JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va –
Joint Base Langley-Eustis is home to planes, trains, helicopters and watercraft. These resources are utilized by members of the U.S. Army and Air Force as well as the Marine Corps.
Over the course of three cold, snowy and rainy days, Marines from the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team at Norfolk Naval Station conducted fixed site security training aboard a landship at 3rd Port on Fort Eustis.
The training sharpened the Marines’ skills and enhanced their readiness for future deployments.
“A venue like this allows us to practice fixed site security,” said U.S. Marine Corps Captain Robert Macias, 2nd Platoon Commander, FAST Company A, Marine Corps Security Force Regiment. “During this training evolution the Marines enhanced their skills in interior guard procedures, escalation of force and reacting to various scenarios related to fixed site security.”
The Marines also practiced procedures for handling detainees, reporting incidents and medically evacuating casualties.
The landship added new dimensions and threats to what the Marines have previously trained on. Surrounded by water, the ship forced them to be alert to threats coming from the channel where no obstacles could be placed.
“We started out slow, giving the Marines time to build a baseline understanding of the pattern of life within the surrounding area,” Macias explained. “Then, the platoon sergeant and I began implementing scenarios forcing them to react to possible threats outside the wire, conduct personnel searches, process detainees and respond to breaches in our obstacle belt.”
The inclement weather increased physical stressors, ensuring the Marines are able to respond and adapt appropriately to difficult situations.
“Our goal was to push the Marines out of their comfort zones and force them to think,” Macias said. “In real life they could be making decisions with very serious implications in a matter of seconds.”
According to Macias, the biggest benefit of the training was the realistic application it provided. He stated the platoon plans on using the landship for additional training in the future, and encourages other units to work with the Harbormaster and take advantage of this resource.