Military digest 08/18/03

Marine corporal returns from Southeast Asia

Ryan P. Mattingly of St. Mary, Mo., and 400 of his fellow Marines of the Combat Assault Battalion assigned with the U.S. Marine Air and Ground Task Force recently returned home from participating in the ninth annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise in Southeast Asia.

The assault battalion left earlier this summer for the exercise.

The task force is made up of a variety of Marine Corps units. The assault battalion is a portion of the CARAT Landing Force, which is task-organized, based on exercise training requirements.

Marine Cpl. Mattingly, the 22-year-old son of Vernon and Linda Mattingly of St. Mary, is an amphibious assault vehicle crew chief with the task force. "I help transport infantry from the ship to shore," Mattingly said.

Mattingly and fellow Marines executed drills and training skills in at-sea maneuvering; communications; force protection/anti-terrorism; airborne maritime patrol; medical concepts and explosive ordnance disposal.

Mattingly was also involved in command and control development, diving and salvage exercises, plus landing force activities at sea and ashore.

-- From staff reports