MANA — If terrorists attack a United States embassy, the success of the military’s efforts to evacuate non-combatants may derive from drills conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in West Kaua‘i yesterday. As part of Rim of the Pacific
MANA — If terrorists attack a United States embassy, the success of the military’s efforts to evacuate non-combatants may derive from drills conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in West Kaua‘i yesterday.
As part of Rim of the Pacific 2006 exercise, the largest international maritime exercise in the world, members of the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units conducted a Non-combatant Evacuation Operation drill.
“(The exercise) simulates what happens when Americans and allies need to be evacuated very quickly,” 2nd Lt. Strickland Binford said.
The drill replicated a terror attack on a U.S. consulate, including two mock skirmishes with military role-players acting as oppositional forces.
“In the firefights with terrorists we did very well,” said Lt. Col. Frank Donovan, commanding officer of the second battalion.
In securing embassies, Binford said Marines follow four basic rules: They shout out warnings; shove non-evacuees out of the way; show protesters their guns; and, if all else fails, fire their weapons.
The U.S. Department of State directs embassy evacuation operations, but Donovan said, “When it gets bad, Marines take over.”
Complications during the NEO drill were not limited to fire-fights. Marines also had to come to the assistance of 14 Navy sailors who played the role of evacuees injured by an Improved Explosive Device.
Dealing with the evacuees required a swift, but delicate, response.
One distraught evacuee refused to enter a convoy for victims until two Marines were able to cajole her, without the use of force.
Unlike military raids, Marines conducting NEOs use the minimum force necessary to secure the area and ensure the safety of evacuees.
An MEU is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the country.
Three MEUs are stationed on both the West and East Coast, and one is located on Okinawa.
MEUs have the capability of reaching any embassy in the world within six days.
