Land Nav, DESTROY!

Any Marine Officer that has come out of OCS in the last 4 years cannot think of the words Land Nav without adding a motivating DESTROY! at the end. This is indoctrinated in us so that we can appreciate that the purpose behind land navigation is to seek out and DESTROY the enemy. Maybe. It could just be a silly catch-phrase that shows how easy it is to brainwash the willing and sleep deprived.

Now at TBS, when Land Nav is said, maybe someone will whisper it but in general, most of us just say it in our heads with a caveat: Oh god, I hope it doesn't destroy me. I, however, really enjoy Land Nav because its just me, myself and I out in the woods with a map and a compass. I just don't want to come in on Saturday to remediate land nav if I fail to find my boxes.

Land Nav I:
We were given five, 8-digit grid coordinates and told that we had two and a half hours to make it to the command post with our card filled out. Before our start time, we were given thirty minutes in the classroom to plot our points, attack points (where we would shoot and azimuth from), escape routes and general path. I took my time plotting my points to make sure I had a very small dot and then shot my azimuth. This is one event where you can get away with going from "box-to-box" because they have the grid coordinates on the box and you know 100% that you have the right box, however you assume that you can find the box in the first place. So, I plotted my first two points from independent attack points (an intersection of two roads) and then the rest from box to box. Right when I was packing up to leave, I thought to recheck my points and my second point WAS SO FAR OFF I'm not sure where I was marking in the first place. Ugh, so that meant with 3 minutes left in the classroom to plot points, my whole scheme of maneuver past my first box was incorrect. I hastily plotted the new points, got some new azimuths and started my way out to the tree line.

This is where I realized that confidence in your map work is the key to land nav success. If you don't have confidence in your points and azimuth then you'll get to the end of your pace count, not see a box and panic. Fortunately, I have an uncanny ability to be confident in myself even if I shouldn't be. Some say a blessing, some say a curse.

I walked to my attack point, shot my azimuth and started walking through the woods. At the end of my pace count there was no box. I marked my spot and started walking in concentric circles, wider and wider and wider. Finally I saw a box but didn't think it could be mine because I was in such a wide circle but sure enough, it was. The next 3 boxes went about the same, but include some struggling through thick undergrowth and cursing overly-bold deer out. I spent a lot of time trying to terrain associate which helped out a lot because my compass didn't always lead me to the exact spot, but the terrain did.

My last box was somewhat of a challenge. I shot an azimuth straight from box-to-box which lead me straight downhill toward the creek bed. I will never, ever underestimate four contour lines (40 m straight downhill) back to back again. My poor protractor met a foul end at the bottom of this hill when it somehow jumped out of my pocket and fell. I can only assume it wanted to be done with its life as a TBS land nav guide. As I was shooting my azimuth, while dangling on the edge of the cliff with rocks tumbling down around me, I said "Screw this," marked my spot, and climbed the easiest way to the high spot. From the high point, I was able to get my bearings and then terrain associate right to my box, which was on a u-bend in the creek.

Of course, when I got there, I realized I forgot to make an exit strategy back to the command post and would not be able to get a good azimuth without my protractor. So, I followed the path of least resistance and walked up the draw, along the ridge line and straight to the trail. It took 10 minutes and along the way I passed 4 of my boxes. Next time, I think I might try to organize my points a little better so that I can go the path of least resistance and end up at my boxes without crawling through the undergrowth for an hour.

Long story short, I learned that confidence is key, path management is vital and terrain association is important. I finished the course with an hour left and got 100%.

Tonight is Night Navigation. It is basically the same thing, but in the dark. It should be interesting.