Mountain Warfare School

[Guest Halfpint]

I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks "annual training" at a Mountain Warfare Training Center . . . all I can say is, THAT WAS AWESOME! Two weeks of running patrols on the side of a mountain, ascending/descending 3000 feet in one day, running ambushes and counter-ambushes and learning a good bit about what the mountains do to help hide the location of a shot. All very good things.

My squad basically ran a bunch of ambushes while we were dressed up as hadjis the first week, to help train a unit that's deploying in a few months. Half our ambushes were run on the fly; we'd run ahead or alongside another unit and set up good positions. The second week was all about us getting the same training we had given--assaulting through a near ambush in mountainous terrain. It was good training, and I enjoyed it, but it totally destroys the body--I lost at least 10 pounds in as many days, and there were a fair number of major and minor injuries all around.

I have a whole new respect for the intelligence and training of our enemies--not only because they have become VERY capable of inflicting casualties and getting away, but also because they realize that we're not going to want to attack the side of a whole damn mountain--we had more true-life injuries doing counter-ambush maneuvers up the mountain than we had "simulated" KIA's . . . sprained ankles, broken feet, heat exhaustion, simple exhaustion, heads cracked open, one of my Marines aggravated his previously-ruptured spleen . . . yeah, not an experience I'd like to repeat.

We got a LOT of classes and lessons while in the field, I'll just give the Cliffs' Notes on the pertinent ones:

Mountain Communications -- Radios don't work. Satellite radios don't ALWAYS work. But at least when you're carrying non-functional satcom, it's lighter than a field radio in a similar situation.

Mountain First Aid -- If you can't fix it with an IFAK or 3, you're dead unless you get a helicopter inbound, quick.

Mountain Ambushes -- Don't be on the receiving end--it's too damn much work.

Mountain Patrolling 1 -- If you don't need it, don't carry it.

Mountain Patrolling 2 -- If you don't carry it, you'll need it.

Mountain Patrolling 3 -- If you don't carry it, need it, and don't have it, you usually figure this out at the farthest leg of the patrol . . . and have to go back to the LZ and get it.

Mountain Patrolling 4 -- Lessons learned in Patrolling 1-3 create a level of self-loathing I'd like never to replicate.

Edited June 28, 2010 by Halfpint

[Guest jackdm3]

You were already trim to begin with. 10 pounds?!

[Smith]

That sounds like a heck of a good time. At least as far as jobs go!

[Daniel]

Mountain Warfare Training Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Guest Halfpint]

Yup, that's the place.

[Guest db99wj]

Nice!

[pitt2magic]

awesome!!

[Guest KimberChick]

You were already trim to begin with. 10 pounds?!

I know, right?!

[TGO David]

<-- Wishes he had gone into your career path!

[Ebow1]

I'm guessing this isn't something that's open to civilians. Mountain training would be very useful for disaster survival situations in TN.

[LagerHead]

That place is awesome. I attended the USMC Summer Mountain Leaders Course there in '96. We learned lead climbing, mountain rescue, and all that other stuff for 6 weeks. And the scenery there is stunning. Congrats on some great training with some great guys.

[byrnemm]

Halfpint,

A buddy of mine just got back from MWS.. maybe you trained together. He's 6', red headed, name is Norton and has a wicked Boston accent.

[Guest Halfpint]

Name doesn't ring any bells, was he with 1/25? They're the only Massachusetts guys I know that were there, spent a day with some of their scout-snipers when they wandered into one of our ambushes. (AO's got crossed up, either they weren't supposed to be where they were, or we weren't. I honestly believe it was the former.)

I almost ran into 323ssplt but I was on patrol--sorry about that, Staff Sarn't.

[323ssplt]

Name doesn't ring any bells, was he with 1/25? They're the only Massachusetts guys I know that were there, spent a day with some of their scout-snipers when they wandered into one of our ambushes. (AO's got crossed up, either they weren't supposed to be where they were, or we weren't. I honestly believe it was the former.)

I almost ran into 323ssplt but I was on patrol--sorry about that, Staff Sarn't.

Yeah, I was lookin' for ya, but everytime I came by they said you were out. I told 1stSgt Bowen and Gunny Wilken to give you hell. I hope they did....LOL

[Guest Halfpint]

Gunny always does . . . tough love, I guess. 1stSgt Bowen just said I must be special, to have staff NCO's from other companies looking for me. I spent most of my time out boomeranging for a boot 2ndLt--he'd throw my squad out a couple klicks to hunt a couple of platoons, realize he'd sent us too far, and call us back, just so he could do it again.||

Now that I think about it, you must have been who Gunny was talking about-- he told me if I wanted to hang out with folks from other companies, I needed to just go ahead and transfer instead of waiting on my job offer . . . then he stole me for a "working party" that consisted of an hour of 1911 talk at the smoke pit.

[323ssplt]

Yeah, I'm sure that was me that Gunny was talking about. I had never met him before this AT and he is a trip. 1stSgt Bowen I know from Africa last year. He want to get together and do some shooting some time.

Sorry to hear about the Boot LT...they were fun to deal with

Edited June 29, 2010 by 323ssplt