Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field, Bogue, NC, United States -- Marines attached to Marine Wing Support Detachment 273 completed a field exercise at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, North Carolina, Aug. 13-16, 2019. The field exercise required the combined efforts of the unit’s combat engineers, radio operators, motor transportation operators, and other sections in order to complete the exercise’s training scenarios. Included in the schedule was ongoing combat training as well as the evaluation of how the unit can operate when called upon to offer support abilities.
Nearly 400 Marines and Sailors partook in a simulated combat environment, including firefights, convoys, patrols, and base security. This all led to two culminating events that took place within the final days of the exercise. The first being the repairing of an entire airstrip after a simulated enemy bombing run. This called for a majority of MWSD-273’s combat engineers to promptly assess damage, report the assessments, map out the damage, create a plan of the repair, and communicate with heavy equipment operators and other sections to complete the job quickly.
The second event was a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel scenario. Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Marines evaluated their training in a performance test that included rescuing a simulated casualty, securing an air crash site, decontamination of the site, preparation for debris transfer, and utilizing a crane and heavy equipment to transport the plane to another location. The Marines passed their evaluation of this process, showing their situational preparedness and expeditionary capability. Overall, MWSD-273 exemplified its logistical capabilities and readiness to support the aviation combat element in times of conflict at any moment’s notice.