Marines

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Major William Tyree, the future operations officer with Headquarters Regiment, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and Gunnery Sgt. Carl Phillips, the future operations chief, review data sent to them from Marines and sailors during a battle skills exercise prior to the start of Large Scale Exercise-15 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 3-6, 2015. LSE-15 is a combined U.S. Marine Corps, Canadian and British exercise conducted at the Brigade-level, designed to enable live, virtual and constructive training for participating forces. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/Released) 

Photo by Cpl. Michael Dye

Hq. Reg., 2nd MLG, conducts battle skills exercise in order to prepare for Large Scale Exercise 15

5 Aug 2015 | Cpl. Michael Dye II Marine Expeditionary Force

Marines and sailors with Headquarters Regiment, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, conducted a battle skills exercise to prepare for Large Scale Exercise 15 aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 3-6, 2015.

“The battle skills exercise that we conducted here with Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group was an opportunity for us to practice command and control for tactical logistics forces at both the regimental and (Marine Expeditionary Brigade) size Marine Air Ground Task Force level,” said Col. Gary Keim, the Commanding Officer for Headquarters Regiment, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. “We got to do planning on the tactical level and somewhat on the operation level.”

The battle skills exercises gave Headquarters Regiment a chance to review, practice, and apply standard operating procedures prior to putting them into effect at LSE-15.

“This was important because we rarely get the opportunity to practice logistics command and control at a brigade level,” said Keim. “MCLOG gave us the opportunity to refresh those skills that we are very good at on a battalion level and begin the transition to thinking on the regimental or brigade size level.”

LSE-15 is a combined U.S. Marine Corps, Canadian and British exercise conducted at the brigade-level, and designed to enable live, virtual and constructive training for participating forces. The exercise supports U.S. National Security Strategy and allows the partner nations to strengthen relationships and their ability to operate together.

“The biggest thing that we did on this exercise was figure out our process in our combat operation center,” said 1st Lt. Tyler Ross, the senior watch officer for the unit. “The biggest thing in (the C.O.C) is the information flow, so making sure the right people know the right information.”

Another reason for the unit to conduct this training prior to the start of LSE-15 is to locate and correct any problems that may arise prior to LSE-15 starting.

“The biggest challenge we faced was asking the same person or same staff to now think at two different levels of operations,” said Keim. “I am asking the Marines and sailors to think not only at a battalion level, but also at a regimental and brigade size level.

After the completion of the battle skills exercise prior to LSE-15, the commanding officer expressed his gratitude toward how well the unit has been strengthened to take on a larger role of operating on a brigade size level.

“It was exceptional training,” said Keim. “It was great training with MCLOG and we came out more proficient than we were before and it was great team building.”