MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Approximately 44 airmen and Sailors, all photographers armed to the teeth with M-16A2 service rifles and a wide array of visual information equipment, including still and video cameras, embarked on their first ever Quick Shot joint-exercise here April 18 - 23.
“Quick Shot is a bi-annual field exercise designed to enable Navy combat cameramen to refresh field skills prior to deployment,” said Navy Lt. Bryan K. Logan, officer-in-charge of the Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific based out of Naval Air Station North Island. “Quick Shot has been purely a Navy-Marine Corps exercise for the past four years until this exercise, when we invited the Air Force to join us in our training.”
The exercise is held on Camp Pendleton due to the proximity and great variety of training facilities available, according to Navy Chief Petty Officer Rodney J. Furry, reserve senior enlisted advisor, Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific.
The training, provided by Division Schools, consists of a collaboration of day-and-night land navigation, weapons handling and proficiency, evasion tactics, field hygiene, nuclear, biological and chemical defense training and helicopter rope suspension techniques.
During the week in the field, the photographers not only completed these field exercises, but used their cameras to document everything just as they would on deployment.
“We have photographers designated by day, meaning a team of photographers and videographers would be tasked with documenting the days events,” explained Air Force 2nd Lt. Trent L. McGee, squadron operations chief, 30th Space Communications Squadron based out of Vandenberg Air Force Base. “Once they have sufficient imagery, they hand their cameras off and conduct the training themselves. Everyone trains.”
The Air Force’s basic training aboard Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, consists of five days of field training including one day of qualification with the M-16A2 service rifle.
“This is my first real (field training exercise),” said 19-year-old Airman 1st Class Keyonna Fennell, a photographer with the 30th Space Communications Squadron. “Field training with the Navy and Marine Corps is vastly different from anything we do in the Air Force.”
While the Navy photographers regularly conduct this exercise and do field photography, Air Force photographers spend most of their time indoors doing crime-scene or studio photography.
“The realistic field environment here would help me immensely in the field,” said Airman 1st Class Trey P. Lewis, photographer with the 30th Space Communications Squadron. “Everything in the field is more spontaneous. You’ve got to be on your toes in order to get the best shots because there is action; nothing is static.”