United States Marine Corps responds to allegations they lost training exercise to Royal Marines

The United States Marine Corps is fighting back after British newspapers reported that the service was “dominated” by the Royal Marines during a training exercise in the Mojave Desert in California.

The training exercise – called Green Dagger – took place last October at the Marine Corps’ Twentynine Palms base. The Royal Marines had spent most of two months in the United States preparing for deployments in 2022. For the exercise, they teamed up with maritime forces from Canada, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.

According to US forces, this was a routine “deployment for training” opportunity for the Royal Marines, with training including live and non-live fire events.

The Royal Marines would have won a handful of decisive battles early in the year and gained considerable ground. When US forces launched a counterattack, British commandos raided behind enemy lines. According to reports, the Marine Corps has called for the exercise to be “reset” midway through, after suffering heavy casualties.

By the end of the day, British forces had destroyed almost all of America’s assets and taken control of two-thirds of the territory, while they had started with less than one-fifth. According to the Royal Marines, their success was the result of targeting US headquarters and equipment, which hampered the Marine Corps’ ability to launch counterattacks. This, along with artillery attacks on vehicles and support from fighter jets, allowed them to repel the Marine Corps’ latest counter attempt.

U.S. Marines have the chance to train with allies and partners around the world, every day – including our siblings in the @RoyalMarines. As fellow soldiers of the sea, we have a unique and proven bond shared by those who have earned the title of “Navy”. pic.twitter.com/4yCufoZceU

– US Marines (@USMC) November 3, 2021

The training exercise was a way for the British forces to test their new structure Littoral Response Group (LRG), which will be the new model for the commando units. LRGs are Royal Navy task forces focused on commando forces and are able to work with the Carrier Strike Group to create an expeditionary strike force that can operate anywhere in the world.

Speaking of the success of the exercise, Lt. Col. Andy Dow, commander of 40 Commando, said:

“Our success has proven that the new concept of commando force is deadlier and more sophisticated than ever and I am extremely proud of every LRG member and their vital contributions. Operating alongside our partners in the United States, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Arab Emirates gives us a fantastic opportunity to test, integrate and continue to push our capabilities in new and innovative directions.

“Through this deployment, we have focused on integrating the revolutionary capabilities of the entire commando force to produce a disproportionate effect against a free-thinking adversary,” he concluded.

As a result of the exercise, the United States Marine Corps tweeted their appreciation for the UK’s participation in the exercise. “U.S. Marines have the chance to train with allies and partners around the world, every day – including our brothers and sisters in the @RoyalMarines», Wrote the service. “As fellow soldiers of the sea, we have a unique and proven bond shared by those who have earned the title of ‘Marine’.

“Rigorous and realistic training with foreign partners allows us to refine our skills, validate our techniques and learn new tactics. Iron sharpens iron.

Following reports that the Royal Marines claimed victory, Captain Zachary Colvin, director of communications and strategy for the Marine Air Ground Combat Center, issued a statement to the Military Time, in which he said there was no winner. “The winners are never determined,” he said. “This exercise does not provide an opportunity to ‘surrender’, ‘keep the score’ or ‘reset’. The goal of the exercise is to increase unit performance and increase readiness.

“During this exercise, a US Marine Regiment augmented by subordinate units formed an opposing force to actively challenge and test a US Marine Regiment,” he continued. “This training opportunity has increased the combat readiness and interoperability of the United States Marine Corps with multinational forces. Exercise scenarios are adjusted as needed to help commanders meet training goals.

The Marine Corps was not alone in speaking out on the claim. Rob lee, a doctoral candidate in the Department of War Studies at Kings College London, tweeted that British publications promoting this side of the story undermine the value of such training exercises.

“These kinds of tabloid articles (no one has surrendered and 40 commandos have been associated with US Navy units) are the kinds of things that threaten future US-UK exercises, which are beneficial to both sides. . They also misunderstand the purpose of these exercises.

The Royal Marines did not respond to the statement released by the Marine Corps.