Camp Gonsalves
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| Camp Gonsalves Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center |
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|---|---|
 Logo for the Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center |
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| Active | 1958 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Training Base |
| Size | 20,000 acres (80 km²) |
| Part of | 3rd Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler |
| Nickname | NTA (Northern Training Area) |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lt. Col. Antonio B. Smith
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| Notable commanders |
Lt. Gene A. Deegan (1961) Captain Oliver North (1973-1974) Captain S.M. Lowery (1983-1986) Captain Glenn T. Starnes (1986) |
Camp Gonsalves is a United States Marine Corps training base located in 20,000 acres (80 km²) of single and double canopy jungle on the Northern end of Okinawa.
Contents |
[edit] History
The area near Okuma that spreads across the villages of Kunigami and Higashi, has been used to train Marines and military service members since the area was first established in 1958. A few short years later a three-man detachment led by Lt. Gene A. Deegan was tasked with establishing a base camp within the training area.
As American involvement in the Vietnam War escalated, interest in the area increased and a detachment of officers and enlisted were stationed at the Northern Training Area (NTA) to teach courses. The area's dense jungle and rugged terrain was ideal for preparing Marines for the jungles of Vietnam.
Most of the surrounding areas are designated as Government of Japan National Forest. This environmentally sensitive area has been used as a training area for over 44 years and is an excellent example of the Marine Corps' environmental stewardship.
Over the years the base camp gradually evolved into an array of Quonset huts and other buildings until 1984 when the present facility was completed. Captain S.M. Lowery, who spent two and a half years as the Officer In Charge of NTA, oversaw the planning and construction of the buildings. On November 5, 1986, the base camp itself was officially named Camp H. Gonsalves, in memory of Private First Class Harold Gonsalves who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa.
The training at NTA was conducted on the small unit level and was designed to pass on the valuable jungle war fighting lessons learned in Vietnam. In 1995, a formal agreement, the Special Actions Committee on Okinawa, was made to eventually return Camp Gonsalves (and other Japanese US military installations) to the people of Okinawa. In 1998 the name was officially changed to the Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) in an effort to better convey the mission of this training base. The most progressive changes to the area have occurred within the last year. In March of 2002, decisions were made to offer a wider variety of courses to a greater number of Marines at one time. This meant new funds had to be appropriated; the area's bivouac sites and field mess facilities had to be significantly upgraded. The objective was to be able to train entire battalion-sized units and the goal was to become the premier Jungle Warfare Training Center in the world.
[edit] JWTC Mission
The Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) will provide expert instruction, and training in jungle warfare in order to prepare personnel and units to operate in jungle environments. Additionally, JWTC controls the usage of expeditionary campsites and diversified training areas, in order to allow Marine and Joint forces to conduct independent operations and combat exercises, from the squad to battalion/regiment size, within a dense jungle environment.
[edit] Training
Instability in Jungle regions varies from political and religious turmoil, narcoterrorism, ethnic conflict, mass migration, famine, economic flight, kidnapping, international boundary disputes, and humanitarian assistance.
JWTC contributes to readiness in a number of ways and focuses on small unit leadership while providing instruction and training for six Infantry Battalions per year (10,000 personnel). JWTC also supports Independent Unit Operations, works with Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, conducts medical skills training and Multi-National Cross Training, supports air operations, and fulfills Jungle Mission Essential Task Lists.
[edit] Jungle Skills Course
There are six Jungle Skills Courses annually. Each course contains 200 seats and is six training days long. Courses are offered to all infantry and non-infantry units.
The Jungle Skills Course is designed to refine a unit's patrolling and combat skills in the jungle environment. The course is intended to test individual endurance, build confidence, and develop small unit leaders throughout the six day package.
The course focuses on the following areas: Land Navigation, Patrolling, Survival, Jungle Shooting, and the Commando Course.
[edit] Jungle Trauma Course
The Jungle Trauma Course is five days long and is offered to all medical personnel. Each course contains 60 seats.
The course is staffed by members of the 3rd Marine Division Medical Staff as well as the JWTC instructor staff.
Medical operations in a jungle environment include: Treatment of jungle related illnesses and injuries, evacuation and transportation of injured personnel, jungle skills, survival, and the Commando Course.
[edit] Combat Tracking Course
Tracking is the art of locating, identifying, and pursuing sign from intelligent interpretations and deductions, to gain reasonably accurate information about the target concerned. This information, passed onto Commanders in a timely fashion, will enable them to understand and shape the battlefield at a greater speed.
The Man Tracking Course is designed to instruct a Marine in proper tracking technique and instill the skills to track in the jungle environment. The course is intended to test individual endurance, build confidence, and develop the patience and determination all trackers require. The Man Tracking Course runs twice a year with seating limited to 15 students and runs 16 days long.
[edit] Jungle Endurance Course
The Jungle Endurance Course is a 3.8 mile (5.9 km) trek through the jungle designed to test the student's newly developed skills. Students also learn to work together as a team overcoming the course's tough obstacles.
The course begins with a hasty rappel down a 40-foot (12 m) cliff. Then the students cross a deep ravine using the two and three strand bridges. The course then heads into the jungle where the students must execute additional hasty rappels and negotiate several log obstacles and stream crossings. The course comes back out of the jungle at the SAT (Suspension and Traverse) Trainer where the students demonstrate their ability to construct a retrievable "Jungle One Rope Bridge" across a standing body of water. The course continues into the jungle for several more stream crossings and log obstacles, including a 12-foot (3.7 m) wall that the students must assist each other over.
Students continue towards the "Pit and Pond" where they must low crawl through the muddy trenches and underneath barbed wire obstacles. The final obstacle is a 600 meter stretcher carry up two steep, muddy hills and on to the finish line.
[edit] Independent Operations
There is also a variety of training areas set aside for Independent Operations. Ten training areas are currently available for training opportunities as well as 23 helicopter landing zones.
Independent Operations that are supported by JWTC include: Fast Rope, Air Assault, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP), External Loads, Ship-to-Shore Operations, rappelling tower, multiple target sites, beach access, and survival training areas.
[edit] The future of JWTC
The future of the Jungle Warfare Training Center is promising. The goal is to become the premier Jungle Warfare Training Center in the world. The next few years will see continued improvements in the training areas, bivouac sites, and several additions to the curriculum.
Future training will include an extended Man-Tracking Course, revised Jungle Leaders Course aimed at the Squad Leader ranks, and further Joint and Multi-National training programs.
The development of new training sites, e.g. the multi-level tunnel complex, Asian Combat Town, field mess upgrade and suspension and traverse (SAT) trainer upgrade are in various stages of planning.
Future Initiatives for JWTC include: Jungle Warfare MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), Jungle Warfare MCI (Marine Corps Institute) Course, and Exchange Programs between U.S. & Foreign Allies.
After the jungle warfare training grounds in Fort Sherman, Panama closed in 1999, JWTC on Okinawa became the only jungle training grounds in the entire Department of Defense by default.
[edit] Environmentalism
The area is home to 51 endangered species, which include the Okinawan Rail, a flightless bird, and two newly discovered species of bats. Extreme care is taken to preserve their habitat. Strict regulations concerning solid waste management and the disposal of hazardous materials are enforced, and thorough police calls (clean sweep operations) are conducted at the end of each training cycle. Due to the area's limited access by industry and the steps taken by the Marines Corps, the environment will be preserved so that Marines and wildlife may continue to live together in harmony.
[edit] References
- Premiere training ground lies in Okinawa's thick jungle, Okinawa Marine, February 24, 2004
- Welcome to the Jungle (Flash, PDF, HTML), Bob Houlihan, All Hands, August 2003
- In The Thick Of It, Marines Magazine, November, 1988
[edit] External links
- Camp Gonsalves / Okinawa Northern Training Area, GlobalSecurity.org
- Time2PCS.com Site for those moving to, visiting, or currently living in Okinawa, Japan. Area guides, moving tips, plus info on travel, beaches, parks, housing, restaurant reviews, pictures & slideshows, schools, maps, and more
