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AT SEA - As an infantryman, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jeremiah
Skaggs has trained in different places around the world. He has
kicked doors down at the mock urban ranges in Camp Pendleton,
California, trudged through the dense jungles of Okinawa, Japan, and
climbed the snowy mountains of Bridgeport, California. Now, attached
to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Skaggs is honing his craft at
sea surrounded by the steel of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6).
Enhancing core infantry skills on a naval vessel comes with a
set of unique challenges. Space and time are huge limitations for
the Marines here who are accustomed to setting up shop on large
ranges to get the job done.
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U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jeremiah Skaggs stands in the hangar bay of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at sea, March 16, 2015. Skaggs, from Stockton, California, has trained in multiple environments including Bridgeport, California, Twentynine Palms, California, Okinawa, Japan, and now aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. Cpl. Skaggs is a squad leader with Weapons Co., Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and is currently participating in the MEU's annually-scheduled Spring Patrol of the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan C. Mains)
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“When we are on ship for weeks at a time, it is easy for
Marines to be stagnant, so it is important that we train day
to day and stay active,” said Skaggs, a squad leader with
Weapons Co., Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th
Marines, 31st MEU. “A lot of the training that we do such as
fast-roping or live-fire deck shoot's are perishable skills.
If you don't use them then you are going to lose them.”
The simplest tasks like eating, working out and sleeping
are not so simple anymore on ship. Ask any Marine or sailor
with a set of sea legs. Regardless of new routines, however,
Skaggs and his Marines continue to execute their tasks
proficiently.
“The stuff we do on ship is limited
because we have to tailor our training to fit around the
tight spaces, Navy personnel and other Marines,” said
Skaggs, a Stockton, California native. “One of the things
about being an infantryman is that you have to learn to
adapt.”
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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nicholas Santos, mortarman, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fast ropes off an MV-22B Osprey belonging to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, on the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), at sea, Feb. 18, 2015. The Marines of the 31st MEU are currently conducting their annual Spring Patrol of the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Richard Currier)
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Lance Cpl. Dushawn Lee has completed
fast-roping and rappelling, live-fire drills, and ship to
shore exercises during his short stint onboard the
amphibious assault ship. Lee vividly recalls his first time
sliding down a rope at sea.
“The first thing that goes through my mind whenever I look down
and I see the water below me is, ‘don't fall in,' said Lee, a
mortarman with BLT 2/4, 31st MEU.
Time gaps in the training
schedule are uniquely called ‘white space'. Savvy Marines exploit
these opportunities between exercises and operations to gain a
greater knowledge of their job.
“A lot of us have gone
through different schools like combat life saver course and winter
mountain leader course,” said Skaggs. “Sometimes we have Marines who
are skilled in one area teach it to the other Marines so that we can
help can get them up to speed and learn newer things.”
In the
past 15 years, the 31st MEU has participated in a multitude of
military operations to include the clearing of Fallujah in 2004
during Operation Phantom Fury. The 31st MEU has also responded to
several humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in
Myanmar, Japan and the Philippines.
“We are forward-deployed
and we have to stay mission-capable,” said Skaggs. “It is what we
signed up to do and we are just waiting for our numbers to be called
so we can do what we were trained to do.”
For Lee, deploying
on ship is a unique opportunity for several reasons.
“It is
truly a great experience to deploy on ship with the MEU,” said Lee,
from Sacramento, California. “You get to see the ocean all around
you, train in different countries and you get to do things a lot of
people don't get the chance to do.”
The Marines of BLT 2/4
make up the ground combat element for the 31st MEU and are currently
participating in the MEU's annually-scheduled Spring Patrol of the
Asia-Pacific region.
By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ryan C. Mains
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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