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School of Advanced Warfare (SAW) Class 2017 aboard the French Navy Landing Craft-Catamaran (LCAT). The craft is executing a high speed 360 turn.

Photo by Photo provided by: Maj. Matthew Downs

SAW class visits France to gain appreciation for their capabilities

27 Mar 2017 | Maj. Matthew Downs Marine Corps Base Quantico

The School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) at Marine Corps University educates Marine Corps majors and lieutenant colonels to be Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) planners.  Upon graduation they receive the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 0505 and will serve at the Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Service Component Commands in a planning capacity. 

 

Every year SAW conducts a staff ride and battlefield study in Europe. The purpose of this trip is to allow the future MAGTF planners the opportunity to conduct terrain appreciation, student presentations and Operational Decision Games (ODG) on the sites of the same historical campaigns they have studied throughout their first semester.

 

On Jan. 16, in conjunction with their battle study of Operation DRAGOON, the August 1944 Allied invasion of southern France, the SAW Class of 2017 conducted a military-to-military engagement with the French Navy’s Amphibious Group in Toulon.  During this visit Commandant (Captain) Ludovic Poitou, gave a brief and tour of the French Navy amphibious assault ship, Dixmude where he serves as the executive officer.  The students also participated in an amphibious landing craft demonstration aboard a fast and highly maneuverable Landing Craft-Catamaran (LCAT).  This visit allowed future MAGTF planners to gain an appreciation for the unique capabilities of the French military in coalition amphibious operations, including the way in which the French Navy has leveraged the best practices of the commercial shipping and cruise line industries in the construction and sustainment of their amphibious fleet.

 

The SAW class was accompanied by the French liaison officer to Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), Lt. Col. Thomas Pieau. Pieau stated that SAW’s visit to the French Amphibious Group was important because, “Common training and operations between French Forces and the USMC are more and more frequent, so we need to seize any opportunity to improve our mutual knowledge and interoperability.”


Marine Corps Base Quantico