Stories

Sgt. Tyler Felts, an LAV crewman, sights in on a target during a live-fire gunnery qualification test with an M240B machine gun at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Jan. 22, 2016. Live-fire tests like these allow the Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force to train for how they will execute their mission when they are deployed in a combat zone. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss) - Sgt. Tyler Felts, an LAV crewman, sights in on a target during a live-fire gunnery qualification test with an M240B machine gun at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Jan. 22, 2016. Live-fire tests like these allow the Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force to train for how they will execute their mission when they are deployed in a combat zone. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss)

1st Lt. Joshua Foster provides security for his team during the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel portion of the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 3, 2015. TRAP’s placement in a MCCRE is meant to evaluate Marines on this mission set which is performed for the specific purpose of the recovery of personnel, equipment, and/or aircraft by the insertion of a TRAP force. 1st Lt. Foster is a platoon commander with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. - 1st Lt. Joshua Foster provides security for his team during the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel portion of the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 3, 2015. TRAP’s placement in a MCCRE is meant to evaluate Marines on this mission set which is performed for the specific purpose of the recovery of personnel, equipment, and/or aircraft by the insertion of a TRAP force. 1st Lt. Foster is a platoon commander with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

Lance Cpl. Roderick Jacquote, a combat photographer with Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, edits photos during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear drill aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 13, 2015. The Marines and Sailors with 5th Marine Regiment conducted the gas drill as part of Steel Knight 2016, a division-led exercise which prepares Marines and Sailors with the 1st Marine Division and adjacent I Marine Expeditionary Force units with the skill sets necessary to operate as a fully capable Marine Air Ground Task Force. - Lance Cpl. Roderick Jacquote, a combat photographer with Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, edits photos during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear drill aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 13, 2015. The Marines and Sailors with 5th Marine Regiment conducted the gas drill as part of Steel Knight 2016, a division-led exercise which prepares Marines and Sailors with the 1st Marine Division and adjacent I Marine Expeditionary Force units with the skill sets necessary to operate as a fully capable Marine Air Ground Task Force.

Marines and Sailors with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, pose for a photo atop of the USS Mississippi, a Virginia Class Block 5 submarine aboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Nov. 17, 2015. Company A toured the ship as part of a one-day Special Operations Forces capabilities training event, where they learned about lock-out submarine insertions. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Tony Simmons) - Marines and Sailors with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, pose for a photo atop of the USS Mississippi, a Virginia Class Block 5 submarine aboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Nov. 17, 2015. Company A toured the ship as part of a one-day Special Operations Forces capabilities training event, where they learned about lock-out submarine insertions. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Tony Simmons)

Marines with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, survey a named area of interest during reconnaissance and surveillance training, Nov. 19-21, 2015, aboard Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii. The Marines conducted insertion, infiltration, execution, exfiltration, and extraction in terrain unfamiliar to what is usually found at their home base in California. The Hawaiian terrain ranged from beach shores, to dense jungle and open valleys during pouring rains (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tony Simmons) - Marines with Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, survey a named area of interest during reconnaissance and surveillance training, Nov. 19-21, 2015, aboard Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii. The Marines conducted insertion, infiltration, execution, exfiltration, and extraction in terrain unfamiliar to what is usually found at their home base in California. The Hawaiian terrain ranged from beach shores, to dense jungle and open valleys during pouring rains (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tony Simmons)

A Marine escorts an ambulatory HMMWV to a Shock Trauma Platoon during Exercise Steel Night’s mass casualty drill at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 12, 2015. The drill tested the 1st Marine Division’s ability to react to a large influx of injuries and wounds from battling the enemy. Steel Knight provides tough, realistic training for the Marines and sailors of 1st Marine Division. - A Marine escorts an ambulatory HMMWV to a Shock Trauma Platoon during Exercise Steel Night’s mass casualty drill at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 12, 2015. The drill tested the 1st Marine Division’s ability to react to a large influx of injuries and wounds from battling the enemy. Steel Knight provides tough, realistic training for the Marines and sailors of 1st Marine Division.

Marines perform a weapons functional test on an F-35B Lightning II aircraft during Exercise Steel Knight at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 10, 2015. The F-35B is a single seat, single engine stealth multi-role fighter bringing the Marine Corps into a whole new generation of aircraft. Exercise Steel Knight allowed for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 and Marine Operational and Test Evaluation Squadron 22 to train on integrating the F-35B and find its place in the Marine Air Ground Task Force, while giving the ground forces of 1st Marine Division the ability to become familiar with it. - Marines perform a weapons functional test on an F-35B Lightning II aircraft during Exercise Steel Knight at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Dec. 10, 2015. The F-35B is a single seat, single engine stealth multi-role fighter bringing the Marine Corps into a whole new generation of aircraft. Exercise Steel Knight allowed for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 and Marine Operational and Test Evaluation Squadron 22 to train on integrating the F-35B and find its place in the Marine Air Ground Task Force, while giving the ground forces of 1st Marine Division the ability to become familiar with it.

Marines with Battery I, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, fire an M777 Howitzer¬ during the opening day of live-fire operations for Steel Knight at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, on Dec. 10, 2015. The tough, realistic training is intended to develop combat skills necessary to operate as the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. - Marines with Battery I, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, fire an M777 Howitzer¬ during the opening day of live-fire operations for Steel Knight at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, on Dec. 10, 2015. The tough, realistic training is intended to develop combat skills necessary to operate as the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Marines assigned to the Urban Leaders Course at 1st Marine Division Schools, I Marine Expeditionary Force, clear a hallway during a live-fire training exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 25, 2015. The class teaches fire team and squad leaders skills and tactics to be successful in urban environments, which they can share with the Marines they lead and the leadership of their entire unit. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel) - Marines assigned to the Urban Leaders Course at 1st Marine Division Schools, I Marine Expeditionary Force, clear a hallway during a live-fire training exercise aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 25, 2015. The class teaches fire team and squad leaders skills and tactics to be successful in urban environments, which they can share with the Marines they lead and the leadership of their entire unit. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel)