Bravo Company
Marines, Sailors, Families, and Friends:
Happy New
Year! I hope everyone in the Bravo
family was able to have a Merry Christmas and enjoyable holiday season with
family and friends. The past few months
have been incredibly busy for the Marines and sailors of Company B. Throughout this quarter, the company spent a
total of 5 weeks in the field, with another week conducting simulated exercises
focusing on “combined arms” integration.
Additionally, the company spent the weeks leading up to the holidays
preparing for our semi-annual tank gunnery right around the corner. The focus of the company over these past four
months has been offensive operations, defensive operations, combined arms
breaching, and Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear defense operations. As always your Marines and sailors excelled
and continue to do outstanding things within the battalion.
The upcoming
quarter will continue to be a busy one for the company. The company will head out to qualify during
our semi-annual tank gunnery, spending the better part of a month on the tank
range. The days are long and the
competition is intense amongst the individual crews and platoons, but gunnery
training truly embodies what being in a tank battalion is all about.
Shortly after
gunnery ends in February, the company will be participating in our Battalion
Field Exercise (BNFEX) “Operation Iron Blitz” aboard Camp Lejeune. This exercise involves units from multiple
services, occupational specialties, and skill sets from up and down the East
Coast. BNFEX will be one of the largest
exercises to take place aboard Camp Lejeune in recent years.
In March the
company will conduct semi-annual tank services (think 50,000 mile services for
your vehicle). During this time, though
your Marine or sailor will be home every night, the days are typically quite
long and labor intensive. These services
are important for the company so that we can ensure our tanks are combat ready
at all times.
The
battalion is coordinating numerous “relationship building” events for single
Marines, married Marines and their significant others, or folks that just want
to improve their day to day relationships.
I highly encourage you to attend if able. The next seminar will take place on 22
January at the 2d Tank Battalion Command Post.
Your Marine or sailor has access to all of the details.
Some future
dates to keep in mind:
-
Semi
Annual Tank Gunnery 11
January – 6 February
-
Healthy
Relationship Seminar: 22 January
-
Battalion
Field Exercise: 19-26 February
-
Semi
Annual Tank Services: Month of
March
Company B
Tanker of the Quarter:
The Tanker of
the Quarter is Corporal Edward J. Douse. Cpl Douse hails from St. Thomas, US
Virgin Islands. He was meritoriously
promoted to the rank of Corporal in December while attending the 2d Tank
Battalion Corporals Course. While
attending the course, Cpl Douse was voted by his peers to receive the “Gung Ho”
Award for his enthusiasm and ability to bring folks together as a team.
Semper Tanks,
Captain Kevin
Newport