WEBVTT 00:01.079 --> 00:05.079 - So my name is First Lieutenant J.D. Walker II, 00:05.739 --> 00:07.239 Romeo Battery 511. 00:07.736 --> 00:10.965 We provided deep shaping fires for the MAGTAF, 00:10.965 --> 00:14.727 specifically targeting C2 nodes and anti-air assets to 00:14.727 --> 00:18.093 allow the MAGTAF to maneuver within the air space without 00:18.093 --> 00:20.217 having to worry about the enemy assets. 00:20.217 --> 00:22.242 - [Interviewer] What exactly, for those who 00:22.242 --> 00:25.325 don't know, what exactly is a HIMARS? 00:26.539 --> 00:30.706 - It's a MIC 142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. 00:31.282 --> 00:34.365 It has a pod that can store six GMLRS 00:35.187 --> 00:36.781 guided in multiple launch rocket systems 00:36.781 --> 00:40.948 or one ATAC rocket and has a deep-shaping capability 00:41.119 --> 00:43.908 with multiple fuse and round combinations 00:43.908 --> 00:46.102 that provide multiple different assets 00:46.102 --> 00:50.105 to the ground forces that are doing the call for fires. 00:50.105 --> 00:54.255 So, I personally have employed them via raids, to Tinian. 00:54.255 --> 00:56.748 I've been on deployment with these assets 00:56.748 --> 00:58.791 to Okinawa and just here in 00:58.791 --> 01:01.708 Twentynine Palms or Camp Pendleton. 01:01.785 --> 01:03.364 So specifically, today was important 01:03.364 --> 01:06.387 because we got to shoot the MIC 31 Alpha 1 GMLRS 01:06.387 --> 01:08.060 which is the rocket that they're 01:08.060 --> 01:10.167 actually using in country today. 01:10.167 --> 01:12.197 The MIC 20 Alpha 2 is a practice round 01:12.197 --> 01:14.466 that adds a lot of training notionalisms to it, 01:14.466 --> 01:16.509 but this round today is what they're 01:16.509 --> 01:18.786 actually using in combat currently. 01:18.786 --> 01:20.361 So it gives the marines a real good 01:20.361 --> 01:24.318 perspective of if the battalion were to be deployed, 01:24.318 --> 01:26.307 exactly what they would be doing, 01:26.307 --> 01:30.474 providing those fires for the ground and maneuver elements. 01:32.788 --> 01:35.433 - First Sergeant Antonio Thomas, 01:35.433 --> 01:37.600 a-n-t-o-n-i-o t-h-o-m-a-s. 01:39.823 --> 01:42.323 I'm part of Romeo Battery 511. 01:43.200 --> 01:45.397 This morning, the mission for the HIMARS 01:45.397 --> 01:49.564 was to show our capabilities of the system that we have. 01:51.308 --> 01:54.058 It's a unique system because it's 01:55.070 --> 01:57.403 the only one in our arsenal. 01:57.598 --> 02:01.015 A HIMAR is a High Mobility Rocket System, 02:01.755 --> 02:04.174 in lamest terms it's a rocket launcher. 02:04.174 --> 02:07.007 This training is important because 02:07.224 --> 02:10.174 on our day-to-day routine, we don't get to just 02:10.174 --> 02:12.924 drive anywhere and shoot rockets. 02:15.167 --> 02:16.582 Out here in Twentynine Palms, 02:16.582 --> 02:19.665 we're able to train in an environment 02:20.253 --> 02:22.997 that's different from what we're used to 02:22.997 --> 02:26.997 and we can also exercise all of our capabilities 02:27.101 --> 02:30.684 a little bit better than some other places. 02:30.908 --> 02:33.533 This training benefits not only our 02:33.533 --> 02:35.700 Battery and our battalion, 02:35.954 --> 02:38.591 but it also benefits the entire division 02:38.591 --> 02:41.258 and it shows our capabilities of 02:41.264 --> 02:45.431 what we can do in any situation, what we're capable to do. 02:49.415 --> 02:52.498 We're to employ these HIMARS anywhere 02:52.926 --> 02:57.009 where indirect fire is needed across any theater. 03:00.104 --> 03:02.668 - So, my name is Justin Krysiak. 03:02.668 --> 03:04.918 I'm 511 and I'm a Sergeant. 03:05.604 --> 03:07.043 - [Interviewer] Can you spell your last name please? 03:07.043 --> 03:08.793 - It's k-r-y-s-i-a-k. 03:09.402 --> 03:10.579 - [Interviewer] Alright, your mission. 03:10.579 --> 03:14.069 - So this morning, our mission was to put targets downrange. 03:14.069 --> 03:15.843 We're trying to destroy target in 03:15.843 --> 03:18.570 support of Steel Night 2018 and we 03:18.570 --> 03:21.316 are able to successfully put those rockets downrange. 03:21.316 --> 03:24.429 HIMARS is a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. 03:24.429 --> 03:25.563 It's able to put rounds downrange 03:25.563 --> 03:27.102 farther than what you would normally see 03:27.102 --> 03:29.872 with cannons which is traditionally used in artillery. 03:29.872 --> 03:31.086 So my role is to make sure that 03:31.086 --> 03:32.779 everyone's able to communicate because 03:32.779 --> 03:35.352 without communications no one shoots, no one moves. 03:35.352 --> 03:36.900 So without having that COM aspect 03:36.900 --> 03:39.095 no one's able to essentially do their job. 03:39.095 --> 03:40.931 With my guys moving with speed and 03:40.931 --> 03:42.487 intense seeking those antennas up in the 03:42.487 --> 03:45.701 air so everyone can talk is extremely vital to the mission. 03:45.701 --> 03:46.842 Training's extremely important cause 03:46.842 --> 03:48.789 we're in support of the CRONTS so 03:48.789 --> 03:50.353 whenever they call for close air support, 03:50.353 --> 03:51.538 sorry, not close air support, 03:51.538 --> 03:53.367 whenever they call for artillery, 03:53.367 --> 03:55.077 we have to be there to support them. 03:55.077 --> 03:56.922 So if we aren't able to get our antennas up 03:56.922 --> 04:00.170 and get talking in a very limited amount of time, 04:00.170 --> 04:02.124 people are dying downrange. 04:02.124 --> 04:04.455 So I know whenever we're trained during this field op, 04:04.455 --> 04:07.190 we were struggling with antennas. 04:07.190 --> 04:08.410 By the end of the field op, 04:08.410 --> 04:09.815 we got those things up fast, 04:09.815 --> 04:12.378 that was we were able to get those rockets downrange. 04:12.378 --> 04:13.459 You can employ them anywhere. 04:13.459 --> 04:15.167 You can put them in a different country 04:15.167 --> 04:17.250 to shoot another country. 04:17.339 --> 04:21.073 They're very little limitations on this weapon system. 04:21.073 --> 04:23.823 It's the king of the battlefield. 04:24.880 --> 04:27.630 - My name is Dwayne, d-w-a-y-n-e, 04:27.994 --> 04:30.661 Littlejohn, l-i-t-t-l-e-j-o-h-n. 04:31.205 --> 04:34.317 So I'm a Battery Commander of Romeo Battery 511. 04:34.317 --> 04:35.882 So the mission this morning was to 04:35.882 --> 04:37.332 service targets in support of 04:37.332 --> 04:39.896 deep-shaping operations for First Marine Division 04:39.896 --> 04:41.479 for Steel Night 18. 04:41.815 --> 04:43.669 We were to shoot multiple rockets 04:43.669 --> 04:46.890 to destroy air defense artillery systems. 04:46.890 --> 04:48.771 In order to enable the MAGTAF to 04:48.771 --> 04:50.958 press through and continue the mission. 04:50.958 --> 04:54.602 So a HIMAR is a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. 04:54.602 --> 04:56.769 Capabilities include the ability to 04:56.769 --> 05:00.852 launch six rockets or one missile at deep ranges. 05:01.775 --> 05:04.267 We service long-range targets that 05:04.267 --> 05:07.713 multiple weapon systems aren't able to hit, 05:07.713 --> 05:10.168 except for maybe aviation platforms. 05:10.168 --> 05:11.562 So all training is important, 05:11.562 --> 05:13.156 but this training is particularly important 05:13.156 --> 05:14.246 because it gives the marines the 05:14.246 --> 05:16.289 ability to come out into an austere environment 05:16.289 --> 05:18.761 to challenge themselves physically, mentally, 05:18.761 --> 05:21.372 and also to challenge the Marine Corps conceptually. 05:21.372 --> 05:23.558 A lot of people haven't been able to 05:23.558 --> 05:26.725 see GMLRS shot live fire in any sense. 05:28.688 --> 05:29.958 And so, for us to be able to come out 05:29.958 --> 05:31.413 and show them the capabilities in 05:31.413 --> 05:33.106 a training environment is huge. 05:33.106 --> 05:34.096 Not only do they understand what the 05:34.096 --> 05:35.795 weapon system is a little bit better now, 05:35.795 --> 05:36.923 they understand the effects that it can have 05:36.923 --> 05:38.923 which are pretty lethal. 05:39.152 --> 05:42.455 So GMLRS is a guided multiple launch rocket system, 05:42.455 --> 05:43.570 and that's the six rockets that 05:43.570 --> 05:45.252 I kind of spoke about earlier. 05:45.252 --> 05:48.437 So this training, again, benefits the MAGTAF as a whole. 05:48.437 --> 05:51.463 It benefits us, allows us to get better at our TTP's 05:51.463 --> 05:53.297 in order to support whatever unit 05:53.297 --> 05:54.935 is requesting our services. 05:54.935 --> 05:56.582 And it benefits the MAGTAF because now 05:56.582 --> 05:57.986 they have a better understanding of the 05:57.986 --> 05:59.867 capabilities of a high margin unit. 05:59.867 --> 06:01.955 We're a very small unit in the Marine Corps. 06:01.955 --> 06:04.654 There's only one active duty HIMARS unit and that's 511. 06:04.654 --> 06:06.886 And we're one of four Battery's that can 06:06.886 --> 06:08.857 do the job that we were able to do today. 06:08.857 --> 06:10.466 So HIMARS can be employed anywhere. 06:10.466 --> 06:12.211 anywhere that MAGTAF commander wants to put us, 06:12.211 --> 06:14.000 we'll find a way to get the job accomplished.