Marines set for exercise in Oriental

ORIENTAL — Residents may have the feeling they are in a war zone on Monday and Tuesday, but what they will experience is Marine Corps practice with no live ammunition involved.

Residents can expect to see increased military aircraft activity between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, officials from Camp Lejeune said Friday.

Three teams of eight Marines from 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Tactical Air Control Party will operate in the town of Oriental, said Capt. T.L. Patrick, in a release from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office.

“Marines will be wearing civilian clothes, will not be carrying weapons, and will remain on public property,” Patrick said.

The activity is part of a 2nd Marine Division training exercise on close air support between fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft and ground units in an urban setting.

“The training consists of Marine forward air controllers talking to aircraft overhead, identifying locations on the ground and clearly communicating them so that all parties are correctly identifying the same locations,” Patrick said. “No ordinance will be used in the exercise.”