Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air

By Tyler MainApril 17, 2012

Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
1 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit assault the target area during a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy here,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
2 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Marine from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit provides security during the team's extraction after a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
3 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit board a helicopter after executing a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy h... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
4 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit board a helicopter after executing a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy h... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
5 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit board a helicopter after executing a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy h... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
6 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter transports Marines from 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the USS Iwo Jima after they executed a quick-strike, indir... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
7 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Marine from 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit plots the fire direction information for the gun line during a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a sim... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
8 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit set up a mortar system during a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy here Ap... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
9 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Marine from 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit gauges the terrain of a firing position during a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy f... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
10 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit patrol to a firing position during a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy he... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
11 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Marines from 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit provide security during an amphibious landing to facilitate a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simul... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
12 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Marine provides security while a Landing Craft Air Cushion (amphibious hovercraft) drops Marines on a beach at Cap Draa, Morocco, for a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy here April 9 during Exercise Africa Lion 20... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mortars arrive by sea, attack on land, extract by air
13 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Landing Craft Air Cushion (amphibious hovercraft) drops Marines on a beach at Cap Draa, Morocco, for a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy here April 9 during Exercise Africa Lion 2012. AL-12 is a U.S. African Comma... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CAP DRAA, Morocco - Marine mortar men from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in support of African Lion 2012, executed a quick-strike, indirect-fire mission on a simulated enemy fuel convoy at Cap Draa, Morocco, April 9.

Marines of 81 mm mortar platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 24th MEU raided and secured a beach on Cap Draa after traveling from the USS Iwo Jima by Landing Craft Air Cushion - a large amphibious hover craft.

After securing the beach, Marines trudged up a rocky, sand-covered mountain, carrying their 81 mm mortar systems, ammunition and their personal weapons while clad in body armor and kevlar helmets. Some Marines were carrying nearly 100 pounds of equipment. They had to move all of this equipment to the attack position a few miles inland.

They didn