Second Platoon Tackles the Andes
By: Cpl. Derek Adamiec
The Marines of 2nd Platoon, D Company, MarForUnitas landed in Chile aboard a C-130 cargo plane in mid-September. They were tasked with completing the second half of a bi-lateral training mission with the Chilean Marine Corps that began at Camp Lejeune in mid-July. Attached to the platoon were three Marines from the Command Element of MarForUnitas and one Hospital Corpsman.
Upon their arrival 2nd Platoon was taken to the Chilean Marine Base at Forte Aguayo, about 15km outside of the city of Vina Del Mar. While at the base the Marines were introduced to the history of the Chilean Navy and Marine Corps, and were taken on tours of the cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Included in these tours were stops at the Naval History Museum and the Monument to the Fallen Heroes of the Chilean Navy and Marine Corps. The timing of the Marines arrival coincided with the celebration of both the Chilean Independence Day and Armed Forces Day, allowing the Devil Dogs of 2nd a unique opportunity to experience the local culture and celebrate with Chileans.
Following their time in Vina del Mar, the Marines moved from Forte Aguayo to the Chilean Army’s Mountain Warfare Training School at Rio Blanco. There they were paired up with members of the Marine Commando Team, Delta. Two Marines were paired with one Commando, and together they worked to master the basic skills of rock climbing. The instruction provided by the Chileans was very professional and informative. Marines were taught the basic knots of rock climbing and their uses. They also learned about the proper use of climbing gear and climbing techniques. For many of them it was their first taste of rock climbing and their classrooms were two rock faces of varying degrees of difficulty and heights to approximately 125 feet. All the Marines were required to negotiate these faces during day and night. The night climbs were done under tactical conditions with no light and strict noise discipline. Following their climbs the Marines were required to rappel back down, some using the Australian Rappel method. A Marine using this method rappels facing the ground instead of with his back to it and uses only one hand instead of two. In combat this would allow the Marine to fire his weapon while moving down the obstacle. The final step for the Marines in their training at Rio Blanco was to climb Condors’ Nest.
Condors’ Nest is a very imposing mountain that towers over Rio Blanco to a height of approximately 7000 feet. Dotted with cactus and small scrub brush it looked like it belonged in the American Southwest. The footing was treacherous and made for difficult climbing at points, but the amazing scenery that awaited the Marines at the summit made the trek worth it.
Next the Marines and their Chilean guides loaded trucks and made the 65km journey to their Cold Weather Training site. Once there the Marines constructed a small snow block village. Snow was cut into blocks that were in-turn stacked to form walls. These walls were used to protect the Marines’ tents from the chilling winds that would blow down through the mountains at night. For some Marines of the platoon their time in Chile was one of many firsts. Most of the Marines from Texas had only seen snow on television or in pictures so to be standing in snow, sometimes up to their waists was an experience that they will not soon forget. Training included learning the basics of snowshoeing both with and without a sled in tow. It also included the finer points of making a snowball, sledding and building snowmen. Snow caves were dug, large enough that four U.S. and two Chilean Marines could sleep in them, if not comfortably, at least warmly. The culmination of all of the training received in Chile was an ascent of Christ the Redeemer.
Christ the Redeemer is a 12,500 ft. mountain that straddles the Chilean and Argentinean border. At its summit is a large bronze statue erected in the early 1900’s of Jesus Christ. The spot holds special significance in that it was the site of a meeting for peace between Chilean and Argentinean young people. After about an hour at the summit and the required twenty pushups for those whose first time it was climbing the mountain, the Marines began their decent. The decent turned out to be much quicker than the climb when it was found that sliding down was more fun than walking.
Upon returning to Forte Aguayo the Marines and Commandos celebrated with a cookout, during which some of the Marines were given the coveted jump wings and commando badge of their instructors. The instructors in return were all presented with the customary “challenge coin” caste with the Unitas seal. Presentation of this coin is tradition that only a fellow Marine can fully appreciate.
Many friends were made during the three weeks that the Marines of 2nd Platoon spent in Chile, despite some minor difficulties in communication. All of the Marines, both Chilean and American, found that there is a language that transcends both Spanish and English. It is a language of Brotherhood. 2nd Platoon will miss the friends that they made in Chile, but they will look back on the time that they spent there and the experiences that they shared as one of the high points of their deployment.