A Marine with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

A Marine with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company looks through a Portable Lightweight Designator Range finder during a combined arms exercise with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, Feb. 12. The PLDR is used is laser guided and is used to help place a bomb in a specific area. The exercise included 81 and 120 mm mortars, fixed and rotary wing assets and Naval gunfire. In addition to the gunfire exercise, the Japanese also practiced calling for fire. Exercise Iron Fist 2012 is a bilateral training exercise that gave the 15th MEU a chance to demonstrate its amphibious capabilities to the Japanese.