Posted on 07/17/2015 11:16:24 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria -- U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Black Sea Rotational Force and members of the armed forces of Bulgaria, Romania, United Kingdom and Albania completed the culminating event for Platinum Lion 15-3.
The final evolution consisted of cordon and search operations, intelligence gathering and live-fire and maneuver, all designed to strengthen the partnership between NATO nations and share knowledge to help improve military skill sets.
Platinum Lion 15-3 was designed to promote regional cooperation, foster interoperability between our nations in order to combat security threats, said Capt. Michael R. McNicoll, commanding officer of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines from BSRF. We have done this through realistic training where we have shared our ideas, thoughts, techniques, tactics and procedures.
Prior to the final exercise, the training was divided between classroom instruction and real-time practical application. Each force was given the opportunity to take part in the same training and work side by side with their NATO allies. McNicoll was satisfied with the outcome of the training, not only for the Marines but all the NATO nations involved in the exercise and the final event. I believe we have learned a lot from each other, McNicoll explained. I am excited about the progress we have made. Although there were minor differences in the tactical ways the nations did things, the ability to have a free flow of ideas and information strengthened the bond between them.
United Kingdom Royal Marine Commando Lt. Thomas Barry greatly valued the experience of working with the other nations, and especially enjoyed comparing and contrasting tactics with the U.S. Marine Corps. Seeing how operate their fire support systems was interesting, said Barry, a platoon commander with 40 Commando, Royal Marines. Seeing the different weapons systems, rates of fire and ways to implement them was great to work through.
During one live-fire attack, there were three nations all providing support at once. The Romanian Air Force aircraft provided close air support, the United Kingdom Royal Marines performed the actual assault and U.S. Marines provided support by fire with medium machine guns. This type of joint cooperation is what makes Platinum Lion stand out as a premier NATO exercise. Bulgarian Army Col. Iavor Mateev, head of the Joint Military Facilities Department at the Bulgarian Defense Ministry, is a vocal advocate of the value of Platinum Lion. Platinum Lion one of the greatest examples in Europe for the real implementation of connected forces and NATO smart defense initiatives, said Mateev. Many of the nations looked forward to future Platinum Lions and a larger footprint. Albania participated in their first Platinum Lion which served as a notable highlight of the exercise. The U.S. Marine Corps led this one, said Barry. I look forward for the U.K. to step up their role in the next one.
Although the last rounds were fired, the value of working so closely with allies was designed to make a permanent imprint on the people involved to remind them of each others should-to-shoulder commitment.
In light of recent events, one is forced to wonder whether or not the Marines were allowed to carry weapons.
Or were they simply intended to meet the enemy with their d*cks in their hands.
Platinum Lion? It sounds like a brooch pin a butch homosexual might wear.
You mean a butch homo like the barechested Ernst von Putin?
Yeah, but seriously, couldn’t they have come up with a better name? Something without “platinum” in it.
I’ve always wondered who has the job of coming up with these operations titles...
-JT
The bastard enemy islamist CIC would have them all murdered if he could.
On a lighter note, I recently bought an OD green t-shirt with MARINES, printed in black across the chest. I figure I’m not stealing their valor as, although in the Army, my unit in Vietnam worked with Marines once on a small firebase southwest of Danang, and then once more aboard the USS Ogden (LPD 5) when my armored cavalry unit was being transported from Danang to the Batangan Peninsula near Quang Ngai. Plus, my wife’s dad was a Marine.
But I really wore it yesterday in honor of those Marines likewise murdered by that filthy raghead son of a bitch son of ø that those Tennessee cops sent to hell yesterday. Which brings us full circle to the putrid likewise follower of that thief, murderer and pedophiliac “prophet”, who currently occupies the White House.
Here’s a message for him:
Ptuh!
Damned islamist virus...which, as is well known, cannot live except as a parasite.
Some guy who looks like this?
.
Served in the 3rd Bn. 8th Marine Regiment in the late 1970’s. Major Oliver North was our Battalion XO back then.
Well, I’m not ‘up’ on a lot of popular culture, so I don’t know who that guy is.
But I have sometimes wondered if there’s an ‘office of naming military operations’.
I liked the one-word, more cryptic titles of the past:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_military_operations
I did like ‘Enduring Freedom’, though...
-JT
"In the footage, Putin, 53, is shown walking up to a small crowd of tourists in a Kremlin courtyard and crouching down in front of the boy, who appears to be five or six years old. As the Russian president talks with Nikita for several seconds, he tugs at the boy's shirt before finally lifting it up and kissing him on his bare stomach.
"He seemed to me very independent, very serious, but at the same time a boy is always vulnerable. He was very sweet. I'll be honest: I felt an urge to squeeze him like a kitten, and that led to the gesture that I made. There was nothing behind it really," Putin said, smiling.
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