MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Most units aboard Camp Pendleton are constantly training for upcoming deployments, and some have less time to prepare than others.
“This is the most rapid operational deployment schedule (this company) has ever experienced,” said Maj. David Stohs, the executive officer for 1st Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, which recently conducted air-strike coordination here May 4.
The 1st ANGLICO Marines returned from Iraq in mid-March and will deploy again in August.
The training, focusing on small, team exercises, tested the company’s ability to coordinate effective small-arms, artillery and ordnance fires, from ground and air, without risking the lives of friendly forces, Stohs said.
The company can “provide the liaison element for any force, any country or any branch” that is supported primarily by a Marine Corps combat element, said Capt. Sean M. Elward, firepower control team leader, 1st ANGLICO.
The unit “recruits” individuals from a wide array of military occupational specialties, many of whom request to be in the company.
“I wanted to come here,” said Capt. Jason A. Angell, a FCT leader with 1st ANGLICO, who served as an infantry and as an artillery officer prior to joining the unit. “The Marines are really high caliber and professional.”
The Marine of 1st ANGLICO used Ground Laser Target Designator (GLTD) technology to place invisible, laser energy on a target, making it possible to engage the enemy with precision-guided weapons.
They also set up and trained with the Vector, a laser-range finder, that computes the exact distance and distance of a target, as well as gives the target a very precise ten-digit grid, said Master Sgt. Joe A. McGuigan, operations chief, 1st ANGLICO.
The new additions to the company went through the recent training to familiarize themselves with the equipment and procedures used in combat, said Stohs.
Some Marines in the company have deployed more than five times, and it’s up to these veterans to help newcomers operate the equipment, such as GLTD, with a “crawl, walk, run” mentality, Elward said.
The company will start training more intensely on a much larger scale as the deployment date approaches, Elward explained.
“I’m particularly proud of this unit,” said Stohs, who is preparing for his seventh deployment. “We’ve got Marines from all backgrounds coming together… and they’ve done a great job.”
“It’s unusual to have infantry, tank, artillery and aviation officers all in one place,” added Stohs, “but it’s important to have Marines from all these units for (the ANGLICO mission) to be successful.”
Though 1st ANGLICO largely consists of noncommissioned and commissioned officers, junior Marines have also come on board to assist the mission.
“I’m learning how they control the (aircrafts’ firepower) and how they run everything,” said Pfc. Timothy L. Hunt, radio operator, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. “Being a part of this makes me feel good because I’m the one they picked to leave the office and come out here.”