River warriors hit the waves during Riverine Assault Course

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River warriors hit the waves during Riverine Assault Course
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification Number: 200310883255
Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes



CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Oct. 8, 2003) -- The rolling dunes of white, sandy beaches and the gentle lapping of the tide were interrupted by deafening bursts of machine-gun fire and more than six, 300-horsepower boat engines recently.

The vegetation seemed to come alive when rounds from M-2 .50 caliber machine guns, M-240G medium machine guns and MK19 40 mm machine guns (grenade launcher), passed through trees, plants and into light armored vehicles on the coastal waterway. No, it wasn't an actual amphibious assault, but that is what the Marines aboard the boats were training for.

"The Riverine Assault Craft Crewman's Course tests the students with live-fire ranges. This is one of them," said Sgt. James A. Cascio, an instructor for the course. The Mastic Beach, N.Y., native, continued, "Although we can't recreate combat, giving (the students) missions they'll be facing in combat helps them react quickly and work as a team."

The activity was part of the five-week RAC course, which provides Marines training to properly operate the boat. The RAC is a 34-and-a-half foot long, eight-foot wide boat capable of traveling at top speeds of 45 mph and traveling 350 nautical miles without re-fueling.

Propelled by two 300 horsepower Cummins turbo-charged diesel engines with twin Hamilton water jets, the boats are a force to be reckoned with, said Cascio. He added, with Marines behind the wheel and behind the weapons, they are a force to be feared.

Students who attend the course are all infantrymen by trade and graduating the course qualifies them to operate the craft. All are graduates of other small craft courses. One of the courses is for the Rigid Raider Craft, which is a smaller boat used to transport troops. The Raider, capable of limited littoral navigation, is a simpler boat, which operates with two outboard motors and no on-board electrical systems,

"This boat is nothing like the Raider. Learning navigation skills through the Raider course helps, but the instructors bring everything to the next level," said Pfc. Pablo Ochoa, a Raider Coxswain with Small Craft Company and native of Bergen Field, N.J. "Before I came to small craft (company), my only experience was joy riding in the rivers near my hometown. There's so much more you have to know with these boats then just how to spin them around in the water."

"This boat is ideal for patrolling and attacking in a river environment. It is also good for providing security for the Raider transport boat and for conducting river-air joint strikes on a target. A river-air joint strike is when planes attack a target from the air, while boats attack it from the water," said Cascio.

Equipped with a global positioning system and radar capabilities, the craft can be used for day or night missions. The ability to see outside the boat isn't necessary for the coxswain.

"We teach students to rely on their radar at night. They're taught to recognize hazards in the water and avoid them. Combined with the GPS, they never need to look up to traverse waterways and find their destination," added Cascio.

Students learn everything from boat piloting, to firing weapons aboard and engine maintenance. The first few weeks of the course are dedicated to teaching the students about using and maintaining the equipment aboard the boat.

"We need to teach the students how to repair things in case it breaks while they're on a mission. They have to get the craft in working order as soon as possible. The success of their mission could depend on it," said Cascio.

Capable of mounting crew-served weapons, the boat becomes a floating armada. For the live-fire exercise, Marines targeted staged vehicle targets on the river's edge and opened fire on them from the boat.

"Being able to mount weapons in these boats is what makes them so useful for river assault missions," said Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, a student of the course and native of Kerrville, Texas. "With the machine guns fore and starboard and the grenade launcher aft, we have all the firepower we need to do escorts, fire missions, anything."

The infantry-trained Marines can already proficiently handle the weapons, so learning how to handle boats is the focus during the final weeks of the course. Like the Raider course, the students learn how to maneuver the craft in tight waterways, move in tactical formations, properly turn the boat, stop and beach in a tactical situation.

"These boats have never been combat-tested," said Cascio. "They're made for many river-assault situations happening around the world right now. We need to make sure the students are ready to perform when they're called to go."



Lance Cpl. James D. Tefft, a native of Spring Hill, Fla., prepares to fire a .50 caliber machine gun. Tefft, a boat mechanic with Small Craft Company, rides a Riverine Assault Craft, the boat used by the Marine Corps for tactical river missions around the world.
Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes


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