MCB CAMP LEJEUNE -- Marines with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and 8th Engineer Support Battalion were recognized by Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune’s top leader for their efforts in the reconstruction of the G-36 Company Battle Course Range, formerly known as the G-6 Range on MCB Camp Lejeune, Oct. 29, 2020.
The Marines were recognized by Maj. Gen. Julian D. Alford, the commanding general of Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, during an award ceremony at the newly-reconstructed range. The range construction efforts started in June 2020 and ended Oct. 23, 2020.
“I drew this range on the back of a napkin over at the Officers’ Club in the summer of 2017,” said Alford. “I got all of the Range Control (personnel) together, and we laid out what we wanted to do. The plans were similar to what we have out here now.”
According to Alford, he saw the opportunity to execute the redesign of the range when he was assigned to MCB Camp Lejeune in the summer of 2019 as the commanding general.
The range has been redesigned to enable company commanders to train with organic weapons systems and attachments they would have available while forward deployed, giving them the ability to conduct full-scale operations on one range.
“The Marine Corps will fight again, and we need to be able to close with and destroy the enemy,” Alford said. “This range will enhance the Marine Corps’ capabilities.”
According to Dale Kruse, director for range and training area management on MCB Camp Lejeune, the new range was inspired by Range 400 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. G-36 has three platoon-sized objectives that range from the trench line to the support teams and is geared toward giving Marines an opportunity to conduct operations as they would in combat with their company.
The trench line objective is equipped with strong points and bunker systems created to simulate engaging an enemy holed up in trenches. Marines will be able to take out the machine gun bunkers and other nodes within the complex. The bunker complexes are equipped to withstand live grenades, room clearing operations, and breaching operations to penetrate the command and control strong points located on the objective.
The range extends into the wood lines on both sides, enabling Marines to extend into the adjacent G-27 range which provides more opportunities for fire support team and combined armor team missions.
“This range adds more capability than what was previously here,” Kruse said. “From more of a linear objective to a range where you can get the whole company attacking at one time and unleashing all the fire power available to the company commander.”
The range with be ready for training this December once the vegetation and erosion control measures have taken hold. India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment will be the first to conduct operations on the new range.