Previous Story
Expeditionary Marines to train in Guam
DEDEDO, Guam—The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is scheduled to participate in a live-fire Realistic Urban Training Exercise, or RUTEX, in Guam from Jan. 6 to 16 in preparation for the unit’s deployment to the Asia-Pacific late this year.
The purpose of RUTEX is to train the 31st MEU’s Marines to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies and civic leaders to operate in an urban environment and hone their proficiency to respond to threats to a community or its infrastructure.
The training in Guam will be held at South Finegayan Housing and near the Tanguisson Power Plant in Dededo. Residents of the island could see Marines periodically throughout the exercise and are likely to notice increased military activities operating in this area on Jan. 13 and 15.
Since August of this year, planners for the exercise have coordinated through the appropriate territorial and village agencies and officials to ensure safety and minimize the impact on the community. Some of these agencies include the Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor, Guam Fire Department, Guam Police Department, the Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense as well as the FBI and Guam Federal Aviation Administration.
“Working in this relatively unfamiliar environment is critical to our success and the safety of the Marines we train,” said Col. Romin Dasmalchi, commander of the 31st MEU. “As the nation’s only permanently deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit, we must be able to react with little or no notice to threats in urban communities.” (MEU)
