Marines rescue stranded hurricane victims
By Christian Lowe and Christopher Munsey
Times staff writer
Marines rescued more than 100 people stranded by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina Monday after tides and high winds pummeled cities along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Leathernecks with the Reserve’s reinforced 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, based in Gulfport, Miss., navigated the debris-filled streets of Biloxi late Aug. 29, plucking dazed citizens from their battered homes.
About 130 people were rescued by the Marines, who drove two AAV7 Amphibious Assault Vehicles through the destruction.
The amtrackers took the flood victims “to a designated drop-off point where they were returned to safety by civilian authorities,” according to a news release from Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport. One amtrac in the operation rescued 100 people, making four trips with 25 victims crammed into the crew compartment, a Navy spokeswoman said.
Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 1, 7 and 133 — based in Gulfport — are clearing a 10-mile-long stretch of road to the nearby town of Pass Christian so civilian authorities could rescue stranded citizens there, the spokeswoman said.
The Marine amtrackers headed to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport today for rescue operations there, but no further details were available.
Katrina pummeled the Gulf coast after it made landfall Monday, unleashing 145-mph winds and pushing a rain-fueled storm surge that broke through a levee protecting low-lying New Orleans. The break put 80 percent the historic city under as much as 20 feet of water, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people who had did not heed warnings to leave the city during the weekend.
Officials along the Gulf coast of Mississippi reported as many as 80 people killed by the storm in one county, a death toll that officials throughout the region say will likely rise.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1068705.php
Full Version: Military Articles and Press Releases
Common Ground Common Sense > Issues that Affect Our Lives > U.S. Military Issues > U.S. Military Issues Archive
'Flags of Our Fathers' story to be told in Hollywood film
By: Cpl. Paul Leicht
Id #: 2005825173633
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif.(Aug. 19, 2005) -- In February 1945 the Marines assaulted the black beaches of Iwo Jima, a tiny landmass penetrating the deep-blue immensity of the Pacific Ocean.
Slugging their way across the island through heavy Japanese machinegun and artillery fire, they eventually ascended the island's dominating 550-foot volcanic cone, Mount Suribachi, and raised an American flag.
Joe Rosenthal's photograph of the flag raising - in actuality the second, larger flag that was raised - atop Mount Suribachi during the intense battle of Iwo Jima has become one of the most lasting and reproduced images in the history of photography.
It has been said that the photograph recorded the "the soul of a nation" during a time of war against a formidable and tenacious foe in the Pacific.
The critically acclaimed, classic best-selling book of 2000 "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley, son of one of the immortalized flag raisers, Navy corpsman John Bradley, tells the story of the men behind the famous moment in American military history.
The story is a tribute to his father, who throughout the rest of his life never spoke of his wartime service and looked upon the thousands of young men during World War II who gave the ultimate sacrifice - dying on the field of battle fighting for their country - as the real heroes.
The book is also a very emotionally moving tale of personal courage, determination and patriotism as embodied by the immortalized six flag raisers, three of whom were tragically killed in subsequent fighting before the vicious fight for Iwo Jima was finally over.
With its publication, the book quickly became a bestseller and captured the attention of readers across the country. Hollywood filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, who purchased the movie rights to "Flags of Our Fathers," were also captivated by the story's power and symbolism of American will.
According to a press release on www.hollywoodreporter.com recently, Bradley's book will be the subject of a film adaptation directed by the Academy-Award winning director and actor Clint Eastwood who has teamed up with Spielberg in the past. Casting for the film, produced by DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, has already begun.
In "Flags of Our Fathers," Bradley recounts the lives of the six flag raisers who became reluctant symbols for America. Few books capture the horrific nature of war and the sacrifice of a generation more than this one. Bradley also pays homage to his father, who never displayed Rosenthal's famous Iwo Jima photo in his home, and writes passionately of the difference between the truth and the myth surrounding the experience of war.
Bradley wrote the book after discovering a box of his father's personal effects following his death at the age of 70.
Ultimately the story is an account of the lives of six ordinary men who came from very different segments of small-town America and experienced the hell of combat in the face of fanatical, tunnel-dwelling Japanese defenders who died fighting almost to a man on Iwo Jima.
It remains to be seen whether the forthcoming Hollywood film version of "Flags" will do the veterans of Iwo Jima, and the men captured in the famous photograph, justice.
If Spielberg's celebrated productions of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" are any indication, then servicemember and civilian moviegoers alike can look forward to opening their wallets at the theater ticket counter in late 2006 when the film is scheduled for release.
"Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley is also a new selection on the Marine Corps Reading List and identified for reading by the ranks of corporal and sergeant.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....f3?OpenDocument
By: Cpl. Paul Leicht
Id #: 2005825173633
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif.(Aug. 19, 2005) -- In February 1945 the Marines assaulted the black beaches of Iwo Jima, a tiny landmass penetrating the deep-blue immensity of the Pacific Ocean.
Slugging their way across the island through heavy Japanese machinegun and artillery fire, they eventually ascended the island's dominating 550-foot volcanic cone, Mount Suribachi, and raised an American flag.
Joe Rosenthal's photograph of the flag raising - in actuality the second, larger flag that was raised - atop Mount Suribachi during the intense battle of Iwo Jima has become one of the most lasting and reproduced images in the history of photography.
It has been said that the photograph recorded the "the soul of a nation" during a time of war against a formidable and tenacious foe in the Pacific.
The critically acclaimed, classic best-selling book of 2000 "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley, son of one of the immortalized flag raisers, Navy corpsman John Bradley, tells the story of the men behind the famous moment in American military history.
The story is a tribute to his father, who throughout the rest of his life never spoke of his wartime service and looked upon the thousands of young men during World War II who gave the ultimate sacrifice - dying on the field of battle fighting for their country - as the real heroes.
The book is also a very emotionally moving tale of personal courage, determination and patriotism as embodied by the immortalized six flag raisers, three of whom were tragically killed in subsequent fighting before the vicious fight for Iwo Jima was finally over.
With its publication, the book quickly became a bestseller and captured the attention of readers across the country. Hollywood filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, who purchased the movie rights to "Flags of Our Fathers," were also captivated by the story's power and symbolism of American will.
According to a press release on www.hollywoodreporter.com recently, Bradley's book will be the subject of a film adaptation directed by the Academy-Award winning director and actor Clint Eastwood who has teamed up with Spielberg in the past. Casting for the film, produced by DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, has already begun.
In "Flags of Our Fathers," Bradley recounts the lives of the six flag raisers who became reluctant symbols for America. Few books capture the horrific nature of war and the sacrifice of a generation more than this one. Bradley also pays homage to his father, who never displayed Rosenthal's famous Iwo Jima photo in his home, and writes passionately of the difference between the truth and the myth surrounding the experience of war.
Bradley wrote the book after discovering a box of his father's personal effects following his death at the age of 70.
Ultimately the story is an account of the lives of six ordinary men who came from very different segments of small-town America and experienced the hell of combat in the face of fanatical, tunnel-dwelling Japanese defenders who died fighting almost to a man on Iwo Jima.
It remains to be seen whether the forthcoming Hollywood film version of "Flags" will do the veterans of Iwo Jima, and the men captured in the famous photograph, justice.
If Spielberg's celebrated productions of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" are any indication, then servicemember and civilian moviegoers alike can look forward to opening their wallets at the theater ticket counter in late 2006 when the film is scheduled for release.
"Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley is also a new selection on the Marine Corps Reading List and identified for reading by the ranks of corporal and sergeant.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....f3?OpenDocument
Son of 9/11 ‘Ground Zero’ firefighter serves at Miramar
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification #: 2005924359
Story by Cpl. Paul Leicht
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2005) -- Nearly four years ago with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001, a handful of fanatical Islamic fundamentalists hoped to instill fear and to show weakness on the part of Americans. Instead, America demonstrated strength and indomitable resolve.
Police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, emergency responders and volunteers, undaunted by the weather, fatigue or the stress of helping thousands of people amid the horrific chaos in Manhattan that dark day, served heroically and set an example of sacrifice for generations of others to come.
Vincent Forras, then a businessman and a volunteer firefighter of more than 12 years with the South Salem, New York, Fire Department, is one of those heroes who, for long hours at great
risk, worked selflessly through the debris and toxic environment to save others at Ground Zero.
“My son Michael and I knew several firefighters that gave their lives that day,” said Forras during an Aug. 25 interview while visiting Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. “While here, I want to thank the Marines for everything that they do, especially those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, or are soon to deploy. As protectors of our nation, keeping all of us free, in my eyes they are the real heroes. My son is now in the Marines serving his country and I could not be more proud of him.”
The attacks that motivated so many Americans young and old to serve their country in the armed forces also sealed the decision for Forras’ then 16-year-old son, who bravely ventured to Ground Zero with his father and the Westchester County rescue team soon after the twin towers collapsed.
“My dad set the example for me growing up and I knew I was going to be involved in public service,” explained 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Michael D. Forras, test cell operator, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “I really thought that I was going to become a firefighter like my dad, but I also thought about joining the military and for a while wanted to be a Navy SEAL. In the end I decided I wanted to be a Marine.”
With his father continuing to work at the disaster site both above and underground, Michael witnessed his father endure extreme physical and mental exposure while working with little sleep at the site for more than a month.
“My goal has always been to be an example for my children that you can’t just take, that you have to give as well, and you have to give back to the community,” explained the elder Forras. “Based upon the type of business that I was involved in and the many relatives and friends of Michael in our family who chose the military as a career, I think being around these people and what their values stood for was always extremely important in my heart and I knew my son would one day share them too.”
A spokesperson for the memory of those that perished at Ground Zero, Vincent Forras said he has been fortunate to meet many famous politicians at 9/11 memorial rallies, including many senators and congressmen, celebrities, former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
“Meeting our president was an absolute honor,” said Vincent Forras who in a gesture of thanks for his support of Ground Zero firefighters presented Bush with his Ground Zero Service Medal. “He presented me with the Presidential Medal and later gave me something personal that I cherish very much, his personal coin that I now wear around my neck everyday.”
Today, Vincent Forras is one of the many “walking wounded” following 9/11. Thousands like him who worked or lived in the disaster area have reported health problems related to the attack, and the potential long-term effects of the environmental contaminants from Ground Zero remain unknown.
“Several firefighters and good friends of mine have since died or are now in poor health after working at Ground Zero,” said Vincent Forras. “Some have had heart attacks at an early age and some continue to have problems with their lungs. Most of the search and rescue dogs are now dead too.”
Stricken with respiratory ailments and a handful of other medical issues that his doctors believe are a result of his time at Ground Zero, he has redirected his life and the painful memory of his fallen comrades toward giving back to the world community.
“After I retired from the fire department I started the Gear Up Foundation that is a living memorial dedicated to doing great things in the name of those we lost on 9/11,” said Vincent
Forras who was born in New York City in 1957. “The foundation brings fire equipment and hope to fire departments and communities in need around the world, giving them a means to save lives. In many third World countries they do not have anything like the fire fighting equipment we have in the United States and they look to our firefighters as supermen. Every day in poor communities and in countries all over the world, people die in fires because there are no rigs, no bunker gear, no axes and no medical apparatuses.”
According to Forras, sometimes their fire truck is a simple pick-up truck or they run into a burning structure with flip-flops and a wet rag over their face.
The fire trucks that his foundation donates around the world bear the foundation’s seal and
the names of all the New York firefighters that died from 9/11 so that their memory lives on.
“Our first program was in Guayaquil, Ecuador,” said Vincent Forras. “The next truck will be sent to Thailand, and the Philippines are receiving equipment as well. Our goal is to generate healing through helping for those who faced 9/11 while reaching out to others, and to teach children to be caring and involved in their communities through an international educational program of fire prevention. It’s also our hope that the work we do will dismantle the language of hate and be a lasting tribute to the surviving family members and our fallen heroes.”
Michael Forras is also giving back to the community, helping with his father’s foundation and occasionally volunteering as a guest speaker to elementary school children to talk about what it was like at Ground Zero and what it is like to be a Marine.
“I really enjoy talking to the kids and get a lot of satisfaction from it,” said Michael Forras.
Vincent Forras is looking forward to traveling to several Third World countries later this year, including Ecuador, Thailand and the Philippines, to continue the work of his foundation.
“This year will be the first year since 9/11 that I won’t be in New York on the anniversary of the attacks,” said Vincent Forras. “On September 11 this year the president of the Philippines will be hosting a memorial ceremony in his country to honor the victims of 9/11, and I am going to be there to present a letter from President George Bush thanking the people of the Philippines for their continued support.”
Over the past few years through his foundation’s Web site, Vincent Forras has received an outpouring of support and thanks from many Americans.
“Through email I met a Marine originally from the Midwest who is a crew chief with a helicopter squadron,” said Vincent Forras humbly. “Before returning from his home to his base at Cherry Point recently while on leave, he drove all the way out to see me in New York. He said he wanted to give me something. When we finally met, he presented me with a folded American flag that flew aboard more than 144 combat missions in Iraq, and said ‘Vincent this is for you. This flag carries the blood of my Marines.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...23?opendocument
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification #: 2005924359
Story by Cpl. Paul Leicht
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Aug. 29, 2005) -- Nearly four years ago with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001, a handful of fanatical Islamic fundamentalists hoped to instill fear and to show weakness on the part of Americans. Instead, America demonstrated strength and indomitable resolve.
Police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, emergency responders and volunteers, undaunted by the weather, fatigue or the stress of helping thousands of people amid the horrific chaos in Manhattan that dark day, served heroically and set an example of sacrifice for generations of others to come.
Vincent Forras, then a businessman and a volunteer firefighter of more than 12 years with the South Salem, New York, Fire Department, is one of those heroes who, for long hours at great
risk, worked selflessly through the debris and toxic environment to save others at Ground Zero.
“My son Michael and I knew several firefighters that gave their lives that day,” said Forras during an Aug. 25 interview while visiting Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. “While here, I want to thank the Marines for everything that they do, especially those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, or are soon to deploy. As protectors of our nation, keeping all of us free, in my eyes they are the real heroes. My son is now in the Marines serving his country and I could not be more proud of him.”
The attacks that motivated so many Americans young and old to serve their country in the armed forces also sealed the decision for Forras’ then 16-year-old son, who bravely ventured to Ground Zero with his father and the Westchester County rescue team soon after the twin towers collapsed.
“My dad set the example for me growing up and I knew I was going to be involved in public service,” explained 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Michael D. Forras, test cell operator, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “I really thought that I was going to become a firefighter like my dad, but I also thought about joining the military and for a while wanted to be a Navy SEAL. In the end I decided I wanted to be a Marine.”
With his father continuing to work at the disaster site both above and underground, Michael witnessed his father endure extreme physical and mental exposure while working with little sleep at the site for more than a month.
“My goal has always been to be an example for my children that you can’t just take, that you have to give as well, and you have to give back to the community,” explained the elder Forras. “Based upon the type of business that I was involved in and the many relatives and friends of Michael in our family who chose the military as a career, I think being around these people and what their values stood for was always extremely important in my heart and I knew my son would one day share them too.”
A spokesperson for the memory of those that perished at Ground Zero, Vincent Forras said he has been fortunate to meet many famous politicians at 9/11 memorial rallies, including many senators and congressmen, celebrities, former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
“Meeting our president was an absolute honor,” said Vincent Forras who in a gesture of thanks for his support of Ground Zero firefighters presented Bush with his Ground Zero Service Medal. “He presented me with the Presidential Medal and later gave me something personal that I cherish very much, his personal coin that I now wear around my neck everyday.”
Today, Vincent Forras is one of the many “walking wounded” following 9/11. Thousands like him who worked or lived in the disaster area have reported health problems related to the attack, and the potential long-term effects of the environmental contaminants from Ground Zero remain unknown.
“Several firefighters and good friends of mine have since died or are now in poor health after working at Ground Zero,” said Vincent Forras. “Some have had heart attacks at an early age and some continue to have problems with their lungs. Most of the search and rescue dogs are now dead too.”
Stricken with respiratory ailments and a handful of other medical issues that his doctors believe are a result of his time at Ground Zero, he has redirected his life and the painful memory of his fallen comrades toward giving back to the world community.
“After I retired from the fire department I started the Gear Up Foundation that is a living memorial dedicated to doing great things in the name of those we lost on 9/11,” said Vincent
Forras who was born in New York City in 1957. “The foundation brings fire equipment and hope to fire departments and communities in need around the world, giving them a means to save lives. In many third World countries they do not have anything like the fire fighting equipment we have in the United States and they look to our firefighters as supermen. Every day in poor communities and in countries all over the world, people die in fires because there are no rigs, no bunker gear, no axes and no medical apparatuses.”
According to Forras, sometimes their fire truck is a simple pick-up truck or they run into a burning structure with flip-flops and a wet rag over their face.
The fire trucks that his foundation donates around the world bear the foundation’s seal and
the names of all the New York firefighters that died from 9/11 so that their memory lives on.
“Our first program was in Guayaquil, Ecuador,” said Vincent Forras. “The next truck will be sent to Thailand, and the Philippines are receiving equipment as well. Our goal is to generate healing through helping for those who faced 9/11 while reaching out to others, and to teach children to be caring and involved in their communities through an international educational program of fire prevention. It’s also our hope that the work we do will dismantle the language of hate and be a lasting tribute to the surviving family members and our fallen heroes.”
Michael Forras is also giving back to the community, helping with his father’s foundation and occasionally volunteering as a guest speaker to elementary school children to talk about what it was like at Ground Zero and what it is like to be a Marine.
“I really enjoy talking to the kids and get a lot of satisfaction from it,” said Michael Forras.
Vincent Forras is looking forward to traveling to several Third World countries later this year, including Ecuador, Thailand and the Philippines, to continue the work of his foundation.
“This year will be the first year since 9/11 that I won’t be in New York on the anniversary of the attacks,” said Vincent Forras. “On September 11 this year the president of the Philippines will be hosting a memorial ceremony in his country to honor the victims of 9/11, and I am going to be there to present a letter from President George Bush thanking the people of the Philippines for their continued support.”
Over the past few years through his foundation’s Web site, Vincent Forras has received an outpouring of support and thanks from many Americans.
“Through email I met a Marine originally from the Midwest who is a crew chief with a helicopter squadron,” said Vincent Forras humbly. “Before returning from his home to his base at Cherry Point recently while on leave, he drove all the way out to see me in New York. He said he wanted to give me something. When we finally met, he presented me with a folded American flag that flew aboard more than 144 combat missions in Iraq, and said ‘Vincent this is for you. This flag carries the blood of my Marines.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...23?opendocument
New River Marines to provide aid to Katrina victims
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200591143240
Story by Pfc. Samuel D. White
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2005) -- About 120 Marines and other service members from here deployed in support of Joint Task Force Katrina today to provide disaster relief to the residents and city of New Orleans. The departing Marines form a composite squadron made up of aircraft and Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons 461 (3 CH-53Es), 465 (3 CH-53Es) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (2 CH-46Es).
The Marines are scheduled to work with several other branches of the military to provide supplies and humanitarian relief, perform search-and-rescue missions and re-establish the infrastructure, allowing state relief agencies access to stranded citizens.
“It will be a combined effort,” said Lt. Col. Frank B. Crisafulli, HMH-461 executive officer. “We’ll be coordinating with (the Department of) Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Air Force and the Navy. Everybody has a hand in the operation.”
Marine Aircraft Group-29 dispatched the six CH-53E Super Stallions and two CH-46E Sea Knights to contribute to the coalition of forces.
“We want to help the people in our own backyard,” said Sgt. Maj. Larry C. Jones, HMH-461 sergeant major. “You watch the news and the people there have no (homes or anything); so any kind of assistance we can provide will surely be appreciated by the people of New Orleans.”
The squadron and the supporting unit deployed in four waves throughout the morning. The individual sticks arrived at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Sept. 1, before making the final trip to the disaster relief areas.
“People are looking for an immediate reaction and usually it takes time to debark an entire squadron with the maintenance requirements and everything else,” said Capt. Daniel M. Murphy, an HMH-461 CH-53E pilot. “We got the word yesterday morning and we’re leaving this morning, so that’s a fast response.”
“We were hoping for an order to be able to provide some relief," said Crisafulli. "We found out yesterday at 11 a.m. and less than 24 hours later we’re on our way out.”
The unit waited for its opportunity to help after watching the original footage of the tragedy on the news, said Petty Officer 1st Class Chris E. Kidder, an HMH-461 corpsman.
“Watching a disaster of that type made me feel pretty low,” said Kidder. “To see Americans in a refugee scenario that is parallel in disaster to 9-11 made me want to be able to provide a little bit of hope.”
Though the squadrons are unsure of how long they will be providing support, the Marines will stay until the mission is accomplished, said Navy Lt. Charles D. McCormick, MAG-29 Headquarters chaplain.
“We’ll be down there as long as they need us,” McCormick. “And, the Marines here are ready to go and help however they can.”
Answering the nation’s call to help fueled their motivation to deploy, said Murphy.
“I think it’s important that the American people realize that the military does care,” he said. “And, if we can do something, we’ll do it for them.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...72?opendocument
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200591143240
Story by Pfc. Samuel D. White
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2005) -- About 120 Marines and other service members from here deployed in support of Joint Task Force Katrina today to provide disaster relief to the residents and city of New Orleans. The departing Marines form a composite squadron made up of aircraft and Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons 461 (3 CH-53Es), 465 (3 CH-53Es) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (2 CH-46Es).
The Marines are scheduled to work with several other branches of the military to provide supplies and humanitarian relief, perform search-and-rescue missions and re-establish the infrastructure, allowing state relief agencies access to stranded citizens.
“It will be a combined effort,” said Lt. Col. Frank B. Crisafulli, HMH-461 executive officer. “We’ll be coordinating with (the Department of) Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Air National Guard, Army National Guard, Air Force and the Navy. Everybody has a hand in the operation.”
Marine Aircraft Group-29 dispatched the six CH-53E Super Stallions and two CH-46E Sea Knights to contribute to the coalition of forces.
“We want to help the people in our own backyard,” said Sgt. Maj. Larry C. Jones, HMH-461 sergeant major. “You watch the news and the people there have no (homes or anything); so any kind of assistance we can provide will surely be appreciated by the people of New Orleans.”
The squadron and the supporting unit deployed in four waves throughout the morning. The individual sticks arrived at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Sept. 1, before making the final trip to the disaster relief areas.
“People are looking for an immediate reaction and usually it takes time to debark an entire squadron with the maintenance requirements and everything else,” said Capt. Daniel M. Murphy, an HMH-461 CH-53E pilot. “We got the word yesterday morning and we’re leaving this morning, so that’s a fast response.”
“We were hoping for an order to be able to provide some relief," said Crisafulli. "We found out yesterday at 11 a.m. and less than 24 hours later we’re on our way out.”
The unit waited for its opportunity to help after watching the original footage of the tragedy on the news, said Petty Officer 1st Class Chris E. Kidder, an HMH-461 corpsman.
“Watching a disaster of that type made me feel pretty low,” said Kidder. “To see Americans in a refugee scenario that is parallel in disaster to 9-11 made me want to be able to provide a little bit of hope.”
Though the squadrons are unsure of how long they will be providing support, the Marines will stay until the mission is accomplished, said Navy Lt. Charles D. McCormick, MAG-29 Headquarters chaplain.
“We’ll be down there as long as they need us,” McCormick. “And, the Marines here are ready to go and help however they can.”
Answering the nation’s call to help fueled their motivation to deploy, said Murphy.
“I think it’s important that the American people realize that the military does care,” he said. “And, if we can do something, we’ll do it for them.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...72?opendocument
http://japanupdate.com/en/?id=6312
Marine lies about her being attacked near military base
Posted: May 15, 2005
A female Marine who claimed last month she was stabbed as she left a bar near Futenma Marine Corps Air Station lied about her injuries.
Ginowan Police say the 22-year-old Marine was not assaulted or stabbed April 16th, as she claimed to military and civilian authorities. The woman had told authorities a black man had stabbed her as she walked toward the base. She was taken the the U.S. Navy Hospital for treatment. Subsequent interviews and interrogation broke the story, and the Marine finally confessed her story was fabricated.
The woman stabbed herself with a small knife, police said, and then lied. The case has been turned over to the military for further investigation and action.
Marine lies about her being attacked near military base
Posted: May 15, 2005
A female Marine who claimed last month she was stabbed as she left a bar near Futenma Marine Corps Air Station lied about her injuries.
Ginowan Police say the 22-year-old Marine was not assaulted or stabbed April 16th, as she claimed to military and civilian authorities. The woman had told authorities a black man had stabbed her as she walked toward the base. She was taken the the U.S. Navy Hospital for treatment. Subsequent interviews and interrogation broke the story, and the Marine finally confessed her story was fabricated.
The woman stabbed herself with a small knife, police said, and then lied. The case has been turned over to the military for further investigation and action.
United States Marine Corps
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
II Marine Expeditionary Force;
For more information, contact II MEF Public Affairs at (910) 451-5260 or
via email at minkac@iimef.usmc.mil.
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0903-05-2205
Marines and sailors arrive in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast
September 3, 2005
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Approximately 1,000 II Marine Expeditionary Force
Marines and sailors arrive in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast this weekend, part of a specially tailored task force formed to aid rapidly expanding relief efforts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security, and state and local governments requested the support in order to continue efforts, which have already saved thousands of Americans.
Approximately 700 Marines from 2nd Marine Division's 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment departed Camp Lejeune, Saturday, to join other elements already in place on the Gulf Coast, in support of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Katrina.
Marines began arriving in Belle Chasse, La., late Thursday to assess the base's ability to support a larger force. Additional Marines are
scheduled to arrive this weekend, joining a sizeable number already in the region. About 120 Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing arrived Thursday, adding eight transport helicopters to the task force's swelling aviation component. Marine air assets now in the region include 10 CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters, 2 CH-46E medium-lift helicopters and three UH-1N utility helicopters.
In addition, the aviation element will include dedicated support from at least eight of the highly versatile KC-130 transport aircraft.
More than 300 Marines from Combat Service Support Detachment 24 sailed over the weekend, aboard two naval vessels, the USS Shreveport and the USS Whidbey Island. They'll take with them a wide array of equipment well suited for humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief operations. Included are water-purification devices, seven-ton trucks, dump trucks,
forklifts, generators, and humvees.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...B9?opendocument
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
II Marine Expeditionary Force;
For more information, contact II MEF Public Affairs at (910) 451-5260 or
via email at minkac@iimef.usmc.mil.
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0903-05-2205
Marines and sailors arrive in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast
September 3, 2005
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Approximately 1,000 II Marine Expeditionary Force
Marines and sailors arrive in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast this weekend, part of a specially tailored task force formed to aid rapidly expanding relief efforts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security, and state and local governments requested the support in order to continue efforts, which have already saved thousands of Americans.
Approximately 700 Marines from 2nd Marine Division's 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment departed Camp Lejeune, Saturday, to join other elements already in place on the Gulf Coast, in support of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Katrina.
Marines began arriving in Belle Chasse, La., late Thursday to assess the base's ability to support a larger force. Additional Marines are
scheduled to arrive this weekend, joining a sizeable number already in the region. About 120 Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing arrived Thursday, adding eight transport helicopters to the task force's swelling aviation component. Marine air assets now in the region include 10 CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters, 2 CH-46E medium-lift helicopters and three UH-1N utility helicopters.
In addition, the aviation element will include dedicated support from at least eight of the highly versatile KC-130 transport aircraft.
More than 300 Marines from Combat Service Support Detachment 24 sailed over the weekend, aboard two naval vessels, the USS Shreveport and the USS Whidbey Island. They'll take with them a wide array of equipment well suited for humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief operations. Included are water-purification devices, seven-ton trucks, dump trucks,
forklifts, generators, and humvees.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...B9?opendocument
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8960087/
‘Marine of Year’ charged in nightclub shooting
Iraq vet charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing into crowd
File photo of Sergeant Daniel B. Cotnoir from Lawrence smiling in Washington D.C.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir smiles in a file photo taken on July 14, in Washington D.C.
Reuters file
LAWRENCE, Mass. - A decorated U.S. Marine charged with attempted murder after allegedly wounding two people outside a Massachusetts nightclub had been undergoing treatment for post-war stress since returning from duty in Iraq, his attorney was quoted as saying in a report published Monday.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir, who was jailed on $100,000 bail, was due to be arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to murder after the incident early Saturday in the city of Lawrence.
Cotnoir had complained to police after a crowd of nearly 30 people gathered outside a nightclub and restaurant near his apartment. After someone hurled a bottle that shattered his bedroom window, Cotnoir fired “a warning shot,” the Boston Globe reported Monday.
The bullet hit a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, but caused only minor injuries.
“He shot into what he thought was a safe area, but there was some ricochet effects that Mr. Cotnoir never intended,” his lawyer, Robert F. Kelley, was quoted as saying.
“It was a military-type response to a threatening situation that was civilian in nature.”
'Craziest night of my life’
Cotnoir has been struggling psychologically since returning from Iraq in 2004, Kelley said.
Police were not immediately available to comment.
“It was the craziest night of my life,” said Kelvin Castro, the man who was slightly wounded by the gunshot allegedly fired by Cotnoir. “I don’t know what that guy’s intentions were.”
Cotnoir has frequently called police to complain about noise and fights outside the Punto Finale nightclub. Last year, police said, he claimed someone leaving the club had fired a gunshot at his apartment, the Associated Press reported.
During his tour in Iraq last year, Cotnoir had been a military mortician responsible for preparing soldiers for open-casket funerals.
The job took a heavy psychological toll, he told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in an interview last month after the Marine Corps Times named Cotnoir its “Marine of the Year,” an award presented to him at a ceremony in Washington. At the time, he was getting counseling at a veterans hospital.
“It’s a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it,” Cotnoir told the newspaper then. “The stories I’ve gained from my deployment aren’t the kind of stories you share.”
‘Marine of Year’ charged in nightclub shooting
Iraq vet charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing into crowd
File photo of Sergeant Daniel B. Cotnoir from Lawrence smiling in Washington D.C.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir smiles in a file photo taken on July 14, in Washington D.C.
Reuters file
LAWRENCE, Mass. - A decorated U.S. Marine charged with attempted murder after allegedly wounding two people outside a Massachusetts nightclub had been undergoing treatment for post-war stress since returning from duty in Iraq, his attorney was quoted as saying in a report published Monday.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir, who was jailed on $100,000 bail, was due to be arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to murder after the incident early Saturday in the city of Lawrence.
Cotnoir had complained to police after a crowd of nearly 30 people gathered outside a nightclub and restaurant near his apartment. After someone hurled a bottle that shattered his bedroom window, Cotnoir fired “a warning shot,” the Boston Globe reported Monday.
The bullet hit a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, but caused only minor injuries.
“He shot into what he thought was a safe area, but there was some ricochet effects that Mr. Cotnoir never intended,” his lawyer, Robert F. Kelley, was quoted as saying.
“It was a military-type response to a threatening situation that was civilian in nature.”
'Craziest night of my life’
Cotnoir has been struggling psychologically since returning from Iraq in 2004, Kelley said.
Police were not immediately available to comment.
“It was the craziest night of my life,” said Kelvin Castro, the man who was slightly wounded by the gunshot allegedly fired by Cotnoir. “I don’t know what that guy’s intentions were.”
Cotnoir has frequently called police to complain about noise and fights outside the Punto Finale nightclub. Last year, police said, he claimed someone leaving the club had fired a gunshot at his apartment, the Associated Press reported.
During his tour in Iraq last year, Cotnoir had been a military mortician responsible for preparing soldiers for open-casket funerals.
The job took a heavy psychological toll, he told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in an interview last month after the Marine Corps Times named Cotnoir its “Marine of the Year,” an award presented to him at a ceremony in Washington. At the time, he was getting counseling at a veterans hospital.
“It’s a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it,” Cotnoir told the newspaper then. “The stories I’ve gained from my deployment aren’t the kind of stories you share.”
You must be struggling for negative news ghost, reach back 6 weeks and reposting a story Bammo already posted.
QUOTE(ghostgovt @ Sep 5 2005, 06:46 AM)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8960087/
‘Marine of Year’ charged in nightclub shooting
Iraq vet charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing into crowd
File photo of Sergeant Daniel B. Cotnoir from Lawrence smiling in Washington D.C.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir smiles in a file photo taken on July 14, in Washington D.C.
Reuters file
LAWRENCE, Mass. - A decorated U.S. Marine charged with attempted murder after allegedly wounding two people outside a Massachusetts nightclub had been undergoing treatment for post-war stress since returning from duty in Iraq, his attorney was quoted as saying in a report published Monday.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir, who was jailed on $100,000 bail, was due to be arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to murder after the incident early Saturday in the city of Lawrence.
Cotnoir had complained to police after a crowd of nearly 30 people gathered outside a nightclub and restaurant near his apartment. After someone hurled a bottle that shattered his bedroom window, Cotnoir fired “a warning shot,” the Boston Globe reported Monday.
The bullet hit a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, but caused only minor injuries.
“He shot into what he thought was a safe area, but there was some ricochet effects that Mr. Cotnoir never intended,” his lawyer, Robert F. Kelley, was quoted as saying.
“It was a military-type response to a threatening situation that was civilian in nature.”
'Craziest night of my life’
Cotnoir has been struggling psychologically since returning from Iraq in 2004, Kelley said.
Police were not immediately available to comment.
“It was the craziest night of my life,” said Kelvin Castro, the man who was slightly wounded by the gunshot allegedly fired by Cotnoir. “I don’t know what that guy’s intentions were.”
Cotnoir has frequently called police to complain about noise and fights outside the Punto Finale nightclub. Last year, police said, he claimed someone leaving the club had fired a gunshot at his apartment, the Associated Press reported.
During his tour in Iraq last year, Cotnoir had been a military mortician responsible for preparing soldiers for open-casket funerals.
The job took a heavy psychological toll, he told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in an interview last month after the Marine Corps Times named Cotnoir its “Marine of the Year,” an award presented to him at a ceremony in Washington. At the time, he was getting counseling at a veterans hospital.
“It’s a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it,” Cotnoir told the newspaper then. “The stories I’ve gained from my deployment aren’t the kind of stories you share.”
‘Marine of Year’ charged in nightclub shooting
Iraq vet charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing into crowd
File photo of Sergeant Daniel B. Cotnoir from Lawrence smiling in Washington D.C.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir smiles in a file photo taken on July 14, in Washington D.C.
Reuters file
LAWRENCE, Mass. - A decorated U.S. Marine charged with attempted murder after allegedly wounding two people outside a Massachusetts nightclub had been undergoing treatment for post-war stress since returning from duty in Iraq, his attorney was quoted as saying in a report published Monday.
Sgt. Daniel B. Cotnoir, who was jailed on $100,000 bail, was due to be arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to murder after the incident early Saturday in the city of Lawrence.
Cotnoir had complained to police after a crowd of nearly 30 people gathered outside a nightclub and restaurant near his apartment. After someone hurled a bottle that shattered his bedroom window, Cotnoir fired “a warning shot,” the Boston Globe reported Monday.
The bullet hit a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, but caused only minor injuries.
“He shot into what he thought was a safe area, but there was some ricochet effects that Mr. Cotnoir never intended,” his lawyer, Robert F. Kelley, was quoted as saying.
“It was a military-type response to a threatening situation that was civilian in nature.”
'Craziest night of my life’
Cotnoir has been struggling psychologically since returning from Iraq in 2004, Kelley said.
Police were not immediately available to comment.
“It was the craziest night of my life,” said Kelvin Castro, the man who was slightly wounded by the gunshot allegedly fired by Cotnoir. “I don’t know what that guy’s intentions were.”
Cotnoir has frequently called police to complain about noise and fights outside the Punto Finale nightclub. Last year, police said, he claimed someone leaving the club had fired a gunshot at his apartment, the Associated Press reported.
During his tour in Iraq last year, Cotnoir had been a military mortician responsible for preparing soldiers for open-casket funerals.
The job took a heavy psychological toll, he told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in an interview last month after the Marine Corps Times named Cotnoir its “Marine of the Year,” an award presented to him at a ceremony in Washington. At the time, he was getting counseling at a veterans hospital.
“It’s a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it,” Cotnoir told the newspaper then. “The stories I’ve gained from my deployment aren’t the kind of stories you share.”
Hey, I went though this course, not just Recon takes it ANGLICO Marines do to.
Marines head to Panama City for Combatant Diver Course
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 20059664714
Story by Cpl. Antonio Rosas
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2005) -- The Marines makes one final gear check before leaning back and receiving the thumbs up from their partners to plunge into the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Marines falling into the water are some of the Corps’ most elite warriors — reconnaissance Marines.
First Force Reconnaissance Company Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton spent a month training with Marines throughout the Corps at the Marine Combatant Diver Course in Panama City, Fla., to learn how to use the self contained underwater breathing apparatus, scuba.
During the 35 training days, the students complete 15 surface swims and swim more than 60,000 meters of water to hone their skills.
The course begins with a 500-yard introductory swim or “fin” to familiarize the students with open-circuit scuba gear.
While some of the students have some training on conventional scuba diving, most are newcomers to the world of underwater operations.
“This new scuba gear takes some getting used to but eventually you get the hang of it,” said Cpl. Elliot Hlabaty, 21, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
But not every recon operator has a shot at attending the seven-week course. Individual Marine recon units hold a grueling two-week, pre-qualification course prior to attending the course in eastern Florida.
The goal of the pre-qualification is to introduce the students to what happens to their bodies while they are underwater.
But diving is no dip in the pool. There are a lot of concepts to learn, such as the effects of compression and the decrease of gasses in the human body, said Master Sgt. Gregory D. Miller, staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Marine Combatant Diver Course.
The students must learn how to use the scuba equipment in a swimming pool before applying their competence in the deep blue ocean.
During one particular morning in their fifth week of training, the Marines receive an early morning safety brief, pack on the scuba gear, load up into two 15 passenger boats and head out into the ocean.
The Marines are eager to plunge into the ocean following weeks of bookwork and drills inside the pool.
Their assignment is to demonstrate their diving capabilities in the ocean, since this is precisely the environment they will be working in during missions.
The equipment the students are using is a closed-circuit re-breather unit attached to their chest. This gear enhances their ability to approach an objective in a quiet manner. As Marines exhale, no bubble are created since the air is returned inside the unit, making them invisible to the enemy’s view topside.
A conventional open-circuit scuba unit, which is strapped on the back, emits a large amount of bubbles, rendering a stealthy approach ineffective.
The morning marked the first time the students demonstrated their mastery of the closed-circuit unit in a real environment. They already went through numerous hours of practical application with the instructors earlier.
“After completing the practical application, I definitely feel ready to whoop it on and take care of business,” said Cpl. William J. Johns, 21, from Granite Bay, reconnaissance operator, 1st Force Reconnaissance Co.
In between classroom work, safety briefs, practical application, and tests, the students are still required to maintain rigorous physical fitness standards. Any given day of the week the students run an average of five miles in between lesson plans.
The course culminates with an astounding 6.2 mile open-water swim in a team buddy line. The buddy line is a rope, which attaches two divers together within an arm’s reach of each other. The lead man, or “driver,” steers the team under the close attention of an azimuth, which is a predetermined direction via the aid of a compass. Navigates using a tack-board, an underwater compass
The rear operator shares the responsibility of the two-person team because there is so much going on.
“I have to trust my partner because he’s the one driving,” said Cpl. Geore W. Ruble, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Recon Bn., Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“I also have to make sure he’s alright, buoyancy is good and he’s not going up and down in the water column,” said the 23-year-old Pensacola, Fla., native. “The whole time he’s focusing on the azimuth,”
“There are so many hazards in diving that if you don’t look after each other’s health, you can have some serious issues down there,” Ruble added.
Even though students receive a full day of instruction during the course’s final week of diving, met grueling physical fitness requirements, and continuously demonstrate practical application, not one of them has even signaled the slightest aversion to the course
“It’s a new challenge. I get to work in areas I’ve never worked in before. Working in the water like this is the main challenge,” said
Lance Cpl. Isaac J. Moore, 20, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Force Reconnaissance Co., who transferred jobs from being a radio operator.
The school enrolls Marines in the reconnaissance community, but also support Air Force combat controllers and air rescue men together in the same class.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...CC?opendocument
Marines head to Panama City for Combatant Diver Course
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 20059664714
Story by Cpl. Antonio Rosas
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2005) -- The Marines makes one final gear check before leaning back and receiving the thumbs up from their partners to plunge into the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Marines falling into the water are some of the Corps’ most elite warriors — reconnaissance Marines.
First Force Reconnaissance Company Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton spent a month training with Marines throughout the Corps at the Marine Combatant Diver Course in Panama City, Fla., to learn how to use the self contained underwater breathing apparatus, scuba.
During the 35 training days, the students complete 15 surface swims and swim more than 60,000 meters of water to hone their skills.
The course begins with a 500-yard introductory swim or “fin” to familiarize the students with open-circuit scuba gear.
While some of the students have some training on conventional scuba diving, most are newcomers to the world of underwater operations.
“This new scuba gear takes some getting used to but eventually you get the hang of it,” said Cpl. Elliot Hlabaty, 21, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
But not every recon operator has a shot at attending the seven-week course. Individual Marine recon units hold a grueling two-week, pre-qualification course prior to attending the course in eastern Florida.
The goal of the pre-qualification is to introduce the students to what happens to their bodies while they are underwater.
But diving is no dip in the pool. There are a lot of concepts to learn, such as the effects of compression and the decrease of gasses in the human body, said Master Sgt. Gregory D. Miller, staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Marine Combatant Diver Course.
The students must learn how to use the scuba equipment in a swimming pool before applying their competence in the deep blue ocean.
During one particular morning in their fifth week of training, the Marines receive an early morning safety brief, pack on the scuba gear, load up into two 15 passenger boats and head out into the ocean.
The Marines are eager to plunge into the ocean following weeks of bookwork and drills inside the pool.
Their assignment is to demonstrate their diving capabilities in the ocean, since this is precisely the environment they will be working in during missions.
The equipment the students are using is a closed-circuit re-breather unit attached to their chest. This gear enhances their ability to approach an objective in a quiet manner. As Marines exhale, no bubble are created since the air is returned inside the unit, making them invisible to the enemy’s view topside.
A conventional open-circuit scuba unit, which is strapped on the back, emits a large amount of bubbles, rendering a stealthy approach ineffective.
The morning marked the first time the students demonstrated their mastery of the closed-circuit unit in a real environment. They already went through numerous hours of practical application with the instructors earlier.
“After completing the practical application, I definitely feel ready to whoop it on and take care of business,” said Cpl. William J. Johns, 21, from Granite Bay, reconnaissance operator, 1st Force Reconnaissance Co.
In between classroom work, safety briefs, practical application, and tests, the students are still required to maintain rigorous physical fitness standards. Any given day of the week the students run an average of five miles in between lesson plans.
The course culminates with an astounding 6.2 mile open-water swim in a team buddy line. The buddy line is a rope, which attaches two divers together within an arm’s reach of each other. The lead man, or “driver,” steers the team under the close attention of an azimuth, which is a predetermined direction via the aid of a compass. Navigates using a tack-board, an underwater compass
The rear operator shares the responsibility of the two-person team because there is so much going on.
“I have to trust my partner because he’s the one driving,” said Cpl. Geore W. Ruble, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Recon Bn., Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“I also have to make sure he’s alright, buoyancy is good and he’s not going up and down in the water column,” said the 23-year-old Pensacola, Fla., native. “The whole time he’s focusing on the azimuth,”
“There are so many hazards in diving that if you don’t look after each other’s health, you can have some serious issues down there,” Ruble added.
Even though students receive a full day of instruction during the course’s final week of diving, met grueling physical fitness requirements, and continuously demonstrate practical application, not one of them has even signaled the slightest aversion to the course
“It’s a new challenge. I get to work in areas I’ve never worked in before. Working in the water like this is the main challenge,” said
Lance Cpl. Isaac J. Moore, 20, reconnaissance operator, 2nd Force Reconnaissance Co., who transferred jobs from being a radio operator.
The school enrolls Marines in the reconnaissance community, but also support Air Force combat controllers and air rescue men together in the same class.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...CC?opendocument
Radio man link to saving lives
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
Story Identification #: 200594113349
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- When Cpl. Vingua joined the Marines to tinker with radios, he never thought he’d be in Iraq helping to save lives.
Vingua is a 21-year-old radio repairman who works with ultra-high and very-high frequency radios on a daily basis here in the heart of the 2nd Marine Division’s headquarters during this deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He works for a small unit called the Direct Air Support Center (DASC) – part of Marine Air Support Squadron 1. When the ground troops need close air support, the DASC is their direct link to aircraft to support a mission. Air strike requests and helicopter-borne evacuations are routed through Vingua’s radios at the DASC, where Marines here at the combat operations center communicate with DASC liaison officers who are with the infantry at the regimental and battalion unit levels.
“I wanted a technical military occupational specialty that I can apply to a civilian job for if I choose to get out of the Marines when my time is up,” said the Worth, Ill. native.
Working with 100-pound military radios which are the direct link to pilots, is just what he needed. He joined shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 when he was attending college.
“I just wasn’t putting forth the effort to be successful,” he admitted. “This has been a better choice.
Infantry Marines can send radio transmissions directly to aircraft to request for fire support, but with the myriad of operations in the province, it’s important for the DASC to relay the request to ensure it’s done safely. And that’s where Vingua’s radios make all the difference when it comes to providing air and fire support for troops on the ground.
“Depending on the terrain, we can communicate a good distance through out the area of operations (about the size of North Carolina),” said Vingua. “That’s pretty good here since the desert is mostly flat.”
Vingua’s radios allow the members of the DASC team to operate from up to 1 kilometer away, making it easier for him to maintain the radios in a cool, dry place while Marines operate in the surrounding desert.
“It’s important to keep the radios safe and running, because if we’re not on top of it, we’re not controlling aircraft,” said Vingua.
Through the radios, the DASC alerts flight crews of friendly artillery units that may be firing in a certain area or what enemy forces might be emplaced in another area. They also use integrated computer technology to track ground troops and convoy movements in the area of operations. The systems save time and it allows for a more efficient way to support the troops either with medical evacuations or close air support.
“I like working here because I get to see the effect of my work on a grand scale,” said Vingua. “Medevacs don’t happen without us and it’s good to know that Marines rely on us.
“We’re actually helping to save Marines’ lives; that’s why I love the job.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....88?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
Story Identification #: 200594113349
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- When Cpl. Vingua joined the Marines to tinker with radios, he never thought he’d be in Iraq helping to save lives.
Vingua is a 21-year-old radio repairman who works with ultra-high and very-high frequency radios on a daily basis here in the heart of the 2nd Marine Division’s headquarters during this deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He works for a small unit called the Direct Air Support Center (DASC) – part of Marine Air Support Squadron 1. When the ground troops need close air support, the DASC is their direct link to aircraft to support a mission. Air strike requests and helicopter-borne evacuations are routed through Vingua’s radios at the DASC, where Marines here at the combat operations center communicate with DASC liaison officers who are with the infantry at the regimental and battalion unit levels.
“I wanted a technical military occupational specialty that I can apply to a civilian job for if I choose to get out of the Marines when my time is up,” said the Worth, Ill. native.
Working with 100-pound military radios which are the direct link to pilots, is just what he needed. He joined shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 when he was attending college.
“I just wasn’t putting forth the effort to be successful,” he admitted. “This has been a better choice.
Infantry Marines can send radio transmissions directly to aircraft to request for fire support, but with the myriad of operations in the province, it’s important for the DASC to relay the request to ensure it’s done safely. And that’s where Vingua’s radios make all the difference when it comes to providing air and fire support for troops on the ground.
“Depending on the terrain, we can communicate a good distance through out the area of operations (about the size of North Carolina),” said Vingua. “That’s pretty good here since the desert is mostly flat.”
Vingua’s radios allow the members of the DASC team to operate from up to 1 kilometer away, making it easier for him to maintain the radios in a cool, dry place while Marines operate in the surrounding desert.
“It’s important to keep the radios safe and running, because if we’re not on top of it, we’re not controlling aircraft,” said Vingua.
Through the radios, the DASC alerts flight crews of friendly artillery units that may be firing in a certain area or what enemy forces might be emplaced in another area. They also use integrated computer technology to track ground troops and convoy movements in the area of operations. The systems save time and it allows for a more efficient way to support the troops either with medical evacuations or close air support.
“I like working here because I get to see the effect of my work on a grand scale,” said Vingua. “Medevacs don’t happen without us and it’s good to know that Marines rely on us.
“We’re actually helping to save Marines’ lives; that’s why I love the job.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....88?OpenDocument
You know... my heart really tingles when a marine comes forward with the truth. Unlike some who shuns away from the truth, I think those who can face the truth might begin seeing themselves for they truly are..... fakes in their own miserable world. I give Jimmy Massey a big thumbs up for sharing with us his true Marine news with his own war experience.
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/20...article04.shtml
American Marine "Ashamed" Of Iraq Experience
CAIRO, April 17 (IslamOnline.net) – Ever since his return home last April, U.S. Marine Jimmy Massey has had a hard time sleeping, feeling "ashamed" of involvement in killing no less than 30 Iraqi civilians during his one-month mission.
"We had no qualms about opening fire on any car crossing a checkpoint without hauling up," he told the French newspaper L’Humanite on Tuesday, April13 .
"We, soldiers in the battalion, shot dead 30 people in one month, during our mission to seal off cities and lay a tight siege on villages," Massey recalled.
Several of such harrowing accounts still jut clear into his memory.
Massey quit on April18 , 2003 – nine days after U.S.-led occupation forces rolled into Baghdad, after a12 -year service in the army.
He could not forget impassioned pleas of one Baghdad resident after he and his colleagues manning a checkpoint killed three other passengers in his car.
"Why did you kill my brother. We did not do any thing," Massy remembered the man screaming despite his injuries.
Much painful to his conscience, the scene stood a repeat twice the same day.
"We fired at two other cars. Three civilians were killed," Massey regretted.
U.S. and British officials argue that former Iraqi soldiers dress in civvies and that ambulance vehicles are loaded with explosives, he said.
However, for Massey, there is more than a thin line between allegedly precautionary measure and a "war of genocide" and a virtual stench of civilian deaths.
"This is not the way for liberating Iraqis and achieving democracy," he called telling his commander who declined to respond.
Food & Fire
Massey cited instructions of commanders disregarding lives of Iraq civilians as one of many reasons still driving him nuts.
"Throw candies in the school courtyard, and open fire on children rushing to snatch them. Crush them," he recalled officers as saying during drills.
The U.S. Marine said the message came always mixed to the ordinary Iraqis.
He asserted that they would distributed foodstuffs and do other humanitarian activities for only three hours while spend the rest of the day fighting the Iraqis.
"Once, we swept into one town and set up a checkpoint there. Next day we began our humanitarian mission."
"Of course, they refused to take food from the same hands that had earlier killed their mothers or brothers."
With self-tormenting memories, Massey turned down an offer to do paper works in the Marine Corps and insisted to resign though this lost him his pension.
Massey can not even find solace in current news spreading out in media outlets on Iraq.
In Fallujah, a western Baghdad city besieged sine April5 , U.S. bombardment claimed the lives of at least 600 people and left more than1 , 500others injured.
A doctor in the town told IslamOnline.net on Monday, April12 , that most of those killed in the U.S. military offensive were women and children.
British forces, joining the invasion of the oil-rich country under the orders of U.S.-staunch ally Prime Minister Tony Blair, have their own harrowing record.
On May30 , a British soldier was questioned over sickening "torture" photos of Iraqi prisoners, including an Iraqi PoW dangling from a fork-lift truck, and others depict soldiers committing sex acts near captured Iraqis.
Suicide Option
With a mixed feeling of guilt and desperation, several American soldiers chose taking their own lives.
Some 23 soldiers committed suicide in2003 , according to a spokesman for the U.S. Marines in Iraq.
A large number of soldiers want to escape from Iraq, and several of those allowed to leave the war-scarred country never came back, said Luke Hiken, a lawyer in San Francisco and an expert on military affairs.
The soldiers are coming under pressures of non-stop resistance operations, growing anti-American sentiments and feelings of homesickness.
"I think I had enough. It's time for us to go home," Private First Class Joe Cruz,18 , from the Second Brigade of the Army's Third Infantry Division, had said.
The U.S. military has lost at least 92 troops in resistance fighters since March 31 - more than the total killed in the three-week invasion.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted that the recent U.S. military death toll was beyond expectations.
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/20...article04.shtml
American Marine "Ashamed" Of Iraq Experience
CAIRO, April 17 (IslamOnline.net) – Ever since his return home last April, U.S. Marine Jimmy Massey has had a hard time sleeping, feeling "ashamed" of involvement in killing no less than 30 Iraqi civilians during his one-month mission.
"We had no qualms about opening fire on any car crossing a checkpoint without hauling up," he told the French newspaper L’Humanite on Tuesday, April13 .
"We, soldiers in the battalion, shot dead 30 people in one month, during our mission to seal off cities and lay a tight siege on villages," Massey recalled.
Several of such harrowing accounts still jut clear into his memory.
Massey quit on April18 , 2003 – nine days after U.S.-led occupation forces rolled into Baghdad, after a12 -year service in the army.
He could not forget impassioned pleas of one Baghdad resident after he and his colleagues manning a checkpoint killed three other passengers in his car.
"Why did you kill my brother. We did not do any thing," Massy remembered the man screaming despite his injuries.
Much painful to his conscience, the scene stood a repeat twice the same day.
"We fired at two other cars. Three civilians were killed," Massey regretted.
U.S. and British officials argue that former Iraqi soldiers dress in civvies and that ambulance vehicles are loaded with explosives, he said.
However, for Massey, there is more than a thin line between allegedly precautionary measure and a "war of genocide" and a virtual stench of civilian deaths.
"This is not the way for liberating Iraqis and achieving democracy," he called telling his commander who declined to respond.
Food & Fire
Massey cited instructions of commanders disregarding lives of Iraq civilians as one of many reasons still driving him nuts.
"Throw candies in the school courtyard, and open fire on children rushing to snatch them. Crush them," he recalled officers as saying during drills.
The U.S. Marine said the message came always mixed to the ordinary Iraqis.
He asserted that they would distributed foodstuffs and do other humanitarian activities for only three hours while spend the rest of the day fighting the Iraqis.
"Once, we swept into one town and set up a checkpoint there. Next day we began our humanitarian mission."
"Of course, they refused to take food from the same hands that had earlier killed their mothers or brothers."
With self-tormenting memories, Massey turned down an offer to do paper works in the Marine Corps and insisted to resign though this lost him his pension.
Massey can not even find solace in current news spreading out in media outlets on Iraq.
In Fallujah, a western Baghdad city besieged sine April5 , U.S. bombardment claimed the lives of at least 600 people and left more than1 , 500others injured.
A doctor in the town told IslamOnline.net on Monday, April12 , that most of those killed in the U.S. military offensive were women and children.
British forces, joining the invasion of the oil-rich country under the orders of U.S.-staunch ally Prime Minister Tony Blair, have their own harrowing record.
On May30 , a British soldier was questioned over sickening "torture" photos of Iraqi prisoners, including an Iraqi PoW dangling from a fork-lift truck, and others depict soldiers committing sex acts near captured Iraqis.
Suicide Option
With a mixed feeling of guilt and desperation, several American soldiers chose taking their own lives.
Some 23 soldiers committed suicide in2003 , according to a spokesman for the U.S. Marines in Iraq.
A large number of soldiers want to escape from Iraq, and several of those allowed to leave the war-scarred country never came back, said Luke Hiken, a lawyer in San Francisco and an expert on military affairs.
The soldiers are coming under pressures of non-stop resistance operations, growing anti-American sentiments and feelings of homesickness.
"I think I had enough. It's time for us to go home," Private First Class Joe Cruz,18 , from the Second Brigade of the Army's Third Infantry Division, had said.
The U.S. military has lost at least 92 troops in resistance fighters since March 31 - more than the total killed in the three-week invasion.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld admitted that the recent U.S. military death toll was beyond expectations.
Marine sees hope for Iraqi children
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
Story Identification #: 200594113644
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- When patrolling the streets of Ramadi, to say it’s serious business is an understatement. But that doesn’t mean one wouldn’t catch Cpl. Malin smiling every now and then.
William Bryan Malin, a Squad Automatic Weapon machine gunner with the camp’s guard force revels in his ability to do something positive for the children here.
For the past six months, the 20-year-old Colorado Springs, Colo. native and his squad have been patrolling through the farm lands and villages that cushion the outside walls of the camp. The children know who he is, because they usually get a little stuffed animal or toy when he passes through their field.
Malin is normally a clarinetist on an E-flat clarinet for the 2nd Marine Division Band. For the duration of his deployment here, he’s been part of the camp’s ready-react force, protecting the inhabitants of the camp and surrounding area.
“I was accepted to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont before I joined, but after some thinking, I chose the military,” said the 2003 Rampart High School graduate. “I grew up in a traditional military family because my step dad was in the Air Force. I said a lot of ‘yes sir and yes ma’am’ growing up. I guess I wanted to continue the legacy.
“That and I didn’t have the academic support that I needed for a scholarship, so the benefits were appealing and it seemed like a good start on life.”
And Malin has accomplished that goal. About a year ago, Malin and his band mates began training in stability and security operations, a training package specifically designed around how combat is conducted in Iraq. Malin has received advanced infantry training and has learned shooting techniques normally reserved for Marines in combat military occupational specialties.
He said it was rough making decisions at the beginning because he’d never been deployed in a situation like this. But good or bad, according to him, he used his mistakes as an advantage.
“We stand in the towers and conduct patrols to keep the peace so people can sleep easy at night,” said Malin. “We don’t get a lot of praise out here doing this job, but I love it and we’re just doing what we’re trained to do. And there’s something new to learn every time we go out.”
And praise isn’t what he’s looking for; it is doing the job right that satisfies him. Although he loves playing in the band, there’s something about being on the guard force that can’t compare, according to Malin. And he admits that he’ll miss that when he returns to North Carolina.
He feels that he’s made a difference in the lives of the Iraqis in the area surrounding the base and he’s protected the lives of the people on it.
“When I see the children’s’ eyes wide open after I give them a stuffed animal, it’s the part of being here,” said Malin. “They see that we have a heart too and we’re not scary to them.
“I’m definitely ready to go back, though,” Malin admitted. “It’s tough being away from loved ones and friends. But in a sense, I’ll miss it.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....c5?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
Story Identification #: 200594113644
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- When patrolling the streets of Ramadi, to say it’s serious business is an understatement. But that doesn’t mean one wouldn’t catch Cpl. Malin smiling every now and then.
William Bryan Malin, a Squad Automatic Weapon machine gunner with the camp’s guard force revels in his ability to do something positive for the children here.
For the past six months, the 20-year-old Colorado Springs, Colo. native and his squad have been patrolling through the farm lands and villages that cushion the outside walls of the camp. The children know who he is, because they usually get a little stuffed animal or toy when he passes through their field.
Malin is normally a clarinetist on an E-flat clarinet for the 2nd Marine Division Band. For the duration of his deployment here, he’s been part of the camp’s ready-react force, protecting the inhabitants of the camp and surrounding area.
“I was accepted to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont before I joined, but after some thinking, I chose the military,” said the 2003 Rampart High School graduate. “I grew up in a traditional military family because my step dad was in the Air Force. I said a lot of ‘yes sir and yes ma’am’ growing up. I guess I wanted to continue the legacy.
“That and I didn’t have the academic support that I needed for a scholarship, so the benefits were appealing and it seemed like a good start on life.”
And Malin has accomplished that goal. About a year ago, Malin and his band mates began training in stability and security operations, a training package specifically designed around how combat is conducted in Iraq. Malin has received advanced infantry training and has learned shooting techniques normally reserved for Marines in combat military occupational specialties.
He said it was rough making decisions at the beginning because he’d never been deployed in a situation like this. But good or bad, according to him, he used his mistakes as an advantage.
“We stand in the towers and conduct patrols to keep the peace so people can sleep easy at night,” said Malin. “We don’t get a lot of praise out here doing this job, but I love it and we’re just doing what we’re trained to do. And there’s something new to learn every time we go out.”
And praise isn’t what he’s looking for; it is doing the job right that satisfies him. Although he loves playing in the band, there’s something about being on the guard force that can’t compare, according to Malin. And he admits that he’ll miss that when he returns to North Carolina.
He feels that he’s made a difference in the lives of the Iraqis in the area surrounding the base and he’s protected the lives of the people on it.
“When I see the children’s’ eyes wide open after I give them a stuffed animal, it’s the part of being here,” said Malin. “They see that we have a heart too and we’re not scary to them.
“I’m definitely ready to go back, though,” Malin admitted. “It’s tough being away from loved ones and friends. But in a sense, I’ll miss it.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....c5?OpenDocument
Oklahoma radio operator keeps Marines tuned in
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Mike Escobar
Story Identification #: 20059473112
CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- "Without communication, nothing happens."
This statement may seem strange coming from Lance Cpl. Jason V. Edds, an Oklahoma City native who describes himself as "never having been a very outgoing guy."
Nevertheless, 20-year-old, soft-spoken Edds performs a vital role in keeping counter-insurgency operations moving along smoothly for his fellow Marines with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, here. Without him and his Communications Platoon teammates, missions to uproot terrorists here simply wouldn't happen.
Edds, a 2004 U.S. Grant High School graduate, works as one of approximately 40 field radio operators who assist their battalion in and around the former terrorist hotbed of Fallujah. He works largely out of the camp's 'ant farm,' an array of OE-254 communications antennas and field radios located apart from the unit's command headquarters. There, Edds routinely inspects communication equipments’ wires and connections, ensuring that they are clean and functional.
"We make sure all the comm stays up in the battalion, and that we're able to talk to our bases out in town. We take care of the gear here to make sure that happens," Edds explained.
Currently, the battalion's infantrymen occupy four bases in the area: Camp Baharia's combat operations center, two in Northern Fallujah, and one inside the nearby rural community of Saqlawiyah, a township many insurgents fled to after Coalition forces wrested Fallujah from them last year. Several miles separate each of the camps.
As radio operators, Edds and his team ensure the different bases maintain clear, constant communication, both with each other and their respective higher commands.
Edds described the ant farm he helps man as Baharia's re-trans station, an outpost that receives incoming radio traffic and sends messages to the battalion's infantry companies in Fallujah.
In addition to maintaining this ant farm, radio operators work out of the downtown bases to keep comm up on their end. Like Edds, they clean and check their equipment, but also keep a strict sense of security in mind as they accomplish their tasks.
The Marines regularly input encryption data, known as crypto, into the radio waves used to transmit the messages. This scrambling data garbles the information in between the starting and ending points, enabling unit personnel to discuss classified information via radio.
The sizeable task of maintaining his unit’s communication capabilities and keeping operational security airtight falls on Marines like Edds, who recognize the weight of responsibility the job carries.
“We’re one of the most important assets the battalion has,” Edds stated. “If we didn’t have comm during operations, the commander wouldn’t know what was going on, and his Marines wouldn’t know what to do. Operations would pretty much stop without comm.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....27?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Mike Escobar
Story Identification #: 20059473112
CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- "Without communication, nothing happens."
This statement may seem strange coming from Lance Cpl. Jason V. Edds, an Oklahoma City native who describes himself as "never having been a very outgoing guy."
Nevertheless, 20-year-old, soft-spoken Edds performs a vital role in keeping counter-insurgency operations moving along smoothly for his fellow Marines with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, here. Without him and his Communications Platoon teammates, missions to uproot terrorists here simply wouldn't happen.
Edds, a 2004 U.S. Grant High School graduate, works as one of approximately 40 field radio operators who assist their battalion in and around the former terrorist hotbed of Fallujah. He works largely out of the camp's 'ant farm,' an array of OE-254 communications antennas and field radios located apart from the unit's command headquarters. There, Edds routinely inspects communication equipments’ wires and connections, ensuring that they are clean and functional.
"We make sure all the comm stays up in the battalion, and that we're able to talk to our bases out in town. We take care of the gear here to make sure that happens," Edds explained.
Currently, the battalion's infantrymen occupy four bases in the area: Camp Baharia's combat operations center, two in Northern Fallujah, and one inside the nearby rural community of Saqlawiyah, a township many insurgents fled to after Coalition forces wrested Fallujah from them last year. Several miles separate each of the camps.
As radio operators, Edds and his team ensure the different bases maintain clear, constant communication, both with each other and their respective higher commands.
Edds described the ant farm he helps man as Baharia's re-trans station, an outpost that receives incoming radio traffic and sends messages to the battalion's infantry companies in Fallujah.
In addition to maintaining this ant farm, radio operators work out of the downtown bases to keep comm up on their end. Like Edds, they clean and check their equipment, but also keep a strict sense of security in mind as they accomplish their tasks.
The Marines regularly input encryption data, known as crypto, into the radio waves used to transmit the messages. This scrambling data garbles the information in between the starting and ending points, enabling unit personnel to discuss classified information via radio.
The sizeable task of maintaining his unit’s communication capabilities and keeping operational security airtight falls on Marines like Edds, who recognize the weight of responsibility the job carries.
“We’re one of the most important assets the battalion has,” Edds stated. “If we didn’t have comm during operations, the commander wouldn’t know what was going on, and his Marines wouldn’t know what to do. Operations would pretty much stop without comm.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....27?OpenDocument
Dallas natives, schoolmates serve together in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Thomas Sloan
Story Identification #: 20059294955
CAMP HURRICANE POINT, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 2, 2005) -- Friends Miguel A. Bautista and Christopher J. Gonzalez from Dallas chose to take the road less traveled after graduating from North Dallas High School in May 2004.
The two patriotic 19-year-olds enlisted in the Marine Corps and dedicated four years of their lives to serving their country.
A year after raising their right hands and swearing to support and defend, Bautista and Gonzalez find themselves together here as lance corporals supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
“It’s good being here together,” said Gonzalez. “We get to see each other and talk.”
The two became acquainted their junior year of high school and built on their friendship their senior year, said Gonzalez.
“He was in my English class when we were seniors,” he recalled. “We’d play basketball together after school and would hangout on the weekends.”
“I would either be at his house or he would be at mine,” said Bautista. “He’s got a good personality. He’s goofy, smart and outgoing.”
Though they live on the same camp, Gonzalez and Bautista lead entirely different lives. Gonzalez is a food service specialist for Headquarters and Service Company and Bautista is a rifleman with Company A.
Gonzalez spends the majority his day at the mess hall preparing and serving food to hungry infantrymen like his friend Bautista.
“I work a 12-hour shift, and my job isn’t that bad,” said Gonzalez. “Before I came here, though, I heard stories about how bad it was. I’m safe where I’m at, but God bless the Marines who go out the gate and into the city.”
Bautista is one of those Marines.
“I’m the point man for my squad,” said Bautista with 1st Squad, 4th Platoon, Company A. “We’re always on the go.”
Bautista and his fellow infantrymen conduct daily missions in the Al Anbar capital city here to root out the insurgency and restore its infrastructure. As the point man, Bautista is the Marine located in the front of the patrol formation and often the first to make enemy contact.
“He’s brave and has a big heart for a little guy,” said Gonzalez of Bautista, who stands five and a half feet tall and weighs 150 pounds wearing all his protective gear. “He’s an honest friend and will tell me just what he thinks. He speaks his mind.”
The two friends often get together to reminisce about the past and discuss how each other’s day went. Given their different jobs, the meetings are usually brief.
“I talk to him every time I go to the chow hall,” said Bautista.
“We joke a lot and talk about all the crazy things we did in school,” added Gonzalez. “He’s always on the go, so we make the most of it.”
Gonzalez and Bautista arrived here in March. They’re scheduled to leave and return to Camp Pendleton with the infantry battalion in October, which will mark the end of its OIF deployment.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....7d?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Thomas Sloan
Story Identification #: 20059294955
CAMP HURRICANE POINT, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 2, 2005) -- Friends Miguel A. Bautista and Christopher J. Gonzalez from Dallas chose to take the road less traveled after graduating from North Dallas High School in May 2004.
The two patriotic 19-year-olds enlisted in the Marine Corps and dedicated four years of their lives to serving their country.
A year after raising their right hands and swearing to support and defend, Bautista and Gonzalez find themselves together here as lance corporals supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
“It’s good being here together,” said Gonzalez. “We get to see each other and talk.”
The two became acquainted their junior year of high school and built on their friendship their senior year, said Gonzalez.
“He was in my English class when we were seniors,” he recalled. “We’d play basketball together after school and would hangout on the weekends.”
“I would either be at his house or he would be at mine,” said Bautista. “He’s got a good personality. He’s goofy, smart and outgoing.”
Though they live on the same camp, Gonzalez and Bautista lead entirely different lives. Gonzalez is a food service specialist for Headquarters and Service Company and Bautista is a rifleman with Company A.
Gonzalez spends the majority his day at the mess hall preparing and serving food to hungry infantrymen like his friend Bautista.
“I work a 12-hour shift, and my job isn’t that bad,” said Gonzalez. “Before I came here, though, I heard stories about how bad it was. I’m safe where I’m at, but God bless the Marines who go out the gate and into the city.”
Bautista is one of those Marines.
“I’m the point man for my squad,” said Bautista with 1st Squad, 4th Platoon, Company A. “We’re always on the go.”
Bautista and his fellow infantrymen conduct daily missions in the Al Anbar capital city here to root out the insurgency and restore its infrastructure. As the point man, Bautista is the Marine located in the front of the patrol formation and often the first to make enemy contact.
“He’s brave and has a big heart for a little guy,” said Gonzalez of Bautista, who stands five and a half feet tall and weighs 150 pounds wearing all his protective gear. “He’s an honest friend and will tell me just what he thinks. He speaks his mind.”
The two friends often get together to reminisce about the past and discuss how each other’s day went. Given their different jobs, the meetings are usually brief.
“I talk to him every time I go to the chow hall,” said Bautista.
“We joke a lot and talk about all the crazy things we did in school,” added Gonzalez. “He’s always on the go, so we make the most of it.”
Gonzalez and Bautista arrived here in March. They’re scheduled to leave and return to Camp Pendleton with the infantry battalion in October, which will mark the end of its OIF deployment.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....7d?OpenDocument
http://www.tomjoad.org/masseytestimony.htm
Resister Jimmy Massey goes to Court to Defend Hinzman's Decision to go to Canada
At Hearing for Jeremy Hinzman, Jimmy Massey testifies how army unit killed civilians
From: washingtonpost.com
Former Marine Testifies to Atrocities in Iraq
Unit Killed Dozens of Unarmed Civilians Last Year, Canadian Refugee Board Is Told
By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, December 8, 2004; Page A20
TORONTO, Dec. 7 -- A former U.S. Marine staff sergeant testified at a hearing Tuesday that his unit killed at least 30 unarmed civilians in Iraq during the war in 2003 and that Marines routinely shot and killed wounded Iraqis.
Jimmy J. Massey, a 12-year veteran, said he left Iraq in May 2003 after a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress. He said he and his men shot and killed four Iraqis staging a demonstration and a man with his hands up trying to surrender, as well as women and children at roadblocks. Massey said he had complained to his superiors about the "killing of innocent civilians," but that nothing was done.
Massey, 33, of Waynesville, N.C., was the chief witness at a refugee board hearing for a U.S. Army deserter, Jeremy Hinzman, who is attempting to win asylum in Canada after he fled from Fort Bragg, N.C., rather than go to Iraq. Hinzman, 25, the first of at least three U.S. military deserters to apply for asylum here, argues that he refused to go to Iraq to avoid committing war crimes.
In Washington, a Marine Corps spokesman at the Pentagon said Massey's charges had been investigated and were unproved.
"We take such allegations very seriously," said Maj. Douglas Powell. "And Jimmy Massey, who is a former staff sergeant, out of the Corps, has made these statements before in the press. They've been looked into, and nothing has been substantiated."
Massey is a former Marine recruiter who served in Iraq as the staff sergeant for a platoon that ranged from 25 to 50 men. He testified that the killings occurred in late March or early April 2003 as his unit, the weapons company of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, moved northward to Baghdad and then beyond.
During one 48-hour period, Massey said under oath, his platoon set up roadblocks and killed "30-plus" civilians. He said his men, fearing suicide bombers, poured massive firepower into cars that did not stop as they approached the roadblocks. In each instance, he said, none of the cars was found to have contained explosives or arms.
"Why didn't the Iraqis stop? That is something that has plagued me every waking moment of the day," he said. He said they may have been confused by the Americans' gestures or thought that a warning shot was celebratory gunfire.
"I don't know if the Iraqi people thought we were celebrating their newfound freedom. But I do know we killed innocent civilians," Massey said. In one case, the driver of a car leaped out with his hands up. "But we kept firing. We killed him," Massey said. In another case, he and other Marines shot and killed four protesters near a checkpoint after a single incoming gunshot from an unknown source, he said. None of the protesters was found with arms.
The testimony of Massey, who was honorably discharged six months after his medical evacuation from Iraq, is the main surviving thrust of the strategy by Hinzman's attorney to put the Iraq war on trial at the refugee hearing. The asylum bids by Hinzman and two other servicemen are a dilemma for the Canadian government, which is seeking to repair relations with the Bush administration. Canada refused to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the war remains highly unpopular in Canada.
The government won a ruling that the legality of the Iraq war could not be an issue at the refugee hearing. But Hinzman's attorney, Jeffry House, has introduced testimonials and human rights reports to support Hinzman's claim that he would have been forced to violate the Geneva Conventions in Iraq.
Some of Hinzman's supporters, including House, are Vietnam-era draft dodgers. They compare Massey's testimony to the disclosure of the My Lai massacre of civilians in Vietnam.
Hinzman, who served a tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, had applied for a transfer to a noncombat position in the Army. When that was rejected and his division was ordered to Iraq, Hinzman drove from Fort Bragg to Canada in January with his wife and infant son.
The family is living in a basement apartment in Toronto while their request is heard. If it is rejected, Hinzman has said, they expect to file appeals in the Canadian courts.
Staff writer Christopher Lee in Washington contributed to this report
Resister Jimmy Massey goes to Court to Defend Hinzman's Decision to go to Canada
At Hearing for Jeremy Hinzman, Jimmy Massey testifies how army unit killed civilians
From: washingtonpost.com
Former Marine Testifies to Atrocities in Iraq
Unit Killed Dozens of Unarmed Civilians Last Year, Canadian Refugee Board Is Told
By Doug Struck
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, December 8, 2004; Page A20
TORONTO, Dec. 7 -- A former U.S. Marine staff sergeant testified at a hearing Tuesday that his unit killed at least 30 unarmed civilians in Iraq during the war in 2003 and that Marines routinely shot and killed wounded Iraqis.
Jimmy J. Massey, a 12-year veteran, said he left Iraq in May 2003 after a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress. He said he and his men shot and killed four Iraqis staging a demonstration and a man with his hands up trying to surrender, as well as women and children at roadblocks. Massey said he had complained to his superiors about the "killing of innocent civilians," but that nothing was done.
Massey, 33, of Waynesville, N.C., was the chief witness at a refugee board hearing for a U.S. Army deserter, Jeremy Hinzman, who is attempting to win asylum in Canada after he fled from Fort Bragg, N.C., rather than go to Iraq. Hinzman, 25, the first of at least three U.S. military deserters to apply for asylum here, argues that he refused to go to Iraq to avoid committing war crimes.
In Washington, a Marine Corps spokesman at the Pentagon said Massey's charges had been investigated and were unproved.
"We take such allegations very seriously," said Maj. Douglas Powell. "And Jimmy Massey, who is a former staff sergeant, out of the Corps, has made these statements before in the press. They've been looked into, and nothing has been substantiated."
Massey is a former Marine recruiter who served in Iraq as the staff sergeant for a platoon that ranged from 25 to 50 men. He testified that the killings occurred in late March or early April 2003 as his unit, the weapons company of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, moved northward to Baghdad and then beyond.
During one 48-hour period, Massey said under oath, his platoon set up roadblocks and killed "30-plus" civilians. He said his men, fearing suicide bombers, poured massive firepower into cars that did not stop as they approached the roadblocks. In each instance, he said, none of the cars was found to have contained explosives or arms.
"Why didn't the Iraqis stop? That is something that has plagued me every waking moment of the day," he said. He said they may have been confused by the Americans' gestures or thought that a warning shot was celebratory gunfire.
"I don't know if the Iraqi people thought we were celebrating their newfound freedom. But I do know we killed innocent civilians," Massey said. In one case, the driver of a car leaped out with his hands up. "But we kept firing. We killed him," Massey said. In another case, he and other Marines shot and killed four protesters near a checkpoint after a single incoming gunshot from an unknown source, he said. None of the protesters was found with arms.
The testimony of Massey, who was honorably discharged six months after his medical evacuation from Iraq, is the main surviving thrust of the strategy by Hinzman's attorney to put the Iraq war on trial at the refugee hearing. The asylum bids by Hinzman and two other servicemen are a dilemma for the Canadian government, which is seeking to repair relations with the Bush administration. Canada refused to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the war remains highly unpopular in Canada.
The government won a ruling that the legality of the Iraq war could not be an issue at the refugee hearing. But Hinzman's attorney, Jeffry House, has introduced testimonials and human rights reports to support Hinzman's claim that he would have been forced to violate the Geneva Conventions in Iraq.
Some of Hinzman's supporters, including House, are Vietnam-era draft dodgers. They compare Massey's testimony to the disclosure of the My Lai massacre of civilians in Vietnam.
Hinzman, who served a tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, had applied for a transfer to a noncombat position in the Army. When that was rejected and his division was ordered to Iraq, Hinzman drove from Fort Bragg to Canada in January with his wife and infant son.
The family is living in a basement apartment in Toronto while their request is heard. If it is rejected, Hinzman has said, they expect to file appeals in the Canadian courts.
Staff writer Christopher Lee in Washington contributed to this report
MarForRes Commander visits devastated Gulf Coast
Submitted by: Marine Forces Reserve
Story by: Computed Name: Pfc. Frans E. Labranche
Story Identification #: 200596154412
Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth --(Sept. 6, 2005) -- The commander of the Marine Forces Reserve visited areas severely affected by Hurricane Katrina on Sunday.
Lt. Gen. John W. Bergman flew over affected areas and met with troops on the ground to discuss the steps that are being taken to give much needed relief to the greater New Orleans area.
"Right now the only order for anyone is to help people in need," Bergman said."Citizens left in the city are in a dangerous position and we will do everything in our power to ensure their safety."
Bergman flew over the city, landing in several spots key to Marine Forces Reserve personnel to get a first hand look at what is quickly becoming, in terms of lives and property, one of the costliest disasters to hit the United States.
Trees are uprooted or snapped in half over the entire gulf south; homes are flooded or have been completely demolished by gail force winds and high storm surge. Some sections of New Orleans were totally destroyed, while others were built high enough to escape major damage,said Bergman.
The water in the city is still up to the eves of most houses in the Lakeview, Ninth Ward, and New Orleans East neighborhoods, but the levees are being repaired by the Army Corps of Engineers.
To drain the city of the toxic waters poisoned with chemicals and sewage, the levees need to be patched where breeched, only then can the pumps begin to be effective in cleaning the city, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said in an earlier press conference.
Bergman went on from New Orleans to the Stenis Space Center where he met with Major General O' Dell, the commander of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Katrina (SPMAGTF-Katrina).
Bergman and O'Dell met to discuss the placement of troops and the Marines' ability to support other operations in the affected regions, also sites for landing zones and possible locations for housing the vast number of troops expected to entering the area soon.
Bergman said that the first and foremost goal of the Marines and other branches of the Armed Forces is to find and rescue victims still stranded in the city with all available recovery and rescue teams.
The logistics of getting Marines in and out of the area are tough, but it will not stand in the way. Everything that we can do will be done, Bergman and O'Dell agreed.
"Supplies for the effort will be brought in by all branches of the armed services and we will work together to overcome the problems caused by hurricane Katrina," Bergman said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....de?OpenDocument
Submitted by: Marine Forces Reserve
Story by: Computed Name: Pfc. Frans E. Labranche
Story Identification #: 200596154412
Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth --(Sept. 6, 2005) -- The commander of the Marine Forces Reserve visited areas severely affected by Hurricane Katrina on Sunday.
Lt. Gen. John W. Bergman flew over affected areas and met with troops on the ground to discuss the steps that are being taken to give much needed relief to the greater New Orleans area.
"Right now the only order for anyone is to help people in need," Bergman said."Citizens left in the city are in a dangerous position and we will do everything in our power to ensure their safety."
Bergman flew over the city, landing in several spots key to Marine Forces Reserve personnel to get a first hand look at what is quickly becoming, in terms of lives and property, one of the costliest disasters to hit the United States.
Trees are uprooted or snapped in half over the entire gulf south; homes are flooded or have been completely demolished by gail force winds and high storm surge. Some sections of New Orleans were totally destroyed, while others were built high enough to escape major damage,said Bergman.
The water in the city is still up to the eves of most houses in the Lakeview, Ninth Ward, and New Orleans East neighborhoods, but the levees are being repaired by the Army Corps of Engineers.
To drain the city of the toxic waters poisoned with chemicals and sewage, the levees need to be patched where breeched, only then can the pumps begin to be effective in cleaning the city, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said in an earlier press conference.
Bergman went on from New Orleans to the Stenis Space Center where he met with Major General O' Dell, the commander of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Katrina (SPMAGTF-Katrina).
Bergman and O'Dell met to discuss the placement of troops and the Marines' ability to support other operations in the affected regions, also sites for landing zones and possible locations for housing the vast number of troops expected to entering the area soon.
Bergman said that the first and foremost goal of the Marines and other branches of the Armed Forces is to find and rescue victims still stranded in the city with all available recovery and rescue teams.
The logistics of getting Marines in and out of the area are tough, but it will not stand in the way. Everything that we can do will be done, Bergman and O'Dell agreed.
"Supplies for the effort will be brought in by all branches of the armed services and we will work together to overcome the problems caused by hurricane Katrina," Bergman said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....de?OpenDocument
Marines rescue New Orleans residents, deliver supplies
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200597104616
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 07, 2005) -- Following Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs have become major areas of concern as time may be running out for the citizens who remained. Some inhabitants of the city remained because they had no means to leave. Marines have moved in with air and amphibious crafts to aid those stranded in the area.
The nearly 2,000 Marines of Special Purpose MAGTF Katrina continue conducting ongoing missions to find more survivors and to deliver supplies to those in need.
The support effort headquartered at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse, La., outside of New Orleans; supporting Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Joint Task Force Katrina is a multi-service support effort to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0A?opendocument
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200597104616
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 07, 2005) -- Following Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs have become major areas of concern as time may be running out for the citizens who remained. Some inhabitants of the city remained because they had no means to leave. Marines have moved in with air and amphibious crafts to aid those stranded in the area.
The nearly 2,000 Marines of Special Purpose MAGTF Katrina continue conducting ongoing missions to find more survivors and to deliver supplies to those in need.
The support effort headquartered at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse, La., outside of New Orleans; supporting Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Joint Task Force Katrina is a multi-service support effort to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0A?opendocument
New Orleans Marines ride out storm
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 2005979504
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 07, 2005) -- On August 27, while many service members in the New Orleans area were preparing to evacuate, Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Davis and Sgt. Lorenzo L. Edwards had different plans.
The two Marines, inspector instructor staff for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, volunteered to remain behind as a part of the Naval Air Station's emergency operations center, and played a key role in the initial efforts to bring relief to the victims left in the storm's wake.
As the hurricane descended on the Gulf Coast, the station EOC began planning for the monumental task ahead of them.
Davis and Edwards watched from a supply bay as Katrina raged past.
"I have been through typhoons in Okinawa, Japan, but this was worse than anything I ever saw there," said Davis, 3/23 electronics maintenance chief and a native of Hazelton, Pa.
"I volunteered because I knew my family was out of harm's way and I could be more useful here," said Edwards, a mechanic and native of Opp, Ala. "Growing up in Alabama, I have been through many hurricanes, so I knew what to expect."
Not long after the rain stopped and the storm had passed, the Marines, along with the other members of the EOC, immediately began working to get the station operational.
The 25-man EOC team dragged, lifted and hand-carried fallen trees and debris to clear away the Coast Guard's landing zones and hangar for the start of search-and-rescue operations.
"The wind was still blowing when we came out," Davis said. "We started right away and cleared out the Coast Guard's area so they could get started."
After digging out the Coast Guard, Davis and Edwards helped load seven-ton trucks with food, water, supplies and personnel to bring aid to those in need.
"We were loading, running and unloading two or three convoys a day," Edwards said. "The supplies were already here; it was our job to prioritize what went where, and get it there as soon as possible."
"The first few trips were hairy," Davis said. "It was difficult to find a clear route for the trucks, but soon we had it down."
Along with the convoys of food and supplies, Davis and Edwards helped deliver fuel to area fan-boats that were conducting search and rescue.
"Our convoys were the only means of support to the western side of the river," Davis said.
In addition to their support of the relief effort, the pair aided the arrival of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit command element.
"When the MEU came in, we coordinated with the station personnel to get them set up with work spaces and living quarters," Davis said.
"We helped in any way we could to get (the MEU) set up," Edwards said. "We gave them information on what was happening on and off base to provide them with better situational awareness."
As the evacuated Marines of 3/23 return, Davis and Edwards said they were proud to have the opportunity to help.
"I take pride in not only helping as a Marine, but as a resident of this community," Davis said.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0A?opendocument
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 2005979504
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 07, 2005) -- On August 27, while many service members in the New Orleans area were preparing to evacuate, Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Davis and Sgt. Lorenzo L. Edwards had different plans.
The two Marines, inspector instructor staff for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, volunteered to remain behind as a part of the Naval Air Station's emergency operations center, and played a key role in the initial efforts to bring relief to the victims left in the storm's wake.
As the hurricane descended on the Gulf Coast, the station EOC began planning for the monumental task ahead of them.
Davis and Edwards watched from a supply bay as Katrina raged past.
"I have been through typhoons in Okinawa, Japan, but this was worse than anything I ever saw there," said Davis, 3/23 electronics maintenance chief and a native of Hazelton, Pa.
"I volunteered because I knew my family was out of harm's way and I could be more useful here," said Edwards, a mechanic and native of Opp, Ala. "Growing up in Alabama, I have been through many hurricanes, so I knew what to expect."
Not long after the rain stopped and the storm had passed, the Marines, along with the other members of the EOC, immediately began working to get the station operational.
The 25-man EOC team dragged, lifted and hand-carried fallen trees and debris to clear away the Coast Guard's landing zones and hangar for the start of search-and-rescue operations.
"The wind was still blowing when we came out," Davis said. "We started right away and cleared out the Coast Guard's area so they could get started."
After digging out the Coast Guard, Davis and Edwards helped load seven-ton trucks with food, water, supplies and personnel to bring aid to those in need.
"We were loading, running and unloading two or three convoys a day," Edwards said. "The supplies were already here; it was our job to prioritize what went where, and get it there as soon as possible."
"The first few trips were hairy," Davis said. "It was difficult to find a clear route for the trucks, but soon we had it down."
Along with the convoys of food and supplies, Davis and Edwards helped deliver fuel to area fan-boats that were conducting search and rescue.
"Our convoys were the only means of support to the western side of the river," Davis said.
In addition to their support of the relief effort, the pair aided the arrival of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit command element.
"When the MEU came in, we coordinated with the station personnel to get them set up with work spaces and living quarters," Davis said.
"We helped in any way we could to get (the MEU) set up," Edwards said. "We gave them information on what was happening on and off base to provide them with better situational awareness."
As the evacuated Marines of 3/23 return, Davis and Edwards said they were proud to have the opportunity to help.
"I take pride in not only helping as a Marine, but as a resident of this community," Davis said.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0A?opendocument
New Orleans hurricane survivor recounts rescue efforts
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 20059417367
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sep. 4, 2005) -- Julia Weathers is what some would call a victim. When Hurricane Katrina ripped through her neighborhood in New Orleans, she was stranded on a roof top for over two days without electricity, communications or sanitation. However, if you ask her, she’s anything but a victim; she considers herself a miracle.
As the water came up to unanticipated heights, Weathers quickly realized she was stranded for an indefinite period of time. She had stored ice in bags and filled a bathtub full of water before the storm, but with the new reality of a severe situation, she knew she would need to be evacuated.
“We heard on the radio at that time, when we still had batteries, that if we wanted to be rescued, we should go to the top of the roof,” she said slowly with a thick southern accent. “They also said they would rescue children with a parent and elderly people.”
With the promise of rescue in mind, Weathers and hordes of others flocked to the top of waterlogged houses.
“We all pulled together really well. We helped the elderly get to the top of the roof. I saw this one guy pull a refrigerator to his balcony and then helped his wife climb on that to use as a stepstool to the roof.”
“Another guy made a boat out of a mattress and some plywood. He went to the store and got bread and water and delivered it to all the different rooftops.”
She, like hundreds of others in her neighborhood, spent days in the heat sitting on the shingles of her roof watching rescue helicopters pluck people out of the floods. As she sat, she watched the situation below progressively deteriorate.
“At first, the water was just to the top of the tires on my car. I had parked it up on a hill,” she said. After she made a short phone call to a friend, she turned around to see her car submerged in water. “The trunk had somehow come open, and all I could see was the top of the open trunk. Everything else was under the water. I couldn’t believe how fast it happened.”
Weathers had nothing but time to watch the water seep into her community and sweep away the city life and material securities of American civilization. One thing that wasn’t washed away in the current was the resolve of the people on high ground waiting to be rescued.
“Rescue crews were always coming and going, and we watched them fly back and forth for a long time,” she said. “Sometimes they said they were coming back, but they never did.”
“I watched a lot of rescues. Some people were hooked up to a harness, some were put in a basket,” she said, “but after a while we started to get impatient. I was wondering when it would be my turn.”
The crews worked on and off throughout the neighborhood, and when Julia saw the chopper picking up people at a neighboring building, she knew it was almost her chance.
Common with all rescue missions in light of the hurricane, there were many people who needed a lift and not a lot of space on the bird. Weathers flashed her military ID in hopes of gaining a seat on the helicopter. Her efforts paid off tremendously.
The crewmen immediately noticed her ID and welcomed her aboard the aircraft.
“I had a bag of clothes and things I needed, but they said I could only bring a few things,” she recalled. “They did let me get my prescriptions and a few things, though.”
In the end, she made it out with the help of a National Guardsman whose name she didn’t catch, who hooked her up to a harness and drew her up into the chopper.
Being rescued from a horrendous situation is lucky, but not as lucky as what happened next.
“The helo made an emergency landing because a big garbage bag had blown into the propellers, and they had to do some preventative maintenance on it. They didn’t go back for anyone else,” she sighed. “I was the last person they saved that day.”
Although it’s unfortunate the chopper had mechanical problems, Weathers felt even more awed that she had made it out alive and was evacuated to the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, La., approximately 10 miles from New Orleans. She was taken to a gym where she could shower, eat and sleep until the situation calms down.
“I had a choice to either come here or go to the Super Dome. Which one would you have picked?” she asked with wide eyes and a big smile, referring to the deteriorating conditions at the dome.
Since arriving in Belle Chasse, Weathers has returned the favor by working as a desk attendant at the gymnasium. Here, she watches over the building, which is currently being used for showering, housing, and storage of equipment from members of all services who have arrived to provide humanitarian assistance.
“I sat around for a while and figured out what was going on, and after a while I started sitting behind the desk. People think I work here,” she laughed.
Williams’ future plans are to catch a ride to Houston, where she plans to live with her cousin.
“I may try to live out on my own all over again,” she said uncertainly, “but I don’t really know anything right now. I’m just happy to be here and I know that God has a plan for me and will take care of me.”
“When I think about all those people who may still be on the rooftops and the people who may not be on the rooftops,” she said softly, “I realize how incredibly blessed and lucky I really am.”
Although Weathers has recently been under what she calls the most stressful situation of her life, she puts her own losses aside to assist service members, greeting them with a sparkle in her eye as she watches their facility.
“I don’t know why I made it when so many people didn’t, but one thing I do know is I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the rescue workers who are helping us through this,” she continued. “Some of them don’t even have homes to go home to, but they’re out here helping people, and I think that’s amazing.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...FC?opendocument
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 20059417367
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sep. 4, 2005) -- Julia Weathers is what some would call a victim. When Hurricane Katrina ripped through her neighborhood in New Orleans, she was stranded on a roof top for over two days without electricity, communications or sanitation. However, if you ask her, she’s anything but a victim; she considers herself a miracle.
As the water came up to unanticipated heights, Weathers quickly realized she was stranded for an indefinite period of time. She had stored ice in bags and filled a bathtub full of water before the storm, but with the new reality of a severe situation, she knew she would need to be evacuated.
“We heard on the radio at that time, when we still had batteries, that if we wanted to be rescued, we should go to the top of the roof,” she said slowly with a thick southern accent. “They also said they would rescue children with a parent and elderly people.”
With the promise of rescue in mind, Weathers and hordes of others flocked to the top of waterlogged houses.
“We all pulled together really well. We helped the elderly get to the top of the roof. I saw this one guy pull a refrigerator to his balcony and then helped his wife climb on that to use as a stepstool to the roof.”
“Another guy made a boat out of a mattress and some plywood. He went to the store and got bread and water and delivered it to all the different rooftops.”
She, like hundreds of others in her neighborhood, spent days in the heat sitting on the shingles of her roof watching rescue helicopters pluck people out of the floods. As she sat, she watched the situation below progressively deteriorate.
“At first, the water was just to the top of the tires on my car. I had parked it up on a hill,” she said. After she made a short phone call to a friend, she turned around to see her car submerged in water. “The trunk had somehow come open, and all I could see was the top of the open trunk. Everything else was under the water. I couldn’t believe how fast it happened.”
Weathers had nothing but time to watch the water seep into her community and sweep away the city life and material securities of American civilization. One thing that wasn’t washed away in the current was the resolve of the people on high ground waiting to be rescued.
“Rescue crews were always coming and going, and we watched them fly back and forth for a long time,” she said. “Sometimes they said they were coming back, but they never did.”
“I watched a lot of rescues. Some people were hooked up to a harness, some were put in a basket,” she said, “but after a while we started to get impatient. I was wondering when it would be my turn.”
The crews worked on and off throughout the neighborhood, and when Julia saw the chopper picking up people at a neighboring building, she knew it was almost her chance.
Common with all rescue missions in light of the hurricane, there were many people who needed a lift and not a lot of space on the bird. Weathers flashed her military ID in hopes of gaining a seat on the helicopter. Her efforts paid off tremendously.
The crewmen immediately noticed her ID and welcomed her aboard the aircraft.
“I had a bag of clothes and things I needed, but they said I could only bring a few things,” she recalled. “They did let me get my prescriptions and a few things, though.”
In the end, she made it out with the help of a National Guardsman whose name she didn’t catch, who hooked her up to a harness and drew her up into the chopper.
Being rescued from a horrendous situation is lucky, but not as lucky as what happened next.
“The helo made an emergency landing because a big garbage bag had blown into the propellers, and they had to do some preventative maintenance on it. They didn’t go back for anyone else,” she sighed. “I was the last person they saved that day.”
Although it’s unfortunate the chopper had mechanical problems, Weathers felt even more awed that she had made it out alive and was evacuated to the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, La., approximately 10 miles from New Orleans. She was taken to a gym where she could shower, eat and sleep until the situation calms down.
“I had a choice to either come here or go to the Super Dome. Which one would you have picked?” she asked with wide eyes and a big smile, referring to the deteriorating conditions at the dome.
Since arriving in Belle Chasse, Weathers has returned the favor by working as a desk attendant at the gymnasium. Here, she watches over the building, which is currently being used for showering, housing, and storage of equipment from members of all services who have arrived to provide humanitarian assistance.
“I sat around for a while and figured out what was going on, and after a while I started sitting behind the desk. People think I work here,” she laughed.
Williams’ future plans are to catch a ride to Houston, where she plans to live with her cousin.
“I may try to live out on my own all over again,” she said uncertainly, “but I don’t really know anything right now. I’m just happy to be here and I know that God has a plan for me and will take care of me.”
“When I think about all those people who may still be on the rooftops and the people who may not be on the rooftops,” she said softly, “I realize how incredibly blessed and lucky I really am.”
Although Weathers has recently been under what she calls the most stressful situation of her life, she puts her own losses aside to assist service members, greeting them with a sparkle in her eye as she watches their facility.
“I don’t know why I made it when so many people didn’t, but one thing I do know is I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the rescue workers who are helping us through this,” she continued. “Some of them don’t even have homes to go home to, but they’re out here helping people, and I think that’s amazing.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...FC?opendocument
http://www.usembassy.ro/Documents/Christop...m_07212005.html
Marine Corps Base QUANTICO
Public Affairs Office
Office B058
3250 Catlin Ave
Quantico, VA 22134-5001
For more information call
(703) 784-2741/42
Fax 784-0065
ADVISORY 08-05 July 19, 2005
MEDIA ADVISORY
Article 32 hearing for Bucharest MSG Detachment Commander to be held July 25-29
Marine Corps Base, QUANTICO, Va. – The Commanding Officer, Marine Security Guard Battalion, has convened an Article 32 pretrial investigation to consider allegations made in connection with a traffic accident resulting in the death of a Romanian national in Bucharest, Romania, last winter. Staff Sgt. Christopher R. VanGoethem was accused April 18 of several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for his involvement in the death of Teofil Peter Dec. 4, 2004.
VanGoethem is charged with violating several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including Article 111, for reckless operation of a vehicle; Article 107, for false official statements; and Article 134, for negligent homicide and obstruction of justice. Charges unrelated to the Dec. 4 traffic accident include alleged violations of Article 92, for failure to obey an order or regulation; Article 111, for operation of a vehicle while impaired by alcohol; and Article 134, for adultery and drunk and disorderly conduct. It is important to note the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case will be considered by a commissioned officer in a pretrial investigation conducted pursuant to Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This procedure is similar to a criminal grand jury; however, in an Article 32 hearing, the accused retains the right to have an attorney present.
The Article 32 hearing has been scheduled for July 25-29, 2005, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Media interested in attending should contact 2nd Lt. Brian Donnelly (brian.p.donnelly@usmc.mil, 703-784-3255) by Thursday, July 21, 2005, at 4 p.m.
back to top ^
Embassy of the United States, Bucharest - Romania
21 Iulie 2005
INFORMATIE PENTRU PRESA
Biroul Central al Detasamentului de Infanterie Marina al Armatei SUA de la Quantico, Virginia, a emis urmatoarea informatie pentru presa. Pentru versiunea originala in limba engleza va rugam sa cititi documentul atasat. Traducerea in limba romana este redata in continuare.
Public Affairs Office
Office B058
3250 Catlin Ave
Quantico, VA 22134-5001
Pentru informatii suplimentare, sunati la
Tel: (703) 784-2741/42
Fax: 784-0065
COMUNICAT 08-05 19 iulie 2005
COMUNICAT
Audierea in baza Articolului 32 a Comandantului Detasamentului de Infanterie Marina al Ambasadei SUA, care va avea loc in perioada 25-29 iulie
Detasamentul de infanterie marina, QUANTICO, Virginia. – Comandantul Batalionului Corpului de Infanterie Marina a Statelor Unite pentru Securitatea Ambasadelor SUA, a hotarat, in baza Articolului 32, demararea unei investigatii preliminare procesului pentru a analiza acuzatiile rezultate in urma accidentului rutier care a condus la decesul unui cetatean roman, iarna trecuta, in Bucuresti, Romania. La data de 18 aprilie, sergentul R. VanGoethem a fost acuzat de incalcarea unor prevederi ale Codului de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate ale SUA, in urma implicarii sale in decesul lui Teofil Peter, din data de 4 decembrie 2004.
VanGoethem este acuzat de incalcarea unor articole din Codul de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate, inclusiv: Articolul 111 privind conducerea imprudenta a unui autovehicul; Articolul 107 privind furnizarea unor informatii oficiale false; si Articolul 134 privind omorul din culpa si obstructionarea justitiei. Printre acuzatiile care nu sunt legate direct de accidentul rutier din data de 4 decembrie, se numara: incalcarea Articolului 92 privind nerespectarea unui ordin sau a unei reguli; Articolul 111 privind conducerea unui autovehicul sub influenta alcoolului; si Articolul 134 privind adulterul si comportamentul reprobabil sub influenta alcoolului. Este important de subliniat faptul ca acuzatul beneficiaza de prezumtia de nevinovatie pana la demonstrarea vinovatiei.
Cazul va fi analizat de un ofiter, in cadrul investigatiei prealabile procesului, in conformitate cu Articolul 32 al Codului de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate ale SUA. Aceasta procedura este asemanatoare cu cea a unui complet penal de jurati; cu toate acestea, in cadrul unei audieri realizate in baza Articolului 32, acuzatul are dreptul sa solicite prezenta avocatului.
Audierea in baza Articolului 32 a fost programata pentru perioada 25-29 iulie 2005, la Detasamentul de Infanterie Marina de la Quantico, Virginia. Reprezentantii mass-media care doresc sa participe sunt rugati sa il contacteze pe Locotenentul Brian Donnelly (brian.p.donnelly@usmc.mil, 703-784-3255) pana joi, 21 iulie 2005, la orele 16 :00. (Virginia).
Marine Corps Base QUANTICO
Public Affairs Office
Office B058
3250 Catlin Ave
Quantico, VA 22134-5001
For more information call
(703) 784-2741/42
Fax 784-0065
ADVISORY 08-05 July 19, 2005
MEDIA ADVISORY
Article 32 hearing for Bucharest MSG Detachment Commander to be held July 25-29
Marine Corps Base, QUANTICO, Va. – The Commanding Officer, Marine Security Guard Battalion, has convened an Article 32 pretrial investigation to consider allegations made in connection with a traffic accident resulting in the death of a Romanian national in Bucharest, Romania, last winter. Staff Sgt. Christopher R. VanGoethem was accused April 18 of several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for his involvement in the death of Teofil Peter Dec. 4, 2004.
VanGoethem is charged with violating several articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including Article 111, for reckless operation of a vehicle; Article 107, for false official statements; and Article 134, for negligent homicide and obstruction of justice. Charges unrelated to the Dec. 4 traffic accident include alleged violations of Article 92, for failure to obey an order or regulation; Article 111, for operation of a vehicle while impaired by alcohol; and Article 134, for adultery and drunk and disorderly conduct. It is important to note the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case will be considered by a commissioned officer in a pretrial investigation conducted pursuant to Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This procedure is similar to a criminal grand jury; however, in an Article 32 hearing, the accused retains the right to have an attorney present.
The Article 32 hearing has been scheduled for July 25-29, 2005, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Media interested in attending should contact 2nd Lt. Brian Donnelly (brian.p.donnelly@usmc.mil, 703-784-3255) by Thursday, July 21, 2005, at 4 p.m.
back to top ^
Embassy of the United States, Bucharest - Romania
21 Iulie 2005
INFORMATIE PENTRU PRESA
Biroul Central al Detasamentului de Infanterie Marina al Armatei SUA de la Quantico, Virginia, a emis urmatoarea informatie pentru presa. Pentru versiunea originala in limba engleza va rugam sa cititi documentul atasat. Traducerea in limba romana este redata in continuare.
Public Affairs Office
Office B058
3250 Catlin Ave
Quantico, VA 22134-5001
Pentru informatii suplimentare, sunati la
Tel: (703) 784-2741/42
Fax: 784-0065
COMUNICAT 08-05 19 iulie 2005
COMUNICAT
Audierea in baza Articolului 32 a Comandantului Detasamentului de Infanterie Marina al Ambasadei SUA, care va avea loc in perioada 25-29 iulie
Detasamentul de infanterie marina, QUANTICO, Virginia. – Comandantul Batalionului Corpului de Infanterie Marina a Statelor Unite pentru Securitatea Ambasadelor SUA, a hotarat, in baza Articolului 32, demararea unei investigatii preliminare procesului pentru a analiza acuzatiile rezultate in urma accidentului rutier care a condus la decesul unui cetatean roman, iarna trecuta, in Bucuresti, Romania. La data de 18 aprilie, sergentul R. VanGoethem a fost acuzat de incalcarea unor prevederi ale Codului de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate ale SUA, in urma implicarii sale in decesul lui Teofil Peter, din data de 4 decembrie 2004.
VanGoethem este acuzat de incalcarea unor articole din Codul de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate, inclusiv: Articolul 111 privind conducerea imprudenta a unui autovehicul; Articolul 107 privind furnizarea unor informatii oficiale false; si Articolul 134 privind omorul din culpa si obstructionarea justitiei. Printre acuzatiile care nu sunt legate direct de accidentul rutier din data de 4 decembrie, se numara: incalcarea Articolului 92 privind nerespectarea unui ordin sau a unei reguli; Articolul 111 privind conducerea unui autovehicul sub influenta alcoolului; si Articolul 134 privind adulterul si comportamentul reprobabil sub influenta alcoolului. Este important de subliniat faptul ca acuzatul beneficiaza de prezumtia de nevinovatie pana la demonstrarea vinovatiei.
Cazul va fi analizat de un ofiter, in cadrul investigatiei prealabile procesului, in conformitate cu Articolul 32 al Codului de Justitie Militara al Fortelor Armate ale SUA. Aceasta procedura este asemanatoare cu cea a unui complet penal de jurati; cu toate acestea, in cadrul unei audieri realizate in baza Articolului 32, acuzatul are dreptul sa solicite prezenta avocatului.
Audierea in baza Articolului 32 a fost programata pentru perioada 25-29 iulie 2005, la Detasamentul de Infanterie Marina de la Quantico, Virginia. Reprezentantii mass-media care doresc sa participe sunt rugati sa il contacteze pe Locotenentul Brian Donnelly (brian.p.donnelly@usmc.mil, 703-784-3255) pana joi, 21 iulie 2005, la orele 16 :00. (Virginia).
HMH-461 aids in Katrina relief
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200594154340
Story by Lance Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2005) -- The Marines and Sailors of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-461 (-) Reinforced continue to work in support of Joint Task Force Katrina, the large-scale relief effort to help citizens of the gulf coast left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.
The squadron includes personnel, equipment and helicopters from both HMH-464 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-365. The squadron consists of six CH-53E Super Stallions and two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters. It deployed from Marine Corps Air Station New River on Sept. 1.
“From our perspective, the mission so far has been quite successful,” said Lt. Col. Robert D. Pridgen, squadron commanding officer. “The Marines and Sailors on the ground really understand the intent of this disaster relief, so they have made some remarkable strides in getting food and water onto the helicopters so we can get it where it needs to go.”
According to Sgt. Maj. Larry C. Jones, HMH-461 (-) rein. sergeant major, the Marines always look forward to doing this kind of humanitarian work.
“They know they are doing it for a worthy cause,” he said. “It’s hard work, but they know it’s important to take care of these people.”
The heavy-lift capabilities of the squadron’s CH-53E’s have been put to use in
bringing thousands of pounds of food and water to the devastated city of New Orleans.
“It’s unreal. You never expect to see stuff like that,” said Cpl. Angelo C. Castelli, HMH-461 crew chief. “To see houses underwater and people driving around downtown New Orleans in boats, I couldn’t believe it.”
Along with bringing in the much-needed supplies, the squadron has played a vital role in the evacuation of the area surrounding the city’s convention center, where thousands of people congregated to escape the floodwaters. HMH-461 (-) rein. was among the first to begin bringing the elderly, sick and young victims of the hurricane to New Orleans International Airport, where medical crews were waiting to provide immediate attention.
“There is a sadness that comes with doing this type of mission,” said Jones. “These people have no home to go back to. Their life is in the bags they are carrying.”
However, Pridgen said he noticed most of the evacuees have a strong determination to survive and the relief in their eyes as they come aboard the helicopters has stuck with him.
“It has touched me,” he said. Everybody understands the urgency of this mission.
Everyone is focused on what we need to do in the weeks, and perhaps, months to come.
Should this operation continue on indefinitely, the Marines of HMH-461 (-) rein. said they will continue to do all they can.
“I have no problem being here,” said Castelli. “If we are here for six months or a year, I’ll know that we are helping other people’s families. It’s no big deal to be away from mine because it’s for a good cause.”
Sergeant Maj. Jones added, “We are here for as long as it takes to take care of these
people. No Marine or sailor will complain about being here. They know that every man,
woman and child is worth the effort.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...82?opendocument
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200594154340
Story by Lance Cpl. Brandon M. Gale
NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2005) -- The Marines and Sailors of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-461 (-) Reinforced continue to work in support of Joint Task Force Katrina, the large-scale relief effort to help citizens of the gulf coast left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.
The squadron includes personnel, equipment and helicopters from both HMH-464 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-365. The squadron consists of six CH-53E Super Stallions and two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters. It deployed from Marine Corps Air Station New River on Sept. 1.
“From our perspective, the mission so far has been quite successful,” said Lt. Col. Robert D. Pridgen, squadron commanding officer. “The Marines and Sailors on the ground really understand the intent of this disaster relief, so they have made some remarkable strides in getting food and water onto the helicopters so we can get it where it needs to go.”
According to Sgt. Maj. Larry C. Jones, HMH-461 (-) rein. sergeant major, the Marines always look forward to doing this kind of humanitarian work.
“They know they are doing it for a worthy cause,” he said. “It’s hard work, but they know it’s important to take care of these people.”
The heavy-lift capabilities of the squadron’s CH-53E’s have been put to use in
bringing thousands of pounds of food and water to the devastated city of New Orleans.
“It’s unreal. You never expect to see stuff like that,” said Cpl. Angelo C. Castelli, HMH-461 crew chief. “To see houses underwater and people driving around downtown New Orleans in boats, I couldn’t believe it.”
Along with bringing in the much-needed supplies, the squadron has played a vital role in the evacuation of the area surrounding the city’s convention center, where thousands of people congregated to escape the floodwaters. HMH-461 (-) rein. was among the first to begin bringing the elderly, sick and young victims of the hurricane to New Orleans International Airport, where medical crews were waiting to provide immediate attention.
“There is a sadness that comes with doing this type of mission,” said Jones. “These people have no home to go back to. Their life is in the bags they are carrying.”
However, Pridgen said he noticed most of the evacuees have a strong determination to survive and the relief in their eyes as they come aboard the helicopters has stuck with him.
“It has touched me,” he said. Everybody understands the urgency of this mission.
Everyone is focused on what we need to do in the weeks, and perhaps, months to come.
Should this operation continue on indefinitely, the Marines of HMH-461 (-) rein. said they will continue to do all they can.
“I have no problem being here,” said Castelli. “If we are here for six months or a year, I’ll know that we are helping other people’s families. It’s no big deal to be away from mine because it’s for a good cause.”
Sergeant Maj. Jones added, “We are here for as long as it takes to take care of these
people. No Marine or sailor will complain about being here. They know that every man,
woman and child is worth the effort.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...82?opendocument
SPMAGTF Katrina heads south to provide humanitarian aid
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200594115147
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sep. 3, 2005) -- Approximately 110 Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element arrived here Sept. 3 to set up a command and control center and support group to aid Joint Task Force Katrina.
These Marines now comprise the Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force Katrina, which is based at Naval Air Station Belle Chasse, La., 10 miles southeast of New Orleans.
While the city sits in ruins in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the MEU is taking slow, deliberate steps to make way for larger forces on the way with large-scale assistance for thousands of victims of the storm.
The members of the new SPMAGTAF had minimal notice before packing up and shipping out, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Marlena Cox, a corpsman with the command element.
“Right now, the big effort is getting food, water, and the basic necessities of life to individuals. Security plays a role in that because we have to protect the assets that are used to conduct humanitarian assistance. Of course, we also have to protect our Marines and make sure they’re safe as well,” said Maj. Devin C. Young, staff judge advocate of the 24th MEU.
“We started planning this on Thursday, and the command element came in Saturday. We were up and operational in less than 6 hours,” he added.
“What we’re involved in here is military support to civil authority,” he continued, “that gives the president the authority to order federal forces to aid civilian agencies for disaster relief and humanitarian aid.”
Staff Sgt. Miguel Rivera is the platoon sergeant and frequency manager for communications within the command element. He noted that although this is not a traditional war operation commonly associated with the Corps, it’s not an unfamiliar call to duty.
Rivera also noted communications are one of the most critical assets to the command element, and the establishment of solid, reliable contact is a major step at this stage in the game.
As the command element proceeds to build, wire, and boot up a headquarters for humanitarian assistance, the service members hold a strong sense of purpose.
“This is a great effort and I’m glad I got the chance to come out here and help. I didn’t want to stay back and do nothing when there are people in a crisis and they need help,” said Cox.
“We’re coming in here because American citizens need us to come in and help them out. We, as the military, have the assets to do that, the president has decided to use that, so here we are. We’re going to help this region out to overcome this major natural disaster,” added Young.
Given the size and scope of relief efforts here, the Marines are ready for any mission they may be asked to complete.
“There was really no expectation; we just have to keep adapting. That’s what Marines do,” said Rivera.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...95?opendocument
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200594115147
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sep. 3, 2005) -- Approximately 110 Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element arrived here Sept. 3 to set up a command and control center and support group to aid Joint Task Force Katrina.
These Marines now comprise the Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force Katrina, which is based at Naval Air Station Belle Chasse, La., 10 miles southeast of New Orleans.
While the city sits in ruins in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the MEU is taking slow, deliberate steps to make way for larger forces on the way with large-scale assistance for thousands of victims of the storm.
The members of the new SPMAGTAF had minimal notice before packing up and shipping out, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Marlena Cox, a corpsman with the command element.
“Right now, the big effort is getting food, water, and the basic necessities of life to individuals. Security plays a role in that because we have to protect the assets that are used to conduct humanitarian assistance. Of course, we also have to protect our Marines and make sure they’re safe as well,” said Maj. Devin C. Young, staff judge advocate of the 24th MEU.
“We started planning this on Thursday, and the command element came in Saturday. We were up and operational in less than 6 hours,” he added.
“What we’re involved in here is military support to civil authority,” he continued, “that gives the president the authority to order federal forces to aid civilian agencies for disaster relief and humanitarian aid.”
Staff Sgt. Miguel Rivera is the platoon sergeant and frequency manager for communications within the command element. He noted that although this is not a traditional war operation commonly associated with the Corps, it’s not an unfamiliar call to duty.
Rivera also noted communications are one of the most critical assets to the command element, and the establishment of solid, reliable contact is a major step at this stage in the game.
As the command element proceeds to build, wire, and boot up a headquarters for humanitarian assistance, the service members hold a strong sense of purpose.
“This is a great effort and I’m glad I got the chance to come out here and help. I didn’t want to stay back and do nothing when there are people in a crisis and they need help,” said Cox.
“We’re coming in here because American citizens need us to come in and help them out. We, as the military, have the assets to do that, the president has decided to use that, so here we are. We’re going to help this region out to overcome this major natural disaster,” added Young.
Given the size and scope of relief efforts here, the Marines are ready for any mission they may be asked to complete.
“There was really no expectation; we just have to keep adapting. That’s what Marines do,” said Rivera.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...95?opendocument
United States Marine Corps
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office; ; Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office,
miramontesbv@pendleton.usmc.mil
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0906-05-0658
Camp Pendleton Marines Deploy to aid victims of Katrina
Sept. 5, 2005
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit began deploying in waves to storm-ravaged Gulf Coast Sunday as part of a special task force formed to aid the victims of deadly Hurricane Katrina.
The first wave of 29 Marines from the MEU's Forward Command Element departed Sunday aboard three C-130 Hercules aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar. Their mission was to link up with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Gulf Port and to aid the main body’s arrival on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The main body will consist of more than 300 Marines from the Command Element and MEU Service Support Group-11.
The Camp Pendleton Marines will join a sizable Marine presence already in place from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, N.C.
Col. John W. Bullard, commanding officer 11th MEU, said his Marines are fully trained to help the victims of this deadly hurricane.
The fundamental mission of our recovery efforts is to sustain and save lives, he said.
“This storm has wreaked havoc and brought tragedy to the Gulf Coast region," he said. "We are eager to help our fellow Americans get back on their feet.”
The MEU will work closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies on this recovery response.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0F?opendocument
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office; ; Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office,
miramontesbv@pendleton.usmc.mil
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0906-05-0658
Camp Pendleton Marines Deploy to aid victims of Katrina
Sept. 5, 2005
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit began deploying in waves to storm-ravaged Gulf Coast Sunday as part of a special task force formed to aid the victims of deadly Hurricane Katrina.
The first wave of 29 Marines from the MEU's Forward Command Element departed Sunday aboard three C-130 Hercules aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar. Their mission was to link up with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Gulf Port and to aid the main body’s arrival on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The main body will consist of more than 300 Marines from the Command Element and MEU Service Support Group-11.
The Camp Pendleton Marines will join a sizable Marine presence already in place from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, N.C.
Col. John W. Bullard, commanding officer 11th MEU, said his Marines are fully trained to help the victims of this deadly hurricane.
The fundamental mission of our recovery efforts is to sustain and save lives, he said.
“This storm has wreaked havoc and brought tragedy to the Gulf Coast region," he said. "We are eager to help our fellow Americans get back on their feet.”
The MEU will work closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies on this recovery response.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...0F?opendocument
United States Marine Corps
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
24th MEU (FWD); ; 24th MEU (FWD),
neversde@24meufwd.usmc.mil
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0906-05-0655
Marines continue search for Katrina survivors
Sept. 5, 2005
NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS -- More than 1,000 Marines hurried to the storm-stricken Gulf Coast over the weekend and moved quickly to communities in and around New Orleans today in search of residents still in need of rescue and life-saving sustenance one week after Hurricane Katrina plunged much of the city under water.
From their initial staging base at the Stennis International Airport in Mississippi, some 50 miles east of the storm’s ground zero, elements of the active-duty 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and Marine Forces Reserve's 4th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, and 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, were ferried to three critical areas isolated by the massive flooding.
Using a hub-and-spoke approach, the Marines will push out in multiple directions from Slidell and Picayune, just north of Lake Pontchartrain, and from Michoud in New Orleans’ eastern sector. Their most urgent tasks are to locate survivors hanging on in homes and other buildings not completely awash and to funnel in much-needed food and water.
Near Michoud, where foot mobility is all but impossible, the Marines will navigate the fetid waters in amphibious vehicles called amtracs, designed to transport Marines from ships at sea to shore during amphibious operations
As Marines continued to pour into the region over the weekend, leadership of the Marine task force shifted to Maj. Gen. Douglas O’Dell, commander of the New Orleans-based 4th Marine Division, a reserve unit.
Most of the Marines now on the ground in the region and aboard naval vessels in the Gulf of Mexico are based in North Carolina with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. The task force, numbering some 1,500 Marines and still growing, includes reserve elements from the 4th Marine Division and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Also on Monday, nearly 300 Marines representing the task force’s logistics component began moving ashore near Biloxi with an array of engineering equipment -- including forklifts, trucks, humvees and water-purification devices -- all well-suited to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. The off-load is expected to be finished by Tuesday morning.
The task force’s air component, composed of elements of the 2nd and 4th Marine air wings, continued to fly from hubs in Pensacola, Fla., and here at the naval air station in Belle Chasse. After rescuing some 500 stranded residents since Thursday, and with the airborne rescue effort all but completed, Marine helicopters prepared to expand their support of Marine ground forces.
Meanwhile, lead elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who arrived in Mississippi Sunday after the unit was ordered to prepare for possible deployment, continued to assess where their forces might be most useful. The unit, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., remained on call as of late Monday.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...88?opendocument
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
24th MEU (FWD); ; 24th MEU (FWD),
neversde@24meufwd.usmc.mil
Contact:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release # 0906-05-0655
Marines continue search for Katrina survivors
Sept. 5, 2005
NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS -- More than 1,000 Marines hurried to the storm-stricken Gulf Coast over the weekend and moved quickly to communities in and around New Orleans today in search of residents still in need of rescue and life-saving sustenance one week after Hurricane Katrina plunged much of the city under water.
From their initial staging base at the Stennis International Airport in Mississippi, some 50 miles east of the storm’s ground zero, elements of the active-duty 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and Marine Forces Reserve's 4th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, and 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, were ferried to three critical areas isolated by the massive flooding.
Using a hub-and-spoke approach, the Marines will push out in multiple directions from Slidell and Picayune, just north of Lake Pontchartrain, and from Michoud in New Orleans’ eastern sector. Their most urgent tasks are to locate survivors hanging on in homes and other buildings not completely awash and to funnel in much-needed food and water.
Near Michoud, where foot mobility is all but impossible, the Marines will navigate the fetid waters in amphibious vehicles called amtracs, designed to transport Marines from ships at sea to shore during amphibious operations
As Marines continued to pour into the region over the weekend, leadership of the Marine task force shifted to Maj. Gen. Douglas O’Dell, commander of the New Orleans-based 4th Marine Division, a reserve unit.
Most of the Marines now on the ground in the region and aboard naval vessels in the Gulf of Mexico are based in North Carolina with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. The task force, numbering some 1,500 Marines and still growing, includes reserve elements from the 4th Marine Division and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Also on Monday, nearly 300 Marines representing the task force’s logistics component began moving ashore near Biloxi with an array of engineering equipment -- including forklifts, trucks, humvees and water-purification devices -- all well-suited to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. The off-load is expected to be finished by Tuesday morning.
The task force’s air component, composed of elements of the 2nd and 4th Marine air wings, continued to fly from hubs in Pensacola, Fla., and here at the naval air station in Belle Chasse. After rescuing some 500 stranded residents since Thursday, and with the airborne rescue effort all but completed, Marine helicopters prepared to expand their support of Marine ground forces.
Meanwhile, lead elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who arrived in Mississippi Sunday after the unit was ordered to prepare for possible deployment, continued to assess where their forces might be most useful. The unit, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., remained on call as of late Monday.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...88?opendocument
Admin clerk takes walk on the wild side
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story by: Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Cox
Story Identification #: 20059311834
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(Sept. 3, 2005) -- Marines are always riflemen first, trained to operate different weapons systems in addition to fulfilling their occupational duties. One administrative clerk deployed here has often found himself manning an M 2 .50 caliber machine gun, a duty very different from filling out paperwork or troubleshooting a minor computer problem.
Lance Cpl. Josue Pierre typically works with 2nd Tank Battalion’s combat operations center handling administrative affairs. Occasionally he provides security by taking charge of a mounted weapon on a tactical vehicle when the unit leaves the camp for a mission.
“I am a part of the ‘Rat Pack’,” said the 20-year-old.
Pierre, assigned to the administrative section of Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, said the Rat Pack is a group of Marines in the battalion who work together to provide security for the unit during operations.
The Chicago native said he initially tried out college before joining the military.
“I kept my head in the books,” he said. “My parents initially helped me pay for college, but I knew I couldn’t depend on that. They offered to send me to college, but I wanted to be able to say to myself, I made it on my own.”
Pierre said he had a general interest in the military throughout high school while participating in the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
“In high school, I was part of the JROTC, so I’ve always had an interest in the military,” he said.
Pierre shifted his interest from full-time college, to a career in the Marine Corps after analyzing the opportunities the military offered.
“I knew that there was more out there for me,” he said. “I filled out one of those referral cards and the recruiter got in touch with me. I took a look at all the different branches. I wanted to be a part of the best of the best, and that was the Marine Corps. The fact they offered to pay for college sealed the deal.”
Pierre took on the challenge of Marine Corps recruit training, and developed an illness while becoming a Marine. Despite the set back, he was able to recover and press on to earn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
“For me, going through boot camp was a challenge, physically,” he said. “I caught pneumonia and was in the hospital two months. I barely made it, but I didn’t want to fail.”
After completing all necessary combat and military occupational specialty training, Pierre was assigned to 2nd Tank Bn., and deployed with the unit to Iraq in February.
On most days, Pierre can be found working in the combat operations center, but when the battalion goes on missions outside the wire, he puts himself in the turret.
Pierre said he has gained a lot of experience since deploying, and attributes his success to the leadership in the unit.
“The biggest influences I’ve had since being in Iraq would be my platoon sergeant and my company first sergeant,” he said. “They have always been there to guide me and share their knowledge with me. It’s a good feeling to know that someone can depend on you, and they know you can come through for them.”
Pierre said serving on deployment has been a unique experience, and feels honored to have assisted with security and stability efforts in Iraq.
“When you come out here, you don’t know what to expect,” he said. Being able to help (the Iraqis) build their community has been a rewarding feeling.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
Please feel free to publish this story or any of the accompanying photos. If used, please give proper credit to the writer/photographer, and contact us at: cepaowo@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil so we can update our records.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....9e?OpenDocument
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story by: Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Cox
Story Identification #: 20059311834
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(Sept. 3, 2005) -- Marines are always riflemen first, trained to operate different weapons systems in addition to fulfilling their occupational duties. One administrative clerk deployed here has often found himself manning an M 2 .50 caliber machine gun, a duty very different from filling out paperwork or troubleshooting a minor computer problem.
Lance Cpl. Josue Pierre typically works with 2nd Tank Battalion’s combat operations center handling administrative affairs. Occasionally he provides security by taking charge of a mounted weapon on a tactical vehicle when the unit leaves the camp for a mission.
“I am a part of the ‘Rat Pack’,” said the 20-year-old.
Pierre, assigned to the administrative section of Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, said the Rat Pack is a group of Marines in the battalion who work together to provide security for the unit during operations.
The Chicago native said he initially tried out college before joining the military.
“I kept my head in the books,” he said. “My parents initially helped me pay for college, but I knew I couldn’t depend on that. They offered to send me to college, but I wanted to be able to say to myself, I made it on my own.”
Pierre said he had a general interest in the military throughout high school while participating in the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
“In high school, I was part of the JROTC, so I’ve always had an interest in the military,” he said.
Pierre shifted his interest from full-time college, to a career in the Marine Corps after analyzing the opportunities the military offered.
“I knew that there was more out there for me,” he said. “I filled out one of those referral cards and the recruiter got in touch with me. I took a look at all the different branches. I wanted to be a part of the best of the best, and that was the Marine Corps. The fact they offered to pay for college sealed the deal.”
Pierre took on the challenge of Marine Corps recruit training, and developed an illness while becoming a Marine. Despite the set back, he was able to recover and press on to earn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
“For me, going through boot camp was a challenge, physically,” he said. “I caught pneumonia and was in the hospital two months. I barely made it, but I didn’t want to fail.”
After completing all necessary combat and military occupational specialty training, Pierre was assigned to 2nd Tank Bn., and deployed with the unit to Iraq in February.
On most days, Pierre can be found working in the combat operations center, but when the battalion goes on missions outside the wire, he puts himself in the turret.
Pierre said he has gained a lot of experience since deploying, and attributes his success to the leadership in the unit.
“The biggest influences I’ve had since being in Iraq would be my platoon sergeant and my company first sergeant,” he said. “They have always been there to guide me and share their knowledge with me. It’s a good feeling to know that someone can depend on you, and they know you can come through for them.”
Pierre said serving on deployment has been a unique experience, and feels honored to have assisted with security and stability efforts in Iraq.
“When you come out here, you don’t know what to expect,” he said. Being able to help (the Iraqis) build their community has been a rewarding feeling.”
EDITOR’S NOTE
Please feel free to publish this story or any of the accompanying photos. If used, please give proper credit to the writer/photographer, and contact us at: cepaowo@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil so we can update our records.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....9e?OpenDocument
http://www.rednova.com/news/technology/321...rnet_bomb_case/
Marines Arrested in Internet Bomb Case
source: Associated Press
TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. - Two Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and a third person downloaded bomb-making information from the Internet and threatened to use the explosives at the base, state police said.
Richard D. Morrison Jr., 21, of Tunkhannock, and Richard Thomas Medders, 22, of Trussville, Ala., were arrested Saturday along with Janna Rebecca Lynn Smith, 27, of Richlands, N.C., police said. They remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bail each.
They were charged with conspiracy to risk a catastrophe, a felony, plus misdemeanor charges of making bomb threats and terroristic threats.
Prosecutor George Skumanick said they were turned in by a sister of Morrison.
"Morrison's sister and a friend heard them talk about this and observed them on the Internet," said Skumanick told the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. The newspaper did not identify the sister.
Morrison and Medders allegedly left Camp Lejeune about two weeks ago, state police said.
It was not clear if they were authorized to be off base. Marine Corps officials did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
Tunkhannock is about 135 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Marines Arrested in Internet Bomb Case
source: Associated Press
TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. - Two Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and a third person downloaded bomb-making information from the Internet and threatened to use the explosives at the base, state police said.
Richard D. Morrison Jr., 21, of Tunkhannock, and Richard Thomas Medders, 22, of Trussville, Ala., were arrested Saturday along with Janna Rebecca Lynn Smith, 27, of Richlands, N.C., police said. They remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bail each.
They were charged with conspiracy to risk a catastrophe, a felony, plus misdemeanor charges of making bomb threats and terroristic threats.
Prosecutor George Skumanick said they were turned in by a sister of Morrison.
"Morrison's sister and a friend heard them talk about this and observed them on the Internet," said Skumanick told the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. The newspaper did not identify the sister.
Morrison and Medders allegedly left Camp Lejeune about two weeks ago, state police said.
It was not clear if they were authorized to be off base. Marine Corps officials did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
Tunkhannock is about 135 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps visits the 15th MEU
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug 10, 2005) -- Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major John L. Estrada greets Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit during a visit to Camp Pendleton today. He informed the Marines not only of their importance with in the Marine Corps, and afforded them the opportunity to offer suggestions they felt would benefit the the Marine Corps. (Official USMC photo by PFC. Andreas Plaza)
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2005) -- During a recent visit to the base here, Sergeant Maj. John. L. Estrada, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps took time out of his busy schedule to address the Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
His message was clear: the 15th MEU did a magnificent job in both Operations Unified Assistance and Iraqi Freedom III, during West Pac 2-04. Sgt. Maj. Estrada commended the Marines and Sailors on their participation in providing humanitarian assistance in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and he commended their combat actions in Baghdad.
After addressing the Marines at the Command Element, Sgt. Maj. Estrada addressed the staff noncommisssioned officers of the 11th and 15th MEU's at the 21 Area mess hall. There, he spoke about excellent leadership being provided to young Marines by staff NCOs and the difference it's making throughout the Marine Corps. The sergeant major also entertained a number of questions during his time with the Marines.
Sgt. Maj. Estrada is the 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and assumed his post on June 26, 2003.
Sgt. Maj. David Bullock, left, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Sergeant Major, delivers the unit colors to the outgoing commanding officer, Col. Thomas Greenwood, center, during the 15th MEU change of command ceremony Aug. 4 at the 21 Area parade deck. During the ceremony, Greenwood was awarded a Bronze Star for actions in Baghdad, Iraq. He relinquished command to Col. Brian Beaudreault. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Grove)
Change of Command sets stage for future deployment
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 4, 2005) -- With sunlight piercing through the southern California marine layer, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit said goodbye to one MEU commander and welcomed another.
Col. Thomas Greenwood, who took command on July 31, 2003, relinquished command to Col. Brian Beaudreault on the 21 Area parade deck marking a new era in the MEU's already illustrious history. Col. Greenwood commanded the MEU during a very challenging and successful Western Pacific deployment to the Arabian Gulf regions.
This is Col. Beaudreault's second tour with the 15th MEU. In 1994, he served as a logistics officer and rifle company commander with the MEU's battalion landing team.
Under Col. Greenwood's command, the 15th MEU enjoyed one of the most active deployments in recent history. They were en route to Guam for scheduled training when a massive earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean destroyed the coastlines in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries in the region. The MEU was immediately launched to conduct disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to some of the hardest-hit areas. Thousands of pounds of food, water, clothing, building materials and medical supplies were transported by helicopter and landing craft to the Aceh province of Indonesia and Galle, Sri Lanka during the operation.
After completing HA/DR operations, the 15th MEU traveled to Kuwait for sustainment training. Shortly thereafter, they were ordered to Iraq to conduct Security and Stabilization Operations in a rural section of southern Baghdad. The MEU rapidly filled the vast farmland with three companies of Marines while simultaneously performing direct action raids on high-value targets.
The 15th MEU is currently conducting post-deployment maintenance and annual training before their next workup cycle.
http://www.usmc.mil/15thmeu/
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug 10, 2005) -- Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major John L. Estrada greets Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit during a visit to Camp Pendleton today. He informed the Marines not only of their importance with in the Marine Corps, and afforded them the opportunity to offer suggestions they felt would benefit the the Marine Corps. (Official USMC photo by PFC. Andreas Plaza)
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2005) -- During a recent visit to the base here, Sergeant Maj. John. L. Estrada, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps took time out of his busy schedule to address the Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
His message was clear: the 15th MEU did a magnificent job in both Operations Unified Assistance and Iraqi Freedom III, during West Pac 2-04. Sgt. Maj. Estrada commended the Marines and Sailors on their participation in providing humanitarian assistance in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and he commended their combat actions in Baghdad.
After addressing the Marines at the Command Element, Sgt. Maj. Estrada addressed the staff noncommisssioned officers of the 11th and 15th MEU's at the 21 Area mess hall. There, he spoke about excellent leadership being provided to young Marines by staff NCOs and the difference it's making throughout the Marine Corps. The sergeant major also entertained a number of questions during his time with the Marines.
Sgt. Maj. Estrada is the 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and assumed his post on June 26, 2003.
Sgt. Maj. David Bullock, left, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Sergeant Major, delivers the unit colors to the outgoing commanding officer, Col. Thomas Greenwood, center, during the 15th MEU change of command ceremony Aug. 4 at the 21 Area parade deck. During the ceremony, Greenwood was awarded a Bronze Star for actions in Baghdad, Iraq. He relinquished command to Col. Brian Beaudreault. (Official USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Grove)
Change of Command sets stage for future deployment
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 4, 2005) -- With sunlight piercing through the southern California marine layer, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit said goodbye to one MEU commander and welcomed another.
Col. Thomas Greenwood, who took command on July 31, 2003, relinquished command to Col. Brian Beaudreault on the 21 Area parade deck marking a new era in the MEU's already illustrious history. Col. Greenwood commanded the MEU during a very challenging and successful Western Pacific deployment to the Arabian Gulf regions.
This is Col. Beaudreault's second tour with the 15th MEU. In 1994, he served as a logistics officer and rifle company commander with the MEU's battalion landing team.
Under Col. Greenwood's command, the 15th MEU enjoyed one of the most active deployments in recent history. They were en route to Guam for scheduled training when a massive earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean destroyed the coastlines in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries in the region. The MEU was immediately launched to conduct disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to some of the hardest-hit areas. Thousands of pounds of food, water, clothing, building materials and medical supplies were transported by helicopter and landing craft to the Aceh province of Indonesia and Galle, Sri Lanka during the operation.
After completing HA/DR operations, the 15th MEU traveled to Kuwait for sustainment training. Shortly thereafter, they were ordered to Iraq to conduct Security and Stabilization Operations in a rural section of southern Baghdad. The MEU rapidly filled the vast farmland with three companies of Marines while simultaneously performing direct action raids on high-value targets.
The 15th MEU is currently conducting post-deployment maintenance and annual training before their next workup cycle.
http://www.usmc.mil/15thmeu/
Combat Engineers find, destroy enemy weapons
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Tom Sloan
Story Identification #: 20059621820
AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 5, 2005) -- Marines with 4th Platoon, A Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, supporting 1st Bn., 5th Marine Regiment, uncovered several large weapons caches buried in fields on the southern outskirts of the Al Anbar capital here during an anti-insurgent operation Aug. 15.
According to the Marines’ tally, they discovered a mortar tube, more than 200 artillery shells in sizes ranging from 60 mm to 155 mm, four .50 caliber machine gun barrels plus more than 2000 rounds of ammunition and approximately 1000 7.62 mm rounds, 600 of which were armor piercing.
“We saved Marines’ lives today because we found enemy rounds and explosives,” said platoon commander 1st Lt. Douglas R. Orr. “The explosives would likely have been used by insurgents to make IEDs (improvised explosive devices), so this was a good find today.”
The Marines made the significant discovery while supporting 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Operation Bullard II, which was carried out in and around a small community on the edge of Ramadi.
The infantry battalion conducted the operation in an effort “to rid the city of insurgents and weapons,” explained 23-year-old Orr from Ridgefield, Conn. “The mission was a chance for the battalion to get into an area that’s known to have a lot of insurgent activity.”
The undertaking kicked off at 4 a.m. and involved multiple elements of the infantry battalion. Infantrymen with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines searched scores of houses, vehicles and personnel.
Orr’s platoon was tasked with sweeping several acres of nearby farmland for enemy weapons.
Armed with shovels, metal detectors and a keen knowledge of their job, the Marines worked in teams of two and combed the search area. After two hours of trudging through the loose soil, the Marines started uncovering caches.
Lance Cpl. Brandon C. Jordan, a combat engineer, is credited with discovering the largest amount of munitions. The 20-year-old from Hubert, N.C., found four .50 caliber machine gun barrels and more than 2000 rounds of ammunition buried in a field.
“Well,” Jordan said after making the large find, “I can say I found the most rounds.”
Jordan said he knew he’d stumbled upon something big when he passed over the cache spot. The shape patterns from his metal detector indicated the size of what was buried, he said.
“We found out just how big a cache it was when we started digging down,” Jordan said.
Lance Cpl. Matthew F. Tripp, Jordan’s partner, dug up the cache with help from other combat engineers.
“We just kept pulling rounds out of the ground,” said the 21-year-old from Fort Myers, Fla. There were so many, and I needed help getting them all. It seemed like there was a never-ending supply buried.”
Similar episodes unfolded for the Marines at other locations in the fields. The Marines discovered and dug up six caches after four hours of hunting. Each cache was buried approximately two feet down.
The finds didn’t surprise the Marines.
“We’ve been out here before and found large amounts of rounds and explosives,” said Orr. “We knew we’d probably find more today, and we did.”
The Marines inventoried the munitions they found and consolidated them all in one mass cache. They rigged the cache with plastic explosives and destroyed it with a controlled detonation.
The spectacular explosion could be seen and heard from miles away. The plume of smoke rose several hundred feet in the air and formed a mushroom cloud. Orr reflected on the morning’s events.
“It’s good that we found and destroyed the caches,” he said, “but we still need to find the source. We need to find and stop the insurgents who’re doing this.”
Marines with Company C did capture 14 insurgents during the undertaking. Three of the men the infantrymen detained while searching houses, according to officials with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, were high value targets. One was believed to be an intelligence source for the insurgency, officials said.
“The more weapons we find and insurgents we capture,” Orr said, “the less attacks on Marines and the safer the city becomes.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....6f?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Tom Sloan
Story Identification #: 20059621820
AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 5, 2005) -- Marines with 4th Platoon, A Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, supporting 1st Bn., 5th Marine Regiment, uncovered several large weapons caches buried in fields on the southern outskirts of the Al Anbar capital here during an anti-insurgent operation Aug. 15.
According to the Marines’ tally, they discovered a mortar tube, more than 200 artillery shells in sizes ranging from 60 mm to 155 mm, four .50 caliber machine gun barrels plus more than 2000 rounds of ammunition and approximately 1000 7.62 mm rounds, 600 of which were armor piercing.
“We saved Marines’ lives today because we found enemy rounds and explosives,” said platoon commander 1st Lt. Douglas R. Orr. “The explosives would likely have been used by insurgents to make IEDs (improvised explosive devices), so this was a good find today.”
The Marines made the significant discovery while supporting 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Operation Bullard II, which was carried out in and around a small community on the edge of Ramadi.
The infantry battalion conducted the operation in an effort “to rid the city of insurgents and weapons,” explained 23-year-old Orr from Ridgefield, Conn. “The mission was a chance for the battalion to get into an area that’s known to have a lot of insurgent activity.”
The undertaking kicked off at 4 a.m. and involved multiple elements of the infantry battalion. Infantrymen with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines searched scores of houses, vehicles and personnel.
Orr’s platoon was tasked with sweeping several acres of nearby farmland for enemy weapons.
Armed with shovels, metal detectors and a keen knowledge of their job, the Marines worked in teams of two and combed the search area. After two hours of trudging through the loose soil, the Marines started uncovering caches.
Lance Cpl. Brandon C. Jordan, a combat engineer, is credited with discovering the largest amount of munitions. The 20-year-old from Hubert, N.C., found four .50 caliber machine gun barrels and more than 2000 rounds of ammunition buried in a field.
“Well,” Jordan said after making the large find, “I can say I found the most rounds.”
Jordan said he knew he’d stumbled upon something big when he passed over the cache spot. The shape patterns from his metal detector indicated the size of what was buried, he said.
“We found out just how big a cache it was when we started digging down,” Jordan said.
Lance Cpl. Matthew F. Tripp, Jordan’s partner, dug up the cache with help from other combat engineers.
“We just kept pulling rounds out of the ground,” said the 21-year-old from Fort Myers, Fla. There were so many, and I needed help getting them all. It seemed like there was a never-ending supply buried.”
Similar episodes unfolded for the Marines at other locations in the fields. The Marines discovered and dug up six caches after four hours of hunting. Each cache was buried approximately two feet down.
The finds didn’t surprise the Marines.
“We’ve been out here before and found large amounts of rounds and explosives,” said Orr. “We knew we’d probably find more today, and we did.”
The Marines inventoried the munitions they found and consolidated them all in one mass cache. They rigged the cache with plastic explosives and destroyed it with a controlled detonation.
The spectacular explosion could be seen and heard from miles away. The plume of smoke rose several hundred feet in the air and formed a mushroom cloud. Orr reflected on the morning’s events.
“It’s good that we found and destroyed the caches,” he said, “but we still need to find the source. We need to find and stop the insurgents who’re doing this.”
Marines with Company C did capture 14 insurgents during the undertaking. Three of the men the infantrymen detained while searching houses, according to officials with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, were high value targets. One was believed to be an intelligence source for the insurgency, officials said.
“The more weapons we find and insurgents we capture,” Orr said, “the less attacks on Marines and the safer the city becomes.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....6f?OpenDocument
MarForRes family services help military families
Submitted by: Marine Forces Reserve
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Enrique Saenz
Story Identification #: 200597153639
Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth -- (Sept. 7, 2005) -- Marine Forces Reserve family readiness assistance programs are banding together to provide assistance to military families affected by Hurrican Katrina.
Representatives from several programs held an information fair at Fort Worth to share information about the helpful programs and services available to displaced military families.
"We're trying to make this difficult process as easy as possible," said MarForRes Marine Corps Family Team Building Program Manager, Connie Bryant. "It's important for families to know what programs can offer what services and the information fair is the most direct. You can tell them what they can get while they're right in front of you."
Different programs offer different services, and knowing who can offer what can ease the challenge of maintaining a healthy and stable family, said Bryant.
For financial advice or loans, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) can help immensly, said Bryant. They offer budget counseling and in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, NMCRS can offer interest free loans and even grants for unforseen emergencies, essential vehicle repairs, food, rent and utilities.
The American Red Cross can help families with immediate disaster relief, said Bryant. The Red Cross can provide food, water, clothes and shelter to any person needing it because of the hurricane.
These agencies can be contacted by visiting your local family services center, or logging on to the Army National Guard's website at www.arng.army.mil, and searching for family services to find the nearest facility near you.
In addition to military assistance programs,displaced military families can also take advantage of state and local government programs and benefits, as long as they meet certain requirements, which vary depending on location.
For example, the State of Texas grants $255 food vouchers, soon to increase to $275, a month for Louisiana state residents who can provide a Louisiana state identification card.
State and local benefits can also be found at a local family services center.
"It's important for every Marine and Sailor to realize that everyone needs some help sometimes," said Bryant. "Even the toughest, oldest Devil Dog needs support. Remember, our help isn't charity, it's a necessity."
To find out more about what benefits you or your family might be eligible for, contact Military One Source, a hotline that can help out with questions one might have about relief efforts or general information, call toll-free 1-800-433-6868 or log on to www.mccsonesource.com.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....fd?OpenDocument
Submitted by: Marine Forces Reserve
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Enrique Saenz
Story Identification #: 200597153639
Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth -- (Sept. 7, 2005) -- Marine Forces Reserve family readiness assistance programs are banding together to provide assistance to military families affected by Hurrican Katrina.
Representatives from several programs held an information fair at Fort Worth to share information about the helpful programs and services available to displaced military families.
"We're trying to make this difficult process as easy as possible," said MarForRes Marine Corps Family Team Building Program Manager, Connie Bryant. "It's important for families to know what programs can offer what services and the information fair is the most direct. You can tell them what they can get while they're right in front of you."
Different programs offer different services, and knowing who can offer what can ease the challenge of maintaining a healthy and stable family, said Bryant.
For financial advice or loans, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) can help immensly, said Bryant. They offer budget counseling and in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina, NMCRS can offer interest free loans and even grants for unforseen emergencies, essential vehicle repairs, food, rent and utilities.
The American Red Cross can help families with immediate disaster relief, said Bryant. The Red Cross can provide food, water, clothes and shelter to any person needing it because of the hurricane.
These agencies can be contacted by visiting your local family services center, or logging on to the Army National Guard's website at www.arng.army.mil, and searching for family services to find the nearest facility near you.
In addition to military assistance programs,displaced military families can also take advantage of state and local government programs and benefits, as long as they meet certain requirements, which vary depending on location.
For example, the State of Texas grants $255 food vouchers, soon to increase to $275, a month for Louisiana state residents who can provide a Louisiana state identification card.
State and local benefits can also be found at a local family services center.
"It's important for every Marine and Sailor to realize that everyone needs some help sometimes," said Bryant. "Even the toughest, oldest Devil Dog needs support. Remember, our help isn't charity, it's a necessity."
To find out more about what benefits you or your family might be eligible for, contact Military One Source, a hotline that can help out with questions one might have about relief efforts or general information, call toll-free 1-800-433-6868 or log on to www.mccsonesource.com.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....fd?OpenDocument
2nd Marine Division finds success with Quick Strike in Western Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards
Story Identification #: 20059473513
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2, Iraqi Special Operations Forces and the Iraqi Army concluded Operation Quick Strike, an operation to interdict and disrupt insurgent and foreign terrorist activities in Western Iraq, Aug. 10.
During the operation that began Aug. 3, approximately 800 Marine and Sailors and 180 Iraqi soldiers successfully pushed through the Haditha, Haqliniyah and Barwanah regions disrupting insurgent cells by locating and destroying multiple weapons caches, insurgent safe houses, roadside bombs and a car-bomb factory, as well as detaining a large number of suspected insurgents.
“This is another operation similar to those conducted before that has disrupted the insurgents’ ability to operate freely in the Western Al Anbar region,” said Col. Stephen W. Davis, commanding officer, RCT-2. “The intelligence collected throughout this operation will enable us to better assist the citizens of Western Al Anbar in their quest to participate in the upcoming referendum.”
Early in the operation, coalition forces confirmed that insurgents were using the region as a base of operations and began taking steps to root them out.
The morning of Aug. 5, Iraqi Special Operations Forces directed an air strike on insurgents hiding in buildings outside of Haqliniyah. Marine pilots engaged insurgents who were using these buildings to attack Iraqi forces with small-arms fire.
“This ability of the Iraqi Army forces to utilize air support is an example of the progress being made by the Iraqi military,” said Davis.
While continuing operation in Haqliniyah that same day, Iraqi soldiers and Marines discovered two adjacent buildings with wires running between them while conducting a cordon and search for evidence of insurgent activity. The wires were connected to numerous 155mm artillery rounds scattered throughout both buildings, which were subsequently destroyed.
“Unfortunately, this is an example of how the insurgents and foreign fighters have no regard for collateral damage or the injuries to Iraqi citizens,” said Davis.
M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks also fired on a building in the city that insurgents were using to engage coalition forces with small-arms and RPG fire. Then south of Haqliniyah, an Abrams engaged insurgents armed with AK-47s and RPGs.
These operations to protect the community emboldened local citizens to assist the Marines and ISF in their efforts to provide them with a safe and secure city.
“Unquestionably, our greatest source of intelligence is provided by local citizens who reject the insurgents and look forward to the security and stability that the Iraqi government can provide,” said Davis.
The following day, Marines and Iraqi soldiers located and destroyed three car bombs while conducting another cordon and search operation. A citizen of Haqliniyah informed Marines that three parked vehicles were laden with explosives and ready to be used as car bombs. After securing the area, tanks shot the vehicles with rounds from their main guns, destroying all three and setting off secondary explosions.
As the operation progressed in the city new discoveries were being made in caves just outside of Haqliniyah.
Two weapons caches were found in small caves near the Euphrates River bank. The caves were several hundred meters apart and only large enough to hide a person and a small cache. The first cave contained a RPG launcher, medium machine gun, several assault rifles and bomb-making materials. And the second contained 155mm artillery rounds and a propane tank, commonly used for bomb construction.
Bombs made from similar material were found by Marines in Haditha that same day.
Two roadside bombs were discovered buried alongside the main road south of the city. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were sent to each location and conducted controlled detonations of both bombs, a propane tank filled with explosives and two 155mm artillery rounds, preventing any casualties or damages.
“These roadside bombs have taken a significant toll on the insurgent populace. Locals are more eager now than before, to point these out to Coalition forces, and express gratitude when our Marines safely dispose of such devices,” explained Lt. Col. Christopher C. Starling, the regiment’s operations officer.
Two days later in Haqliniyah, Marines and Iraqi soldiers made a number of significant discoveries.
A bomb, made from three 155mm artillery rounds weighing more than 100 pounds apiece, was discovered wired to a desk inside a building within the city. It was determined that the explosives could not be removed safely from the building, so the bomb was destroyed in place.
In Northern Haqliniyah, Marines located a car-bomb factory complete with six vehicles rigged with explosives in varying stages of completion.
Typically, insurgents drive the completed car bombs to populated locations and set them to detonate by remote or at a specific time. Car bombs can also be used by suicide bombers to attack specific landmarks or people.
“The best time to engage SVBIEDs is during the assembly process. Every one we destroy equates to lives saved,” said Starling.
All the rigged vehicles were destroyed and secondary explosions were observed by the Marines.
This was far from the last find for the day.
Marines and Iraqi soldiers also found five roadside bombs in close proximity to one another along a roadway within the city. The explosives were a combination of artillery rounds and improvised bombs. All the ordnance was destroyed in place preventing civilian and coalition casualties and damage to property.
“The integration of Marines and Iraqi Army units has enabled more effective communication with local residents. They now fully understand that our presence will eventually eliminate the source of random violence,” said Starling.
At the close of Quick Strike on Aug. 10, nine car bombs were discovered, three were identified by a local citizen and the remaining six were discovered in an assembly garage; 28 improvised bombs were locate, most planted as roadside bombs but others were rigged to destroy entire buildings; a weapons cache was found in caves along the river and multiple insurgent safe houses had been eliminated.
Thirty-six suspected insurgents had also been detained for further questioning.
“I’m satisfied with the results of the operation as it will unquestionably help create the environment for a successful referendum in October,” said Davis “And there will be more.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....83?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story by: Computed Name: Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards
Story Identification #: 20059473513
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq(Sept. 4, 2005) -- Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2, Iraqi Special Operations Forces and the Iraqi Army concluded Operation Quick Strike, an operation to interdict and disrupt insurgent and foreign terrorist activities in Western Iraq, Aug. 10.
During the operation that began Aug. 3, approximately 800 Marine and Sailors and 180 Iraqi soldiers successfully pushed through the Haditha, Haqliniyah and Barwanah regions disrupting insurgent cells by locating and destroying multiple weapons caches, insurgent safe houses, roadside bombs and a car-bomb factory, as well as detaining a large number of suspected insurgents.
“This is another operation similar to those conducted before that has disrupted the insurgents’ ability to operate freely in the Western Al Anbar region,” said Col. Stephen W. Davis, commanding officer, RCT-2. “The intelligence collected throughout this operation will enable us to better assist the citizens of Western Al Anbar in their quest to participate in the upcoming referendum.”
Early in the operation, coalition forces confirmed that insurgents were using the region as a base of operations and began taking steps to root them out.
The morning of Aug. 5, Iraqi Special Operations Forces directed an air strike on insurgents hiding in buildings outside of Haqliniyah. Marine pilots engaged insurgents who were using these buildings to attack Iraqi forces with small-arms fire.
“This ability of the Iraqi Army forces to utilize air support is an example of the progress being made by the Iraqi military,” said Davis.
While continuing operation in Haqliniyah that same day, Iraqi soldiers and Marines discovered two adjacent buildings with wires running between them while conducting a cordon and search for evidence of insurgent activity. The wires were connected to numerous 155mm artillery rounds scattered throughout both buildings, which were subsequently destroyed.
“Unfortunately, this is an example of how the insurgents and foreign fighters have no regard for collateral damage or the injuries to Iraqi citizens,” said Davis.
M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks also fired on a building in the city that insurgents were using to engage coalition forces with small-arms and RPG fire. Then south of Haqliniyah, an Abrams engaged insurgents armed with AK-47s and RPGs.
These operations to protect the community emboldened local citizens to assist the Marines and ISF in their efforts to provide them with a safe and secure city.
“Unquestionably, our greatest source of intelligence is provided by local citizens who reject the insurgents and look forward to the security and stability that the Iraqi government can provide,” said Davis.
The following day, Marines and Iraqi soldiers located and destroyed three car bombs while conducting another cordon and search operation. A citizen of Haqliniyah informed Marines that three parked vehicles were laden with explosives and ready to be used as car bombs. After securing the area, tanks shot the vehicles with rounds from their main guns, destroying all three and setting off secondary explosions.
As the operation progressed in the city new discoveries were being made in caves just outside of Haqliniyah.
Two weapons caches were found in small caves near the Euphrates River bank. The caves were several hundred meters apart and only large enough to hide a person and a small cache. The first cave contained a RPG launcher, medium machine gun, several assault rifles and bomb-making materials. And the second contained 155mm artillery rounds and a propane tank, commonly used for bomb construction.
Bombs made from similar material were found by Marines in Haditha that same day.
Two roadside bombs were discovered buried alongside the main road south of the city. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were sent to each location and conducted controlled detonations of both bombs, a propane tank filled with explosives and two 155mm artillery rounds, preventing any casualties or damages.
“These roadside bombs have taken a significant toll on the insurgent populace. Locals are more eager now than before, to point these out to Coalition forces, and express gratitude when our Marines safely dispose of such devices,” explained Lt. Col. Christopher C. Starling, the regiment’s operations officer.
Two days later in Haqliniyah, Marines and Iraqi soldiers made a number of significant discoveries.
A bomb, made from three 155mm artillery rounds weighing more than 100 pounds apiece, was discovered wired to a desk inside a building within the city. It was determined that the explosives could not be removed safely from the building, so the bomb was destroyed in place.
In Northern Haqliniyah, Marines located a car-bomb factory complete with six vehicles rigged with explosives in varying stages of completion.
Typically, insurgents drive the completed car bombs to populated locations and set them to detonate by remote or at a specific time. Car bombs can also be used by suicide bombers to attack specific landmarks or people.
“The best time to engage SVBIEDs is during the assembly process. Every one we destroy equates to lives saved,” said Starling.
All the rigged vehicles were destroyed and secondary explosions were observed by the Marines.
This was far from the last find for the day.
Marines and Iraqi soldiers also found five roadside bombs in close proximity to one another along a roadway within the city. The explosives were a combination of artillery rounds and improvised bombs. All the ordnance was destroyed in place preventing civilian and coalition casualties and damage to property.
“The integration of Marines and Iraqi Army units has enabled more effective communication with local residents. They now fully understand that our presence will eventually eliminate the source of random violence,” said Starling.
At the close of Quick Strike on Aug. 10, nine car bombs were discovered, three were identified by a local citizen and the remaining six were discovered in an assembly garage; 28 improvised bombs were locate, most planted as roadside bombs but others were rigged to destroy entire buildings; a weapons cache was found in caves along the river and multiple insurgent safe houses had been eliminated.
Thirty-six suspected insurgents had also been detained for further questioning.
“I’m satisfied with the results of the operation as it will unquestionably help create the environment for a successful referendum in October,” said Davis “And there will be more.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....83?OpenDocument
http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/23/marine.attack/
Marines arrested in attack on camping couple
Bergmann June 23, 1997
Web posted at: 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) -- Two Marine recruiters have been arrested after they allegedly attacked a couple who inadvertently pitched a tent in the midst of a Marine bivouac on Mount Hood.
Sgt. Rudolph Jackson and Sgt. Clinton Bergmann were charged with kidnapping, assault and rape.
Henry Thompson, 33, said he and a 23-year- old woman friend sat around a campfire with the Marines after discovering they were camped in the middle of the official outing.
"They told us we were the safest people on Earth because they had 180 Marines up there," Thompson said.
Thompson said the Marines began drinking heavily, and he and his friend retired to their tent. They were later awakened by a noise. Thompson said he opened the tent door to find Jackson "with a flashlight pointed right in my eyes."
"They put something to the side of my ribs and when I started fighting he said 'shoot him, just shoot him,'" Thompson said.
Thompson said Jackson beat him and taped him to a tree while another man dragged his friend away. Thompson said he heard her screaming "no" a short while later.
Marine spokesmen said the incident is under investigation.
"We don't tolerate certain behavior and if it is substantiated and they're guilty of such, they're going to face maximum prosecution by the law," said Capt. Robert Rice, a spokesman for the Marine recruiting office in Portland.
The Marines -- including 150 recruits -- were taking part in an annual rafting and camping trip at the Clear Lake Campground in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Affiliate KPTV contributed to this report.
rule
Related site:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
Marines arrested in attack on camping couple
Bergmann June 23, 1997
Web posted at: 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) -- Two Marine recruiters have been arrested after they allegedly attacked a couple who inadvertently pitched a tent in the midst of a Marine bivouac on Mount Hood.
Sgt. Rudolph Jackson and Sgt. Clinton Bergmann were charged with kidnapping, assault and rape.
Henry Thompson, 33, said he and a 23-year- old woman friend sat around a campfire with the Marines after discovering they were camped in the middle of the official outing.
"They told us we were the safest people on Earth because they had 180 Marines up there," Thompson said.
Thompson said the Marines began drinking heavily, and he and his friend retired to their tent. They were later awakened by a noise. Thompson said he opened the tent door to find Jackson "with a flashlight pointed right in my eyes."
"They put something to the side of my ribs and when I started fighting he said 'shoot him, just shoot him,'" Thompson said.
Thompson said Jackson beat him and taped him to a tree while another man dragged his friend away. Thompson said he heard her screaming "no" a short while later.
Marine spokesmen said the incident is under investigation.
"We don't tolerate certain behavior and if it is substantiated and they're guilty of such, they're going to face maximum prosecution by the law," said Capt. Robert Rice, a spokesman for the Marine recruiting office in Portland.
The Marines -- including 150 recruits -- were taking part in an annual rafting and camping trip at the Clear Lake Campground in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Affiliate KPTV contributed to this report.
rule
Related site:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
QUOTE(ghostgovt @ Sep 8 2005, 02:31 PM)
http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/23/marine.attack/
Marines arrested in attack on camping couple
Bergmann June 23, 1997
Web posted at: 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) -- Two Marine recruiters have been arrested after they allegedly attacked a couple who inadvertently pitched a tent in the midst of a Marine bivouac on Mount Hood.
Sgt. Rudolph Jackson and Sgt. Clinton Bergmann were charged with kidnapping, assault and rape.
Henry Thompson, 33, said he and a 23-year- old woman friend sat around a campfire with the Marines after discovering they were camped in the middle of the official outing.
"They told us we were the safest people on Earth because they had 180 Marines up there," Thompson said.
Thompson said the Marines began drinking heavily, and he and his friend retired to their tent. They were later awakened by a noise. Thompson said he opened the tent door to find Jackson "with a flashlight pointed right in my eyes."
"They put something to the side of my ribs and when I started fighting he said 'shoot him, just shoot him,'" Thompson said.
Thompson said Jackson beat him and taped him to a tree while another man dragged his friend away. Thompson said he heard her screaming "no" a short while later.
Marine spokesmen said the incident is under investigation.
"We don't tolerate certain behavior and if it is substantiated and they're guilty of such, they're going to face maximum prosecution by the law," said Capt. Robert Rice, a spokesman for the Marine recruiting office in Portland.
The Marines -- including 150 recruits -- were taking part in an annual rafting and camping trip at the Clear Lake Campground in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Affiliate KPTV contributed to this report.
rule
Related site:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
Marines arrested in attack on camping couple
Bergmann June 23, 1997
Web posted at: 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT)
PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) -- Two Marine recruiters have been arrested after they allegedly attacked a couple who inadvertently pitched a tent in the midst of a Marine bivouac on Mount Hood.
Sgt. Rudolph Jackson and Sgt. Clinton Bergmann were charged with kidnapping, assault and rape.
Henry Thompson, 33, said he and a 23-year- old woman friend sat around a campfire with the Marines after discovering they were camped in the middle of the official outing.
"They told us we were the safest people on Earth because they had 180 Marines up there," Thompson said.
Thompson said the Marines began drinking heavily, and he and his friend retired to their tent. They were later awakened by a noise. Thompson said he opened the tent door to find Jackson "with a flashlight pointed right in my eyes."
"They put something to the side of my ribs and when I started fighting he said 'shoot him, just shoot him,'" Thompson said.
Thompson said Jackson beat him and taped him to a tree while another man dragged his friend away. Thompson said he heard her screaming "no" a short while later.
Marine spokesmen said the incident is under investigation.
"We don't tolerate certain behavior and if it is substantiated and they're guilty of such, they're going to face maximum prosecution by the law," said Capt. Robert Rice, a spokesman for the Marine recruiting office in Portland.
The Marines -- including 150 recruits -- were taking part in an annual rafting and camping trip at the Clear Lake Campground in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Affiliate KPTV contributed to this report.
rule
Related site:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
Gosh, 150 recruits got to go on an annual rafting and camping trip? We didn't get to do this when I was a recruit.
What is the status of the charges against these two guys ghost? I know the wheels of justice turn awful slow but this story is from 1997 surely by now if two Marines, on top of that recruiters, took 150 recruits out on a beer bust and rape party had been convicted or not.
It would be nice to know if it was real or baloney. Why don't you post a follow up on the conviction?
I'll help you out if you don't know the disposition of this case.
FILED
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
MAR 18 2003
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk PUBLISH
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
PHILLIP G. DAUGHERTY,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v. No. 02-7015
TOMMY G. THOMPSON, Secretary of Department of Health & Human Services; and
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
Defendants - Appellees.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
(D.C. NO. 01-CV-168-P)
Submitted on the Briefs:
Steven M. Angel, Angel & Associates, LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for
Plaintiff - Appellant.
Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney, and Jeanette Windsor, Assistant
United States Attorney, Muskogee, Oklahoma, for Defendants - Appellees.
Before KELLY, ANDERSON, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
ANDERSON, Circuit Judge.
This case is a "mixed case" under the Civil Service Reform Act, 5 U.S.C.
7702, involving an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board ("MSPB")
from an adverse personnel action, coupled with an allegation that the adverse
personnel action was based upon prohibited discrimination. Plaintiff/appellant,
Phillip G. Daugherty, invoking Title VII, 42 U.S.C. 2000eÄ2000e-17, and the
Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794, appeals the district court's grant of summary
judgment to defendant Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the Department of
Health & Human Services, on Daugherty's claim that he was ultimately removed
from employment based on discrimination because of disability and in retaliation
for his challenge of his initial removal. Daugherty also appeals the denial of his
motion for partial summary judgment on his claim that the MSPB's decision
upholding his removal was arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, and
unsupported by substantial evidence.(1) We affirm.
BACKGROUND
In 1982, while serving in the Marine Corps, Daugherty was convicted of the
following violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: (1) Article
(1) After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
128Äassault; (2) Article 134Ä(a) unlawful entry into quarters and (
breaking and
entering quarters with intent to commit an assault; and (3) Article 134Äindecent
assault with intent to gratify his lust and/or sexual desires and being drunk and
disorderly. At that time, Daugherty was an alcoholic. Daugherty left the Marine
Corps in 1983. In 1987, Daugherty received treatment for his alcoholism and has
apparently remained sober ever since.
Daugherty was initially employed by the federal government as a security
guard from 1983 to 1984. As part of that initial federal employment, the Office
of Personnel Management conducted a background check of Daugherty. That
background investigation revealed the military offenses described above. In
1984, Daugherty left the employment of the federal government and began
working as a nurse.
On November 28, 1990, Congress passed the Indian Child Protection and
Family Violence Prevention Act, 25 U.S.C. 3201-11.(1) Under the Act:
The Secretary [of the Interior] and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shallÄ
(1) compile a list of all authorized positions within their
respective departments the duties and responsibilities of which
involve regular contact with, or control over, Indian children,
(2) conduct an investigation of the character of each individual
who is employed, or is being considered for employment, by the
(1) The Act was amended on December 27, 2000. We refer to the 1994
version of the Act, which was in effect during the time relevant to this case.
respective Secretary in a position listed pursuant to paragraph (1),
and
(3) prescribe by regulations minimum standards of character
that each of such individuals must meet to be appointed to such
positions.
25 U.S.C. 3207(a). The Act further provides that:
The minimum standards of character that are to be prescribed under
this section shall ensure that none of the individuals appointed to
positions described in subsection (a) of this section have been found
guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any
offense under Federal, State or tribal law involving crimes of
violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact or
prostitution; or crimes against persons.
25 U.S.C. 3207(. At the time relevant to this case, HHS had proposed
regulations implementing the Act, but they were not finalized and in effect. HHS
created a non-exclusive list of positions subject to the Act and published it in
October 1994, and updated it in March 1997. Among the positions listed as
having regular contact with children was that of nurse.
In 1996, Daugherty began working for the Oklahoma City Area Indian
Health Service ("IHS") as a clinical nurse, designated a GS-0610-09, at the W.W.
Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The IHS is an agency under
HHS. As part of his application for employment, Daugherty was required to
complete a form containing the following two questions:
1) Have you ever been arrested for or charged with a crime
involving a child?
2) Have you ever been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo
contendere (no contest) or guilty to, any offense under Federal,
State, or tribal law involving crimes of violence, sexual
assault, molestation, contact or prostitution, or crimes against
persons?
Daugherty responded "No" to each question. Appellant's App. Vol. II at 449.
Daugherty received good evaluations of his work at the hospital. In September,
1998, however, a female patient accused Daugherty of improperly fondling her.
The Office of the Inspector General ("OIG") investigated the complaint, and
presented the complaint to the Cherokee County District Attorney, who declined
to prosecute the case.
Sometime in early 1999, Woodrow Kinney, the Director of the Division of
Personnel Management and Training, discovered Daugherty's military record,
including his convictions, "among a lot of investigations that had not been
processed in our office." Id. at 632. He also discovered that Daugherty had not
revealed the existence of those convictions on his application for employment.
Accordingly, on February 19, 1999, Kinney sent a memorandum to Daugherty
notifying him that the HHS proposed to remove him from federal service because
of:
1. Loss of qualifications requirements and ineligibility to perform
the duties of the position for which you were hired due to violation
of [the Act]
2. Falsification of Application for Federal Employment.
Id. at 440. Daugherty was given ten days in which to respond. After receiving
and considering Daugherty's oral responses, on March 26, 1999, Luke McIntosh,
the Associate Director of the Office of Administration and Management, informed
Daugherty in a memorandum that he would sustain the proposed removal "to
promote the efficiency of the service effective close of business March 29, 1999."
Id. at 435. Kinney and McIntosh considered moving Daugherty to another
position in the Tahlequah service unit that did not involve regular contact with
children, but determined that no such position was available.
On April 27, 1999, Daugherty filed an appeal of his removal with the
MSPB. He alleged that, during the course of his employment, he had only had
contact with children four or five times, that his prior offenses, while serious,
were the result of a disability (alcoholism), that he had led a productive and
functional life since 1987, and that he had performed well in his job. Thus, he
argued, he was wrongfully discharged because of his disability.
An administrative hearing was held on June 28, 1999, and, on August 26,
1999, the administrative law judge ("ALJ") issued a decision reversing the
removal decision, concluding that HHS had removed Daugherty based upon its
erroneous interpretation of the Act.(2) The ALJ directed that Daugherty be
(2) In particular, the ALJ concluded that HHS had relied upon proposed, as
opposed to final, agency rules and internal guidelines in determining thatDaugherty
must be removed, and therefore its decision had "limited persuasive
effect." Initial Decision at 16, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 197. Then, the judge
noted that "the Act is silent as to whether an adjudicating official has the
discretion to consider other factors when determining whether an employee
should be removed, pursuant to the Act." Id. The judge further found the
legislative history did not resolve the question. The ALJ then turned to certain
regulations promulgated by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, which were in effect at the time of Daugherty's removal and which, while
admittedly not controlling, were promulgated pursuant to the Act. Those
regulations directed the adjudicating official to:
consider prior conduct in light of: (1) [t]he nature and seriousness of
the conduct in question; (2) [t]he recency and circumstances
surrounding [that] conduct . . .; (3) [t]he age of the individual at the
time of the incident; (4) [s]ocietal conditions that may have
contributed to the nature of the conduct; (5) [t]he probability that the
individual will continue the type of behavior in question; and (6)
[t]he individual's commitment to rehabilitation and a change in the
behavior in question.
25 C.F.R. 63.17(f)(1998). Considering those factors, the ALJ determined that
Daugherty's prior convictions did "not render him ineligible for employment in
the position of Clinical Nurse." Initial Decision at 18, Appellant's App. Vol. I at
199.
The ALJ also concluded that HHS failed to establish that Daugherty had
falsified his employment application. The ALJ found Daugherty credible when he
testified that he believed he answered the questions on his employment
application truthfully because he did not equate military courts with "Federal,
State or tribal law" and he did not understand the definitions of "crimes of
violence" or "crimes against persons."
reinstated, which he was in August 1999. The ALJ further found that Daugherty
had failed to establish that HHS's action was discriminatory because of
Daugherty's claimed disability.
HHS appealed that decision to the full MSPB, which consolidated
Daugherty's appeal with three others involving similar facts and issues under the
Act.(3) The full MSPB affirmed the ALJ's findings and decision with respect to the
claimed discrimination, but reversed the ALJ's decision on the proper
interpretation of the Act, finding that the ALJ erred in relying on regulations
promulgated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") and in finding that the
adjudicating agency official had discretion to consider mitigating factors in
determining whether 3207 had been violated.(4)
Daugherty then appealed his discrimination claim to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, which concurred in the decision of the full MSPB. The
EEOC found that "the agency's articulated reason for [Daugherty's] removal was
based on a statutory requirement which made [Daugherty] ineligible for the
position . . . [which was] a legitimate non-discriminatory reason for its action."
Daugherty v. Satcher, No. 03A10005, 2001 WL 236919 at *4 (E.E.O.C. 2001).
Two of the consolidated appeals which the MSPB considered along with
Daugherty's appeal were affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit. Delong v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., 264 F.3d 1334 (Fed.
(3) See Johnson v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., 86 M.S.P.R. 501 (2000).
(4) HHS apparently did not challenge the propriety of the ALJ's refusal to
sustain the charge that Daugherty had falsified his employment application, so the
full MSPB did not address the issue.
Cir. 2001); Johnson v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., No. 00-3435, 2001 WL
706935 (Fed. Cir. June 22, 2001) (unpublished).
Meanwhile, after Daugherty had been reinstated pursuant to the ALJ's
decision, and while HHS's appeal of that decision was pending before the full
MSPB, on June 5, 2000, a female patient at the hospital complained of sexual
misconduct by a male nurse. At the time of the incident, two male nurses were
assigned to the complaining patient. The patient did not know the name of the
nurse who assaulted her but stated it "was the one in the blue scrubs." Decl. of
Loa Girty at 16, Appellant's App. at 164. Apparently, Daugherty was the only
nurse assigned to the patient who wore blue scrubs at the time of the incident.
When presented with a picture of Daugherty, the patient identified him as the
person who assaulted her. This complaint was referred to the OIG for
investigation, the OIG requested that the FBI handle the investigation, and the
FBI referred to case to the Tahlequah Police Department. On July 27, 2000, the
Cherokee County District Attorney filed an information charging Daugherty with
sexual battery of the female patient. Daugherty alleges that defendant referred
this complaint to law enforcement authorities in retaliation for his appeal to the
MSPB.
Daugherty filed this action in the district court, seeking judicial review of
the MSPB's decision and also alleging that he was the victim of unlawful
employment discrimination because of his history of alcoholism and that
defendant retaliated against him for having filed an employment discrimination
claim. By minute order, the district court denied Daugherty's motion for partial
summary judgment on the administrative record. The court granted defendant's
motion for summary judgment on the discrimination claim, finding that Daugherty
"cannot establish a prima facie case of handicap discrimination because he cannot
demonstrate that he was a qualified handicapped individual . . . [because] [t]he
record demonstrates [Daugherty] was not discriminated against due to his
alcoholism and there were no vacant positions for which [he] was qualified to
which he could be reassigned." Order at 4-5, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 14-15.
Further, the court held that Daugherty had failed to establish a prima facie case of
retaliation.
Daugherty appeals, arguing (1) the Act is unconstitutional; (2) "the MSPB's
decision to apply a `per se' rule [is] contrary to the statutory provisions of [5]
U.S.C. 7701"; (3) "the agency [HHS] discriminate[d] against [Daugherty] based
upon a record of a disability by discharging [him] for having a prior conviction
which was alcohol related"; and (4) the district court erred in granting summary
judgment to HHS on Daugherty's discrimination and retaliation claims.
Appellant's Br. at 2. We affirm.
DISCUSSION
We review the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo,
applying the same standard as did the district court. Wells v. Shalala, 228 F.3d
1137, 1140 (10th Cir. 2000). Accordingly, in this mixed case we review the
challenged administrative determination by the MSPB under the same deferential
Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C. 7703©, standard as did the district
court. See Williams v. Rice, 983 F.2d 177, 180 (10th Cir. 1993). We therefore
must uphold the MSPB decisions unless we determine that it is: "(1) arbitrary,
capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law;
(2) obtained without procedures required by law, rule, or regulation having been
followed; or (3) unsupported by substantial evidence." Id. (quoting 5 U.S.C.
7703©). With respect to the discrimination claim, we determine whether the
district court properly granted summary judgment to HHS. Summary judgment is
appropriate if "there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and . . . the
moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56©.
Daugherty argues the MSPB's interpretation of the Act-that it contains a
"per se" rule disqualifying any employee in a covered position who has any prior
conviction for a "crime of violence"-renders the statute unconstitutional as
overly broad, a bill of attainder and an ex post facto law. We disagree.
Daugherty first asserts that he has a property interest in his continued
employment with the government, and that the MSPB's "per se" rule violates
"fundamental due process" and is "arbitrary and capricious." Appellant's Br. at
16. More specifically, he argues that a statute creating an irrebuttable
presumption that his prior criminal history makes him unfit for service in a
covered position violates "fundamental due process." As the Federal Circuit
recently noted in one of the cases consolidated before the MSPB with Daugherty's
case, "statutes creating conclusive presumptions are judged under the same due
process standards as other statutes." Delong, 264 F.3d at 1341 (citing Weinberger
v. Salfi, 422 U.S. 749 (1975)). "Where the statute at issue does not abridge a
fundamental right or discriminate against a suspect class, it is upheld if it `bear[s]
. . . [a] rational relation to a legitimate legislative goal' and is free of invidious
discrimination." Id. Daugherty cites no case supporting his implicit assertion
that he has a fundamental right to continued employment. Thus, the rational basis
test applies. See id. at 1342.
Daugherty argues the statute as interpreted by MSPB is overly broad, a bill
of attainder punishing him "without authorizing individualized administrative
adjudication of suitability," and an ex post facto law "retroactively disqualifying"
him from employment. Appellant's Br. at 17-18. Daugherty does not seriously
dispute that the Act is designed to further the government's legitimate interest in
protecting Indian children from abuse and violence. We agree with the Delong
court's analysis:
In creating the minimum standards of character set forth in 3207,
Congress created a bright line rule that anyone who has been
convicted of an enumerated crime may not serve in a covered
position. Like all bright line rules, 3207 is both over-inclusive and
under-inclusive, but the imprecision of the statute does not make it
unconstitutional.
Delong, 264 F.3d at 1343. We therefore reject Daugherty's argument that the Act
as construed by the MSPB and the district court is unconstitutional.(5)
Daugherty next argues that the MSPB's decision violated 5 U.S.C.
7701©(A) because it was not supported by substantial evidence. We disagree.
There is no dispute that the position of nurse was a covered position under the
Act. There is no serious dispute that Daugherty was convicted of assault and assault
with a sexual motive.(6) Rather, Daugherty's complaint is essentially the
same argument he made regarding the constitutionality of the Act: "both the
statute and the agency's own implementing instructions require a case by case
determination of whether the employee actually has regular contact with
children." Appellant's Br. at 22. His objection is therefore to the IHS's decision
that all clinical nurse positions at the Hastings Indian Hospital were covered
positions under the Act.
As we discussed above, the Act contemplates bright line rules. It does not
specify how an agency must determine what positions are covered positions, and
does not require individualized case-by-case determinations.(7) We conclude that
the MSPB's decision that Daugherty was lawfully removed under the Act was
supported by substantial evidence.
(5) We perceive no prohibited retroactive effect in the Act's operation.
Congress clearly intended the Act to apply to current employees and to have
agencies examine employees' current qualification to perform their jobs in light
of the record of their past conduct. There is nothing unconstitutional in that
intent. Moreover, the fact that the Act does not provide for individualized
determinations of whether a particular individual's job or past conduct is covered
or not by the Act is not necessarily unconstitutional:
Congress could rationally have concluded that the minimum
standards of character in 3207 would reduce the incidence of abuse
of Indian children at the hands of federal employees. Moreover,
given the difficulty of identifying employees who pose a threat to
Indian children, the choice of a blanket rule is justified in this case.
Delong, 264 F.3d at 1343.
(6) Daugherty suggests that there was insufficient evidence before the MSPB
that Daugherty had in fact been convicted by the military courts: "[Daugherty]
would note that the report of crimes consisted merely of handwritten notes."
Appellant's Br. at 21 n.2. As defendant points out, Daugherty admitted that he
had testified that he had been convicted of assault. Pl.'s Resp. in Opp'n to Def.'s
Mot. for Summ. J. at 4 6, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 130.
(7) Although Daugherty cites various internal memoranda and instructions
from the HHS to its officials which discuss case-by-case assessments of positions,
those memoranda do not contemplate case-by-case assessments of whether one
particular individual in a position is subject to the Act, where other particular
individuals in the same position in the same facility and work environment are
clearly subject to the Act. Moreover, those internal memoranda cannot alter the
wording of the Act itself.
Daugherty's remaining two arguments boil down to the assertion that the
district court erred in granting summary judgment to HHS on Daugherty's
discrimination and retaliation claims. We affirm the grant of summary judgment,
and we agree with the district court's conclusion that Daugherty failed to
establish a prima facie case of handicap discrimination because he failed to show
that he was a qualified handicapped individual. Daugherty was not qualified for
the position of nurse because the Act rendered him unfit. Further, the record
shows that there were no vacant positions for which he was qualified to which he
could have been assigned. We also agree with the district court that Daugherty
failed to establish a prima facie case of retaliation, for substantially the reasons
stated in the district court's opinion.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgments of the district court are
AFFIRMED.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getc...=case&no=027015
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
MAR 18 2003
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk PUBLISH
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
TENTH CIRCUIT
PHILLIP G. DAUGHERTY,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v. No. 02-7015
TOMMY G. THOMPSON, Secretary of Department of Health & Human Services; and
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
Defendants - Appellees.
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA
(D.C. NO. 01-CV-168-P)
Submitted on the Briefs:
Steven M. Angel, Angel & Associates, LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for
Plaintiff - Appellant.
Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney, and Jeanette Windsor, Assistant
United States Attorney, Muskogee, Oklahoma, for Defendants - Appellees.
Before KELLY, ANDERSON, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
ANDERSON, Circuit Judge.
This case is a "mixed case" under the Civil Service Reform Act, 5 U.S.C.
7702, involving an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board ("MSPB")
from an adverse personnel action, coupled with an allegation that the adverse
personnel action was based upon prohibited discrimination. Plaintiff/appellant,
Phillip G. Daugherty, invoking Title VII, 42 U.S.C. 2000eÄ2000e-17, and the
Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794, appeals the district court's grant of summary
judgment to defendant Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of the Department of
Health & Human Services, on Daugherty's claim that he was ultimately removed
from employment based on discrimination because of disability and in retaliation
for his challenge of his initial removal. Daugherty also appeals the denial of his
motion for partial summary judgment on his claim that the MSPB's decision
upholding his removal was arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, and
unsupported by substantial evidence.(1) We affirm.
BACKGROUND
In 1982, while serving in the Marine Corps, Daugherty was convicted of the
following violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: (1) Article
(1) After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
128Äassault; (2) Article 134Ä(a) unlawful entry into quarters and (
breaking and entering quarters with intent to commit an assault; and (3) Article 134Äindecent
assault with intent to gratify his lust and/or sexual desires and being drunk and
disorderly. At that time, Daugherty was an alcoholic. Daugherty left the Marine
Corps in 1983. In 1987, Daugherty received treatment for his alcoholism and has
apparently remained sober ever since.
Daugherty was initially employed by the federal government as a security
guard from 1983 to 1984. As part of that initial federal employment, the Office
of Personnel Management conducted a background check of Daugherty. That
background investigation revealed the military offenses described above. In
1984, Daugherty left the employment of the federal government and began
working as a nurse.
On November 28, 1990, Congress passed the Indian Child Protection and
Family Violence Prevention Act, 25 U.S.C. 3201-11.(1) Under the Act:
The Secretary [of the Interior] and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shallÄ
(1) compile a list of all authorized positions within their
respective departments the duties and responsibilities of which
involve regular contact with, or control over, Indian children,
(2) conduct an investigation of the character of each individual
who is employed, or is being considered for employment, by the
(1) The Act was amended on December 27, 2000. We refer to the 1994
version of the Act, which was in effect during the time relevant to this case.
respective Secretary in a position listed pursuant to paragraph (1),
and
(3) prescribe by regulations minimum standards of character
that each of such individuals must meet to be appointed to such
positions.
25 U.S.C. 3207(a). The Act further provides that:
The minimum standards of character that are to be prescribed under
this section shall ensure that none of the individuals appointed to
positions described in subsection (a) of this section have been found
guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any
offense under Federal, State or tribal law involving crimes of
violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact or
prostitution; or crimes against persons.
25 U.S.C. 3207(
. At the time relevant to this case, HHS had proposed regulations implementing the Act, but they were not finalized and in effect. HHS
created a non-exclusive list of positions subject to the Act and published it in
October 1994, and updated it in March 1997. Among the positions listed as
having regular contact with children was that of nurse.
In 1996, Daugherty began working for the Oklahoma City Area Indian
Health Service ("IHS") as a clinical nurse, designated a GS-0610-09, at the W.W.
Hastings Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The IHS is an agency under
HHS. As part of his application for employment, Daugherty was required to
complete a form containing the following two questions:
1) Have you ever been arrested for or charged with a crime
involving a child?
2) Have you ever been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo
contendere (no contest) or guilty to, any offense under Federal,
State, or tribal law involving crimes of violence, sexual
assault, molestation, contact or prostitution, or crimes against
persons?
Daugherty responded "No" to each question. Appellant's App. Vol. II at 449.
Daugherty received good evaluations of his work at the hospital. In September,
1998, however, a female patient accused Daugherty of improperly fondling her.
The Office of the Inspector General ("OIG") investigated the complaint, and
presented the complaint to the Cherokee County District Attorney, who declined
to prosecute the case.
Sometime in early 1999, Woodrow Kinney, the Director of the Division of
Personnel Management and Training, discovered Daugherty's military record,
including his convictions, "among a lot of investigations that had not been
processed in our office." Id. at 632. He also discovered that Daugherty had not
revealed the existence of those convictions on his application for employment.
Accordingly, on February 19, 1999, Kinney sent a memorandum to Daugherty
notifying him that the HHS proposed to remove him from federal service because
of:
1. Loss of qualifications requirements and ineligibility to perform
the duties of the position for which you were hired due to violation
of [the Act]
2. Falsification of Application for Federal Employment.
Id. at 440. Daugherty was given ten days in which to respond. After receiving
and considering Daugherty's oral responses, on March 26, 1999, Luke McIntosh,
the Associate Director of the Office of Administration and Management, informed
Daugherty in a memorandum that he would sustain the proposed removal "to
promote the efficiency of the service effective close of business March 29, 1999."
Id. at 435. Kinney and McIntosh considered moving Daugherty to another
position in the Tahlequah service unit that did not involve regular contact with
children, but determined that no such position was available.
On April 27, 1999, Daugherty filed an appeal of his removal with the
MSPB. He alleged that, during the course of his employment, he had only had
contact with children four or five times, that his prior offenses, while serious,
were the result of a disability (alcoholism), that he had led a productive and
functional life since 1987, and that he had performed well in his job. Thus, he
argued, he was wrongfully discharged because of his disability.
An administrative hearing was held on June 28, 1999, and, on August 26,
1999, the administrative law judge ("ALJ") issued a decision reversing the
removal decision, concluding that HHS had removed Daugherty based upon its
erroneous interpretation of the Act.(2) The ALJ directed that Daugherty be
(2) In particular, the ALJ concluded that HHS had relied upon proposed, as
opposed to final, agency rules and internal guidelines in determining thatDaugherty
must be removed, and therefore its decision had "limited persuasive
effect." Initial Decision at 16, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 197. Then, the judge
noted that "the Act is silent as to whether an adjudicating official has the
discretion to consider other factors when determining whether an employee
should be removed, pursuant to the Act." Id. The judge further found the
legislative history did not resolve the question. The ALJ then turned to certain
regulations promulgated by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, which were in effect at the time of Daugherty's removal and which, while
admittedly not controlling, were promulgated pursuant to the Act. Those
regulations directed the adjudicating official to:
consider prior conduct in light of: (1) [t]he nature and seriousness of
the conduct in question; (2) [t]he recency and circumstances
surrounding [that] conduct . . .; (3) [t]he age of the individual at the
time of the incident; (4) [s]ocietal conditions that may have
contributed to the nature of the conduct; (5) [t]he probability that the
individual will continue the type of behavior in question; and (6)
[t]he individual's commitment to rehabilitation and a change in the
behavior in question.
25 C.F.R. 63.17(f)(1998). Considering those factors, the ALJ determined that
Daugherty's prior convictions did "not render him ineligible for employment in
the position of Clinical Nurse." Initial Decision at 18, Appellant's App. Vol. I at
199.
The ALJ also concluded that HHS failed to establish that Daugherty had
falsified his employment application. The ALJ found Daugherty credible when he
testified that he believed he answered the questions on his employment
application truthfully because he did not equate military courts with "Federal,
State or tribal law" and he did not understand the definitions of "crimes of
violence" or "crimes against persons."
reinstated, which he was in August 1999. The ALJ further found that Daugherty
had failed to establish that HHS's action was discriminatory because of
Daugherty's claimed disability.
HHS appealed that decision to the full MSPB, which consolidated
Daugherty's appeal with three others involving similar facts and issues under the
Act.(3) The full MSPB affirmed the ALJ's findings and decision with respect to the
claimed discrimination, but reversed the ALJ's decision on the proper
interpretation of the Act, finding that the ALJ erred in relying on regulations
promulgated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs ("BIA") and in finding that the
adjudicating agency official had discretion to consider mitigating factors in
determining whether 3207 had been violated.(4)
Daugherty then appealed his discrimination claim to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, which concurred in the decision of the full MSPB. The
EEOC found that "the agency's articulated reason for [Daugherty's] removal was
based on a statutory requirement which made [Daugherty] ineligible for the
position . . . [which was] a legitimate non-discriminatory reason for its action."
Daugherty v. Satcher, No. 03A10005, 2001 WL 236919 at *4 (E.E.O.C. 2001).
Two of the consolidated appeals which the MSPB considered along with
Daugherty's appeal were affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit. Delong v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., 264 F.3d 1334 (Fed.
(3) See Johnson v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., 86 M.S.P.R. 501 (2000).
(4) HHS apparently did not challenge the propriety of the ALJ's refusal to
sustain the charge that Daugherty had falsified his employment application, so the
full MSPB did not address the issue.
Cir. 2001); Johnson v. Dep't of Health & Human Servs., No. 00-3435, 2001 WL
706935 (Fed. Cir. June 22, 2001) (unpublished).
Meanwhile, after Daugherty had been reinstated pursuant to the ALJ's
decision, and while HHS's appeal of that decision was pending before the full
MSPB, on June 5, 2000, a female patient at the hospital complained of sexual
misconduct by a male nurse. At the time of the incident, two male nurses were
assigned to the complaining patient. The patient did not know the name of the
nurse who assaulted her but stated it "was the one in the blue scrubs." Decl. of
Loa Girty at 16, Appellant's App. at 164. Apparently, Daugherty was the only
nurse assigned to the patient who wore blue scrubs at the time of the incident.
When presented with a picture of Daugherty, the patient identified him as the
person who assaulted her. This complaint was referred to the OIG for
investigation, the OIG requested that the FBI handle the investigation, and the
FBI referred to case to the Tahlequah Police Department. On July 27, 2000, the
Cherokee County District Attorney filed an information charging Daugherty with
sexual battery of the female patient. Daugherty alleges that defendant referred
this complaint to law enforcement authorities in retaliation for his appeal to the
MSPB.
Daugherty filed this action in the district court, seeking judicial review of
the MSPB's decision and also alleging that he was the victim of unlawful
employment discrimination because of his history of alcoholism and that
defendant retaliated against him for having filed an employment discrimination
claim. By minute order, the district court denied Daugherty's motion for partial
summary judgment on the administrative record. The court granted defendant's
motion for summary judgment on the discrimination claim, finding that Daugherty
"cannot establish a prima facie case of handicap discrimination because he cannot
demonstrate that he was a qualified handicapped individual . . . [because] [t]he
record demonstrates [Daugherty] was not discriminated against due to his
alcoholism and there were no vacant positions for which [he] was qualified to
which he could be reassigned." Order at 4-5, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 14-15.
Further, the court held that Daugherty had failed to establish a prima facie case of
retaliation.
Daugherty appeals, arguing (1) the Act is unconstitutional; (2) "the MSPB's
decision to apply a `per se' rule [is] contrary to the statutory provisions of [5]
U.S.C. 7701"; (3) "the agency [HHS] discriminate[d] against [Daugherty] based
upon a record of a disability by discharging [him] for having a prior conviction
which was alcohol related"; and (4) the district court erred in granting summary
judgment to HHS on Daugherty's discrimination and retaliation claims.
Appellant's Br. at 2. We affirm.
DISCUSSION
We review the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo,
applying the same standard as did the district court. Wells v. Shalala, 228 F.3d
1137, 1140 (10th Cir. 2000). Accordingly, in this mixed case we review the
challenged administrative determination by the MSPB under the same deferential
Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C. 7703©, standard as did the district
court. See Williams v. Rice, 983 F.2d 177, 180 (10th Cir. 1993). We therefore
must uphold the MSPB decisions unless we determine that it is: "(1) arbitrary,
capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law;
(2) obtained without procedures required by law, rule, or regulation having been
followed; or (3) unsupported by substantial evidence." Id. (quoting 5 U.S.C.
7703©). With respect to the discrimination claim, we determine whether the
district court properly granted summary judgment to HHS. Summary judgment is
appropriate if "there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and . . . the
moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56©.
Daugherty argues the MSPB's interpretation of the Act-that it contains a
"per se" rule disqualifying any employee in a covered position who has any prior
conviction for a "crime of violence"-renders the statute unconstitutional as
overly broad, a bill of attainder and an ex post facto law. We disagree.
Daugherty first asserts that he has a property interest in his continued
employment with the government, and that the MSPB's "per se" rule violates
"fundamental due process" and is "arbitrary and capricious." Appellant's Br. at
16. More specifically, he argues that a statute creating an irrebuttable
presumption that his prior criminal history makes him unfit for service in a
covered position violates "fundamental due process." As the Federal Circuit
recently noted in one of the cases consolidated before the MSPB with Daugherty's
case, "statutes creating conclusive presumptions are judged under the same due
process standards as other statutes." Delong, 264 F.3d at 1341 (citing Weinberger
v. Salfi, 422 U.S. 749 (1975)). "Where the statute at issue does not abridge a
fundamental right or discriminate against a suspect class, it is upheld if it `bear[s]
. . . [a] rational relation to a legitimate legislative goal' and is free of invidious
discrimination." Id. Daugherty cites no case supporting his implicit assertion
that he has a fundamental right to continued employment. Thus, the rational basis
test applies. See id. at 1342.
Daugherty argues the statute as interpreted by MSPB is overly broad, a bill
of attainder punishing him "without authorizing individualized administrative
adjudication of suitability," and an ex post facto law "retroactively disqualifying"
him from employment. Appellant's Br. at 17-18. Daugherty does not seriously
dispute that the Act is designed to further the government's legitimate interest in
protecting Indian children from abuse and violence. We agree with the Delong
court's analysis:
In creating the minimum standards of character set forth in 3207,
Congress created a bright line rule that anyone who has been
convicted of an enumerated crime may not serve in a covered
position. Like all bright line rules, 3207 is both over-inclusive and
under-inclusive, but the imprecision of the statute does not make it
unconstitutional.
Delong, 264 F.3d at 1343. We therefore reject Daugherty's argument that the Act
as construed by the MSPB and the district court is unconstitutional.(5)
Daugherty next argues that the MSPB's decision violated 5 U.S.C.
7701©(A) because it was not supported by substantial evidence. We disagree.
There is no dispute that the position of nurse was a covered position under the
Act. There is no serious dispute that Daugherty was convicted of assault and assault
with a sexual motive.(6) Rather, Daugherty's complaint is essentially the
same argument he made regarding the constitutionality of the Act: "both the
statute and the agency's own implementing instructions require a case by case
determination of whether the employee actually has regular contact with
children." Appellant's Br. at 22. His objection is therefore to the IHS's decision
that all clinical nurse positions at the Hastings Indian Hospital were covered
positions under the Act.
As we discussed above, the Act contemplates bright line rules. It does not
specify how an agency must determine what positions are covered positions, and
does not require individualized case-by-case determinations.(7) We conclude that
the MSPB's decision that Daugherty was lawfully removed under the Act was
supported by substantial evidence.
(5) We perceive no prohibited retroactive effect in the Act's operation.
Congress clearly intended the Act to apply to current employees and to have
agencies examine employees' current qualification to perform their jobs in light
of the record of their past conduct. There is nothing unconstitutional in that
intent. Moreover, the fact that the Act does not provide for individualized
determinations of whether a particular individual's job or past conduct is covered
or not by the Act is not necessarily unconstitutional:
Congress could rationally have concluded that the minimum
standards of character in 3207 would reduce the incidence of abuse
of Indian children at the hands of federal employees. Moreover,
given the difficulty of identifying employees who pose a threat to
Indian children, the choice of a blanket rule is justified in this case.
Delong, 264 F.3d at 1343.
(6) Daugherty suggests that there was insufficient evidence before the MSPB
that Daugherty had in fact been convicted by the military courts: "[Daugherty]
would note that the report of crimes consisted merely of handwritten notes."
Appellant's Br. at 21 n.2. As defendant points out, Daugherty admitted that he
had testified that he had been convicted of assault. Pl.'s Resp. in Opp'n to Def.'s
Mot. for Summ. J. at 4 6, Appellant's App. Vol. I at 130.
(7) Although Daugherty cites various internal memoranda and instructions
from the HHS to its officials which discuss case-by-case assessments of positions,
those memoranda do not contemplate case-by-case assessments of whether one
particular individual in a position is subject to the Act, where other particular
individuals in the same position in the same facility and work environment are
clearly subject to the Act. Moreover, those internal memoranda cannot alter the
wording of the Act itself.
Daugherty's remaining two arguments boil down to the assertion that the
district court erred in granting summary judgment to HHS on Daugherty's
discrimination and retaliation claims. We affirm the grant of summary judgment,
and we agree with the district court's conclusion that Daugherty failed to
establish a prima facie case of handicap discrimination because he failed to show
that he was a qualified handicapped individual. Daugherty was not qualified for
the position of nurse because the Act rendered him unfit. Further, the record
shows that there were no vacant positions for which he was qualified to which he
could have been assigned. We also agree with the district court that Daugherty
failed to establish a prima facie case of retaliation, for substantially the reasons
stated in the district court's opinion.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgments of the district court are
AFFIRMED.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getc...=case&no=027015
22nd MEU revs up, makes ready
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 2005810111337
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-- (Aug 2, 2005) -- It’s no secret to the Marines in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit that infantry squads are reliant upon their point man to make sure the road ahead of a patrol is from potential threats. The new point man for a patrol through Combat Town training area here Aug. 2 weighed in at 37 tons and provided unparalleled security. The Marines were practicing a technique called “tank integration,” which utilizes the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank in an urban patrol to beef up security for both the man and the machine.
The newly-assembled MEU consists of Marines formerly from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and the 2nd Tank Battalion, who are in the midst of working up and working together to prepare for deployment in the upcoming months.
Cpl. Ricky L. Cauthen, a 25 year-old squad leader with 1st platoon, 1st squad, explained the tank and the rifleman each have limitations, so working together to get the job done is an asset when it’s feasible.
“We have more security and firepower with the tank,” he said, “We may be a bigger target,” he said, noting it’s hard to miss a tank rolling through the streets with a squad in tow, “but nothing’s really going to hurt the tank. If they shoot at us, we’ll shoot back at them.”
Cpl. Derrick Farris sits in the gunner’s seat on the M-1 A1, and testified that the tank can have limited vision on its immediate flanks and upper vicinity when all four members of the crew are sealed tight inside.
“We give the tank security and eyes on the lower ground where they can’t see from up high. We also watch the rooftops,” said Cauthen.
With extra armor and firepower for the legs on the ground and extra eyes in the sky for the tank, this newfound alliance proved valuable to Pfc. Frank A. Schmidt, a Squad Automatic Weapons gunner.
“This is the first time we have done this kind of patrol,” he said, “we gained a lot of firepower in an urban environment. When we have to clear a building, the tank can blow a bigger hole so we don’t have to enter through a small door or window.”
“We also have much more protection behind the tank,” added Schmidt.
Riding the coattail of a tank gives the squad an instant extra 18 inches of armor between them and a frontal attack, but the benefits don’t stop there. The M-1 A1 brings multiple machine guns, including the .50 caliber, to the fight along with the 120mm Sabot tank round.
This monstrosity of a tank takes 10 hours of manpower maintenance for every hour of operation, and consumes 13 of its 500-plus gallons of gas upon ignition. It may seem like a high price to pay, but not when lives are on the line.
“It’s a lot of bang for your buck,” said LCpl. Robert E. Koehler of Anchorage, Alaska.
The presence of either riflemen or tanks individually can be intimidating to anyone on the wrong end of the muzzle. However, tanks and infantry together make an attack virtually unstoppable, said Koehler.
“You can basically use a tank to take the place of a couple fire teams of Marines. It’s a lot more menacing-looking, and just the appearance of the tank would make me think, ‘Uh, I’m not going to shoot at these guys’.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...12?OpenDocument
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 2005810111337
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.-- (Aug 2, 2005) -- It’s no secret to the Marines in the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit that infantry squads are reliant upon their point man to make sure the road ahead of a patrol is from potential threats. The new point man for a patrol through Combat Town training area here Aug. 2 weighed in at 37 tons and provided unparalleled security. The Marines were practicing a technique called “tank integration,” which utilizes the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank in an urban patrol to beef up security for both the man and the machine.
The newly-assembled MEU consists of Marines formerly from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and the 2nd Tank Battalion, who are in the midst of working up and working together to prepare for deployment in the upcoming months.
Cpl. Ricky L. Cauthen, a 25 year-old squad leader with 1st platoon, 1st squad, explained the tank and the rifleman each have limitations, so working together to get the job done is an asset when it’s feasible.
“We have more security and firepower with the tank,” he said, “We may be a bigger target,” he said, noting it’s hard to miss a tank rolling through the streets with a squad in tow, “but nothing’s really going to hurt the tank. If they shoot at us, we’ll shoot back at them.”
Cpl. Derrick Farris sits in the gunner’s seat on the M-1 A1, and testified that the tank can have limited vision on its immediate flanks and upper vicinity when all four members of the crew are sealed tight inside.
“We give the tank security and eyes on the lower ground where they can’t see from up high. We also watch the rooftops,” said Cauthen.
With extra armor and firepower for the legs on the ground and extra eyes in the sky for the tank, this newfound alliance proved valuable to Pfc. Frank A. Schmidt, a Squad Automatic Weapons gunner.
“This is the first time we have done this kind of patrol,” he said, “we gained a lot of firepower in an urban environment. When we have to clear a building, the tank can blow a bigger hole so we don’t have to enter through a small door or window.”
“We also have much more protection behind the tank,” added Schmidt.
Riding the coattail of a tank gives the squad an instant extra 18 inches of armor between them and a frontal attack, but the benefits don’t stop there. The M-1 A1 brings multiple machine guns, including the .50 caliber, to the fight along with the 120mm Sabot tank round.
This monstrosity of a tank takes 10 hours of manpower maintenance for every hour of operation, and consumes 13 of its 500-plus gallons of gas upon ignition. It may seem like a high price to pay, but not when lives are on the line.
“It’s a lot of bang for your buck,” said LCpl. Robert E. Koehler of Anchorage, Alaska.
The presence of either riflemen or tanks individually can be intimidating to anyone on the wrong end of the muzzle. However, tanks and infantry together make an attack virtually unstoppable, said Koehler.
“You can basically use a tank to take the place of a couple fire teams of Marines. It’s a lot more menacing-looking, and just the appearance of the tank would make me think, ‘Uh, I’m not going to shoot at these guys’.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...12?OpenDocument
Reunion to honor Harrier Marines past, present
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification #: 2005420145937
Story by Lance Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (April 20, 2005) -- The Marine Corps’ Harrier community is planning to hold a reunion June 17 through 19 at the Havelock Convention Center here.
The event, which takes place every four to five years, will include a Friday-night social hour, a fun run, a tour of some of the Station’s hangars and a formal dinner. On Sunday, there will be a memorial brunch and the veterans will once again part ways.
“Cherry Point is the spiritual home of the Harrier community,” said John Capito, former commanding officer of Marine Attack Training Squadron 203, and the president of the Harrier Reunion Association. “Almost all the Harrier pilots in the Marine Corps have, at some time, been stationed here. We would like to encourage both retired and all active duty Marines to come and participate in the reunion and discuss the present situation overseas and the role they and the Harriers have had in combat.”
The reunion is the fourth of its kind. The veterans are a mix of pilots, maintenance chiefs and technicians who have maintained a sense of camaraderie through the years.
“The Harrier community is a small and tight-knit group of Marines,” said Capito. “At the beginning, especially the 1970s, the Harrier was revolutionary. Its flight capabilities are really unique, but it has been under fire since the day it started flying.”
The Harrier was so controversial that the military flew it to the Nations’ Capitol and landed it safely on the mall- to prove to congress that the plane was worth the investment and would be a valuable asset for U.S. forces.
The primary mission of the AV-8B in the Marine Corps is to provide responsive close air support for ground forces. During Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Harrier saw extensive usage by the Marine Corps. Two detachments of 24 Harriers each flew from the amphibious assault ships USS Bataan and USS Bonhomme Richard, as stated on www.answers.com/topic/av-8-harrier-ii.
Harrier pilots and technicians continue their tradition of performing in extraordinary circumstances in Iraq and constantly training over the Cherry Point skies in order to better support the Marine with his boots on the ground.
“Among the guests may be retired test pilot John Farley,” said Capito. “He was one of the first Harrier pilots, and he took a Harrier up alongside the Alps climbing along the mountains. When you’re a young pilot and you watch something like that, it’s exciting, challenging and a lot of fun.”
The event may host up to six to seven general officers, who, alongside their former Marines, will honor all the Marines who have struggled together to keep the Harriers airborne and the Marines who work day and night on the Stations’ flight line to keep the Harrier a vital part of the Marine Corps’ aviation arsenal.
Anyone interested in the Harrier reunion can gather more information at www.harrierreunionassociation.org.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...d2?OpenDocument
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification #: 2005420145937
Story by Lance Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (April 20, 2005) -- The Marine Corps’ Harrier community is planning to hold a reunion June 17 through 19 at the Havelock Convention Center here.
The event, which takes place every four to five years, will include a Friday-night social hour, a fun run, a tour of some of the Station’s hangars and a formal dinner. On Sunday, there will be a memorial brunch and the veterans will once again part ways.
“Cherry Point is the spiritual home of the Harrier community,” said John Capito, former commanding officer of Marine Attack Training Squadron 203, and the president of the Harrier Reunion Association. “Almost all the Harrier pilots in the Marine Corps have, at some time, been stationed here. We would like to encourage both retired and all active duty Marines to come and participate in the reunion and discuss the present situation overseas and the role they and the Harriers have had in combat.”
The reunion is the fourth of its kind. The veterans are a mix of pilots, maintenance chiefs and technicians who have maintained a sense of camaraderie through the years.
“The Harrier community is a small and tight-knit group of Marines,” said Capito. “At the beginning, especially the 1970s, the Harrier was revolutionary. Its flight capabilities are really unique, but it has been under fire since the day it started flying.”
The Harrier was so controversial that the military flew it to the Nations’ Capitol and landed it safely on the mall- to prove to congress that the plane was worth the investment and would be a valuable asset for U.S. forces.
The primary mission of the AV-8B in the Marine Corps is to provide responsive close air support for ground forces. During Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Harrier saw extensive usage by the Marine Corps. Two detachments of 24 Harriers each flew from the amphibious assault ships USS Bataan and USS Bonhomme Richard, as stated on www.answers.com/topic/av-8-harrier-ii.
Harrier pilots and technicians continue their tradition of performing in extraordinary circumstances in Iraq and constantly training over the Cherry Point skies in order to better support the Marine with his boots on the ground.
“Among the guests may be retired test pilot John Farley,” said Capito. “He was one of the first Harrier pilots, and he took a Harrier up alongside the Alps climbing along the mountains. When you’re a young pilot and you watch something like that, it’s exciting, challenging and a lot of fun.”
The event may host up to six to seven general officers, who, alongside their former Marines, will honor all the Marines who have struggled together to keep the Harriers airborne and the Marines who work day and night on the Stations’ flight line to keep the Harrier a vital part of the Marine Corps’ aviation arsenal.
Anyone interested in the Harrier reunion can gather more information at www.harrierreunionassociation.org.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...d2?OpenDocument
Harrier pilot receives 2,000 flight hour patch
Submitted by: MCAS Yuma
Story Identification #: 200591153758
Story by Lance Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. (Aug. 27, 2005) -- Lt. Col. Robert Kuckuk, Marine Attack Squadron 311 commanding officer, was presented a flight patch and certificate by Col. Glenn Hoppe, Marine Aircraft Group 13’s former commanding officer, at the VMA-311 ready room here Aug. 11 for reaching the milestone of flying 2,000 harrier jet flight hours during a close air support mission over Ramadi, Iraq March 5.
The flight patch and certificate is awarded to pilots by Boeing, who manufactures the aircraft, to recognize them for achieving certain flight hours, said Kuckuk, a native of Madison, Wis. There is a patch given for 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 flight hours.
"A young captain or major should fly two-hundred fifty hours a year,” said Kuckuk. “A five-hundred hour pilot is doing alright. A thousand hour harrier pilot is recognized as someone who has experience and knows what he's talking about.”
Kuckuk said earning 1,000 flight hours may take few years, but 2,000 flight hours takes a much longer to achieve, because as time goes on, pilots have more responsibilities and less time to fly as they pick up rank.
Reaching 2,000 flight hours is an impressive accomplishment, said Maj. Bartt Green, VMA-311 aircraft maintenance officer and AV-8B Harrier pilot.
"It's a no-kidding (acknowledgement) for the amount of time a pilot has spent in the jet,” said Green, a Cincinnati native.
“It shows you're learning your aircraft and teaching new pilots about it,” added Kuckuk.
What makes the patch more significant in Kuckuk’s case is that harriers are flown for short periods of time, making it harder for pilots to accumulate flight hours, said Hoppe, an Ajo, Ariz., native.
"The mission of the Harrier is not long range,” Hoppe said. “It's a quick-strike flight."
“I flew four times one day and didn't break an hour,” he said. "Our normal sortie is about one hour. That means (Kuckuk) got in an aircraft and successfully completed a mission two-thousand times.”
On top of short flights, harriers are costly to operate, so pilots perform more flight simulator training, said Green.
"The maintenance hours on a harrier is pretty tough,” Green explained. “You need more maintenance hours per flight hours on the harrier than you would on (other aircraft), so generally a harrier pilot will have less hours."
"(Less than) 10 percent of Harrier pilots reach two-thousand flight hours," said Kuckuk.
However, Kuckuk stressed that the achievement is accomplished only by a matter of flying.
"If you stick around long enough to have the opportunity to go flying, soon enough you'll get yourself a 2,000 hour patch too," said Kuckuk.
Ever since he began flying 15 years ago, Kuckuk has had his head in the clouds flying the AV-8B Harrier, Harrier II, Harrier II Plus and the TA-V8B Harrier trainer.
Kuckuk said he always wanted to become a pilot as much as he wanted to become a Marine. He is currently the only pilot within VMA-311 to have the 2,000 flight hour patch.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,harrier
Submitted by: MCAS Yuma
Story Identification #: 200591153758
Story by Lance Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. (Aug. 27, 2005) -- Lt. Col. Robert Kuckuk, Marine Attack Squadron 311 commanding officer, was presented a flight patch and certificate by Col. Glenn Hoppe, Marine Aircraft Group 13’s former commanding officer, at the VMA-311 ready room here Aug. 11 for reaching the milestone of flying 2,000 harrier jet flight hours during a close air support mission over Ramadi, Iraq March 5.
The flight patch and certificate is awarded to pilots by Boeing, who manufactures the aircraft, to recognize them for achieving certain flight hours, said Kuckuk, a native of Madison, Wis. There is a patch given for 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 flight hours.
"A young captain or major should fly two-hundred fifty hours a year,” said Kuckuk. “A five-hundred hour pilot is doing alright. A thousand hour harrier pilot is recognized as someone who has experience and knows what he's talking about.”
Kuckuk said earning 1,000 flight hours may take few years, but 2,000 flight hours takes a much longer to achieve, because as time goes on, pilots have more responsibilities and less time to fly as they pick up rank.
Reaching 2,000 flight hours is an impressive accomplishment, said Maj. Bartt Green, VMA-311 aircraft maintenance officer and AV-8B Harrier pilot.
"It's a no-kidding (acknowledgement) for the amount of time a pilot has spent in the jet,” said Green, a Cincinnati native.
“It shows you're learning your aircraft and teaching new pilots about it,” added Kuckuk.
What makes the patch more significant in Kuckuk’s case is that harriers are flown for short periods of time, making it harder for pilots to accumulate flight hours, said Hoppe, an Ajo, Ariz., native.
"The mission of the Harrier is not long range,” Hoppe said. “It's a quick-strike flight."
“I flew four times one day and didn't break an hour,” he said. "Our normal sortie is about one hour. That means (Kuckuk) got in an aircraft and successfully completed a mission two-thousand times.”
On top of short flights, harriers are costly to operate, so pilots perform more flight simulator training, said Green.
"The maintenance hours on a harrier is pretty tough,” Green explained. “You need more maintenance hours per flight hours on the harrier than you would on (other aircraft), so generally a harrier pilot will have less hours."
"(Less than) 10 percent of Harrier pilots reach two-thousand flight hours," said Kuckuk.
However, Kuckuk stressed that the achievement is accomplished only by a matter of flying.
"If you stick around long enough to have the opportunity to go flying, soon enough you'll get yourself a 2,000 hour patch too," said Kuckuk.
Ever since he began flying 15 years ago, Kuckuk has had his head in the clouds flying the AV-8B Harrier, Harrier II, Harrier II Plus and the TA-V8B Harrier trainer.
Kuckuk said he always wanted to become a pilot as much as he wanted to become a Marine. He is currently the only pilot within VMA-311 to have the 2,000 flight hour patch.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,harrier
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/...s_Gulf_War.html
Breaking Ranks with the Gulf War
Michael Marsh
Over 2500 US soldiers filed for Conscientious Objector discharges during the Gulf War the fastest rise in CO applications in US history. The government reacted harshly to these applications. The Army, for a time, refused to accept many applications. The Marine Corps ignored their own CO processing regulations. All branches of the military imprisoned some Conscientious Objectors. In the end, nearly 100 COs were imprisoned. A couple of dozen are still there now.
Who they are...
Unlike the stereotype (white, middle-class, hippie), Gulf War Conscientious Objectors came from all walks of life. Most of the applicants were young enlisted personnel, 20 to 24 years old. A number were officers with ten or more years of military service. Ninety percent of the applicants were men, though there were a number of vocal and resourceful female resisters. African-American resisters comprised the largest ethnic group, but there were many white, Latino and Asian resisters also. Many CO applications were based on secular beliefs. Also represented were applications based on Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and other faiths.
Most of the COs had joined the military out of high school, drafted by the need for a job and financial aid for college. Encouraged by their recruiters, war was not something to worry about; the military was there to provide them with a job, training, travel, adventure and money for college. Many reservists were wrongly told that reservists were not sent to war. This isn't to say that young people enlisting were oblivious to the fact that soldiers carry guns. They knew this. Most, however, had never considered whether they could kill another human or not. Faced with combat training in boot camp, many realized that they had made a mistake by enlisting, but by then it was too late. The military had their signature, their agreement to take orders, for eight years each.
There were two things all resisters had in common. First, they all refused to take part in the slaughter of Iraqi children, women and men. Second, they had all survived a boot camp experience devised to brainwash them to kill or to support killing when ordered to do so.
Conscientious Objector laws in the USA
While enlistment contracts in the USA contain a provision barring conscientious objectors from joining, the military recognizes that some individuals' beliefs change after they sign a contract. As a result, each branch of the military has a regulation which offers discharges or reassignment to "noncombatant duty" to individuals who are morally, ethically or religiously opposed to all war. An individual's beliefs must have changed since their enlistment and their opposition must be to all war.
While the regulations appear straight-forward, there are many loopholes advantageous to the military. First, the interpretation of CO is a narrow one not recognizing objection to particular wars or types of war. Second, the processing of applications rests within an individual's command structure. Some commands refused to accept applications, some have taken a year or longer to process applications, and some have denied CO applications without legal justification. Third, all regulations allow the military to send most COs into combat situations, (just without arms), while their applications are being processed.
The resistance
Beginning with Marine Jeff Patterson's August refusal to board a plane bound for Saudi Arabia (Jeff sat on the tarmac and refused to get up), the military saw resistance within its ranks grow at a rate never seen before. Charges against Jeff were dropped and he was given an other-than-honorable (OTH) discharge, but not before a 20 October press conference where seven more soldiers publicly stated their refusal to fight in the Gulf.
By early December over 1,000 soldiers had filed CO discharge applications. The Marine Corps was hit especially hard by the number of resisters. In the Bronx, NY, first five and later seven members of a single Company of 150 soldiers filed for CO discharges. By the end of December, the Army was experiencing problems of its own. In Germany over 40 US soldiers applied for CO status. Pressed for troops and striking back at the resisters, on 28 December the Army handcuffed and forcibly deployed Specialist David Carson. David and at least seven other Army soldiers, all with pending CO discharge applications, were forcibly deployed from Germany to Saudi Arabia. Due to public pressure, charges were never filed against them.
With the arrival of call-up notices at the homes of 30,000 Individual Ready Reservists in mid-January, a whole new wave of military resisters was born. Dozens of churches declared themselves sanctuary for COs. University Baptist Church in Seattle, University Lutheran Chapel in Berkeley and the Riverside Church in New York City took leading roles in harboring COs. Joining the effort to protect military COs, Amnesty International recognized Sgt George Morse at Ft Riley, Kansas, as a "prisoner of conscience" their first recognition of a prisoner in the USA since 1987. AI now recognizes 28 imprisoned COs as individuals whose human rights the US government has infringed.
At the time of writing in November, we are only a few weeks away from the introduction of some legislation in Congress to protect conscientious objectors. The first piece of legislation would establish a review process for COs who were unjustly treated during the Gulf War. The second would significantly revise the CO regulations to allow for selective objection and establish strict timelines by which the military would have to process CO applications. While this is an uphill battle, many organizations are pushing for it to become law.
We all are deeply indebted to the COs in the military. Often with little hope of avoiding jail, they spoke out against US military intervention and set a positive example for other soldiers to follow. Our task is to fight for their release from prison and to work to ensure that US military forces are never used offensively again.
Breaking Ranks with the Gulf War
Michael Marsh
Over 2500 US soldiers filed for Conscientious Objector discharges during the Gulf War the fastest rise in CO applications in US history. The government reacted harshly to these applications. The Army, for a time, refused to accept many applications. The Marine Corps ignored their own CO processing regulations. All branches of the military imprisoned some Conscientious Objectors. In the end, nearly 100 COs were imprisoned. A couple of dozen are still there now.
Who they are...
Unlike the stereotype (white, middle-class, hippie), Gulf War Conscientious Objectors came from all walks of life. Most of the applicants were young enlisted personnel, 20 to 24 years old. A number were officers with ten or more years of military service. Ninety percent of the applicants were men, though there were a number of vocal and resourceful female resisters. African-American resisters comprised the largest ethnic group, but there were many white, Latino and Asian resisters also. Many CO applications were based on secular beliefs. Also represented were applications based on Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and other faiths.
Most of the COs had joined the military out of high school, drafted by the need for a job and financial aid for college. Encouraged by their recruiters, war was not something to worry about; the military was there to provide them with a job, training, travel, adventure and money for college. Many reservists were wrongly told that reservists were not sent to war. This isn't to say that young people enlisting were oblivious to the fact that soldiers carry guns. They knew this. Most, however, had never considered whether they could kill another human or not. Faced with combat training in boot camp, many realized that they had made a mistake by enlisting, but by then it was too late. The military had their signature, their agreement to take orders, for eight years each.
There were two things all resisters had in common. First, they all refused to take part in the slaughter of Iraqi children, women and men. Second, they had all survived a boot camp experience devised to brainwash them to kill or to support killing when ordered to do so.
Conscientious Objector laws in the USA
While enlistment contracts in the USA contain a provision barring conscientious objectors from joining, the military recognizes that some individuals' beliefs change after they sign a contract. As a result, each branch of the military has a regulation which offers discharges or reassignment to "noncombatant duty" to individuals who are morally, ethically or religiously opposed to all war. An individual's beliefs must have changed since their enlistment and their opposition must be to all war.
While the regulations appear straight-forward, there are many loopholes advantageous to the military. First, the interpretation of CO is a narrow one not recognizing objection to particular wars or types of war. Second, the processing of applications rests within an individual's command structure. Some commands refused to accept applications, some have taken a year or longer to process applications, and some have denied CO applications without legal justification. Third, all regulations allow the military to send most COs into combat situations, (just without arms), while their applications are being processed.
The resistance
Beginning with Marine Jeff Patterson's August refusal to board a plane bound for Saudi Arabia (Jeff sat on the tarmac and refused to get up), the military saw resistance within its ranks grow at a rate never seen before. Charges against Jeff were dropped and he was given an other-than-honorable (OTH) discharge, but not before a 20 October press conference where seven more soldiers publicly stated their refusal to fight in the Gulf.
By early December over 1,000 soldiers had filed CO discharge applications. The Marine Corps was hit especially hard by the number of resisters. In the Bronx, NY, first five and later seven members of a single Company of 150 soldiers filed for CO discharges. By the end of December, the Army was experiencing problems of its own. In Germany over 40 US soldiers applied for CO status. Pressed for troops and striking back at the resisters, on 28 December the Army handcuffed and forcibly deployed Specialist David Carson. David and at least seven other Army soldiers, all with pending CO discharge applications, were forcibly deployed from Germany to Saudi Arabia. Due to public pressure, charges were never filed against them.
With the arrival of call-up notices at the homes of 30,000 Individual Ready Reservists in mid-January, a whole new wave of military resisters was born. Dozens of churches declared themselves sanctuary for COs. University Baptist Church in Seattle, University Lutheran Chapel in Berkeley and the Riverside Church in New York City took leading roles in harboring COs. Joining the effort to protect military COs, Amnesty International recognized Sgt George Morse at Ft Riley, Kansas, as a "prisoner of conscience" their first recognition of a prisoner in the USA since 1987. AI now recognizes 28 imprisoned COs as individuals whose human rights the US government has infringed.
At the time of writing in November, we are only a few weeks away from the introduction of some legislation in Congress to protect conscientious objectors. The first piece of legislation would establish a review process for COs who were unjustly treated during the Gulf War. The second would significantly revise the CO regulations to allow for selective objection and establish strict timelines by which the military would have to process CO applications. While this is an uphill battle, many organizations are pushing for it to become law.
We all are deeply indebted to the COs in the military. Often with little hope of avoiding jail, they spoke out against US military intervention and set a positive example for other soldiers to follow. Our task is to fight for their release from prison and to work to ensure that US military forces are never used offensively again.
San Diego Chargers recognize SoCal service members
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 20059817220
Story by Sgt. Monroe Seigle
SAN DIEGO (Sept. 8, 2005) -- U.S. service members from southern California's various military units were recognized for their service during a military appreciation ceremony at a preseason San Diego Chargers football game at Qualcomm Stadium Sept. 1.
Among those in attendance were hundreds of Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Prior to kickoff, a handful of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans were brought on the field and given plaques in honor of their service in the Middle East.
The award recipients were met with a lengthy standing ovation from the thousands of people in Qualcomm's stands.
"I do not think that I deserve all this recognition, but nonetheless, I appreciate it," said Sgt. P.J. O'Malley, an amphibious assault vehicle mechanic with Camp Pendleton's 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.
"It was great," said O'Malley. "My Marines and I all loved being able to come to a free football game."
Following the awards ceremony, the entire stadium went hauntingly quiet during a moment of silence for those who made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
"We all support our troops," said Chargers tight end Duncan Reid. "We are all glad to see them here. They deserve all the recognition in the world."
Nearly 200 Marines, sailors and other service members spread a football field-sized American flag across the field while Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Sarah Janiak of the Navy Band sang the National Anthem.
Brig. Gen. David G. Reist, commanding general of the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Force Service Support Group, monitored the coin toss. After the toss, football fans were treated to a flyover of Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters.
Throughout the game, the Marines and other service members found themselves swarmed by appreciative football fans in the stands.
The game's halftime show included a performance of the Marine Band from MCAS Miramar.
The OIF veterans, some of whom were wounded in combat, were again introduced over the stadium's loudspeakers and thanked for their service and sacrifice. The Marines' introduction was met by an applauding audience.
"I never realized how much people appreciate what we do out there," said O'Malley. "This let us realize just how much people support us."
As the Marines left the field, fireworks exploded above the stadium.
Before the game's end, the Marines and other service members were once again applauded and thanked for their sacrifices made during OIF.
"I have all the respect and admiration for the troops," said Chargers safety Richard Yancy. "They protect our country and there is a lot to be said about that."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....0D?opendocument
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 20059817220
Story by Sgt. Monroe Seigle
SAN DIEGO (Sept. 8, 2005) -- U.S. service members from southern California's various military units were recognized for their service during a military appreciation ceremony at a preseason San Diego Chargers football game at Qualcomm Stadium Sept. 1.
Among those in attendance were hundreds of Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Prior to kickoff, a handful of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans were brought on the field and given plaques in honor of their service in the Middle East.
The award recipients were met with a lengthy standing ovation from the thousands of people in Qualcomm's stands.
"I do not think that I deserve all this recognition, but nonetheless, I appreciate it," said Sgt. P.J. O'Malley, an amphibious assault vehicle mechanic with Camp Pendleton's 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.
"It was great," said O'Malley. "My Marines and I all loved being able to come to a free football game."
Following the awards ceremony, the entire stadium went hauntingly quiet during a moment of silence for those who made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
"We all support our troops," said Chargers tight end Duncan Reid. "We are all glad to see them here. They deserve all the recognition in the world."
Nearly 200 Marines, sailors and other service members spread a football field-sized American flag across the field while Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Sarah Janiak of the Navy Band sang the National Anthem.
Brig. Gen. David G. Reist, commanding general of the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Force Service Support Group, monitored the coin toss. After the toss, football fans were treated to a flyover of Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters.
Throughout the game, the Marines and other service members found themselves swarmed by appreciative football fans in the stands.
The game's halftime show included a performance of the Marine Band from MCAS Miramar.
The OIF veterans, some of whom were wounded in combat, were again introduced over the stadium's loudspeakers and thanked for their service and sacrifice. The Marines' introduction was met by an applauding audience.
"I never realized how much people appreciate what we do out there," said O'Malley. "This let us realize just how much people support us."
As the Marines left the field, fireworks exploded above the stadium.
Before the game's end, the Marines and other service members were once again applauded and thanked for their sacrifices made during OIF.
"I have all the respect and admiration for the troops," said Chargers safety Richard Yancy. "They protect our country and there is a lot to be said about that."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....0D?opendocument
May his ghosts be put to rest. 
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05228/554451.stm
Marine bears up under Iraq's horrors, but cracks at home
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
By Tony Norman
In happier times, Daniel B. Cotnoir of Lawrence, Mass., was named 2005 Marine of the Year. He won that honor by the sweat of his brow in the killing fields of Iraq, picking up the body parts and personal effects of comrades moments after their last breath had been ripped from them by explosions that seemed to come out of nowhere.
The cry of the Marines is "No one left behind," a credo that military morticians like Dan Cotnoir took more literally than most. Following the sound of improvised roadside explosions with gloves and a shovel is heartbreaking work, but it wasn't Dan Cotnoir's place to complain. He was a Jarhead, a leatherneck for whom uncommon valor was a common virtue.
More than once, Dan Cotnoir squared his shoulders when called upon to do his duty. After saluting the dead, he took deep breaths before separating the remains of soldiers from twisted wreckage. He took care to sort through the soot of extinguished fires for every piece of flesh and bone. No one would be left behind in Iraq if Dan Cotnoir could help it.
Marine sergeant Cotnoir and his comrades assured each other over beer and card games stateside that they weren't welcome in Heaven and Hell was afraid they'd take over. The problem was that nobody bothered to tell Heaven or Hell that the USMC was off limits. Death came regularly and with a spiteful impunity that couldn't be imagined before it was experienced first hand.
In boot camp, Dan Cotnoir learned the classic definition of his role in the USMC. He was to be a "leader of men, teller of tall tales, legend in his own mind, U.S. Marine extraordinaire, stream fordable, air dropable, beer fueled, water cooled, author, history maker, lecturer, traveler, freedom fighter, defender of the faith."
The rest of the boast, though equally cartoonish, is considered nothing short of gospel for the USMC: "Wars fought, tigers tamed, revolutions started, bars emptied, alligators castrated. Let me win your hearts and minds or I'll burn your damn hut down."
After boot camp, the world and all of its complicated realities came rushing in. Tight-knit Marine units suffered casualties just like other branches of the military. Still, everyone fell back on their training to deal with the trauma. "Marines never die," those who could draw breath chanted between tears, "They just go to Hell and regroup."
Walking in the fields and craters of the dead, Daniel B. Cotnoir kept stumbling over pieces of his indestructible comrades.
"It's a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it," Cotnoir told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in July when he received the designation as 2005 Marine of the Year in Washington, D.C., after beating out a field of 180,000 candidates for the honor.
"The stories I've gained from my deployment aren't the kind of stories you share," he said.
Cotnoir wasn't being coy. He carried the things he saw in Iraq the way Coleridge's Ancient Mariner wore the albatross around his neck. In therapy, the Marine struggled with recurring images of shattered comrades and other ghosts from the war.
Ironically, a bit of gallows humor made famous by the Marines sums up Cotnoir's situation well: "If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation."
According to his lawyer, the 2005 Marine of the Year had been having a difficult time holding it together since returning from Iraq. It doesn't help that he felt harassed by noisy customers at a nearby club. Living next to a nightclub presented unique challenges for the Marine and his family.
Early Saturday morning, something finally snapped for the 33-year-old Marine. Before he knew it, Daniel B. Cotnoir was bringing a little bit of Fallujah and Tikrit to the home-front in Lawrence, Mass.
Standing at his window holding a shotgun at 2:45 a.m., the veteran war hero opened fire on a crowd of 30 or so drunken revelers outside the Punto Finale nightclub.
Fortunately for Cotnoir and the folks who scattered into the night, he was not a decorated sniper. Bullet fragments ricocheted, hitting 15-year-old Lissette Cumba and Kelvin Castro, 20, neither of whom was in a very forgiving mood when told of the Marine's mental state.
Cotnoir said he did it because someone threw a bottle through his window, causing him to fear for his family's safety. That didn't stop the cops from slapping the cuffs on him and hauling him to jail for reckless endangerment.
Yesterday, the 2005 Marine of the Year was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to murder. His bail has been set at $100,000.
Unfortunately, Daniel B. Cotnoir will have time to think about another favorite quote of the USMC: "Never draw fire. It irritates everyone around you." Sitting in jail probably won't do much for the ghosts visiting him in his sleep, either.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05228/554451.stm
Marine bears up under Iraq's horrors, but cracks at home
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
By Tony Norman
In happier times, Daniel B. Cotnoir of Lawrence, Mass., was named 2005 Marine of the Year. He won that honor by the sweat of his brow in the killing fields of Iraq, picking up the body parts and personal effects of comrades moments after their last breath had been ripped from them by explosions that seemed to come out of nowhere.
The cry of the Marines is "No one left behind," a credo that military morticians like Dan Cotnoir took more literally than most. Following the sound of improvised roadside explosions with gloves and a shovel is heartbreaking work, but it wasn't Dan Cotnoir's place to complain. He was a Jarhead, a leatherneck for whom uncommon valor was a common virtue.
More than once, Dan Cotnoir squared his shoulders when called upon to do his duty. After saluting the dead, he took deep breaths before separating the remains of soldiers from twisted wreckage. He took care to sort through the soot of extinguished fires for every piece of flesh and bone. No one would be left behind in Iraq if Dan Cotnoir could help it.
Marine sergeant Cotnoir and his comrades assured each other over beer and card games stateside that they weren't welcome in Heaven and Hell was afraid they'd take over. The problem was that nobody bothered to tell Heaven or Hell that the USMC was off limits. Death came regularly and with a spiteful impunity that couldn't be imagined before it was experienced first hand.
In boot camp, Dan Cotnoir learned the classic definition of his role in the USMC. He was to be a "leader of men, teller of tall tales, legend in his own mind, U.S. Marine extraordinaire, stream fordable, air dropable, beer fueled, water cooled, author, history maker, lecturer, traveler, freedom fighter, defender of the faith."
The rest of the boast, though equally cartoonish, is considered nothing short of gospel for the USMC: "Wars fought, tigers tamed, revolutions started, bars emptied, alligators castrated. Let me win your hearts and minds or I'll burn your damn hut down."
After boot camp, the world and all of its complicated realities came rushing in. Tight-knit Marine units suffered casualties just like other branches of the military. Still, everyone fell back on their training to deal with the trauma. "Marines never die," those who could draw breath chanted between tears, "They just go to Hell and regroup."
Walking in the fields and craters of the dead, Daniel B. Cotnoir kept stumbling over pieces of his indestructible comrades.
"It's a lot harder to talk about the job now than it was at the time to actually do it," Cotnoir told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune in July when he received the designation as 2005 Marine of the Year in Washington, D.C., after beating out a field of 180,000 candidates for the honor.
"The stories I've gained from my deployment aren't the kind of stories you share," he said.
Cotnoir wasn't being coy. He carried the things he saw in Iraq the way Coleridge's Ancient Mariner wore the albatross around his neck. In therapy, the Marine struggled with recurring images of shattered comrades and other ghosts from the war.
Ironically, a bit of gallows humor made famous by the Marines sums up Cotnoir's situation well: "If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you may have misjudged the situation."
According to his lawyer, the 2005 Marine of the Year had been having a difficult time holding it together since returning from Iraq. It doesn't help that he felt harassed by noisy customers at a nearby club. Living next to a nightclub presented unique challenges for the Marine and his family.
Early Saturday morning, something finally snapped for the 33-year-old Marine. Before he knew it, Daniel B. Cotnoir was bringing a little bit of Fallujah and Tikrit to the home-front in Lawrence, Mass.
Standing at his window holding a shotgun at 2:45 a.m., the veteran war hero opened fire on a crowd of 30 or so drunken revelers outside the Punto Finale nightclub.
Fortunately for Cotnoir and the folks who scattered into the night, he was not a decorated sniper. Bullet fragments ricocheted, hitting 15-year-old Lissette Cumba and Kelvin Castro, 20, neither of whom was in a very forgiving mood when told of the Marine's mental state.
Cotnoir said he did it because someone threw a bottle through his window, causing him to fear for his family's safety. That didn't stop the cops from slapping the cuffs on him and hauling him to jail for reckless endangerment.
Yesterday, the 2005 Marine of the Year was arraigned on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to murder. His bail has been set at $100,000.
Unfortunately, Daniel B. Cotnoir will have time to think about another favorite quote of the USMC: "Never draw fire. It irritates everyone around you." Sitting in jail probably won't do much for the ghosts visiting him in his sleep, either.
Ghost, you picked one of my favorite Columnist, Tony Norman.
Man, I'll tell you what, I like reporters who tell it like it is. It don't matter to him if the president is a republican or a democrat. America needs more newsmen like him.
For you enjoyment here's some of my favorite articles he wrote over the years.
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980203norman.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980217btony5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980821tony5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19990119tony1.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19981030tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19990330tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20000411tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20001003tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20010119tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...ny107col2p6.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...2tony1022p5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...8tony0318p5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...5tony0905p1.asp
Man, so many GOOD stories, so little time to read them again. Do yourself a favor and start reading his column every week. It's give you a better outlook on life.
Man, I'll tell you what, I like reporters who tell it like it is. It don't matter to him if the president is a republican or a democrat. America needs more newsmen like him.
For you enjoyment here's some of my favorite articles he wrote over the years.
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980203norman.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980217btony5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19980821tony5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19990119tony1.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19981030tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/19990330tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20000411tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20001003tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20010119tony.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...ny107col2p6.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...2tony1022p5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...8tony0318p5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...5tony0905p1.asp
Man, so many GOOD stories, so little time to read them again. Do yourself a favor and start reading his column every week. It's give you a better outlook on life.
1/8 huh, I did a little time in 1/8. 4th Amtraks ought to put this relief effort into high gear.
1/8, 4th AAV settles in Michoud to aid hurricane victims
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 2005999578
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 9, 2005) -- Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force Katrina planted their boots in New Orleans Sept. 3 to react to Louisiana’s natural disaster. Only a one day later, the SPMAGTF grew a branch in eastern New Orleans, which became the new home of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion.
The Marines are shacking up at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility with just enough service support, including mechanics and communicators, to conduct regular patrols into assigned sectors of the city in search of survivors and maintain operations in the rear. The convenient combination of the Assault Amphibian Vehicles with grunts in tow makes almost any search and rescue mission within the capabilities of the teams.
Each day, a convoy of AAV’s takes to the streets of New Orleans to primarily recover evacuees and provide humanitarian assistance. All personnel pulled from the wreckage are turned over to civilian authorities to be further evacuated from Katrina’s damage. The Marines are also continuously working to improve the surrounding area through clean-ups and minute rebuilding efforts.
The deployment of United States Marines and activation of reserve units is part of a federally-sanctioned program to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...89?opendocument
1/8, 4th AAV settles in Michoud to aid hurricane victims
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 2005999578
Story by Sgt. Tracee L. Jackson
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 9, 2005) -- Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force Katrina planted their boots in New Orleans Sept. 3 to react to Louisiana’s natural disaster. Only a one day later, the SPMAGTF grew a branch in eastern New Orleans, which became the new home of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion.
The Marines are shacking up at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility with just enough service support, including mechanics and communicators, to conduct regular patrols into assigned sectors of the city in search of survivors and maintain operations in the rear. The convenient combination of the Assault Amphibian Vehicles with grunts in tow makes almost any search and rescue mission within the capabilities of the teams.
Each day, a convoy of AAV’s takes to the streets of New Orleans to primarily recover evacuees and provide humanitarian assistance. All personnel pulled from the wreckage are turned over to civilian authorities to be further evacuated from Katrina’s damage. The Marines are also continuously working to improve the surrounding area through clean-ups and minute rebuilding efforts.
The deployment of United States Marines and activation of reserve units is part of a federally-sanctioned program to provide humanitarian assistance to thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...89?opendocument
http://www.mfso.org/article.php?id=62
From a Marine Veteran
From a Marine Veteran: My son has recently returned from his second combat deployment with the USMC in Iraq. I can only imagine what he faced over there every day of both deployments and I know that those experiences will be with him forever. Even though he made it back to us safe and sound, I still check the casualty list every day to keep this terrible war at the forefront of my thoughts and to spend a few moments thinking of those brave Americans who have given their lives so gallantly while the "armchair patriots" back home barely give them more than a passing thought. To so many in the United States these heroes are casualties of war. To those of us who have served in the Armed Forces and whose loved ones are serving now, this war and the terrible losses we've suffered so far are a constant reminder of how those who never put themselves in harm's way are always the ones to send others to fight and die. Not only are they protected from the grim realities of their misbegotten war, they even go a s far as to ensure that the majority of the people here in the United States only see a cleaned-up version of the toll this war is taking on our family members. If the right wing conservatives who gave Bush his "mandate" to carry on with this lunacy could see the devastation of human lives and families that is occurring each day, they would surely think differently. It is so much easier to send our brave troops off to war when we can't see the results up close. Every flight bearing our military dead should arrive at Dover Air Base in the middle of the day with the media giving these fallen heroes the honor and recognition they deserve. Pre-empt the game shows, soap operas, and home improvement shows and encourage people to watch in silence what their arrogant President has caused with his lies. Every military funeral should be covered by the media and attended by the members of Congress in whose district these heroes once lived. Only when every American shares in the losses suffered by the families who have made the ultimate sacrifice of a precious loved one will there be a great uprising of conscience that will bring our troops back home to the lives and families they were meant to enjoy. Hiding the truth brought this war to our families. Only baring the truth can end it. Semper Fidelis. Bob Tanner, USMC, 1971-1973
From a Marine Veteran
From a Marine Veteran: My son has recently returned from his second combat deployment with the USMC in Iraq. I can only imagine what he faced over there every day of both deployments and I know that those experiences will be with him forever. Even though he made it back to us safe and sound, I still check the casualty list every day to keep this terrible war at the forefront of my thoughts and to spend a few moments thinking of those brave Americans who have given their lives so gallantly while the "armchair patriots" back home barely give them more than a passing thought. To so many in the United States these heroes are casualties of war. To those of us who have served in the Armed Forces and whose loved ones are serving now, this war and the terrible losses we've suffered so far are a constant reminder of how those who never put themselves in harm's way are always the ones to send others to fight and die. Not only are they protected from the grim realities of their misbegotten war, they even go a s far as to ensure that the majority of the people here in the United States only see a cleaned-up version of the toll this war is taking on our family members. If the right wing conservatives who gave Bush his "mandate" to carry on with this lunacy could see the devastation of human lives and families that is occurring each day, they would surely think differently. It is so much easier to send our brave troops off to war when we can't see the results up close. Every flight bearing our military dead should arrive at Dover Air Base in the middle of the day with the media giving these fallen heroes the honor and recognition they deserve. Pre-empt the game shows, soap operas, and home improvement shows and encourage people to watch in silence what their arrogant President has caused with his lies. Every military funeral should be covered by the media and attended by the members of Congress in whose district these heroes once lived. Only when every American shares in the losses suffered by the families who have made the ultimate sacrifice of a precious loved one will there be a great uprising of conscience that will bring our troops back home to the lives and families they were meant to enjoy. Hiding the truth brought this war to our families. Only baring the truth can end it. Semper Fidelis. Bob Tanner, USMC, 1971-1973
Anti-Terrorism Bn. welcomes task force home from successful first mission
Submitted by: 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism)
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Sharon E. Fox
Story Identification #: 200599111758
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Sept. 6, 2005) -- The Marines of Alpha Co., Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (AT) returned Sept. 6 from their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the battalion’s first combat mission after its activation in October of last year.
“This is one of many significant milestones for [AT Bn]. We’re inside a year of activation and we’ve already returned our first deploying force and are getting ready to deploy the rest of the battalion,” said Lt. Col. Michael P. Killion, AT Bn. commanding officer. “They did a great job, even with personnel, gear shortages and all the difficulties associated with activation. We’re happy to have them back.”
Approximately 125 Marines and Sailors deployed to Baghdad, Iraq to provide physical security and a Quick Reaction Force for the U.S. Embassy on March 9. The mission, known as Marine Corps Central Command Security Force - Baghdad, required the company to work with the Department of State's Regional Security Officer to provide 24-hour perimeter security and to control access to the compound. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is the largest American embassy in the world. More than 5,000 American, coalition-partner and third-country national personnel are employed on the compound. Also, more than 2,000 local nationals work on the compound on a daily basis.
While in Baghdad, the company was assigned to the Army’s 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
“Mission complete,” said 1st Sgt. George S. Sanchez, A Co. 1st Sgt., At Bn. “[The Marines] did superbly. We had kudos from the ambassador, the state department, the army, and no problems or worries whatsoever. We were actually able to do some patrolling along the Karrada Peninsula and accomplished more than the mission requirement. I’m very proud of these guys. They did very well.”
Alpha Co. had to coordinate and integrate their security tasks with various military and civilian security agencies, often working simultaneously with up to five separate organizations during each contingency. During the six-month deployment, the company responded to more than forty contingencies that ranged from negligent behavior to possible vehicle-born-improvised-explosive devices, according to Capt. John D. Knutson, commanding officer of the task force.
“The Marines left a positive impression with the Department of State and other government agencies. The company was praised daily for its professionalism and proficiency. During their tenure, they made measurable improvements to the security of the embassy through the reconstruction of two existing checkpoints and the design and secured funding of a third,” added Knutson. “The improvements have led to a reduction of force requirement while increasing the level of protection through more efficient use of weapons and sound emergency response plans.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....2c?OpenDocument
Submitted by: 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism)
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Sharon E. Fox
Story Identification #: 200599111758
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Sept. 6, 2005) -- The Marines of Alpha Co., Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (AT) returned Sept. 6 from their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the battalion’s first combat mission after its activation in October of last year.
“This is one of many significant milestones for [AT Bn]. We’re inside a year of activation and we’ve already returned our first deploying force and are getting ready to deploy the rest of the battalion,” said Lt. Col. Michael P. Killion, AT Bn. commanding officer. “They did a great job, even with personnel, gear shortages and all the difficulties associated with activation. We’re happy to have them back.”
Approximately 125 Marines and Sailors deployed to Baghdad, Iraq to provide physical security and a Quick Reaction Force for the U.S. Embassy on March 9. The mission, known as Marine Corps Central Command Security Force - Baghdad, required the company to work with the Department of State's Regional Security Officer to provide 24-hour perimeter security and to control access to the compound. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is the largest American embassy in the world. More than 5,000 American, coalition-partner and third-country national personnel are employed on the compound. Also, more than 2,000 local nationals work on the compound on a daily basis.
While in Baghdad, the company was assigned to the Army’s 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.
“Mission complete,” said 1st Sgt. George S. Sanchez, A Co. 1st Sgt., At Bn. “[The Marines] did superbly. We had kudos from the ambassador, the state department, the army, and no problems or worries whatsoever. We were actually able to do some patrolling along the Karrada Peninsula and accomplished more than the mission requirement. I’m very proud of these guys. They did very well.”
Alpha Co. had to coordinate and integrate their security tasks with various military and civilian security agencies, often working simultaneously with up to five separate organizations during each contingency. During the six-month deployment, the company responded to more than forty contingencies that ranged from negligent behavior to possible vehicle-born-improvised-explosive devices, according to Capt. John D. Knutson, commanding officer of the task force.
“The Marines left a positive impression with the Department of State and other government agencies. The company was praised daily for its professionalism and proficiency. During their tenure, they made measurable improvements to the security of the embassy through the reconstruction of two existing checkpoints and the design and secured funding of a third,” added Knutson. “The improvements have led to a reduction of force requirement while increasing the level of protection through more efficient use of weapons and sound emergency response plans.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....2c?OpenDocument
Soldiers Told to Stop Defacing Pictures of Saddam
CIA Working Diligently to Tell Despots from Duplicates
Submitted by: Frank Enbeans Staff Writer
SOUTHERN IRAQ (WI) — As part of the struggle to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein and his dictatorial regime, coalition forces have taken on the burdensome task of removing and defacing portraits and likenesses of Saddam that stand in their way.
Earlier this week, the symbolic operation was halted when a new Pentagon intelligence report threw a monkey wrench into the American public relations machine. According to that report, many of the portraits of Saddam littered throughout Iraq may actually be portraits of his numerous body doubles.
With unit morale sagging after fierce fighting, Coalition forces were disappointed further by the news that they would have to cease drawing sillier moustaches over pictures of Saddam's already silly one. It was understood by all, however, that it would be necessary to verify which pictures were actually of Saddam so that the wrong men did not get defaced.
"We humbly apologize for any emotional or psychological damage we may have done to Saddam's body doubles. This war is not against you, the innocent body doubles of Iraq. It is against the brutal dictator after whom your faces were surgically modeled," reiterated John Abizaid, Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command.
According to Pentagon sources, those pictures and statues determined to be of Saddam's look-alikes will immediately be restored to their pseudo-narcissistic splendor.
CIA Working Diligently to Tell Despots from Duplicates
Submitted by: Frank Enbeans Staff Writer
SOUTHERN IRAQ (WI) — As part of the struggle to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein and his dictatorial regime, coalition forces have taken on the burdensome task of removing and defacing portraits and likenesses of Saddam that stand in their way.
Earlier this week, the symbolic operation was halted when a new Pentagon intelligence report threw a monkey wrench into the American public relations machine. According to that report, many of the portraits of Saddam littered throughout Iraq may actually be portraits of his numerous body doubles.
With unit morale sagging after fierce fighting, Coalition forces were disappointed further by the news that they would have to cease drawing sillier moustaches over pictures of Saddam's already silly one. It was understood by all, however, that it would be necessary to verify which pictures were actually of Saddam so that the wrong men did not get defaced.
"We humbly apologize for any emotional or psychological damage we may have done to Saddam's body doubles. This war is not against you, the innocent body doubles of Iraq. It is against the brutal dictator after whom your faces were surgically modeled," reiterated John Abizaid, Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command.
According to Pentagon sources, those pictures and statues determined to be of Saddam's look-alikes will immediately be restored to their pseudo-narcissistic splendor.
No guilt trip - Vets validated my service
By: Cpl. Jess Levens
Id #: 20057818617
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 8, 2005) -- In the July 1 issue of the Chevron, we published a story I wrote about wounded vets visiting New York and running an inspirational race, and I must say this was one of my more fluffy assignments. Four days in the Big Apple and only about four hours of actual work - what I didn't understand was the magnitude of the trip, and I wasn't ready for the warm reception.
The Marines and sailors I went with are wounded veterans stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego, or Balboa for short. Most of them are my age, 22, or younger, and they have already sacrificed more than I ever could - the crutches, screws piercing flesh and leg braces clued me in immediately. But they seemed to be a hardy bunch, so we boarded the cold C-130 for the cross-country flight. On the flight, when I couldn't sleep, I people-watched. I looked around to see who had what injuries, and to my surprise, I caught more smiles than winces.
We landed in New York, about 100 miles from NYC, and we were greeted by firefighters. That's right, FDNY. Apparently, they volunteered to chauffer us around for the weekend. Greeted with smiles and firm handshakes, we boarded vans and drove into the city with police escorts. Our driver was a burly fellow named Steve - white flattop and a diehard Mets fan.
The New York police acting as escorts were a sight to behold as they wove in and out of traffic, sirens blaring, fishtailing in front of cars to give us safe passage. If the NYPD moved to Hazzard County, the Duke boys would be locked up to this day.
We turned the corner to our hotel and saw the entire city block closed off by police cars and fire trucks. People lined the street, and when the first Marine set his combat boot on the pavement, the cheers were so loud that one would think U2 had taken the stage for an encore. Seriously, I felt like a rock star. But that's when it hit me. These people weren't there for me. They were there for the vets. I looked like one: same uniform, same haircut, same frozen stare and humble heart, but not the same story.
"Welcome home," said a fireman. "When did you get back?"
Puzzled, it took me a second to realize what he was asking, and after I said I'd never been to the sand box, he patted me on the back and moved on to someone with crutches. I felt like such a Person Other Than Grunt, or pogue.
But it wasn't until we merged with the amputees from Walter Reed Army Medical Center that I really got a strange feeling. My heart sank when I shook hands with Dustin, a legless warrior. I had knee surgery in high school. Does that count? No.
Firefighters who served during 9/11 saluted me as a hero. I felt out of place. I felt like less of a Marine. I felt like I was piggybacking. Free drinks at every corner and looks of awe suddenly felt less welcoming to me as I moved with the wounded. But I wasn't there to be a hero. Sure, it would've been easy to play the part - I saved my sister from drowning at the beach once - but I was there with my own mission. I am a rear-echelon pogue, and I was there to tell their story.
Marine journalists in Iraq tell the story from the front; it could be me, but it isn't. When folks learned I haven't been in the war, they told me I'm lucky. I suppose so. Going to the desert and getting shot isn't my idea of a great time, but if I was told to do so, I'd be there in a heartbeat. My mission here is specific, and I'm in the rear for a reason. And the more I hung out with the wounded warriors, the faster the subpar feeling left me. It wasn't my choice to not fight. I've carried out my mission here for the last three years to the best of my ability, and mission accomplishment is mission accomplishment.
Once I got past those feelings, I enjoyed my fellowship with other Marines. We swapped a few stories and shared some laughs. When I saw my story up top on the Marine Corps' Web site, I knew I accomplished my mission. The war is full of grief and sorrow, but the lesser-known stories like this wonderful trip to New York are my forte. My mission is just as important. I'm proud of being a pogue, and I am a hero. We all are. Signing the dotted line makes you one by default. Even if you never see combat, the willingness to give all makes you undeniably a hero.
One thing I can say about New York is this: The weather was surprisingly hot, but the people there, fabled to be so cold, were some of the warmest people I've ever met. Maybe it took the towers falling to melt them down, or maybe they had it all along. But when we stepped off the van and onto the steamy asphalt, I had never been more proud to wear the eagle, globe and anchor.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....24?OpenDocument
By: Cpl. Jess Levens
Id #: 20057818617
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 8, 2005) -- In the July 1 issue of the Chevron, we published a story I wrote about wounded vets visiting New York and running an inspirational race, and I must say this was one of my more fluffy assignments. Four days in the Big Apple and only about four hours of actual work - what I didn't understand was the magnitude of the trip, and I wasn't ready for the warm reception.
The Marines and sailors I went with are wounded veterans stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego, or Balboa for short. Most of them are my age, 22, or younger, and they have already sacrificed more than I ever could - the crutches, screws piercing flesh and leg braces clued me in immediately. But they seemed to be a hardy bunch, so we boarded the cold C-130 for the cross-country flight. On the flight, when I couldn't sleep, I people-watched. I looked around to see who had what injuries, and to my surprise, I caught more smiles than winces.
We landed in New York, about 100 miles from NYC, and we were greeted by firefighters. That's right, FDNY. Apparently, they volunteered to chauffer us around for the weekend. Greeted with smiles and firm handshakes, we boarded vans and drove into the city with police escorts. Our driver was a burly fellow named Steve - white flattop and a diehard Mets fan.
The New York police acting as escorts were a sight to behold as they wove in and out of traffic, sirens blaring, fishtailing in front of cars to give us safe passage. If the NYPD moved to Hazzard County, the Duke boys would be locked up to this day.
We turned the corner to our hotel and saw the entire city block closed off by police cars and fire trucks. People lined the street, and when the first Marine set his combat boot on the pavement, the cheers were so loud that one would think U2 had taken the stage for an encore. Seriously, I felt like a rock star. But that's when it hit me. These people weren't there for me. They were there for the vets. I looked like one: same uniform, same haircut, same frozen stare and humble heart, but not the same story.
"Welcome home," said a fireman. "When did you get back?"
Puzzled, it took me a second to realize what he was asking, and after I said I'd never been to the sand box, he patted me on the back and moved on to someone with crutches. I felt like such a Person Other Than Grunt, or pogue.
But it wasn't until we merged with the amputees from Walter Reed Army Medical Center that I really got a strange feeling. My heart sank when I shook hands with Dustin, a legless warrior. I had knee surgery in high school. Does that count? No.
Firefighters who served during 9/11 saluted me as a hero. I felt out of place. I felt like less of a Marine. I felt like I was piggybacking. Free drinks at every corner and looks of awe suddenly felt less welcoming to me as I moved with the wounded. But I wasn't there to be a hero. Sure, it would've been easy to play the part - I saved my sister from drowning at the beach once - but I was there with my own mission. I am a rear-echelon pogue, and I was there to tell their story.
Marine journalists in Iraq tell the story from the front; it could be me, but it isn't. When folks learned I haven't been in the war, they told me I'm lucky. I suppose so. Going to the desert and getting shot isn't my idea of a great time, but if I was told to do so, I'd be there in a heartbeat. My mission here is specific, and I'm in the rear for a reason. And the more I hung out with the wounded warriors, the faster the subpar feeling left me. It wasn't my choice to not fight. I've carried out my mission here for the last three years to the best of my ability, and mission accomplishment is mission accomplishment.
Once I got past those feelings, I enjoyed my fellowship with other Marines. We swapped a few stories and shared some laughs. When I saw my story up top on the Marine Corps' Web site, I knew I accomplished my mission. The war is full of grief and sorrow, but the lesser-known stories like this wonderful trip to New York are my forte. My mission is just as important. I'm proud of being a pogue, and I am a hero. We all are. Signing the dotted line makes you one by default. Even if you never see combat, the willingness to give all makes you undeniably a hero.
One thing I can say about New York is this: The weather was surprisingly hot, but the people there, fabled to be so cold, were some of the warmest people I've ever met. Maybe it took the towers falling to melt them down, or maybe they had it all along. But when we stepped off the van and onto the steamy asphalt, I had never been more proud to wear the eagle, globe and anchor.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....24?OpenDocument
Earth Day not just for hippies
By: Cpl. K. A. Thompson
Id #: 200542319435
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC(April 22, 2005) -- Earth Day. The holiday’s very name may call to mind visions of people named Star or Moon-unit who wear way too much patchouli, frolic in the woods and listen to the Grateful Dead while eating brownies.
It’s not uncommon to be stuck at a traffic light while one of their vintage vehicles belches blue smoke. The outside is usually spackled with bumper stickers. At extra lengthy red lights or drawbridges, in between gasping for air, it’s possible for one to learn about the environment, our Commander-in-Chief and other testaments and beliefs that come in self-adhesive form.
Today marks the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, which began as an environmental movement on April 22, 1970. And despite preconceived notions about grassroots origins or stereotypes that come to mind, Earth Day was actually created by a United States Senator from Wisconsin.
Nelson proposed the first nationwide environmental protest to force the political establishment to recognize the environment and include it in the national agenda, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
On the first Earth Day about 20 million Americans armed with their motto “Give Earth a Chance” took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to show their concern for a healthy and sustainable environment. Organized mostly by student groups, protesters gathered to fight against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife.
The success of the first Earth Day strived to achieve a political alignment between Republicans, Democrats, labor leaders, farmers, tycoons and citizens. Shortly after the first celebration the Environmental Protection Agency was formed and the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts were all passed. Nelson’s efforts were applauded and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in organizing Earth Day.
In 1990 Earth Day went global, involving more than 200 million people in 141 countries and broadening the concentration from the country to the world. Today more than 5,000 environmental groups in 184 countries around the world will take part in Earth Day activities. Many people honor the day by planting flowers or trees, cleaning up communities, or promoting forest and wildlife protection.
This year, Earth Day Network’s theme is “Protect Our Children and Our Future.” This Earth Day, hundreds of major events will take place around the world to demonstrate diversity and resilience, and the moral imperative to protect our children, planet and future according to Earth Day Network.
There are certain sacrifices that service members and their families must make at times, but are we doing the little things that can help make the world a better place? It does sound a bit on the cheesy side, but if $2.25 per gallon doesn’t strike some form of terror into the hearts of vehicle owners, what will? What about the recent warming trend in the weather and the potential cost of the summer electric bill looming over the heads of consumers?
Not everyone is driven by the same motivations. Whether you are a cost-minded consumer or a VW bus driving hippie, the environment is your concern and your responsibility.
This Earth Day try to stop and consider your role in the conservation and preservation of this planet. Awareness does not require extremes. Just because you are willing to stop, consider and perhaps alter some of your behaviors for the sake of the planet, doesn’t mean you are required to become a Green Peace activist. It’s really the little things that happen on a daily basis that count. We can all contribute. Things like turning off lights, sharing rides to work and recycling can all help protect the planet.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....9b?OpenDocument
By: Cpl. K. A. Thompson
Id #: 200542319435
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC(April 22, 2005) -- Earth Day. The holiday’s very name may call to mind visions of people named Star or Moon-unit who wear way too much patchouli, frolic in the woods and listen to the Grateful Dead while eating brownies.
It’s not uncommon to be stuck at a traffic light while one of their vintage vehicles belches blue smoke. The outside is usually spackled with bumper stickers. At extra lengthy red lights or drawbridges, in between gasping for air, it’s possible for one to learn about the environment, our Commander-in-Chief and other testaments and beliefs that come in self-adhesive form.
Today marks the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, which began as an environmental movement on April 22, 1970. And despite preconceived notions about grassroots origins or stereotypes that come to mind, Earth Day was actually created by a United States Senator from Wisconsin.
Nelson proposed the first nationwide environmental protest to force the political establishment to recognize the environment and include it in the national agenda, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
On the first Earth Day about 20 million Americans armed with their motto “Give Earth a Chance” took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to show their concern for a healthy and sustainable environment. Organized mostly by student groups, protesters gathered to fight against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife.
The success of the first Earth Day strived to achieve a political alignment between Republicans, Democrats, labor leaders, farmers, tycoons and citizens. Shortly after the first celebration the Environmental Protection Agency was formed and the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts were all passed. Nelson’s efforts were applauded and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in organizing Earth Day.
In 1990 Earth Day went global, involving more than 200 million people in 141 countries and broadening the concentration from the country to the world. Today more than 5,000 environmental groups in 184 countries around the world will take part in Earth Day activities. Many people honor the day by planting flowers or trees, cleaning up communities, or promoting forest and wildlife protection.
This year, Earth Day Network’s theme is “Protect Our Children and Our Future.” This Earth Day, hundreds of major events will take place around the world to demonstrate diversity and resilience, and the moral imperative to protect our children, planet and future according to Earth Day Network.
There are certain sacrifices that service members and their families must make at times, but are we doing the little things that can help make the world a better place? It does sound a bit on the cheesy side, but if $2.25 per gallon doesn’t strike some form of terror into the hearts of vehicle owners, what will? What about the recent warming trend in the weather and the potential cost of the summer electric bill looming over the heads of consumers?
Not everyone is driven by the same motivations. Whether you are a cost-minded consumer or a VW bus driving hippie, the environment is your concern and your responsibility.
This Earth Day try to stop and consider your role in the conservation and preservation of this planet. Awareness does not require extremes. Just because you are willing to stop, consider and perhaps alter some of your behaviors for the sake of the planet, doesn’t mean you are required to become a Green Peace activist. It’s really the little things that happen on a daily basis that count. We can all contribute. Things like turning off lights, sharing rides to work and recycling can all help protect the planet.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....9b?OpenDocument
When something is missing
By: - Cmdr. Chris Bennett
Id #: 200551991852
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SC(May 13, 2005) -- In an article I read, an atheist pointed out that we don’t always get what we pray for. That much we all would acknowledge. She then argued that since God did not give us what we asked for, then God is non-existent, powerless to help us, or is arbitrary in helping some and not others. Her belief that there is no God clearly affected her line of reasoning.
Yet what are we to think, when we lack what we believe is needful in our lives? What if you lack food or cannot find the type of job you would like to have? What if a couple is unable to have children? Doesn’t God care that we want such things?
Part of what drives our sense of need is the American mindset that says we ought to be able to have what we want, when we want it. After all, we are used to fast food and having all the world’s problems solved in 30 to 60 minutes with commercials. The last thing we want to see at the end of a television program is the dreaded phrase: “to be continued.”
The issue at hand is barrenness. Most often barrenness is used to describe a woman who is unable to have children. But in its fullest definition it is a lack of fruitfulness, a lack of something that is greatly desired and long pursued.
In the first chapter of First Samuel, the Bible gives the account of Hannah. She and her husband had not been able to have children. The couple was deeply grieved, especially Hannah. You too may be struggling with some form of barrenness. Your struggle may not be with the lack of children, but instead may be with a lack of job satisfaction, or a lack of peace and progress in your marriage or in your other relationships. Barrenness comes in many forms.
Barrenness can be the source of frustration and even bitterness, if viewed from the wrong perspective. A child may be frustrated when he is not allowed to have his presents before Christmas day. Yet the parents withhold the presents, because they know their child will learn valuable lessons by waiting. So also the lack of something we desire may be a source of personal growth.
Hannah learned from her barrenness. She recognized that her barrenness was a work of God (1 Samuel 1:5,6). God is the one who controls birth. Indeed, he is the one who exercises significant influence over birth, death, and all the events in between.
What purpose could God have in sorrowful things like barrenness? The Bible teaches that barrenness is always God’s preparation for working out his good plan in a person’s life. Out of Hannah’s barrenness would come her son Samuel who would lead all Israel in following God for decades to come. Out of Rachel’s barrenness would come Joseph (Genesis 29:31) who would preserve God’s people in the midst of seven years of famine. And out of Elizabeth’s barrenness would come John the Baptist (Luke 1:7), the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that our reaction to barrenness will lead either to stumbling or to growth. In Genesis 30:1,2, Rachel reacted to her barrenness with jealousy, resentment, and anger which drove a wedge between her and her husband. However, though Hannah was deeply grieved , her faith and humility of heart moved her to turn to God for help.
But how can we maintain the right attitude in the midst of trials? Hebrews 12:11 acknowledges that our trials will be sorrowful for a time, but, if we are teachable, then the trials will be an occasion for growth in peace and closeness to God as we trust in him. Hannah followed a course that included three elements. The first element is prayer. Hannah realized that God is in charge. She and her husband had done all in their power, but she was still barren.
Therefore, if there was to be solution to her problem, God would have to be the source. She is said to have prayed continually.
The Bible says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18). That means that prayer and thanksgiving are to be a constant feature of each day. God does not need to be informed of things; he knows all things. Prayer is for our benefit, because it renews in us a sense of our dependence and trust in God.
When we pray we may ask that the barrenness be taken away, but we should avoid the “Why me?” question. That question reveals a heart attitude of resentment toward God. Instead, we should ask God to show us what he wants us to learn, and to give us a willingness to accept whatever he sends, knowing that it is for our good (Romans 8:28).
God may reveal that the barrenness will not be removed. Yet the heart of faith accepts this as God’s perfect and loving will and trusts that he has a good purpose in it (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Sometimes the best thing for us is to go through our difficulty rather than to be delivered from it.
The second element of the course is to trust God’s assessment of the situation, rather than being swayed by others’ misinterpretations. Hannah’s husband did not understand her grief, nor did Eli the priest, and they criticized her. Yet Hannah continued to speak to God in prayer.
You may have heard well-intentioned people tell you that your barrenness is a result of a lack of faith on your part, but Hannah did not lack faith. Her barrenness was a part of God’s good plan for her.
The third element of the course is to maintain the vitality of your relationship with God. Trials are intended to move us toward God, not away from him. He is the source of your help in times of trouble and so troubles should inspire you to draw closer to God. This drawing closer should include prayer, reading the Bible, worship, fellowship with other Christians, and doing all that God has commanded you, as God graciously enables you.
This course of action sounds hard, but it works. It focuses not on our strength or on our lack. Instead we are reminded of God as our source of strength and endurance.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....7f?OpenDocument
By: - Cmdr. Chris Bennett
Id #: 200551991852
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SC(May 13, 2005) -- In an article I read, an atheist pointed out that we don’t always get what we pray for. That much we all would acknowledge. She then argued that since God did not give us what we asked for, then God is non-existent, powerless to help us, or is arbitrary in helping some and not others. Her belief that there is no God clearly affected her line of reasoning.
Yet what are we to think, when we lack what we believe is needful in our lives? What if you lack food or cannot find the type of job you would like to have? What if a couple is unable to have children? Doesn’t God care that we want such things?
Part of what drives our sense of need is the American mindset that says we ought to be able to have what we want, when we want it. After all, we are used to fast food and having all the world’s problems solved in 30 to 60 minutes with commercials. The last thing we want to see at the end of a television program is the dreaded phrase: “to be continued.”
The issue at hand is barrenness. Most often barrenness is used to describe a woman who is unable to have children. But in its fullest definition it is a lack of fruitfulness, a lack of something that is greatly desired and long pursued.
In the first chapter of First Samuel, the Bible gives the account of Hannah. She and her husband had not been able to have children. The couple was deeply grieved, especially Hannah. You too may be struggling with some form of barrenness. Your struggle may not be with the lack of children, but instead may be with a lack of job satisfaction, or a lack of peace and progress in your marriage or in your other relationships. Barrenness comes in many forms.
Barrenness can be the source of frustration and even bitterness, if viewed from the wrong perspective. A child may be frustrated when he is not allowed to have his presents before Christmas day. Yet the parents withhold the presents, because they know their child will learn valuable lessons by waiting. So also the lack of something we desire may be a source of personal growth.
Hannah learned from her barrenness. She recognized that her barrenness was a work of God (1 Samuel 1:5,6). God is the one who controls birth. Indeed, he is the one who exercises significant influence over birth, death, and all the events in between.
What purpose could God have in sorrowful things like barrenness? The Bible teaches that barrenness is always God’s preparation for working out his good plan in a person’s life. Out of Hannah’s barrenness would come her son Samuel who would lead all Israel in following God for decades to come. Out of Rachel’s barrenness would come Joseph (Genesis 29:31) who would preserve God’s people in the midst of seven years of famine. And out of Elizabeth’s barrenness would come John the Baptist (Luke 1:7), the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that our reaction to barrenness will lead either to stumbling or to growth. In Genesis 30:1,2, Rachel reacted to her barrenness with jealousy, resentment, and anger which drove a wedge between her and her husband. However, though Hannah was deeply grieved , her faith and humility of heart moved her to turn to God for help.
But how can we maintain the right attitude in the midst of trials? Hebrews 12:11 acknowledges that our trials will be sorrowful for a time, but, if we are teachable, then the trials will be an occasion for growth in peace and closeness to God as we trust in him. Hannah followed a course that included three elements. The first element is prayer. Hannah realized that God is in charge. She and her husband had done all in their power, but she was still barren.
Therefore, if there was to be solution to her problem, God would have to be the source. She is said to have prayed continually.
The Bible says, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18). That means that prayer and thanksgiving are to be a constant feature of each day. God does not need to be informed of things; he knows all things. Prayer is for our benefit, because it renews in us a sense of our dependence and trust in God.
When we pray we may ask that the barrenness be taken away, but we should avoid the “Why me?” question. That question reveals a heart attitude of resentment toward God. Instead, we should ask God to show us what he wants us to learn, and to give us a willingness to accept whatever he sends, knowing that it is for our good (Romans 8:28).
God may reveal that the barrenness will not be removed. Yet the heart of faith accepts this as God’s perfect and loving will and trusts that he has a good purpose in it (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Sometimes the best thing for us is to go through our difficulty rather than to be delivered from it.
The second element of the course is to trust God’s assessment of the situation, rather than being swayed by others’ misinterpretations. Hannah’s husband did not understand her grief, nor did Eli the priest, and they criticized her. Yet Hannah continued to speak to God in prayer.
You may have heard well-intentioned people tell you that your barrenness is a result of a lack of faith on your part, but Hannah did not lack faith. Her barrenness was a part of God’s good plan for her.
The third element of the course is to maintain the vitality of your relationship with God. Trials are intended to move us toward God, not away from him. He is the source of your help in times of trouble and so troubles should inspire you to draw closer to God. This drawing closer should include prayer, reading the Bible, worship, fellowship with other Christians, and doing all that God has commanded you, as God graciously enables you.
This course of action sounds hard, but it works. It focuses not on our strength or on our lack. Instead we are reminded of God as our source of strength and endurance.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....7f?OpenDocument
Acceptance provides joy of giving
By: - Lt. Cmdr. Kent McCord
Id #: 2005520153232
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SC(May 20, 2005) -- There is a true story about a little boy who lived in the Midwest. His family heard about an eye surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital who had developed a new surgical technique, which was related to the boy’s condition.
There was a possibility that if he could be sent to Boston for this surgery the boy might have the gift of sight. It was very expensive. The people in the church and the surrounding communitycontributed to the cause. Finally, all preparations had been made and the boy and his mother were all packed and ready to go. As they were saying their “Goodbyes” to the rest of the family, the mother noticed that the little boy had tucked his old teddy bear under his arm.
The teddy bear had seen better days: some of the stuffing was popping out through a broken seam, one ear had been chewed, and an eye was missing. The mother said, “Why take this old teddy bear all the way to Boston. When we get there, we can buy a brand new one.”
Some of you may be young enough still - if not in age, in spirit - to know why that wouldn’t do; it had to be this teddy bear and no other. So the little boy took his much used, much battered, much loved, teddy bear with him to Boston.
In the hospital, the little boy had his teddy bear tucked under his arm through every experience - even into the operation room. Through the long period of post operative convalescence, the teddy bear stayed with him. Then came the day when the doctor was able to remove the bandages from the boys eyes.
Wonderful! He could see! Imagine what it must have been like for him to see his mother’s face for the first time. He had thought of it, imagined it, and now he could actually see it! Imagine what it was like to look out a window and see clouds for the first time. Imagine what it was like for that little boy to see his teddy bear for the first time!
When the time came for the boy to be discharged from the hospital, he was dressed in new clothes purchased especially for the occasion. His little bag was packed. Surrounding him were nurses and doctors and other hospital personnel who wanted to say “good bye” to this lovable little boy whom they had come to know so well during his long confinement. The boy was sitting on the edge of his bed, clutching his teddy bear, when the eye surgeon who had restored his sight came into the room for a last visit.
The doctor appeared busy as doctors often do when they are trying to cover up their emotions. Before the doctor could say anything, the little boy spoke; “Here doctor, I want to pay you for helping me,” and he handed him the battered old teddy bear. The doctor took the teddy bear into his hands, accepting it without reservation. And for some months after that, if you had gone to the tenth floor of the “White Building” in the Massachusetts General Hospital complex you could have seen the teddy bear.
The doctor had put it in a glass case in the corridor. There it sat - one ear chewed, stuffing coming out, one eye missing. Under the teddy bear the doctor had placed his professional calling card and below his name had written this sentence: “this is the highest fee I ever received for professional services rendered.”
The doctor had given a great gift to that little boy, the gift of sight. And the boy was so thankful that he offered to the doctor his most treasured possession, the old teddy bear. But that is not the real point of the story.
The real moment of excitement in the story occurs when the wise and sensitive doctor accepts his little patient’s gift offering. We all know what we would have said if we had been the doctor; “Oh that teddy bear means so much to you, I really couldn’t take it from you. Thanks anyway but you keep it.”
But the doctor did not say that. By graciously receiving the gift, by showing the little boy that the gift was accepted with gratitude, the doctor allowed him to experience the joy of giving.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....5f?OpenDocument
By: - Lt. Cmdr. Kent McCord
Id #: 2005520153232
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SC(May 20, 2005) -- There is a true story about a little boy who lived in the Midwest. His family heard about an eye surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital who had developed a new surgical technique, which was related to the boy’s condition.
There was a possibility that if he could be sent to Boston for this surgery the boy might have the gift of sight. It was very expensive. The people in the church and the surrounding communitycontributed to the cause. Finally, all preparations had been made and the boy and his mother were all packed and ready to go. As they were saying their “Goodbyes” to the rest of the family, the mother noticed that the little boy had tucked his old teddy bear under his arm.
The teddy bear had seen better days: some of the stuffing was popping out through a broken seam, one ear had been chewed, and an eye was missing. The mother said, “Why take this old teddy bear all the way to Boston. When we get there, we can buy a brand new one.”
Some of you may be young enough still - if not in age, in spirit - to know why that wouldn’t do; it had to be this teddy bear and no other. So the little boy took his much used, much battered, much loved, teddy bear with him to Boston.
In the hospital, the little boy had his teddy bear tucked under his arm through every experience - even into the operation room. Through the long period of post operative convalescence, the teddy bear stayed with him. Then came the day when the doctor was able to remove the bandages from the boys eyes.
Wonderful! He could see! Imagine what it must have been like for him to see his mother’s face for the first time. He had thought of it, imagined it, and now he could actually see it! Imagine what it was like to look out a window and see clouds for the first time. Imagine what it was like for that little boy to see his teddy bear for the first time!
When the time came for the boy to be discharged from the hospital, he was dressed in new clothes purchased especially for the occasion. His little bag was packed. Surrounding him were nurses and doctors and other hospital personnel who wanted to say “good bye” to this lovable little boy whom they had come to know so well during his long confinement. The boy was sitting on the edge of his bed, clutching his teddy bear, when the eye surgeon who had restored his sight came into the room for a last visit.
The doctor appeared busy as doctors often do when they are trying to cover up their emotions. Before the doctor could say anything, the little boy spoke; “Here doctor, I want to pay you for helping me,” and he handed him the battered old teddy bear. The doctor took the teddy bear into his hands, accepting it without reservation. And for some months after that, if you had gone to the tenth floor of the “White Building” in the Massachusetts General Hospital complex you could have seen the teddy bear.
The doctor had put it in a glass case in the corridor. There it sat - one ear chewed, stuffing coming out, one eye missing. Under the teddy bear the doctor had placed his professional calling card and below his name had written this sentence: “this is the highest fee I ever received for professional services rendered.”
The doctor had given a great gift to that little boy, the gift of sight. And the boy was so thankful that he offered to the doctor his most treasured possession, the old teddy bear. But that is not the real point of the story.
The real moment of excitement in the story occurs when the wise and sensitive doctor accepts his little patient’s gift offering. We all know what we would have said if we had been the doctor; “Oh that teddy bear means so much to you, I really couldn’t take it from you. Thanks anyway but you keep it.”
But the doctor did not say that. By graciously receiving the gift, by showing the little boy that the gift was accepted with gratitude, the doctor allowed him to experience the joy of giving.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....5f?OpenDocument
2nd Marine Division finds success with Quick Strike in Western Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059473513
Story by Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 4, 2005) -- Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2, Iraqi Special Operations Forces and the Iraqi Army concluded Operation Quick Strike, an operation to interdict and disrupt insurgent and foreign terrorist activities in Western Iraq, Aug. 10.
During the operation that began Aug. 3, approximately 800 Marine and Sailors and 180 Iraqi soldiers successfully pushed through the Haditha, Haqliniyah and Barwanah regions disrupting insurgent cells by locating and destroying multiple weapons caches, insurgent safe houses, roadside bombs and a car-bomb factory, as well as detaining a large number of suspected insurgents.
“This is another operation similar to those conducted before that has disrupted the insurgents’ ability to operate freely in the Western Al Anbar region,” said Col. Stephen W. Davis, commanding officer, RCT-2. “The intelligence collected throughout this operation will enable us to better assist the citizens of Western Al Anbar in their quest to participate in the upcoming referendum.”
Early in the operation, coalition forces confirmed that insurgents were using the region as a base of operations and began taking steps to root them out.
The morning of Aug. 5, Iraqi Special Operations Forces directed an air strike on insurgents hiding in buildings outside of Haqliniyah. Marine pilots engaged insurgents who were using these buildings to attack Iraqi forces with small-arms fire.
“This ability of the Iraqi Army forces to utilize air support is an example of the progress being made by the Iraqi military,” said Davis.
While continuing operation in Haqliniyah that same day, Iraqi soldiers and Marines discovered two adjacent buildings with wires running between them while conducting a cordon and search for evidence of insurgent activity. The wires were connected to numerous 155mm artillery rounds scattered throughout both buildings, which were subsequently destroyed.
“Unfortunately, this is an example of how the insurgents and foreign fighters have no regard for collateral damage or the injuries to Iraqi citizens,” said Davis.
M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks also fired on a building in the city that insurgents were using to engage coalition forces with small-arms and RPG fire. Then south of Haqliniyah, an Abrams engaged insurgents armed with AK-47s and RPGs.
These operations to protect the community emboldened local citizens to assist the Marines and ISF in their efforts to provide them with a safe and secure city.
“Unquestionably, our greatest source of intelligence is provided by local citizens who reject the insurgents and look forward to the security and stability that the Iraqi government can provide,” said Davis.
The following day, Marines and Iraqi soldiers located and destroyed three car bombs while conducting another cordon and search operation. A citizen of Haqliniyah informed Marines that three parked vehicles were laden with explosives and ready to be used as car bombs. After securing the area, tanks shot the vehicles with rounds from their main guns, destroying all three and setting off secondary explosions.
As the operation progressed in the city new discoveries were being made in caves just outside of Haqliniyah.
Two weapons caches were found in small caves near the Euphrates River bank. The caves were several hundred meters apart and only large enough to hide a person and a small cache. The first cave contained a RPG launcher, medium machine gun, several assault rifles and bomb-making materials. And the second contained 155mm artillery rounds and a propane tank, commonly used for bomb construction.
Bombs made from similar material were found by Marines in Haditha that same day.
Two roadside bombs were discovered buried alongside the main road south of the city. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were sent to each location and conducted controlled detonations of both bombs, a propane tank filled with explosives and two 155mm artillery rounds, preventing any casualties or damages.
“These roadside bombs have taken a significant toll on the insurgent populace. Locals are more eager now than before, to point these out to Coalition forces, and express gratitude when our Marines safely dispose of such devices,” explained Lt. Col. Christopher C. Starling, the regiment’s operations officer.
Two days later in Haqliniyah, Marines and Iraqi soldiers made a number of significant discoveries.
A bomb, made from three 155mm artillery rounds weighing more than 100 pounds apiece, was discovered wired to a desk inside a building within the city. It was determined that the explosives could not be removed safely from the building, so the bomb was destroyed in place.
In Northern Haqliniyah, Marines located a car-bomb factory complete with six vehicles rigged with explosives in varying stages of completion.
Typically, insurgents drive the completed car bombs to populated locations and set them to detonate by remote or at a specific time. Car bombs can also be used by suicide bombers to attack specific landmarks or people.
“The best time to engage SVBIEDs is during the assembly process. Every one we destroy equates to lives saved,” said Starling.
All the rigged vehicles were destroyed and secondary explosions were observed by the Marines.
This was far from the last find for the day.
Marines and Iraqi soldiers also found five roadside bombs in close proximity to one another along a roadway within the city. The explosives were a combination of artillery rounds and improvised bombs. All the ordnance was destroyed in place preventing civilian and coalition casualties and damage to property.
“The integration of Marines and Iraqi Army units has enabled more effective communication with local residents. They now fully understand that our presence will eventually eliminate the source of random violence,” said Starling.
At the close of Quick Strike on Aug. 10, nine car bombs were discovered, three were identified by a local citizen and the remaining six were discovered in an assembly garage; 28 improvised bombs were locate, most planted as roadside bombs but others were rigged to destroy entire buildings; a weapons cache was found in caves along the river and multiple insurgent safe houses had been eliminated.
Thirty-six suspected insurgents had also been detained for further questioning.
“I’m satisfied with the results of the operation as it will unquestionably help create the environment for a successful referendum in October,” said Davis “And there will be more.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....83?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059473513
Story by Staff Sgt. Timothy Edwards
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 4, 2005) -- Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2, Iraqi Special Operations Forces and the Iraqi Army concluded Operation Quick Strike, an operation to interdict and disrupt insurgent and foreign terrorist activities in Western Iraq, Aug. 10.
During the operation that began Aug. 3, approximately 800 Marine and Sailors and 180 Iraqi soldiers successfully pushed through the Haditha, Haqliniyah and Barwanah regions disrupting insurgent cells by locating and destroying multiple weapons caches, insurgent safe houses, roadside bombs and a car-bomb factory, as well as detaining a large number of suspected insurgents.
“This is another operation similar to those conducted before that has disrupted the insurgents’ ability to operate freely in the Western Al Anbar region,” said Col. Stephen W. Davis, commanding officer, RCT-2. “The intelligence collected throughout this operation will enable us to better assist the citizens of Western Al Anbar in their quest to participate in the upcoming referendum.”
Early in the operation, coalition forces confirmed that insurgents were using the region as a base of operations and began taking steps to root them out.
The morning of Aug. 5, Iraqi Special Operations Forces directed an air strike on insurgents hiding in buildings outside of Haqliniyah. Marine pilots engaged insurgents who were using these buildings to attack Iraqi forces with small-arms fire.
“This ability of the Iraqi Army forces to utilize air support is an example of the progress being made by the Iraqi military,” said Davis.
While continuing operation in Haqliniyah that same day, Iraqi soldiers and Marines discovered two adjacent buildings with wires running between them while conducting a cordon and search for evidence of insurgent activity. The wires were connected to numerous 155mm artillery rounds scattered throughout both buildings, which were subsequently destroyed.
“Unfortunately, this is an example of how the insurgents and foreign fighters have no regard for collateral damage or the injuries to Iraqi citizens,” said Davis.
M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks also fired on a building in the city that insurgents were using to engage coalition forces with small-arms and RPG fire. Then south of Haqliniyah, an Abrams engaged insurgents armed with AK-47s and RPGs.
These operations to protect the community emboldened local citizens to assist the Marines and ISF in their efforts to provide them with a safe and secure city.
“Unquestionably, our greatest source of intelligence is provided by local citizens who reject the insurgents and look forward to the security and stability that the Iraqi government can provide,” said Davis.
The following day, Marines and Iraqi soldiers located and destroyed three car bombs while conducting another cordon and search operation. A citizen of Haqliniyah informed Marines that three parked vehicles were laden with explosives and ready to be used as car bombs. After securing the area, tanks shot the vehicles with rounds from their main guns, destroying all three and setting off secondary explosions.
As the operation progressed in the city new discoveries were being made in caves just outside of Haqliniyah.
Two weapons caches were found in small caves near the Euphrates River bank. The caves were several hundred meters apart and only large enough to hide a person and a small cache. The first cave contained a RPG launcher, medium machine gun, several assault rifles and bomb-making materials. And the second contained 155mm artillery rounds and a propane tank, commonly used for bomb construction.
Bombs made from similar material were found by Marines in Haditha that same day.
Two roadside bombs were discovered buried alongside the main road south of the city. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were sent to each location and conducted controlled detonations of both bombs, a propane tank filled with explosives and two 155mm artillery rounds, preventing any casualties or damages.
“These roadside bombs have taken a significant toll on the insurgent populace. Locals are more eager now than before, to point these out to Coalition forces, and express gratitude when our Marines safely dispose of such devices,” explained Lt. Col. Christopher C. Starling, the regiment’s operations officer.
Two days later in Haqliniyah, Marines and Iraqi soldiers made a number of significant discoveries.
A bomb, made from three 155mm artillery rounds weighing more than 100 pounds apiece, was discovered wired to a desk inside a building within the city. It was determined that the explosives could not be removed safely from the building, so the bomb was destroyed in place.
In Northern Haqliniyah, Marines located a car-bomb factory complete with six vehicles rigged with explosives in varying stages of completion.
Typically, insurgents drive the completed car bombs to populated locations and set them to detonate by remote or at a specific time. Car bombs can also be used by suicide bombers to attack specific landmarks or people.
“The best time to engage SVBIEDs is during the assembly process. Every one we destroy equates to lives saved,” said Starling.
All the rigged vehicles were destroyed and secondary explosions were observed by the Marines.
This was far from the last find for the day.
Marines and Iraqi soldiers also found five roadside bombs in close proximity to one another along a roadway within the city. The explosives were a combination of artillery rounds and improvised bombs. All the ordnance was destroyed in place preventing civilian and coalition casualties and damage to property.
“The integration of Marines and Iraqi Army units has enabled more effective communication with local residents. They now fully understand that our presence will eventually eliminate the source of random violence,” said Starling.
At the close of Quick Strike on Aug. 10, nine car bombs were discovered, three were identified by a local citizen and the remaining six were discovered in an assembly garage; 28 improvised bombs were locate, most planted as roadside bombs but others were rigged to destroy entire buildings; a weapons cache was found in caves along the river and multiple insurgent safe houses had been eliminated.
Thirty-six suspected insurgents had also been detained for further questioning.
“I’m satisfied with the results of the operation as it will unquestionably help create the environment for a successful referendum in October,” said Davis “And there will be more.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....83?opendocument
Many know our story; few really get it
By: Cpl. Jess Levens
Id #: 2005715114433
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 15, 2005) -- Who are we, and what do we do?
The answer's simple, right?
We're the Marines, and we win battles.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. While winning battles is our MO, it's not who we are or what we do - with exception to those in combat zones.
A couple months ago, I was talking to a high school friend back in Texas, and she asked what I was up to. I told her I'm a Marine.
"So you're in the Army?" she asked. "What do you do? I don't really understand."
That's when it hit me: A lot of people don't know what we actually do on a daily basis, and some don't even know that the services are different. My press chief donated blood last Thursday, and during some small talk, the medical assistant mentioned that her brother is a Marine. He asked her what her brother does, and she had no idea. He was an officer or something.
So check it out.
I'm going to tell you who we are. We are Marines, not soldiers. The Army is made of soldiers, but the Marine Corps is made of Marines. People in the Navy are sailors, and the Air Force personnel are called airmen.
More often than not, if you call a Marine a soldier, he will be offended, and he might retort accordingly. This is because in boot camp, our drill instructors engrain into our bald heads the fact that we are Marines, not soldiers. It's a pride issue. Marines regard the Marine Corps higher than the other services. We gruel through the longest, most difficult basic training of all our country's armed forces to earn that title, and to be called anything less won't do.
Personally, if someone calls me a soldier, I don't take offense, because I know they don't know any better. Sometimes I'll explain the difference, but sometimes I let it slide. They mean no harm. Even my dad still calls me a soldier sometimes.
Now comes the "What do you do?" question. The answer is simple but somewhat hard to explain. The general assumption is that service members just march around all day with guns. After all, Marines are riflemen first. We shoot stuff and blow stuff up. We win battles.
While that is true to an extent, a military base is like it's own little utopia - a self sufficient little city with police, firemen, a newspaper and even a mayor. The mayor of course is the commanding general. Marines, and all service members, actually have jobs they perform to make their little cities run smoothly. We have lawyers, administrative clerks, construction workers, cooks and even artists. When I go out with my friend Cpl. Yuri Schneider, people find it hard to believe that his job in the Marine Corps is drawing pictures.
What do I do? I am a storyteller - with my words and with my pictures. My mission is to tell the Marine Corps' story to the masses. I work for this newspaper, and I'm a professional journalist and photographer. Marines have more skills than just trooping around in the dirt with rifles. Don't get me wrong, I can get down and dirty when it's called for. The silver crossed rifles on my chest means I can shoot an enemy from 500 yards away, without hesitation. But I'm in garrison, not a war zone.
That leads me to address a very wrong general misconception the public often has about us. Some folks think service members are dumb rejects who had no other choice or skills - the forsaken who couldn't quite make it to college. Call me a soldier before you label me this way. Marines are smart men and women who selflessly serve to preserve America's freedom. We have big hearts and big minds. My job training alone puts me a few credits shy of an associate's degree, and many Marines are in the same boat. I know enlisted Marines with master's degrees.
Now that I've given you the inside scoop on us, I hope these assumptions vanish. If you have questions, please ask. We will gladly answer. We want you to know who we are and what we are about. And tell your friends. We are here to serve you in more capacities than just on the battlefield.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3e?OpenDocument
By: Cpl. Jess Levens
Id #: 2005715114433
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(July 15, 2005) -- Who are we, and what do we do?
The answer's simple, right?
We're the Marines, and we win battles.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple. While winning battles is our MO, it's not who we are or what we do - with exception to those in combat zones.
A couple months ago, I was talking to a high school friend back in Texas, and she asked what I was up to. I told her I'm a Marine.
"So you're in the Army?" she asked. "What do you do? I don't really understand."
That's when it hit me: A lot of people don't know what we actually do on a daily basis, and some don't even know that the services are different. My press chief donated blood last Thursday, and during some small talk, the medical assistant mentioned that her brother is a Marine. He asked her what her brother does, and she had no idea. He was an officer or something.
So check it out.
I'm going to tell you who we are. We are Marines, not soldiers. The Army is made of soldiers, but the Marine Corps is made of Marines. People in the Navy are sailors, and the Air Force personnel are called airmen.
More often than not, if you call a Marine a soldier, he will be offended, and he might retort accordingly. This is because in boot camp, our drill instructors engrain into our bald heads the fact that we are Marines, not soldiers. It's a pride issue. Marines regard the Marine Corps higher than the other services. We gruel through the longest, most difficult basic training of all our country's armed forces to earn that title, and to be called anything less won't do.
Personally, if someone calls me a soldier, I don't take offense, because I know they don't know any better. Sometimes I'll explain the difference, but sometimes I let it slide. They mean no harm. Even my dad still calls me a soldier sometimes.
Now comes the "What do you do?" question. The answer is simple but somewhat hard to explain. The general assumption is that service members just march around all day with guns. After all, Marines are riflemen first. We shoot stuff and blow stuff up. We win battles.
While that is true to an extent, a military base is like it's own little utopia - a self sufficient little city with police, firemen, a newspaper and even a mayor. The mayor of course is the commanding general. Marines, and all service members, actually have jobs they perform to make their little cities run smoothly. We have lawyers, administrative clerks, construction workers, cooks and even artists. When I go out with my friend Cpl. Yuri Schneider, people find it hard to believe that his job in the Marine Corps is drawing pictures.
What do I do? I am a storyteller - with my words and with my pictures. My mission is to tell the Marine Corps' story to the masses. I work for this newspaper, and I'm a professional journalist and photographer. Marines have more skills than just trooping around in the dirt with rifles. Don't get me wrong, I can get down and dirty when it's called for. The silver crossed rifles on my chest means I can shoot an enemy from 500 yards away, without hesitation. But I'm in garrison, not a war zone.
That leads me to address a very wrong general misconception the public often has about us. Some folks think service members are dumb rejects who had no other choice or skills - the forsaken who couldn't quite make it to college. Call me a soldier before you label me this way. Marines are smart men and women who selflessly serve to preserve America's freedom. We have big hearts and big minds. My job training alone puts me a few credits shy of an associate's degree, and many Marines are in the same boat. I know enlisted Marines with master's degrees.
Now that I've given you the inside scoop on us, I hope these assumptions vanish. If you have questions, please ask. We will gladly answer. We want you to know who we are and what we are about. And tell your friends. We are here to serve you in more capacities than just on the battlefield.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3e?OpenDocument
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.