Richardson, Huey crew chief with HMLA-268 attached to the 11th MEU.

Once offloaded from the CH-46 helicopters in the northern position, a team of scouts traveled east behind an ascending ridgeline to begin observation of the town.

Once in position, the Marines headed back down the ridgeline and started taking small arms fire from the rooftop in the town.

A Marine carrying a 240 Gulf machine gun laid down “support by fire” in small 9-13 round bursts, meant to cause the enemy to cease firing and seek cover.