A landing craft air cushion-class hovercraft approaches Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan, for a beach landing exercise, Oct. 27, 2015, during Blue Chromite 2016. Blue Chromite is a large-scale, cost effective on-island training event lead by 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - A landing craft air cushion-class hovercraft approaches Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan, for a beach landing exercise, Oct. 27, 2015, during Blue Chromite 2016. Blue Chromite is a large-scale, cost effective on-island training event lead by 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Cpl. Calvin V. Montgomery uses his whole body to pull the lanyard of an M777 Howitzer, firing a 155 mm round March 11 during Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2 at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. Howitzers are used by artillery batteries to provide suppressing fire for ground units. Montgomery, an Eatonton, Georgia, native, is a radio operator with Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Cpl. Calvin V. Montgomery uses his whole body to pull the lanyard of an M777 Howitzer, firing a 155 mm round March 11 during Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2 at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. Howitzers are used by artillery batteries to provide suppressing fire for ground units. Montgomery, an Eatonton, Georgia, native, is a radio operator with Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Marines set up their forward command element’s combat operations center during a night movement March 5 during Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2 at Pohakuloa Training Area. Marines use red lights, instead of white, at night to avoid giving away their position. Night movements provide Marines with cover and concealment and provide good practice for setting up combat operation centers. The Marines are with Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Marines set up their forward command element’s combat operations center during a night movement March 5 during Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2 at Pohakuloa Training Area. Marines use red lights, instead of white, at night to avoid giving away their position. Night movements provide Marines with cover and concealment and provide good practice for setting up combat operation centers. The Marines are with Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Cpl. Victor Santana, center, writes down clues to help Okinawa schoolchildren guess a word during an English word guessing game during the 2nd annual English Day Camp Feb. 28 at the Nago City Youth Center. Okinawa community volunteers and Marines assigned to Camp Schwab helped teach English to Okinawa schoolchildren as part of a Nago City Board of Education Program. Santana is a food service specialist assigned to 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Cpl. Victor Santana, center, writes down clues to help Okinawa schoolchildren guess a word during an English word guessing game during the 2nd annual English Day Camp Feb. 28 at the Nago City Youth Center. Okinawa community volunteers and Marines assigned to Camp Schwab helped teach English to Okinawa schoolchildren as part of a Nago City Board of Education Program. Santana is a food service specialist assigned to 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Infantry Marines move to counter-attack the enemy’s attack in the later stage of the battalion assault course Feb. 10 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. Infantry Marines use amphibious assault vehicles to move across the battle space faster and safer than on foot. The infantry Marines are with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The AAV operators are with Company D, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. - Infantry Marines move to counter-attack the enemy’s attack in the later stage of the battalion assault course Feb. 10 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. Infantry Marines use amphibious assault vehicles to move across the battle space faster and safer than on foot. The infantry Marines are with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The AAV operators are with Company D, 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Staff Sgt. Absalon A. Cabrera uses a radio to communicate with the 4th Marine Regiment’s combat operations center while transporting the commanding officer across the battle space Feb. 12 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, during the battalion assault course as part of Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. “I am very proud of all of my Marines,” said Cabrera. “They have accomplished a lot and it has been seen at different levels out here.” ITX 2-15 is designed to integrate combined arms and improve war fighting capabilities. Cabrera, a Los Angeles, California, native and an infantry unit leader, is the jump team commander for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Four with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Staff Sgt. Absalon A. Cabrera uses a radio to communicate with the 4th Marine Regiment’s combat operations center while transporting the commanding officer across the battle space Feb. 12 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, during the battalion assault course as part of Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. “I am very proud of all of my Marines,” said Cabrera. “They have accomplished a lot and it has been seen at different levels out here.” ITX 2-15 is designed to integrate combined arms and improve war fighting capabilities. Cabrera, a Los Angeles, California, native and an infantry unit leader, is the jump team commander for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Four with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Gunnery Sgt. Kevin D. Pirtle (right) and Capt. Jim C. Wang pose for a photo Jan. 8 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms during Integrated Training Exercsie 2-15. Pirtle and Wang spend a lot of time working together in Headquarters and Service Company. Pirtle, a Somerville, Tennessee, native, is an infantry unit leader and the company gunnery sergeant, and Wang, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native, is an infantry officer and company commander, both with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Gunnery Sgt. Kevin D. Pirtle (right) and Capt. Jim C. Wang pose for a photo Jan. 8 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms during Integrated Training Exercsie 2-15. Pirtle and Wang spend a lot of time working together in Headquarters and Service Company. Pirtle, a Somerville, Tennessee, native, is an infantry unit leader and the company gunnery sergeant, and Wang, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native, is an infantry officer and company commander, both with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Capt. Paul B. Kozick briefs Marines from Company D Feb. 1 on the plan for the Tank Mechanized Assault Course at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms as part of Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. The TMAC is a training event used to bring multiple elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force together in one event. Kozick, a Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, native, is tank officer and the company commander for Company D, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The Marines are also with Company D. - Capt. Paul B. Kozick briefs Marines from Company D Feb. 1 on the plan for the Tank Mechanized Assault Course at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms as part of Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. The TMAC is a training event used to bring multiple elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force together in one event. Kozick, a Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, native, is tank officer and the company commander for Company D, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The Marines are also with Company D.

Smoke explodes out of the M777A2 lightweight 155 mm howitzer as Marines from Alpha Battery provide indirect fire to units engaged in the mechanized assault course Jan. 31 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. Artillery is used to provide suppressive, indirect fire to ground and air units on the battlefield. The Marines are with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, currently assigned to 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force as part of the ground combat element for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 4 for ITX 2-15. - Smoke explodes out of the M777A2 lightweight 155 mm howitzer as Marines from Alpha Battery provide indirect fire to units engaged in the mechanized assault course Jan. 31 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15. Artillery is used to provide suppressive, indirect fire to ground and air units on the battlefield. The Marines are with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, currently assigned to 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force as part of the ground combat element for Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 4 for ITX 2-15.

Marines extend the legs of a canopy-style tent as part of the combat operations center for Integrated Training Exercise 2-15 Jan. 16 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. It is important to set up the camouflage netting before putting up the tents because it makes the process a lot faster, according to Staff Sgt. Absalon A. Cabrera, an operations assistant with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Los Angeles, California, native. Marines working on the tent are also with 4th Marines. - Marines extend the legs of a canopy-style tent as part of the combat operations center for Integrated Training Exercise 2-15 Jan. 16 at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. It is important to set up the camouflage netting before putting up the tents because it makes the process a lot faster, according to Staff Sgt. Absalon A. Cabrera, an operations assistant with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Los Angeles, California, native. Marines working on the tent are also with 4th Marines.

Col. Lance A. McDaniel, left, congratulates Sgt. Jacob J. Baumann Jan. 14 on receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for potentially saving the life of a local Japanese gentleman. “Heroism often involves an ordinary man doing extraordinary things for others,” said McDaniel from Waco, Texas. “Recently Sgt. Baumann saw the opportunity and didn’t spend time thinking; he acted on behalf of someone else.” McDaniel is the commanding officer of 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Baumann is from Junction City, Kansas, and a fire support man with Headquarter Battery, 12th Marine Regiment. - Col. Lance A. McDaniel, left, congratulates Sgt. Jacob J. Baumann Jan. 14 on receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for potentially saving the life of a local Japanese gentleman. “Heroism often involves an ordinary man doing extraordinary things for others,” said McDaniel from Waco, Texas. “Recently Sgt. Baumann saw the opportunity and didn’t spend time thinking; he acted on behalf of someone else.” McDaniel is the commanding officer of 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Baumann is from Junction City, Kansas, and a fire support man with Headquarter Battery, 12th Marine Regiment.

Marines launch their Assault Amphibious Vehicle from the hull of the USS Germantown (LSD 42) Nov. 2 during exercise Blue Chromite 15. Blue Chromite demonstrates the Navy and Marine Corps’ amphibious and expeditionary capabilities from the sea. The Marines are with Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Marines launch their Assault Amphibious Vehicle from the hull of the USS Germantown (LSD 42) Nov. 2 during exercise Blue Chromite 15. Blue Chromite demonstrates the Navy and Marine Corps’ amphibious and expeditionary capabilities from the sea. The Marines are with Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.