Netherlands Marines and 2d Recon Battalion Train in Aruba
2 Jul 2021

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Bravo Co., 2d Reconnaissance Battalion (2d Recon), 2d Marine Division (2d MARDIV) deployed to conduct Exercise Caribbean Coastal Warrior – amphibious training held by Netherlands Marines in Aruba. U.S. Marines conducted training alongside Dutch Frogmen and the 32nd Raiding Squadron from the Netherlands Marine Corps with the goal of both units bolstering their competency in numerous capabilities, including dive operations essential to mission readiness.   

                                                                

The training leveraged the natural amphibious adeptness of the Netherlands Marines, which is largely attributable to Aruba’s island location in the Caribbean, and the Netherlands primarily coastal, below-sea-level regions in Northern Europe. Exercise Caribbean Coastal Warrior focused on increasing both units ‘proficiency in combatant diving and amphibious reconnaissance operations. 

“Training in a brand new location alongside our allies gives my team from 2d Reconnaissance Battalion the unparalleled opportunity to develop new procedures in waters we haven’t trained in before” said U.S. Marine Capt. Mitchell Moore,  “The waters are significantly clearer, which gives my team the ability to train on these new procedures prior to utilizing them at night.”


The Dutch Frogmen and Marines from 32nd Raiding Squadron trained the 2d Recon Marines in numerous tactics, techniques, and procedures, which would come in handy in regions where U.S. Marines may potentially deploy.

 

“Night dives increase our confidence and ability to work in low-visibility environments,” said Cpl. Francesco Prestia, a team leader with 2d Recon Bn. “Training with the Dutch increases our lethality and has also modernized our combat diving,” said Prestia.

 

A Dutch Marine diving expert with the Dutch Defense Diving School commented on his experience working with 2d Reconnaissance battalion.

 

“The thing about working together with Recon and the cooperation with the Dutch is that it is an advantage for both of us, not just Recon. Even though we’re thousands of miles away from each other, we are quite the same, and recon has very professional divers. Even though we have different procedures, we are able to look at each other’s procedures that will benefit us to use in a way that will work. I think that will be the biggest benefit in the end of this exercise. These operations are necessary in order to maintain a strong working relationship between the Netherlands and the U.S. which will benefit both of us in the future.”

 

High-resolution imagery of the training and a written story is available at the DVIDS link below. For more information about the exercise, please contact 1st Lt. Sydney Murkins at Sydney.murkins@usmc.mil.

  

 

-USMC-

 

For imagery and video of the event, please visit  

DVIDS: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/2MARDIV  

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Official Website: https://www.2ndmardiv.marines.mil/