Marines Sound Off About The Iraq War Options

[Marine]

Drummer decides to re-enlist in Marines


By Tom Treweek/Observer staff writer

There's a small bare area in the corner of the room, but some more tables must still be cleared. The antiquated air conditioner is fizzling; it needs more ice and water. The fans turn, but don't seem to make a difference.

There aren't enough outlets, but that doesn't matter; there aren't enough extension cords either.


And the drummer still isn't here.

This is what music is about.

In a bare-minimum room of the Smokehouse BBQ, reminiscent of the early days of blues and country, a Rio Rancho band plays a sendoff show for yet another band mate.

Forewarned drummer, 33-year-old Mike Chavez, has signed up for another tour with the Marine Corp.

Chavez was an active Marine from 1989 to 1995, and his heart stayed with the Corp.


"I used to just sit there, watching CNN," Chavez said. "My old unit was one of first over there (in Iraq)."

It was his wife of two years who first suggested he re-enlist, but it was a motorcycle accident more than two years ago that he said changed his life.

"I was tore up from the floor up," Chavez said of his condition following the wreck. His leg and his scapula were broken, though a helmet had protected his head.

"I was in a deep state of depression for four days after the accident," he said.

Lying in his hospital, Chavez wondered if he would ever walk again.



It was shortly after that incident that Chavez said he found Jesus. Chavez said that his decision had some physical benefits as well.

"I could barely walk (at the time he became a Christian). Two weeks later I could walk really good, three weeks later I could jog, and after two months I was working out every day," Chavez said. "Soon I was in better shape than when I was in Marines the first time. It was a weird deal to me."

Since that time, Chavez' desire for the Marines grew steadily until he felt he had no other choice. It took about eight months to get in the Corp. He's now waiting for his deployment date.

Chavez is planning to leave for school in North Carolina on July 6, but that date is still unofficial. He will train to be an electrician working on CH53 helicopters (the Super Stallion.)

Initially, Chavez will be assigned to a unit and will probably stay in the U.S. for some time. He plans on moving his family to the base where he is stationed so they will have a home while he is in the military.




If his unit is called into action, Chavez will go with them, but he will not fly on the missions. Of the maintenance staff, only the crew chief does that. Chavez eventually wants to get that job.

While his wife has approved this, Chavez has not told his children - his son is five and his daughter 10 - all that may happen while he is away.

"They don't really know about the whole going to war thing," he said.

Chavez also admitted that he hasn't considered what will happen to his family if he doesn't come back.

"To be honest, I try not to think about it," he said.

What Chavez has thought about are the men and women who are fighting in the Middle East, but want to come home.

"There are so many people out there who are fighting for this country, I may be able to replace someone who doesn't want to be there," he said.

This time Chavez plans on making a career out of military service. He said he had planned that during his first tour as well, but then feared in the 1990s that it was becoming too politically correct, thus convincing him not to re-enlist. Since then, he said, the military has gone back to being what it once was.

As far as his band, they support his decision and guessed that it would come after they saw the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We were aware that this was coming for quite a while," guitarist Rob Smith said. "We just didn't know what was going to be the final thing."

Chavez was amused that his friends thought that, even though he hadn't told them.

"They knew I was kind of silly like that," he said.

Singer Drew Lucero admired Chavez courage, saying that he wished he could have made a decision like that. Guitarist Rob Smith said that it was probably what Chavez needed right now, that it would be good for him. Guitarist John Roberts, one of Chavez' oldest friends, said he understood the need for Chavez to go.

The decision to leave the band, Chavez said, may have come even if he had not re-enlisted. His newfound Christian beliefs were conflicting with the rock and roll lifestyle.

Still, he said, these are his friends and he will miss them.

"(It was) a lot of funny times, a lot of good times, a lot of stories to tell," he said. "We're really different people, but together, we're tight. I honestly felt bad about leaving the band because we've played so long. They're used to way I played."

But as Chavez moves on, so will Forewarned. This is common for the members of the band, formerly known as Cell 13 and Dark Truth. Earlier this year, they moved Lucero from bass to vocals and brought in Nakita to play the bass. That change led them to also choose the new name. This time it will probably stay as it is.

The need, however, for a solid drummer is as great as always, and Matt Tomlinson has large shoes to fill.

"We really play off the drums in this band," Roberts said.

The band, including Chavez, was impressed with this young kid. At only 19, he is the youngest of the musicians, but he brings a lot of talent.

And while most people may not notice the difference between Chavez and Tomlinson, the band certainly will.

The band feels confident that their new drummer will help make them better ... if he sticks around.

"We never assume anything," Lucero said.

[big sky brad]

Yeah, but methinks he at least knows what hashmarks denote, eh?

I also know what Hershey bars are, too.

[flydangler]

Wonder if the couple in this Louisville Courier-Journal story were the first to get an accompanied tour in Iraq, eh? See "Marine married, did another tour in Iraq" for the story.

[Marine]

U.S. Marine Corps
Pfc. Nicholas A. Cisek


Marine Uses Humor
To Boost Morale


By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit


FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2004 — In an environment riddled with roadside bombs, suicide car bombers and raining rockets and mortars, Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit can be forgiven an occasional bad mood.

But the leathernecks of Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, have someone to boost their morale when times are tough. Company jokester Pfc. Nicholas A. Cisek, a Brooksville, Fla., native and radio operator with 2nd Platoon, tries to keep everyone's spirits high with his sense of humor.

"Cisek is definitely the company comedian and a very colorful guy," said 1st Sgt. Rodney Carrico, a Loogoote, Ind., native and the company first sergeant.

Throughout the company, Cisek is regarded as a source of laughter, sometimes even when he isn't trying to be funny. It may just be because of his random misfortune or his knack for getting singled out by senior Marines.

“Most of the time I try to be comic relief, but I know when to be serious. I take the job more seriously than I did before, but when we get frustrated with things that don't make sense to us, I try to joke so that our morale stays high.” Pfc. Nicholas A. Cisek



Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Abt, an Erie Penn., native, and a team leader recalled one particular inglorious moment.

"We walked out into a field and there was a creek, which was actually a disgusting cesspool," recalled Abt. "Everyone made it across fine, except poor little Cisek."

According to Abt, the platoon was in the field searching for a weapons cache when they came across the obstacle. Every other Marine had made it across, and Cisek was the last one on the other side. As he attempted to jump over it, he slipped and fell in the cesspool up to his waste. The platoon broke out with laughter.

"It was really nasty," said Abt. "But funny."



U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Nicholas A. Cisek of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit keeps his company’s spirits high with his sense of humor. Cisek is a Brooksville, Fla., native, and radio operator with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. The unit is currently conducting security and stability operations in northern Babil province. U.S. Marine Corp photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank



Such instances keep the atmosphere around Alpha Company a little lighter.

"Most of the time I try to be comic relief, but I know when to be serious," said Cisek. "I take the job more seriously than I did before, but when we get frustrated with things that don't make sense to us, I try to joke so that our morale stays high. After all, what we're doing has to make sense in the grand scheme of things or else we wouldn't be doing it."

His sense of humor has helped lift the spirits of his platoon mates on many occasions, especially one night in August when they earned the nicknamed the "walking dead." That night his platoon was hit by four improvised explosive devices and three separate mortar attacks. Several Marines were wounded.

Since arriving in Iraq, Cisek and his platoon have taken part in daily patrols and several missions leading to the capture of Iraqi insurgents.

Despite the hazards, Cisek is surprised he isn't more miserable.

"This is definitely not what I expected," said Cisek. "I expected to be sitting in a fighting hole in the defense. What I got was a tent with a wooden floor, air conditioning and a humvee to ride around in."

Now beginning his third year in the Marine Corps, Cisek expects to be returning to Iraq before the end of his first enlistment.

"After that, my travel agent is so fired," Cisek joked. "No, I'm just kidding, I know why we're here and I'm glad I can do what I can to make Iraq a better place for Its people. I just wish we could do more."

[flydangler]

The article Out in the Open describes 'bout how " Specialists in clandestine warfare, Marine reconnaissance units take a lead role in Iraq and adapt to missions long done by Army Special Forces", eh? Methinks them Marines are amazing the way they adapt to the mission!

[Marine]

The article Out in the Open describes 'bout how " Specialists in clandestine warfare, Marine reconnaissance units take a lead role in Iraq and adapt to missions long done by Army Special Forces", eh? Methinks them Marines are amazing the way they adapt to the mission!

Well Doc, the folks in Force Recon had always been considered, well, for lack of a better term shall we say "different".

I saw a movie about Recon about 10 years back with Clint Eastwood, I forgot the name because the movie was so forgetable. Total BS is all I can say it was, Recon's missions are a whole lot like ANGLICO's, if you get into a firefight it means somebody messed up.

The only part of the movie I liked was the part where they invaded Grenada but they behaved more like a Marine Rifle Squad than a Recon team.

I was glad we got Grenada over with quick, the anti-war people didn't get a chance to rev up calling it illegal and criminal like the folks on this board do.

For anyone out their listening, don't walk past the Recon barracks after dark.

This post has been edited by Marine: Jun 25 2005, 06:48 PM

[flydangler]

I saw a movie about Recon about 10 years back with Clint Eastwood, I forgot the name because the movie was so forgetable

"Heartbreak Ridge"? Methinks 'twas both phoney and forgetable, eh?

[big sky brad]

The United States Marine Corps endorsed Eastwood's movie, "Heartbreak Ridge" until they saw the screening of it and complained about all the foul language used in it.

[Marine]

Marines: Split-second decisions can mean life or death


By T.M. Shultz
Lansing State Journal

CAMP GRAYLING - Maj. Kevin Yeo has been asked to raise the dead.

It's part of his job as a training instructor for the Marines of Lansing's Charlie Company.

"Sir, the captain says that he cannot be undead until you tell him he can," barks a young Marine who's run up a hill to bring Yeo the request.

"OK," Yeo says, chuckling, "I'll undead him in a little while."

Eventually Yeo ambles down the hill to the captain lying prone in the grass.

"Devil Dog!" he says sharply, then makes the sign of the cross with his right hand.

The now undead captain rises, none the worse for wear.

For two weeks earlier this month, Charlie Company, a rifle company of more than 100 reservists, and the rest of the 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, descended on Camp Grayling to hone the skills the unit needs to survive in the deadly confusion that is Iraq.

"The responsibility is overwhelming," said spokeswoman Capt. Mabel Balduf. "Their job is to come home to their families - and to the Corps - in one piece. Alive and well."

Here's a glimpse at a few of their exercises.

Relief in place

The Marines of Charlie Company - stiff and sore from spending most of the previous night in the rain - hump their packs and weapons toward a convoy of military trucks.

Part of the company begins to load up. Others fan out in a half-moon perimeter on the other side of the trucks, their weapons pointed outward, their eyes scanning every bush, building and tree.

A few yards away, Marines dressed in flowing robes, acting as civilians, approach.

A heavy tailgate on one of the seven-ton trucks slams down and dozens of battle-ready Marines - there to replace Charlie Company - leap to the ground.

The Marines are executing a carefully orchestrated exchange of men and weapons.

"There's no security here!" squad team leader Christopher Richards shouts. Marines run to fill the empty space, but they go too far. He instantly corrects them: "Stop pushin' out. Just peel around this way," he says, motioning with his hand.

More civilians move in.

"Don't let anybody grab your weapon," a sergeant yells.

Eventually, the duty transfer is complete. Charlie Company heads to a secure area to rest.

Quick reaction

The word comes in: There's enemy infiltration down by the battalion aid station.

At a shouted, "Let's go!" more than 30 Marines rush out, crouching low, darting from building to building, truck to truck.

"Lee, get your team up. Get 'em over here," a squad leader shouts. He looks back and isn't happy.

"Hey, FIX THAT FORMATION," he bellows.

Staccato bursts of small-arms fire can be heard ahead.

As a squad advances, the last man walks backward, his eyes scanning for snipers. One by one, the men run across an open driveway. About 200 meters up the road, they spy a Marine, oozing red amid the chaos.

Crouching behind a Humvee, a Marine is told to move.

"He can't," declares his exasperated buddy. "This is his friggin' post."

The Marine in the road goes into shock. Calls for a medivac go unanswered. Finally three Marines - one on each arm and one lifting the man's legs - pick up the wounded Marine and run.

"Keep rear security, but keep moving back," a squad leader covering the retreat shouts to his men.

Later, Sgt. Jesse Lake, 25, an instructor who portrayed the wounded Marine, says Charlie Company made one fatal mistake.

While running with him - loaded down with their gear and his 170-pound body - they grabbed his wound when he started to slip. It killed him.

Cordon and search

"Halt, halt, halt!" screams a Marine, his M-16 pointed at a battered SUV slowly coming toward him.

Charlie Company has blocked the roads leading to a suspected bomb-making factory.

About 70 Marines roar up in Humvees and seven-ton trucks. They jump down and fan out. Radio communications crackle while squad leaders shout orders and dozens of Marines run into the factory.

"Freeze, freeze, freeze! Don't move!" two Marines shout as a passenger in the SUV, his head swathed in a red scarf, steps out of the vehicle, rifle in hand.

Both Marines motion him to get down. "Drop your weapon!" they take turns screaming.

The man goes down on one knee, slowly lowers his rifle, but keeps his finger on the trigger. More Marines arrive, shouting and pointing their weapons.

Tense moments pass before the man finally drops his rifle.

As more Marines approach the SUV, they suddenly freeze and back up, screaming, "IED, IED!"

A bomb team is called to examine a suspicious package. The Marines move the two suspects to a grassy detainment area.

A factory door bursts open. Out stumbles a Marine carrying another Marine slung over his shoulder to a waiting medical Humvee.

Gunfire erupts at the end of the block. The Marines there fire back as they move closer to their truck, using it as a shield.

"Tango team on me!" shouts a team leader near the factory. His men gather and they run inside.

It's quiet now except for the rumbling engines of the seven-tons. A Humvee driver parked in front of the building sits slumped behind the wheel, spitting chewing tobacco into a plastic Coke bottle.

It will be an hour before the factory is searched and dismantled. The Marines outside settle in to wait.

Sneak attack

It's late in a long day, and Charlie Company Marines are relaxing in the relative safety of their "firm base" - a compound of low cement buildings at Camp Grayling.

Two visiting civilians and several Marines lounge outside a makeshift chow hall on a small hill above a checkpoint, swapping smokes and stories as the sun goes down.

One by one, the training staff appears, lining up along the cement block wall of the building, looking down toward the checkpoint, whispering and nudging one another.

As a curious civilian - sensing that something's about to happen - moves to get a better look, a Marine gently urges her back - she's standing in front of three Marines and a machine gun that will soon have a job to do.

When the action finally comes, it's fast and furious. A fusillade of weapons fire erupts. The checkpoint below is overrun by a massive insurgent attack. Dozens of attackers breech the compound and run up the hill.

Marines in various stages of dress pour out of barracks, weapons in hand.

The machine gun that was expected to stop the attack jams.

Some of the instructors laugh, some get red-faced in frustration, pacing as they try to hold back and let the young troops figure it out.

Bodies pile up in the road leading to the compound as, one by one, the enemy is picked off and Marines are wounded.

The three Marines at the machine gun emplacement frantically work to unjam their gun.

[Marine]

One of the few, the proud, the Marines
By Samantha Brown/ sambrown@cnc.com
Friday, June 24, 2005

On graduation day, Jaime Litchfield knew he wasn't going to follow the same career path as many of his fellow high school classmates. He was going to train hard, both mentally and physically, and he was going to be pushed to his limits. He was going to become a United States Marine.

In a town where roughly 90 percent of every graduating class goes on to pursue degrees from four-year colleges, Litchfield stands out from the rest of the Class of 2004.

Tuesday, Pvt. Litchfield, having just returned home from five months of boot camp and infantry training, paid a visit to the students in high school social studies teacher Scott Newkirk's international relations class to provide an inside look into the life of a Marine.

"I've wanted to join the military since I was 5 years old," said Litchfield, now 19. He said when he was younger, he had always anticipated joining the Air Force, but as the years went on, he decided he would embark on a journey which would lead him to become one of the "few and the proud."

On Dec. 28, Litchfield left his Beechwood Street home and headed to Parris Island, S.C., where he spent 12 grueling weeks going through boot camp. He describes his experience as three months of constant mental and physical stress.

While he could still receive letters from home, Litchfield said he was cut off from just about everything. He didn't know the Patriots had made it to the Superbowl until he read it in a letter. He said when his family, including his mother (Cohasset school transportation coordinator Peggy Litchfield) and friends came to his graduation, he couldn't step out of formation to say hello, he just tried to catch a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye.

During boot camp, drill instructors are very tough and Litchfield said they are constantly yelling. "Marines swear in a different kind of way I've never heard before," he said. He said boot camp continually wears you down until you're not even sure you want to go through with it anymore.

"You are stripped of everything, including your pride," he said, but it's all a part of a bigger plan to weed out those recruits who aren't strong enough to become a Marine

If you want to be a Marine, you have to earn it," he said.

"Everyone at some point or another wanted to go home," Litchfield said, adding there were times when training kept him awake for 72 straight hours during which time he was only fed five times. He said even during regular training days, rules are strict and when in the dining hall, everyone is required to sit a certain way, with the back straight and no looking up from the plate. If the rules are broken, it results in being kicked out of the hall without finishing the meal.

Litchfield said boot camp was all about discipline, and while it was very physical, when completed, he knew he could deal with the stress of being in a combat situation.In addition, he is now part of a brotherhood which he said is very strong.

He said during training, the importance of always rescuing fellow soldiers, whether injured or deceased, is highly stressed. Everyone trains wearing hundreds of pounds of gear while dragging one or two fully armored comrades to safety during a mock war situation.

"Every Marine comes home no matter what," he said. Regardless of personalities or feelings when not in combat, Litchfield said he knows no matter what, Marines would do all they could to save him in battle and he would do the same.

Litchfield became a Marine in March. With a score of 232 out of 250 points for his rifle qualification, he is now an expert marksman. Because he scored so high, he was given the option of choosing which path he would like to take.

Litchfield was only home for 10 days before he shipped out once more to attend the Marine's School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he spent four weeks being trained in "common skills," and another 2-1/2 weeks training to become a rifleman. Now, he is a fire team leader for a rifle company operating out of Londonderry, N.H.

If you want to be a Marine, you have to earn it," he said.

"Everyone at some point or another wanted to go home," Litchfield said, adding there were times when training kept him awake for 72 straight hours during which time he was only fed five times. He said even during regular training days, rules are strict and when in the dining hall, everyone is required to sit a certain way, with the back straight and no looking up from the plate. If the rules are broken, it results in being kicked out of the hall without finishing the meal.

Litchfield said boot camp was all about discipline, and while it was very physical, when completed, he knew he could deal with the stress of being in a combat situation.In addition, he is now part of a brotherhood which he said is very strong.

He said during training, the importance of always rescuing fellow soldiers, whether injured or deceased, is highly stressed. Everyone trains wearing hundreds of pounds of gear while dragging one or two fully armored comrades to safety during a mock war situation.

"Every Marine comes home no matter what," he said. Regardless of personalities or feelings when not in combat, Litchfield said he knows no matter what, Marines would do all they could to save him in battle and he would do the same.

Litchfield became a Marine in March. With a score of 232 out of 250 points for his rifle qualification, he is now an expert marksman. Because he scored so high, he was given the option of choosing which path he would like to take.

Litchfield was only home for 10 days before he shipped out once more to attend the Marine's School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he spent four weeks being trained in "common skills," and another 2-1/2 weeks training to become a rifleman. Now, he is a fire team leader for a rifle company operating out of Londonderry, N.H.

[Marine]

Mine resistant ambush protected vehicles counter IEDs, ambushes
Submitted by: Marine Forces Pacific
Story Identification #: 2005624185238
Story by Pfc. J. Ethan Hoaldridge



U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (June 24, 2005) -- “Block off all their main and secondary supply lines for these are their main arteries, and ambush them along those routes for they are exposed and easy prey.”

These words from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were cited by the Winds of Change website, showing the real danger for convoys traveling Marine supply lines in Iraq.

There have been 341 Marines killed in action and 4,099 wounded in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom since February 16, 2004. How many of these fatalities and casualties have been caused by improvised explosive devices and ambushes on convoys? Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles could’ve saved some of those lives and kept those Marines in the fight.

With its flat bottom and soft-skin plastic doors, if a humvee is directly hit by a land mine or IED, most likely the passengers inside will lose their life and the vehicle will be destroyed beyond repair, said Maj. Gert de Wet, Central Command plans officer.

“In 1968, South Africans in conjunction with Rhodesians started developing the technology to create new vehicles that would counter the land mine threat introduced in the Bush War in Southern Africa. They developed the technology that created a new modular design for their military vehicles. For example, the vehicle’s wheels could be blown off in a mine/IED blast, but the passengers and the rest of the vehicle survived,” said de Wet.


“South Africa and Rhodesia did not have a large military and realized that you cannot afford to loose lives on the battlefield,” said de Wet. “These countries also didn’t have a large military budget and soon found that it was too expensive to loose a vehicle every time it hit a mine. It was far cheaper to replace an axel or wheel than an entire vehicle.”

“The military in South Africa and Rhodesia have been using these vehicles for the past 30 years, steadily improving the technology,” said de Wet.

The Marine Corps recognized these vehicles’ successful track record and became interested in incorporating them into the fleet.

The Corps decided to do business with Force Protection, located in South Carolina, which is the company that developed a version of a Mine Resistant Ambush protected vehicle named the Cougar.

“These vehicles are all designed from the ground up specifically built to survive IEDs and ambushes. The v-shaped hull assists deflection of a mine or IED blast away from the vehicle’s capsule keeping the passengers safe and the vehicle intact. The vehicle is also built to rollover and is equipped with multi-point, racing style harnesses, so if the vehicle rolled 360 degrees the passengers inside would avoid injury,” said de Wet.

Ballistic glass, another feature on the Cougar, allows Marines to see and engage an enemy ambush through the gun ports in the glass not exposing themselves to fire.

In a humvee, gunners are usually perched above the vehicle on a 50-caliber machine-gun open to enemy fire, while in some vehicles the passengers inside cannot see what direction enemy fire is coming from.

“When I was deployed forward, a friend of mine was in an ambush in a light-armored vehicle,” said de Wet. “They got out of the vehicle not knowing they were being attacked on the left side and luckily didn’t take casualties. In a Cougar you could just look out the glass and engage.”

Marines started reaping the benefits of the MRAP vehicles in Fall 2004 after procuring around 27 Cougars.

Because of these benefits the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force requested 1,169 MRAP vehicles. There are different variants such as, multi-mission combat vehicles, ambulance variant vehicles, troop transport vehicles and so on.

“The Corps presently uses them in Iraq for explosive ordinance disposal. When receiving calls from convoys that come upon land mines or IEDs, they could send an EOD team out in a Cougar. So even if the mine hits the Cougar, its passengers will stand a far better chance of survival due to the v-shaped hull design and other special features incorporated in the vehicle,” explained de Wet.

The Cougar is scalable as well, meaning that it can be used for humanitarian efforts as well as combat by detaching the arms and gun systems to look less lethal, but still protects the crew against threats from terrorists such as, Al Queda.

"The Cougar has been hit by IEDs and ambushes and done very well. As far as I know to date, no one has gone to the hospital as a result of an attack,” said de Wet. “I have a friend in Iraq right now who has survived four IED blasts in the same MRAP vehicle, and after some repair, the vehicle is still in use,” he continued.

The Cougar may be the rebuttal to al-Zarqawi’s statement that the supply lines are unprotected. This vehicle could cause a role reversal between the predator and its prey.
“The Marine Corps now has an opportunity and a way to alleviate the problem of so many casualties from IEDs and ambushes in Iraq,” said de Wet.

[Marine]

U.S. Marine Corps
Sgt. Ray M. Ranger

Former Marine Returns for Fight in Iraq

By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tom Sloan
2nd Marine Division

CAMP HURRICANE POINT, Iraq, June 22, 2005 — A year ago, Ray M. Ranger was serving as a deputy sheriff in Platte County, Mo., when, after watching the war unfold on TV, he decided to go back to being a Marine infantryman.
“I saw my Marine brothers over here in Iraq,” said Ranger, now a sergeant who’s currently a squad leader for 2nd Squad, 4th Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, during a recent mission in the city here. “I wanted to join them in the fight and do my part.”

Exemplifying true patriotism, the 28-year-old from Grosse Ile, Mich., put his law enforcement career, which spans two years, on hold and reenlisted in the Corps in 2004 for a second tour of duty.

Ranger previously served as a rifleman in the Marines from 1995-1999 and left with an honorable discharge.

Replacing his sidearm and badge with an M-16 and the Eagle, Globe and Anchor was an easy choice for Ranger to make.

“I saw my Marine brothers over here in Iraq. I wanted to join them in the fight and do my part,” U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ray M. Ranger.



“It was something I had to do,” said the 1995 Grosse Ile High School graduate. “I felt compelled to serve my country and help my fellow Marines. I like the camaraderie, too.”

Shortly after his reenlistment, he received orders to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. He deployed to Iraq with the infantry battalion early last March to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ranger knows well the duties of a Marine squad leader in a combat environment.

“I maintain accountability of my Marines and ensure they’re properly trained and equipped,” he explained. “Physical and mental preparedness is important out here.”

Ranger and his fellow 4th Platoon warriors aren’t strangers to hard work. They conduct operation such as combat foot and vehicle-mounted patrols for hours on end in temperatures of more than 100 degrees in the insurgent infested city for four consecutive days. Then, they man an observation post in the city for four more days.

“The hours are different from those of a police officer,” he said. “Where I was doing eight hours in the states, we’re always on the go here. Sometimes for 24 hours. We accomplish our missions by giving 110 percent all of the time.”

Ranger has two years left on his contract, and he plans on returning to the sheriff's department when it’s up.

“I’d like to do a full 20 in the Marines, but I have to get out after this enlistment due to personal reasons,” he



U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ray M. Ranger, the squad leader for 2nd Squad, 4th Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, is geared up for a mission. The 28-year-old from Grosse Ile, Mich., was serving as a deputy sheriff in Platte County, Mo., in 2004 when he decided to reenlist in the Corps to fight in Iraq alongside his fellow Marines. Ranger served as a rifleman in the Marines from 1995-1999 and left with an honorable discharge. He plans on continuing his law enforcement career in two years when his current contract ends. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tom Sloan


explained. “Law enforcement is another passion of mine. It’s something I’ll definitely be going back to.”

Fighting crime and helping civilians back home appeals to Ranger.

“I love putting bad guys in jail and helping people in the community,” said Ranger, who has a two-year-old son named Brendan.

For the time being, Ranger’s squad car is an up-armored humvee, and the bad guys he and his comrades stop are insurgents.

The fact that he’ll be 30 when he puts the badge back on doesn’t bother Ranger.

“The nice thing about law enforcement is that age doesn’t matter,” he said. “As long as you can take care of yourself, your partner and accomplish the mission.”

[Marine]

2nd Marine Division Band
Rocks Horn of Africa

By Marine Cpls. Andrew W. Miller and. Matthew J. Apprendi

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A brass quintet from 2nd Marine Division Band based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., visited here Feb. 20 when Maj. Gen. John F. Sattler, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa commander, asked them to play at the Ethiopian National Day ceremony. As it turned out, the brass quintet entertained at several events and places during their visit to the Horn of Africa.

“ We began practicing in the chapel at Camp Lemonier (Djibouti) and before we knew it we were playing at the Protestant worship services on Sunday and did the same Wednesday night,” said Master Sgt. Mathew J. Boatright, band master and native of Fort Wayne, Ind. “We also began conducting the morning and evening colors at the camp, and also had the opportunity to perform during the American National Day celebration which was held at the camp.”

Before they left for Ethiopia, the band visited a Djiboutian orphanage. There, Boatright asked the children, “Do you like soft or loud music?”

Without hesitation - they roared for loud music.

“ Just seeing all of the smiling faces on the kids made this the kind of day we will remember all of our lives,” Boatright said.

The children seemed to welcome the mid-morning break -- cheers ran rampant as the band continued to play for more than an hour.

Each band member gave a solo performance. One played an American favorite, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” written in 1908 by Jack Norworth.

“ It’s one of the first times they have heard this type of music - a very good learning experience for the children,” said Abdi Aden Farah, director of the orphanage where, beginning at the age of 15, the children also learn different trades ranging from masonry to engine mechanics.

The tour continued at a nearby elementary school in Dorale. This crowd was even livelier than the other, with students jumping, clapping and dancing to the band’s rhythm. Even the camels and goats, freely roaming about, took a peek inside to see what the ruckus was about.

At the end of the performance, the children wanted to show their appreciation to the Marines. Or maybe they just wanted to show they, too, have an artistic side. The children brought out colorful pieces of pottery they made themselves. Some Marines were lucky enough to take some of the pottery home - compliments of the children.









Sgt. Elena Guerrero, a trumpet player with the 2nd Marine Division Band, from Camp Lejeune, N.C., plays her instrument in front of a full house of Djiboutian children at an orphanage Feb. 19. Guerrero is part of a quintet, which also played at a local elementary school. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Matthew J. Apprendi

“ Days like this one break down the misconception that we are only good for war,” Boatright said. “We can put smiles on faces too.”

“ The children were very excited to see us,” explained Lance Cpl. Alfredo D. Rodriguez Jr., a Marine Corps musician. “No words could even begin to describe the looks on their faces and how enthusiastic they were to interact with us and ask questions.”

Finally, the band left Djibouti and boarded a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft en route to Ethiopia to perform during the National Day celebration.

Before the big day though, the band visited the Yared School of Music here. Interacting with the students and giving them one-on-one periods of instruction after a performance, the band members taught the Ethiopian students how things are done in the 2nd Marine Division Band.

“ The feelings that these people felt when we played can never be taken out of them no matter what their hardships may be,” said Boatright. “We really maxed out our potential as a quintet on this particular deployment, but it is all part of our jobs, and I’m just glad the command gave us these opportunities to share and teach our music.”

Their final performance was at the Ethiopian National Day celebration Feb. 20. The band played an assortment of patriotic marches and classical tunes.

“ It was just an honor to be here representing the United States while representatives from other countries were watching us,” said Rodriguez. “It has been fun out here, but looking at all the poverty really makes me think of how lucky I am, and what it means to be a service member helping other countries.”

[underbear1]

http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcn...3ZxZWVFRXl5Mw==

DUMONT - A 20-year-old Marine from Dumont is in critical condition after last week's suicide attack on a convoy of female Marines returning to their base in Iraq, her family said.

Cpl. Angelica Jimenez suffered severe burns to her face and body when the convoy she was riding in was ambushed in Fallujah.


Jimenez is hospitalized in Germany and on a respirator, said Claudia Jimenez, her sister. When she can be taken off the respirator, she will be moved to the burn unit at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, Claudia Jimenez said.

Officials at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where Jimenez was based, would neither confirm nor deny her condition.

The attack, for which al-Qaida in Iraq has claimed responsibility, killed six service members. Three of the six soldiers killed and 11 of the 13 Marines wounded were women, according to the Marine Corps.

"It's not right," said Claudia Jimenez. "Women shouldn't be in combat, period."

Jimenez joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Dumont High School in 2002. The youngest of eight siblings, Jimenez joined the Marines because she wanted to travel a lot - like her brother Ralph, a staff sergeant, said her sister. She aspired to become a physical therapist later.

The family lived in Dumont for more than 30 years. Jimenez's parents have since moved to Florida, but many still fondly recall the family.

"She was the type of person that anybody would be proud to have as a daughter," said Rich Chiandusse, the high school band director, adding that she is a fine flute player. "There was not a day in the four years that [I had her as a student] that she didn't greet me with a smile."

Jimenez's former supervisor at Holy Name Hospital, where she worked as a part-time dietary aide, describes her as a quiet, bright and goal-oriented woman who had great rapport with everyone in the hospital.

"The patients loved her," said Fontella Scott, the operations manager. "She went the extra mile for them."

Over the past few months, Holy Name has sent several packages to soldiers serving in Fallujah. Upon hearing of Jimenez's injury, the staff also put together a crisis fund for the family.

Jimenez and many of the women who were injured in the bombing trained together at Camp Lejeune, her sister said. They served together in Ramadi, their first stop in Iraq, and had to spend one month in Fallujah. The attack occurred during their second week in Fallujah.

Cpl. Ramona Valdez of the Bronx, who was one of the women killed in the attack, was one of Jimenez's friends, said her sister.

The attack last week involved the highest number of U.S. military female casualties in one day during the Iraq war. It also renewed the debate over the role of women in the U.S. military.

Claudia Jimenez, for one, thinks that the combat unit is no place for females.

"They shouldn't be there at all," she said. "No, no, uh-uh. It's just not right."

Military policy prohibits women from serving in front-line combat roles, such as the infantry or artillery. However, with no real "front lines" in Iraq, female soldiers have seen more close-quarters combat than in any previous war.

Jimenez's duty was to pat women down at the Fallujah border. Women are used in this role because it is considered insulting to Muslims if a man searches a woman.

Her biggest fear was that she might trigger a bomb while doing her job.

She was weary of the war and her bright attitude had changed dramatically since arriving in Iraq, her sister said.

"She was very depressed, and she was having nightmares," Claudia Jimenez said. "Especially Fallujah - you don't sleep, you hear the bombs all night. She always said, 'This is not a war. This is a suicide war.'Ÿ"

And with the recent turn of events, Claudia Jimenez's hatred for the war keeps growing, she said.

"This has to stop, there are so many dying already," she said. "So many hurt, so many dead. Enough is enough."

[underbear1]

For those who can no longer "SOUND OFF ABOUT ANYTHING!"



http://www.turnto10.com/news/4665039/detail.html


Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Matthew Scott Coutu, 23, was on patrol in Baghdad when he was shot and killed Monday. The Pentagon said Coutu was investigating a burning vehicle when he was shot in the back. He later died of his wounds at a Baghdad hospital.

Coutu was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas. He had been in Iraq since February.

The soldier's mother and brother live in North Kingstown. The Army and U.S. flags flew at half-staff outside their home Wednesday.

Coutu's mother told NBC 10 News her son wanted to be a soldier since he was a child. She said during the Gulf War, when her son was in the third grade, he adopted a soldier as a penpal, and eventually met him when he returned from duty.

FeedRoom


R.I. Family Loses Soldier





Coutu graduated from the University of Maine. As a senior in the Reserve Office Training Corps, he received that organization's highest honor, the George C. Mitchell award.

A Marine from Rhode Island was killed in Iraq last week.

Lance Cpl. Holly A. Charette, 21, of Cranston, was one of six Marines killed June 23 in a suicide car-bomb attack in Fallujah. Ten other Marines were injured.

An Associated Press count finds at least 1,737 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war -- more than 1,300 them as a result of hostile action.

[underbear1]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nati...153_iraq01.html

At least 68 U.S. soldiers, Marines and sailors were killed by hostile fire in Iraq during June, the highest since November 2004, when 125 U.S. troops were killed by hostile fire, many during intense combat in the Anbar province city of Fallujah.

U.S. deaths in Iraq increased about 34 percent in the past 12 months compared with the year earlier. About 882 U.S. troops were killed in the past 12 months compared with 657 in the year prior. In total, 1,743 U.S. troops have died in the war, according to an Associated Press count.




At least 39 of the June deaths came in Anbar. And there were disturbing signs that the insurgency is active again in Fallujah, which American forces retook from insurgents in November.

But on June 23, six Marines and sailors were killed in Fallujah after a suicide bomber slammed his car into their convoy.

[Marine]

Big Four accountant moonlights as Marine in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 20057145226
Story by Sgt. Juan Vara



AL ASAD, Iraq (July 1, 2005) -- Pfc. Amy E. Crego is a reserve Marine who’s never done any monthly drills. The Los Angeles native, a certified public accountant, didn’t even get a chance to experience what being a reservist is like before she had orders to Iraq.

Serving with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764 as a maintenance administrative clerk, Crego is a 2002 graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and puts it to use working for an international accounting firm in L.A.

A few years ago, when Crego was still in college, representatives from the five international accountancy firms that handled the majority of audits for publicly traded corporations looked for applicants and she landed a job with Arthur Andersen, the largest of the ‘Big Five.’

As a result of involvement in the Enron collapse, Arthur Andersen voluntarily surrendered its certified public accounting firm license. The firm was removed from the Big Five and Crego’s future was at stake.

A recruiter from one of the military services was on campus one day and struck up a conversation with Crego. After she told him about her plans and the sudden changes he brought up the military as an employment option. “That’s what planted the seed,” said the 25-year-old. “It kind of stuck with me.”

Crego found out later about an opening at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the now Big Four accountancy firms, and took the position. “My goal all along was to work for a big accounting firm,” she said.

A three-mile race held at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, put a spin on things.

After having joined PricewaterhouseCoopers Crego was an auditor working mostly with insurance companies and took part in “The Boot Camp Challenge.” She remembers seeing recruits marching as she drove around the base and as she was running through the drill fields and the obstacle course the idea of serving her country became something she definitely wanted to do.

With a great deal of support from her counselors and superiors in PwC, Crego enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2004 but didn’t leave for basic training until November, when she completed two years with the firm. After graduating from basic training she attended the maintenance administrative clerk course at Naval Air Station, Meridian, Miss., and returned to California to check in with her unit.

The squadron, based at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., had been activated and it was already in Iraq. She was told she’d be coming here in a few weeks to catch up with them.

“I called the firm and said, ‘Remember how I said I was coming back? I’m not coming back just yet,’” she said. “They were disappointed but they were really supportive again. Every one said things like, ‘Be safe and let us know if you need anything.’”

With a college degree Crego could have joined the Marine Corps as an officer. She would have had to make an active duty commitment and leave the firm, but she decided to join as an enlisted reservist and be able to do both.

“I wanted to be able to keep my job so I had to be a reservist,” she said. “The only way to come in to the reserves is as an enlisted Marine.”

And she doesn’t mind starting from the bottom. There are programs that after a certain time in service she can request a commission and she’s thought about looking into them as that time nears.

“At this point I really want to serve,” she said. “Circumstances always change, but I always wanted to be a Marine. If I do become an officer I’ll know what’s going on with the people I’m supervising because I’ve been in their shoes.”

Crego’s role as a maintenance administrative clerk is important to the squadron and ultimately to the warfighters on the ground rooting out insurgents and foreign fighters throughout the Al Anbar province.

“If no one keeps track of the aircraft maintenance records then the squadron can’t keep the helicopters flying,” she said. “The ground troops rely on the helicopters for transportation, re-supply and other things.”

When HMM-764 returns to California and its inactive reserve status Crego will go back to the firm and continue working as an accountant. She’ll report for training two days per month and will conduct annual training two weeks per year.

Her plan is to stay in the Marine Corps reserves as long as she can and move up the ranks both in her military and accounting career.

“I really like being an auditor. I work with great people and I have great clients,” she said. “I love being with the squadron too. I’m just lucky I get to do both.”


- For more information about the Marine reported on in this story, please contact Sgt. Juan Vara by e-mail at varaj@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil -

[The_Bammo]

Join The Marines!
The Few, The Proud, The Psychotic

{Editor's Note: I'm disgusted with what the American military has devolved into thanks to the satanic infiltrators who have been maneuvered into positions of command within all branches of the military. Today, American military fighters are no longer known as defenders (not real defenders) of freedom, but rather are now members of a Killing Machine consisting of former human beings who are converted into Nazi robots by the use of highly developed brainwashing techniques. There was a time when I was proud to be in the military because the average rank and file U.S. military member of an earlier day still consisted of a human being who knew right from wrong, believed in fair play, and was dedicated to the principles of humane treatment. That's not the case today.

There is no act of cruelty, inhumaneness, mistreatment, excessive force, torture, murder, defamation, deceit, 'false flag' sabotage, or atrocities committed against innocent civilians that is beyond the pale for today's 'Semper Fi' or 'All You Can Be' pawns in the game. Fortunately, there is a growing body of American servicemen (not reported in the mainstream media) who are rebeling against the Nazification process and their numbers are growing, however, it will take a wholesale refusal to participate in inhumane conduct by active military personnel and their families before this evil will end. The German soldier of World War II would never entertain the notion of defying orders, no matter how cruel, how immoral, or how insane they might be. Americans, raised in a tradition of democracy, Constitutional liberties, and individualism might prove less willing to be used for atrocities by corporate empire builders, but whether they have what it takes to stand up to the intimidation and coersion remains to be seen.

Don't allow your children or loved ones to be hoodwinked by phony recruitment psycho-garbage. Stay out of the military at all costs...Ken]

http://educate-yourself.org/cn/jointhemarines20apr05.shtml
April 20, 2005

Photo and quote from: http://home.earthlink.net/~root.man/

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba

"Prisoners are tortuted at Gitmo. Sensory deprivation goggles, headphones, breathing restriction, hands bound and cuffed, kneeling for hours while American psycho "guards" abuse them. This is disgusting. "





Excerpt from

The Battle for Your Mind
by Dick Sutphen

http://www.hiddenmysteries.com/freebook/neuro/sutphen.html

The US Marines as a Brainwashing Cult

Before I go on, let's go back to the six tip-offs to conversion. I want to mention the United States Government and military boot camp. The Marine Corps talks about breaking men down before "rebuilding" them as new men--as marines! Well, that is exactly what they do, the same way a cult breaks its people down and rebuilds them as happy flower sellers on your local street corner. Every one of the six conversion techniques are used in boot camp. Considering the needs of the military, I'm not making a judgement as to whether that is good or bad. IT IS A fact that the men are effectively brainwashed. Those who won't submit must be discharged or spend much of their time in the brig.

[ I, Ken Adachi:, however, am making a definitive and crystal clear judgement about the propriety of this evil policy: there is no legitimate need by any government to brainwash their military servicemen into compliance with inhumane and reprehensible conduct. None. The ultimate purpose of the Illuminated satanic traitors in tuning the Ameircan soldier into a monster is to create world-wide hatred against him which will ultimately lead to his destruction. Destroying the US military is simply another facet of the overall Illuminati agenda to destroy America. ]

http://educate-yourself.org/cn/jointhemarines20apr05.shtml

[underbear1]

The Marines, the few and the fewer

[The_Bammo]

The Marines, the few and the fewer

Underbear

Think, nope--I know your right on with that statement!!! Hang Tough ~