Specialized Training

A squad of Marine Raiders has recently concluded an intensive jungle navigation and movement program, an integral part of their preparation for deployment.

This specialized training was facilitated by experts from the Tactical Tracking Operations School, focusing on navigating through jungle terrain, mastering rope, and rappelling techniques, learning jungle tracking and anti-tracking methods. Over approximately fourteen days, the squad honed these specific skills to adeptly operate in dense jungle settings while on mission.

A key operative emphasized the significance of acquiring such skills, particularly considering potential assignments in the Pacific region.

“Given the prolonged period we spent training for desert terrains, it is crucial to adapt to other possible deployment locations, with jungles being a priority,” he noted.

Tactical Tracking Operations

TTOS has been providing specialized jungle training to U.S. Special Operations Command units since 2015. Under the guidance of the current vice president, Cody Carroll, who joined in 2021, the program has undergone significant evolution and refinement. Carroll’s experience as a reconnaissance officer in the Pacific region highlighted the gaps in training necessary for success in jungle environments, inspiring the enhancement of the course.

Carroll pointed out that the initiative was not about innovation but a return to traditional training methods, reflecting on the challenges faced by forces during WWII and Vietnam. He emphasized the necessity of reviving skills that were neglected due to two decades of focus on desert warfare.

The Marine Raiders immersed themselves in comprehensive jungle mobility training, navigating dense foliage, climbing and descending cliffs, and crossing rivers, all while tracking or avoiding being tracked by an adversary.

In addition to these, the squad was trained in jungle-specific counter-improvised explosive device strategies, responding to contact in thick vegetation, and executing and counteracting ambushes.