The Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa Japan had to be one of my favorite deployments. Learning how to operate and survive in a jungle environment is vastly different than a desert or woodland environment. There are also threats native to the jungle that you must be aware of. I remember attending a training session and sitting on the table in front of the class were several glass jars with various snakes in them (mostly venomous). As the glass jars were passed around the instructors said these are some of the threats to be aware of as we conduct our training. Because of the dense tropical-like environment, gear and tactics need to change in order to be effective and survive.
CAMP SCHWAB, AICHI, JAPAN
Footprints and skid marks are just one of the multiple ways a tracker can identify whether or not someone has recently been through an area. Marines with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, received the combat hunter course Jan. 28, a requirement for all units that will be outside the wire while in combat.
Photo Courtesy of DVIDS
