MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marines with Bravo Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, freshened their patrolling skills, obstacle breaching skills and dynamic entry with shotgun skills June 6 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“They conducted a dynamic entry with shotguns, some patrolling today and breached some obstacles like cattle fences, tangle foot and triple stranded concertina wire using the Bangalore torpedo charges,” said Gunnery Sgt. Ricardo Feliciano, the chief instructor for Engineer Training Area 9 and 10, with 2nd CEB.
During the training, the Marines patrolled through a training range with obstacles set up which they had to move through. Once they reached an obstacle, such as concertina or barbed wire, the Combat Engineer Battalion Marines used their tools and training to move through the obstacle.
The Marines cut through the wires which were in their way using bolt cutters to break the wires apart. Once they were through, they marked off the path which was deemed safe and clear of any obstacles so that the rest of the Marines on the patrol could safely move on.
Toward the end of their patrol the Marines faced simulated enemies hiding in the distance who fired on them using blank rounds. The Marines then returned fire, also using blank rounds, and provided suppressive fire so that the combat engineers could move on and clear the path of any other obstacles.
In order to help conceal their movement, the Marines threw smoke grenades. Once the smoke began to build up, a Marine ran up to the obstacle with the Bangalore torpedo charges and set them in place. Once set, the Marines paused the training so that they could take shelter behind a bunker so that the Bangalore could be safely detonated.
After the Marines were finished with the patrolling, they then received a weapons safety class on the Mossberg 500, which they used for the dynamic entry training.
Once they received the weapons safety class, they conducted a familiarization fire and then practiced the dynamic breaching with the shotgun. They simulated shooting off doorknobs and hinges.
“As an engineer that’s all standard [training and readiness] we have to get,” added Feliciano.
This training allowed the Marines to reaffirm their skills in preparation for their upcoming deployment at the end of the year.