Royal Marines Drill US Marine Security Forces in Europe

US Marines assigned to a Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) of Marine Corps Security Forces (MCSFR) recently trained in European theatre wintry conditions with UK Royal Marines during Exercise Tartan Eagle,a biannual exercise conducted with 43 Commando Royal Marines (43 Cdo RM),a US Marine Corps press release revealed.No location was disclosed,but this blog assesses it was possibly His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde,Faslane,Scotland,homeport of the UK nuclear deterrent.It was a chance for the Americans to expand their horizons in a critical NATO Ally setting.FAST Marine teams are qualified infantry Marines who guard high-value defence installations,vessels and nuclear weapons.For its part,43 Cdo RM protects the UK nuclear deterrent force, which consists of ballistic missile submarines carrying Trident II D5 ICBMs.Such a role requires skill sets of fieldcraft;close quarters-combat;vehicle manoeuvres and so on.These were instilled in the the FAST Marines by RM professional military educators.* The first week of Tartan Eagle was a firing package ranging from simple static shooting to battle sight zeroing and natural points of aim.The FAST Marine Alpha Platoon trained on the Royal Marines' C8 assault rifle,which is similar to Marine Corps weapons such as the M4 and legacy M16 design and build.The FAST Marines also had to pass the RM Annual Combat Marksmanship Test (ACMT) in order to train on RM firing ranges.To pass the ACMT,you must fire quickly and accurately from postures including prone,standing and from a defensive position.The second week of Tartan Eagle was a field exercise exposing participants to cold,wet wintry conditions of typical British weather where they learn maintaining themselves,their kit (gear) and equipment in challenging circumstances.Phase 3 of Tartan Eagle was a Forward Operating Base exercise where they conducted security against a simulated enemy and were appropriately pushed and tested. The FAST Marines learned to camouflage paint themselves within the burnt red and yellow fern colours of European countryside.They awoke to morning dew and chilling temperatures with a cool breeze.Indeed,shivering and wet,they exercised stillness for concealment.How to walk,stay alert,await orders,provide security and issue orders outside of garrison were considerations.The Tactics,Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) exchanged with the Royal Marines helped the FAST Marines pass the culminating Marine Readiness Exercise.The Marines of Alpha Platoon,FAST Company,MCSFR surpassed both mental and physical barriers while executing Exercise Tartan Eagle 2022,furthering our partnership with the UK Ministry of Defence forces and honing their overall lethality.At all times,they were under the professional supervision of 43 Cdo RM instructors.