Stormbreaker 25.1 was designed to enhance Marines’ combat readiness by establishing, maintaining, and defending communication networks and services, enabling commanders to effectively command and control their forces. The training also gave 7th Comm. Bn.’s noncommissioned officers the opportunity to teach and mentor their junior Marines with the intent to increase their knowledge in field craft and setting up communication assets.
“I will keep them on their feet, so I’ll pull one of them out from a crowd and have them help me demonstrate something I explained. By the way they do it, I’ll give corrections,” explains Cpl. Trevon Williams, a supply chain and material management specialist with 7th Comm. Bn., III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.
During Stormbreaker 25.1, the 7th Comm. Bn. Marines not only worked on their transmission capabilities, but they also had the opportunity to be trained in close quarter combat tactics and room clearing by instructors and also by veterans who cleared buildings in the Middle East. This gave the Marines an opportunity to learn how to increase their lethality and survivability in a contested environment.
“Being at 7th Comm. Bn., we focus a lot on transmissions, networking and data systems,” said Staff Sgt Lewis Molet-Clytus, a transmissions chief with 7th Comm. Bn. “Being able to adapt to an environment and training that we don’t normally do in a communication battalion really sets the tone for other Marines to let them know that we too are able to adapt and have that skill set to have variable assets among us, not just using communications, but we can also strategically plan the clearing of rooms and hallways.”
7th Comm. Bn. strives to mold well-rounded Marines who embody the spirit of ‘Every Marine is a rifleman’ by creating field exercises that include fast-paced tactical courses in conjunction with technical training. Each training iteration allowed Marines to work through stressful environments while learning how to work together as a team. Stormbreaker 25.1 increased Marines’ skills as rifleman and communication operators.
