The Origins
The story of the M82 begins with Ronnie Barrett. Barrett, a photographer with no formal gunsmith training or experience, is said to have been inspired to design and build the M82 .50 caliber rifle while photographing a river patrol boat similar to the type used by American forces during the Vietnam war. In one of the resulting photographs, a .50 caliber machine gun is prominently silhouetted.
Realizing that there was not a rifle chambered in the .50 caliber cartridge, Ronnie got started. The original design was drawn up on Barrett’s dining room table, and from the resulting blueprints, the original Barrett .50 rifle was built in a gravel floor garage from hand-machined parts. But despite the humble beginnings, the rifle was an immediate success.
Marines and sailors from around the Marine Corps recently concluded Service Level Training Exercise 2-21 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
Marines with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, patrol to a further checkpoint at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, on February 17, 2021. Marines used Marine Warfighting Exercise to strengthen their skills and tactics for fighting a near peer adversary. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew R. Bray)
SLTE is a series of separate exercises designed to prepare the Marine Air Ground Task Force to respond to crises and conflicts around the globe by increasing their ability to integrate actions across the full range of military operations. The Service Level Training Exercise was made up of Integrated Training Exercise, Adversary Force Exercise, and Mountain Training Exercise, followed by the Warfighting Exercise. Sixth Marine Regiment pulled units from Camp Pendleton and Hawaii and folded them in
OKINAWA, Japan
During exercise Hagåtña Fury 21, Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Regiment 3 honed expeditionary advanced base operations and distributed maritime operations capabilities across U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, alongside elements of 3d Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, from February 18 to March 1.
The overall operation was designed to test CLR-3’s ability to conduct distributed command and control of forces providing EABO sustainment across INDOPACOM via a robust communications network, while executing various mission profiles in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force “Fight Now” concepts. During the exercise, CLR-3 simultaneously conducted command and control of forces from 3d Landing Support Battalion, 3d Transportation Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, and Combat Logistics Battalion 3, to include Marine Air-Ground Task Force enablers, across Hawaii, Guam, and Okinawa.
11 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – (Feb. 25, 2021) The Death Rattlers of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 return from a 10-month deployment, making history as the last F/A-18 Hornet carrier deployment in the U.S. Marine Corps.
VMFA-323 now prepares to fly the F-35B Lightning II.
In line with the Marine Corps Force Design 2030, transitioning to the F-35 increases the lethality of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), as both F-35 variants provide unprecedented stealth capabilities and flexibility due to their ability to operate from conventional aircraft carriers and land bases. Furthermore, the F-35 will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force strategic agility, operational flexibility and tactical supremacy in a high-end conflict.
Marines in the fight during Service Level Training at the Combat Center > United States Marine Corps Flagship > News Display marines.mil - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marines.mil Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.