Lance Cpl. Scott J. Smith prepares to drop a 60 mm

Lance Cpl. Scott J. Smith prepares to drop a 60 mm mortar shell as Cpl. Matthew R. Giebudowski holds a M2 24 A1 mortar system in place during a company sized attack August 22 at Bradshaw Field Training Area, Northern Territory, Australia, as a part of Exercise Koolendong 14. The attacked marked the beginning of the culminating event of KD-14, which will entail fire and maneuver exercises executed bilaterally with members of the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade and Marine’s 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment involving, infantry, tanks, artillery and engineers. The battalion is currently deployed in part of the Marine Rotational Force Darwin. The rotational deployment of U.S. Marines affords an unprecedented combined training opportunity with their Australian allies, and improves interoperability between the two forces. Smith, an Alpena, Michigan native, is a moratrman with the battalion. Giebudowski, a Conover, Wisconson native, is a mortarman with the battalion. (Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Joey S. Holeman, Jr./ Released)