First LAR extends eyes and ears throughout western Euphrates River valley

  COMBAT OUTPOST RAWAH, IRAQ (April 18, 2007) -- Regimental Combat Team 2 launched operation Valiant Guardian on March 26, 2007. In support of that operation, 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion has sent its Marines throughout the western Euphrates River valley to disrupt enemy movement and form communication bonds with the local populace.

In order to effectively accomplish this mission, the battalion needed to create some means of communicating with its units over extremely long distances, and provide additional combat support at the same time.

The answer: a mobile forward combat operations center, also known as a COC.

“All infantry units have forward COCs, ours just happens to be mobile because of the nature of our unit,” said Master Sgt. Albert E. Lopez, the battalion’s assistant operations chief.

The battalion has several units and attachments working together throughout their area of operation, so it is no easy feat to have eyes and ears on everything at the same time.

“We are out here working with Charlie Company, plus they got the quick reaction force, canine units, and all kinds of units with separate missions,” said Lopez, a Costa Mesa, Calif., native. “We direct communication traffic between all of them with higher headquarters.”

Communication is the number one priority of the forward COC, according to Pfc. George K. Gelow, the forward COC’s radio operator.

“The COC has one of the biggest roles in missions because it directs communication, plus it has the ability to call in air support, carries firepower, and has enough Marines to supply a guard unit,” said Gelow, a Daytona Beach native. “It (COC) has everything anyone would need to complete a mission.”

The battalion’s commander, Lt Col. Kelly P. Alexander, travels with the forward unit, so he can give more timely decisions on pressing matters.

“We get all the Intel and give it to the lieutenant colonel so he can make the best decisions and we can push those commands back down to the smaller units,” Lopez said.

The forward COC also provides communication support for any injured Marines on the battlefield, which is invaluable considering the vast range the battalion routinely covers.

“If we had no communication out here, then there would be no way to transport injured Marines off the battlefield, and no way to direct the movement of friendly units. It would be a huge disaster and people would definitely die. We make sure that doesn’t happen, and that’s the importance of our mission,” Gelow said.
By Lance Cpl. Ryan C. Heiser, 2nd Marine Division

Comments

[Karen I.]

Thankyou, 2nd Marine Division.

[wendy nester]

are you 1st lar c co looking for anyone who my know my son

[Jordan 1]

Articles beautiful! You are amazing! I admire you ha

[Nike Air Max TN]

The good! These posts written as well wonderful. They wealthy contents and information precisely. they're allow to me. I assume to determine your new share.

[Dyer30HOLLIE]

The loans seem to be useful for guys, which would like to organize their organization. In fact, it's easy to get a financial loan.

[asics sale]

Yao is now the mainland and God’s industrial output value every year has been too much,Onitsuka Tiger Mini Cooper, almost all the production value than it is now asics 1130, and military products has been almost no production. And not to give ordinary people the continent of God u use these products, we had to put some non-military products up for sale to get the Earth, such as the magic crystal car ah, steel or something. Not only in exchange for a large number of advanced technology, equipment, also for a large number of raw materials.
After six months of the colonial conquests, and now there is little surrounding asics 1130 small independent countries, and are occupied by asics 1130 to become its own colony, and are now stable for asics 1130 to provide resources and personnel. Y only has a large degree of nuclear bombs, B-based, e States and other colonies did not become asics 1130. However, they also began to send more troops to its border defenses asics 1130 a.

[Tiffany Jewelry]

I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the
emergency frequency 121.5 Mhz while flying from Europe to Dubai.