"What did my son die for?"
By: Cpl. William Skelton
Id #: 200591516209
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(Sept. 8, 2005) -- In the words of my father, “I’m going to get on my soap box now.”
I, like my father before me, entered into military service, and I, also like my father, am a very patriotic and proud man.
I come from a not so small, but not so large family from southern Alabama and have pretty strong religious convictions as well.
The topic I would like to bring to attention is our duty to our country. Before you write me off and turn the page just hear me out.
The onset of this commentary started several weeks ago when I arrived home from work and turn on the news. I saw a story about a mother who was evidently in anguish over the loss of her son. The love that this woman had for her son was clearly shown through the emotion in her eyes.
The woman’s name was Cindy Sheehan.
Mrs. Sheehan was on the news, just a few hundred yards from our president’s personal ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Over the next few weeks the crowds grew larger as more and more people joined the Sheehan movement. You see Mrs. Sheehan was posing a question to our commander-in-chief that struck the cords of our nation’s heartstrings:
“What did my son die for?” This was the question that Sheehan and her followers were asking from Camp Casey.
If I had the opportunity I would love to speak with Mrs. Sheehan. I would love to look her right in the eye and answer her question of “What for?”
I would tell Mrs. Sheehan that her son died for the very freedom she is abusing by carrying on the crusade that masks the death of one of our nation’s heroes.
I, in my heart can’t believe for a moment that Sheehan’s son would want his death honored in this fashion. I wouldn’t.
I am 25 years old and married to the most kind and beautiful woman in the world. She is pregnant with what will be the most beautiful baby in the world.
My wife is due on December 23 of this year and I will be leaving for Iraq in February of next year, my first deployment.
I am not telling you this for you to say wow or pity my situation. I am fully aware that I am not the only one that will be leaving loved ones behind.
I am telling you this because I am a proud man, proud of my country and honored to have to opportunity to serve in the United States Marine Corps.
I believe in the cause of the war against terrorism, of freedom. I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live in a nation where the Cindy Sheehan’s of the world can stage their rallies and protests.
I am willing to lay down my life for this very freedom.
I could do so with piece in my heart, knowing that my child would be able to grow up in a free nation.
I did not know Cindy Sheehan’s son, but I do know this - when we join the service we have full knowledge of the duty to which we have swore. We know the risks.
I also know that the Marine Corps and other branches of service are a catapult for other careers for most, but as for some of us, it is a way of life.
And to downgrade the loss of one of my brothers, despite the branch, who died for the very freedoms we enjoy, enrages me.
Having said this, “I’ll get off my soap box now.” And like I said earlier, everyone has their own opinion. But, at the same time, we are able to voice those opinions because of the sacrifices made by the Casey Sheehan’s of the world.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....7e?OpenDocument
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
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
The Tablecloth Trick: An Apparatus for the Analysis of Frictional Torque
Anne-Marie Novo-Gradac and Kirsten A. Hubbard, The United States Naval Academy
The "tablecloth trick" has been used by physicists and magicians for many years. The audience is delighted as a tablecloth is pulled from beneath the pieces of an elegantly set table. This demonstration is often used to discuss inertia and friction with no attention given to torque. However, the frictional force acting on the stem ware is applied tangentially, often resulting in the glassware tipping over rather than be dragged off the table. A careful analysis of this situation provides a wealth of information about the more subtle aspects of friction and torque. Objects may tip over while still sliding on the cloth, or as they decelerate on the table top after the cloth has departed. We have designed an apparatus that allows variation of parameters such as cloth speed, surface roughness, and moment of inertia of the tipping object. We have also developed equations to predict stability conditions for the system.
http://www.physics.udel.edu/csaapt/Fall199...1997.html#Anovo
Anne-Marie Novo-Gradac and Kirsten A. Hubbard, The United States Naval Academy
The "tablecloth trick" has been used by physicists and magicians for many years. The audience is delighted as a tablecloth is pulled from beneath the pieces of an elegantly set table. This demonstration is often used to discuss inertia and friction with no attention given to torque. However, the frictional force acting on the stem ware is applied tangentially, often resulting in the glassware tipping over rather than be dragged off the table. A careful analysis of this situation provides a wealth of information about the more subtle aspects of friction and torque. Objects may tip over while still sliding on the cloth, or as they decelerate on the table top after the cloth has departed. We have designed an apparatus that allows variation of parameters such as cloth speed, surface roughness, and moment of inertia of the tipping object. We have also developed equations to predict stability conditions for the system.
http://www.physics.udel.edu/csaapt/Fall199...1997.html#Anovo
QUOTE(Marine @ Sep 23 2005, 11:01 AM)
The Tablecloth Trick: An Apparatus for the Analysis of Frictional Torque
Anne-Marie Novo-Gradac and Kirsten A. Hubbard, The United States Naval Academy
The "tablecloth trick" has been used by physicists and magicians for many years. The audience is delighted as a tablecloth is pulled from beneath the pieces of an elegantly set table. This demonstration is often used to discuss inertia and friction with no attention given to torque. However, the frictional force acting on the stem ware is applied tangentially, often resulting in the glassware tipping over rather than be dragged off the table. A careful analysis of this situation provides a wealth of information about the more subtle aspects of friction and torque. Objects may tip over while still sliding on the cloth, or as they decelerate on the table top after the cloth has departed. We have designed an apparatus that allows variation of parameters such as cloth speed, surface roughness, and moment of inertia of the tipping object. We have also developed equations to predict stability conditions for the system.
http://www.physics.udel.edu/csaapt/Fall199...1997.html#Anovo
Anne-Marie Novo-Gradac and Kirsten A. Hubbard, The United States Naval Academy
The "tablecloth trick" has been used by physicists and magicians for many years. The audience is delighted as a tablecloth is pulled from beneath the pieces of an elegantly set table. This demonstration is often used to discuss inertia and friction with no attention given to torque. However, the frictional force acting on the stem ware is applied tangentially, often resulting in the glassware tipping over rather than be dragged off the table. A careful analysis of this situation provides a wealth of information about the more subtle aspects of friction and torque. Objects may tip over while still sliding on the cloth, or as they decelerate on the table top after the cloth has departed. We have designed an apparatus that allows variation of parameters such as cloth speed, surface roughness, and moment of inertia of the tipping object. We have also developed equations to predict stability conditions for the system.
http://www.physics.udel.edu/csaapt/Fall199...1997.html#Anovo
Motor-T Marine presses on after stumbling block
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 200592414638
Story by Lance Cpl. Josh Cox
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- He is known for being a high spirited Marine who could have been a class clown in high school, however the Cuba native knows what it takes to get the job done under difficult circumstances here.
Lance Cpl. Jamby Perez, who moved from Cuba to Miami with his family when he was a toddler, studied college curriculum there before curiously strolling into a Marine recruiter’s office in 2002.
“I pretty much just walked in the office,” said Perez, who is assigned to Headquarters Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. “I started college and didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
The 22-year-old attributed the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to his decision to join the Marine Corps.
“That was the turn around point,” said Perez, who graduated from Hialeah High School in Miami. “I wanted to make a difference; I didn’t want to sit around.”
The kick boxing enthusiast completed basic training and was assigned to 2nd Tank Bn., based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before deploying to Iraq to serve as a humvee operator.
“My job in Iraq has been driving for ‘Black Three,’” he said, referring to the humvee he operates here.
Perez said his typical duties in Iraq include dismounting the truck during convoys, conducting improvised explosive device sweeps, clearing buildings, conducting vehicle checkpoints, searching personnel, detaining personnel and maintaining tactical vehicles with 2nd Tank Bn.
“He is good at what he does,” said Sgt. Brent Sheets, vehicle commander, Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Bn., 2nd Marine Division. “If you tell him to do something, he gets it done. He works hard, especially when out in the field. He is always pretty motivated about getting out there.”
While operating with 2nd Tank Bn., here May 1, Perez’s humvee was struck by an IED. He was not hurt, so he responded to the blast by providing security and aiding injured Marines who were riding along.
“He tried to help me up, but I couldn’t get up at the time because of my knee,” said Sheets, who was injured in the explosion. “He did everything he was supposed to do in that situation. I couldn’t really ask for too much more than that.”
Despite the attack, Perez was able to charge on and continue with the mission.
“After we got hit with the IED, it took him a while to get back in the swing of things, but he really didn’t have a bad transition,” said Sheets. “He has been a good guy to work with, and I’m really happy he came out here with us.”
Perez said he feels obligated to help make a difference in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Someone has to do it, and I think it is better to bring the fight to [the insurgents],” said Perez. “I especially enjoy seeing children smile; that makes it all worth while.”
Perez hopes to one day take his experience in the Marine Corps to the streets of Miami as a police officer. But first and foremost, he plans to become a noncommissioned officer to lead Marines the way he was led by Sheets.
“Within the next year in the Marine Corps, I plan to be the best NCO that I can be,” he said. “I want to show my Marines everything I was taught from the good leaders I’ve had. I want to take all that knowledge and give it to them to make sure they make the best they can out of the Marine Corps.”
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....71?opendocument
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 200592414638
Story by Lance Cpl. Josh Cox
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- He is known for being a high spirited Marine who could have been a class clown in high school, however the Cuba native knows what it takes to get the job done under difficult circumstances here.
Lance Cpl. Jamby Perez, who moved from Cuba to Miami with his family when he was a toddler, studied college curriculum there before curiously strolling into a Marine recruiter’s office in 2002.
“I pretty much just walked in the office,” said Perez, who is assigned to Headquarters Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. “I started college and didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
The 22-year-old attributed the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to his decision to join the Marine Corps.
“That was the turn around point,” said Perez, who graduated from Hialeah High School in Miami. “I wanted to make a difference; I didn’t want to sit around.”
The kick boxing enthusiast completed basic training and was assigned to 2nd Tank Bn., based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before deploying to Iraq to serve as a humvee operator.
“My job in Iraq has been driving for ‘Black Three,’” he said, referring to the humvee he operates here.
Perez said his typical duties in Iraq include dismounting the truck during convoys, conducting improvised explosive device sweeps, clearing buildings, conducting vehicle checkpoints, searching personnel, detaining personnel and maintaining tactical vehicles with 2nd Tank Bn.
“He is good at what he does,” said Sgt. Brent Sheets, vehicle commander, Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Bn., 2nd Marine Division. “If you tell him to do something, he gets it done. He works hard, especially when out in the field. He is always pretty motivated about getting out there.”
While operating with 2nd Tank Bn., here May 1, Perez’s humvee was struck by an IED. He was not hurt, so he responded to the blast by providing security and aiding injured Marines who were riding along.
“He tried to help me up, but I couldn’t get up at the time because of my knee,” said Sheets, who was injured in the explosion. “He did everything he was supposed to do in that situation. I couldn’t really ask for too much more than that.”
Despite the attack, Perez was able to charge on and continue with the mission.
“After we got hit with the IED, it took him a while to get back in the swing of things, but he really didn’t have a bad transition,” said Sheets. “He has been a good guy to work with, and I’m really happy he came out here with us.”
Perez said he feels obligated to help make a difference in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Someone has to do it, and I think it is better to bring the fight to [the insurgents],” said Perez. “I especially enjoy seeing children smile; that makes it all worth while.”
Perez hopes to one day take his experience in the Marine Corps to the streets of Miami as a police officer. But first and foremost, he plans to become a noncommissioned officer to lead Marines the way he was led by Sheets.
“Within the next year in the Marine Corps, I plan to be the best NCO that I can be,” he said. “I want to show my Marines everything I was taught from the good leaders I’ve had. I want to take all that knowledge and give it to them to make sure they make the best they can out of the Marine Corps.”
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....71?opendocument
Kansas Marine's team, stateside charity bring about big changes in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592423019
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- The crisp air heralded the arrival of a new day, one filled with renewed hope and fresh beginnings for the citizens of Saqlawiyah. This farming village on the outskirts of Fallujah had remained nearly untouched by the military's helping hand until April, when Coalition and Iraqi forces began operating in the area.
As U.S. Marines and Iraq's own troops patrolled the streets, one Shawnee, Kan. native's team of civil affairs specialists was spearheading a mission to assist in toppling the weakened insurgency.
On Sept. 7, 35-year-old Maj. Chris E. Phelps' Marines executed a three-pronged operation of goodwill and charity to help empower the local government in dealing with the terrorists, while gaining the trust of the residents they represent.
Team 3, Detachment 2, 5th Civil Affairs Group, a group of five mobilized reservists who have worked approximately seven months alongside Iraqi leaders to restore Iraq's infrastructure, and military officials met with local government representatives to discuss security concerns and ongoing infrastructure redevelopment projects during the operation's first phase.
This was the eleventh such discussion that has taken place since April 27, when Marines first met with the city council. Since then, Phelps said he has seen considerable progress both in the city and in the way the community leaders and Marines interact with one another.
"I felt great coming out of this meeting, like it had all come together in the end," stated the 1993 University of Kansas graduate, whose civil affairs team is slated to return to the U.S. in late September. "Never in the seven months that we've been here had I heard any Iraqi tell us 'thank you' for what we do, except for today's city council meeting, when they said it to me twice. We've come a long way with the council since we started our meetings from scratch in April."
This gratitude is a direct result of the progress men like city council member Majeed Na'amah Khalifa and his fellow Saqlawiyahans have seen take place here since their first interaction with Marines.
"My community suffered much when U.S. forces pushed through Fallujah (in late 2004). CAG worked with us to restore and improve many of the essential services we have needed since then," stated Khalifa, who serves as the assistant to the city council's chairman, Sheik Abdul Jabbar. "We have sat together and discussed our problems many times to find the perfect solutions."
Notable among the progress city officials, local contractors and Phelps' team worked together to bring about were the improvements in the community's water purification and power distribution system.
Approximately $1.5 million dollars will be invested to renovate the local water plant and the piping that transports the water to the surrounding areas. A system that Phelps said has seen no maintenance in more than 30 years and has contaminated some of the populace with cholera.
Nearly one million dollars was also spent on revamping the city's power system. New power lines and transformers were installed to ensure that as many residents as possible have electricity in their homes. This system had received little repair in 25 years, and the restorations will affect tens of thousands of residents here, Khalifa said.
Once the city council meeting concluded, Team 3 headed out to Saqlawiyah's medical clinic, another site they helped rehabilitate during their time here.
There, the team handed Dr. Ayad al-Hadithy three pallets of medical supplies, including items such as syringes, laboratory gloves, and needle holders.
The more than $4,000 worth of supplies, as well as the shipping costs to freight them overseas, were paid for by Heart to Heart International, a non-governmental organization based out of Olathe, Kan.
Phelps said he had contacted his friend and former classmate Dan Neal, project manager for Heart to Heart International, about Saqlawiyah's severe shortage of medical supplies. Upon hearing this, Neal worked with the association's president and founder, Dr. Gary Morsch, and employees to pay for and ship these supplies out to a people in need.
"We get great benefit from these medicines, because we are always short on them here. This supply today will last us approximately one month," al-Hadithy said. "We always appreciate the help we receive from the CAG and our good cooperation with the Marines here."
Phelps said this donation of medical supplies is especially significant because relatively few NGOs currently operate in Iraq.
Stateside officials also recognized the importance these acts of charity play in winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi public.
"This (donation) symbolizes the spirit of the United States of America, and our military heroes in particular," wrote Kansas state senator Pat Roberts in a letter thanking Heart to Heart International for their contribution to Iraq. "Where others would oppress, our soldiers save lives. As a former Marine myself, I want to say, 'Thank you and Semper Fi' to Heart to Heart International and Major Phelps."
This donation is the latest in a string of humanitarian missions Team 3 has performed for this clinic.
In May, they facilitated the clean-up of a biohazard material dump site behind the clinic, along with bringing biohazard waste incinerators to prevent future buildup.
Navy Seabees working with Team 3 had also erected an information read board outside the clinic, where the two- to- three hundred residents who visit the clinic daily can read about upcoming community events.
"Whether it's (Marines) or NGOs donating supplies to the Saqlawiyah medical clinic, we'll continue to push medical supplies out to the community until they're able to fix the logistics train between them and the Ministry of Health," Phelps stated. "Some things in the country can remain broken for a while without anybody dying, but when it comes to medical issues, we have to step in and do something right away."
The team's busy day ended with a visit to Saqlawiyah's police headquarters, where military personnel were awarding many local residents compensation payments.
Altogether, the citizens received a total of $5,500 dollars for destruction of properties and personal injury caused as a result of counter-insurgency operations here.
After their busy day, Phelps expressed his gratitude to his team and to the generous citizens in America for making this humanitarian mission here possible.
"I want to personally thank Dr. Gary Morsch, Dan Neal, and the other great employees of Heart to Heart International," he stated. "Today, they made a difference in the world, and it was a great day for the people of Saqlawiyah."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....45?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592423019
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- The crisp air heralded the arrival of a new day, one filled with renewed hope and fresh beginnings for the citizens of Saqlawiyah. This farming village on the outskirts of Fallujah had remained nearly untouched by the military's helping hand until April, when Coalition and Iraqi forces began operating in the area.
As U.S. Marines and Iraq's own troops patrolled the streets, one Shawnee, Kan. native's team of civil affairs specialists was spearheading a mission to assist in toppling the weakened insurgency.
On Sept. 7, 35-year-old Maj. Chris E. Phelps' Marines executed a three-pronged operation of goodwill and charity to help empower the local government in dealing with the terrorists, while gaining the trust of the residents they represent.
Team 3, Detachment 2, 5th Civil Affairs Group, a group of five mobilized reservists who have worked approximately seven months alongside Iraqi leaders to restore Iraq's infrastructure, and military officials met with local government representatives to discuss security concerns and ongoing infrastructure redevelopment projects during the operation's first phase.
This was the eleventh such discussion that has taken place since April 27, when Marines first met with the city council. Since then, Phelps said he has seen considerable progress both in the city and in the way the community leaders and Marines interact with one another.
"I felt great coming out of this meeting, like it had all come together in the end," stated the 1993 University of Kansas graduate, whose civil affairs team is slated to return to the U.S. in late September. "Never in the seven months that we've been here had I heard any Iraqi tell us 'thank you' for what we do, except for today's city council meeting, when they said it to me twice. We've come a long way with the council since we started our meetings from scratch in April."
This gratitude is a direct result of the progress men like city council member Majeed Na'amah Khalifa and his fellow Saqlawiyahans have seen take place here since their first interaction with Marines.
"My community suffered much when U.S. forces pushed through Fallujah (in late 2004). CAG worked with us to restore and improve many of the essential services we have needed since then," stated Khalifa, who serves as the assistant to the city council's chairman, Sheik Abdul Jabbar. "We have sat together and discussed our problems many times to find the perfect solutions."
Notable among the progress city officials, local contractors and Phelps' team worked together to bring about were the improvements in the community's water purification and power distribution system.
Approximately $1.5 million dollars will be invested to renovate the local water plant and the piping that transports the water to the surrounding areas. A system that Phelps said has seen no maintenance in more than 30 years and has contaminated some of the populace with cholera.
Nearly one million dollars was also spent on revamping the city's power system. New power lines and transformers were installed to ensure that as many residents as possible have electricity in their homes. This system had received little repair in 25 years, and the restorations will affect tens of thousands of residents here, Khalifa said.
Once the city council meeting concluded, Team 3 headed out to Saqlawiyah's medical clinic, another site they helped rehabilitate during their time here.
There, the team handed Dr. Ayad al-Hadithy three pallets of medical supplies, including items such as syringes, laboratory gloves, and needle holders.
The more than $4,000 worth of supplies, as well as the shipping costs to freight them overseas, were paid for by Heart to Heart International, a non-governmental organization based out of Olathe, Kan.
Phelps said he had contacted his friend and former classmate Dan Neal, project manager for Heart to Heart International, about Saqlawiyah's severe shortage of medical supplies. Upon hearing this, Neal worked with the association's president and founder, Dr. Gary Morsch, and employees to pay for and ship these supplies out to a people in need.
"We get great benefit from these medicines, because we are always short on them here. This supply today will last us approximately one month," al-Hadithy said. "We always appreciate the help we receive from the CAG and our good cooperation with the Marines here."
Phelps said this donation of medical supplies is especially significant because relatively few NGOs currently operate in Iraq.
Stateside officials also recognized the importance these acts of charity play in winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi public.
"This (donation) symbolizes the spirit of the United States of America, and our military heroes in particular," wrote Kansas state senator Pat Roberts in a letter thanking Heart to Heart International for their contribution to Iraq. "Where others would oppress, our soldiers save lives. As a former Marine myself, I want to say, 'Thank you and Semper Fi' to Heart to Heart International and Major Phelps."
This donation is the latest in a string of humanitarian missions Team 3 has performed for this clinic.
In May, they facilitated the clean-up of a biohazard material dump site behind the clinic, along with bringing biohazard waste incinerators to prevent future buildup.
Navy Seabees working with Team 3 had also erected an information read board outside the clinic, where the two- to- three hundred residents who visit the clinic daily can read about upcoming community events.
"Whether it's (Marines) or NGOs donating supplies to the Saqlawiyah medical clinic, we'll continue to push medical supplies out to the community until they're able to fix the logistics train between them and the Ministry of Health," Phelps stated. "Some things in the country can remain broken for a while without anybody dying, but when it comes to medical issues, we have to step in and do something right away."
The team's busy day ended with a visit to Saqlawiyah's police headquarters, where military personnel were awarding many local residents compensation payments.
Altogether, the citizens received a total of $5,500 dollars for destruction of properties and personal injury caused as a result of counter-insurgency operations here.
After their busy day, Phelps expressed his gratitude to his team and to the generous citizens in America for making this humanitarian mission here possible.
"I want to personally thank Dr. Gary Morsch, Dan Neal, and the other great employees of Heart to Heart International," he stated. "Today, they made a difference in the world, and it was a great day for the people of Saqlawiyah."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....45?opendocument
Big-city Marine learns value of small pleasures in Corps
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592431750
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- Years ago in “The Big Apple,” Justin Henshaw lived a life many might envy and few would consider trading.
Originally a St. Simons Island, Ga. native, Henshaw was working as a personal trainer at two local fitness centers while gaining popularity and exposure as a television actor.
The events of September 11, 2001 would change the life he had known in the blink of an eye.
“My life up until that point had been all about me and about how much money I could make,” stated Henshaw, a 1998 Glynn Academy High School graduate. “Nine-eleven changed all that. The things that I saw on ‘ground zero’ changed my life.”
Angered by the acts of terrorism against thousands of innocents, but inspired to help his fellow Americans, Henshaw assisted several local churches’ food drives and donated blood.
This was too small a part for him, however. Shortly after, he gave up his blossoming acting career and marched into the heart of New York City on a mission.
“Not long after 9/11, I went to the recruiting station in Times Square and enlisted to be a Marine Corps infantryman,” Henshaw explained. “I stored my stuff away, put some affairs in my life in order, and went off to (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) Parris Island (in March 2002).”
More than three years later, 25-year-old Henshaw is a veteran having served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Afghanistan. Even after seeing combat and overseas locations, Henshaw said he still felt he had more to do.
“I volunteered to come to Iraq after my old unit got back from Afghanistan (in late 2004),” Henshaw said. “I had the option to go to another unit that wasn’t deploying, but I turned it down because I wanted to contribute to what was going on here.”
Now, he serves with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, a unit that has been conducting counter-insurgency operations in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province since mid-March.
Corporal Henshaw is a member of the battalion’s 4th Combined Anti-Armor Team, Weapons Company. This group of Marines continually patrols Fallujah’s streets on foot and aboard their armored trucks.
During their early evening hour excursions, throngs of kids often dash out from numerous alleyways to greet and cheer on the vehicles they have come to know all too well. Henshaw and the 4th CAAT Marines have come loaded with treats, and the Iraqi children know that.
The Marines shake hands with the locals and pass out goodies to their children, as gunners aboard the trucks toss out handfuls of gum, candy and peanuts.
“Getting to interact with the kids is one of the things I like best about this job,” Henshaw said. “I believe that reaching out to the children is the best way to reach out to the country, because they are Iraq’s future. Whereas some adults that lived under Saddam’s regime may have a skewed opinion of us, the kids are untainted. Ten years down the road, they’ll remember how we helped them out when they were little.”
Dealing out treats works to foster a sense of trust between the community and the American troops, but Henshaw and his Marines also strive to spread patriotism and love toward the relatively new democratic nation.
“The people seem to love the little Iraqi flag stickers we hand out even more than our candy and soccer balls,” Henshaw stated. “I think it’s awesome that they have so much pride in their country and that we support that. These people here have been through a lot over the years, and they should definitely be proud of being Iraqi.”
Despite their positive dealings with the community, Henshaw said occasional suspicious stares follow his patrolling convoy.
“Some of the people see the stuff we do here as an inconvenience to their lives, but most see that we do it for their protection,” he continued. “If we have to lock down an entire city block because someone places an IED (improvised explosive device) there, people might lose ten minutes out of their day, but we do it to keep them safe.”
Several more weeks worth of these missions await Henshaw and his Marines as they wait to conclude their deployment here.
As his chapter in Iraq draws to an end, Henshaw also prepares to close the book on his Marine Corps experience. He plans to leave the Corps in December to head back to his hometown and ultimately become a physical therapist.
Occasionally, Henshaw said he thinks back to the promising career and big-city life he left behind, but does not miss what he’s come to view as its glitziness and superficiality.
“The Marine Corps made me realize that it’s always been my calling to work as part of something that helps other people,” he stated. “I never knew how easy my old life was until I joined. Working your butt off changes you and makes you more respectful of what you have. I feel these past few years have made me a stronger person.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....D2?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592431750
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- Years ago in “The Big Apple,” Justin Henshaw lived a life many might envy and few would consider trading.
Originally a St. Simons Island, Ga. native, Henshaw was working as a personal trainer at two local fitness centers while gaining popularity and exposure as a television actor.
The events of September 11, 2001 would change the life he had known in the blink of an eye.
“My life up until that point had been all about me and about how much money I could make,” stated Henshaw, a 1998 Glynn Academy High School graduate. “Nine-eleven changed all that. The things that I saw on ‘ground zero’ changed my life.”
Angered by the acts of terrorism against thousands of innocents, but inspired to help his fellow Americans, Henshaw assisted several local churches’ food drives and donated blood.
This was too small a part for him, however. Shortly after, he gave up his blossoming acting career and marched into the heart of New York City on a mission.
“Not long after 9/11, I went to the recruiting station in Times Square and enlisted to be a Marine Corps infantryman,” Henshaw explained. “I stored my stuff away, put some affairs in my life in order, and went off to (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) Parris Island (in March 2002).”
More than three years later, 25-year-old Henshaw is a veteran having served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Afghanistan. Even after seeing combat and overseas locations, Henshaw said he still felt he had more to do.
“I volunteered to come to Iraq after my old unit got back from Afghanistan (in late 2004),” Henshaw said. “I had the option to go to another unit that wasn’t deploying, but I turned it down because I wanted to contribute to what was going on here.”
Now, he serves with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, a unit that has been conducting counter-insurgency operations in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province since mid-March.
Corporal Henshaw is a member of the battalion’s 4th Combined Anti-Armor Team, Weapons Company. This group of Marines continually patrols Fallujah’s streets on foot and aboard their armored trucks.
During their early evening hour excursions, throngs of kids often dash out from numerous alleyways to greet and cheer on the vehicles they have come to know all too well. Henshaw and the 4th CAAT Marines have come loaded with treats, and the Iraqi children know that.
The Marines shake hands with the locals and pass out goodies to their children, as gunners aboard the trucks toss out handfuls of gum, candy and peanuts.
“Getting to interact with the kids is one of the things I like best about this job,” Henshaw said. “I believe that reaching out to the children is the best way to reach out to the country, because they are Iraq’s future. Whereas some adults that lived under Saddam’s regime may have a skewed opinion of us, the kids are untainted. Ten years down the road, they’ll remember how we helped them out when they were little.”
Dealing out treats works to foster a sense of trust between the community and the American troops, but Henshaw and his Marines also strive to spread patriotism and love toward the relatively new democratic nation.
“The people seem to love the little Iraqi flag stickers we hand out even more than our candy and soccer balls,” Henshaw stated. “I think it’s awesome that they have so much pride in their country and that we support that. These people here have been through a lot over the years, and they should definitely be proud of being Iraqi.”
Despite their positive dealings with the community, Henshaw said occasional suspicious stares follow his patrolling convoy.
“Some of the people see the stuff we do here as an inconvenience to their lives, but most see that we do it for their protection,” he continued. “If we have to lock down an entire city block because someone places an IED (improvised explosive device) there, people might lose ten minutes out of their day, but we do it to keep them safe.”
Several more weeks worth of these missions await Henshaw and his Marines as they wait to conclude their deployment here.
As his chapter in Iraq draws to an end, Henshaw also prepares to close the book on his Marine Corps experience. He plans to leave the Corps in December to head back to his hometown and ultimately become a physical therapist.
Occasionally, Henshaw said he thinks back to the promising career and big-city life he left behind, but does not miss what he’s come to view as its glitziness and superficiality.
“The Marine Corps made me realize that it’s always been my calling to work as part of something that helps other people,” he stated. “I never knew how easy my old life was until I joined. Working your butt off changes you and makes you more respectful of what you have. I feel these past few years have made me a stronger person.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....D2?opendocument
McConnelsville, Ohio native fire-rescue member
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592443611
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
HADITHAH DAM, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- In the midst of emergencies, decisions made by emergency personnel often mean life or death. One Marine with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, who is also an EMT and volunteer fireman, understands the choices that civilian rescue teams make and is applying it to his first deployment to Iraq.
Private first class Hiram D. Haines, a light counter mortar radar monitor and administration clerk with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines has come from saving people in his hometown to helping the Marines save the lives of Iraqi people in the Global War on Terrorism.
“I served my community but I thought I could do more. So I decided to serve my country,” said the McConnelsville, Ohio native.
Haines, a 1998 graduate of Morgan High School, attended EMT basic course at Washington County Adult Training Facility in 2002 and later attended the State of Ohio Fire Academy the same year.
“I always enjoyed helping people,” the 25-year-old said. “Some of my family were also volunteer firefighters, so I thought I would do that as well.”
While working in the fire and medical fields, he earned the 2004 Full-Time Paramedic of the Year award and the 2002 Star of Life award with three others for performing lifesaving techniques.
“I had just gotten back to the station when we got a call for a shooting incident with one victim,” said Haines. “The location of the house was nearby so we rushed over there and began to treat her wounds.
“We knew that we were supposed to wait for the police to arrive first, but we knew that if we could save this woman’s life it would be worth any reprimand we would receive for operating out of protocol.”
There was no punishment for their courageous actions and the praise he received from this event would later inspire him to take the step to become a U.S. Marine.
“My fire chief at M&M fire department, Terry Bragg, was a Marine for 36 years and he held us to some of their regulations,” Haines said. “The rescue of that lady, Terry and other members of my family influenced me to join the Marine Corps.”
Haines joined the Marine Corps in the early months of 2004 and used his experiences as a firefighter to complete the challenges of boot camp.
“I had a fear of heights, but I had to overcome them quickly so I could become a fireman,” Haines said. “When we got to the obstacle course and the repelling tower at recruit training, I knew I would be able to do it. I wanted to be a Marine as much as I had wanted to be a fireman.”
By the year’s end, he had completed training and found himself preparing to deploy to Iraq.
“I was excited to get a chance to come over here and do my part,” Haines said. “I deal with the public a lot while working with the liaison coordinators. When I’m not dealing with the local people, I monitor the LCMR.”
The LMCR, or Light Counter Mortar Radar, monitors the area for mortar impacts and gives estimates of where they were launched from and how many might be incoming. Haines handles the sudden, unprovoked attacks at the base and on the streets of Iraq the same way he handles going into burning buildings as a fire fighter.
“This is an unstable environment out here and you have to be alert and be aware of your surroundings,” said Haines. “At any time, something can change and your life could be on the line.”
While he enjoys his time with his Marine Corps family, he still misses the companionship with his other family at the fire department.
“I miss our weekly meeting nights and the people in my community that I helped,” Haines said. “I know when I go back I will be able to help them, but right now I have to help these people so they can have a community like mine.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3D?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592443611
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
HADITHAH DAM, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- In the midst of emergencies, decisions made by emergency personnel often mean life or death. One Marine with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, who is also an EMT and volunteer fireman, understands the choices that civilian rescue teams make and is applying it to his first deployment to Iraq.
Private first class Hiram D. Haines, a light counter mortar radar monitor and administration clerk with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines has come from saving people in his hometown to helping the Marines save the lives of Iraqi people in the Global War on Terrorism.
“I served my community but I thought I could do more. So I decided to serve my country,” said the McConnelsville, Ohio native.
Haines, a 1998 graduate of Morgan High School, attended EMT basic course at Washington County Adult Training Facility in 2002 and later attended the State of Ohio Fire Academy the same year.
“I always enjoyed helping people,” the 25-year-old said. “Some of my family were also volunteer firefighters, so I thought I would do that as well.”
While working in the fire and medical fields, he earned the 2004 Full-Time Paramedic of the Year award and the 2002 Star of Life award with three others for performing lifesaving techniques.
“I had just gotten back to the station when we got a call for a shooting incident with one victim,” said Haines. “The location of the house was nearby so we rushed over there and began to treat her wounds.
“We knew that we were supposed to wait for the police to arrive first, but we knew that if we could save this woman’s life it would be worth any reprimand we would receive for operating out of protocol.”
There was no punishment for their courageous actions and the praise he received from this event would later inspire him to take the step to become a U.S. Marine.
“My fire chief at M&M fire department, Terry Bragg, was a Marine for 36 years and he held us to some of their regulations,” Haines said. “The rescue of that lady, Terry and other members of my family influenced me to join the Marine Corps.”
Haines joined the Marine Corps in the early months of 2004 and used his experiences as a firefighter to complete the challenges of boot camp.
“I had a fear of heights, but I had to overcome them quickly so I could become a fireman,” Haines said. “When we got to the obstacle course and the repelling tower at recruit training, I knew I would be able to do it. I wanted to be a Marine as much as I had wanted to be a fireman.”
By the year’s end, he had completed training and found himself preparing to deploy to Iraq.
“I was excited to get a chance to come over here and do my part,” Haines said. “I deal with the public a lot while working with the liaison coordinators. When I’m not dealing with the local people, I monitor the LCMR.”
The LMCR, or Light Counter Mortar Radar, monitors the area for mortar impacts and gives estimates of where they were launched from and how many might be incoming. Haines handles the sudden, unprovoked attacks at the base and on the streets of Iraq the same way he handles going into burning buildings as a fire fighter.
“This is an unstable environment out here and you have to be alert and be aware of your surroundings,” said Haines. “At any time, something can change and your life could be on the line.”
While he enjoys his time with his Marine Corps family, he still misses the companionship with his other family at the fire department.
“I miss our weekly meeting nights and the people in my community that I helped,” Haines said. “I know when I go back I will be able to help them, but right now I have to help these people so they can have a community like mine.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3D?opendocument
Franklin Furnance, Ohio native finds insurgent documentation during Operation Spear
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592444715
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
KARBILAH, Iraq
(Sept. 24, 2005) -- Lance Cpl. James M. Howard, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment and soldiers from the Iraqi Security Force discovered evidence of foreign fighters in the town of Karbilah while participating in Operation Rohme (Spear).
Howard and his fellow Marines from 3rd squad, 2nd Platoon, Company L and members of the ISF, uncovered numerous suspicious photos and documents while conducting a search of a suspected insurgent hideout within the city.
“We found passports from bordering countries, photos of men dressed in black holding guns,” the Franklin Furnace, Ohio native said. “We also found numerous bomb-making materials and modified detonators.”
The former occupants attempted to conceal all these items well before they left.
Later, as the squad moved to a position closer to their platoon headquarters, they engaged insurgents trying to leave the city in a hurried manner.
The events lifted the Marines’ spirits and left them with a sense of accomplishment.
“I think about all the Marines and innocent civilians who could be hurt by those devices,” said the 2002 Wheelersburg High School graduate. “It’s men like these who set up those devices and can eventually hurt others. I’m glad we could do a small part to help stop it.”
The Marines of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines continued to cripple the insurgents’ efforts and expose their hideouts during the remainder of the operation, which concluded June 20 with almost 50 insurgents killed, numerous weapons caches found, a suicide car bomb facility destroyed, and a torture houses raided where four hostages were freed.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....98?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592444715
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
KARBILAH, Iraq
(Sept. 24, 2005) -- Lance Cpl. James M. Howard, an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment and soldiers from the Iraqi Security Force discovered evidence of foreign fighters in the town of Karbilah while participating in Operation Rohme (Spear).
Howard and his fellow Marines from 3rd squad, 2nd Platoon, Company L and members of the ISF, uncovered numerous suspicious photos and documents while conducting a search of a suspected insurgent hideout within the city.
“We found passports from bordering countries, photos of men dressed in black holding guns,” the Franklin Furnace, Ohio native said. “We also found numerous bomb-making materials and modified detonators.”
The former occupants attempted to conceal all these items well before they left.
Later, as the squad moved to a position closer to their platoon headquarters, they engaged insurgents trying to leave the city in a hurried manner.
The events lifted the Marines’ spirits and left them with a sense of accomplishment.
“I think about all the Marines and innocent civilians who could be hurt by those devices,” said the 2002 Wheelersburg High School graduate. “It’s men like these who set up those devices and can eventually hurt others. I’m glad we could do a small part to help stop it.”
The Marines of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines continued to cripple the insurgents’ efforts and expose their hideouts during the remainder of the operation, which concluded June 20 with almost 50 insurgents killed, numerous weapons caches found, a suicide car bomb facility destroyed, and a torture houses raided where four hostages were freed.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....98?opendocument
Teufelhunden Battalion takes reins from the Betio Bastards
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592445611
Story by Sgt. Jerad W. Alexander
CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- The Camp Lejeune-based 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division took control of the Al Qa’im area of operations in Western Iraq during a turnover ceremony here Sept. 10, 2005.
The 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, known as the Teufelhunden Battalion, takes control from the Betio Bastards of the Camp Lejeune-based 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division who spent the past seven months operating primarily in the Al Qa’im area, conducting various operations to include Operations Matador, Spear and Quick Strike.
“The 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines have been successful here. This place had no existing Iraqi security element,” said Marlow, Okla., native Maj. Toby D. Patterson, executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.
One of the missions of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines in the Al Qa’im area of operations will be to build up and support the fledgling Iraqi Army, according to Patterson.
“We want to be able to give the Iraqi Army a chance to get in place and legitimize them as a force,” said Patterson.
Patterson also stated the Marines of the Teufelhunden Battalion will be in place here to support the upcoming Iraqi national elections as well.
During the turnover, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines showed the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines how they conducted business while ‘outside the wire’ of Camp Al Qa’im.
During one such mission, the Marines of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines conducted a cordon and knock mission of a local cement factory just a few kilometers from the camp.
“The [mission] was to maintain a presence. Basically, it served as a security patrol,” said Peidmont, Ala., native Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Hanson, platoon sergeant, 2nd Platoon, Company K.
“It’s good to see a unit coming in that has a lot of experience,” said Hanson, referring to their relief’s recent deployment to Afghanistan. “They’re going to hit it hard and get results.”
According to Patterson, the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines made great strides in providing security to the Al Qa’im region.
“We’ll follow in their steps to make it a safer part of Iraq,” he said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....EA?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592445611
Story by Sgt. Jerad W. Alexander
CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Sept. 24, 2005) -- The Camp Lejeune-based 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division took control of the Al Qa’im area of operations in Western Iraq during a turnover ceremony here Sept. 10, 2005.
The 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, known as the Teufelhunden Battalion, takes control from the Betio Bastards of the Camp Lejeune-based 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division who spent the past seven months operating primarily in the Al Qa’im area, conducting various operations to include Operations Matador, Spear and Quick Strike.
“The 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines have been successful here. This place had no existing Iraqi security element,” said Marlow, Okla., native Maj. Toby D. Patterson, executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.
One of the missions of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines in the Al Qa’im area of operations will be to build up and support the fledgling Iraqi Army, according to Patterson.
“We want to be able to give the Iraqi Army a chance to get in place and legitimize them as a force,” said Patterson.
Patterson also stated the Marines of the Teufelhunden Battalion will be in place here to support the upcoming Iraqi national elections as well.
During the turnover, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines showed the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines how they conducted business while ‘outside the wire’ of Camp Al Qa’im.
During one such mission, the Marines of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines conducted a cordon and knock mission of a local cement factory just a few kilometers from the camp.
“The [mission] was to maintain a presence. Basically, it served as a security patrol,” said Peidmont, Ala., native Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Hanson, platoon sergeant, 2nd Platoon, Company K.
“It’s good to see a unit coming in that has a lot of experience,” said Hanson, referring to their relief’s recent deployment to Afghanistan. “They’re going to hit it hard and get results.”
According to Patterson, the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines made great strides in providing security to the Al Qa’im region.
“We’ll follow in their steps to make it a safer part of Iraq,” he said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....EA?opendocument
Retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle recounts Vietnam tour
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification #: 20025393422
Story by Sgt. Arthur L. Stone
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 2, 2002) -- He never thought he would reach his unit alive.
Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, recounted events from his tour in Vietnam during a Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day ceremony Monday here.
The year was 1965, and Houle, then a corporal, arrived in Vietnam facing backward in a C-130 Hercules transport plane. Seeing tracers flying from the ground below, he just knew he was going to die before he ever reached the ground.
Houle, now the director of the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, spoke to the assembled Marines, veterans and guests about his first night in Vietnam. He was there with Mike Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
According to Houle, he arrived in Vietnam with no pack, rifle or combat gear. He and five other Marines were ordered into the back of a truck by a master sergeant. They were told to relax their first night. Houle said the master sergeant gave them a place to sleep and showed them their bunker in case of an artillery attack. He also told them they would draw rifles the next day.
"We were set up at Marble Mountain, just down from the naval hospital," Houle said. "Those of you who were there know exactly where I'm talking about."
About 1:30 in the morning, Houle said Vietnamese mortars opened up on the camp and he hid in the tent hoping none of the shrapnel would find him. He said it was too dark for him to see to find the bunker. A hand reached out of the darkness, grabbed him from the rack and threw him into his bunker. The hand was from his company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Stonewall Jackson.
"I won't tell you what he called me," Houle said, "but he told me not to get out until morning. I said, 'No problem, first sergeant.'"
The next morning he was issued a rifle and taken to his platoon. He was assigned as squad leader of first squad because he was the senior corporal, despite having only been in country one day. Their first mission was to locate the mortar unit that had shelled them during the night.
Houle said he looked in the eyes of his squad and saw no emotion.
"The look in their eyes was like the life was sucked out of them," he explained. Later he learned the term for their condition was the 1,000-yard stare. "After I lost my first friend, I felt it was best to be detached."
In Vietnam, you did not make friends, you made "military acquaintances," he said.
Cans of pebbles strung along the camp perimeter were the early warning system against enemy attack in a darkness where you could not see your hand in front of your face. Claymores and trip flares were set to alarm them if the enemy tried to infiltrate the camp during the stygian night, according to Houle.
Once the night's dead silence set in, the long wait began.
"If you were to sleep, it was only in two-hour shifts," he said.
"Knowing this sounds strange - when you can hear a mosquito suck blood out of a water bull at 1,000 yards, it's damn quiet."
Houle remembered Vietnam at night by the smells of diesel fuel and death. When something rattled a can twenty yards out, or a flare went off, the enemy was met with the steel spray of claymore mines and the rattle of M60 machineguns.
"Questions pop to mind," said Houle. "Will I take care of my Marines? Will I bring them back alive? Will I be a good leader?"
Houle said the nights were a hell that could drive a man insane.
Still, when Houle returned to America, he said they were greeted not with fanfares and parades, but with calls of "baby killers" and worse.
"They asked us to do our job and we did," Houle concluded, admonishing veterans to support and stand behind today's active-duty military service members.
"We Vietnam veterans hope and pray there is never another Vietnam."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification #: 20025393422
Story by Sgt. Arthur L. Stone
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 2, 2002) -- He never thought he would reach his unit alive.
Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, recounted events from his tour in Vietnam during a Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day ceremony Monday here.
The year was 1965, and Houle, then a corporal, arrived in Vietnam facing backward in a C-130 Hercules transport plane. Seeing tracers flying from the ground below, he just knew he was going to die before he ever reached the ground.
Houle, now the director of the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, spoke to the assembled Marines, veterans and guests about his first night in Vietnam. He was there with Mike Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
According to Houle, he arrived in Vietnam with no pack, rifle or combat gear. He and five other Marines were ordered into the back of a truck by a master sergeant. They were told to relax their first night. Houle said the master sergeant gave them a place to sleep and showed them their bunker in case of an artillery attack. He also told them they would draw rifles the next day.
"We were set up at Marble Mountain, just down from the naval hospital," Houle said. "Those of you who were there know exactly where I'm talking about."
About 1:30 in the morning, Houle said Vietnamese mortars opened up on the camp and he hid in the tent hoping none of the shrapnel would find him. He said it was too dark for him to see to find the bunker. A hand reached out of the darkness, grabbed him from the rack and threw him into his bunker. The hand was from his company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Stonewall Jackson.
"I won't tell you what he called me," Houle said, "but he told me not to get out until morning. I said, 'No problem, first sergeant.'"
The next morning he was issued a rifle and taken to his platoon. He was assigned as squad leader of first squad because he was the senior corporal, despite having only been in country one day. Their first mission was to locate the mortar unit that had shelled them during the night.
Houle said he looked in the eyes of his squad and saw no emotion.
"The look in their eyes was like the life was sucked out of them," he explained. Later he learned the term for their condition was the 1,000-yard stare. "After I lost my first friend, I felt it was best to be detached."
In Vietnam, you did not make friends, you made "military acquaintances," he said.
Cans of pebbles strung along the camp perimeter were the early warning system against enemy attack in a darkness where you could not see your hand in front of your face. Claymores and trip flares were set to alarm them if the enemy tried to infiltrate the camp during the stygian night, according to Houle.
Once the night's dead silence set in, the long wait began.
"If you were to sleep, it was only in two-hour shifts," he said.
"Knowing this sounds strange - when you can hear a mosquito suck blood out of a water bull at 1,000 yards, it's damn quiet."
Houle remembered Vietnam at night by the smells of diesel fuel and death. When something rattled a can twenty yards out, or a flare went off, the enemy was met with the steel spray of claymore mines and the rattle of M60 machineguns.
"Questions pop to mind," said Houle. "Will I take care of my Marines? Will I bring them back alive? Will I be a good leader?"
Houle said the nights were a hell that could drive a man insane.
Still, when Houle returned to America, he said they were greeted not with fanfares and parades, but with calls of "baby killers" and worse.
"They asked us to do our job and we did," Houle concluded, admonishing veterans to support and stand behind today's active-duty military service members.
"We Vietnam veterans hope and pray there is never another Vietnam."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Vietnam vet shows recruits value of honor, teamwork
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification #: 200584183130
Story by Pfc. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (August 5, 2005) -- A retired Vietnam veteran, who served as the team leader for a Medal of Honor recipient, addressed the recruits of Company I at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Monday.
Retired Maj. Steven M. Lowery narrated the heroic actions of a 12-man reconnaissance team fighting against a North Vietnamese Army platoon. Recruits reenacted the firefight around Lowery's podium.
Lowery told his account of the firefight and incorporated tactical techniques, leadership and teamwork skills the recruits would need to make it through the Crucible.
"It's easier for the platoon to work together. It touched everyone and made everyone want to work together," said Recruit Joshua B. Barber, Platoon 3098. "At this point in training, it's getting hard. We've been here two months, and now we are finally on the downhill. It was nice to finally get a motivational speech. It made me feel like I could accomplish something."
Lowery told tales of heroism and of many men who received the highest honors of military service including Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Navy Crosses, and a Navy Commendation Medal.
"It was an honor and a privilege to know that a retired major would take time out of his day to talk to recruits," said Recruit Andrew J. Comtis, Platoon 3102 guide.
Lowery told the recruits stories of injured Marines who fought until they could fight no more, corpsman who repeatedly revived fallen Marines and a story of one Marine who's selfless actions almost went unnoticed.
Pfc. Robert H. Jenkins Jr., a machine gunner with Company C, Third Reconnaissance Battalion, Third Marine Division, received the Medal of Honor after sacrificing his life for a fellow Marine when a North Vietnamese soldier threw a hand grenade at them. Jenkins used his body to shield the other Marine and absorbed the full impact of the grenade, according to Lowery. This action allowed the machine gun to fight off the enemy and kept other Marines from being injured or killed.
Lowery and the survivors of the firefight went to great lengths to ensure Jenkins received the accolades he deserved for his actions.
Lowery said the story of Jenkins is appropriate for the recruits because of an obstacle they would have to overcome during the Crucible. Jenkins Pinnacle, like many of the Crucible obstacles, was designed to instill teamwork into the recruits.
"When they go through the Crucible, they go through in small teams. The whole effort is to build teamwork," said Lowery.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification #: 200584183130
Story by Pfc. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (August 5, 2005) -- A retired Vietnam veteran, who served as the team leader for a Medal of Honor recipient, addressed the recruits of Company I at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Monday.
Retired Maj. Steven M. Lowery narrated the heroic actions of a 12-man reconnaissance team fighting against a North Vietnamese Army platoon. Recruits reenacted the firefight around Lowery's podium.
Lowery told his account of the firefight and incorporated tactical techniques, leadership and teamwork skills the recruits would need to make it through the Crucible.
"It's easier for the platoon to work together. It touched everyone and made everyone want to work together," said Recruit Joshua B. Barber, Platoon 3098. "At this point in training, it's getting hard. We've been here two months, and now we are finally on the downhill. It was nice to finally get a motivational speech. It made me feel like I could accomplish something."
Lowery told tales of heroism and of many men who received the highest honors of military service including Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, Navy Crosses, and a Navy Commendation Medal.
"It was an honor and a privilege to know that a retired major would take time out of his day to talk to recruits," said Recruit Andrew J. Comtis, Platoon 3102 guide.
Lowery told the recruits stories of injured Marines who fought until they could fight no more, corpsman who repeatedly revived fallen Marines and a story of one Marine who's selfless actions almost went unnoticed.
Pfc. Robert H. Jenkins Jr., a machine gunner with Company C, Third Reconnaissance Battalion, Third Marine Division, received the Medal of Honor after sacrificing his life for a fellow Marine when a North Vietnamese soldier threw a hand grenade at them. Jenkins used his body to shield the other Marine and absorbed the full impact of the grenade, according to Lowery. This action allowed the machine gun to fight off the enemy and kept other Marines from being injured or killed.
Lowery and the survivors of the firefight went to great lengths to ensure Jenkins received the accolades he deserved for his actions.
Lowery said the story of Jenkins is appropriate for the recruits because of an obstacle they would have to overcome during the Crucible. Jenkins Pinnacle, like many of the Crucible obstacles, was designed to instill teamwork into the recruits.
"When they go through the Crucible, they go through in small teams. The whole effort is to build teamwork," said Lowery.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
From Vietnam to Iraq: Motor City Marine continues to serve
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200572105457
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Shannon Arledge
AL ASAD, Iraq (July 21, 2005) -- In 1968 as the Vietnam War raged, Nicholas Bykowetz was finishing his senior year of high school. He pondered what to do next. Located inside the Michigan Unemployment Compensation Commission was a small Marine Corps recruiting station. The Detroit native was about to make a life altering decision.
Born in March 1950, Bykowetz, of Allen Park, Mich., spent his younger years in Detroit where he would one day join the Marine Corps. In June 1968, just two weeks after high school graduation, this young lad of 18 years was standing before drill instructors at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
After boot camp Bykowetz knew the high chances of receiving deployment orders to Vietnam. The Vietnam War was already in its seventh year and there was no sign of ending. In December 1968, the young Marine reported to the company headquarters of the 5th Marine Regiment at An Hoa Combat Base, I Corps, Republic of South Vietnam.
“I’m not one to tell war stories per se,” said Bykowetz. “We took our share of ground attacks, and lots of rocket and mortar attacks from the North Vietnamese. I remember losing our ammo dump to an enemy sapper attack in February 1969,” he continued, “the First Sergeant and I almost got our heads shot off by machine gun fire during the attack.”
He left Vietnam in December 1969 and served honorably as an interrogator before his discharge in 1972 at the rank of sergeant. After 10 years of working multiple jobs in metropolitan Detroit and surrounding areas, Bykowetz still had a yearning for the Corps. In 1982 he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Detroit and was approved for a two year contract. Although he wasn’t given any of his previous earned time-in-grade, Sgt. Bykowetz did retain his rank.
When his two year contract was due to expire, and as a result of family and personal issues, he chose to leave the Corps in November 1984. Bykowetz then found himself working for a city outside of Detroit.
After five years as a civilian, and having worked through the family issues, Bykowetz still wanted to serve the Corps. The year was 1989, and the now 39-year-old Bykowetz wanted to give the Corps another shot. Having reached Marine Corps age limits he needed to secure a special waiver to gain another enlistment.
“I was already 39-years-old,” said Bykowetz. “I was told that individuals over 35, and with broken service, can expedite a positive answer by writing a letter to the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps for permission to re-enter the service. So that’s what I did. I wrote a fairly long letter with at least seven enclosures to it. I was approved for one year.”
Sergeant Bykowetz had one year to gain a new occupational specialty since his new reserve unit, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, located along the Detroit River, did not rate any interrogators. Through sacrifice and assistance from other Marines he became an intelligence specialist and was allowed to reenlist in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve for six years.
By the end of 1990 his unit was mobilized for nine months and shipped overseas to support Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm after Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. During this deployment, and after the liberation of Kuwait, his unit spent time in Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of the Philippines.
Since his six year reenlistment into the reserves in 1990, Bykowetz had been applying for active service, then known as the Full-Time Support Program, now known as the Active Reserve Program, and was accepted in October 1991 to a post in New Orleans, La., with the intelligence department of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. Since then he has remained competitive as a career-designated active duty reservist. He’s recently been promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant and is possibly the oldest enlisted Marine and Vietnam veteran in the active ranks. Bykowetz now serves his country, once again, on foreign soil, a veteran of active service in the Marine Corps during three wars.
Since 2002 Bykowetz has served with Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 775 from Marine Corps Air Facility, Camp Pendleton and is currently assigned to the Flight Line Intelligence Center in Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. He supervises the unit’s intelligence section as it reports on and tracks enemy actions and threats to the squadron’s aviation operations.
Bykowetz has witnessed many changes in the Corps over the years … the Marine Corps has changed the camouflage uniform pattern three times since he signed up in 1968. One thing has held true and that’s Marine spirit.
“The Marines of today are made of the same stuff our forefathers had,” said the Gunny. “They endure great hardships, they blow off steam much the same ways, they even find some of the same things hilariously funny. They destroy efficiently, show remarkable restraint regularly, are hard as nails one minute, then, moments later, show the most admirable compassion,” he continued, “but I would say they are a lot smarter than the lot from my youth.”
According to Lance Cpl. Tony Nguyen, intelligence analyst who has been in the Marine Corps for one year, and has spent the past four months with HML/A-775 says the Gunny means business and is often boisterous with his opinions.
“I'm lucky to be under his guidance and leadership,” said Nguyen. “He's very solid in the work area, which is all we do out here, and he makes sure he's heard whenever there's something to be done. When I first heard he was from the Vietnam days I knew he was going to bring a lot of experience, and that has been true.”
According to Capt. Samuel C. Gazzo, intelligence officer for HML/A-775, Bykowetz has seen a lot over the last 30 plus years. But, despite his age, he can always be counted on to get the job done.
“Although he doesn't talk too much about his age or time in the Marine Corps, everyone knows he's the one that always gets a piece of cake at the ball,” laughed Gazzo. “Gunny B. is what you think of when you think of a crusty old [staff noncommissioned officer]. He always has something to say about everything. Sometimes, we laugh for days after he one of his comments about things we see everyday that make no sense. I have no idea where he comes up with his material, but it is better than anything any drill instructor could conceive. I can always rely on Gunny B. to do what he is told with enthusiasm. He relates exceptionally well with the young Marines. He really enjoys imparting life lessons to everyone. Gunny B. has much respect among all of his Marines, especially because of his background -- rifleman in Vietnam. I can always count on Gunny to accomplish the mission.”
The gunnery sergeant will soon reach 20 years of active service and plans to retire in 2007 with 22 active duty years. He carries memories most active duty Marines today do not have, even the Marines who have 20 or more years of service. From his early days up to now, he is impressed with the changes he’s witnessed.
“We didn’t have entire Marine units parading down streets with people cheering them during Vietnam,” he said. “There wasn’t required enlisted professional military education, we didn’t have computers and modern communications devices, and the support structures and services now available to Marines and their families everywhere wasn’t active. This is a real big deal, especially for first termers.”
Gunnery Sgt. Bykowetz admits that over the years he has slowed down a little, but he says, “I still get a charge out of out performing a much younger Marine in anything.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200572105457
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Shannon Arledge
AL ASAD, Iraq (July 21, 2005) -- In 1968 as the Vietnam War raged, Nicholas Bykowetz was finishing his senior year of high school. He pondered what to do next. Located inside the Michigan Unemployment Compensation Commission was a small Marine Corps recruiting station. The Detroit native was about to make a life altering decision.
Born in March 1950, Bykowetz, of Allen Park, Mich., spent his younger years in Detroit where he would one day join the Marine Corps. In June 1968, just two weeks after high school graduation, this young lad of 18 years was standing before drill instructors at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
After boot camp Bykowetz knew the high chances of receiving deployment orders to Vietnam. The Vietnam War was already in its seventh year and there was no sign of ending. In December 1968, the young Marine reported to the company headquarters of the 5th Marine Regiment at An Hoa Combat Base, I Corps, Republic of South Vietnam.
“I’m not one to tell war stories per se,” said Bykowetz. “We took our share of ground attacks, and lots of rocket and mortar attacks from the North Vietnamese. I remember losing our ammo dump to an enemy sapper attack in February 1969,” he continued, “the First Sergeant and I almost got our heads shot off by machine gun fire during the attack.”
He left Vietnam in December 1969 and served honorably as an interrogator before his discharge in 1972 at the rank of sergeant. After 10 years of working multiple jobs in metropolitan Detroit and surrounding areas, Bykowetz still had a yearning for the Corps. In 1982 he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in Detroit and was approved for a two year contract. Although he wasn’t given any of his previous earned time-in-grade, Sgt. Bykowetz did retain his rank.
When his two year contract was due to expire, and as a result of family and personal issues, he chose to leave the Corps in November 1984. Bykowetz then found himself working for a city outside of Detroit.
After five years as a civilian, and having worked through the family issues, Bykowetz still wanted to serve the Corps. The year was 1989, and the now 39-year-old Bykowetz wanted to give the Corps another shot. Having reached Marine Corps age limits he needed to secure a special waiver to gain another enlistment.
“I was already 39-years-old,” said Bykowetz. “I was told that individuals over 35, and with broken service, can expedite a positive answer by writing a letter to the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps for permission to re-enter the service. So that’s what I did. I wrote a fairly long letter with at least seven enclosures to it. I was approved for one year.”
Sergeant Bykowetz had one year to gain a new occupational specialty since his new reserve unit, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, located along the Detroit River, did not rate any interrogators. Through sacrifice and assistance from other Marines he became an intelligence specialist and was allowed to reenlist in the Selected Marine Corps Reserve for six years.
By the end of 1990 his unit was mobilized for nine months and shipped overseas to support Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm after Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. During this deployment, and after the liberation of Kuwait, his unit spent time in Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of the Philippines.
Since his six year reenlistment into the reserves in 1990, Bykowetz had been applying for active service, then known as the Full-Time Support Program, now known as the Active Reserve Program, and was accepted in October 1991 to a post in New Orleans, La., with the intelligence department of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing. Since then he has remained competitive as a career-designated active duty reservist. He’s recently been promoted to the rank of gunnery sergeant and is possibly the oldest enlisted Marine and Vietnam veteran in the active ranks. Bykowetz now serves his country, once again, on foreign soil, a veteran of active service in the Marine Corps during three wars.
Since 2002 Bykowetz has served with Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 775 from Marine Corps Air Facility, Camp Pendleton and is currently assigned to the Flight Line Intelligence Center in Camp Taqaddum, Iraq. He supervises the unit’s intelligence section as it reports on and tracks enemy actions and threats to the squadron’s aviation operations.
Bykowetz has witnessed many changes in the Corps over the years … the Marine Corps has changed the camouflage uniform pattern three times since he signed up in 1968. One thing has held true and that’s Marine spirit.
“The Marines of today are made of the same stuff our forefathers had,” said the Gunny. “They endure great hardships, they blow off steam much the same ways, they even find some of the same things hilariously funny. They destroy efficiently, show remarkable restraint regularly, are hard as nails one minute, then, moments later, show the most admirable compassion,” he continued, “but I would say they are a lot smarter than the lot from my youth.”
According to Lance Cpl. Tony Nguyen, intelligence analyst who has been in the Marine Corps for one year, and has spent the past four months with HML/A-775 says the Gunny means business and is often boisterous with his opinions.
“I'm lucky to be under his guidance and leadership,” said Nguyen. “He's very solid in the work area, which is all we do out here, and he makes sure he's heard whenever there's something to be done. When I first heard he was from the Vietnam days I knew he was going to bring a lot of experience, and that has been true.”
According to Capt. Samuel C. Gazzo, intelligence officer for HML/A-775, Bykowetz has seen a lot over the last 30 plus years. But, despite his age, he can always be counted on to get the job done.
“Although he doesn't talk too much about his age or time in the Marine Corps, everyone knows he's the one that always gets a piece of cake at the ball,” laughed Gazzo. “Gunny B. is what you think of when you think of a crusty old [staff noncommissioned officer]. He always has something to say about everything. Sometimes, we laugh for days after he one of his comments about things we see everyday that make no sense. I have no idea where he comes up with his material, but it is better than anything any drill instructor could conceive. I can always rely on Gunny B. to do what he is told with enthusiasm. He relates exceptionally well with the young Marines. He really enjoys imparting life lessons to everyone. Gunny B. has much respect among all of his Marines, especially because of his background -- rifleman in Vietnam. I can always count on Gunny to accomplish the mission.”
The gunnery sergeant will soon reach 20 years of active service and plans to retire in 2007 with 22 active duty years. He carries memories most active duty Marines today do not have, even the Marines who have 20 or more years of service. From his early days up to now, he is impressed with the changes he’s witnessed.
“We didn’t have entire Marine units parading down streets with people cheering them during Vietnam,” he said. “There wasn’t required enlisted professional military education, we didn’t have computers and modern communications devices, and the support structures and services now available to Marines and their families everywhere wasn’t active. This is a real big deal, especially for first termers.”
Gunnery Sgt. Bykowetz admits that over the years he has slowed down a little, but he says, “I still get a charge out of out performing a much younger Marine in anything.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Vietnam stalwart wafts into retirement
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 200562105921
Story by Sgt. Monroe F. Seigle
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (June 2, 2005) -- The year was 1966. America was engaged in a bloody war with Vietnam.
The Beatles were still a group and Woodstock was nothing more than a quiet farm in New York.
That-s when Col. John Bates did something that was almost unheard of -- and widely frowned upon in an emerging peacenik culture: He voluntarily dropped out of college to join the Marine Corps.
After fighting in three wars, traveling to roughly 125 countries and receiving three Purple Hearts for wounds incurred in Vietnam, Bates retired May 26 and went out like a true warrior: He parachuted into his retirement ceremony at the 11 Area Parade Field.
"This Marine's service to the Corps has spanned across five decades," Lt. Gen. Wallace C. Gregson, commanding general of Marine Forces Pacific, said during Bates- retirement ceremony. "If you read his biography, you will see a man of tremendous courage and valor."
Bates- career in the Marine Corps began March 24, 1966, at age 19. After completing recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Bates was ready for action.
"I-d say 95 percent of us from boot camp knew we were going out to Vietnam. I thought that I already knew what to expect, but the truth was, I did not," recalled Bates, who served as Camp Pendleton-s assistant chief of staff for operations and training during his swan song Marine Corps tour.
When Bates arrived in Vietnam, he was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, and found himself on the demilitarized zone in the war-torn country.
Immediately, the rounds started flying.
"When we went out on patrols, we would often draw sniper fire, and then we would return fire and overwhelm them. This went on for weeks in the Pho Loc 6 area," Bates said. "There was one occasion when we were getting hit with sniper fire and we called in for an airstrike, and we thought it was successful. What we did not know was the North Vietnamese army had dug out some tunnels and the airstrike did not affect them."
While Bates and his Marines scoured the area, enemy fighters emerged from the tunnels and opened fire.
"I was wearing a flak jacket when I was hit, and the round went through the jacket and into my lung. I was in the hospital for 23 days in intensive care," Bates said.
A month later, he was back in action after leaving the hospital against doctor-s orders, he said. He rounded up a pair of trousers and a utility jacket, and made his way to a nearby airfield, where he finagled a ride back to An Hoa.
"It wasn-t like I escaped," Bates chuckled. "I was still spitting up blood, so I couldn-t go on humps, but my platoon commander was still glad to have me back out there. He honestly did not think I would make it."
With only one lung working, Bates kept fighting. During a fierce battle July 6, 1967, he found an enemy fighter coming up on his post. He had to think quickly.
"I couldn-t shoot them because the muzzle of my weapon would give away my position," Bates explained. "I decided I would have to use a grenade, but when I threw it, I still took some of the shrapnel in my thigh. It wasn-t life-threatening -- and as loud as grenades go off, I still can-t remember even hearing it go off."
Despite two injuries in Vietnam, Bates was still not about to call it quits. A short time later, he was taking fire from another enemy sniper. What he thought was a safe place to jump into proved just the opposite.
"When the sniper started firing, I thought I found a small depression to take cover in, but it turned out to be a punji stake trap," Bates said. "Basically, it is a hole with a bunch of wooden stakes at the bottom of it. When I fell into it, a stake went right through my foot. I think this was the worst injury of the three because I couldn-t walk, and when I tried to, the foot would split open again."
When Bates finally left Vietnam and returned to the states, his company first sergeant dropped a bombshell. He told Bates to pack his bags.
"I thought I was going to be able to go back to Vietnam, but that was not the case. He told me I was being discharged and going home," Bates said.
But Bates wanted badly to stay in the Marine Corps.
So he fought -- just as fiercely as he had on the battlefield.
After completing his bachelor-s degree in speech pathology at the State College of Arkansas, he applied to become a Marine Corps officer.
"I kept putting in applications to go to OCS, but they kept coming back stamped 'denied.- So I would just change the cover sheet and update the amount of education I had, since I was still in college now completing my master-s degree in secondary school counseling and rehabilitation. I applied so many times that I think they just got tired of seeing my name, so they finally accepted me in the summer of 1975."
Since then, Bates participated in Operation Desert Storm and served in Kuwait, supporting the initial invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He commanded Marines all over the world and, in one of his final acts in the Corps, he promoted his son, Capt. Josh Bates, a student and a Marine Corps reservist at the Expeditionary Warfare School aboard MCB Quantico, Va., to his current rank.
"My father was the epitome of what a man should be, said Josh Bates. "He was a good father and a good husband."
John Bates plans to move to Hawaii with his wife Stephanie, who he married June 10, 1972, and has accepted the position of the Chief Operating Officer of the Pearl Harbor Visitor-s Center.
"I want all the Marines out there to know that they should always do the right thing regardless of the circumstances and to never do anything for personal gain," said Bates.
"You do it for your Marines and I assure you, they will always make you look better than you can by yourself."
E-mail Sgt. Seigle at monroe.seigle.usmc.mil.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 200562105921
Story by Sgt. Monroe F. Seigle
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (June 2, 2005) -- The year was 1966. America was engaged in a bloody war with Vietnam.
The Beatles were still a group and Woodstock was nothing more than a quiet farm in New York.
That-s when Col. John Bates did something that was almost unheard of -- and widely frowned upon in an emerging peacenik culture: He voluntarily dropped out of college to join the Marine Corps.
After fighting in three wars, traveling to roughly 125 countries and receiving three Purple Hearts for wounds incurred in Vietnam, Bates retired May 26 and went out like a true warrior: He parachuted into his retirement ceremony at the 11 Area Parade Field.
"This Marine's service to the Corps has spanned across five decades," Lt. Gen. Wallace C. Gregson, commanding general of Marine Forces Pacific, said during Bates- retirement ceremony. "If you read his biography, you will see a man of tremendous courage and valor."
Bates- career in the Marine Corps began March 24, 1966, at age 19. After completing recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Bates was ready for action.
"I-d say 95 percent of us from boot camp knew we were going out to Vietnam. I thought that I already knew what to expect, but the truth was, I did not," recalled Bates, who served as Camp Pendleton-s assistant chief of staff for operations and training during his swan song Marine Corps tour.
When Bates arrived in Vietnam, he was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, and found himself on the demilitarized zone in the war-torn country.
Immediately, the rounds started flying.
"When we went out on patrols, we would often draw sniper fire, and then we would return fire and overwhelm them. This went on for weeks in the Pho Loc 6 area," Bates said. "There was one occasion when we were getting hit with sniper fire and we called in for an airstrike, and we thought it was successful. What we did not know was the North Vietnamese army had dug out some tunnels and the airstrike did not affect them."
While Bates and his Marines scoured the area, enemy fighters emerged from the tunnels and opened fire.
"I was wearing a flak jacket when I was hit, and the round went through the jacket and into my lung. I was in the hospital for 23 days in intensive care," Bates said.
A month later, he was back in action after leaving the hospital against doctor-s orders, he said. He rounded up a pair of trousers and a utility jacket, and made his way to a nearby airfield, where he finagled a ride back to An Hoa.
"It wasn-t like I escaped," Bates chuckled. "I was still spitting up blood, so I couldn-t go on humps, but my platoon commander was still glad to have me back out there. He honestly did not think I would make it."
With only one lung working, Bates kept fighting. During a fierce battle July 6, 1967, he found an enemy fighter coming up on his post. He had to think quickly.
"I couldn-t shoot them because the muzzle of my weapon would give away my position," Bates explained. "I decided I would have to use a grenade, but when I threw it, I still took some of the shrapnel in my thigh. It wasn-t life-threatening -- and as loud as grenades go off, I still can-t remember even hearing it go off."
Despite two injuries in Vietnam, Bates was still not about to call it quits. A short time later, he was taking fire from another enemy sniper. What he thought was a safe place to jump into proved just the opposite.
"When the sniper started firing, I thought I found a small depression to take cover in, but it turned out to be a punji stake trap," Bates said. "Basically, it is a hole with a bunch of wooden stakes at the bottom of it. When I fell into it, a stake went right through my foot. I think this was the worst injury of the three because I couldn-t walk, and when I tried to, the foot would split open again."
When Bates finally left Vietnam and returned to the states, his company first sergeant dropped a bombshell. He told Bates to pack his bags.
"I thought I was going to be able to go back to Vietnam, but that was not the case. He told me I was being discharged and going home," Bates said.
But Bates wanted badly to stay in the Marine Corps.
So he fought -- just as fiercely as he had on the battlefield.
After completing his bachelor-s degree in speech pathology at the State College of Arkansas, he applied to become a Marine Corps officer.
"I kept putting in applications to go to OCS, but they kept coming back stamped 'denied.- So I would just change the cover sheet and update the amount of education I had, since I was still in college now completing my master-s degree in secondary school counseling and rehabilitation. I applied so many times that I think they just got tired of seeing my name, so they finally accepted me in the summer of 1975."
Since then, Bates participated in Operation Desert Storm and served in Kuwait, supporting the initial invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He commanded Marines all over the world and, in one of his final acts in the Corps, he promoted his son, Capt. Josh Bates, a student and a Marine Corps reservist at the Expeditionary Warfare School aboard MCB Quantico, Va., to his current rank.
"My father was the epitome of what a man should be, said Josh Bates. "He was a good father and a good husband."
John Bates plans to move to Hawaii with his wife Stephanie, who he married June 10, 1972, and has accepted the position of the Chief Operating Officer of the Pearl Harbor Visitor-s Center.
"I want all the Marines out there to know that they should always do the right thing regardless of the circumstances and to never do anything for personal gain," said Bates.
"You do it for your Marines and I assure you, they will always make you look better than you can by yourself."
E-mail Sgt. Seigle at monroe.seigle.usmc.mil.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Vietnam War chaplain brings endorsement, message to Depot
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification #: 200341417143
Story by Cpl. Anthony D. Pike
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 28, 2003) -- On March 17, a Vietnam War veteran visited the Depot bringing with him a nod of approval to Depot chaplains and a message to the Marines and sailors that make the Depot work.
Retired Navy Chaplain Stan J. Beach, associate director, Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains, came to support and endorse the ministry of Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth D. Counts, chaplain, 1st Recruit Training Battalion. Once endorsed the chaplain will be required to give quarterly reports to the endorsing agency.
Since the Navy does not offer any training in theology to chaplains, each denomination sets up an endorsing agency, according to Counts.
Beach is one of several retired chaplains who serve as an endorser.
The Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains is the endorsing agency for the Presbyterian Church in America. The commission reports to the Department of Defense regarding the chaplain's ministerial credentials, according to Counts.
Beach's ministry has reached its fifth decade after being ordained on May 19, 1960, in St. Louis. Beach's military career began in 1953 when he joined the U.S. Naval reserve.
Beach's service to God and country led him to the Republic of Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division from 1966 - 1967. His ministry in Vietnam was from foxhole to foxhole, from one injured Marine to another.
During Vietnam, he was impressed with Marines and how "you never hear them complain about the things they should complain about," said Beach in an interview with "The Honolulu Advisor." Today, Beach sees new qualities that impress him.
"Young people today want to be challenged," said Beach. "I am impressed by these recruits here. They leave training having earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. They don't leave with it because they finished training."
For the men and women responsible for supporting and training the recruits sent to Marine Corps Recruit Training, Beach sees a fine example of what role models should be.
"These sailors and Marines are mentors as to what a Marine should be," said Beach. "They are models of what Marines should know. They are motivators that light the fire in the belly of the (recruits) that come here to train."
Beach sums up their qualities in the words of former Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak.
"Send us your men and we'll send you him back even better than before."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: MCRD San Diego
Story Identification #: 200341417143
Story by Cpl. Anthony D. Pike
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 28, 2003) -- On March 17, a Vietnam War veteran visited the Depot bringing with him a nod of approval to Depot chaplains and a message to the Marines and sailors that make the Depot work.
Retired Navy Chaplain Stan J. Beach, associate director, Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains, came to support and endorse the ministry of Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth D. Counts, chaplain, 1st Recruit Training Battalion. Once endorsed the chaplain will be required to give quarterly reports to the endorsing agency.
Since the Navy does not offer any training in theology to chaplains, each denomination sets up an endorsing agency, according to Counts.
Beach is one of several retired chaplains who serve as an endorser.
The Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplains is the endorsing agency for the Presbyterian Church in America. The commission reports to the Department of Defense regarding the chaplain's ministerial credentials, according to Counts.
Beach's ministry has reached its fifth decade after being ordained on May 19, 1960, in St. Louis. Beach's military career began in 1953 when he joined the U.S. Naval reserve.
Beach's service to God and country led him to the Republic of Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division from 1966 - 1967. His ministry in Vietnam was from foxhole to foxhole, from one injured Marine to another.
During Vietnam, he was impressed with Marines and how "you never hear them complain about the things they should complain about," said Beach in an interview with "The Honolulu Advisor." Today, Beach sees new qualities that impress him.
"Young people today want to be challenged," said Beach. "I am impressed by these recruits here. They leave training having earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. They don't leave with it because they finished training."
For the men and women responsible for supporting and training the recruits sent to Marine Corps Recruit Training, Beach sees a fine example of what role models should be.
"These sailors and Marines are mentors as to what a Marine should be," said Beach. "They are models of what Marines should know. They are motivators that light the fire in the belly of the (recruits) that come here to train."
Beach sums up their qualities in the words of former Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak.
"Send us your men and we'll send you him back even better than before."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Vietnam Vet Visit Inspires Recruiters
Submitted by: 1st MCRD
Story Identification #: 20001228153541
Story by Sgt. Amanda R. Hay
DEPTFORD, N.J. (Dec. 15, 2000) -- Recruiters started to feel the pain as the ?FMAM? season started early when the hunt for high school graduates kicked off in full swing.
It was perfect timing for a motivational speech for the Marines of RSS South Jersey courtesy of 1stLt. Clebe McClary at a local prayer breakfast in Deptford, N.J.
During his tour of duty in Vietnam, McClary suffered the loss of one eye, his left arm and had 33 operations to retain usage of the rest of his body.
After rebuilding his life, McClary has since dedicated himself to serving humanity by traveling all over the world to share his faith and positive story; or as he called it ?serving in the Lord?s Army.?
Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Kinkler, NCOIC of RSS South Jersey, made sure his Marines got up bright and early one morning to join him to listen to a walking, talking miracle.
?Although Marines on recruiting duty may not have physical war wounds, they definitely face the emotional wear and tear of the ongoing (recruiting) battle,? Kinkler said. ?It?s good for them to hear such a positive story and it also gives them a chance to refresh their memories of what the Marine Corps stands for.?
With a patch over one eye and a hook for an arm, the distinguished Vietnam veteran and silver star recipient briefly shared his story of Vietnam at the beginning of his speech.
As he continued, he shared his pain with his audience. At the same time he showed a great deal of humor and humility. His deep Southern drawl and quite a few mentions of his wife, family and devotion completed a picture of a perfect Southern gentleman
He encouraged people to think about how precious they are and how much they?re worth. He asked, ?How many of you would sell your arm to me for a million dollars? Would you sell an eye?? As the 150 people in attendance listened attentively, McClary went on to describe that they all are worth millions. ?You need to recognize that fact and treat yourselves as if you were millionaires because you are.?
He also emphasized the importance of humanity as a whole. ?We need to take care of each other. The smallest things can make the biggest difference. Don?t pass up an opportunity to say something nice to someone or let someone know a good quality they have. It can make a big difference in their life.?
Though recruiters talk about the intangibles daily to young Americans, seeing and listening to a living-proof example made the difference between night and day.
?With the job of recruiting duty it?s sometimes easy to get de-motivated,? Kinkler said. ?We all have to have the attitude that we all are Marines first and we can get through anything.?
McClary?s words can also make any Marine out here grateful, Kinkler said. ?Regardless of the long hours we work here at least we don?t have people shooting at us.?
The South Jersey recruiters agreed that the messages were well received. ?I learned a tremendous amount from him,? SSgt. James Knapp, RSS South Jersey recruiter, said. ?Don?t feel sorry for yourself. Regardless of how bad it gets out here, it?s still not as bad as he had it and he?s doing great.?
?It made me take a step back and realize why I put on this uniform," Sgt. Eric Steiner, RSS South Jersey recruiter, said.
After McClary spoke at the prayer breakfast he proceeded on to two high schools to speak to students.
?I like to go to high schools to talk not only to share my story, but to plant the seed for them to serve their country,? McClary said. ?I believe every young man needs to join. Even if they only went to boot camp and then did two years of service. They need to learn to serve others, respect themselves and each other. The world would be a better place. I?m a firm believer in that.?
According to Ron Taylor, former Marine and Vice Principal of Deptford Township High School, said he was honored to have McClary speak to his students.
?They need to hear these kind of positive messages. A lot of (the students) take too much for granted. They need to enjoy life and appreciate everything they have. He is a perfect example of the reality of Vietnam and the sacrifices people made.?
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: 1st MCRD
Story Identification #: 20001228153541
Story by Sgt. Amanda R. Hay
DEPTFORD, N.J. (Dec. 15, 2000) -- Recruiters started to feel the pain as the ?FMAM? season started early when the hunt for high school graduates kicked off in full swing.
It was perfect timing for a motivational speech for the Marines of RSS South Jersey courtesy of 1stLt. Clebe McClary at a local prayer breakfast in Deptford, N.J.
During his tour of duty in Vietnam, McClary suffered the loss of one eye, his left arm and had 33 operations to retain usage of the rest of his body.
After rebuilding his life, McClary has since dedicated himself to serving humanity by traveling all over the world to share his faith and positive story; or as he called it ?serving in the Lord?s Army.?
Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Kinkler, NCOIC of RSS South Jersey, made sure his Marines got up bright and early one morning to join him to listen to a walking, talking miracle.
?Although Marines on recruiting duty may not have physical war wounds, they definitely face the emotional wear and tear of the ongoing (recruiting) battle,? Kinkler said. ?It?s good for them to hear such a positive story and it also gives them a chance to refresh their memories of what the Marine Corps stands for.?
With a patch over one eye and a hook for an arm, the distinguished Vietnam veteran and silver star recipient briefly shared his story of Vietnam at the beginning of his speech.
As he continued, he shared his pain with his audience. At the same time he showed a great deal of humor and humility. His deep Southern drawl and quite a few mentions of his wife, family and devotion completed a picture of a perfect Southern gentleman
He encouraged people to think about how precious they are and how much they?re worth. He asked, ?How many of you would sell your arm to me for a million dollars? Would you sell an eye?? As the 150 people in attendance listened attentively, McClary went on to describe that they all are worth millions. ?You need to recognize that fact and treat yourselves as if you were millionaires because you are.?
He also emphasized the importance of humanity as a whole. ?We need to take care of each other. The smallest things can make the biggest difference. Don?t pass up an opportunity to say something nice to someone or let someone know a good quality they have. It can make a big difference in their life.?
Though recruiters talk about the intangibles daily to young Americans, seeing and listening to a living-proof example made the difference between night and day.
?With the job of recruiting duty it?s sometimes easy to get de-motivated,? Kinkler said. ?We all have to have the attitude that we all are Marines first and we can get through anything.?
McClary?s words can also make any Marine out here grateful, Kinkler said. ?Regardless of the long hours we work here at least we don?t have people shooting at us.?
The South Jersey recruiters agreed that the messages were well received. ?I learned a tremendous amount from him,? SSgt. James Knapp, RSS South Jersey recruiter, said. ?Don?t feel sorry for yourself. Regardless of how bad it gets out here, it?s still not as bad as he had it and he?s doing great.?
?It made me take a step back and realize why I put on this uniform," Sgt. Eric Steiner, RSS South Jersey recruiter, said.
After McClary spoke at the prayer breakfast he proceeded on to two high schools to speak to students.
?I like to go to high schools to talk not only to share my story, but to plant the seed for them to serve their country,? McClary said. ?I believe every young man needs to join. Even if they only went to boot camp and then did two years of service. They need to learn to serve others, respect themselves and each other. The world would be a better place. I?m a firm believer in that.?
According to Ron Taylor, former Marine and Vice Principal of Deptford Township High School, said he was honored to have McClary speak to his students.
?They need to hear these kind of positive messages. A lot of (the students) take too much for granted. They need to enjoy life and appreciate everything they have. He is a perfect example of the reality of Vietnam and the sacrifices people made.?
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
A true Marine to the depths of his soul
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification #: 20039916127
Story by Lance Cpl. Monroe F. Seigle
MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (September 5, 2003) -- In June of 1957, many Marines in our beloved Marine Corps had not been born yet.
It this same year, a young man who had always dreamed of becoming a Marine, left his home in Radford, Va., at the age of 17, and took his first steps on a journey to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.
Retired Col. John Ripley's mother cried when he left home to join the Marines. His father beamed with pride he knew his son would succeed in becoming a member of the world's fighting force.
"When I went to boot camp, it was a tough experience," recalled the salty, blue-eyed colonel with a chuckle. "I was physically fit, and I was a tough kid, but no one could be prepared for what lied ahead of us. Twenty-five percent of the platoon did not make it through recruit training."
Ripley can still recall how the Marine Corps was everything he thought it would be and how he felt the day he pinned on the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
It was only a year after Ripley had earned the title Marine that he was nominated to be a fleet appointee and earn a commission in the Marine Corps or Navy. In June of 1958, the private first class reported to the U.S. Naval Institute.
Although the determined, young warrior was usually first in all the inspections and set records on the obstacle course that to this day have yet been broken, academics were a tough challenge for him.
"I struggled for four years in most of my classes," recalled the colonel. "I had to work and study like crazy to stay abreast of the other students as far as academics were concerned.
"I remember in 1962 I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Corps, and let me tell you - I was ready to get back into the fleet," said Ripley. "The Marine Corps was already part of me, and I knew I wanted to be a Marine for the rest of my life."
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Ripley was granted one month of leave; however, the gung-ho warrior had no interest in going home and wasting time. He was ready to go back to the fleet as an infantry officer.
As a commanding officer, Ripley enjoyed leading his troops. He was the commanding officer of three companies and a reconnaissance platoon. He was the type of Marine that other Marines in his charge looked up to and respected as a leader. This proved to be an advantage when he led Lima Co., 3rd Bn., 3rd Marine Regiment into combat in the gruesome battles of Vietnam.
During the spring of 1972, in the mist of the Vietnam conflict, Ripley found himself in a desperate situation. More than 30,000 North Vietnamese troops were pushing through defensive points during a major assault when Ripley put himself in personal danger to set high explosives and destroy a key bridge in Dong Ha. This single act of bravery thwarted the North Vietnamese troops assault and destroyed 200 of their tanks in the process. Ripley later received the Navy Cross, the nation's second highest award for heroism, for his personal sacrifices in the line of duty.
Ripley returned to the Amphibious Warfare School after his tour in Vietnam to serve as an instructor, only to once again find himself longing for the action of front lines. He returned to Vietnam to serve as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marines.
"I was given a chance to serve with some magnificent warriors during my tours in Vietnam," he recalled with a touch of emotion. "There were Marines out there that would have put their lives on the line without thinking twice."
Ripley continued to serve in the Marine Corps after his second fight in Vietnam. He eventually attained the rank of colonel and retired from the Corps in 1992. Today, he continues to keep the Marine Corps close to his heart as he serves as the director of the Marine Corps History and Museums.
"If I can say anything to the Marines today, I would explain to them that being a Marine is a great privilege, never a right. It is something that you earn and if you prove to be good enough, then you can serve," said the colonel sternly. "If you ever think for a moment you can just take off your pack and call it quits, you are wrong.
"We have a tremendous legacy to uphold and everything we do must burnish that reputation," he continued. "There is no easy way to be a Marine and there never will be. You are a Marine every day and it is your responsibility to uphold the legacy that Marines in the past have so dearly established.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification #: 20039916127
Story by Lance Cpl. Monroe F. Seigle
MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (September 5, 2003) -- In June of 1957, many Marines in our beloved Marine Corps had not been born yet.
It this same year, a young man who had always dreamed of becoming a Marine, left his home in Radford, Va., at the age of 17, and took his first steps on a journey to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.
Retired Col. John Ripley's mother cried when he left home to join the Marines. His father beamed with pride he knew his son would succeed in becoming a member of the world's fighting force.
"When I went to boot camp, it was a tough experience," recalled the salty, blue-eyed colonel with a chuckle. "I was physically fit, and I was a tough kid, but no one could be prepared for what lied ahead of us. Twenty-five percent of the platoon did not make it through recruit training."
Ripley can still recall how the Marine Corps was everything he thought it would be and how he felt the day he pinned on the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
It was only a year after Ripley had earned the title Marine that he was nominated to be a fleet appointee and earn a commission in the Marine Corps or Navy. In June of 1958, the private first class reported to the U.S. Naval Institute.
Although the determined, young warrior was usually first in all the inspections and set records on the obstacle course that to this day have yet been broken, academics were a tough challenge for him.
"I struggled for four years in most of my classes," recalled the colonel. "I had to work and study like crazy to stay abreast of the other students as far as academics were concerned.
"I remember in 1962 I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Corps, and let me tell you - I was ready to get back into the fleet," said Ripley. "The Marine Corps was already part of me, and I knew I wanted to be a Marine for the rest of my life."
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Ripley was granted one month of leave; however, the gung-ho warrior had no interest in going home and wasting time. He was ready to go back to the fleet as an infantry officer.
As a commanding officer, Ripley enjoyed leading his troops. He was the commanding officer of three companies and a reconnaissance platoon. He was the type of Marine that other Marines in his charge looked up to and respected as a leader. This proved to be an advantage when he led Lima Co., 3rd Bn., 3rd Marine Regiment into combat in the gruesome battles of Vietnam.
During the spring of 1972, in the mist of the Vietnam conflict, Ripley found himself in a desperate situation. More than 30,000 North Vietnamese troops were pushing through defensive points during a major assault when Ripley put himself in personal danger to set high explosives and destroy a key bridge in Dong Ha. This single act of bravery thwarted the North Vietnamese troops assault and destroyed 200 of their tanks in the process. Ripley later received the Navy Cross, the nation's second highest award for heroism, for his personal sacrifices in the line of duty.
Ripley returned to the Amphibious Warfare School after his tour in Vietnam to serve as an instructor, only to once again find himself longing for the action of front lines. He returned to Vietnam to serve as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marines.
"I was given a chance to serve with some magnificent warriors during my tours in Vietnam," he recalled with a touch of emotion. "There were Marines out there that would have put their lives on the line without thinking twice."
Ripley continued to serve in the Marine Corps after his second fight in Vietnam. He eventually attained the rank of colonel and retired from the Corps in 1992. Today, he continues to keep the Marine Corps close to his heart as he serves as the director of the Marine Corps History and Museums.
"If I can say anything to the Marines today, I would explain to them that being a Marine is a great privilege, never a right. It is something that you earn and if you prove to be good enough, then you can serve," said the colonel sternly. "If you ever think for a moment you can just take off your pack and call it quits, you are wrong.
"We have a tremendous legacy to uphold and everything we do must burnish that reputation," he continued. "There is no easy way to be a Marine and there never will be. You are a Marine every day and it is your responsibility to uphold the legacy that Marines in the past have so dearly established.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
'Nam Marine, millionaire author attributes success to character development gained in Marine Corps
Submitted by: Marine Forces Pacific
Story Identification #: 200311613437
Story by Cpl. Luis R. Agostini
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (Nov. 5, 2003) -- "I'm a better Marine now than I was thirty years ago."
Robert T. Kiyosaki, best-selling author of the "Rich Dad" series, and former Marine gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, explained how his worldwide success as a financial leader stemmed from his Marine Corps experience during a phone interview Nov. 5.
"If you're going to be successful in business, you have to find a place to develop character," said Kiyosaki. "The Marine Corps did that for me.
"The toughness, the discipline, the training - it carries on, and it made a man out of me," said Kiyosaki.
A son of two former anti-war Peace Corps workers, Kiyosaki was deemed ineligible for the draft during the Vietnam era, due to his employment with Standard Oil's tanker office, based out of California, a "non-defense vital industry."
After debating whether to attend the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., or the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., Kiyosaki decided to enroll in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and graduated from the King's Point, N.Y.-based school in 1969. That same year, his brother volunteered to join the Air Force. That's when Robert questioned his own courage and integrity.
"Am I a coward or not?" Kiyosaki asked himself.
"There weren't a lot of flag wavers at the time," said Kiyosaki, one of the co-founders of "Rich Dad," an organization dedicated to financial well-being, according to their website, www.RichDad.com.
When looking to join one of the Armed Services, Kiyosaki was warned by a Marine Corps recruiter, "If you talk to them (the other services), don't talk to me."
That bold statement alone easily lured Kiyosaki into the Marine Corps.
"I didn't have to go," explained Kiyosaki. "I volunteered not because I liked the war, but because it was the right thing to do."
Kiyosaki, an Arizona resident, fought in the Vietnam War from January 1972 to 1973, and briefly as a U.S. Merchant Marine midshipman in 1966.
"[Mariners] actually lost people in the war," said Kiyosaki. "It was what was called a battle standard. The Naval Academy, West Point - they don't have that."
Attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM)-264, comprised of Hueys, CH46s and CH53s, the young Lt. Kiyosaki was greeted by tracer rounds during his first flight into country.
"Holy (expletive)! What are those things?" Kiyosaki recalls asking.
Gunnery Sgt. Jackson, on the bird with the startled gunship pilot, tapped him on the shoulder, and informed him that he has seen his type before. Jackson then gave Kiyosaki some vital wartime wisdom.
"You know what's bad about this job? There's no second place. Either you go home or we go home, but both of us aren't going home," said Kiyosaki.
Kiyosaki ended his tenure in the Corps at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
According to Kiyosaki, 95% of success comes from character development, which stems from strengthening values such as courage, integrity and honesty.
"A lot of the guys who are good businessmen, from WorldCom and Enron, lacked character, and that's why they fell," said Kiyosaki.
Regardless of the levels of success he has achieved, the Wall Street Journal best-selling author continually strives to improve himself.
"Training is continuous. It doesn't end after you leave the Marine Corps," said Kiyosaki. "I value it (the training) more now than I did when I was in."
Kiyosaki developed his hard-nose style of leadership from his experiences with senior staff noncommissioned officers and flag officers he encountered.
"A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That's where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It's having backbone.
"You don't have to pull rank if you're a good leader," said Kiyosaki, and jokingly followed up, "but if you're a weak leader, pull rank!"
The former devil dog's instincts still happen to kick every now and then. When Kiyosaki encounters commonplace civilian habits that would normally warrant verbal thrashings in the Marine Corps, it's hard for him to maintain his composure.
"I had this one 22-year old punk come in for a job. The guy put his feet up on my desk," recalled Kiyosaki. "Can you imagine putting your feet on your CO's (commanding officer) desk?"
Running into former Marines from time to time, Kiyosaki says that he's never met any Marine who's had something bad to say about the Marine Corps.
"That tell's you something about that training," said Kiyosaki.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
Submitted by: Marine Forces Pacific
Story Identification #: 200311613437
Story by Cpl. Luis R. Agostini
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (Nov. 5, 2003) -- "I'm a better Marine now than I was thirty years ago."
Robert T. Kiyosaki, best-selling author of the "Rich Dad" series, and former Marine gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, explained how his worldwide success as a financial leader stemmed from his Marine Corps experience during a phone interview Nov. 5.
"If you're going to be successful in business, you have to find a place to develop character," said Kiyosaki. "The Marine Corps did that for me.
"The toughness, the discipline, the training - it carries on, and it made a man out of me," said Kiyosaki.
A son of two former anti-war Peace Corps workers, Kiyosaki was deemed ineligible for the draft during the Vietnam era, due to his employment with Standard Oil's tanker office, based out of California, a "non-defense vital industry."
After debating whether to attend the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., or the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., Kiyosaki decided to enroll in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and graduated from the King's Point, N.Y.-based school in 1969. That same year, his brother volunteered to join the Air Force. That's when Robert questioned his own courage and integrity.
"Am I a coward or not?" Kiyosaki asked himself.
"There weren't a lot of flag wavers at the time," said Kiyosaki, one of the co-founders of "Rich Dad," an organization dedicated to financial well-being, according to their website, www.RichDad.com.
When looking to join one of the Armed Services, Kiyosaki was warned by a Marine Corps recruiter, "If you talk to them (the other services), don't talk to me."
That bold statement alone easily lured Kiyosaki into the Marine Corps.
"I didn't have to go," explained Kiyosaki. "I volunteered not because I liked the war, but because it was the right thing to do."
Kiyosaki, an Arizona resident, fought in the Vietnam War from January 1972 to 1973, and briefly as a U.S. Merchant Marine midshipman in 1966.
"[Mariners] actually lost people in the war," said Kiyosaki. "It was what was called a battle standard. The Naval Academy, West Point - they don't have that."
Attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM)-264, comprised of Hueys, CH46s and CH53s, the young Lt. Kiyosaki was greeted by tracer rounds during his first flight into country.
"Holy (expletive)! What are those things?" Kiyosaki recalls asking.
Gunnery Sgt. Jackson, on the bird with the startled gunship pilot, tapped him on the shoulder, and informed him that he has seen his type before. Jackson then gave Kiyosaki some vital wartime wisdom.
"You know what's bad about this job? There's no second place. Either you go home or we go home, but both of us aren't going home," said Kiyosaki.
Kiyosaki ended his tenure in the Corps at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
According to Kiyosaki, 95% of success comes from character development, which stems from strengthening values such as courage, integrity and honesty.
"A lot of the guys who are good businessmen, from WorldCom and Enron, lacked character, and that's why they fell," said Kiyosaki.
Regardless of the levels of success he has achieved, the Wall Street Journal best-selling author continually strives to improve himself.
"Training is continuous. It doesn't end after you leave the Marine Corps," said Kiyosaki. "I value it (the training) more now than I did when I was in."
Kiyosaki developed his hard-nose style of leadership from his experiences with senior staff noncommissioned officers and flag officers he encountered.
"A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That's where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It's having backbone.
"You don't have to pull rank if you're a good leader," said Kiyosaki, and jokingly followed up, "but if you're a weak leader, pull rank!"
The former devil dog's instincts still happen to kick every now and then. When Kiyosaki encounters commonplace civilian habits that would normally warrant verbal thrashings in the Marine Corps, it's hard for him to maintain his composure.
"I had this one 22-year old punk come in for a job. The guy put his feet up on my desk," recalled Kiyosaki. "Can you imagine putting your feet on your CO's (commanding officer) desk?"
Running into former Marines from time to time, Kiyosaki says that he's never met any Marine who's had something bad to say about the Marine Corps.
"That tell's you something about that training," said Kiyosaki.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,vietnam
http://www.april-fools.us/usairforce-lockheed.htm
US Airforce Merges With Lockheed
(AFNS) Washington DC
In a stunning announcement, the US Air Force announced that it will merge with the aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ronald Fogleman made the announcement at a Pentagon ceremony today.
"I'm very pleased with the new merger and am excited about working with the contractor world even more closely." Fogleman said of the $800 trillion deal.
The merger would be the second largest in the country, bested only by the
marriage of Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson. Plans for the new company, to be called Air Force-Lockheed, are somewhat sketchy, but sources say that the former contractors will move into military housing at closed military bases around the country. Air Force-Lockheed believes that forcing employees into government housing will save billions of
dollars each year.
The merger wasn't a happy occasion for all, though. Many of the former
contractors were incensed to learn that they would be forced to give up their frequent flier miles to the company and many of the former Air Force personnel were upset that they would now have to decide what to wear every morning.
"It's just not fair," said Capt Jim Lindsay of Los Angeles Air Force Station.
"I just invested thousands of dollars in the new Air Force uniform and Corfam shoes and they just pulled the rug out from underneath me. Where will I find the money to pay for new clothes and how will I know if they match? They ought to make the old contractors wear uniforms instead."
Shareholders of the old Lockheed-Martin Company were also unhappy since the value of their stock plummeted with the announcement. Analysts say the drop occurred because of the debt the Lockheed-Martin group took on due to the merger with the Air Force.
The merger has left the other Services scrambling to help themselves by
looking into mergers of their own. The Navy is interested in a deal with
Carnival Cruise Lines, but TV personality Kathy Lee Gifford has said she and fitness Richard Simmons oppose a government takeover.
An informed source says that the Army is keeping its options open, but that it expects to close a deal with the US Marine Corps soon. The Army had looked into a merger with the Boy Scouts of America, but withdrew from negotiations when Army auditors discovered the Boy Scouts is a non-profit organization.The Marines, upset at not being included in the Navy negotiation with Carnival, says it wants to be affiliated with another organization.
Many say the Air Force-Lockheed merger will take a while to "fit" the people though. "We know how to spend money, but we don't know a damn thing about making it," said a lieutenant colonel at HQ USAF who declined to be identified. Many analysts agree with that opinion and have said the company may initially have trouble....
US Airforce Merges With Lockheed
(AFNS) Washington DC
In a stunning announcement, the US Air Force announced that it will merge with the aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ronald Fogleman made the announcement at a Pentagon ceremony today.
"I'm very pleased with the new merger and am excited about working with the contractor world even more closely." Fogleman said of the $800 trillion deal.
The merger would be the second largest in the country, bested only by the
marriage of Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson. Plans for the new company, to be called Air Force-Lockheed, are somewhat sketchy, but sources say that the former contractors will move into military housing at closed military bases around the country. Air Force-Lockheed believes that forcing employees into government housing will save billions of
dollars each year.
The merger wasn't a happy occasion for all, though. Many of the former
contractors were incensed to learn that they would be forced to give up their frequent flier miles to the company and many of the former Air Force personnel were upset that they would now have to decide what to wear every morning.
"It's just not fair," said Capt Jim Lindsay of Los Angeles Air Force Station.
"I just invested thousands of dollars in the new Air Force uniform and Corfam shoes and they just pulled the rug out from underneath me. Where will I find the money to pay for new clothes and how will I know if they match? They ought to make the old contractors wear uniforms instead."
Shareholders of the old Lockheed-Martin Company were also unhappy since the value of their stock plummeted with the announcement. Analysts say the drop occurred because of the debt the Lockheed-Martin group took on due to the merger with the Air Force.
The merger has left the other Services scrambling to help themselves by
looking into mergers of their own. The Navy is interested in a deal with
Carnival Cruise Lines, but TV personality Kathy Lee Gifford has said she and fitness Richard Simmons oppose a government takeover.
An informed source says that the Army is keeping its options open, but that it expects to close a deal with the US Marine Corps soon. The Army had looked into a merger with the Boy Scouts of America, but withdrew from negotiations when Army auditors discovered the Boy Scouts is a non-profit organization.The Marines, upset at not being included in the Navy negotiation with Carnival, says it wants to be affiliated with another organization.
Many say the Air Force-Lockheed merger will take a while to "fit" the people though. "We know how to spend money, but we don't know a damn thing about making it," said a lieutenant colonel at HQ USAF who declined to be identified. Many analysts agree with that opinion and have said the company may initially have trouble....
Car that runs on compressed air
(CNN) -- A Korean company has created a car engine that runs on air.
The engine, which powers a pneumatic-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), works alongside an electric motor to create the power source.
The system eliminates the need for fuel, making the PHEV pollution-free.
Cheol-Seung Cho, of Energine Corporation, told CNN the system is controlled by a computer inside the car, which instructs the compressed-air engine and electric motor what to do.
The compressed air drives the pistons, which turn the vehicle's wheels.
The air is compressed using a small motor, powered by a 48-volt battery, which powers both the air compressor and the electric motor.
Once compressed, the air is stored in a tank, Cho said.
"The compressed air is used when the car needs a lot of energy, such as for starting up the car and acceleration. The electric motor comes to life once the car has gained normal cruising speed."
He said the system was relatively simple to manufacture and could be easily adapted to any conventional engine system.
"You could say our car has two hearts pumping. That is, we have separate motors running at different times, both at the time when they can perform most efficiently."
Cho also said the system could reduce the cost of vehicle production by about 20 percent, because there was no need to build a cooling system, fuel tank, spark plugs or silencers.
Cho hoped to see PHEVs on streets in the near future.
Peter Kemp, editor of "Petroleum Intelligence Weekly," told CNN that one of the biggest challenges for the invention was persuading the general public to embrace it.
"For this invention to take off, you'd need to get the backing of a major manufacturer. The major manufacturers that are looking at hybrid motors at the moment are looking at fuel cells -- battery with a gasoline diesel combination," he said.
Kemp said Toyota, which has released a hybrid car, had sold about 150,000 of the environmentally friendly model worldwide.
"But that is over several years. There is a lot of demand for that car but that is the only one that is really available and nobody knows whether Toyota is making any money out of it."
(CNN) -- A Korean company has created a car engine that runs on air.
The engine, which powers a pneumatic-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), works alongside an electric motor to create the power source.
The system eliminates the need for fuel, making the PHEV pollution-free.
Cheol-Seung Cho, of Energine Corporation, told CNN the system is controlled by a computer inside the car, which instructs the compressed-air engine and electric motor what to do.
The compressed air drives the pistons, which turn the vehicle's wheels.
The air is compressed using a small motor, powered by a 48-volt battery, which powers both the air compressor and the electric motor.
Once compressed, the air is stored in a tank, Cho said.
"The compressed air is used when the car needs a lot of energy, such as for starting up the car and acceleration. The electric motor comes to life once the car has gained normal cruising speed."
He said the system was relatively simple to manufacture and could be easily adapted to any conventional engine system.
"You could say our car has two hearts pumping. That is, we have separate motors running at different times, both at the time when they can perform most efficiently."
Cho also said the system could reduce the cost of vehicle production by about 20 percent, because there was no need to build a cooling system, fuel tank, spark plugs or silencers.
Cho hoped to see PHEVs on streets in the near future.
Peter Kemp, editor of "Petroleum Intelligence Weekly," told CNN that one of the biggest challenges for the invention was persuading the general public to embrace it.
"For this invention to take off, you'd need to get the backing of a major manufacturer. The major manufacturers that are looking at hybrid motors at the moment are looking at fuel cells -- battery with a gasoline diesel combination," he said.
Kemp said Toyota, which has released a hybrid car, had sold about 150,000 of the environmentally friendly model worldwide.
"But that is over several years. There is a lot of demand for that car but that is the only one that is really available and nobody knows whether Toyota is making any money out of it."
Bracing for RITArdation
Open Letter, September 23rd, 2005
Though I'm still feeling a little celebratory, I probably ought to mention that there's a chance you'll not get your Schlock Mercenary fix this weekend. The physical servers delivering schlockmercenary.com are all in Houston. While Houston isn't in the storm-surge path as of this writing, that could change.
If we suddenly go unreachable, you can still find me at http://howardtayler.livejournal.com, and I'm sure I'll be able to find SOMEBODY to host images for a little while if it becomes necessary to post the comic there (my usual solution for posting images inline with my journal is to post them at www.tayler.com, which is ALSO served up from Houston).
I've been in the path of hurricanes before, but I've never had a Category IV or V monster bearing down on me. My family lived two hundred feet from the water, and all of seven feet above sea level in Sarasota Florida in the 80's, and only got hit directly once. That was back before they named tropical depressions -- the storm in question revved up to Category I strength (80mph sustained winds) in the middle of the night just offshore, and then plowed inland while I was at boy scout camp.
I'm pretty sure the "no-name storm," as it came to be known, did this for the explicit purpose of allowing me to say I weathered a hurricane. The rain came into our screen-enclosed cabin SIDEWAYS, the massive water droplets exploding into a loud, angry mist as it blew through the south screen, and then later and a little more weakly through the north screen.
We evacuated camp AFTER the storm hit, because although we weathered the winds just fine, they had to open the flood gates on the Manatee River Dam, and we were downstream. Our canoe dock was on the river, and we only made our evacuation after a mad dash down to the dock to haul canoes up the bluffs to the main level of camp. The water came up so fast that even with 30 scouts running as fast as we could to the task, we lost a canoe or two to the rising waters. I remember watching it float downstream. We never did get it back.
Anyway, my prayers are with all y'all in Rita's path. May the roof stay on your home, may the water stay out, and may you find peace and happiness regardless.
In completely unrelated news, Thursday's Partially Clips, "Caveman and Alien", features some original Howard Tayler artwork. Rob Balder did a great job putting dialog to it -- I had no idea what he'd do with the wacky picture I sent him. Go read it. I'm convinced that Rob's is the finest clip-art comic out there, and I'm pretty sure it's not hosted in Houston.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/
The Marines of Firepower Control Team 1 (FCT-1), 3rd Platoon, 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liason Company (ANGLICO), conduct a "talk on," directing an aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission over potential targets from a rooftop in Haditha, Iraq. ANGLICO Marines incorporated fixed and rotary wing assets in the fight during Operation River Blitz. They were able to drop to 500 pound bombs and call in a barrage from an AC-130 Gunship. Photo by: Cpl. Jan M. Bender Read the full article at: http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....ref/20053432124
My old unit
My old unit
OPM helping to extend hiring preference to more veterans
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 200542585926
Story by Ms. Donna Miles
WASHINGTON (April 25, 2005) -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is working to make veterans' preference for federal jobs available to more veterans, including a new revised application that allows federal agencies to accept veterans' disability letters.
The revised Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15, is being posted directly on OPM's Web site so agencies immediately can accept Veterans Affairs Department letters of disability, officials said. Agencies, OPM examining offices and agency appointing officials use the online application to evaluate claims for veterans' preference on applications for government jobs.
The new revisions to the veterans' preference form bring it in line with VA policy, which generally considers disability letters issued since 1991 as proof of a permanent disability.
To further encourage veterans into the federal system, OPM also is continuing its Veterans' Invitational Program, visiting military bases and medical centers to explain veterans' preference and outline the procedures for applying for federal jobs. Upcoming visits are planned for Cherry Point, N.C.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.; Fort Sam Houston and Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Lee, Va., officials said.
OPM Acting Director Dan G. Blair, who announced the initiatives earlier this week, said they reflect OPM's "strong emphasis on the rights of veterans, including employment opportunities."
"We must ensure those who are eligible for veterans' preference receive the benefits to which they are entitled," he said.
Veterans of the armed forces have received some degree of hiring preference for federal jobs since the Civil War.
Today's law, reflected in Veterans' Preference Code of 1944, as amended, and in Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensures that veterans who are disabled or served on active duty in the military during certain specified time frames or campaigns receive preference in hiring from competitive lists of eligible applicants. It also gives these veterans preference in keeping their jobs during reductions in force.
The purpose of veterans' preference, officials explained, is to recognize the economic loss suffered during military service, restore veterans to a favorable competitive position for government jobs, and acknowledge the debt owed to disabled veterans.
More details about veterans' preference are posted on the OPM Web site.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 200542585926
Story by Ms. Donna Miles
WASHINGTON (April 25, 2005) -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is working to make veterans' preference for federal jobs available to more veterans, including a new revised application that allows federal agencies to accept veterans' disability letters.
The revised Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15, is being posted directly on OPM's Web site so agencies immediately can accept Veterans Affairs Department letters of disability, officials said. Agencies, OPM examining offices and agency appointing officials use the online application to evaluate claims for veterans' preference on applications for government jobs.
The new revisions to the veterans' preference form bring it in line with VA policy, which generally considers disability letters issued since 1991 as proof of a permanent disability.
To further encourage veterans into the federal system, OPM also is continuing its Veterans' Invitational Program, visiting military bases and medical centers to explain veterans' preference and outline the procedures for applying for federal jobs. Upcoming visits are planned for Cherry Point, N.C.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.; Fort Sam Houston and Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Lee, Va., officials said.
OPM Acting Director Dan G. Blair, who announced the initiatives earlier this week, said they reflect OPM's "strong emphasis on the rights of veterans, including employment opportunities."
"We must ensure those who are eligible for veterans' preference receive the benefits to which they are entitled," he said.
Veterans of the armed forces have received some degree of hiring preference for federal jobs since the Civil War.
Today's law, reflected in Veterans' Preference Code of 1944, as amended, and in Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensures that veterans who are disabled or served on active duty in the military during certain specified time frames or campaigns receive preference in hiring from competitive lists of eligible applicants. It also gives these veterans preference in keeping their jobs during reductions in force.
The purpose of veterans' preference, officials explained, is to recognize the economic loss suffered during military service, restore veterans to a favorable competitive position for government jobs, and acknowledge the debt owed to disabled veterans.
More details about veterans' preference are posted on the OPM Web site.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Vietnam Veterans recognized at MCAS New River
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification #: 20025391553
Story by Sgt. Arthur L. Stone
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 2, 2002) -- Marines and other veterans of the Vietnam War gathered Monday at the Aviation Memorial Park on Marine Corps Air Station New River to reflect the sacrifices made by those veterans more than 35 years ago.
At the ceremony "gold-star" mom, Ruth M. Langley received special recognition for losing her son during the war.
Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, now the director of the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, was the guest speaker during the ceremony. He spoke to the assembled Marines, veterans and guests about his first night in Vietnam with Mike Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Houle recounted tales of deathly-still nights in stygian darkness and the sounds of enemy troops bumping into pebble-filled cans attached by strings on the camp perimeter as they tried to infiltrate the camp. Any noise, no matter how slight, he said was immediately answered by the detonation of claymores and the searching fire of M60 machineguns and rifle fire.
"We went to war, not to long crowds and parades on Main Street," said Houle. "We went without fanfare. What we found was not what our fathers and grandfathers had faced. The front line was at our feet and you could get killed as easily in the rear as on the front lines."
"We returned to calls of 'baby killers' and worse. Today we stand here to honor those who went out without parade or fanfare. They asked us to do our job and we did." Houle concluded. "We Vietnam veterans hope and pray that there is never another Vietnam."
Following Houle's speech, the honor guard fired a 21-gun salute. Taps followed and brought many of the veterans to tears. Cmdr. Howard L. Marshall, MCAS chaplain, closed the ceremony with a prayer for peace and comfort for the veterans and their families.
"No other event in the history of America has been so misreported and misunderstood," concluded Vietnam veteran Clint Free, master of ceremonies for the event, "yet 91-percent of Vietnam vets say they are glad they served, and 74-percent would serve again - even knowing the outcome."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Like being a decided minority ghost?
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification #: 20025391553
Story by Sgt. Arthur L. Stone
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (May 2, 2002) -- Marines and other veterans of the Vietnam War gathered Monday at the Aviation Memorial Park on Marine Corps Air Station New River to reflect the sacrifices made by those veterans more than 35 years ago.
At the ceremony "gold-star" mom, Ruth M. Langley received special recognition for losing her son during the war.
Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, now the director of the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas, was the guest speaker during the ceremony. He spoke to the assembled Marines, veterans and guests about his first night in Vietnam with Mike Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
Houle recounted tales of deathly-still nights in stygian darkness and the sounds of enemy troops bumping into pebble-filled cans attached by strings on the camp perimeter as they tried to infiltrate the camp. Any noise, no matter how slight, he said was immediately answered by the detonation of claymores and the searching fire of M60 machineguns and rifle fire.
"We went to war, not to long crowds and parades on Main Street," said Houle. "We went without fanfare. What we found was not what our fathers and grandfathers had faced. The front line was at our feet and you could get killed as easily in the rear as on the front lines."
"We returned to calls of 'baby killers' and worse. Today we stand here to honor those who went out without parade or fanfare. They asked us to do our job and we did." Houle concluded. "We Vietnam veterans hope and pray that there is never another Vietnam."
Following Houle's speech, the honor guard fired a 21-gun salute. Taps followed and brought many of the veterans to tears. Cmdr. Howard L. Marshall, MCAS chaplain, closed the ceremony with a prayer for peace and comfort for the veterans and their families.
"No other event in the history of America has been so misreported and misunderstood," concluded Vietnam veteran Clint Free, master of ceremonies for the event, "yet 91-percent of Vietnam vets say they are glad they served, and 74-percent would serve again - even knowing the outcome."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Like being a decided minority ghost?
Marine helps others remember veterans of 'forgotten war'
Submitted by: Headquarters Marine Corps
Story Identification #: 200272131352
Story by Headquarters Maine Corps
WASHINGTON (June 1, 2002) -- A lone Marine stood vigil near the Korean War Memorial here, May 28-30.
Despite the sweltering heat and lack of shade, he wore a heavy winter parka, World War II-era camouflage utilities, helmet, leggings and boots to do his part to honor veterans.
Sergeant Tim A. Chambers, a legal clerk for the Chief Defense Counsel of the Marine Corps, stayed at the memorial from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day toasting veterans with sparkling apple cider. By the end of the weekend, he went through more than 30 bottles of cider.
Passers-by stopped to stare at his uniform, but stayed to peruse his display of the history of the Korean War. Chambers, a partner of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, also passed out flyers, posters, bookmarks, coins, pins, and stickers pertaining to the Korean War.
"They say it's the forgotten war, but not in our hearts, and I pray not in yours," Chambers told his audience.
The Silverton, Ore. native began volunteering for the committee two years ago, then decided to apply to be a partner. As a partner, he can coordinate events on his own to honor the Korean War veterans. He wants to help educate the public about the sacrifices made by veterans of the 'forgotten war' and ensure no one ever truly forgets, he said.
His message is targeted at Korean veterans as well as the general public. Chambers informs veterans about the campaign medal approved 50 years after the war for veterans of the Korean War.
Many who stopped at the display wanted to leave donations for the pamphlets and memorabilia.
"How can I accept a donation for a long overdue appreciation," the sweat-drenched Chambers would reply.
Chambers spoke passionately about his topic as if he were the often-overlooked Korean War veteran. Over the three-day period, he entertained thousands of tourists with facts about that period of American history.
Veterans and tourists alike came to the memorial to visit friends who had fallen, loved ones who didn't make it home or just to pay their respects to those that sacrificed their all.
Many veterans paused at the display to thank Chambers for what he was doing, but he was quick to pass the appreciation right back.
"Thanks for keeping such big shoes for me to fill, it's such a challenge every day I go to work," was his usual response.
To those who never served, Chambers challenged them to, "go thank a veteran, and not when it is just convenient for you -- not just on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. Give them a hug or shake their hands. Perhaps it might take away some of the pain they are living with from day to day. It's called being a good American."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Submitted by: Headquarters Marine Corps
Story Identification #: 200272131352
Story by Headquarters Maine Corps
WASHINGTON (June 1, 2002) -- A lone Marine stood vigil near the Korean War Memorial here, May 28-30.
Despite the sweltering heat and lack of shade, he wore a heavy winter parka, World War II-era camouflage utilities, helmet, leggings and boots to do his part to honor veterans.
Sergeant Tim A. Chambers, a legal clerk for the Chief Defense Counsel of the Marine Corps, stayed at the memorial from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day toasting veterans with sparkling apple cider. By the end of the weekend, he went through more than 30 bottles of cider.
Passers-by stopped to stare at his uniform, but stayed to peruse his display of the history of the Korean War. Chambers, a partner of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, also passed out flyers, posters, bookmarks, coins, pins, and stickers pertaining to the Korean War.
"They say it's the forgotten war, but not in our hearts, and I pray not in yours," Chambers told his audience.
The Silverton, Ore. native began volunteering for the committee two years ago, then decided to apply to be a partner. As a partner, he can coordinate events on his own to honor the Korean War veterans. He wants to help educate the public about the sacrifices made by veterans of the 'forgotten war' and ensure no one ever truly forgets, he said.
His message is targeted at Korean veterans as well as the general public. Chambers informs veterans about the campaign medal approved 50 years after the war for veterans of the Korean War.
Many who stopped at the display wanted to leave donations for the pamphlets and memorabilia.
"How can I accept a donation for a long overdue appreciation," the sweat-drenched Chambers would reply.
Chambers spoke passionately about his topic as if he were the often-overlooked Korean War veteran. Over the three-day period, he entertained thousands of tourists with facts about that period of American history.
Veterans and tourists alike came to the memorial to visit friends who had fallen, loved ones who didn't make it home or just to pay their respects to those that sacrificed their all.
Many veterans paused at the display to thank Chambers for what he was doing, but he was quick to pass the appreciation right back.
"Thanks for keeping such big shoes for me to fill, it's such a challenge every day I go to work," was his usual response.
To those who never served, Chambers challenged them to, "go thank a veteran, and not when it is just convenient for you -- not just on Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. Give them a hug or shake their hands. Perhaps it might take away some of the pain they are living with from day to day. It's called being a good American."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
VA Chief sees opportunity to ensure care for all service members
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 200566155452
Story by - Samantha L. Quigley
WASHINGTON (June 3, 2005) -- The secretary of veterans affairs said today that where some might see challenges for the department, he sees opportunities.
"One of the big opportunities we have - and it's a priority of ours - is to make sure that our servicemembers coming out of the combat theater are well taken care of," R. James Nicholson said during an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. "That is one of our biggest opportunities."
With more than 200,000 Guardsmen and Reservists deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the VA has expanded some of the benefits offered to this group of service members, he said.
"VA has a very extensive, new program for our reserve components," Nicholson said. "The reserve component person who comes back, is redeployed back, is entitled to two years of full medical and dental care at any nearby VA facility. Then of course, if they have any other service-connected disablement, either physical or mental, as a result of their service, that care will continue on beyond the two years."
Education benefits also have been expanded for Guardsmen and Reservists so they may participate in the G.I. Bill. The amount of the benefit, however, depends on the time spent in an active duty capacity, Nicholson said. The life insurance and home loan programs also have improved for Guardsmen and Reservists, he said.
Eligibility requirements can be found on the Veterans Affairs Web site.
Changes within VA affect active duty servicemembers who come back from the combat theater and choose to leave the service, too, Nicholson said.
The Seamless Transition Program, he said, makes 158 medical centers and more than 850 clinics available for service members who separate from the military. A home loan program has 25 percent of the mortgage guaranteed by the VA, which allows most veterans to buy a home without down payment. "That used to be a one-time benefit," Nicholson said. "It now is a continuing benefit throughout the life of a veteran -- any veteran."
Benefits also include vocational and rehabilitation training for those injured physically or mentally. The VA also is working to help disabled veterans adapt to their environment, including the adaptation of a home or a vehicle if needed.
The VA also works to help veterans find work. This is a top priority, Nicholson said, as about 20 percent of veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 are unemployed.
"We ... are working within the other agencies of government, encouraging them to hire our veterans. We're doing it ourselves at the VA," Nicholson said. "We have many disabled veterans working here ... especially in the (Information Technology) department."
Nicholson said he has worked with governors and heads of corporations and major trade associations to encourage them to reach out to veterans looking for employment. The program is promising, he said, but more needs to be done.
Readjustment counseling services are important as well, Nicholson said. The program is crucial to heading off any latent mental health problems. "It's important to (veterans) now, and it's important to them for the rest of their lives," Nicholson said.
The program was extended to families of veterans who also make a sacrifice. Injuries cause change for every family member and every family member needs to adjust to that change, he said.
"We're responsible for veterans affairs," Nicholson said. "And certainly part of a veteran's welfare is his family, his family life and his quality of life. Spouses and dependents have to endure a great deal of sacrifice at home when a service member is deployed, especially to a combat zone, and especially if they're injured.
"We need to educate the whole family about what's going on there so that they can accommodate to that and accept that and go on as a, hopefully, happy productive family unit," Nicholson said.
Benefit changes also have affected life insurance provisions. Congress has approved the increase in the death gratuity -- a one-time payment to the family of a servicemember killed in action -- from $12,000 to $100,000. The maximum life insurance benefit also has increased, from $250,000 to $400,000.
A new catastrophic insurance program covers the service member up to $100,000 above the other programs in the event of a catastrophic injury like the loss of eyesight or hearing, Nicholson said. The premium for that coverage is about $1 a month, he added.
It all boils down to veterans having the right benefits available to them, and service members need to know what their benefits are and how to access them, Nicholson said. The recent changes to veterans' benefits are moves to make sure that the VA's goal of taking care of service members is met, he said.
"It's an expression of the appreciation of the American people, the president and the Congress," the secretary said, "for the important work and the sacrifices that the reserve components are making in our operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and for freedom for our country."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 200566155452
Story by - Samantha L. Quigley
WASHINGTON (June 3, 2005) -- The secretary of veterans affairs said today that where some might see challenges for the department, he sees opportunities.
"One of the big opportunities we have - and it's a priority of ours - is to make sure that our servicemembers coming out of the combat theater are well taken care of," R. James Nicholson said during an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. "That is one of our biggest opportunities."
With more than 200,000 Guardsmen and Reservists deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the VA has expanded some of the benefits offered to this group of service members, he said.
"VA has a very extensive, new program for our reserve components," Nicholson said. "The reserve component person who comes back, is redeployed back, is entitled to two years of full medical and dental care at any nearby VA facility. Then of course, if they have any other service-connected disablement, either physical or mental, as a result of their service, that care will continue on beyond the two years."
Education benefits also have been expanded for Guardsmen and Reservists so they may participate in the G.I. Bill. The amount of the benefit, however, depends on the time spent in an active duty capacity, Nicholson said. The life insurance and home loan programs also have improved for Guardsmen and Reservists, he said.
Eligibility requirements can be found on the Veterans Affairs Web site.
Changes within VA affect active duty servicemembers who come back from the combat theater and choose to leave the service, too, Nicholson said.
The Seamless Transition Program, he said, makes 158 medical centers and more than 850 clinics available for service members who separate from the military. A home loan program has 25 percent of the mortgage guaranteed by the VA, which allows most veterans to buy a home without down payment. "That used to be a one-time benefit," Nicholson said. "It now is a continuing benefit throughout the life of a veteran -- any veteran."
Benefits also include vocational and rehabilitation training for those injured physically or mentally. The VA also is working to help disabled veterans adapt to their environment, including the adaptation of a home or a vehicle if needed.
The VA also works to help veterans find work. This is a top priority, Nicholson said, as about 20 percent of veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 are unemployed.
"We ... are working within the other agencies of government, encouraging them to hire our veterans. We're doing it ourselves at the VA," Nicholson said. "We have many disabled veterans working here ... especially in the (Information Technology) department."
Nicholson said he has worked with governors and heads of corporations and major trade associations to encourage them to reach out to veterans looking for employment. The program is promising, he said, but more needs to be done.
Readjustment counseling services are important as well, Nicholson said. The program is crucial to heading off any latent mental health problems. "It's important to (veterans) now, and it's important to them for the rest of their lives," Nicholson said.
The program was extended to families of veterans who also make a sacrifice. Injuries cause change for every family member and every family member needs to adjust to that change, he said.
"We're responsible for veterans affairs," Nicholson said. "And certainly part of a veteran's welfare is his family, his family life and his quality of life. Spouses and dependents have to endure a great deal of sacrifice at home when a service member is deployed, especially to a combat zone, and especially if they're injured.
"We need to educate the whole family about what's going on there so that they can accommodate to that and accept that and go on as a, hopefully, happy productive family unit," Nicholson said.
Benefit changes also have affected life insurance provisions. Congress has approved the increase in the death gratuity -- a one-time payment to the family of a servicemember killed in action -- from $12,000 to $100,000. The maximum life insurance benefit also has increased, from $250,000 to $400,000.
A new catastrophic insurance program covers the service member up to $100,000 above the other programs in the event of a catastrophic injury like the loss of eyesight or hearing, Nicholson said. The premium for that coverage is about $1 a month, he added.
It all boils down to veterans having the right benefits available to them, and service members need to know what their benefits are and how to access them, Nicholson said. The recent changes to veterans' benefits are moves to make sure that the VA's goal of taking care of service members is met, he said.
"It's an expression of the appreciation of the American people, the president and the Congress," the secretary said, "for the important work and the sacrifices that the reserve components are making in our operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and for freedom for our country."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...light=2,veteran
Deuce XO takes reins of command, flies combat missions in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200592391041
Story by Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan
AL ASAD, IRAQ (Sept. 23, 2005) -- For many people, doing two jobs at once is an unwelcome burden. For hard-charging Marines, it’s a welcome challenge, and a chance to become better at both.
Major Keith Couch, the acting commanding officer of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 (Forward), is leading his squadron in war while simultaneously flying combat missions in Iraq, protecting Marines and soldiers with their boots in the sand.
“Flying combat missions and commanding MWHS-2 work hand in hand,” said the Leslie County, Ky., native. “Commanding headquarters squadron, you have the advantage of getting a firsthand perspective of what is happening on base. Then, flying missions allows you the implementation of that knowledge on the battlefield. You are able to fly and see intelligence unfold on the battlefield.”
Couch said his position enables him to have a better perspective for doing both jobs. He compared it to having his cake and eating it too.
“I have a broader view of everything,” said Couch. “Base security, what units are coming and going, basically, the whole picture of what goes on here.”
The acting sergeant major of MWHS-2, Master Gunnery Sgt. William H. Butler, said Couch seems very comfortable in this element and he understands his roles and duties. Couch served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I, and is a veteran of flying missions in theater.
“He lets Marines do their jobs, and supports them,” said Butler. “The Deuce (MWHS-2) family atmosphere, with tight-knit units, is easily kept alive under his leadership. Flying and commanding balance each other and keep him balanced in his decision-making process.”
Couch will be flying AV-8B Harriers with Marine Attack Squadron 223. He plans on flying a couple times per week, but is prepared to fly more as long as it does not interfere with his role commanding his Deuce Marines.
“Initially, the first time you go into combat you are a bit apprehensive,” said Couch. “You learn to enjoy it because you get a chance to do what you have been training for years to do.”
Couch has served as a forward air controller with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion in Korea and Okinawa, Japan. His wealth of knowledge and experience makes him valuable to lead the Marines in his squadron and flying as a Harrier pilot.
“When I first got to VMA-223, he was a senior captain,” said Capt. Richard Rusnok, the pilot training officer with VMA-223, who served with Couch during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. “He was, and still is, very approachable and knowledgeable about tactics and systems. He’s a good role model and having him here helps us out a lot.”
Rusnok recalled when Couch was leaving their squadron, he still sacrificed his own time to help him and the rest of the squadron as they prepared for weapons and tactics instruction.
“He was our maintenance officer, and now serves a vital role as a functional test pilot,” said Rusnok, a native of Pittston, Penn. “After certain types of maintenance are performed on Harriers, only he and three other pilots from the squadron can fly the aircraft to ensure they are operational. Also, on the administrative side, he is someone we can call on whenever we have a problem.”
Couch’s dual abilities have enabled him to serve a double purpose against the insurgents.
“Sitting behind a desk, you can’t really do anything when we experience (indirect fire),” said Couch. “As a pilot, I can go out and potentially stop that from happening here to us or someone else by prosecuting enemy targets.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....EB?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200592391041
Story by Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan
AL ASAD, IRAQ (Sept. 23, 2005) -- For many people, doing two jobs at once is an unwelcome burden. For hard-charging Marines, it’s a welcome challenge, and a chance to become better at both.
Major Keith Couch, the acting commanding officer of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 (Forward), is leading his squadron in war while simultaneously flying combat missions in Iraq, protecting Marines and soldiers with their boots in the sand.
“Flying combat missions and commanding MWHS-2 work hand in hand,” said the Leslie County, Ky., native. “Commanding headquarters squadron, you have the advantage of getting a firsthand perspective of what is happening on base. Then, flying missions allows you the implementation of that knowledge on the battlefield. You are able to fly and see intelligence unfold on the battlefield.”
Couch said his position enables him to have a better perspective for doing both jobs. He compared it to having his cake and eating it too.
“I have a broader view of everything,” said Couch. “Base security, what units are coming and going, basically, the whole picture of what goes on here.”
The acting sergeant major of MWHS-2, Master Gunnery Sgt. William H. Butler, said Couch seems very comfortable in this element and he understands his roles and duties. Couch served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I, and is a veteran of flying missions in theater.
“He lets Marines do their jobs, and supports them,” said Butler. “The Deuce (MWHS-2) family atmosphere, with tight-knit units, is easily kept alive under his leadership. Flying and commanding balance each other and keep him balanced in his decision-making process.”
Couch will be flying AV-8B Harriers with Marine Attack Squadron 223. He plans on flying a couple times per week, but is prepared to fly more as long as it does not interfere with his role commanding his Deuce Marines.
“Initially, the first time you go into combat you are a bit apprehensive,” said Couch. “You learn to enjoy it because you get a chance to do what you have been training for years to do.”
Couch has served as a forward air controller with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion in Korea and Okinawa, Japan. His wealth of knowledge and experience makes him valuable to lead the Marines in his squadron and flying as a Harrier pilot.
“When I first got to VMA-223, he was a senior captain,” said Capt. Richard Rusnok, the pilot training officer with VMA-223, who served with Couch during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. “He was, and still is, very approachable and knowledgeable about tactics and systems. He’s a good role model and having him here helps us out a lot.”
Rusnok recalled when Couch was leaving their squadron, he still sacrificed his own time to help him and the rest of the squadron as they prepared for weapons and tactics instruction.
“He was our maintenance officer, and now serves a vital role as a functional test pilot,” said Rusnok, a native of Pittston, Penn. “After certain types of maintenance are performed on Harriers, only he and three other pilots from the squadron can fly the aircraft to ensure they are operational. Also, on the administrative side, he is someone we can call on whenever we have a problem.”
Couch’s dual abilities have enabled him to serve a double purpose against the insurgents.
“Sitting behind a desk, you can’t really do anything when we experience (indirect fire),” said Couch. “As a pilot, I can go out and potentially stop that from happening here to us or someone else by prosecuting enemy targets.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....EB?opendocument
Crew chiefs are the eyes in the sky
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification #: 200592319049
Story by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2005) -- Before a flight, during a flight and well after a flight, there is one Marine who takes on the responsibilities of maintaining the aircraft, observing its safety and providing in-flight maintenance - the crew chief.
Crew chiefs for the CH-53E Super Stallions are responsible for the well-being of the aircraft throughout their flights, as well as observing the environment for the pilots on board.
"Crew chiefs are the enlisted maintainers and flyers for the helicopter squadrons," said Capt. Eric C. Palmer, NATOPS officer, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "They take care of all the duties the pilots don't have, which is about everything in the back of the aircraft."
Crew chiefs observe obstructions in a pilot's path, as the pilot cannot see more than 180 degrees in either direction from the nose of the aircraft.
"The CH-53 doesn't have the best view around it, so we have to rely on the crew chief's eyes and ears during a flight," said Palmer, an Endwell, N.Y., native. "Being able to see things that the pilot can't is really one of the biggest aids of a crew chief."
According to Lance Cpl. D. L. Chewey, crew chief, HMH-361, they are required to know a little of everything on board the aircraft.
"Crew chiefs are required to touch on all aspects of the aircraft," said the Stilwell, Okla., native. "We have to know its limitations. We have to know our limitations. We are there to back up the pilots.
"When we fly, we all have a mission at hand," Chewey added. "Our mission is a mission as a team. You have your pilot and co-pilot. One will fly, and the other will navigate. Then you have a crew chief who will watch and listen to the helicopter itself. We are part of an aircrew, and we play an irreplaceable role."
However, the job of a crew chief, like any job, changes a little bit when they are deployed.
"While deployed, we are on standby all the time," said Cpl. Fidel R. Florez, crew chief, HMH-361. "As far as personal differences between being in garrison or in Iraq, over there we have our armor, weapons and side arms on, and it can be a little more stressful, as well.
"Here, we have about four to five hours to prepare for a flight," the Anthony, N.M., native, added. "Over there, we have a little more than an hour to get ready for a flight that could come up at any moment."
According to Palmer, crew chiefs will also take on extra responsibilities along with their original tasks while deployed.
"Most of their duties of safely helping the pilot operate the aircraft will be the same thing while deployed," said Palmer. "They'll have additional duties, such as keeping eyes out for enemies. They operate the .50-caliber machine guns as well."
The overall importance of a crew chief isn't always noticed, said Palmer.
"Crew chiefs are absolutely necessary," Palmer concluded. "They do a lot of things in the back of the aircraft that pilots just take for granted. They have an impeccable systems knowledge of the aircraft and are an indispensable, invaluable part of the CH-53 aircrew."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....12?opendocument
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification #: 200592319049
Story by Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2005) -- Before a flight, during a flight and well after a flight, there is one Marine who takes on the responsibilities of maintaining the aircraft, observing its safety and providing in-flight maintenance - the crew chief.
Crew chiefs for the CH-53E Super Stallions are responsible for the well-being of the aircraft throughout their flights, as well as observing the environment for the pilots on board.
"Crew chiefs are the enlisted maintainers and flyers for the helicopter squadrons," said Capt. Eric C. Palmer, NATOPS officer, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "They take care of all the duties the pilots don't have, which is about everything in the back of the aircraft."
Crew chiefs observe obstructions in a pilot's path, as the pilot cannot see more than 180 degrees in either direction from the nose of the aircraft.
"The CH-53 doesn't have the best view around it, so we have to rely on the crew chief's eyes and ears during a flight," said Palmer, an Endwell, N.Y., native. "Being able to see things that the pilot can't is really one of the biggest aids of a crew chief."
According to Lance Cpl. D. L. Chewey, crew chief, HMH-361, they are required to know a little of everything on board the aircraft.
"Crew chiefs are required to touch on all aspects of the aircraft," said the Stilwell, Okla., native. "We have to know its limitations. We have to know our limitations. We are there to back up the pilots.
"When we fly, we all have a mission at hand," Chewey added. "Our mission is a mission as a team. You have your pilot and co-pilot. One will fly, and the other will navigate. Then you have a crew chief who will watch and listen to the helicopter itself. We are part of an aircrew, and we play an irreplaceable role."
However, the job of a crew chief, like any job, changes a little bit when they are deployed.
"While deployed, we are on standby all the time," said Cpl. Fidel R. Florez, crew chief, HMH-361. "As far as personal differences between being in garrison or in Iraq, over there we have our armor, weapons and side arms on, and it can be a little more stressful, as well.
"Here, we have about four to five hours to prepare for a flight," the Anthony, N.M., native, added. "Over there, we have a little more than an hour to get ready for a flight that could come up at any moment."
According to Palmer, crew chiefs will also take on extra responsibilities along with their original tasks while deployed.
"Most of their duties of safely helping the pilot operate the aircraft will be the same thing while deployed," said Palmer. "They'll have additional duties, such as keeping eyes out for enemies. They operate the .50-caliber machine guns as well."
The overall importance of a crew chief isn't always noticed, said Palmer.
"Crew chiefs are absolutely necessary," Palmer concluded. "They do a lot of things in the back of the aircraft that pilots just take for granted. They have an impeccable systems knowledge of the aircraft and are an indispensable, invaluable part of the CH-53 aircrew."
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....12?opendocument
Okinawa Marine battalion implements new leadership style
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200592605753
Story by Cpl. Martin R. Harris
CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 23, 2005) -- The senior leaders of 3rd Materiel Readiness Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group recently announced to their Marines and sailors the success of their new mentorship program.
The battalion, which is one of the largest on the island, has developed a program that focuses on small unit leadership and cohesiveness on and off duty.
Col. Robert Ruark, 3rd MRB commanding officer, has set aside one day each week for the battalion to implement the program.
“I instructed the company commanders to take a portion of their Friday to teach and train their Marines,” Ruark said. “This is time to teach them not only how to stay out of trouble, but how to learn, grow and become better Marines.”
The program includes a forum where Marines are ask questions, receive feedback and learn from each other. Marines engage in detailed discussions on topics such as liberty, leadership and life in the Corps.
“The Marines are doing a great job, and it’s because the program works on small unit leadership,” said Sgt. Maj. Frankie Holmes, battalion sergeant major. “The (non commissioned officers) are directly in charge of teaching their Marines the basics of Marine Corps leadership – honor, courage and commitment.”
According to Holmes, the battalion held an NCO symposium in order to receive input regarding the program development.
Many units throughout the Corps use weekend safety briefs to educate Marines before liberty commences.
According to 1st Sgt. Justin Glymph, first sergeant of electronic maintenance company, 3rd MRB, the mentorship program surpasses most typical weekend liberty safety briefs.
“Safety briefs are the same every week, but with the mentorship program the Marines learn from each others experiences,” Glymph said. “Focusing on the negative will only bring more negative. If we can talk about the positive, it will bring out the positive in the Marines.”
According to Ruark, he is impressed with the program. The battalion has not had a serious incident in well over a month. Due to its success, he offered the Marines a meritorious day off as an incentive to continue their hard work.
“What we see as success is our NCO’s getting involved, taking charge, being proactive, motivating the Marines and talking to each other,” Holmes said.
According to Lance Cpl. Heather Strand, administrative clerk with 3rd MRB, the mentorship program motivates the Marines in the battalion to stay out of trouble because it shows their leaders care about them.
“We have amazing senior leadership in the battalion,” Strand said. “The (staff noncommissioned officers) and officers really pay attention to us and are actually interested in what their Marines are doing, on and off duty.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....E0?opendocument
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200592605753
Story by Cpl. Martin R. Harris
CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 23, 2005) -- The senior leaders of 3rd Materiel Readiness Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group recently announced to their Marines and sailors the success of their new mentorship program.
The battalion, which is one of the largest on the island, has developed a program that focuses on small unit leadership and cohesiveness on and off duty.
Col. Robert Ruark, 3rd MRB commanding officer, has set aside one day each week for the battalion to implement the program.
“I instructed the company commanders to take a portion of their Friday to teach and train their Marines,” Ruark said. “This is time to teach them not only how to stay out of trouble, but how to learn, grow and become better Marines.”
The program includes a forum where Marines are ask questions, receive feedback and learn from each other. Marines engage in detailed discussions on topics such as liberty, leadership and life in the Corps.
“The Marines are doing a great job, and it’s because the program works on small unit leadership,” said Sgt. Maj. Frankie Holmes, battalion sergeant major. “The (non commissioned officers) are directly in charge of teaching their Marines the basics of Marine Corps leadership – honor, courage and commitment.”
According to Holmes, the battalion held an NCO symposium in order to receive input regarding the program development.
Many units throughout the Corps use weekend safety briefs to educate Marines before liberty commences.
According to 1st Sgt. Justin Glymph, first sergeant of electronic maintenance company, 3rd MRB, the mentorship program surpasses most typical weekend liberty safety briefs.
“Safety briefs are the same every week, but with the mentorship program the Marines learn from each others experiences,” Glymph said. “Focusing on the negative will only bring more negative. If we can talk about the positive, it will bring out the positive in the Marines.”
According to Ruark, he is impressed with the program. The battalion has not had a serious incident in well over a month. Due to its success, he offered the Marines a meritorious day off as an incentive to continue their hard work.
“What we see as success is our NCO’s getting involved, taking charge, being proactive, motivating the Marines and talking to each other,” Holmes said.
According to Lance Cpl. Heather Strand, administrative clerk with 3rd MRB, the mentorship program motivates the Marines in the battalion to stay out of trouble because it shows their leaders care about them.
“We have amazing senior leadership in the battalion,” Strand said. “The (staff noncommissioned officers) and officers really pay attention to us and are actually interested in what their Marines are doing, on and off duty.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....E0?opendocument
Marines cruise Pacific on Zodiacs
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 20059261392
Story by Pfc. C. Warren Peace
KIN BLUE, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 23, 2005) -- Pacific Ocean waves tossed and flipped 17 Marines in their Zodiac boats as they participate in the Basic Coxswain Skills Course Sept. 8-28.
Upon completion of the course, the Marines from F Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, currently serving as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team, will receive an additional military occupational specialty of combat rubber reconnaissance craft coxswain.
A coxswain is responsible for the safety and conduct of a boat team, and the safe operation, handling, launch, recovery and maintenance of the CRRC, also known as a Zodiac, and its associated equipment.
The course, taught by the III Marine Expeditionary Force Special Operation Training Group, began with five days of classroom instruction at Camp Hansen. During the classes, the students were tested on their basic Zodiac knowledge, maritime navigation and nautical chart plotting. There were two written tests and two-chart tests.
“The first written test is the harder of the two,” said Sgt. Bart P. Dellinger, senior instructor for amphibious raids, SOTG. “This test is where we have most of our failures.”
Nautical charts are maps that coxswains use to navigate in the water. The students must have a working knowledge of the charts and how to plot them in order to pass the course.
“Once we get out over the horizon, there are few landmarks to help us navigate,” Dellinger said. “We have to rely on compasses and charts.”
After classroom instruction, the students participate in the practical application portion of the course. This portion is conducted on nine training days and consists of four tests. The first test is confined space maneuvering where the students pilot their Zodiacs within a designated distance from other moving boats. They must bump into another craft and hold their position until other students offload onto the other craft. The margin for error allowed in this test is measured in inches.
The next test is on basic engine knowledge. The instructors intentionally put an outboard engine together with 10 mistakes. The student must fix the engine citing the mistakes.
“To be a coxswain you must have a basic knowledge of the engine in the case your engine breaks down while in the water,” said Sgt. Brian M. McGrath, an instructor with SOTG.
The third test evaluates students on the boat structure. Like the engine test, an instructor intentionally makes 10 errors as he prepares a Zodiac for use and the students must repair the craft prior to operation and cite the mistakes.
The final test is on knots. The students must be able to tie 10 specific knots correctly.
The students must complete all the tests with a score of 80 percent or higher to pass the course and earn the title coxswain.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....43?opendocument
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 20059261392
Story by Pfc. C. Warren Peace
KIN BLUE, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 23, 2005) -- Pacific Ocean waves tossed and flipped 17 Marines in their Zodiac boats as they participate in the Basic Coxswain Skills Course Sept. 8-28.
Upon completion of the course, the Marines from F Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, currently serving as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team, will receive an additional military occupational specialty of combat rubber reconnaissance craft coxswain.
A coxswain is responsible for the safety and conduct of a boat team, and the safe operation, handling, launch, recovery and maintenance of the CRRC, also known as a Zodiac, and its associated equipment.
The course, taught by the III Marine Expeditionary Force Special Operation Training Group, began with five days of classroom instruction at Camp Hansen. During the classes, the students were tested on their basic Zodiac knowledge, maritime navigation and nautical chart plotting. There were two written tests and two-chart tests.
“The first written test is the harder of the two,” said Sgt. Bart P. Dellinger, senior instructor for amphibious raids, SOTG. “This test is where we have most of our failures.”
Nautical charts are maps that coxswains use to navigate in the water. The students must have a working knowledge of the charts and how to plot them in order to pass the course.
“Once we get out over the horizon, there are few landmarks to help us navigate,” Dellinger said. “We have to rely on compasses and charts.”
After classroom instruction, the students participate in the practical application portion of the course. This portion is conducted on nine training days and consists of four tests. The first test is confined space maneuvering where the students pilot their Zodiacs within a designated distance from other moving boats. They must bump into another craft and hold their position until other students offload onto the other craft. The margin for error allowed in this test is measured in inches.
The next test is on basic engine knowledge. The instructors intentionally put an outboard engine together with 10 mistakes. The student must fix the engine citing the mistakes.
“To be a coxswain you must have a basic knowledge of the engine in the case your engine breaks down while in the water,” said Sgt. Brian M. McGrath, an instructor with SOTG.
The third test evaluates students on the boat structure. Like the engine test, an instructor intentionally makes 10 errors as he prepares a Zodiac for use and the students must repair the craft prior to operation and cite the mistakes.
The final test is on knots. The students must be able to tie 10 specific knots correctly.
The students must complete all the tests with a score of 80 percent or higher to pass the course and earn the title coxswain.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....43?opendocument
Marine's career soars high, keeps birds in the sky
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200592672547
Story by Cpl. Martin R. Harris
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 25, 2005) -- Soaring through the clouds at nearly 25,000 feet off the ground and traveling more than 400 mph can give life a different look. Something different is exactly what one Marine stationed with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, wanted when he signed his enlistment papers.
Cpl. Bradley Partridge has accumulated 1,200 flight hours in the past 19 months as a crew chief and crew chief evaluator for the UC-12F and UC-35 passenger aircraft. As an instructor, he trains enlisted personnel, who are usually of much higher ranks, on how to carry out their duties as crew chiefs for H&HS.
“I was a little timid about instructing at first,” Partridge recalled. “As a lance corporal, I was being asked to instruct mostly (noncommissioned officers) and (staff-noncommissioned officers). I always tried to be respectful. Maturity is a big part of teaching and learning.”
Growing up in Bloomington, Minn., Partridge stepped out of the crowd and declared himself an individual by joining the Marine Corps on April 22, 2002. His decision to make a change in his life and defend his country came after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center.
After recruit training and military occupation specialty school, Partridge arrived in Okinawa as and administrative clerk. Little did Partridge know that the Marine Corps would soon give him responsibility of maintaining a $7 million aircraft.
Partridge was selected by the squadron to attend a crew chief school in Pensacola, Fla., to learn the UC-12 aircraft. He returned to Okinawa and began honing his knowledge of the aircraft. After returning, Partridge showed such proficiency and high level of maturity as a crew chief he was recommended to be a crew chief evaluator for the UC-12 and UC-35.
“Cpl. Partridge was selected for the position of crew chief evaluator because of his extremely high level of maturity,” said Lt. Col. David Ashby, commanding officer, H&HS, MCAS Futenma. “He has trained nearly half of the 13 crew chiefs we have, and has taken it upon himself to learn the (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization)publication, which he uses as a training syllabus.”
A crew chief is entrusted with the responsibility of making sure the aircraft is running correctly and all the passengers are safe, Partridge explained.
“Passenger safety is our number one concern,” Partridge said. “That’s our bread and butter.”
According to Staff Sgt. Chad McCammon, quality assurance chief, aircraft recovery section, H&HS, MCAS Futenma, Partridge is easy to learn from because of his attitude and his in-depth knowledge of the aircrafts.
“Partridge knows the aircraft’s systems inside and out and he really loves what he does,” said McCammon, who was trained by Partridge. “There is nothing on the aircraft that you could ask him about that he wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what it is and how it works, without even touching a book.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....2D?opendocument
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200592672547
Story by Cpl. Martin R. Harris
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan (Sept. 25, 2005) -- Soaring through the clouds at nearly 25,000 feet off the ground and traveling more than 400 mph can give life a different look. Something different is exactly what one Marine stationed with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, wanted when he signed his enlistment papers.
Cpl. Bradley Partridge has accumulated 1,200 flight hours in the past 19 months as a crew chief and crew chief evaluator for the UC-12F and UC-35 passenger aircraft. As an instructor, he trains enlisted personnel, who are usually of much higher ranks, on how to carry out their duties as crew chiefs for H&HS.
“I was a little timid about instructing at first,” Partridge recalled. “As a lance corporal, I was being asked to instruct mostly (noncommissioned officers) and (staff-noncommissioned officers). I always tried to be respectful. Maturity is a big part of teaching and learning.”
Growing up in Bloomington, Minn., Partridge stepped out of the crowd and declared himself an individual by joining the Marine Corps on April 22, 2002. His decision to make a change in his life and defend his country came after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center.
After recruit training and military occupation specialty school, Partridge arrived in Okinawa as and administrative clerk. Little did Partridge know that the Marine Corps would soon give him responsibility of maintaining a $7 million aircraft.
Partridge was selected by the squadron to attend a crew chief school in Pensacola, Fla., to learn the UC-12 aircraft. He returned to Okinawa and began honing his knowledge of the aircraft. After returning, Partridge showed such proficiency and high level of maturity as a crew chief he was recommended to be a crew chief evaluator for the UC-12 and UC-35.
“Cpl. Partridge was selected for the position of crew chief evaluator because of his extremely high level of maturity,” said Lt. Col. David Ashby, commanding officer, H&HS, MCAS Futenma. “He has trained nearly half of the 13 crew chiefs we have, and has taken it upon himself to learn the (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization)publication, which he uses as a training syllabus.”
A crew chief is entrusted with the responsibility of making sure the aircraft is running correctly and all the passengers are safe, Partridge explained.
“Passenger safety is our number one concern,” Partridge said. “That’s our bread and butter.”
According to Staff Sgt. Chad McCammon, quality assurance chief, aircraft recovery section, H&HS, MCAS Futenma, Partridge is easy to learn from because of his attitude and his in-depth knowledge of the aircrafts.
“Partridge knows the aircraft’s systems inside and out and he really loves what he does,” said McCammon, who was trained by Partridge. “There is nothing on the aircraft that you could ask him about that he wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly what it is and how it works, without even touching a book.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....2D?opendocument
Life as a boot: Low on the totem, but it's not all bad
By: Pfc. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
Id #: 2005923113639
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(Sept. 23, 2005) -- I don't even rate to wear my little blue ribbon yet. You know, the one you get after being in the fleet for 60 days. I haven't even reached the end of my first enlisted year.
According to my friends, I was just recently promoted from shower shoe to go-faster.
I like being considered overly motivated and perky. I enjoy 'oorahs' and 'devil dogs.' I still smile at recruits and return their greeting of the day because I remember what it was like to be there "just a few weeks ago."
My friends around the barracks pick on me when we go out to eat, offering to take me places like Chuck E Cheese's or McDonald's so I can play on the little kids toys while they finish their meals.
Being new to the Marine Corps is like being new to the world, fresh out of the womb. You have so much potential and so many opportunities available.
But don't worry. The wonder and awe of it all fades away quickly. And then you are just another Marine doing your job in the same outfit as everybody else.
But you are still the new guy. As the new guy, you get picked on a bunch. You get sent on gag office supply runs or get stuck taking out the trash every night. You usually get tasked to do the job nobody else wants to do and you are expected to do it with a smile.
It's the life of the new guy, the green blooded, the boot. It's not all bad though.
Earning the title Marine is a big accomplishment that hardly goes unnoticed. Despite getting stuck with the dirty work, there is a bond between Marines that can never be broken. You've proven yourself loyal to the same cause that millions of other people have turned up their nose at or don't have enough discipline to pursue.
Not only have you taken the challenge to better yourself, you have overcome all the obstacles and proven yourself dedicated to the protection of your country, Corps and friends.
I came to this realization when I had the opportunity to visit with many Vietnam veterans at a dinner banquet after I had only served a few weeks in the fleet. They served their country and defended the rights of the constitution so I could live my life with the freedoms our forefathers intended. I considered it a great honor to be invited to such an event.
The retirees and veterans, however, expressed to me what an honor it was for them to be in my company. They knew what it took for me to join the Marine Corps. They understood what a compromise it was for me to leave home for the adventures and challenges of the military.
My lack of experience in the military was of no consequence to them. They held me in the highest regard because I joined knowing that sometime soon I could be returning fire in a giant sand box on the other side of the world.
They expressed remorse in the fact that they could not take my place at the battlefields. Some wanted to return to the heat of the battle, and some wanted to protect the young lady standing in front of them from the horrors they couldn't bear to speak of.
I went to the banquet intending to honor the ladies and gentlemen who had served in a war with my grandfather, a retired Army colonel. Instead, I was honored for being courageous enough to follow in his footsteps.
Being the new guy isn't all that bad. The trash doesn't take itself out, that's for sure. But wearing the uniform of a United States Marine is reward enough, even if it is a little too constricting to climb the rope wall in McDonald's ball pen.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....e2?OpenDocument
By: Pfc. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
Id #: 2005923113639
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(Sept. 23, 2005) -- I don't even rate to wear my little blue ribbon yet. You know, the one you get after being in the fleet for 60 days. I haven't even reached the end of my first enlisted year.
According to my friends, I was just recently promoted from shower shoe to go-faster.
I like being considered overly motivated and perky. I enjoy 'oorahs' and 'devil dogs.' I still smile at recruits and return their greeting of the day because I remember what it was like to be there "just a few weeks ago."
My friends around the barracks pick on me when we go out to eat, offering to take me places like Chuck E Cheese's or McDonald's so I can play on the little kids toys while they finish their meals.
Being new to the Marine Corps is like being new to the world, fresh out of the womb. You have so much potential and so many opportunities available.
But don't worry. The wonder and awe of it all fades away quickly. And then you are just another Marine doing your job in the same outfit as everybody else.
But you are still the new guy. As the new guy, you get picked on a bunch. You get sent on gag office supply runs or get stuck taking out the trash every night. You usually get tasked to do the job nobody else wants to do and you are expected to do it with a smile.
It's the life of the new guy, the green blooded, the boot. It's not all bad though.
Earning the title Marine is a big accomplishment that hardly goes unnoticed. Despite getting stuck with the dirty work, there is a bond between Marines that can never be broken. You've proven yourself loyal to the same cause that millions of other people have turned up their nose at or don't have enough discipline to pursue.
Not only have you taken the challenge to better yourself, you have overcome all the obstacles and proven yourself dedicated to the protection of your country, Corps and friends.
I came to this realization when I had the opportunity to visit with many Vietnam veterans at a dinner banquet after I had only served a few weeks in the fleet. They served their country and defended the rights of the constitution so I could live my life with the freedoms our forefathers intended. I considered it a great honor to be invited to such an event.
The retirees and veterans, however, expressed to me what an honor it was for them to be in my company. They knew what it took for me to join the Marine Corps. They understood what a compromise it was for me to leave home for the adventures and challenges of the military.
My lack of experience in the military was of no consequence to them. They held me in the highest regard because I joined knowing that sometime soon I could be returning fire in a giant sand box on the other side of the world.
They expressed remorse in the fact that they could not take my place at the battlefields. Some wanted to return to the heat of the battle, and some wanted to protect the young lady standing in front of them from the horrors they couldn't bear to speak of.
I went to the banquet intending to honor the ladies and gentlemen who had served in a war with my grandfather, a retired Army colonel. Instead, I was honored for being courageous enough to follow in his footsteps.
Being the new guy isn't all that bad. The trash doesn't take itself out, that's for sure. But wearing the uniform of a United States Marine is reward enough, even if it is a little too constricting to climb the rope wall in McDonald's ball pen.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....e2?OpenDocument
Marines present new facet to advertising campaign
Submitted by: Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Story Identification #: 2005927114144
Story by - MCRC Public Affairs
MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND QUANTICO, Va. (Sept. 27, 2005) -- The Marine Corps will debut its latest television commercial, “Diamond,” in front of a nationwide television audience October 1.
The commercial is scheduled to air on ESPN during the first commercial break of the scheduled NCAA College Football game that starts at noon.
The release of the new 30 second television commercial also coincides with the release of a refined Marines.com web site. The redeveloped web site serves as the, ‘31st second,’ for the television campaign, providing additional information to individuals on the opportunities in the Marine Corps.
Every three to four years the Marine Corps refreshes it television commercials. This new commercial follows, "The Climb," released in February 2002. The streamlined commercial and web site are designed to assist prospective applicants to contact a Marine Corps recruiter.
The commercial will air on network and cable television and ESPN, CBS, MTV, Spike, BET and in Spanish on Galavision. It will also air in movie theaters nationwide. The redesigned Web site will be viewable on Oct 1 at http://www.marines.com.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...F0?opendocument
Submitted by: Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Story Identification #: 2005927114144
Story by - MCRC Public Affairs
MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND QUANTICO, Va. (Sept. 27, 2005) -- The Marine Corps will debut its latest television commercial, “Diamond,” in front of a nationwide television audience October 1.
The commercial is scheduled to air on ESPN during the first commercial break of the scheduled NCAA College Football game that starts at noon.
The release of the new 30 second television commercial also coincides with the release of a refined Marines.com web site. The redeveloped web site serves as the, ‘31st second,’ for the television campaign, providing additional information to individuals on the opportunities in the Marine Corps.
Every three to four years the Marine Corps refreshes it television commercials. This new commercial follows, "The Climb," released in February 2002. The streamlined commercial and web site are designed to assist prospective applicants to contact a Marine Corps recruiter.
The commercial will air on network and cable television and ESPN, CBS, MTV, Spike, BET and in Spanish on Galavision. It will also air in movie theaters nationwide. The redesigned Web site will be viewable on Oct 1 at http://www.marines.com.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...F0?opendocument
Ohio Marine worked to build better Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592554354
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- During the past six months, Lance Cpl. Chris Graves’ world has revolved around patrolling the city streets and carrying out late night raids here. Today, however, the Iraqi air is filled with an almost tangible feeling of excitement for him.
More than 180 days after arriving here, he and his teammates from Company C, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment are gearing up to leave their makeshift base and head home. As they do, Graves and fellow Marines from 4th Platoon look back at their accomplishments with pride.
“I remember seeing the ruined city streets and collapsed buildings when I got here,” stated the 20-year-old infantryman from Wakeman, Ohio. “As the months have gone by, we’ve seen people rebuilding their homes and businesses, bringing in new life to this area.”
Graves, a 2003 Western Reserve High School graduate, said that by constant patrolling alongside Iraqi Security Forces, the Marines have afforded Northern Fallujah’s people a secure environment in which to rebuild a community still healing from the scars of last year’s conflict. However, he added that Company C’s work here is not done.
On Sept. 15, ISF soldiers and Company C Marines conducted Operation Hard Knock, a house-to-house search mission within a city sector previously wired off by other battalion personnel. This is the tenth operation of its kind military forces here have conducted.
During Hard Knock, the joint personnel detained three suspected insurgent supporters and confiscated one hand grenade. Possessing explosives in Fallujah is currently illegal for security reasons.
The ISF forces worked in conjunction with the Marines, but also searched a sector of their own to the south. Graves said that much like today’s mission, Iraqi troops have been operating much more independently of U.S. forces for several months now.
“Now that our time in country is coming to an end, I can definitely say I’ve seen stronger ISF presence than when we first got here,” he continued. “At first, there would only be a few Iraqi soldiers patrolling with one of our squads. Now, they do their own patrols, or at most, we’ll have a team of three or four Marines walking with them.”
First Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment personnel have placed great emphasis on helping train the local forces to this present state of proficiency, offering them urban warfare skills, medical and convoy operations training, as well as constant “on the job” training. Though this is an ongoing task, Graves said he sees the ISF nearing the day when they will take over the nation’s security affairs.
“They’ve learned a lot during their time with us,” he stated. “The town seems to like them even more than us now.”
Notable also among the progress Graves sees is the increasing number of people now populating the formerly desolate city. In May, Company C vacated their old base of operations in an apartment complex in Northwestern Fallujah, enabling Iraqi citizens to move back into the housing they had left during last year’s conflict.
Graves and the ISF will continue working hand-in-hand while he and his fellow Marines eagerly wait to head home.
“It’s strange, but on patrol, my level of enthusiasm and awareness has remained pretty much the same as when I first got here. Now is not the time to get complacent, because we all want to make it home safely,” Graves stated. “I’ll leave here knowing that we helped keep Fallujah safe and did things the best we could. Not a lot of people can say they got this same chance.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3D?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592554354
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar
FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- During the past six months, Lance Cpl. Chris Graves’ world has revolved around patrolling the city streets and carrying out late night raids here. Today, however, the Iraqi air is filled with an almost tangible feeling of excitement for him.
More than 180 days after arriving here, he and his teammates from Company C, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment are gearing up to leave their makeshift base and head home. As they do, Graves and fellow Marines from 4th Platoon look back at their accomplishments with pride.
“I remember seeing the ruined city streets and collapsed buildings when I got here,” stated the 20-year-old infantryman from Wakeman, Ohio. “As the months have gone by, we’ve seen people rebuilding their homes and businesses, bringing in new life to this area.”
Graves, a 2003 Western Reserve High School graduate, said that by constant patrolling alongside Iraqi Security Forces, the Marines have afforded Northern Fallujah’s people a secure environment in which to rebuild a community still healing from the scars of last year’s conflict. However, he added that Company C’s work here is not done.
On Sept. 15, ISF soldiers and Company C Marines conducted Operation Hard Knock, a house-to-house search mission within a city sector previously wired off by other battalion personnel. This is the tenth operation of its kind military forces here have conducted.
During Hard Knock, the joint personnel detained three suspected insurgent supporters and confiscated one hand grenade. Possessing explosives in Fallujah is currently illegal for security reasons.
The ISF forces worked in conjunction with the Marines, but also searched a sector of their own to the south. Graves said that much like today’s mission, Iraqi troops have been operating much more independently of U.S. forces for several months now.
“Now that our time in country is coming to an end, I can definitely say I’ve seen stronger ISF presence than when we first got here,” he continued. “At first, there would only be a few Iraqi soldiers patrolling with one of our squads. Now, they do their own patrols, or at most, we’ll have a team of three or four Marines walking with them.”
First Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment personnel have placed great emphasis on helping train the local forces to this present state of proficiency, offering them urban warfare skills, medical and convoy operations training, as well as constant “on the job” training. Though this is an ongoing task, Graves said he sees the ISF nearing the day when they will take over the nation’s security affairs.
“They’ve learned a lot during their time with us,” he stated. “The town seems to like them even more than us now.”
Notable also among the progress Graves sees is the increasing number of people now populating the formerly desolate city. In May, Company C vacated their old base of operations in an apartment complex in Northwestern Fallujah, enabling Iraqi citizens to move back into the housing they had left during last year’s conflict.
Graves and the ISF will continue working hand-in-hand while he and his fellow Marines eagerly wait to head home.
“It’s strange, but on patrol, my level of enthusiasm and awareness has remained pretty much the same as when I first got here. Now is not the time to get complacent, because we all want to make it home safely,” Graves stated. “I’ll leave here knowing that we helped keep Fallujah safe and did things the best we could. Not a lot of people can say they got this same chance.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....3D?opendocument
ISF soldiers get Rules of Engagement training at Camp Ripper
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592584257
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
CAMP RIPPER, Al Asad, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- The reconnaissance company of the 7th Iraqi Battalion recently received a rules of engagement class from Maj. Michael E. Sayegh in the effort to provide security and stability to their country.
“They were very attentive and inquisitive during the period of instruction,” said Sayegh, Regimental Combat Team-2’s judge advocate. Sayegh’s job consists of providing legal guidance for the commanding officer in regards to operational law, rules of engagement, the use of force, war crime investigations and detention operations.
Because of his expertise, Sayegh was tasked with providing Iraqi Security Force soldiers with a rules of engagement class that was comprehensive and easily understood.
“My Marine, the translator, and myself conducted the sustainment training,” said the 1994 Seton Hall University graduate. “We handed out laminated rules of engagement cards in Arabic and explained everything as we would to our own Marines.
“We covered rules governing the use of deadly force, proper handling of detainees and to overall maintain their dignity by removing themselves from potentially dangerous positions.”
The materials provided by 2nd Marine Division for Sayegh and his Marines at RCT-2 were converted into material that the Iraqi soldiers could easily and quickly understand.
“We wanted the Iraqis to be able to understand the use of deadly force in accordance to the Laws of War,” said the Jacksonville, N.C., native. “By the end of the class, they all understood what was presented to them and they will apply it if the next mission calls for it.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....AB?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592584257
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
CAMP RIPPER, Al Asad, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- The reconnaissance company of the 7th Iraqi Battalion recently received a rules of engagement class from Maj. Michael E. Sayegh in the effort to provide security and stability to their country.
“They were very attentive and inquisitive during the period of instruction,” said Sayegh, Regimental Combat Team-2’s judge advocate. Sayegh’s job consists of providing legal guidance for the commanding officer in regards to operational law, rules of engagement, the use of force, war crime investigations and detention operations.
Because of his expertise, Sayegh was tasked with providing Iraqi Security Force soldiers with a rules of engagement class that was comprehensive and easily understood.
“My Marine, the translator, and myself conducted the sustainment training,” said the 1994 Seton Hall University graduate. “We handed out laminated rules of engagement cards in Arabic and explained everything as we would to our own Marines.
“We covered rules governing the use of deadly force, proper handling of detainees and to overall maintain their dignity by removing themselves from potentially dangerous positions.”
The materials provided by 2nd Marine Division for Sayegh and his Marines at RCT-2 were converted into material that the Iraqi soldiers could easily and quickly understand.
“We wanted the Iraqis to be able to understand the use of deadly force in accordance to the Laws of War,” said the Jacksonville, N.C., native. “By the end of the class, they all understood what was presented to them and they will apply it if the next mission calls for it.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....AB?opendocument
Marine's wish honored as mascot comes home
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Michael Sangiacomo
Plain Dealer Reporter
Kathy Wright can't replace her Marine son who was killed in Iraq, but later this week she will honor his request and adopt the company mascot, a dog named Beans.
Just weeks before Cpl. Jeffrey Allen Boskovitch, 25, was killed by small-arms fire outside Haditha, Iraq on Aug. 1, he emailed his mother about Beans.
The dog got the name because Boskovitch and his fellow Marines bought the mixed-breed pup from Iraqi villagers for a quarter and three jelly beans.
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He hoped to bring the dog home with him when his tour of duty was up in August. Boskovitch was killed Aug. 1 along with five other Marine snipers.
Barring complications, his wish will come true when Beans arrives at the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment headquarters on Snow Road in Brook Park sometime this week.
Initially, the Marines and the military said it was against regulations to bring Beans to the United States on a military transport.
Wright's efforts to cut through red tape eventually led her to the Pentagon, to the office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee.
"Gen. Hagee told the mother he would get it done," said Hagee's spokesman Maj. Jason Johnston. "He put his staff on it and it has been worked out.
The dog will be on her way. If Beans can comfort the mother of a fallen Marine, then it is our pleasure to help."
Maj. Jenny Potter, a spokeswoman for the Brook Park headquarters, said the dog's arrival is due toWright's determination.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/...4580.xml&coll=2
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Michael Sangiacomo
Plain Dealer Reporter
Kathy Wright can't replace her Marine son who was killed in Iraq, but later this week she will honor his request and adopt the company mascot, a dog named Beans.
Just weeks before Cpl. Jeffrey Allen Boskovitch, 25, was killed by small-arms fire outside Haditha, Iraq on Aug. 1, he emailed his mother about Beans.
The dog got the name because Boskovitch and his fellow Marines bought the mixed-breed pup from Iraqi villagers for a quarter and three jelly beans.
Advertisement
He hoped to bring the dog home with him when his tour of duty was up in August. Boskovitch was killed Aug. 1 along with five other Marine snipers.
Barring complications, his wish will come true when Beans arrives at the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment headquarters on Snow Road in Brook Park sometime this week.
Initially, the Marines and the military said it was against regulations to bring Beans to the United States on a military transport.
Wright's efforts to cut through red tape eventually led her to the Pentagon, to the office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee.
"Gen. Hagee told the mother he would get it done," said Hagee's spokesman Maj. Jason Johnston. "He put his staff on it and it has been worked out.
The dog will be on her way. If Beans can comfort the mother of a fallen Marine, then it is our pleasure to help."
Maj. Jenny Potter, a spokeswoman for the Brook Park headquarters, said the dog's arrival is due toWright's determination.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/...4580.xml&coll=2
Witness to war
Three writers embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq reveal the hardships, bravery, lives and deaths of Marines on the front lines.
In the middle of his gripping account of Marines in combat, "No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah," Bing West writes of a firefight in which Marines and heavily armed insurgents came within a few dozen yards of each other on a hot Iraqi morning in April 2004.
With insurgents firing hundreds of rocket-propelled grenades and thousands of rounds from AK-47s at the Marines, Lance Cpl. Carlos Gomez-Perez, acting on his own initiative, led a team onto a roof and, braving enemy fire, poured down enough rounds to repel the attackers.
Gravely wounded and bleeding profusely, Gomez's only thought was to protect his fellow Marines:
"Walking past him, [medical corpsman Benjamin] Liotta slipped in a puddle of blood. He looked more closely at Gomez and saw the top of his right shoulder had been ripped away, leaving a hole the size of a Pepsi can. A round from a heavy machine gun had gouged out enough muscle to rip the arm off a normal-size man.
"[Lt. Ben] Wagner looked at him in alarm.
" 'Sorry, sir' Gomez said, embarrassed to be out of the fight.
" 'You're a beast, Gomez,' Wagner said."
In the context of a war with no end in sight, Gomez's bravery and leadership may seem of only minimal significance. But to West, it is precisely the kind of story the American public needs to know about the Marines in Iraq: that dedication to duty is a given and courage is common.
A former Marine and former assistant Defense secretary in the Reagan administration, West enjoys an access to top brass and enlisted troops that is the envy of other embedded reporters in Iraq. Luckily for all of us, he has made the most of it, starting with his book, "The March Up: Taking Baghdad With the 1st Marine Division," about the 2003 assault to topple Saddam Hussein, co-written with retired Maj. Gen. Ray L. Smith.
"No True Glory," rigorously detailed and briskly written, picks up in spring 2004 as the 1st Marine Division returns to Iraq to replace Army troops trying to wrest control of Sunni Triangle cities northwest of Baghdad held in the grip of a brutal insurgency. Using his own exhaustive reporting and articles written by other embedded reporters, West describes the fury of the fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi in a style that makes him part historian, part novelist — the grunts' Homer. (This reviewer plays a walk-on role in the book, as do several other reporters.)
West understands how Marines talk and how they think and how they fight. He also understands that when the fighting starts, geopolitics are unimportant.
Part of West's goal in "No True Glory" is to excoriate a vacillating White House and an out-of-its-league U.S. civilian leadership in Baghdad that refused to allow an all-out offensive when the Marines had the insurgents on the ropes. In effect, the politicians gave the Marines little choice except to abandon Fallujah in April 2004, rendering a month of hard fighting meaningless. The plan to turn Fallujah over to a group of former Iraqi generals who pledged to rein in the insurgents proved to be a tactical blunder for the U.S.-led coalition and a propaganda victory for the enemy. Six months later, U.S. troops had to finish cleaning out the city's insurgent nests. But by West's reckoning the overall momentum in killing off the insurgency in Iraq may have been lost in the interim. (Much of that thesis has been reported elsewhere, including in a Fallujah retrospective in fall 2004 by The Times' Alissa J. Rubin and Doyle McManus, a fact West acknowledges in his footnotes.)
West writes that the Marines "had returned to Iraq in March [2004] to work alongside the Iraqi forces while respecting the Sunni population. The [White House] decision to seize Fallujah and then not to seize it had knocked that strategy off course. Well-intentioned compromise had emboldened the insurgents."
The surpassing value of "No True Glory" lies not in its political analysis but in its firsthand portrayals of Marines of great bravery and steadfastness — from better-known figures such as Lt. Gen. James Mattis, then-commander of the 1st Marine Division, and Col. John Toolan, then-commander of the 1st Marine Regiment, to common infantrymen like Gomez, Wagner and Cpl. Graham Golden.
A football player at the University of Arkansas, Golden quit college after Sept. 11 to enlist. His father was a Marine machine-gunner in Vietnam, his grandfather in Korea. And now Golden was a machine-gunner in Fallujah, refusing to take cover when his fellow Marines were pinned down and in need of help. "The [Humvee] driver Corporal Tom Conroy wasn't about to argue with the huge corporal, so he reversed and pulled up slope enough for Golden to bring his machine gun to bear. Over the next few hours, Golden put three thousand rounds downrange, a fair day's shooting."
West believes that the American media are giving an incomplete portrayal of the war in Iraq. In the name of journalistic objectivity, he charges, the media have largely downplayed the courage and dedication of Marines like Gomez, Golden and innumerable others: "There would be no true glory for our soldiers in Iraq until they were recognized not as victims, but as aggressive warriors. Stories of their bravery deserved to be recorded and read by the next generation."
While West ranges over the entire battlefield, Michael M. Phillips, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, focuses his attention on Marines patrolling a dangerous stretch along the Syrian border, far from the media spotlight. The result is "The Gift of Valor: A War Story," a minor masterpiece of precise and detailed reporting about the life and death of Cpl. Jason Dunham, who tried to save his buddies on April 14, 2004, by smothering an insurgent grenade with his helmet, only to be gravely injured. He died eight days later at the military hospital in Bethesda, Md., his parents at his bedside.
Dunham was the kind of ordinary/extraordinary young man found in Marine infantry units, a high school baseball star from upstate New York who enlisted to find discipline and a challenge, and because he lacked the money and, frankly, the desire to go to college.
"The Marine recruiter spotted Jason in the Wellsville [N.Y.] Kmart the summer before his senior year in high school," Phillips writes. "[W]hen the Marine recruiter told him the Corps bred the toughest of the tough, he didn't have to work very hard to get Jason to enlist."
In the Corps, Dunham showed natural leadership and a rare compassion for other Marines. "Gift of Valor" follows him through training at Twentynine Palms and then to Iraq, capturing the high-spirited, often profane, behavior of Dunham and his fellow grunts.
On Dunham's sad journey home as a medical emergency case, after just six weeks in Iraq, Phillips shows us the corpsmen, doctors and other medical personnel who tried desperately to save his life. The reporting is close-up and vivid.
At a field hospital near Baghdad, the case of the young Marine who hovered between life and death affected all those who tried to save him: "Heidi Kraft [a Navy psychologist pressed into caring for wounded Marines] couldn't shake the memory of the strong young Marine pulling on her hand, clinging to her as they parted. She looked back at her few hours with Cpl. Dunham as a spiritual awakening that explained why she was in Iraq at all."
In lesser hands, the story of Cpl. Dunham probably would have been used as a parable of either support or, more likely, opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq. But Phillips is too good a reporter to impose politics on the story — a story that has its own integrity and heroism separate from any wisdom or folly coming from Washington. The same could be said of greater and lesser stories of other Marines throughout Iraq.
In "McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad," San Francisco Chronicle reporter John Koopman takes a different tack from that of West or Phillips. He inserts himself into the story, and much of the book is his account of the problems, joys and fears of being an embedded reporter during the Baghdad assault in 2003.
Koopman, a former Marine, had either the good luck or foresight to attach himself to one of the Marine Corps' go-for-broke characters: then-Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, whose radio call sign was "Darkside." It was his battalion that fought in Al Kut and then toppled Hussein's statue in Baghdad; not for nothing is he known by other Marines as "Killer" McCoy.
Koopman is taken aback by the young Marines' coolness under fire: "Bullets are plinking off the [vehicle] armor and off the pavement. The Marines have a serene, internal calm. The violence, the threat of death all around them, seems to mean nothing. They just sit up there and shoot."
McCoy is charismatic and often profane. When he hears shooting, he speeds his Humvee directly toward it, to lead from the front. Like a lot of Marine Corps officers, McCoy has thought deeply about the role of military power in the modern world and its limitations.
"War is an extension of the political process," he told Koopman. "It's not up to Marines to question that."
The corollary, of course, is that the public, and the media, should not transfer its opposition or distaste for a particular mission to the troops.
In the final line of "No True Glory," West cribs an epigram from the Greek poet Pindar. Lt. Gen. Mattis used the same line when talking to reporters on the eve of the 2003 assault: "Unsung, the noblest deed will die."
With good reporters like West, Phillips and Koopman following the troops, the chances of that happening are diminished greatly. Times staff writer Tony Perry has done three tours in Iraq as an embedded reporter with the 1st Marine Division. Bing West understands that when the fighting starts, geopolitics are unimportant.
http://www.calendarlive.com/books/bookrevi...e-more-channels
Three writers embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq reveal the hardships, bravery, lives and deaths of Marines on the front lines.
In the middle of his gripping account of Marines in combat, "No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah," Bing West writes of a firefight in which Marines and heavily armed insurgents came within a few dozen yards of each other on a hot Iraqi morning in April 2004.
With insurgents firing hundreds of rocket-propelled grenades and thousands of rounds from AK-47s at the Marines, Lance Cpl. Carlos Gomez-Perez, acting on his own initiative, led a team onto a roof and, braving enemy fire, poured down enough rounds to repel the attackers.
Gravely wounded and bleeding profusely, Gomez's only thought was to protect his fellow Marines:
"Walking past him, [medical corpsman Benjamin] Liotta slipped in a puddle of blood. He looked more closely at Gomez and saw the top of his right shoulder had been ripped away, leaving a hole the size of a Pepsi can. A round from a heavy machine gun had gouged out enough muscle to rip the arm off a normal-size man.
"[Lt. Ben] Wagner looked at him in alarm.
" 'Sorry, sir' Gomez said, embarrassed to be out of the fight.
" 'You're a beast, Gomez,' Wagner said."
In the context of a war with no end in sight, Gomez's bravery and leadership may seem of only minimal significance. But to West, it is precisely the kind of story the American public needs to know about the Marines in Iraq: that dedication to duty is a given and courage is common.
A former Marine and former assistant Defense secretary in the Reagan administration, West enjoys an access to top brass and enlisted troops that is the envy of other embedded reporters in Iraq. Luckily for all of us, he has made the most of it, starting with his book, "The March Up: Taking Baghdad With the 1st Marine Division," about the 2003 assault to topple Saddam Hussein, co-written with retired Maj. Gen. Ray L. Smith.
"No True Glory," rigorously detailed and briskly written, picks up in spring 2004 as the 1st Marine Division returns to Iraq to replace Army troops trying to wrest control of Sunni Triangle cities northwest of Baghdad held in the grip of a brutal insurgency. Using his own exhaustive reporting and articles written by other embedded reporters, West describes the fury of the fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi in a style that makes him part historian, part novelist — the grunts' Homer. (This reviewer plays a walk-on role in the book, as do several other reporters.)
West understands how Marines talk and how they think and how they fight. He also understands that when the fighting starts, geopolitics are unimportant.
Part of West's goal in "No True Glory" is to excoriate a vacillating White House and an out-of-its-league U.S. civilian leadership in Baghdad that refused to allow an all-out offensive when the Marines had the insurgents on the ropes. In effect, the politicians gave the Marines little choice except to abandon Fallujah in April 2004, rendering a month of hard fighting meaningless. The plan to turn Fallujah over to a group of former Iraqi generals who pledged to rein in the insurgents proved to be a tactical blunder for the U.S.-led coalition and a propaganda victory for the enemy. Six months later, U.S. troops had to finish cleaning out the city's insurgent nests. But by West's reckoning the overall momentum in killing off the insurgency in Iraq may have been lost in the interim. (Much of that thesis has been reported elsewhere, including in a Fallujah retrospective in fall 2004 by The Times' Alissa J. Rubin and Doyle McManus, a fact West acknowledges in his footnotes.)
West writes that the Marines "had returned to Iraq in March [2004] to work alongside the Iraqi forces while respecting the Sunni population. The [White House] decision to seize Fallujah and then not to seize it had knocked that strategy off course. Well-intentioned compromise had emboldened the insurgents."
The surpassing value of "No True Glory" lies not in its political analysis but in its firsthand portrayals of Marines of great bravery and steadfastness — from better-known figures such as Lt. Gen. James Mattis, then-commander of the 1st Marine Division, and Col. John Toolan, then-commander of the 1st Marine Regiment, to common infantrymen like Gomez, Wagner and Cpl. Graham Golden.
A football player at the University of Arkansas, Golden quit college after Sept. 11 to enlist. His father was a Marine machine-gunner in Vietnam, his grandfather in Korea. And now Golden was a machine-gunner in Fallujah, refusing to take cover when his fellow Marines were pinned down and in need of help. "The [Humvee] driver Corporal Tom Conroy wasn't about to argue with the huge corporal, so he reversed and pulled up slope enough for Golden to bring his machine gun to bear. Over the next few hours, Golden put three thousand rounds downrange, a fair day's shooting."
West believes that the American media are giving an incomplete portrayal of the war in Iraq. In the name of journalistic objectivity, he charges, the media have largely downplayed the courage and dedication of Marines like Gomez, Golden and innumerable others: "There would be no true glory for our soldiers in Iraq until they were recognized not as victims, but as aggressive warriors. Stories of their bravery deserved to be recorded and read by the next generation."
While West ranges over the entire battlefield, Michael M. Phillips, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, focuses his attention on Marines patrolling a dangerous stretch along the Syrian border, far from the media spotlight. The result is "The Gift of Valor: A War Story," a minor masterpiece of precise and detailed reporting about the life and death of Cpl. Jason Dunham, who tried to save his buddies on April 14, 2004, by smothering an insurgent grenade with his helmet, only to be gravely injured. He died eight days later at the military hospital in Bethesda, Md., his parents at his bedside.
Dunham was the kind of ordinary/extraordinary young man found in Marine infantry units, a high school baseball star from upstate New York who enlisted to find discipline and a challenge, and because he lacked the money and, frankly, the desire to go to college.
"The Marine recruiter spotted Jason in the Wellsville [N.Y.] Kmart the summer before his senior year in high school," Phillips writes. "[W]hen the Marine recruiter told him the Corps bred the toughest of the tough, he didn't have to work very hard to get Jason to enlist."
In the Corps, Dunham showed natural leadership and a rare compassion for other Marines. "Gift of Valor" follows him through training at Twentynine Palms and then to Iraq, capturing the high-spirited, often profane, behavior of Dunham and his fellow grunts.
On Dunham's sad journey home as a medical emergency case, after just six weeks in Iraq, Phillips shows us the corpsmen, doctors and other medical personnel who tried desperately to save his life. The reporting is close-up and vivid.
At a field hospital near Baghdad, the case of the young Marine who hovered between life and death affected all those who tried to save him: "Heidi Kraft [a Navy psychologist pressed into caring for wounded Marines] couldn't shake the memory of the strong young Marine pulling on her hand, clinging to her as they parted. She looked back at her few hours with Cpl. Dunham as a spiritual awakening that explained why she was in Iraq at all."
In lesser hands, the story of Cpl. Dunham probably would have been used as a parable of either support or, more likely, opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq. But Phillips is too good a reporter to impose politics on the story — a story that has its own integrity and heroism separate from any wisdom or folly coming from Washington. The same could be said of greater and lesser stories of other Marines throughout Iraq.
In "McCoy's Marines: Darkside to Baghdad," San Francisco Chronicle reporter John Koopman takes a different tack from that of West or Phillips. He inserts himself into the story, and much of the book is his account of the problems, joys and fears of being an embedded reporter during the Baghdad assault in 2003.
Koopman, a former Marine, had either the good luck or foresight to attach himself to one of the Marine Corps' go-for-broke characters: then-Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, whose radio call sign was "Darkside." It was his battalion that fought in Al Kut and then toppled Hussein's statue in Baghdad; not for nothing is he known by other Marines as "Killer" McCoy.
Koopman is taken aback by the young Marines' coolness under fire: "Bullets are plinking off the [vehicle] armor and off the pavement. The Marines have a serene, internal calm. The violence, the threat of death all around them, seems to mean nothing. They just sit up there and shoot."
McCoy is charismatic and often profane. When he hears shooting, he speeds his Humvee directly toward it, to lead from the front. Like a lot of Marine Corps officers, McCoy has thought deeply about the role of military power in the modern world and its limitations.
"War is an extension of the political process," he told Koopman. "It's not up to Marines to question that."
The corollary, of course, is that the public, and the media, should not transfer its opposition or distaste for a particular mission to the troops.
In the final line of "No True Glory," West cribs an epigram from the Greek poet Pindar. Lt. Gen. Mattis used the same line when talking to reporters on the eve of the 2003 assault: "Unsung, the noblest deed will die."
With good reporters like West, Phillips and Koopman following the troops, the chances of that happening are diminished greatly. Times staff writer Tony Perry has done three tours in Iraq as an embedded reporter with the 1st Marine Division. Bing West understands that when the fighting starts, geopolitics are unimportant.
http://www.calendarlive.com/books/bookrevi...e-more-channels
Napa Marine shares pride, war stories
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
By PAT STANLEY
Register Staff Writer
Addressing members of his Napa church Tuesday, Marine 2nd Lt. Steve Keisling said their prayers helped bring him and the 33 Marines under his command home alive.
The 25-year-old decorated Marine earned several standing ovations followed by hugs from members of the Napa Valley Baptist Church, as he shared his experiences.
He spoke mostly of his fellow Marines. "Boot camp makes you a man, but combat brings you up to the next level," he said. "I have the deepest respect for these guys."
He held the highest praise for a Navy medical corpsman assigned to his platoon. He said the 18-year-old was "a small-town kid from Kansas" who grew up in Iraq. "He was a boy when he went with us. One incident and he turned into a man," Keisling said.
The medic was among nine men seriously wounded when a roadside bomb exploded beneath their vehicle outside of Karmah, near Fallujah.
"When we got hit he was in the truck. He was wounded. He had a lot of internal injuries, but he didn't care. He was still crawling from Marine to Marine, giving them morphine, making sure everybody was taken care of," the lieutenant recalled.
In fact, some of the wounded Marines ran to their posts and the extent of their injuries was not known until the next day.
"They were all priority (wounds) -- the worst kind," Keisling said.
Another Marine was blinded by the blast. He regained his vision five days later.
No Americans died in the attack.
The platoon leader escaped unhurt as he was in his usual position, at the point, leading his men, and just outside the reach of flying shrapnel.
Iraqi terrorists videotaped the incident, and put the tape on a Web site used for recruitment, he said.
The segment, showing the blast and the vehicle immediately enveloped in flames, was shared at the church luncheon, along with videos shot by the young lieutenant and edited by his father, former Marine Mike Keisling, a teacher at Armijo High School in Vallejo. His mother, Gail, who teaches at West Park Elementary School, and his sister, Jennifer, who attends Napa High, also attended the program.
The lieutenant is a graduate of Napa High School, Napa Valley College, and Sacramento State University, where he earned a degree in criminal justice in 2002.
He joined the Marine Corps in 2004. "I come from a family of Marines," he said proudly.
A typical day in Iraq
A typical day in a combat zone, he said, starts with the sound of mortar shelling well before sunup and ends after the troops go out on raids, often at 2 or 3 a.m. the next day. On those raids, the Marines flush terrorists from hiding, often in the homes of relatives.
"Sometimes it takes four raids, but eventually we find them," he said.
The Marines are usually in combat for nine days, followed by three days of rest and recreation in Camp Fallujah.
Keisling said when he first arrived, many vehicles, including the familiar Humvees, were not protected by sufficient armor, but that has changed. "That's saved our lives in a lot of cases," he said.
Unfortunately, he said, as American troops get vehicles that can withstand many bomb blasts, the enemy is importing bigger bombs.
The troops are up to the job, he said. "Marines are can-do kinds of guys."
Asked about enemy tunnels, he said his men had uncovered many. One was the size of six football fields. A large cache of weapons was recovered. It was just 300 meters from his camp.
A member of his congregation asked how the Marines felt about President Bush. "We love the president," he responded. "He's taking care of us."
Whenever the troops are engaged in a firefight, he said, Navy JAG lawyers investigate, often ordering the incident to be recreated, all to avoid any post-war charges of wrong-doing. "Every bullet has an essay written about it," he said.
Although none of his own men have been killed, he's seen plenty of death in Iraq.
One time, he said, he was in the lead vehicle with his platoon. One of the vehicles behind his, a large open transport, was hit by a bomb. The truck cartwheeled, ejecting Marines to the ground, fatally pinning one beneath it.
The convoy was outside of radio range to call for help, but they managed to get the wounded back to a hospital without further incident.
Americans, he said, are appreciated by the Iraqi residents, but locals are anxious to see the GIs replaced by their own soldiers. More and more Iraqi troops are being trained, he said.
"(The Iraqi people) are very understanding. But they are happy to see Iraqi forces getting out there with us," he said.
He also recalled an incident involving the Navy medic, who was later wounded. He said the teenage Marine rescued a 3-year-old girl who was caught in a crossfire.
Many of the enemy combatants embed themselves among the local population. "You don't know who's the good guy or who's the bad guy," he said.
In a letter to his parents, published recently in the Register, Keisling wrote: "The privilege to lead Marines is the greatest honor that I have every received. Not many people get the chance to do what they truly love, but God decided to give me that."
The letter, copies of which were placed at each table at the church, continued: "I can't see why (God) would take me this far only to fall. However, at this point, whatever happens to me is irrelevant. It is not about me anymore. It is about my Marines. My prayer is that I take every Marine in my platoon home safely."
Keisling leaves Napa on Saturday for additional training at Twentynine Palms in Southern California and at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He will return to Iraq for a second seven-month tour of duty in February.
http://www.napanews.com/templates/printurl...E8-F7904FB3ABD6
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
By PAT STANLEY
Register Staff Writer
Addressing members of his Napa church Tuesday, Marine 2nd Lt. Steve Keisling said their prayers helped bring him and the 33 Marines under his command home alive.
The 25-year-old decorated Marine earned several standing ovations followed by hugs from members of the Napa Valley Baptist Church, as he shared his experiences.
He spoke mostly of his fellow Marines. "Boot camp makes you a man, but combat brings you up to the next level," he said. "I have the deepest respect for these guys."
He held the highest praise for a Navy medical corpsman assigned to his platoon. He said the 18-year-old was "a small-town kid from Kansas" who grew up in Iraq. "He was a boy when he went with us. One incident and he turned into a man," Keisling said.
The medic was among nine men seriously wounded when a roadside bomb exploded beneath their vehicle outside of Karmah, near Fallujah.
"When we got hit he was in the truck. He was wounded. He had a lot of internal injuries, but he didn't care. He was still crawling from Marine to Marine, giving them morphine, making sure everybody was taken care of," the lieutenant recalled.
In fact, some of the wounded Marines ran to their posts and the extent of their injuries was not known until the next day.
"They were all priority (wounds) -- the worst kind," Keisling said.
Another Marine was blinded by the blast. He regained his vision five days later.
No Americans died in the attack.
The platoon leader escaped unhurt as he was in his usual position, at the point, leading his men, and just outside the reach of flying shrapnel.
Iraqi terrorists videotaped the incident, and put the tape on a Web site used for recruitment, he said.
The segment, showing the blast and the vehicle immediately enveloped in flames, was shared at the church luncheon, along with videos shot by the young lieutenant and edited by his father, former Marine Mike Keisling, a teacher at Armijo High School in Vallejo. His mother, Gail, who teaches at West Park Elementary School, and his sister, Jennifer, who attends Napa High, also attended the program.
The lieutenant is a graduate of Napa High School, Napa Valley College, and Sacramento State University, where he earned a degree in criminal justice in 2002.
He joined the Marine Corps in 2004. "I come from a family of Marines," he said proudly.
A typical day in Iraq
A typical day in a combat zone, he said, starts with the sound of mortar shelling well before sunup and ends after the troops go out on raids, often at 2 or 3 a.m. the next day. On those raids, the Marines flush terrorists from hiding, often in the homes of relatives.
"Sometimes it takes four raids, but eventually we find them," he said.
The Marines are usually in combat for nine days, followed by three days of rest and recreation in Camp Fallujah.
Keisling said when he first arrived, many vehicles, including the familiar Humvees, were not protected by sufficient armor, but that has changed. "That's saved our lives in a lot of cases," he said.
Unfortunately, he said, as American troops get vehicles that can withstand many bomb blasts, the enemy is importing bigger bombs.
The troops are up to the job, he said. "Marines are can-do kinds of guys."
Asked about enemy tunnels, he said his men had uncovered many. One was the size of six football fields. A large cache of weapons was recovered. It was just 300 meters from his camp.
A member of his congregation asked how the Marines felt about President Bush. "We love the president," he responded. "He's taking care of us."
Whenever the troops are engaged in a firefight, he said, Navy JAG lawyers investigate, often ordering the incident to be recreated, all to avoid any post-war charges of wrong-doing. "Every bullet has an essay written about it," he said.
Although none of his own men have been killed, he's seen plenty of death in Iraq.
One time, he said, he was in the lead vehicle with his platoon. One of the vehicles behind his, a large open transport, was hit by a bomb. The truck cartwheeled, ejecting Marines to the ground, fatally pinning one beneath it.
The convoy was outside of radio range to call for help, but they managed to get the wounded back to a hospital without further incident.
Americans, he said, are appreciated by the Iraqi residents, but locals are anxious to see the GIs replaced by their own soldiers. More and more Iraqi troops are being trained, he said.
"(The Iraqi people) are very understanding. But they are happy to see Iraqi forces getting out there with us," he said.
He also recalled an incident involving the Navy medic, who was later wounded. He said the teenage Marine rescued a 3-year-old girl who was caught in a crossfire.
Many of the enemy combatants embed themselves among the local population. "You don't know who's the good guy or who's the bad guy," he said.
In a letter to his parents, published recently in the Register, Keisling wrote: "The privilege to lead Marines is the greatest honor that I have every received. Not many people get the chance to do what they truly love, but God decided to give me that."
The letter, copies of which were placed at each table at the church, continued: "I can't see why (God) would take me this far only to fall. However, at this point, whatever happens to me is irrelevant. It is not about me anymore. It is about my Marines. My prayer is that I take every Marine in my platoon home safely."
Keisling leaves Napa on Saturday for additional training at Twentynine Palms in Southern California and at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He will return to Iraq for a second seven-month tour of duty in February.
http://www.napanews.com/templates/printurl...E8-F7904FB3ABD6
'Soldier's load' in Iraq
By Austin Bay
September 16, 2005
Take 40 pounds of Kevlar body armor, armor inserts, helmet and support equipment, then add weapon and ammunition. Heat to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, using the Mesopotamian sun as an oven. Now hike down the Baghdad boulevard and remain alert for snipers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
In terms of weight and summer weather, that's a typical "soldier load" for a daytime mission in Iraq. Body armor saves lives, but in war there are always tradeoffs. Ask any troop: Humping armor and extra ammo while doing hard work in high heat takes a physical toll.
So soldiers prepare for it with tough physical conditioning and training. Smart training includes "keeping a weather eye" for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Leaders also emphasize constant hydration -- drink water, constantly.
Experience always exacts a price. A cramp caused by water-loss and failure to "drink constantly" is a painful, though comparatively easy, individual lesson.
It is never easy when the price of experience is lives lost. German strategist Carl von Clausewitz called war the realm of "friction." "Everything is very simple in war," Clausewitz wrote, "but the simplest thing is difficult. These difficulties accumulate and produce a friction, which no man can imagine exactly who has not seen war." Friction is the unexpected. It is also Murphy's Law -- if it can go wrong, it will.
Combating enemy IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan are a case study in confronting the unexpected and overcoming mistakes. IEDs are cheap to make and relatively effective. The enemy can produce many of them, and when they blow they usually kill. When I asked about countering IEDs, one senior CENTCOM officer told me: "We are constantly looking for technologies and tactics that can give us the edge. ... We don't talk a lot about the efforts of people looking at IEDs or other threats, but they are doing a tremendous amount of work to help the war effort."
The military is reluctant to discuss counter-IED measures because the enemy also experiments, makes mistakes and learns. Maj. Gen. Doug Lute, CENTCOM operations director, sees constant change on the battlefield. "This enemy thinks, learns, adapts. We use a constant action, reaction, counter-reaction cycle, as both sides adapt in a tough, sophisticated battlefield." Terrorists also scan the press for details -- which is one reason Lute and his staff avoid specifics.
Marine aviators will acknowledge they use electronic warfare capabilities to "sweep" highways in Iraq for electronically detonated IEDS -- but don't go beyond that.
The Navy learned one of its aircraft infrared targeting systems can detect the flash of a sniper rifle on the ground. Soldiers and Marines praise this "sniper pod." If the pilots can't take out the sniper themselves, they quickly relay the enemy's position to air controllers, who feed the information to the troops under fire. I suspect the military will discuss this system because discussion sends a deterrent message to every enemy sniper: shoot, and we can detect you.
"The armor race" is no secret. Surprised by the enemy's adept use of IEDs, the U.S. "up-armored" trucks and Humvees. Now, terrorists use IEDs with more punch. Larger IEDs, however, are often easier to detect. That's a tradeoff for the bad guys.
The Pentagon is upgrading body armor. The new armor is slightly heavier, which means more weight on the soldier and thus trades a degree of mobility for added protection.
After-action reports and just plain gripes from the battlefield push research-and-development -- like a grenade with a camera. Don't laugh yet. The High-Altitude Unit Navigated Tactical Imaging Round (HUNTIR) is undergoing Army evaluation tests. The idea is ingenious, though the engineering tricky.
Using a standard grenade launcher, a soldier fires the HUNTIR grenade over suspicious terrain. The grenade pops and ejects a camera with a parachute. According to StrategyPage.com, the descending camera sends live imagery to a TV controlled by the soldier's unit. In a war of alleys, streets, mountain valleys and dark corners, the gadget gives every platoon its own aerial surveillance capability.
It is, obviously, a tool for spotting snipers and IEDs.
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/2005...90300-5987r.htm
By Austin Bay
September 16, 2005
Take 40 pounds of Kevlar body armor, armor inserts, helmet and support equipment, then add weapon and ammunition. Heat to 125 degrees Fahrenheit, using the Mesopotamian sun as an oven. Now hike down the Baghdad boulevard and remain alert for snipers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
In terms of weight and summer weather, that's a typical "soldier load" for a daytime mission in Iraq. Body armor saves lives, but in war there are always tradeoffs. Ask any troop: Humping armor and extra ammo while doing hard work in high heat takes a physical toll.
So soldiers prepare for it with tough physical conditioning and training. Smart training includes "keeping a weather eye" for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Leaders also emphasize constant hydration -- drink water, constantly.
Experience always exacts a price. A cramp caused by water-loss and failure to "drink constantly" is a painful, though comparatively easy, individual lesson.
It is never easy when the price of experience is lives lost. German strategist Carl von Clausewitz called war the realm of "friction." "Everything is very simple in war," Clausewitz wrote, "but the simplest thing is difficult. These difficulties accumulate and produce a friction, which no man can imagine exactly who has not seen war." Friction is the unexpected. It is also Murphy's Law -- if it can go wrong, it will.
Combating enemy IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan are a case study in confronting the unexpected and overcoming mistakes. IEDs are cheap to make and relatively effective. The enemy can produce many of them, and when they blow they usually kill. When I asked about countering IEDs, one senior CENTCOM officer told me: "We are constantly looking for technologies and tactics that can give us the edge. ... We don't talk a lot about the efforts of people looking at IEDs or other threats, but they are doing a tremendous amount of work to help the war effort."
The military is reluctant to discuss counter-IED measures because the enemy also experiments, makes mistakes and learns. Maj. Gen. Doug Lute, CENTCOM operations director, sees constant change on the battlefield. "This enemy thinks, learns, adapts. We use a constant action, reaction, counter-reaction cycle, as both sides adapt in a tough, sophisticated battlefield." Terrorists also scan the press for details -- which is one reason Lute and his staff avoid specifics.
Marine aviators will acknowledge they use electronic warfare capabilities to "sweep" highways in Iraq for electronically detonated IEDS -- but don't go beyond that.
The Navy learned one of its aircraft infrared targeting systems can detect the flash of a sniper rifle on the ground. Soldiers and Marines praise this "sniper pod." If the pilots can't take out the sniper themselves, they quickly relay the enemy's position to air controllers, who feed the information to the troops under fire. I suspect the military will discuss this system because discussion sends a deterrent message to every enemy sniper: shoot, and we can detect you.
"The armor race" is no secret. Surprised by the enemy's adept use of IEDs, the U.S. "up-armored" trucks and Humvees. Now, terrorists use IEDs with more punch. Larger IEDs, however, are often easier to detect. That's a tradeoff for the bad guys.
The Pentagon is upgrading body armor. The new armor is slightly heavier, which means more weight on the soldier and thus trades a degree of mobility for added protection.
After-action reports and just plain gripes from the battlefield push research-and-development -- like a grenade with a camera. Don't laugh yet. The High-Altitude Unit Navigated Tactical Imaging Round (HUNTIR) is undergoing Army evaluation tests. The idea is ingenious, though the engineering tricky.
Using a standard grenade launcher, a soldier fires the HUNTIR grenade over suspicious terrain. The grenade pops and ejects a camera with a parachute. According to StrategyPage.com, the descending camera sends live imagery to a TV controlled by the soldier's unit. In a war of alleys, streets, mountain valleys and dark corners, the gadget gives every platoon its own aerial surveillance capability.
It is, obviously, a tool for spotting snipers and IEDs.
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/2005...90300-5987r.htm
Families on the front lines
By Linda Ober / The Citizen
Saturday, September 17, 2005 10:53 PM EDT
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Cato residents Mandy and Gordy Simons are parents of John Simons, who served with the Marines in Iraq during the initial invasion. The couple relentlessly watched television news while their son was overseas. John is now back from his tour of duty and is working at Plainville Farms.
Mandy Simons never used to watch the television news much.
It seemed to Simons and her husband, Gordon, that there wasn't much encouraging on, so there was little point in watching it.
But when their son, John, was shipped off to Iraq two years ago, MSNBC became a fixture in their household. Simons turned up the volume so she could hear the television in every room and scanned the images for a glimpse of her son. She was searching for anything to let her know John was safe and alive.
Once, Simons swore she saw her son, then 22, flash across her screen. The television dispatch was reporting from the region where her son was stationed and it made sense to her that it was John.
She called the television station that broadcast the report and spent $60 to have the clip sent to her so she would at least have some physical proof that her son was OK. You can't exactly see John's face on the tape, but it was enough to get Simons through the hard times.
Simons and her husband, a Vietnam veteran, are among the countless parents in central New York who have watched their sons and daughters deployed to Iraq since the war began more than two years ago.
For parents who protected their children and nurtured them and watched them grow up to be responsible adults, the feeling of helplessness is often overwhelming. There is nothing to do but wait and watch and maintain contact through care packages, e-mail and the occasional phone call.
In recent weeks, with the swell of emotion growing around Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed while serving in Iraq, parents of soldiers have been forced to face and defend their own stances on the war. Not all of them agree, but they all have one thing in common: love for their children and pride in their service.
More than a whim
John Simons knew he wanted to be a Marine. His mother, Mandy, wasn't as enthusiastic about the idea.
But once John heard about Marine life from a cousin who was in the service, nothing could dissuade him from that path. Becoming a Marine was all he talked about.
Before he even graduated from high school, John had enlisted through the delayed entry program. Simons told her son that she didn't want him to go, that she was afraid for him. But he had his mind set.
A week after graduating from Cato-Meridian High School, John packed his stuff and headed to Camp Lejeune, the storied Marine base in North Carolina. There, John learned how to operate and repair weapons for the Marines and took a job as an armorer.
Over Christmas in 2002, Simons asked her son if he thought he was going to get holiday leave for next Christmas. The conversation took a solemn turn when he responded.
"He said 'Mom, I probably won't be around for next Christmas.' From then on, it made me nervous," Simons said.
Shortly after New Year's 2003, John was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Marine Division. In those early days, Simons was often out of contact with her son.
During his tour in Iraq, John e-mailed his wife Cindy often and called his parents when he could. Simons and her husband figured as long as John wrote to somebody, that was enough for them.
"I just kind of developed the feeling that no news is good news," Simons said. "As long as no one was knocking on our door, we were fine."
For the eight months that John served in Iraq, Simons, a bus driver for the Weedsport School District, was on edge. She scoured news reports for word of her son's unit and waited for some confirmation that he was all right.
John told his mother not to worry, that he wouldn't be on the front line because he was just testing and repairing weapons. But she knew he was lying to allay her fears.
"I was very scared and nervous. It was kind of like you just wanted to stick your head in the sand and hope and pray," she said.
Despite all of the anxiety and fretting that followed Simons for those eight months, she truly believes in the necessity of her son's duty, even now after he's been out of the Marines for a little more than a year. She supports the president and the mission and believes the United States' presence in Iraq is necessary.
"You don't want your kids to go over, but somebody's got to go over there," Simons said. "I don't like war, but the president didn't take us in on a whim."
John has resumed his regular civilian life, living in Meridian with his wife and working as a turkey grower at Plainville Farms. Simons said it took a while for her son's nightmares to subside, and there are still things he doesn't want to talk about.
Though her son is safely back home, Simons knows that there are many soldiers, sons and daughters of her friends and acquaintances, who are not yet out of harm's way. For them, she continues to watch the television reports, knowing she is lucky to have her son home.
"The war's still going on," she said, "and I still worry about the families I know."
Winners and losers
Jim Meyer is not known for being a slouch at work.
But during the 11 months that his daughter, Rebecca, a captain in the Washington state National Guard, served in Iraq, it was not uncommon for Meyer to leave his shop in the middle of the day.
He would turn off all the lights, flip the "Open" sign to "Closed" and make his way home where he could deal with his anxiety and fear privately. His shuttered shop became a symbol of Meyer's inner tumult and his backlog of work now a constant reminder of those dark days.
Twenty-eight year-old Becky served as an enlisted soldier in the first Gulf War and has been in the reserves ever since, first in New York, then in Washington state. In the years since her first tour, Becky received a college education and became an officer with the guard. The military has been good to her, but Meyer would give anything for his daughter to be through with it.
Meyer, a Vietnam veteran, is outspoken in his disapproval of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq. He can hardly speak of his daughter's service without condemning the war and its initiators. But still, during Becky's time in Iraq, Meyer and his wife Bonnie, experienced the same emotions as every other military parent.
During wars of the past, families rarely, if at all spoke with their loved ones serving abroad. Many would wait for the odd letter and pray that all was well. No news was good news.
Now, in the era of instant communication, it's possible to get an updated account of war-time events. Families don't need to wait months, even years before hearing from their loved ones. They can communicate every day.
But this instant communication has at times been more of a bane than a boon for Meyer. He would hear television reports of seven soldiers killed in Balad or nine soldiers killed in Fallujah and know that Becky's unit was stationed in those cities. He would have to wait for her to call or e-mail, and the waiting was what paralyzed him the most. It was on those days that patrons of Meyer's Bookbinding would often find the shop closed.
"During that time, my wife would look right at me and know something was wrong," Meyer said. "I would turn on my computer and wait for a message."
When Becky's unit sustained casualties - nine total - all e-mail and phone access would be suspended until the soldier's next of kin was notified. That left Meyer and his wife under constant stress until they were able to get in touch with Becky. In those blackout hours and even days, Meyer began to wonder about the green car pulling up in the driveway, the prophetic symbol of a combat death.
"We both had visions of the car pulling up in the driveway. You won't get a call. An officer will just come to your door," Meyer said. "My wife said she wouldn't answer the door if that car came to our house."
Meyer and his wife turned to a support group sponsored by Becky's unit when they struggled with their emotions. And to keep themselves busy, they sent Becky care packages full of essentials, such as coffee, that Meyer said the soldiers were craving.
When Becky finally returned home in May, Meyer felt a great burden had been lifted. He could go back to work and be productive. While he counts himself lucky that his daughter returned unscathed, he still fumes for the other parents whose children are in harm's way.
"In war, there are winners and losers. But one thing's for certain - the military families are always the losers," he said. "This war will stop when American families have had enough."
Moving on
When Sheila Donovan's 2-year-old granddaughter, Emma, asked where her father was, Donovan told the girl that her daddy was at work.
That wasn't a lie - Matt Stark was, until just last week, serving in Iraq with the Troop E 101st Cavalry of the New York Army National Guard. But it is not the entire truth.
Emma is too young to understand the ideas of war and peace and obviously has no concept of Iraq. So until she does, she will just have to believe that her father was at work for the nearly nine months that she didn't see him.
Donovan soothed the diapered toddler with ash-white hair when she became cranky and wanted her father. It was just one of Donovan's many tasks while her son was away.
Stark, 29, who recently received the rank of staff sergeant, was a professional soldier for six years, serving at Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Drum in Watertown. He is now a sheriff's deputy with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, but he remained a reservist after his discharge.
Donovan has had years to get used to the role of a military parent, but Iraq tested even her steady resolve.
Before Stark shipped out a year ago, Donovan joked with her son that she could break his thumbs and then he wouldn't have to go. Though she meant it in jest, her offer spoke to her deepest fears and concerns. But as a mother she knew she has to "support his decision."
"He's got a job to do, and he wouldn't try to get out of it," she said.
During Stark's deployment, his son A.J. was born on Christmas Day. Since her son wasn't around, Donovan, of Auburn, helped her daughter-in-law, Sara, pick up the slack. When she wasn't pulling 12-hour nursing shifts at Auburn Memorial Hospital, she was giving Sara, who lives in Weedsport, a much-needed respite.
Donovan isn't one to wallow and when Stark shipped off to Iraq, there was nothing she could do but get on with her regular life. She had to be strong for Sara and for her grandchildren.
"I didn't dwell on it," Donovan said about her son's deployment. "But I would actively avoid the news."
For Donovan, watching the news just reminded her that her son was thousands of miles from home. So she chose to get her news straight from her son, which of course was sanitized for her protection.
"He told us the good news, which was nice because it's stuff people didn't hear about. It tells you why we're there," she said.
While Donovan looked forward to hearing her son's voice, it was also one of the hardest parts of his absence. She could hear the exhaustion in her son's voice from working 12-hour days at a thankless, dangerous job, and she knew she couldn't do anything to help him.
But she had faith in his years of training and she was "secure in his skills." That faith didn't make all the bad days go away - Donovan, who is soft-spoken and somewhat reserved, admits of having one or two difficult days during Stark's many months away, but she willed herself past her emotions.
"I just had to get past it. You have to realize you can't do anything about it," Donovan said.
Donovan isn't interested in the politics of her son's service as much as the fact that he's home. But she's proud of his work in Iraq and believes in the war effort. Though she didn't like to see her son go, she felt in her heart it had to be done.
"If we're not fighting it there," she said, "we're fighting it here."
http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2005/09/...news/news01.txt
By Linda Ober / The Citizen
Saturday, September 17, 2005 10:53 PM EDT
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Cato residents Mandy and Gordy Simons are parents of John Simons, who served with the Marines in Iraq during the initial invasion. The couple relentlessly watched television news while their son was overseas. John is now back from his tour of duty and is working at Plainville Farms.
Mandy Simons never used to watch the television news much.
It seemed to Simons and her husband, Gordon, that there wasn't much encouraging on, so there was little point in watching it.
But when their son, John, was shipped off to Iraq two years ago, MSNBC became a fixture in their household. Simons turned up the volume so she could hear the television in every room and scanned the images for a glimpse of her son. She was searching for anything to let her know John was safe and alive.
Once, Simons swore she saw her son, then 22, flash across her screen. The television dispatch was reporting from the region where her son was stationed and it made sense to her that it was John.
She called the television station that broadcast the report and spent $60 to have the clip sent to her so she would at least have some physical proof that her son was OK. You can't exactly see John's face on the tape, but it was enough to get Simons through the hard times.
Simons and her husband, a Vietnam veteran, are among the countless parents in central New York who have watched their sons and daughters deployed to Iraq since the war began more than two years ago.
For parents who protected their children and nurtured them and watched them grow up to be responsible adults, the feeling of helplessness is often overwhelming. There is nothing to do but wait and watch and maintain contact through care packages, e-mail and the occasional phone call.
In recent weeks, with the swell of emotion growing around Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed while serving in Iraq, parents of soldiers have been forced to face and defend their own stances on the war. Not all of them agree, but they all have one thing in common: love for their children and pride in their service.
More than a whim
John Simons knew he wanted to be a Marine. His mother, Mandy, wasn't as enthusiastic about the idea.
But once John heard about Marine life from a cousin who was in the service, nothing could dissuade him from that path. Becoming a Marine was all he talked about.
Before he even graduated from high school, John had enlisted through the delayed entry program. Simons told her son that she didn't want him to go, that she was afraid for him. But he had his mind set.
A week after graduating from Cato-Meridian High School, John packed his stuff and headed to Camp Lejeune, the storied Marine base in North Carolina. There, John learned how to operate and repair weapons for the Marines and took a job as an armorer.
Over Christmas in 2002, Simons asked her son if he thought he was going to get holiday leave for next Christmas. The conversation took a solemn turn when he responded.
"He said 'Mom, I probably won't be around for next Christmas.' From then on, it made me nervous," Simons said.
Shortly after New Year's 2003, John was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Marine Division. In those early days, Simons was often out of contact with her son.
During his tour in Iraq, John e-mailed his wife Cindy often and called his parents when he could. Simons and her husband figured as long as John wrote to somebody, that was enough for them.
"I just kind of developed the feeling that no news is good news," Simons said. "As long as no one was knocking on our door, we were fine."
For the eight months that John served in Iraq, Simons, a bus driver for the Weedsport School District, was on edge. She scoured news reports for word of her son's unit and waited for some confirmation that he was all right.
John told his mother not to worry, that he wouldn't be on the front line because he was just testing and repairing weapons. But she knew he was lying to allay her fears.
"I was very scared and nervous. It was kind of like you just wanted to stick your head in the sand and hope and pray," she said.
Despite all of the anxiety and fretting that followed Simons for those eight months, she truly believes in the necessity of her son's duty, even now after he's been out of the Marines for a little more than a year. She supports the president and the mission and believes the United States' presence in Iraq is necessary.
"You don't want your kids to go over, but somebody's got to go over there," Simons said. "I don't like war, but the president didn't take us in on a whim."
John has resumed his regular civilian life, living in Meridian with his wife and working as a turkey grower at Plainville Farms. Simons said it took a while for her son's nightmares to subside, and there are still things he doesn't want to talk about.
Though her son is safely back home, Simons knows that there are many soldiers, sons and daughters of her friends and acquaintances, who are not yet out of harm's way. For them, she continues to watch the television reports, knowing she is lucky to have her son home.
"The war's still going on," she said, "and I still worry about the families I know."
Winners and losers
Jim Meyer is not known for being a slouch at work.
But during the 11 months that his daughter, Rebecca, a captain in the Washington state National Guard, served in Iraq, it was not uncommon for Meyer to leave his shop in the middle of the day.
He would turn off all the lights, flip the "Open" sign to "Closed" and make his way home where he could deal with his anxiety and fear privately. His shuttered shop became a symbol of Meyer's inner tumult and his backlog of work now a constant reminder of those dark days.
Twenty-eight year-old Becky served as an enlisted soldier in the first Gulf War and has been in the reserves ever since, first in New York, then in Washington state. In the years since her first tour, Becky received a college education and became an officer with the guard. The military has been good to her, but Meyer would give anything for his daughter to be through with it.
Meyer, a Vietnam veteran, is outspoken in his disapproval of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq. He can hardly speak of his daughter's service without condemning the war and its initiators. But still, during Becky's time in Iraq, Meyer and his wife Bonnie, experienced the same emotions as every other military parent.
During wars of the past, families rarely, if at all spoke with their loved ones serving abroad. Many would wait for the odd letter and pray that all was well. No news was good news.
Now, in the era of instant communication, it's possible to get an updated account of war-time events. Families don't need to wait months, even years before hearing from their loved ones. They can communicate every day.
But this instant communication has at times been more of a bane than a boon for Meyer. He would hear television reports of seven soldiers killed in Balad or nine soldiers killed in Fallujah and know that Becky's unit was stationed in those cities. He would have to wait for her to call or e-mail, and the waiting was what paralyzed him the most. It was on those days that patrons of Meyer's Bookbinding would often find the shop closed.
"During that time, my wife would look right at me and know something was wrong," Meyer said. "I would turn on my computer and wait for a message."
When Becky's unit sustained casualties - nine total - all e-mail and phone access would be suspended until the soldier's next of kin was notified. That left Meyer and his wife under constant stress until they were able to get in touch with Becky. In those blackout hours and even days, Meyer began to wonder about the green car pulling up in the driveway, the prophetic symbol of a combat death.
"We both had visions of the car pulling up in the driveway. You won't get a call. An officer will just come to your door," Meyer said. "My wife said she wouldn't answer the door if that car came to our house."
Meyer and his wife turned to a support group sponsored by Becky's unit when they struggled with their emotions. And to keep themselves busy, they sent Becky care packages full of essentials, such as coffee, that Meyer said the soldiers were craving.
When Becky finally returned home in May, Meyer felt a great burden had been lifted. He could go back to work and be productive. While he counts himself lucky that his daughter returned unscathed, he still fumes for the other parents whose children are in harm's way.
"In war, there are winners and losers. But one thing's for certain - the military families are always the losers," he said. "This war will stop when American families have had enough."
Moving on
When Sheila Donovan's 2-year-old granddaughter, Emma, asked where her father was, Donovan told the girl that her daddy was at work.
That wasn't a lie - Matt Stark was, until just last week, serving in Iraq with the Troop E 101st Cavalry of the New York Army National Guard. But it is not the entire truth.
Emma is too young to understand the ideas of war and peace and obviously has no concept of Iraq. So until she does, she will just have to believe that her father was at work for the nearly nine months that she didn't see him.
Donovan soothed the diapered toddler with ash-white hair when she became cranky and wanted her father. It was just one of Donovan's many tasks while her son was away.
Stark, 29, who recently received the rank of staff sergeant, was a professional soldier for six years, serving at Fort Riley, Kan., and Fort Drum in Watertown. He is now a sheriff's deputy with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, but he remained a reservist after his discharge.
Donovan has had years to get used to the role of a military parent, but Iraq tested even her steady resolve.
Before Stark shipped out a year ago, Donovan joked with her son that she could break his thumbs and then he wouldn't have to go. Though she meant it in jest, her offer spoke to her deepest fears and concerns. But as a mother she knew she has to "support his decision."
"He's got a job to do, and he wouldn't try to get out of it," she said.
During Stark's deployment, his son A.J. was born on Christmas Day. Since her son wasn't around, Donovan, of Auburn, helped her daughter-in-law, Sara, pick up the slack. When she wasn't pulling 12-hour nursing shifts at Auburn Memorial Hospital, she was giving Sara, who lives in Weedsport, a much-needed respite.
Donovan isn't one to wallow and when Stark shipped off to Iraq, there was nothing she could do but get on with her regular life. She had to be strong for Sara and for her grandchildren.
"I didn't dwell on it," Donovan said about her son's deployment. "But I would actively avoid the news."
For Donovan, watching the news just reminded her that her son was thousands of miles from home. So she chose to get her news straight from her son, which of course was sanitized for her protection.
"He told us the good news, which was nice because it's stuff people didn't hear about. It tells you why we're there," she said.
While Donovan looked forward to hearing her son's voice, it was also one of the hardest parts of his absence. She could hear the exhaustion in her son's voice from working 12-hour days at a thankless, dangerous job, and she knew she couldn't do anything to help him.
But she had faith in his years of training and she was "secure in his skills." That faith didn't make all the bad days go away - Donovan, who is soft-spoken and somewhat reserved, admits of having one or two difficult days during Stark's many months away, but she willed herself past her emotions.
"I just had to get past it. You have to realize you can't do anything about it," Donovan said.
Donovan isn't interested in the politics of her son's service as much as the fact that he's home. But she's proud of his work in Iraq and believes in the war effort. Though she didn't like to see her son go, she felt in her heart it had to be done.
"If we're not fighting it there," she said, "we're fighting it here."
http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2005/09/...news/news01.txt
Remembering the lost,
honoring their lives
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059279122
Story by Cpl. Athanasios L. Genos
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2005) -- The memorial ceremony started with everyone taking their seats as music played and pictures of the fallen Marines were displayed.
Family members, fellow Marines and friends all gathered together to honro the heroes from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division in a ceremony here Sept. 22.
“Not one of these men would have wanted to be called a hero,” explained Lt. Col. Stephen Neary, battalion commander. “Many of them after being injured wanted to continue the mission and ensure the mission was accomplished.”
Eight Marines were honored during the ceremony for the ultimate sacrifice they and their families made for their country. Scriptures were read and friends spoke to the families on behalf of each Marine.
“It takes family, friends, good times and bad times to shape such outstanding men,” stated the battalion chaplain, Navy Lt. Robert E. Bradshaw.
Families of the lost had a chance to hear about their sons, brothers and fathers as Neary, Bradshaw and a few Marines came forward to speak about their brothers-in-arms. Hearing the Marines speak brought tears to many family members and fellow Marines in attendance.
“Few people truly live life,” Bradshaw said. “Our fallen brothers, each of them lived with a purpose and lived for others…they did not simply exist, they lived.”
Each of the Marines who gave his life was more concerned about how his fellow Marines were doing and was very adamant about being back in the fight with them.
“Once they realized they were going to be evacuated, another concern would arrive; they were more concerned about leaving their brothers behind on the battlefield and [that] they couldn’t stay with them,” Neary explained.
Many of the men who died joined after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. They were among the men and women who decided to join and do their part for the country.
“They answered the national call by our President when he said ‘Americans do not have the distance of history, our responsibility to history is already clear’ these men understood this calling and sense of responsibility and joined the Marine Corps,” Neary stated. “These Marines will live on as long as there is a 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.”
The Marines honored in the ceremony were Pfc. Stephen P. Baldwyn, Gunnery Sgt. Terry W. Ball, Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger, Cpl. John T. Olson, Lance Cpl. Michael V. Postal, Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski, and Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt.
“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world, but the Marines don’t have that problem,” Ronald Regan, former President of the United States of America.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....5A?opendocument
honoring their lives
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059279122
Story by Cpl. Athanasios L. Genos
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2005) -- The memorial ceremony started with everyone taking their seats as music played and pictures of the fallen Marines were displayed.
Family members, fellow Marines and friends all gathered together to honro the heroes from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division in a ceremony here Sept. 22.
“Not one of these men would have wanted to be called a hero,” explained Lt. Col. Stephen Neary, battalion commander. “Many of them after being injured wanted to continue the mission and ensure the mission was accomplished.”
Eight Marines were honored during the ceremony for the ultimate sacrifice they and their families made for their country. Scriptures were read and friends spoke to the families on behalf of each Marine.
“It takes family, friends, good times and bad times to shape such outstanding men,” stated the battalion chaplain, Navy Lt. Robert E. Bradshaw.
Families of the lost had a chance to hear about their sons, brothers and fathers as Neary, Bradshaw and a few Marines came forward to speak about their brothers-in-arms. Hearing the Marines speak brought tears to many family members and fellow Marines in attendance.
“Few people truly live life,” Bradshaw said. “Our fallen brothers, each of them lived with a purpose and lived for others…they did not simply exist, they lived.”
Each of the Marines who gave his life was more concerned about how his fellow Marines were doing and was very adamant about being back in the fight with them.
“Once they realized they were going to be evacuated, another concern would arrive; they were more concerned about leaving their brothers behind on the battlefield and [that] they couldn’t stay with them,” Neary explained.
Many of the men who died joined after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. They were among the men and women who decided to join and do their part for the country.
“They answered the national call by our President when he said ‘Americans do not have the distance of history, our responsibility to history is already clear’ these men understood this calling and sense of responsibility and joined the Marine Corps,” Neary stated. “These Marines will live on as long as there is a 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.”
The Marines honored in the ceremony were Pfc. Stephen P. Baldwyn, Gunnery Sgt. Terry W. Ball, Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger, Cpl. John T. Olson, Lance Cpl. Michael V. Postal, Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski, and Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt.
“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world, but the Marines don’t have that problem,” Ronald Regan, former President of the United States of America.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....5A?opendocument
Reserve Marine keeps recon rolling
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 200592644428
Story by Lance Cpl. Evan M. Eagan
AL AMARIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 26, 2005) -- After graduating high school in 1992, and attending community college for one year, Gerald Garcia transitioned into the civilian work force.
Bouncing between jobs in corrections and skilled labor for nearly seven years, the Tivoli, Texas, native, had a long held dream of becoming a member of the Corps.
When Garcia decided to act on his dream at the age of 25, he feared his window of opportunity had passed.
Because of pain he experienced in his knee, he was unsure of whether his body would be able to handle the rigorous training Marine Corps boot camp subjected to its recruits.
With a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude, Garcia left for Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in 1999 to follow his dream.
“The Marine Corps is the best military service there is and I wanted to be a part of it,” said the 31-year-old. “I had an MRI [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] done and nothing came back that was wrong, but I was still a little bit worried because I had some pain. But, it was something that I always wanted to do and never went through with. I also wanted to see if I could still do it at an older age than most recruits.”
Because he chose to be a reservist, he knew he would be stationed with one of the San Antonio-based units within 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division. However, instead of becoming a reconnaissance trained Marine, Garcia opted for the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical military occupational specialty.
“I didn’t know how my knee would hold up with the recon training,” he said. “So I decided to do NBC.”
Now the rank of corporal, Garcia is assigned to Iraqi Security Force Platoon, Echo Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
When stateside, Garcia is the NBC noncommissioned officer for the unit and is in charge of training for all NBC related matters, however, in Iraq he has filled a new duty.
“I inventory all equipment, run the gas chamber and mask confidence course to make sure the Marines stay up to date with their annual training back in San Antonio,” he said. “Out here [Iraq] I am a driver for the ISF Platoon.”
Garcia arrived in Iraq earlier this year with his unit, who is attached to 3rd Recon, and worked in the Reconnaissance Operations Center until he was recruited to be a driver with ISF Platoon.
“The ISF Platoon had a shortage of Marines so they pulled me from my other duties in the ROC,” he said. “I had a humvee license but I didn’t drive much in the states. I really didn’t have too much experience with the humvee.”
Since joining the platoon, which formed more than three months ago to train Iraqi Army soldiers and give them experience working next to Marines, Garcia has been a part of every major operation.
“I was excited to have the opportunity to do it,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been over here. I have definitely honed my driving skills.”
When he returns home next month, Garcia plans on spending time with his family and getting back to work at the Comal County Sheriffs Office in Texas.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....64?opendocument
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 200592644428
Story by Lance Cpl. Evan M. Eagan
AL AMARIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 26, 2005) -- After graduating high school in 1992, and attending community college for one year, Gerald Garcia transitioned into the civilian work force.
Bouncing between jobs in corrections and skilled labor for nearly seven years, the Tivoli, Texas, native, had a long held dream of becoming a member of the Corps.
When Garcia decided to act on his dream at the age of 25, he feared his window of opportunity had passed.
Because of pain he experienced in his knee, he was unsure of whether his body would be able to handle the rigorous training Marine Corps boot camp subjected to its recruits.
With a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude, Garcia left for Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in 1999 to follow his dream.
“The Marine Corps is the best military service there is and I wanted to be a part of it,” said the 31-year-old. “I had an MRI [Magnetic Resonance Imaging] done and nothing came back that was wrong, but I was still a little bit worried because I had some pain. But, it was something that I always wanted to do and never went through with. I also wanted to see if I could still do it at an older age than most recruits.”
Because he chose to be a reservist, he knew he would be stationed with one of the San Antonio-based units within 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division. However, instead of becoming a reconnaissance trained Marine, Garcia opted for the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical military occupational specialty.
“I didn’t know how my knee would hold up with the recon training,” he said. “So I decided to do NBC.”
Now the rank of corporal, Garcia is assigned to Iraqi Security Force Platoon, Echo Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.
When stateside, Garcia is the NBC noncommissioned officer for the unit and is in charge of training for all NBC related matters, however, in Iraq he has filled a new duty.
“I inventory all equipment, run the gas chamber and mask confidence course to make sure the Marines stay up to date with their annual training back in San Antonio,” he said. “Out here [Iraq] I am a driver for the ISF Platoon.”
Garcia arrived in Iraq earlier this year with his unit, who is attached to 3rd Recon, and worked in the Reconnaissance Operations Center until he was recruited to be a driver with ISF Platoon.
“The ISF Platoon had a shortage of Marines so they pulled me from my other duties in the ROC,” he said. “I had a humvee license but I didn’t drive much in the states. I really didn’t have too much experience with the humvee.”
Since joining the platoon, which formed more than three months ago to train Iraqi Army soldiers and give them experience working next to Marines, Garcia has been a part of every major operation.
“I was excited to have the opportunity to do it,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been over here. I have definitely honed my driving skills.”
When he returns home next month, Garcia plans on spending time with his family and getting back to work at the Comal County Sheriffs Office in Texas.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....64?opendocument
Springfield, Mass., police officer serves in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592511612
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
CAMP RIPPER, Al Asad, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- The police motto, ‘To Protect and to Serve,’ is often lettered across police vehicles in many towns and cities in the United States. As Marines with Regimental Combat Team-2 begin to police this area of Iraq for insurgents, one sergeant knows this routine all too well.
Sergeant Michael H. Lusczc, a sergeant of the guard for the security element with RCT-2, left from protecting and serving his home town, in order to protect and serve Iraqis.
Lusczc is a Marine reservist and civilian police officer. He brings his experience to the Marines in Iraq so they can perform their jobs better here.
“These people over here need us,” Luszcz said. “I know that my community is a better place because of me and my fellow officers’ actions. Now, I’m trying to make it safe for the Iraqi people as well.”
He made the decision to serve his community by first serving his country. At the age of 16, he decided to join the Marine Corps when he was eligible, which was only a year later.
“My father was in the army during Vietnam, so I kind of wanted the military experience,” the 30-year-old said. “I knew I wanted to be a Marine because I loved the way they always presented themselves. As soon I turned 17 I signed up knowing that I was going to be part of the best.”
He became a military policeman after completing all of his basic training and knew it would continue to be his career after he finished his tour of duty.
“I love helping people,” the 1992 Ludlow High School graduate said. “When you do something good in this job field everyone remembers you for that. It’s not like in some places where you do something that helps everyone out and no one even says ‘thank you.’ A little recognition goes along way.”
After he completed his first tour of duty, he joined the Individual Mobilization Augmentation that allowed him to choose his reserve training dates and deployment schedule.
“The program is great because I have the chance to train with the active duty Marines and it gave me a chance to get my associate’s degree in criminal justice from Springfield Technical College,” the Springfield, Mass., native said.
During his reserve status, he was able to get a job as a deputy chief at the Hampden County Police Department. He continued to work there until he decided it was the time to do something for his country and himself.
“I was voluntarily recalled in November,” he said. “I was surprised it took as long as it did, but I am glad I got my chance to do something more to help win the war on terror instead of watching it helplessly on TV,” he said smiling.
Upon arrival in Iraq, he realized how important this mission is and it reassured him that he and his fellow Marines were doing the right thing.
“I’m used to dealing with crime where I come from, but it’s nowhere near as serious as it is here,” he said. “On the first convoy I went on we hit an IED (improvised explosive device) and that was the real eye-opener. I want to give these people the opportunity to be able to travel on the streets without worry of things like that,” he said.
Luszcz’s time in country will be over in September, but he knows the war on terror will continue. Because of that, he plans to do something a little extra for the Corps when he gets back.
“I plan on becoming a recruiter’s assistant when I get back home. That way when potential Marines come in I can give a first hand account of what the situation is like in Iraq and why it’s necessary to be there,” Luszcz said. “Also, I will stay on the police force, because I know the only way to keep our home safe is to protect and serve there as I did over here.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....31?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592511612
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
CAMP RIPPER, Al Asad, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- The police motto, ‘To Protect and to Serve,’ is often lettered across police vehicles in many towns and cities in the United States. As Marines with Regimental Combat Team-2 begin to police this area of Iraq for insurgents, one sergeant knows this routine all too well.
Sergeant Michael H. Lusczc, a sergeant of the guard for the security element with RCT-2, left from protecting and serving his home town, in order to protect and serve Iraqis.
Lusczc is a Marine reservist and civilian police officer. He brings his experience to the Marines in Iraq so they can perform their jobs better here.
“These people over here need us,” Luszcz said. “I know that my community is a better place because of me and my fellow officers’ actions. Now, I’m trying to make it safe for the Iraqi people as well.”
He made the decision to serve his community by first serving his country. At the age of 16, he decided to join the Marine Corps when he was eligible, which was only a year later.
“My father was in the army during Vietnam, so I kind of wanted the military experience,” the 30-year-old said. “I knew I wanted to be a Marine because I loved the way they always presented themselves. As soon I turned 17 I signed up knowing that I was going to be part of the best.”
He became a military policeman after completing all of his basic training and knew it would continue to be his career after he finished his tour of duty.
“I love helping people,” the 1992 Ludlow High School graduate said. “When you do something good in this job field everyone remembers you for that. It’s not like in some places where you do something that helps everyone out and no one even says ‘thank you.’ A little recognition goes along way.”
After he completed his first tour of duty, he joined the Individual Mobilization Augmentation that allowed him to choose his reserve training dates and deployment schedule.
“The program is great because I have the chance to train with the active duty Marines and it gave me a chance to get my associate’s degree in criminal justice from Springfield Technical College,” the Springfield, Mass., native said.
During his reserve status, he was able to get a job as a deputy chief at the Hampden County Police Department. He continued to work there until he decided it was the time to do something for his country and himself.
“I was voluntarily recalled in November,” he said. “I was surprised it took as long as it did, but I am glad I got my chance to do something more to help win the war on terror instead of watching it helplessly on TV,” he said smiling.
Upon arrival in Iraq, he realized how important this mission is and it reassured him that he and his fellow Marines were doing the right thing.
“I’m used to dealing with crime where I come from, but it’s nowhere near as serious as it is here,” he said. “On the first convoy I went on we hit an IED (improvised explosive device) and that was the real eye-opener. I want to give these people the opportunity to be able to travel on the streets without worry of things like that,” he said.
Luszcz’s time in country will be over in September, but he knows the war on terror will continue. Because of that, he plans to do something a little extra for the Corps when he gets back.
“I plan on becoming a recruiter’s assistant when I get back home. That way when potential Marines come in I can give a first hand account of what the situation is like in Iraq and why it’s necessary to be there,” Luszcz said. “Also, I will stay on the police force, because I know the only way to keep our home safe is to protect and serve there as I did over here.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....31?opendocument
Ward, Ark., native doubles up in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592571956
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary W. Lester
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- After re-enlisting into a new job field in the Marine Corps, Cpl. Ebern H. Wiley deployed to Iraq where he found himself not only working as a mechanic but also filling a billet from his old field.
Wiley, a light armored vehicle mechanic with Maintenance Platoon, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, works to repair the battalion’s LAVs and also plays a part in the base’s corrections facility.
As a mechanic, the 26-year-old Marine puts new engines and transmissions in the LAVs and he also runs the parts storage facility that houses all of the parts for the vehicles.
“I make sure all the parts are serialized and in the computer, so they are easy to find. I make sure everyone gets the parts that they need,” Wiley stated.
As a corrections Marine in Iraq, the Ward, Ark., native handles the detainees that are brought to the camp from the surrounding areas.
“I’ve handled over 300 detainees. I also make sure that my guys are following the rules to keep them out of trouble,” Wiley explained. “I also ensure that all the paper work is in order.”
He is also responsible for the well-being of the detainees.
“I make sure the detainees are following the rules and regulations that they are supposed to follow, and I make sure that they are kept clean and have food and water,” he said.
Wiley switched to a career in mechanics after completing his first enlistment as a corrections Marine.
“I started looking around to see what different jobs I could do,” he said. “Most of my jobs before I joined the military had something to do with mechanics. I decided to work on LAVs.”
The Cabot High School graduate was a diesel mechanic before joining the Marine Corps and was used to doing small engine repairs.
“It was a lot different. I had to get a lot more in-depth into the engine. Doing this allowed me to get more experience in something that I was always curious about,” he stated.
Even though Wiley is working in two jobs during his first deployment to Iraq, he feels he is making more a difference here than he did back in States.
“Working out here is completely different than back home,” Wiley explained. “Back there you are watching over other military members that have done something wrong. Out here you feel like you are doing more and making a difference.” Wiley said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....29?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200592571956
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary W. Lester
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- After re-enlisting into a new job field in the Marine Corps, Cpl. Ebern H. Wiley deployed to Iraq where he found himself not only working as a mechanic but also filling a billet from his old field.
Wiley, a light armored vehicle mechanic with Maintenance Platoon, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, works to repair the battalion’s LAVs and also plays a part in the base’s corrections facility.
As a mechanic, the 26-year-old Marine puts new engines and transmissions in the LAVs and he also runs the parts storage facility that houses all of the parts for the vehicles.
“I make sure all the parts are serialized and in the computer, so they are easy to find. I make sure everyone gets the parts that they need,” Wiley stated.
As a corrections Marine in Iraq, the Ward, Ark., native handles the detainees that are brought to the camp from the surrounding areas.
“I’ve handled over 300 detainees. I also make sure that my guys are following the rules to keep them out of trouble,” Wiley explained. “I also ensure that all the paper work is in order.”
He is also responsible for the well-being of the detainees.
“I make sure the detainees are following the rules and regulations that they are supposed to follow, and I make sure that they are kept clean and have food and water,” he said.
Wiley switched to a career in mechanics after completing his first enlistment as a corrections Marine.
“I started looking around to see what different jobs I could do,” he said. “Most of my jobs before I joined the military had something to do with mechanics. I decided to work on LAVs.”
The Cabot High School graduate was a diesel mechanic before joining the Marine Corps and was used to doing small engine repairs.
“It was a lot different. I had to get a lot more in-depth into the engine. Doing this allowed me to get more experience in something that I was always curious about,” he stated.
Even though Wiley is working in two jobs during his first deployment to Iraq, he feels he is making more a difference here than he did back in States.
“Working out here is completely different than back home,” Wiley explained. “Back there you are watching over other military members that have done something wrong. Out here you feel like you are doing more and making a difference.” Wiley said.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....29?opendocument
Fort Collins, Colo., native “cleared hot” in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059258114
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
HIT, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- As insurgents continue to launch attacks on multinational forces, Marines continue to beat them back using every means possible to include close air support.
While calling in air strikes on targets may seem like something out of a movie, for Sgt. Aaron J. Maxwell, a tactical air control party chief, it is his life.
Maxwell, a member of Albuquerque, N.M.’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, has helped fight the insurgency while working with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment by making sure the ground troops have an ‘eye in the sky.’
“If something happens to the squad and they need a clear route back to their base we can help them,” said the Fort Collins, Colo., native.
Besides helping with patrol routes, he also calls in for shows of military force, keeps track of the air schedule and stays in direct contact with any aircraft assigned to the unit. This allows him to point out friendly troops and suspicious areas in the city to the aircraft overhead.
If an air strike is required, he considers the bombs destructive force to avoid collateral damages, proportionality and positive identification, before "clearing hot" to use the ordnance.
Recently he played a pivotal part in the surveillance of a car bomb and the extraction of the Marines it separated.
“We were looking for any targets and giving out all the friendly positions when we noticed a vehicle on a bridge. It exploded right after,” the 22-year-old said. “Soon after that we received word that Marines were on other side of the bridge, so we scrambled to extract them. The helicopters gave them cover until they could be extracted.
“It felt good to have a chance to help save those Marines’ lives.”
While he often calls in the bombs and some casualty evacuations for Multi-National Force members, he has even had to call in for an evacuation of an insurgent.
“We received information from our tip line of a man having a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) and when we got there he was still setting it up so they engaged him,” the 2001 graduate of Los Lunas High School in N.M. said. “They had wounded him and he surrendered so they had to call in for medical attention for him.
“It felt awkward helping someone who was trying to kill us, but we had accomplished our mission and could not let someone suffer after they were defeated. That’s what separates us from them.”
Maxwell even helped navigate a squad to an insurgent’s house after one of their forward operation bases took fire.
“After they were attacked, I contacted a section of F-18s who were running ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) in the area and gave them the description of the vehicle and the direction they were heading. They found a vehicle that matched the description and followed it to a house,” Maxwell said. “Then I gave the information to the watch officer and requested a squad to check out the house. The air units continued to survey the house until the squad arrived.”
After searching the house, they ran a gun residue test on the men inside. They detained two men who tested positive. Another great example of how air and ground work together to accomplish the mission.
Since this past spring, his job as being “the link between the ground and the air” has enabled him to travel all over the Al Anbar province helping saves lives and fight the insurgency.
His versatile job allowed him to work with all different types of jobs and people, something he says he will never forget. As he is always ready for his next mission, he looks forward to one more ... the journey home.
“After I found out I was deploying this year, I set two goals for myself. First was to leave Iraq knowing that I did my best to complete my mission,” he paused smiling. “The other is to take my favorite actress, Elisha Cuthbert, to my Marine Corps Ball. However, I am happy knowing that I did my job damaging the insurgency and helping save Marines’ lives.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....48?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20059258114
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton
HIT, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- As insurgents continue to launch attacks on multinational forces, Marines continue to beat them back using every means possible to include close air support.
While calling in air strikes on targets may seem like something out of a movie, for Sgt. Aaron J. Maxwell, a tactical air control party chief, it is his life.
Maxwell, a member of Albuquerque, N.M.’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, has helped fight the insurgency while working with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment by making sure the ground troops have an ‘eye in the sky.’
“If something happens to the squad and they need a clear route back to their base we can help them,” said the Fort Collins, Colo., native.
Besides helping with patrol routes, he also calls in for shows of military force, keeps track of the air schedule and stays in direct contact with any aircraft assigned to the unit. This allows him to point out friendly troops and suspicious areas in the city to the aircraft overhead.
If an air strike is required, he considers the bombs destructive force to avoid collateral damages, proportionality and positive identification, before "clearing hot" to use the ordnance.
Recently he played a pivotal part in the surveillance of a car bomb and the extraction of the Marines it separated.
“We were looking for any targets and giving out all the friendly positions when we noticed a vehicle on a bridge. It exploded right after,” the 22-year-old said. “Soon after that we received word that Marines were on other side of the bridge, so we scrambled to extract them. The helicopters gave them cover until they could be extracted.
“It felt good to have a chance to help save those Marines’ lives.”
While he often calls in the bombs and some casualty evacuations for Multi-National Force members, he has even had to call in for an evacuation of an insurgent.
“We received information from our tip line of a man having a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) and when we got there he was still setting it up so they engaged him,” the 2001 graduate of Los Lunas High School in N.M. said. “They had wounded him and he surrendered so they had to call in for medical attention for him.
“It felt awkward helping someone who was trying to kill us, but we had accomplished our mission and could not let someone suffer after they were defeated. That’s what separates us from them.”
Maxwell even helped navigate a squad to an insurgent’s house after one of their forward operation bases took fire.
“After they were attacked, I contacted a section of F-18s who were running ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) in the area and gave them the description of the vehicle and the direction they were heading. They found a vehicle that matched the description and followed it to a house,” Maxwell said. “Then I gave the information to the watch officer and requested a squad to check out the house. The air units continued to survey the house until the squad arrived.”
After searching the house, they ran a gun residue test on the men inside. They detained two men who tested positive. Another great example of how air and ground work together to accomplish the mission.
Since this past spring, his job as being “the link between the ground and the air” has enabled him to travel all over the Al Anbar province helping saves lives and fight the insurgency.
His versatile job allowed him to work with all different types of jobs and people, something he says he will never forget. As he is always ready for his next mission, he looks forward to one more ... the journey home.
“After I found out I was deploying this year, I set two goals for myself. First was to leave Iraq knowing that I did my best to complete my mission,” he paused smiling. “The other is to take my favorite actress, Elisha Cuthbert, to my Marine Corps Ball. However, I am happy knowing that I did my job damaging the insurgency and helping save Marines’ lives.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....48?opendocument
Bloomington, Ind., native follows family footsteps
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005925103258
Story by Cpl. Shane Suzuki
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- Some people know, even as a small child, what they want to do with their life. Lance Cpl. Chris Snell has wanted to be a Marine for as long as he could remember, and now his dream has come true.
Snell, a 21-year-old from Bloomington, Ind., is a mortar man with Black Platoon, Combined Anti-Armor Team, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
“The military was the only thing for me,” he said. “I wanted to do it since I was a little kid, so I guess it’s no surprise that I am in Iraq now.”
The Bloomington High School South graduate comes from a family rich in military traditions, including an uncle who served more then 20 years in the Navy, his father who was in the Air Force and his grandfather who served in the Army during World War II.
“For me, the decision was easy,” he said. “I left for recruit training right after high school and have enjoyed the Corps ever since. I want to be a lifer.”
In addition to knowing he wanted to be a Marine his whole life, he also realized that being an infantryman was the only thing that would make him happy.
“Infantry was the most interesting thing to me,” said Snell. “I always wanted to do the hard job, the most important job.”
This deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is his second tour in Iraq. He served in an earlier deployment to OIF with CAAT Blue.
Getting ready for his second deployment though, was no easy task. The CAAT Black team was formed before this deployment and it took a lot of training to make sure they would be ready for the challenges ahead.
“The training was pretty intense,” he said. “It gets you ready though. Anytime we need to raid a house, we know what to do. The training also got us super familiar with our weapons systems and our jobs in the trucks.”
The CAAT teams, which are often used as the quick reaction force of the battalion, use humvees with weapons mounted in turrets on top of the vehicles. Knowing what to do, where to go and how each person in the truck is supposed to react is the first step towards a successful mission.
However, the other mission in Iraq, helping setup a new democracy is something that Snell says he is proud to be a part of.
“We are out here changing the hearts and minds of little children,” he said. “We are showing the younger generation what democracy is. We are helping them understand freedom.”
Even though he acknowledges that his job is to “get the bad guys out,” he says he joined the military to do more then deploy and see the world.
“I think if people want to serve their country, they absolutely should,” he said. “That’s why I am in the Corps, to serve my country and to serve those men who served before me.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....37?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005925103258
Story by Cpl. Shane Suzuki
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- Some people know, even as a small child, what they want to do with their life. Lance Cpl. Chris Snell has wanted to be a Marine for as long as he could remember, and now his dream has come true.
Snell, a 21-year-old from Bloomington, Ind., is a mortar man with Black Platoon, Combined Anti-Armor Team, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
“The military was the only thing for me,” he said. “I wanted to do it since I was a little kid, so I guess it’s no surprise that I am in Iraq now.”
The Bloomington High School South graduate comes from a family rich in military traditions, including an uncle who served more then 20 years in the Navy, his father who was in the Air Force and his grandfather who served in the Army during World War II.
“For me, the decision was easy,” he said. “I left for recruit training right after high school and have enjoyed the Corps ever since. I want to be a lifer.”
In addition to knowing he wanted to be a Marine his whole life, he also realized that being an infantryman was the only thing that would make him happy.
“Infantry was the most interesting thing to me,” said Snell. “I always wanted to do the hard job, the most important job.”
This deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is his second tour in Iraq. He served in an earlier deployment to OIF with CAAT Blue.
Getting ready for his second deployment though, was no easy task. The CAAT Black team was formed before this deployment and it took a lot of training to make sure they would be ready for the challenges ahead.
“The training was pretty intense,” he said. “It gets you ready though. Anytime we need to raid a house, we know what to do. The training also got us super familiar with our weapons systems and our jobs in the trucks.”
The CAAT teams, which are often used as the quick reaction force of the battalion, use humvees with weapons mounted in turrets on top of the vehicles. Knowing what to do, where to go and how each person in the truck is supposed to react is the first step towards a successful mission.
However, the other mission in Iraq, helping setup a new democracy is something that Snell says he is proud to be a part of.
“We are out here changing the hearts and minds of little children,” he said. “We are showing the younger generation what democracy is. We are helping them understand freedom.”
Even though he acknowledges that his job is to “get the bad guys out,” he says he joined the military to do more then deploy and see the world.
“I think if people want to serve their country, they absolutely should,” he said. “That’s why I am in the Corps, to serve my country and to serve those men who served before me.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....37?opendocument
3/7 corpsmen go back to basics
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005925102420
Story by Cpl. Shane Suzuki
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- On the battlefield, the difference between life and death is often very small. Little things like proper first aid skills and administration of ‘buddy aid’ often prove to be the difference between Marines coming home safe or not at all.
While Navy corpsmen are usually attached to every unit that goes on a patrol, convoy or raid, sometimes it’s those few precious moments before the corpsmen can make it to the injured Marine that will make the difference. To help Marines understand the importance of these skills and to show them the basics of the new Individual First Aid Kit, two corpsmen from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment’s battalion aid station recently conducted a class on the IFAK and the new tourniquet system being given to Marines deployed to Iraq.
“These classes are pretty important for every person deployed,” said Seaman Apprentice Jeremy Trythall, a hospital-man apprentice here. “We are trying to show everyone exactly how to use their IFAK, just in case something happens.”
The class took place in the Camp Hurricane Point chow hall, a camp on the outskirts of Ar Ramadi. The class was informal, and provided plenty of opportunities for the members of the class to ask questions.
“They asked a lot about the quick clot agent included in the IFAK,” Trythall said. “They were also interested in the new tourniquet that is being handed out to the Marines here. Overall, I would say the class went very well.”
The class started off reviewing basic first aid skills, then emphasized the importance of applying proper first aid skills in a combat environment. Being able to save fellow Marines during combat is just as important as being able to fight and shoot, said the 23-year-old from Raymondville, Mo.
The Marines in the class, a mix from Headquarters and Service Company and Company K, all seemed to come away with a little more confidence in their ability to perform first aid under pressure.
“The class was good for the Marines here, I think,” said Lance Cpl. Micah Garza, a cook currently assigned to the guard force here. “I know I feel more confident in the IFAK and what to do with it.”
Classes like these will be given periodically throughout 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine’s deployment, said Trythall.
“It’s important simply because if their buddy is injured and a corpsmen isn’t close by, they need to know what to do,” he said. “Corpsmen aren’t always around and with the proper knowledge, Marines will know what to do and won’t freeze up.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....E8?opendocument
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005925102420
Story by Cpl. Shane Suzuki
AR RAMADI, Iraq (Sept. 25, 2005) -- On the battlefield, the difference between life and death is often very small. Little things like proper first aid skills and administration of ‘buddy aid’ often prove to be the difference between Marines coming home safe or not at all.
While Navy corpsmen are usually attached to every unit that goes on a patrol, convoy or raid, sometimes it’s those few precious moments before the corpsmen can make it to the injured Marine that will make the difference. To help Marines understand the importance of these skills and to show them the basics of the new Individual First Aid Kit, two corpsmen from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment’s battalion aid station recently conducted a class on the IFAK and the new tourniquet system being given to Marines deployed to Iraq.
“These classes are pretty important for every person deployed,” said Seaman Apprentice Jeremy Trythall, a hospital-man apprentice here. “We are trying to show everyone exactly how to use their IFAK, just in case something happens.”
The class took place in the Camp Hurricane Point chow hall, a camp on the outskirts of Ar Ramadi. The class was informal, and provided plenty of opportunities for the members of the class to ask questions.
“They asked a lot about the quick clot agent included in the IFAK,” Trythall said. “They were also interested in the new tourniquet that is being handed out to the Marines here. Overall, I would say the class went very well.”
The class started off reviewing basic first aid skills, then emphasized the importance of applying proper first aid skills in a combat environment. Being able to save fellow Marines during combat is just as important as being able to fight and shoot, said the 23-year-old from Raymondville, Mo.
The Marines in the class, a mix from Headquarters and Service Company and Company K, all seemed to come away with a little more confidence in their ability to perform first aid under pressure.
“The class was good for the Marines here, I think,” said Lance Cpl. Micah Garza, a cook currently assigned to the guard force here. “I know I feel more confident in the IFAK and what to do with it.”
Classes like these will be given periodically throughout 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine’s deployment, said Trythall.
“It’s important simply because if their buddy is injured and a corpsmen isn’t close by, they need to know what to do,” he said. “Corpsmen aren’t always around and with the proper knowledge, Marines will know what to do and won’t freeze up.”
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000....E8?opendocument
Jacksonville honors veterans with tribute parade
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200211783526
Story by
Jacksonville, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2002) -- Thankfulness, smiles, patriotism and pride flooded the city of Jacksonville Saturday morning, during the Veteran's Day Parade on Western Boulevard and at a later event held at the Jacksonville USO.
The parade featured high school bands and veteran organizations from around the area, local law enforcement agencies, and representatives from Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
"America is at war right now and it's a different scenario than it was last year," said Sgt. Maj. Virgil G. Dwyer, MCAS New River sergeant major. "To make this event better we're working on a new 'plan of attack,' trying to have helicopters in next year's parade."
Activities followed at the USO during a "For the troops" celebration, where free food and refreshments were provided to Marines and veterans. The New Bern Dance Ensemble, an Elvis impersonator and two local singers entertained those in attendance.
In anticipation of Nov. 10, the 227th birthday of the Marine Corps, a cake cutting ceremony took place. Private Bryan S. Konowitz, a Manahawk, N.J., native, now a student at Camp Geiger's School of Infantry, was the youngest Marine present. Following Marine Corps traditions, Konowitz, born Aug. 14, 1984, received the first piece of cake from retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Quinzell Hayes, who was born on Feb. 17, 1934, making him the oldest Marine present.
"This is the first time I've ever been to a USO," said Lance Cpl. Benjamin J. Nickerson, a Boca Raton, Fla., native, now an armorer with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment at MCB Camp Lejeune. "I'm having a great time here."
The party ended with "the Hooters Girls" autographing calendars and posing for pictures.
Marking the end of World War I, Nov. 11, 1918 was declared a legal holiday known as "Armistice Day," dedicated to honor WWI veterans. After the end of World War II, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed proclamation 3071, Oct. 8, 1954, changing Armistice Day to Veteran's Day, a day to honor veterans of all wars.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...ight=2,veterans
Submitted by: MCAS New River
Story Identification #: 200211783526
Story by
Jacksonville, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2002) -- Thankfulness, smiles, patriotism and pride flooded the city of Jacksonville Saturday morning, during the Veteran's Day Parade on Western Boulevard and at a later event held at the Jacksonville USO.
The parade featured high school bands and veteran organizations from around the area, local law enforcement agencies, and representatives from Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
"America is at war right now and it's a different scenario than it was last year," said Sgt. Maj. Virgil G. Dwyer, MCAS New River sergeant major. "To make this event better we're working on a new 'plan of attack,' trying to have helicopters in next year's parade."
Activities followed at the USO during a "For the troops" celebration, where free food and refreshments were provided to Marines and veterans. The New Bern Dance Ensemble, an Elvis impersonator and two local singers entertained those in attendance.
In anticipation of Nov. 10, the 227th birthday of the Marine Corps, a cake cutting ceremony took place. Private Bryan S. Konowitz, a Manahawk, N.J., native, now a student at Camp Geiger's School of Infantry, was the youngest Marine present. Following Marine Corps traditions, Konowitz, born Aug. 14, 1984, received the first piece of cake from retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Quinzell Hayes, who was born on Feb. 17, 1934, making him the oldest Marine present.
"This is the first time I've ever been to a USO," said Lance Cpl. Benjamin J. Nickerson, a Boca Raton, Fla., native, now an armorer with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment at MCB Camp Lejeune. "I'm having a great time here."
The party ended with "the Hooters Girls" autographing calendars and posing for pictures.
Marking the end of World War I, Nov. 11, 1918 was declared a legal holiday known as "Armistice Day," dedicated to honor WWI veterans. After the end of World War II, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed proclamation 3071, Oct. 8, 1954, changing Armistice Day to Veteran's Day, a day to honor veterans of all wars.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...ight=2,veterans
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