Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. -- MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.--Marines of Company C, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, pushed their way through Copeland’s Assault during the Crucible at Edson Range, Jan. 15.
Copeland’s Assault prepares Marines for the fog of war that one would face in combat explained Sgt. Jake E. Aldrich, field instructor, Weapons and Field Training Battalion.
“We want to build up that stress factor that Marines have to work under to stay together as a team even through all of the chaos,” said Aldrich, a native of Daytona, Fla.
When the Marines arrived to the event they were briefed on what they would be doing during the course. After, they loaded up into two replica Amphibious Assault Vehicles.
The Marines were split up into fire teams, or teams of four, to resemble a real combat situation.
The noises of indirect fire such as machine gun fire and simulated mortars were going off on all sides of the Marines.
“They run through any type of obstacle the enemy can put out to try and block us,” said 27-year-old Aldrich. “Marines need to overcome the obstacles and finish the course.”
Obstacles such as barbed wire, walls, trenches and tunnels were used in the course while the Marines tried to complete it as fast as they could.
“It felt real,” said Pvt. James C. Kinney, Platoon 1042. “With all the explosions and sounds all around, it is hard to focus when you can’t hear anything.”
Marines previously ran through the course during Field Week, but as individuals. This time through they had to navigate the course in teams, which increased the difficulty.
“Shoot, move, and communicate is what we try to stress to the Marines,” said Aldrich. “Communication is key on the battlefield and that’s what we want the Marines to understand.”
According to Kinney, a native of South Bend, Ind., the most challenging part of the course was hearing what his fellow Marines were saying and also getting through the barbed wire.
The Marines will continue their combat training at the School of Infantry following graduation of recruit training.
“I think the earlier and the more often you practice this type of training, the less you will freak out when it happens for real,” said Kinney. “You never really know what is going to happen so you might as well just prepare for everything.”