Merseyside’s Royal Marines Reserves support their regular counterparts in the Mojave Desert whilst they carry out demanding live-fire tactical training.
14 Royal Marine Reservists from across Merseyside have spent two weeks 5200 Miles away from home at the United States Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre in Twenty-Nine Palms, California.
They have been supporting 45 Commando Royal Marines on Exercise Green Dagger 19 as they carry out their annual live-fire tactical training, in preparation for assuming the role of Lead Commando Group.
The reservists deployed as range safety staff, allowing 45 Commando to conduct realistic training under a range of tactical scenarios. The training area in the Mojave Desert has the same total area as the Country of Luxembourg, including a replica of Fallujah City, with over a thousand buildings for the troops to exercise in.
Captain Andy Brownrigg, Officer Commanding Liverpool Detachment said, “Exercise Green Dagger was a fantastic opportunity for the Royal Marines Reserve to integrate with and support 45 Commando Royal Marines”. Captain Brownrigg who is a fisheries officer in his civilian career also added, “it made a nice change to swap the cockle bays of Leasowe Beach for the dry sand of the Nevada desert”.
Royal Marines Reserve Merseyside has detachments in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham, with the Headquarters in Liverpool. It allows civilians to earn the coveted Green Beret alongside their civilian careers by completing the longest and hardest of all the United Kingdom’s reserve training courses. If interested in a second career as a Royal Marine Reservist, search online for ‘Join Royal Marines Reserve.’
