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April 11, 2008
Troops practice a medevac exercise on the grounds of Seashore Trolley Museum
Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment stationed in Topsham trains at Museum
Seashore Trolley Museum welcomed 85 Marines from the Topsham-stationed Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, for a weekend of training on the museum grounds on March 28-30, 2008. Providing training opportunities for the Marines has become a tradition for the museum. “It’s a form of community service for us,” said Vice President John Middleton of allowing the Marines to use parts of the museum’s 300-acre property. “It’s interesting for us, they are very respectful of the property and it alerts the public that our armed forces, particularly the reserves, are always training.”
Alpha Company is made up of reserve Marines from Maine and Massachusetts, training one weekend a month. Most of the current Company served in Iraq from March to November, 2006.
Major Peter Capuzzi of Framingham, MA, Alpha Company Commander, coordinated the training weekend. He explained that the Company trains in several New England locations, including Fort Devens in Ayer, Massachusetts, headquarters for the 1st Battalion. “Reserve companies have buildings but no training yards like active duty units on military bases,” he said. “It’s rare to receive permission to use private grounds [like Seashore’s].”
The Company arrived Friday evening and departed Sunday morning, with most of the training on Saturday. Troops slept in the vintage vehicles or on the ground in Seashore’s Riverside exhibit barn, waking at 3:00 AM for a three-mile hike around the grounds. “The bulk of the day was spent in offense/defense/patrolling,” said Capuzzi. In addition, four stations were set up for training in first aid/medical evacuation, martial arts, radio reporting and ambush patrol. Each of three squads drilled at each station twice during the day. “Everyone has to be able to do all the jobs, and everyone got feedback right away,” said Capuzzi.
Corporal Drouin pauses for a moment during training on the Museum grounds
Corporal Benjamin Drouin, in his fifth year in the Marine Reserves, works at Bangor Daily News and will graduate from University of Maine this year. “It’s great that they let us use [the museum grounds]. It’s big enough for us to move around,” he said. Drouin was with Alpha Company in Iraq, as a mortar-man. “We patrolled and worked with the Iraqi police and army,” he said. “It was an amazing experience. We learned about the Iraqi culture, including some of the language.”
Both Drouin and Capuzzi stress the importance of continued training even after the Marines have already served in active duty. “There are so many skills you have to be proficient at,” said Capuzzi. “Also, there is a constant evolution of people in and out, some into higher positions and some just joining the Company.” The training weekend at Seashore was an important opportunity for the Alpha Company to review skills, build strength and learn to work cooperatively with new members.
Seashore will host Marines again this spring; the Bravo Company, hailing primarily from New Hampshire, will train on museum grounds on May 16-18.
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