Warfighting Lab equips Marines with added, enhanced capabilities

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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (June 2, 2006) -- Marines fighting the ongoing war on terrorism face enemies that are adaptive, decentralized and elusive.

According to Headquarters Marine Corps, the enemy will continue to develop new tactics designed to exploit perceived seams in Marine Corps capabilities, having recognized the overwhelming conventional superiority of U.S. forces. In order to maintain dominance on the battlefield, it is essential to the Corps that the methods of war-fighting change continuously, and Marines continue to adapt to new methods while remaining a flexible, combined-arms force.

The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va., brought a new concept as the challenge emerged — distributed operations.

Distributed operations is an approach which creates an advantage over an adversary through the use of separation and coordinated, independent, tactical actions enabled by increased access to fire support, as well as by enhanced combat capabilities at the small-unit level. Small, highly capable units spread across a large area of operations will provide the spatial advantage commonly required in maneuver warfare. They will be able to perceive an expanded battle space, and can use close combat or supporting arms to disrupt the enemy’s access to key terrain and avenues of approach.

This continuing trend of decentralizing authority that the Marine Corps has relied on in a basic sense for years distributes decision-making authority even further across a number of junior leaders, who are most directly engaged in the fight.

By moving the authority downward, the speed of command increases, explained Lt. Col. Jon M. Jacobs, deputy director of Experiment Division at the MCWL and officer-in-charge of small unit enhancement training.

“We are simply pushing our skill sets down,” said Jacobs. “There are ways the Marine Corps can adapt to current threats. We need to distribute authorities at a smaller level to platoon and squad leaders.

We’re basically taking authorities from the battalion to company levels, and from company levels to platoon and squad levels, he said. It’s an effective and more efficient way of dealing with the threats that we face today. This is nothing more than enhancing our current capabilities.”

The first step for units in developing these enhanced capabilities is to provide better training and equipment to the Marines, fire teams, squads and platoons.

Current efforts to refine this concept began March 12 with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

Squad leaders and some team leaders attended the Infantry Squad Leader’s Course provided by the Advanced Infantry Training Company, School of Infantry Camp Pendleton, Calif. The platoon commanders and selected Marines attended the Tactical Air Control Party Course with the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group. The Marines who best demonstrated the aptitude to control close air support were selected, regardless of rank or billet.

“We are trying to help Marines think for themselves and understand the intent of their higher command without calling and asking for direction every five minutes,” said Australian Army Warrant Officer 2nd Class Peter Brinksworth, an infantry officer and observer controller for the experiment. “A platoon with the distributed operations capability can cover the area of a company and remain just as lethal.”

The Marines then executed Small Unit Enhancement Training, a six-week training evolution aboard the Combat Center provided at the platoon level. It was primarily focused on enhancing the ability of the platoon to communicate, make use of supporting arms down to the squad level, conduct surveillance and patrol at large ranges for extended periods of time.

Marines were also trained on new added technologies designed to enhance their capabilities. The Marines were first trained to perform a mission without technical assistance, such as communications gear. Then tools to enable them to perform better in areas such as navigation, fire support and communication were given for the second time performing the same mission.

First Platoon, Bravo Company, 1/5, conducted a series of missions starting with short duration squad patrols to the employment of the entire platoon at a large range for an extended period of time.

It was the intent of the Warfighting Laboratory to push the forces to the point of failure. This was the only way to determine the capabilities and limitations of the distributed operations concept.

“They now have the capabilities to call for close air support and surface delivered fires,” said Capt. Ryan. McDonel, experiment fires officer at the Warfighting Laboratory. “The experiment provided the platoons with great command and control in an effort to heighten situational awareness. We’re still identifying a lot of areas where we need to spend time and resources.

McDonel stressed that Marines can develop their warfighting skills if properly trained and educated.

“Regardless of form distributed operations take, at the end of the day, we’ll have a better trained platoon, and establish a good foundation to push this enhanced training out to the fleet,” added McDonel. “Distributed operations is building combat power in different means other than mass. Increasing and emerging technology is the next logical step of developmental warfighting.”

Distributed operations training is not specific to Iraq, said 1st Lt. David Russell, 1st Platoon commander with Bravo Company, 1/5.

“The small unit leader intensive training package will help Marines make decisions under stressful conditions, and we will end up with a better unit regardless of the clime and place we are fighting in,” he said.

Cpl. Jeremiah W. Johnson, assistant squad leader with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1/5, and a veteran of two combat deployments, trained with the added capabilities for the first time.

“It’s very different than what we’ve been trained with before,” he said. “This field operation was the first time I actually got to call in artillery support and close air support. Not often does a corporal call in a live firing mission.

“It’s very effective and our staff sergeant or platoon commander won’t always be able to call in support for us,” continued Johnson. “They’re pretty much letting us control the mission.

“When we started this experiment, we had a bunch of new Marines right out of the School of Infantry. These guys picked it up real well and ran with it, he said. “It proves that it can be done. It’s just another tool in the tool box — a very big tool.”

Pfc. Sean K. Johnson, an infantryman with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1/5, has been with the battalion for seven months and finds the experiment to be very worthy of use, he said.

“There are tasks that are basically squad tasks, and we learned our squads are ready for these tasks with our added capabilities, he said. “The squad leaders seem to be confident already about all the commands.”

The platoon commander and platoon sergeant for 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1/5, are now certified Joint Tactical Air Controllers and the squad leaders and many of the fire team leaders are now Joint Forward Observers.

“The investment of training, education, and equipping Marines better is a step in the right direction and will benefit the Marine Corps exponentially,” said British Royal Marine Sgt. Peter McGinley, infantryman with 42nd Commandos and observer controller. “Now 1/5 has this added capability.”