 When a helicopter can't land, Marines rely on fast roping to quickly enter an area. That capability is important to the Marines of Kilo Company, Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, who are slated to serve as a helicopter company for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. As a deployed amphibious task force, the Marines must be ready to go at a moment's notice. For the Mew, if we have a Mew sitting off the coast, it's important for us to be able to protect our interests. So, launching from 50 miles off the coast and going to, let's just say, reinforce that embassy, that as a conventional force, it's one way of protecting America's interests. During fast roping, Marines drop a rope from the helicopter and descend from between 15 to 40 feet above the ground. Corporal Joseph Lechner, a helicopter rope suspension techniques master serving with 3-5, recently trained as Marines on fast roping from CH-46 C-9 helicopters. His Marines relied on him to safely guide them down the rope. Our bird will touch down over our insert point and the next thing you know, we'll have the Marines get up and I'll start calling them one by one. I'll tell them, strong hand, weak hand, hook the foot, turn and go, and they'll start sliding down the rope. Lechner said fast roping can be intimidating for new Marines, but they gain confidence during training. Many Marines express their excitement about the training. It's a rush, it's a rush. Now, you know, you're in the bird and you just start getting that rush. You know, you're coming up on that objective. You know you're going to be sliding out of this bird. You know the bird's not landing, so it's definitely a rush of emotion. The Marines will build upon their skills by practicing more sophisticated techniques, including fast roping onto vessels at sea. The training will prepare them to respond to any crisis as America's force in readiness. Reporting from Camp Pendleton, California, I'm Sergeant Jacob Harer.