Essex (LHD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Above: Lance Corporal Steven Starks, an Intelligence Specialist with the 13TH MEU(SOC), conies to a danger area and tells his patrol to freeze by using hand and arm signals. Starks and other Marines were in the jungles of Singapore honing their basic skills. Below: Lcpl. Erick Rezendiz carries Lcpl. Nathan Haley to safety during military operations training in Singapore. Above: Assault rock climbers from Company I, BLT 3 1 , scale a cliff face during training in Singapore.

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Left: Lance Corporal Jamie Lindermuth, a field radio operator with the 13TH MEU(SOC), blends into his surroundings during a patrol in the LIM CHU KANG training area in Singapore. Right: Light Armored Vehicle Commander, Sgt. Anecito Hernadez (left) provides security as Light Armored Reconnaissance Scout, Lcpl. Erick Rezendiz ( middle) checks on Lcpl. Nathan Haley. The Marines were part of a military operation in an urban terrain training scenario at the Lim Chukang Training Site in Singapore. WBmi mWM and actively patrol. I need to keep my skills at top level, said Corporal Jose Ramirez, a radio operator with the 13thMEU(SOC) communication detachment. If I don ' t, I wouldn ' t want to get someone ambushed or killed because ofsomething I did. When you patrol, you really learn how much you need and count on each other, said Ramirez. The assault rock cUmbers of BLT 3 1, along with Sailors from amphibious squadron five, honed their skills on 45 to 65-foot rock walls, getting to the top and back down expertly and efficiently. It was a chance for the scalers to get into the swing of things. The climbers had not been on a wall since January, 1994. According to Corporal Joseph Fortune, Chief Assault Chmber from Weapons Platoon, Company I, BLT 3 1. Getting on any cUff wall after a long period of time always feels like the first time, Fortune said. The Marines of Company D, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion, brushed up on training outside their light armored vehicles (LAV). We wanted to train more on using an LAR unit in a MOUT environment, said LAV Commander Sergeant Aniceto Hemandez. We never know when the situation may arise, and we might have to get out of our Corporal Joseph Fortune (HANGING UPSIDE DOWN), Chief Assault Rock Climber for COMPANY I, BATTALION LANDING TEAM 3 1, Works with other climbers to develop dieir rock climbing skills in Singapore. The Marines were on the cliff wall practicing emergency rescue procedures.

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r v ' ■ X. ■» ' a$. , vehicles and maneuver in a city on foot, he added. The LAV scouts and crews even encountered mock resistance in the MOUT facihty , dealing with Marines acting as enraged locals. It ' s good training for us because we could be called out to do something like. . .crowd control in some tiny village, said Lance Corporal John Rule, an LAR scout with Company D, 1 st LAR Bn. Throughout the training, safety was of paramount importance. A major challenge was adjusting to the hot, humid weather in the area. Heat casualties were kept to a minimum, due toconstantwaterintake. Supervisionis what really helped, saidRice. Supervision before you go to the field. Supervision while you ' re in the field. Small unit leaders ensured their Marines got plenty of water, by the numbers, if necessary , ' Grab a canteen, let ' s drink, ' ' ' Rice said. Throughout the whole week, the Singapore Battalion Guard provided support when and where required, in the form of transportation and liaison. You Marines aie quite courageous in the way you do things, said First Leftenant Lim Chi Kin, Liaison Officer for the Singapore Battalion Guard. You strive to achieve. You go to strange places and you tend to venture out here and there. Yes, you Marines are pretty daring, Kin said. ' ' iji- Right: Lcpl Victor Renteria, an operations clerk with the 13th MEU(SOC), finds a clear patch of fohage while on patrol in the dense jungles of Singapore.