TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – In today's evolving and increasingly lethal battlefield landscape, Marine Corps Force Design initiatives are emphasizing maneuverable and dispersed units that can operate inside environments heavily contested by the weapons engagement zone of enemy forces and fires. This demands seamless integration between all elements of the Marine Corps Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), command, combat, logistics, and aviation.

Advanced Motorized Operations Course (AMOC) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MAGTF-TC) Twentynine Palms, Calif., showcased how a distributed, platoon-sized Logistics Combat Element (LCE) force can leverage air support functions from three Aviation Combat Element (ACE) squadrons to enhance their survivability and sustain operations in high-intensity combat scenarios on July 24, 2025.

B Company, Combat Logistics Battalion-8, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, executed a convoy resupply through and around the extinct Holocene volcanoes of Lavic Lake in Training Area Lavic, MAGTF-TC. The mission of the convoy was to deliver air-dropped supplies from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 (VMM-165), Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Air Wing, to a Ground Combat Element (GCE) battalion, with expected enemy contact from Type 05 series Infantry Fighting Vehicles and dismounted infantry.

B Company’s convoy consisted of three Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) trucks, and four Joint Light Tactical Vehicle’s (JLTV). The heaviest weaponry B Company’s convoy possessed was the M240B Medium Machinegun. In the given scenario, B Company was outgunned by the 30mm cannons of the enemy Type 05’s. Success or failure of B Company through their conduct of AMOC would depend on their speed and air support.

In the beginning of their mission, B Company demonstrated several immediate actions familiar to Marine Corps convoy operations. These immediate actions included cordoning off and clearing an IED, recovering casualties through ground casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and executing a towed vehicle recovery of a JLTV by a MTVR MK 36 Wrecker while taking enemy contact.

After breaking contact, B Company established circular security of a landing zone (LZ) for Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 (HMH-361), Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Air Wing. 15 minutes later, a CH-53E Super Stallion from HMH-361 landed in the ad hoc LZ. An MTVR from B Company drove up to the CH-53E and Marines transferred the MTVR’s casualties into the helicopter, before the CH-53E took off to the Navy Medical Damage Control Resuscitation (DRC) center in the rear area. The total time from the CH-53E landing to the casualties being loaded took five minutes.

When the first CH-53E left the LZ, a second landed to assess the suitability of a JLTV hulk meant to stand in for the “damaged” JLTV currently being towed by MK 36 Wrecker. Once the lift points were deemed acceptable, that CH-53E took off and executed a flight pattern that transitioned into attaching its helicopter sling load cables to the hulk, practicing the beginning stages of an external airlift.

While the “Flying Tigers” of HMH-361 provided CASEVAC and heavy lift support for B Company, two AH-1Z Vipers from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367), Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing conducted several gun runs with their 20mm cannons and 2.75” high explosive rockets on armored targets threatening the convoy and HMH-361 at distances as close approximately 200-250 meters.

“We can provide a different view of the battlefield from the air and can pass critical information about the enemy that the ground forces may not be able to see.” Captain Lee Hyatt, a Viper pilot with HMLA-367 said, when asked about the importance of light attack helicopters providing fires and reconnaissance for ground forces, “We can maneuver quickly onto targets of opportunity with rockets and guns and employ precision guided munitions on targets up to 8km away to protect friendly movements.”

In the span of approximately an hour and a half, CLB-8, HMH-361, and HMLA-367 had supported each other to conduct close air support and air evacuation, sub-categories of two of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation, offensive air support and assault support.

“Aviation isn’t merely transportation—it’s a force multiplier,” said Lt. Col. Kyleigh Cullen, commanding officer of HMH-361 “It extends the reach, speed, and resilience of expeditionary logistics on the modern battlefield. When aerial lift and ground logistics are synchronized, the MAGTF gains the ability to sustain operations at the tempo required for mission success."

Successful coordination of close air support and assault support during AMOC demonstrates the significance of how simultaneous actions can help maintain tempo on the battlefield. HMLA-367 provided protective fires more powerful than B Company could organically support themselves, ensuring that any decisive engagement by enemy mechanized formations could be interdicted long enough to facilitate the air evacuations. HMH-361 evacuating the casualties and damaged vehicle of CLB-8 allowed B Company to increase their speed and maneuverability, and the convoy commander to focus all their resources on convoy operations meant to resupply an infantry battalion of the GCE.

These simultaneous actions also require effective command and control to coordinate.

“Escorting HMLA has the capability to relay to Joint Tactical Air Controllers who then relay to the Tactical Air Command Center (TACC) what the status of an LZ is, and coordinate the timing for assault support to conduct,” said 1stLt. Brooks Morgan, an Air Support Control Officer with Marine Air Support Squadron (MASS) 3. “Or, if already positioned, HMLA can act as a coordinator, and talk the landing aircraft on to the LZ.”

MASSs provide the processing of immediate air support requests, integrate aircraft with supporting arms, manage terminal control assets and procedurally control aircraft through the Direct Air Support Center (DASC), allowing command and control of aircraft in support of MAGTF operations.

“Coordinating all of those layers requires an in depth understanding of the ground commanders’ scheme of maneuver and what effects need to occur,” 1stLt Morgan said, “A battlespace is ever changing, and without a central hub for information between air and ground units, it can become easy for agencies to not act in concert with the commander’s desired end state.”

Once the air evacuation was complete, B Company reformed on their route, escorted by HMLA-367. The two Vipers of “Scarface” flew circular patterns several hundred meters out in front of the convoy, engaging targets with rockets, and collecting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) for the convoy commander, ensuring enemy forces were unable to threaten the resupply mission. After the enemy threat was assessed to be minimal, the Vipers exfiltrated back to the nearest friendly airfield, and B Company finished their resupply mission unopposed.

“It was amazing to see the MAGTF’s integrated strength in action combining convoy operations and close air support (CAS),” Lt. Ezona Haile, the convoy commander for B Company during AMOC said, “For convoy operations, having air on station is critical for our survivability, enabling maneuver and sustaining tempo for mission accomplishment. AMOC provided an unparalleled training environment allowing ground and air elements to refine coordination and communication through realistic conditions.”

As Force Design calls for more maneuverable, dispersed forces, in a battlefield where the traditional deep, close, and rear areas are increasingly blended by developing technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), rocket artillery, and spectrometers, AMOC helps highlight how the Logistics Combat Element, traditionally operating in the rear area, can wield logistics as a form of maneuver in the close area to gain positional advantage over the enemy.

“Convoy operations in distributed environments rely on seamless air-ground integration,” said Lt. Col. Lewis, battalion commander of CLB-8, “Rotary-wing assets provide crucial air support, mitigating threats and enabling the freedom of maneuver necessary to gain and maintain positional advantage. This includes vital assault support for rapid casualty evacuation and crucial resupply, ensuring sustainment even while on the move and enabling continued pressure on the adversary.”

Increasing the survivability of units on the battlefield by conducting the actions demonstrated in AMOC, allows units to extend their culminating point. The culminating point is a moment when a force, either on offense or defense, can no longer effectively continue its current form of operations. More survivable logistics convoys ensure more survivable ground units, as the Ground Combat Element (GCE), in addition to the LCE and ACE, can receive the sustainment they need to stay in the fight. By staying on the battlefield longer, ground units can maintain positional advantage over enemy forces by continuing to apply pressure on them, and occupy key terrain.

By synchronizing effects across the domains of warfare with integrated, distributed, and mobile units, Marines can enhance our resilience as a force and prevent adversary disruption to our operations.

CLB-8, HMH-361, HMLA-367, VMM-165, and MASS 3, are currently attached to Marine Air Ground Task Force-6 (MAGTF-6), a MAGTF composited under the command element of 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, for the conduct of Service Level Training Exercise (SLTE) 4-25.

MAGTF-6 is conducting SLTE 4-25 to train for high-intensity, multi-domain combat operations against a peer adversary in an expeditionary environment, and prepare 6th Marine Regiment for command and control of high-intensity combat operations and crisis response.