Marines arrive at Camp Fuji
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification Number: 200413175217
Story by Cpl. Matthew Barkalow
CAMP FUJI, Japan -- More than 500 Marines and Sailors assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, and an artillery unit assigned to 3rd Bn., 12th Marines, 3rd MarDiv, arrived Jan. 18 at Camp Fuji to conduct the Fuji Combined Arms Operation 04-2.
More than 500 Marines will be conducting six weeks of training here before returning to Okinawa.
According to Lt. Col. Andrew Solgere, commanding officer, 2/6, and Los Angeles native, the purpose of the CAO is to gain a better sense of combat effectiveness.
"The combined arms operation is meant to integrate combined arms with various weapons with maneuvers, and to make the unit more combat effective," he said.
Solgere said during the past year and a half, the battalion has been to Iraq, Djibouti, Spain, Turkey, and Okinawa, and are not used to the cold weather environment.
"This is going to be good for us because we've been doing the desert thing for a while," Solgere said. "It's definitely going to be challenging, but in order to be more combat effective, you fight in different conditions. It's good to train with that stress to be more effective in combat with that stress."
According to Sgt. Maj. Tomothy McCurry, sergeant major, 2/6, F Company and some components of Headquarters & Service Co. will be leaving Camp Fuji in early Feb. to conduct cold weather training in Sendai, Japan as part of Exercise Forest Light.
Forest Light is a bi-annual event done alongside the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force.
"Forest Light is a two-week exercise in which we integrate with the Japanese, see how they do things, and they see how we do things," Solgere said. "As the training progresses, we fight with and against them."
McCurry said he believes this type of training will be beneficial for the Marines of 2/6 and will allow them to build up their skills.
"This gives them a new light on things," the Marion, Ind. native said. "This allows them to start at the basics and build up to company-level training in different terrain and weather conditions than what they're used to."
The Marines expressed their anticipation and positive outlook on the training.
"We will be training with skis, which is exciting because I have never done that before and think it will be fun," said Lance Cpl. Daniel Soto, New York City native and squad automatic weapon gunner, F Co., 2/6.
According to Solgere, both the CAO and Forest Light will give the Marines and Sailors a chance to build on combat effectiveness in a challenging, cold and different environment.
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Photos included with story:
CAMP FUJI, Japan - Marines from K Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, assigned to 3rd Bn, 12th Marines, unload packs and other gear upon arrival at Camp Fuji Jan. 18. K Co. is one of the various companies who will be conducting training here as part of Fuji Combined Arms Operation 04-2. Photo by: Cpl. Matthew Barkalow
Text version of story is attached below:
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F48D6AE664316C3885256E2C0046B469?opendocument
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F48D6AE664316C3885256E2C0046B469?opendocument
