MARINE CORPS TRAINING AREA BELLOWS -- On July 17, 2006, two Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters aided in the voluntary departure of 42 American citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.
This would be the beginning of a non-combatant evacuation operation for thousands of American citizens in Beirut, Lebanon. This evacuation involved multiple aircraft, war ships, troops and three civilian vessels contracted by the U.S. Navy.
To prepare Marines for future crisis response, they train to similar conditions utilizing this historical mission as a backdrop.
On July 25, 2017, Marines with Marine Aircraft Group 24 and 3rd Marine Regiment integrated together to rehearse a non-combatant evacuation operation; the exercise took place across three geographically separate training areas on Oahu to include Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and Kahuku Training Area.
Maj. Robert Monroe, the future operations officer MAG-24, helped coordinate the aviation operations side of the exercise.
“We conducted a historical recreation mission of the 2006 Lebanon non-combatant evacuation operation,” he said. “We had Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, acting as role-players for Lebanese soldiers and locals at a simulated embassy in Beirut aboard Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.”
He added that it that the integrated training of a Marine aviation unit and a Marine infantry battalion from the same III Marine Expeditionary Force is a useful event they look to incorporate in to all exercises.
“We are always looking for opportunities to work alongside 3rd Marine Regiment,” he said. “Together we trained for this NEO as a Marine Air Ground Task Force.”
For the ground forces, 1st Sgt. Jerry Moon, the company first sergeant for India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, observed and coordinated his Marines during the exercise.
“As the ground combat element of this exercise, we had Marines with India acting as the security forces,” he said. “The Marines secured the landing zone for the aircraft, the American civilians and for a noncombatant evacuation operation where we simulated evacuating American civilians out of an embassy from two different locations.”
2nd Lt. Andrew Carlson, a commander with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, led the security force during the exercise.
“For the exercise, the Marines were simulating taking off from an amphibious assault ship or LHD platform,” he said. “The MV-22 Ospreys took off from a marked landing zone at LZ Tiger Shark, representing the deck of an LHD.”
Carlson said that the training areas here on Oahu provided similar environments to that of the Lebanon NEO and helped with the historical mission accuracy.
“We have excellent training areas here on the island that help improve the realism of the theatre of war,” he said. “At MCTAB, we had military operations in urban terrain towns to replicate an embassy and role-players provided by India as well.”
Carlson remarked that even though this was only a historical mission, it only helps in contingency operation if another crisis response or emergency happens.
“As Marines we train like we fight and prepare for any situation,” he said. “Marines were able to integrate with MAG-24 and become a MAGTF. Whatever the mission, we are always ready because we are the nation’s force in readiness.”
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