Marine Corps News Room

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, BRIDGEPORT, Calif. (Sept. 30, 2005) -- Collectively, there are thousands of years of active duty experience among the 900-plus Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, who are currently conducting training exercises at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif., in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/EDBDF193CF3FC2B38525708D00048DD9?opendocument

Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification #: 2005930204944
Story by Sgt. Joe Lindsay

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, BRIDGEPORT, Calif. (Sept. 30, 2005) -- Collectively, there are thousands of years of active duty experience among the 900-plus Marines from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, who are currently conducting training exercises at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif., in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

But perhaps no Marine here, with the exception of instructors or former instructors, has seen more of Bridgeport’s rugged training landscape than Sgt. Jason Butler, 1/3 assistant operations chief and a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, who is making his fifth appearance at MCMWTC. This training site is considered by many to be the toughest proving ground outside of actual combat in the Marine Corps.

“I first came out here from Camp Pendleton in ‘97 with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, as a young pfc,” said Butler. “It turned my world upside down that first time. I had no impact, no idea. Now I’m considered an old vet at Bridgeport. I know these mountains. Not enough to conquer them, no man can do that, but enough to survive them and to help others survive them.”

This pre-deployment exercise marks the third time Butler has trained in Bridgeport with a battalion. He also attended the Mountain Leaders Course and the infamous Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape Course here as well.

“Having a seasoned Marine in Bridgeport with experience in the mountains like Sergeant Butler gives us insight into what works and doesn’t work out here,” said Capt. Jer Garcia, 1/3 assistant operations officer and a native of Honolulu. “In fact, he is considered so valuable by the command that we’ve got him in the Command Operating Center filling the COP (command operational picture) billet. What that means, basically, is that Sergeant Butler knows what’s going on with all facets of this training, from tracking where the troop movements are taking place to what and how many supplies they need to accomplish the training mission. We needed someone who understands the big picture out here, and he fits that bill perfectly.”

If Butler understands the “big picture,” then it might be safe to say his wife, Melody, understands the “big screen.”
“My wife appeared in two episodes of “Lost” last season,” said Butler. “She’s trying to break into acting and has also been in several commercials. I’m so proud of her because she does it all while raising our two daughters, Madison, who is nine years old, and Macy, who is seven years old, while at the same time running her own business.”

It seems like Madison may take after her mother, while, according to Butler, Macy appears to be more a “chip off the old block.”

“Madison recently appeared in a television commercial that aired locally in Hawaii,” he said. “But Macy says she wants to join the Marines when she’s older.

“We’ll see.”

For Butler, the most difficult aspect of being a Marine is not the rigors of an arduous training regime, but rather, the long periods of separation from his family.

“The deployments are getting better now, since my girls are old enough to understand why Daddy has to go — but it’s still hard. What makes it all worth it is knowing that I’m doing my part to ensure that my children are able to grow up in a country that is free, where they can be anything they want to be,” said Butler. “When I was a little kid, I didn’t want to be an astronaut, fireman, policeman or pro football player like all my friends. I wanted to be a doctor. That hasn’t happened yet, but I haven’t given up on that dream. I feel like I’ve learned so much about first aid and treating and evacuating injured Marines here that I could kind of qualify as a ‘Mountain Medicine Man.’ I just want my daughters to be able to have their dreams come true.”

Part of Butler’s motivation in joining the Marine Corps instead of going straight to college and medical school was the deep sense of responsibility he felt in carrying on his family’s legacy of serving the Corps.

“My great-grandfather was a Marine and served in China during the Boxer Rebellion and in World War I. My grandfather was in the Corps in the Pacific during World War II, and my father did three tours in Vietnam as a Marine,” said Butler, now himself a fourth-generation Marine. “I never felt like it made me better than anyone else. I mean, a Marine is a Marine, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me a sense of pride.”

That sense of pride carried by Butler, whether accomplishing a task his superiors place in front of him, or helping a younger Marine become a better Marine, is something that doesn’t go unnoticed by those who serve with him, or by the promotion board for that matter. Butler was selected to pick up staff sergeant on Sept. 21, and will most likely pin on his new rank either Saturday, or when 1/3 returns to Kaneohe Bay.

“Having any Marine, no matter what their rank, like Sergeant Butler, is a great asset. But the fact that he is an NCO, and soon to be Staff NCO, helps me out dramatically here, because he’s endured the conditions in Bridgeport, and he knows how important small-unit leadership is in a mountain environment,” said Gunnery Sgt. Steven Brunner, company gunnery sergeant for 1/3’s Headquarters & Service Company and native of St. Petersburg, Fla. “His experience in this environment provides us with a source of knowledge for all Marines here, from officer to Staff NCO to junior Marines.”

If anyone should know how vital it is to have a Marine like Butler with experience in the harsh environment that is Bridgeport, it is Brunner. As a sergeant, he served here as a sergeant instructor, teaching mountain operations at MLC from 1992 to 1997, and then as a staff sergeant and gunnery sergeant. He did another tour here from 2001 to 2004, finally departing as the chief instructor for the entire training facility before making a permanent change of station move to Hawaii and 1/3.

But even those who are deployed to Bridgeport for the first time have gained from Butler’s tutelage.

“Myself and the majority of the Marines, especially the lance corporals and below, have never been here before,” said Lance Cpl. Ivan Barnes, a 1/3 machine gunner from Altus, Okla. “It’s all new to us, and there is so much to learn. It helps having someone like Sergeant Butler around to show us the ropes.”

There is another reason Barnes is glad to be serving with Butler.

“Sergeant Butler is a big, strong guy, and you know when he is telling you something that he means business,” said Barnes. “But every now and then, when he is correcting us or guiding us, he’ll crack a smile and ease the tension. The Marines under him really appreciate his approach. He gives us respect, and we respect him even more for it. I hope I can be that kind of sergeant someday.”

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:28 PM | Permalink

JALABAD, Afghanistan (Sept. 30, 2005) -- Marines and Sailors from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, use the Marine Corps Dragon Eye, the smallest functioning unmanned aerial vehicle, in an effort to minimize friendly casualties and maximize surveillance during missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/B61B1B03D657E3DA8525708D0007F6C9?opendocument

Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification #: 2005930212659
Story by Sgt. Robert M. Storm

JALABAD, Afghanistan (Sept. 30, 2005) -- Marines and Sailors from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, use the Marine Corps Dragon Eye, the smallest functioning unmanned aerial vehicle, in an effort to minimize friendly casualties and maximize surveillance during missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“The Dragon Eye is a good tool, if used properly. It’s excellent for short-range recon and can easily be taken on a patrol to further increase a squads abilities,” explained Sgt. Henry M. White Jr., infantryman, from Grady, Ark. “It’s great for taking pictures of supposed improvised explosive devices found on roads.”

The Dragon Eye, basically, is a small remote-controlled airplane that carries two real-time video cameras. With the Dragon Eye, Marines and Sailors have a tool that allows them to see farther over rough terrain, fits in a backpack, and can be taken with them and used anywhere. Marines and Sailors in enemy territory may face danger approaching from unexpected directions. With the Dragon Eye, they can easily launch a system that will give them up-to-date reconnaissance that encompasses a vast area, giving them a distinct advantage.

“I can get more intelligence in five minutes than a squad of Marines can get in two hours,” said Cpl. Joshua L. Britner, mortarman, about the Dragon Eye. “It’s also a lot safer than sending a squad.

“During testing of the Dragon Eye, they had an entire company shoot at it in flight for two days,” said the Freemont, Ohio native. It only took four hits, but was never shot down.”

The Dragon Eye is designed to be disassembled into five separate pieces and be hand carried. The fiberglass and Kevlar constructed craft is capable of independent flight.

When disassembled to its five components: fuselage, tail, nose and two wings, it is easily transportable. Its two forward and side angle cameras can take video in black and white, color, and infrared for nighttime operations. The battery provides up to 60 minutes of flight time at 35 mph, and the aircraft has a flight weight of roughly 5 pounds. The Dragon Eye is made primarily with commercial, off-the-shelf materials, so even if destroyed by enemy fire it is easily replaceable.
The Dragon Eye’s size and ease of use allow for greater diversity when planning missions.

“We can launch it into the air with a bungee cord in under 10 minutes,” said Britner.

“The Dragon Eye can be used for other types of missions besides recon, since the eye can give precise coordinates, you can call for indirect mortar or artillery fire on a location.”

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:22 PM | Permalink

AL ASAD, Iraq (Sept. 30, 2005) -- The Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1 Banshees, based at Al Asad, Iraq, are playing host to two Navy squadrons supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom from late September to early October.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/A1D982CB5B77BFAA8525708C003B18C0?opendocument

Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200593064529
Story by Cpl. James D. Hamel

AL ASAD, Iraq (Sept. 30, 2005) -- The Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1 Banshees, based at Al Asad, Iraq, are playing host to two Navy squadrons supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom from late September to early October.

As Navy Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 135 transferred operations to VAQ-141, the two squadrons needed a land base because of a carrier gap, a situation caused by aircraft carriers rotating in and out of the area of responsibility.

When the USS Chester W. Nimitz, the home of VAQ-135, left the Persian Gulf, the squadron left behind two jets to help VMAQ-1 successfully execute the electronic warfare mission. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, the home of VAQ-141, is on its way to the Persian Gulf, but won’t arrive until next month. The Shadowhawks of VAQ-141 came to Al Asad to relieve their Navy counterparts and allow them to return to their ship.

The rotation allowed operations to continue without forcing any squadron or service member to stay in country longer than necessary. The Shadowhawks hit the ground running, beginning combat missions the day after their arrival. Such quick assumption of missions was no doubt aided by having two squadrons aiding their transition.

“Having VAQ-135 here when we arrived to get a face-to-face turnover was excellent,” said Navy Lt. Bryan Gunkel, a pilot with VAQ-141. “Between them and VMAQ-1, the transition will appear seamless to the troops on the ground, who we’re supporting.”

But while it may seem seamless to the troops on the ground, preparing a Prowler for combat missions in Iraq is anything but easy. To accomplish the distinct mission Operation Iraqi Freedom requires, Prowlers are outfitted with a new tactical jamming pod, the weapon in their electronic countermeasure arsenal.

Marines from VMAQ-1 have been teaching those from VAQ-141 how to operate and maintain the pods. Colonel Mark E. Wakeman, commanding officer of VMAQ-1, said one of the requirements to operate the newly outfitted Prowlers is for an aircrew that has spent time in Iraq to teach a new aircrew that hasn’t. His Marines have been filling that double role to VAQ-141.

“They’re catching on pretty quickly,” said Cpl. Jaa E. Tucker, an electronic countermeasures technician from VMAQ-1. Besides his daily task of keeping the Prowlers flying, he’s been passing his knowledge to his Navy counterparts. “We show them how to service the pod and troubleshooting steps.”

And while Tucker and his fellow Marines have taught the Sailors their jobs, others within the squadron have dealt with the logistics of adding seventy people, albeit temporarily, to their squadron.

“We’ve had to establish billeting, vehicles and working spaces, so there’s a lot of prior coordination so they can get in here and start operating from the start,” said 1st Lt. Mike Monette, an administration officer and electronic countermeasures officer with VMAQ-1.

Yet, the Marines of VMAQ-1 can rest easy knowing their extra work has aided the mission and ensured a more efficient transition for their fellow Prowler squadron.

“The Marines of VMAQ-1 have made our transition from the Theodore Roosevelt to Al Asad easy,” said Navy Lt. Warren Van Allen, an electronic countermeasures officer with VAQ-141. “Not only have they taken us under their wing, they’ve shared everything from working spaces, to critical mission data, to treats from supporters back home. I can’t say enough about them.”

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:17 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (Sept. 30, 2005) -- It begins with a phone call informing the unit commander of their impending visit. Once they get there, it’ll take them only a few days to inspect every function of a unit.

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/E804FA6B6D12E8AA8525708D000677C6?opendocument

Submitted by:
MCB Hawaii
Story by:
Computed Name: Gunnery Sgt. Claudia M. LaMantia
Story Identification #:
2005930211038

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (Sept. 30, 2005) -- It begins with a phone call informing the unit commander of their impending visit. Once they get there, it’ll take them only a few days to inspect every function of a unit.

“Basically, we are the eyes and ears for the commanding general,” said Lt. Col. Loren D. Barney, base inspector. Alongside his deputy, Master Sgt. Sheldon A. Comer, he serves as the custodian of the Inspector General’s Office, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.

To assist with, and establish the unit’s level of readiness, they conduct informal staff assist visits on a recurring basis and the formal Commanding General’s Inspection biennially. The duo leads a group of about 25 Marines — each an expert in his or her field — armed with checklists from Headquarters Marine Corps as they tour all sections.

“The inspections and investigating any fraud, waste or abuse, are our main focus of effort,” said Comer, a Detroit native.
But their to-do list is comprised of much more.

The IG office is composed of six Marines: Barney, Comer, Master Sgt. Milton White, Staff Sgts. Petronella Williams, Shama Hernandez and Lance Cpl. Phillip M. Cox. Collectively, their mission is to handle complaints, give permissions and help foster peace and harmony — but that’s only a portion of what they do.

“We often mediate when there’s a contention with customer service, nuisances or the use of inappropriate language,” added Comer.

Permissions are reviewed for those wanting to run a small business from base housing and when someone wants to post signs to announce events like garage sales, birthday parties and homecoming celebrations. In addition, they assist with domestic disturbances, which are treated with confidentiality — unless there’s a criminal act involved. From time to time, they also aid with request masts from Headquarters Battalion and Marine Corps Air Facility to the commanding general.

Base beautification and maintenance of Building 216 are top priority for Hernandez and his temporary group of six to eight working party Marines and Sailors. Of that group, Hernandez is the only permanently assigned member of the IG office. The others are assigned for one-month stints before returning to their sections, and a new group of temporarily assigned Marines replaces them.

“I like to call ourselves; the catch all or on-the-spot fix-it crew,” said Hernandez, a Hereford, Texas native. Removing items that wash up on shore, cleaning up rubbish and downed tree branches from the common roads and parks, handling recyclables, fixing doors, repairing windows, making display cases and doing spot landscaping for the commanding general’s building are some of the things they face everyday.

Even with a plethora of tasks, the members of this shop say they are confident they can take care of just about any situation.

More information about the Base Inspector’s office is available at www.mcbh.usmc.mil/inspector/isdir.htm.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:16 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(Sept. 30, 2005) -- Spear fishing, a very popular sport in Hawaii, is growing in popularity among Marines and Sailors aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/5591927A58C112FE8525708C006E3F55?opendocument

Submitted by:
MCB Hawaii
Story by:
Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Roger L. Nelson
Story Identification #:
200593016411

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii(Sept. 30, 2005) -- Spear fishing, a very popular sport in Hawaii, is growing in popularity among Marines and Sailors aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

“It’s great to do on the weekend and just gets my mind off of the work I have to do all week long,” said Pfc. Timothy J. Regan, traffic management specialist, Traffic Management Office, MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. “I started off just snorkeling but always saw people in the water with these spears. I wondered how they worked, so I went out and bought one and fell in love with the sport.”

Regan, a Boston, Mass. native, explained the experience was one of the most exciting things he has done in his life.

“There is actually a lot more to the sport than you would think,” said Regan. “You have to learn all the rules and regulations or else you could end up being arrested. Also, you have to know the techniques and different things you need and the fish you can and can’t spear.”

Randy Fallau, marine technician, Aaron’s Dive Shop, said a lot of fish are good to eat but may carry a toxin that will get a person sick if eaten.

“Honestly, one of the best ways to figure out what kind of fish you can eat is to go to a fish market and figure out what they sell,” said Fallau, a Kailua, Hawaii native. “This will give you the best idea of what is okay to eat. Parrotfish are good eating; however, please keep in mind that some fish carry toxins. For example, Papio, a tasty fish, may carry toxins, the bigger they get.”

The rules and regulations for spear fishing range from what kind of fish can and cannot be speared to what kinds of spears and equipment you can use to spear the fish. Also, a “bag” limit is set, which limits how many of a certain kind of fish a person is allowed to take home after one day of spear fishing.

For example, anyone spear fishing can harvest a maximum of 20 Papio and Ulua per person in one day or one trip.

In some areas of the United States, a saltwater fishing license must be obtained before a person can go spear fishing, but in Hawaii, this license is not required.

Regan said the most common tools needed to spear fish are fins, snorkel, mask, and a catch bag.

“That’s the cheap way to go, too,” said Regan. “It can be a pretty expensive sport, if you get into buying scuba-diving gear and a lot of other things that will make your chances of spearing ‘the big one’ higher.”

Regan explained the difference and variety in the types of spears and spear guns that can be purchased for the sport.

“I like to use what’s called a Hawaiian sling spear,” said Regan. “It has a big rubber band on the end of it that you hold in your hand, then you pull back on the spear and let go when you see a fish you want to shoot. There are other types of spears, but this one is easy to use and does the job just fine for what I use it for.”

Other spears that are commonly used are pneumatic spear guns, pole spears and sling spears, all of which can be made out of different materials. Common materials are aluminum, wood and stainless steel.

Hawaii has a diverse population of fish, which makes every place a good spot for the sport, according to Regan. Areas where you will usually find people spear fishing are Shark’s Cove at North Shore and North Beach at Kaneohe Bay.

“I personally like spear fishing at North Beach on base,” said Regan. “It’s a close drive and has some really nice fish. The only bad thing is that if you go out too far, you have to bring a marker for protection — that’s in case a boat drives by. The driver will know that there is a person in the water. Just another safety precaution.”

Fallau explained that a spear fisher and other divers must have dive flags. If the diver is surfacing around the flag, he must not surface more than 50 feet away from the flag or marker. Boats must allow at least 200 feet between the boat and a dive flag.

“Even though there are a lot of rules and things you have to know before going, it’s still fun,” said Regan. “It helps with my tan and gives me something to do.”

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:13 PM | Permalink

NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS, La., Sept. 30, 2005 – A specially tailored Marine task force ordered to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is headed home after wrapping up its work in some of the region's most devastated communities.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2005/20050930_2900.html

American Forces Press Service

NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS, La., Sept. 30, 2005 – A specially tailored Marine task force ordered to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is headed home after wrapping up its work in some of the region's most devastated communities.

More than 1,200 active-duty Marines will return to their home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in the coming week and resume preparations for a scheduled deployment in the spring.

The departing Marines, part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, were among thousands of troops summoned by the president to bolster relief efforts in the desperate days following Katrina's impact.

"The intent was clear," said Marine Col. John Shook, commander of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard, named for the Louisiana parish that would become the focus of the Marines' efforts. "Do whatever we could to help save lives and ease the suffering of those who survived. We approached our mission with a sense of purpose and accomplished what we set out to do."

In the first two weeks following the Aug. 29 storm, the Marines searched more than 5,000 homes; rescued 610 stranded residents; transported nearly 1,500 other displaced citizens; delivered two million pounds of supplies; and cleared debris from more than 1,000 homes, schools, and municipal buildings.

Their efforts began just hours after the levees burst, as Marines from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion and the Corps' Anti-Terrorism Battalion rushed to the scene from their bases in the stricken area.

On Aug. 30, Marine helicopters and amphibious vehicles began pulling survivors to safety.

Most of those rescues were carried out by the task force's air component, composed of Marines of the Reserve 4th Marine Air Wing and their active-duty counterparts from the 2nd Marine Air Wing, who flew in on Sept. 1 to help.

During three days of nearly continuous daylight sorties, four UH-1N Huey utility helicopters -- working in tandem with a mix of heavy-lift CH-53Es and medium-lift CH-46Es -- plucked 446 people from rooftops, highway overpasses, and other hard-to-reach high ground where residents had taken refuge.

As the helicopters began their three-day run, an advance team from the headquarters element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived at the air station here to pave the way for additional forces.

At the same time, nearly 300 Marines from MEU Service Support Group 24 -- constituting the bulk of the task force's logistics component -- were making their way down the Atlantic coast on two naval vessels launched from Norfolk, Va. They brought with them an array of engineering equipment well suited to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, including forklifts, large trucks, Humvees and water-purification devices.

By the evening of Sept. 4, some 700 Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, had arrived.

As Marines and sailors continued to pour into the region -- the task force would soon swell to 2,500 -- leadership shifted to Maj. Gen. Douglas O'Dell, commander of the New Orleans-based 4th Marine Division, a reserve unit.

The Marines fanned out to three areas initially: Michoud, just east of New Orleans; Slidell, east of Lake Pontchartrain; and Picayune, just over the state line in Mississippi. They would later move most of the task force to Michoud, keeping the anti-terrorism battalion in Slidell.

Most of the Marines spent the ensuing week wading through St. Bernard Parish, just east of New Orleans, rendered a swamp after water levels in some sections of the parish rose to 15 feet in the storm's wake.

Using amphibious vehicles called "amtracs," members of 1/8 and 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion -- joined by local police and soldiers from the 169th Colorado National Guard --- churned through the fetid, flooded streets in search of survivors.

After multiple sweeps that included a stop at every structure in the parish, the Marines completed their search Sept. 13, having rescued 78 residents.

The mission in St. Bernard Parish was brought to a formal close five days later with a memorial service honoring parish residents who died in the storm and its aftermath.

"We were determined to do as much as we possibly could in the time available to us," Shook said. "We set out to make a difference, to offer a lifeline, to give the local leaders enough time to get their feet under them again."

As they spent what appeared to be their final few days in Louisiana clearing roads, removing debris from homes, schools and key government facilities, and helping leaders in both St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes prepare for the return of business owners and residents, Hurricane Rita bore down on the Gulf Coast. The Marines repositioned themselves to ensure their own safety and enable a rapid response wherever Rita came ashore.

The morning of Sept. 24 bore witness to the new path of destruction cut by Rita across southwest Louisiana and coastal Texas.

The Marines of the anti-terrorism battalion were directed to Lafayette, La. Driving through the remnants of Rita's foul weather, they arrived within hours of the storm's impact. They synchronized their efforts with soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, who had come from New Orleans to help.

By the evening of Sept. 25, the Marines had rescued 26 people in New Iberia, La.

Farther west, Marines from 1/8 moved ashore from the USS Iwo Jima to help the devastated town of Cameron re-establish the parish courthouse as the center of local relief efforts.

Shook said the Marines' response was critical in helping the Gulf Coast recover from what he called "this double-whammy hurricane attack."

"The Marines are tired, but proud of the difference they made," he added.

As the Marines return to North Carolina this week, they will immediately pick up where they left off, readying themselves for an intensive pre-deployment training program due to begin in December.

Most of the Marines, including 1/8 and MSSG-24, are scheduled to deploy with the 24th MEU in the spring.

(From a Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force news release.)

Related Site:
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 10:09 PM | Permalink

Near a makeshift memorial for their only dead brethren, the Marine reservists of B Company returned home Thursday to a joyful reunion with their families, including some babies born while their fathers were in Iraq. (4th CEB)

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/34294

The Roanoke-based unit was activated in January for the first time since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. View photos

By John Cramer
981-3140
The Roanoke Times

Near a makeshift memorial for their only dead brethren, the Marine reservists of B Company returned home Thursday to a joyful reunion with their families, including some babies born while their fathers were in Iraq.

Among them was Cpl. Aaron Forbes, who cuddled his newborn daughter, AnMarie, as his wife, Jennifer, looked on.

"It's a great feeling," said Forbes, whose Roanoke-based B Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, spent the past seven months in Iraq. "I had to wait a long time to hold her."

Nearby was a concrete traffic barrier that had been turned into a hand-painted memorial for Lance Cpl. Jourdan Grez of Harrisonburg, who was killed by a roadside bomb in May.

The painting included Grez's name, a U.S. flag and his helmet, boots, rifle and dog tags.

Maj. John Knapp, B Company's commander, said his unit accomplished all of their missions in Iraq but regretted the death of Grez and the serious wounding of four other Marines.

"This is a great group of Marines," Knapp said. "They did everything that was asked of them."

When the Marines arrived in buses at the Naval and Marine Corps Training Center in Northwest Roanoke, they found hundreds of relatives and friends waiting under sunny skies with flags, balloons and welcome-home signs.

When they got off the buses, they were wrapped in teary embraces.

Lance Cpl. Ronnie Earle, a George Mason University student from Lynchburg, kissed his girlfriend, Lauren Stephens of Charlottesville, and petted her dog, Lexi, a Chihuahua, whom Stephens carried in her purse.

"I can't describe my feelings," Stephens said, crying.

Sgt. Justin Whiting of Roanoke hugged his parents, brother, girlfriend and other relatives.

"It's an amazing feeling, being home," he said.

Forbes, whose civilian job is being a police officer in South Boston, didn't say much as he held his newborn child.

"I just want to hold her," he said.

B Company, which was activated in January for the first time since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, included men from many civilian backgrounds, including college students, engineers, lawmen, businessmen, farmers, carpenters and laborers.

About 60 of the 90 Marines who went to Iraq returned Thursday.

The rest are due to return next week.

In Iraq, their duties included clearing land mines, doing construction and other engineering tasks.

Thousands of Southwest and central Virginians -- active duty, reservists and National Guard troops -- have been deployed since Sept. 11, 2001, including more than 2,000 who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:56 PM | Permalink

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi and U.S. forces are preparing to seize five towns along the Euphrates River near the Syrian border that have fallen under the control of terrorists, an Iraqi official said yesterday.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20050929-114709-8230r.htm

By Paul Martin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
September 30, 2005

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi and U.S. forces are preparing to seize five towns along the Euphrates River near the Syrian border that have fallen under the control of terrorists, an Iraqi official said yesterday.
"Just as with our Tal Afar operation, D-Day is not announced until well after we go on in -- and you can take it that D-Day has either happened or is about to," the official said on the condition of anonymity.
Tal Afar is a village on the Syrian border that U.S. forces say was effectively rid of "terrorists and foreign fighters" earlier this month in a U.S.-Iraqi offensive. But many of the insurgents escaped.
In the five towns now under insurgent control, a ruthless Taliban-style regime has been imposed, a U.S. Marine commander told an embedded American reporter.
"For the time being, they run these towns," Lt. Col. Julian Alford, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines Regiment stationed outside the western Iraqi town of Qaim, told reporter Anna Badkhen of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The U.S. and Iraqi governments have stepped up their criticism of Syria recently because of its failure to curb the movement of foreign militants across the porous 450-mile border.
Iraq's al Qaeda leader Abu Musab Zarqawi has boasted over the Internet that the five towns have become "The Islamic Republic of Qaim."
The towns are Ubaydi, Qaim, Sada, Karabila and Dulaym al-Husayba.
The area comprises desert broken by lush riverside fields. It is populated by about 100,000 Sunni Arabs with a long tradition of cross-border smuggling activities.
Marines just outside Ubaydi told the Chronicle reporter that they come under attack every time they approach it and that U.S. troops do not enter the town, where the insurgents appear to have free rein.
The highway leading into it is marked with anti-American and anti-Iraqi government billboards signed by "al Qaeda organization."
One large metal billboard warns people not to become "spies."
Another billboard says, "Our religion will not be strong without the book and the sword."
By late last night, the U.S.-led coalition had not responded to queries about the five towns.

Email | Print | Subscribe

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Outside Sada, Iraq -- As the crimson sun rolled behind the Taraq an-Naja Mountains, a group of U.S. Marines scraped their shovels across the infertile, rocky soil of western Iraq, trying to set their mortar launchers deeper into the dust. (3/6 Wpns Co)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/09/30/MNGH3F0HJ61.DTL

Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, September 30, 2005

Outside Sada, Iraq -- As the crimson sun rolled behind the Taraq an-Naja Mountains, a group of U.S. Marines scraped their shovels across the infertile, rocky soil of western Iraq, trying to set their mortar launchers deeper into the dust.

In the Euphrates River valley before them twinkled the white and yellow lights of Sada and Karabila -- key Iraqi towns near the border with Syria controlled by fighters loyal to insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Marines from the 1st Mobile Assault Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment camped out Thursday on a moonless night in the desiccated expanse overlooking the towns, setting up mortar firing positions and keeping an eye for any insurgent movement inside the settlements.

As they set up their mortars, the Marines discarded the metal bindings of 81mm ammo cases, leaving the long metal strips on the ground like some strange petrified seaweed mysteriously beached onto the Iraqi desert. On the bottom of a dry riverbed, salt reflected the receding light. A lightning flash, an early sign of fall, lit up the horizon over Sada, and a thunderclap followed.

Then darkness enveloped the encampment, and all became smells and sounds.

A Marine laughed in the distance. Another one, closer, lit a cigarette, which glowed orange in the dark. Dogs barked in Sada, and a donkey screamed. A humvee smelled of diesel fuel. A muezzin started a solemn call for the evening prayer. Somewhere, a car sped down a road. From time to time, helicopters roared overhead. Marines whispered loudly over the racket of rotors.

Cool wind carried noises across the shadowy desert, and Marines listened and sniffed in the darkness.

"Night is different," said Gunnery Sgt. Derrick Link, 32, as he listened to the static on the humvee radio, a lifeline for his platoon to battalion commanders. "You rely on different senses in the night. Your hearing instead of your sight. Everything sounds a lot closer than it is."

Night is also a time to contemplate and reminisce. The Marines talked about home.

Navy medic Michael Larson, 30, talked about 19th century Russian writers ("I love Gogol!") and food.

"I used to make focaccia bread, with olives and Parmesan cheese," he said. "I'd make pasta Alfredo. I love to cook. Make the whole course.

"When I go home, it will be, like, my girlfriend, food and my daughter, these three, nothing else."

Pfc. Dale Fellows, 19, talked about his girlfriend, too. She was a year ahead of him in high school in upstate New York, and now she goes to Northeastern University in Boston. She is an intern at the Boston Globe.

Link talked about his 9-year-old daughter, Samantha, who started cheerleading classes this year.

Stephen Thomson, 30, talked about his dream to go to medical school to become a radiologist.

"They work in teams, and they really know their anatomy, and I'm very interested in anatomy and physiology," he explained.

At 9 p.m., desert wind kicked up dust and carried it across the encampment. The temperature dropped from the daytime's 95 degrees to 62 in a matter of minutes. Marines materialized out of the opaque darkness, stopping by Link's truck to chat, rest and smoke. Some moved on, disappearing in the blowing sand; others stayed to seek the comfort of companionship.

"They rarely attack in the dark," Lance Cpl. Jared Treadway, 22, consoled himself, his shoulder-mounted launcher leaning against Link's humvee.

Link disagreed.

"Last time we stayed overnight, last week, the first night we got hit pretty bad," he said, standing near his humvee, which was parked facing the lights of Sada.

But this time the troops were luckier. An orange trace of a lone mortar round arched out of Sada at about 5:30 a.m., injuring no one.

"Maybe they are just waiting it out; maybe they're feeling there's a big fight coming, they just don't know when," Link said. "That's what I would have done."

At 1 a.m., the Marines start digging foxholes next to their humvees.

Earlier in the evening, when their convoy crept through the desert, the Marines had watched the tracks that crisscrossed the desert: humvee tire tracks; small tracks, from gerbils or mice; and larger ones, from foxes or stray dogs. The ones to watch out for were human tracks -- possible signs that someone had laid a roadside bomb in the fine, ankle-deep dust.

But where they finally made camp, the dirt was packed hard and strewn with small rocks, making the wasteland look like the surface of the moon.

Next to the passenger door of his humvee, Link drew a rectangular shape on the ground with the tip of his shovel, and forcefully stabbed the ground. The shovel went in less than one inch.

"F -- ing not good," he muttered. He took off his Kevlar helmet and his body armor. "This ground is hard as a f -- ing rock. There's no f -- ing way."

But he continued to dig, as did the troops around him. For several minutes, the air filled with the sound of metal scraping against rock.

At one point, Thomson stepped away from the 3-inch-deep hole he had managed to gouge in the ground, contemplating his work.

"It's like digging a grave," he says. "I'll lay in my little grave, I'll put my sleeping bag on top of me, and I'll be warm. I've found out that the deeper you dig, the warmer it gets."

"Last time we were out," he continued, "the first day, I dug like a champion. The second day, I didn't dig deep enough, and I was cold."

He paused, then smiled.

"I talk about digging as though I'd been digging graves all my life," he said, shaking his head.

Soon, everyone except for the Marines pulling guard duty was lying in the foxholes they had managed to dig. It became so quiet that the ticking of Link's wristwatch filled the air.

Then there were steps.

A Marine carrying a backpack walked past Link's humvee, looking lost.

"I'm just freaking -- oh yeah," he said, remembering something, and walked away.

Link stretched out in his foxhole and fell asleep. Two hours later, the muezzin's call for prayer once again filled the dark predawn air.

"Wake up, wake up, prayer is better than sleep," the muezzin called in melodious Arabic.

The Marines' night in the desert was over.

E-mail Anna Badkhen at abadkhen@sfchronicle.com.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:48 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC -- Master Sgt. Donald Parrish, the officer-in-charge of explosive ordnance disposal for Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device for Valor for his actions in Iraq in a ceremony aboard the Air Station Sept. 14.

http://www.dcmilitary.com/marines/hendersonhall/10_39/national_news/37416-1.html

by Cpl. Anthony Guas
MCAS Beaufort

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC -- Master Sgt. Donald Parrish, the officer-in-charge of explosive ordnance disposal for Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device for Valor for his actions in Iraq in a ceremony aboard the Air Station Sept. 14.

Lieutenant Gen. John F. Sattler, the commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, awarded the medal on behalf of the President to Parrish, recognizing him as "an absolute critical element to the ability of coalition forces to neutralize insurgent activity in the Babil and Al Anbar Provinces of Iraq."

"I feel very humble," Parrish said. "I was just simply there doing my job. It was very demanding and everybody stepped up and did there job out there."

Although the Adrian, Ga., native is happy about receiving the award, he believes his Marines deserved it more.

"I have mixed feelings, because my Marines deserve to be here with me, if not before me," Parrish said.

From Sept. 2004 to March 2005, Parrish served as the Team Leader for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Platoon for Combat Service Support Battalion 1. He led his Marines in the destruction of 60 weapons caches, the disposal of 25,024 unexploded ordnance items and 226,000 small arms. In addition, he rendered safe 518 Improvised Explosive Devices within a 22-day period, many times under intense enemy fire.

Before joining the Marine Corps, Parrish had a scholarship to the Art Institute of Atlanta, but declined the scholarship and instead opted for life in the Marine Corps.

I tried looking at things realistically and couldn't see myself disciplined enough to go through school," Parrish said. "I joined the Marine Corps because every other service seemed generic. I wanted something different."

The 18-year veteran has served as an EOD technician for 15 years. He joined the Marine Corps in 1987 and was an Anti-Tank Assault man before transferring to EOD.

Parrish saw his first tour of the Lowcountry and his last as a grunt in 1989, when he served as a range coach aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

"The only way I saw myself staying in the Marine Corps was by laterally moving to public affairs or EOD," Parrish said. "I liked the idea of dealing with media. While EOD would provide a greater challenge, there are so many aspects. I liked that fact that you could always learn something new."

After completing the screening process in 1990, Parrish began his EOD career. He went to the first phase of EOD School in January 1991 and completed the second phase in August.

Parrish saw his first combat action with the EOD platoon, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene, N.C, in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force. He was then sent a second time to serve as a Team Leader for EOD Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

"I took a team of six EOD technicians and a corpsman to Camp Al Asad," Parrish said. "Our primary mission were responses for Al Asad, the city of Hit, Rawa and Haditha. We responded when they found Improvised Explosive Devices, land mines and weapons caches. We also assisted with the destruction (of the devices)."

The mission soon changed for Parrish and his Marines. In October, they started to pull forces for Fallujah, according to Parrish.

"On Oct. 27 we were on a convoy to Fallujah, to start taking operations there," Parrish said. "When we got there everything was hectic. Our mission was to check apartments, which were supposed to be rigged to blow."

Before arriving at the apartments, Parrish and his platoon destroyed multiple IED's planted all around their target's perimeter.

"We cleared at least 6 IED's within a quarter of a mile," Parrish said. "We then cleared the streets and the apartments. The apartments were so close together that we literally could go rooftop to rooftop."

Parrish and his platoon found everything from weapons to clothing. Some of the buildings had remote rockets on the rooftops that were aimed at the street, according to Parrish.

"Imagine every third house being full of something," Parrish said. "We had to get in and blow the buildings up. We couldn't take our time with everything, because we had three or four things being called in."

In addition to keeping an intense pace, Parrish and his platoon had to deal with the firefights going on in the background.

"We could stand on the rooftop and see all the fighting going on," Parrish said. "Sometimes we had to back up pretty far to blow a building and ended up at the edge of the firefight. We had to fight and then return back to our mission."

Although it was a chaotic situation, Parrish credits his Marines' performance.

"I went in very optimistic, although when they briefed me they told me that they expected a 30 percent casualty rate," Parrish said. "We were going into a situation where the insurgents knew we were coming and set up traps for us."

After receiving the Bronze Star, Parrish still feels that his best accomplishment was having his Marines make it back alive.

"We were going into the worst-case scenario and I was just hoping for me and my Marines to get back alive," Parrish said. "I attribute my success to my Marines, they did an outstanding job."

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:42 PM | Permalink

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an effort to tell the positive stories of daily accomplishments by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan directly from the perspective of the American soldier, The American Legion today launched its "Letters to America from the Front" initiative.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54331
9/30/2005 9:18:00 AM

To: National Desk

Contact: Joe March or Wade Habshey, 317-630-1253 or 317-748-1926 (cell), or Ramona Joyce, 202-263-2982 or 202-445-1161 (cell), all of The America Legion

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an effort to tell the positive stories of daily accomplishments by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan directly from the perspective of the American soldier, The American Legion today launched its "Letters to America from the Front" initiative.

"America needs to hear the good news first hand from those who are fighting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Bock. "It's about time that the American public hears about the positive things our soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and coastguardsmen are doing for our country and for the Afghani and Iraqi people."

In support of the Legion's Resolution 169 (Support for the War on Terrorism), National Commander Tom Bock is inviting all family members, spouses and friends of our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to share letters from their loved ones fighting the war on terror

"The focus that we are looking for in these letters is positive energy," said Bock. "We want to share with America their success stories, acts of kindness to the Iraqi and Afghani people (especially children), camaraderie and most important, their love of God and country."

As a new addition to The American Legion Web site, "Letters to America from the Front" submissions from troops will tell of all the good things happening in Iraq and Afghanistan that are not reported in the media.

Letters can be viewed at http://www.legion.org/. Click on "Letters to America from the Front" in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Submit letters for posting to pr@legion.org.

"I urge all Americans to visit the Web site and see for themselves the tremendous accomplishments of our young men and women in uniform," Bock said. "And I ask our fighting forces around the world to take this opportunity to speak directly to America and tell it like it is."

To kick off this new initiative that will reconnect America with brave troops serving our country, Commander Bock has posted a letter from his son, Adam, currently serving in Iraq.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:40 PM | Permalink

FORT MYER, Va. -- Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace was sworn in Friday as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first Marine to hold the nation's highest military post.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-joint-chiefs-chairman,0,7431349.story

By Associated Press

September 30, 2005, 12:34 PM EDT

FORT MYER, Va. -- Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace was sworn in Friday as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming the first Marine to hold the nation's highest military post.

Pace succeeded Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, who retired after 40 years of military service, including two years as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs and four years as the chairman.

At a retirement ceremony on this ceremonial post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld thanked Myers for his service. Bush noted that Myers became chairman just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and oversaw the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

"He helped design a broad and innovative military strategy to win the war on terror," Bush said. "His leadership and flexibility were essential to the liberation of Iraq, and to adapting our tactics to defeat the terrorists and help Iraqis build a peaceful democracy. "

Bush also praised Pace, saying he looked forward working with him. The Joint Chiefs chairman, by law, is the senior military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense. He commands no troops and is not in the formal chain of command, which extends from the president to the defense secretary to combatant commanders.

Pace, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Teaneck, N.J., had served the past four years as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He was the first Marine to hold that position and also is the first to be chairman.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:39 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan (Sep. 30, 2005) -- More than 40 corpsmen and nurses from units all over Okinawa spent Sept. 26-28 learning about the En Route Care System (ERCS) during the 26-hour Naval En Route Care (NERC) course.

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/1BA5A7A7AEAC3A538525709000288EB7?opendocument

Submitted by:
MCB Camp Butler
Story by:
Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Erin F. McKnight
Story Identification #:
200510432259

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan (Sep. 30, 2005) -- More than 40 corpsmen and nurses from units all over Okinawa spent Sept. 26-28 learning about the En Route Care System (ERCS) during the 26-hour Naval En Route Care (NERC) course.

The course, approved in January by Marine Corps Combat Development Command, teaches methods of caring for critically wounded Marines who need medical attention during transportation from the point of injury to a medical facility, explained Lt. Cmdr. Tony P. Catanese, assistant director of Medical Lessons Learned, Naval Operations Medical Institute (NOMI), Pensacola, Fla.

The NOMI-trained instructors came from various stateside commands and spent more than eight hours teaching students the basics about the ERCS and in-flight patient treatment.

The ERCS is compiled of equipment such as a vital signs monitor and a ventilator that monitors a patient’s vital signs and helps keep them stable throughout the flight. The framework is attached to the casualty’s stretcher and holds the system in place over the patient’s body.

Instructors briefed students on the physiological issues of flight, such as how varying altitudes and helicopter movement patterns can affect a patient. They also covered how to manage critical injuries such as amputations, chest trauma and spinal injuries.

Students also got hands-on experience with the ERCS, and even practiced using stretchers to load dummies and equipment onto CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters. The instructors presented participants with real-world scenarios to help them learn how to react to different situations, explained Catanese.

“The course objectives are to instill critical thinking skills and teach them to use the equipment properly,” Catanese said. “Not every patient is the same. It’s definitely not ‘textbook.’”

The final day of training was the most critical, according to Lt. Scott E. Avery, the training officer for 3rd Medical Battalion.

The corpsmen and nurses boarded one of two Sea Knights manned by Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Students used stretchers to load dummies or fellow service members onto the helicopters, secured the stretchers inside the aircraft and took their seats for takeoff. Once the helicopters were airborne, students practiced new techniques using medical knowledge they gained from the class.

“Without that practical application portion, this whole evolution would be useless,” Avery said.

The HMM-265 Marines were glad to help out, according to Maj. Victor Chin, the outbound logistics officer for the unit.

“They needed time in the air, and I know these guys don’t get to fly much, so we were definitely happy to support this,” Chin said. “Plus, it’s better to train when nobody’s shooting at you.”

Petty Officer 3rd Class Paul N. Barnachea, a corpsman with 3rd Med. Bn. was excited about the opportunity to learn about the ERCS, he explained.

“My chief asked me if I wanted to go, and I said ‘Yeah, of course!’” Barnachea said. “I’ve never been around this type of aircraft before, so it’s interesting.”

Teams trained by NOMI have already conducted NERC courses at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Camp Pendleton, Calif., Catanese added.

“The NERC course gives (corpsmen and nurses) an opportunity to be more familiar with (the ERCS),” Catanese said. “The first time somebody touches the equipment shouldn’t be when they actually have to use it on a casualty.”

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:20 PM | Permalink

Pentagon has still not acted to pay back parents a year after Congress 'demanded action.'

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0930/dailyUpdate.html

By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com
More than a year after the US Congress told the Defense Department to reimburse parents who had bought body armor for their sons or daughters serving in Iraq, the Pentagon "still hasn't figured out a way" to reimburse them. The Associated Press reports that soldiers and their parents are still spending "hundreds, sometimes thousands" of dollars on armor that "the military does not provide."

Senator Chris Dodd (D) of Connecticut said he will "again try to force" the Pentagon to obey the reimbursement bill that it "opposed from the outset and has so far not implemented."

[Dodd], said he will offer amendments to the defense appropriations bill working its way through Congress to take the issue out of the hands of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and give control to military unit commanders in the field.

"Mr. Rumsfeld is violating the law," Dodd said. "It's been sitting on the books for over a year. They were opposed to it. It was insulting to them. I'm sorry that's how they felt."

Marine Corp Times reports that under the law passed last October, Congress had until this past Feb. 25 to develop a way to implement the reimbursement plan. The amendment that Dodd had originally added to a military appropriations bills authorized, but did not require, the military to reimburse families up to $1,100 for the purchase of armor and other safety gear "not provided by the military. The Corp Times adds that the Pentagon "never paid a dime," and military officials have said they are still "working on the regulations."

Sen. Dodd has the backing of major military and veteran groups for his plan.

“We share your disappointment that the Defense Department still has not implemented it 11 months after it was enacted,” said retired Vice Adm. Norbert Ryan Jr., president of the Military Officers Association of America.

Retired Army Master Sgt. Michael Cline, executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, said the Pentagon’s refusal to pay is hard to understand, given the 91-0 vote by the Senate last year in favor of Dodd’s original proposal ... “How many of those killed [in Iraq and Afghanistan] could have been saved with the proper equipment?” Cline said.

The Associated Press reports that one father, who only wanted to be identified by his first name, Gordon, because he feared "retaliation" against his son who is serving in Fallujah, spent over $1,000 two weeks ago to buy lower body armor.

"I wouldn't have cared if it cost us $10,000 to protect our son, I would do it," said Gordon. "But I think the US has an obligation to make sure they have this equipment and to reimburse for it. I just don't support Donald Rumsfeld's idea of going to war with what you have, not what you want. You go to war prepared, and you don't go to war until you are prepared."

Pentagon spokeswoman Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke said Thursday the department "is in the final stages of putting a reimbursement program together and it is expected to be operating soon." But defense officials would not discuss the reason for the delay.

In August the Pentagon announced it was replacing body armor for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in order to withstand "the strongest of attacks from insurgents." Armor replacement began more than a year ago and will ultimately cost $160 million. The plan would last another year, the Pentagon said at the time, and would "upgrade" the protection used by more than 500,000 soldiers, civilian employees and news media.

USAToday.com reports that the Justice Department has launched a criminal probe into whether Second Chance Body Armor (which the government started working with in 2001) knowingly provided defective bulletproof vest to the military and the White House. The Pentagon had bought some of the vests for "elite troops."

Problems came to light two years ago when the Michigan-based company recalled 130,000 vests because of degradation problems with Zylon, a bullet-resistant fabric used in its vests. The vests were upgraded and returned.

But in June the company issued a bulletin to police departments warning that its vests could fail and result in "serious injury or death." It estimated that about 100,000 of its vests remained in circulation.

The company is cooperating with the investigation.

Finally, Newsday reports that Rumsfeld also found himself in trouble with many police departments across America after he compared the "infiltration of insurgents into Iraqi security forces" with "comparable problems" encountered by US police forces. "It's a problem faced by police forces in every major city in our country, that criminals infiltrate and sign up to join the police force," Rumsfeld testified to the Senate Thursday. But a police spokesman felt differently:

"The secretary's comment was flippant and reflects a fundamental lack of understanding about what American police departments are all about," said Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations.

"It's absurd to equate the idea that background checks may occasionally miss a shoplifting charge or somebody who smoked dope as a kid with a person who wires themselves with explosives and blows themselves up in a dining hall," he added.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:08 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(Sept. 30, 2005) -- The United States Seagoing Marine Association, in its largest gathering since World War II, attended a morning colors ceremony and Company M's graduation Friday.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/AF769DF712E5DC498525708C005630EB?opendocument

Submitted by:
MCRD San Diego
Story by:
Computed Name: Pvt. Charlie Chavez
Story Identification #:
2005930114126

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif.(Sept. 30, 2005) -- The United States Seagoing Marine Association, in its largest gathering since World War II, attended a morning colors ceremony and Company M's graduation Friday.

The 211 Marines and spouses first attended the colors ceremony, then they viewed a graduation ceremony similar to what they marched in years ago. Some Seagoing Marines at the graduation completed boot camp when the M1-Garand Rifle was still in use and fired during the graduations.

"I miss the rifles so much. They made everything so nice," said Seagoing Marine Chuck Kane. "I guess they can't have them for graduation because of security."

The Seagoing Marines share a significant bond with the depot because from the 1930s through the 1980s, Sea School was located where the Coast Guard weather station is now, according to William R. Graham, the association's finance officer.

The school was set in place so that Marines with no knowledge of how to serve on a ship could get proper training and understanding before joining their Navy brethren abroad. Sea School's highlight was when then-President John F. Kennedy conducted a formal inspection on the students in the early 1960s.

"The ceremony and the depot are still as beautiful as when I was here before," said Seagoing Marine Joe F. Cody.

Robert Vanderveen, a Seagoing Marine, said this was probably the last association meeting on the depot becausethe school has not been active in more than 20 years, so no new members join.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 1:07 PM | Permalink

For a few months, some of them were part of Lucky Lima, the nickname given to an Ohio-based Marine unit that had left for Iraq in January and, for a time, had not suffered any casualties or injuries.

http://www.the-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050930/APN/509300550&cachetime=5

By NATALIE GOTT
Associated Press Writer

For a few months, some of them were part of Lucky Lima, the nickname given to an Ohio-based Marine unit that had left for Iraq in January and, for a time, had not suffered any casualties or injuries.

But by the end of their deployment, the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines had lost 48 servicemen, including nine from the battalion's Lima Company in the deadliest roadside bombing of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The battalion, made up of about 1,000 reservists, is returning to the United States now. A large group of the Marines was set to arrive at Camp Lejeune on Friday. Vice President Dick Cheney plans to join them at the base Monday for a luncheon, the White House announced Friday.

The battalion left for Iraq in January. In March and April, two of the battalion's companies lost three members in as many attacks.

In May, the battalion lost five more reservists in small arms fires and a roadside explosion. Lima Company lost its first Marine, Cpl. Dustin A. Derga, 24, in a May 8 attack.

More losses came throughout June and July, with a deadly roadside bomb that took three reservists June 9, indirect enemy fire that killed two July 10 and grenade fire that killed two on July 28.

August proved to the be the deadliest month for the battalion, particularly the once-lucky Lima Company.

Enemy fire killed five members of the battalion on Aug. 1. Two days later, nine of the Lima reservists were among 14 Marines killed in a roadside bombing.

Overall, 16 Lima Company reservists died in Iraq, and about two dozen were injured, Master Sgt. Stephen Walter said.

Thirteen other permanent members of the battalion were killed. A Navy corpsman and 18 other Marines who were temporarily attached to the group also died.

Of the 48 that were killed, half were from Ohio.

The Marines will spend about five days at Camp Lejeune before they return to their home bases in Ohio, West Virginia and New York for more public festivities. The Marines Corps urged families not to travel to North Carolina because of the debriefing.

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 12:53 PM | Permalink

The Marines' V-22 Osprey, the helicopter-airplane hybrid that has survived a rocky two decades of development and controversy, could be carrying Marines on combat missions in Iraq or Afghanistan within two years, military officials said Friday.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/01/news/top_stories/18_26_089_30_05.txt

By: DARRIN MORTENSON - Staff Writer

The Marines' V-22 Osprey, the helicopter-airplane hybrid that has survived a rocky two decades of development and controversy, could be carrying Marines on combat missions in Iraq or Afghanistan within two years, military officials said Friday.

The Pentagon this week gave Boeing Co. and Textron Inc.'s Bell Helicopter division the green light to start building 400 of the $100 million aircraft, 360 of which are slated for Marine units.

Capt. Jerome Bryant, a spokesman for Marine air programs at the Corps' headquarters in Virginia, said Friday that the first squadrons of Ospreys are destined for East Coast-based Marines, who will probably be the first ones to try out the hybrid aircraft in combat.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and can cruise at the speed and range of an airplane.

Though its development was plagued by problems, including crashes that killed more than 20 Marines, military officials say the Osprey has been redesigned and will be key to its operations.

Units on the West Coast, including Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms and Yuma, won't get the new aircraft until fiscal year 2010, Bryant said.

The new Ospreys won't completely replace the existing West Coast fleet of CH-46 helicopters until 2014, he said.

Marines 'jumping' for Osprey

The Osprey can carry up to 24 combat-loaded Marines as far as 500 nautical miles and can be refueled in midair, allowing it to travel to more than 1,000 nautical miles in a single mission.

Marine leaders, desperate for a transport helicopter to replace its existing Vietnam-era fleet, have hailed the hybrid as an aircraft that will revolutionize the way Marines fight wars ---- allowing them to "jump" or "leap" deeper and faster into enemy territory.

Camp Pendleton's highest-ranking general, I Marine Expeditionary Force commander Lt. Gen. John Sattler, has been a strong proponent of raising a fleet of Ospreys for the Marines.

Sattler, who led tens of thousands of local Marines in Iraq last year and will lead more than 10,000 back to Iraq in a few months, said the Osprey would be key to operations in Iraq right now.

"(You) would actually be able to put yourself at the right place at the right time without having substantial forces, forward operating bases, forward arming and refueling points throughout the area by virtue of having the capability that an aircraft like the Osprey gives you," he told a panel of military analysts and Marine officials at the American Enterprise Institute in August.

"I'd love to have it," he said. "I'd like to have it right now."

A bumpy flight to approval

While Marine leaders got the production go-ahead they have wanted, the mass production and deployment of the Osprey is bound to be as controversial as its development.

Critics still call it an expensive death trap for battle-bound Marines.

The V-22 has been hobbled by design problems since the Navy started the research and development in the early 1980s.

The program was temporarily halted by then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney in 1989, when Cheney and other defense officials said it was too pricey to be practical.

Test flight crashes over the next decade killed several of the most experienced Osprey pilots and crew.

Then, in 2000, two Ospreys crashed in separate incidents, killing 23 Marines and jeopardizing the entire program.

Those accidents were followed by reports that Marine officials had falsified maintenance records and evaluations, and that contractors had certified parts and gear that were substandard. Several Marines were later found guilty of misconduct and the commander of the V-22 test squadron was relieved of command.

Under more intense scrutiny by the military, Congress and the media, the flights resumed even as a design flaw that was a factor in at least one of the earlier crashes was deemed inherent to tilt-wing design.

The problem, often called "vortex ring state," allowed the aircraft to fall into its own rotor turbulence and lose control during fast descents at low air speed ---- a type of maneuver that is key for combat helicopters.

Some still say nay

In final tests this year, military officials said they had tempered the rotor turbulence problem with new computer software that alerts the pilot if he or she is in the dangerous turbulence and then takes over to slow the descent.

A report by the Congressional Research Service published in January acknowledged that many of the touted virtues and values of the Osprey were still being debated.

Eric Miller, a military investigator for the Washington, D.C., watchdog group Project On Government Oversight, says that even after the latest testing and certification, he's among those who are still not convinced.

"It's still a dangerous aircraft," Miller said by phone Thursday.

Miller said he has spoken with pilots, crew members and people who have been involved in the test flights who say the computer solution to the "vortex ring state" problem takes critical control away from the pilot.

He said the computer-dominated aircraft is fast in cruise mode but does not easily make aggressive, evasive maneuvers needed in a combat situation.

The Osprey also has no defensive weapon system, an omission on which military leaders have been reluctant to comment.

Miller said he believes the Marines need a new helicopter so badly that they have been blinded to the Osprey's flaws.

He said the enthusiasm for the technology ---- which may have commercial applications ---- combined with the mounting budgetary investments in its development created a momentum that inevitably ensured the production of an Osprey whether it was combat ready or not.

"Once these programs get going, it's like a snowball going downhill," he said. "It's hard to stop."

Troops asked to have faith

Despite such lingering doubts, military officials have asked Marines to trust in the Osprey.

During the recent final round of operational evaluations, Pendleton's 1st Marine Division commander, Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski, said he felt safe when he flew an Osprey.

"I wanted to come out here to look you in the eyes to tell you that this is a good aircraft," Natonski told a group of Marines in April, according the Marines' news service.

The troops were loading onto one of the aircraft with full battle gear and weapons for an evaluation flight in Twentynine Palms.

Natonski promised them that the design glitches implicated in the pair of crashes in 2000 had been fixed.

"That was a different aircraft," he said, according to the Marine publication. "They've completely redesigned the engine pods. They've put in new computer software, and today the aircraft you're flying on ---- the one I flew on ---- has been completely redesigned."

He let them know how they should feel.

"I'm not afraid to fly in it," he said, "and I know you are not, either."

After a final round of operational evaluations that concluded this summer, including missions launched from ships and from land, the Osprey passed the Defense Acquisition Board's final review, giving the Pentagon the OK to start full production.

Officials said 48 of the new aircraft could be ready each year, replacing the entire fleet of CH-46E helicopters in about 10 years.

Contact staff writer Darrin Mortenson at (760) 740-5442 or dmortenson@nctimes.com.

Previous Story:
Next Story: Governor holds Escondido town hall meeting

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 12:14 PM | Permalink

ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (Sept. 30, 2005) -- On Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and left a path of destruction along the Gulf Coast from the panhandle of Florida to the Mississippi Delta.

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/5FE0FF6BA2D0DE438525708C00457665?opendocument

Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200593083842
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis

ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (Sept. 30, 2005) -- On Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and left a path of destruction along the Gulf Coast from the panhandle of Florida to the Mississippi Delta.

As the nation realized the scale of the disaster, the Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard, named for the Louisiana parish that would become the focus of efforts, were preparing to respond.

Aircraft and Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 deployed to Pensacola, Fla., to begin rescue and evacuation missions.

Reserve Marines from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Jackson and Gulfport, Miss.; Bessemer and Huntsville, Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn., and Jacksonville Fla., began to converge on the Gulf Coast with helicopters, Assault Amphibian Vehicles, 7-Ton Trucks, Humvees, communications gear and hundreds of helping hands.

As the reserve elements landed in the region, the Marines and Sailors of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit command element, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and MEU Service Support Group 24, flew from North Carolina to marry up with their equipment to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

"As forces arrived from all directions, they worked across Mississippi to focus on St. Bernard Parish," said Col. John E. Shook, SPMAGTF St. Bernard commanding officer. "We observed the devastation by helicopter from the upper Gulf Coast down to the Shell Beach area of St. Bernard Parish. We knew we had an awesome task before us, and a responsibility to act quickly."

The 2,300 Marines and Sailors who made up SPMAGTF St. Bernard worked tirelessly to aid the people of the devastated region. After three weeks, they had all but completed their Katrina-related work when Hurricane Rita struck. Again the Marines would answer the call.

1/8, 4th Tracks search flooded streets, broken communities

About one hour after Katrina's massive eye had passed Gulfport, Miss., two Assault Amphibian Vehicles based there - part of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion -- received their first mission.

"The mission required the unit to proceed to a Biloxi police station being utilized as a makeshift command center," said Lt. Col. Kent Ralston, 4th AA Bn. acting commander. "They linked up with their search-and-rescue team and carried them into the Point Cadet area of Biloxi."

The Gulfport AAVs operated for the next six hours, rescuing scores of residents stranded on rooftops. The next day, the AAVs were dispatched to a Navy retirement home to deliver water, set up a retransmission site, and evacuate any wounded retirees. Upon their arrival, the AAVs of 3rd Platoon transported two elderly men to a hospital about 12 miles away after ambulances could not reach the area.

"Both gentlemen were in critical condition because they had fallen down two flights of stairs trying to evacuate," Ralston said. "Once they arrived at the Gulfport Memorial Hospital, they were both stabilized and admitted."

During the first four days in Mississippi, the AAVs of Alpha Co. operated throughout the cities of Biloxi, Gulfport, Diberville, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Henderson Point, Waveland, and Bay St. Louis.

On Sept. 2, Bravo Company, 4th AA Bn. landed at Stennis International Airport in Hancock County, Miss., to conduct search-and-rescue missions.

Due to the high waters and limited access in flooded parts of St. Bernard and Orleans parishes, 4th Tracks moved to the NASA Space Center at Michoud, La., to team up with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, on Sept. 4.

Using their amphibious tractors, the Marines of Bravo 1/8 and 4th Tracks began search-and-rescue efforts in areas of the city where the floodwaters reached up to 15 feet.

While 1/8's Bravo Co. was floating down the streets of Orleans and St. Bernard parishes, Alpha and Charlie Company were conducting similar missions in the cities of Picayune, Miss., and Slidell, La.

"We worked for and with the mayor, city officials and emergency responders," said Lt. Col. J. Scott Alley, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. "We manned relief sites, passed out food and water, cleared municipal buildings, fire departments and police departments, and helped residents clear their yards of debris and fallen trees."

Each day, in addition to their help with clean-up, all the companies of 1/8 were involved in the vital task of finding and rescuing those left in Katrina's wake.

"In the first four days of search-and-rescue operations, we rescued more than 78 people," said Maj. Henry June Jr., inspector instructor for Bravo Co., 4th AA Bn. "It was very difficult for any other wheeled vehicle to get through these communities. We are the only tracked vehicles that can float, so we could maneuver through the water to conduct our searches."

Departing from their base camps in the morning and working all day in the hot, humid temperatures of the Gulf region, the Marines patrolled relentlessly along miles of debris-strewn roads on 7-ton trucks, AAVs and on foot. [e1]

"I kept getting calls over the radio, 'Can we stay longer, can we stay out here,'" Alley said. "They did not want to leave until the job was done. Their enthusiasm and work ethic were very impressive."

'Super G' lends a heavy helping hand

Providing support to both the Marines of SPMAGTF St. Bernard and the residents of New Orleans, the Marines of MEU Service Support Group 24 made two weeks of non-stop aid-and-relief operations possible.

Within two days of receiving the call to support the relief effort, the Marines and heavy equipment of MSSG-24 had embarked on the USS Shreveport and USS Whidbey Island and steamed for the Gulf Coast.

After conducting an amphibious landing in Biloxi, Miss., on Sept. 5, MSSG-24 pushed out to Slidell to support the emergency operations center there.

"(Some) of the Marines and Sailors worked internal logistics, providing support for other Marines operating in that area," said Lt. Col. Joel H. Berry, commanding officer of MSSG-24. "We also task-organized capability sets to go out and address missions within the community."

Marines loaded up on 7-ton trucks and headed out to work with city officials to clear yards and streets. Dump trucks hauled away rubble and fallen trees, bucket trucks helped clear fallen branches from power lines, and wreckers towed away flooded vehicles.

"Most of the work in Slidell was manpower-intensive," Berry said.

On Sept. 10, MSSG-24 moved from their base camp in a furniture warehouse in Slidell to join up with 1/8 at Michoud.

There, the Marines of MSSG-24 provided vital heavy-equipment support to St. Bernard Parish.

"Our Marines and Sailors have provided manual labor to help the residents of these communities," Berry said. "We've helped to clear dozens of square blocks in St. Bernard in order to make access to their homes a bit easier."

They also supplied all the 'life support' and logistics for the camp and operated the landing zone as well.

"We were able to enhance the quality of life at the various camps and locations the Marines have been operating from," Berry said. "We operated a decontamination site for the Marines coming back from missions in town, ran ...water-purification units that provided 25,000 - 30,000 gallons of clean water each day for shower and laundry services, and provided maintenance support for all the vehicles."

Composed of more than 70 different military occupational specialties, Berry said the Marines and Sailors of MSSG-24 came together as a team to support both the Marines and the community.

"Their work ethic and attitude has been awesome since the beginning," Berry said. "I could not be happier with how we came together to accomplish all that we have in the past couple of weeks."

Residents find rescue on the wings of the 'ACE'

On Aug. 30, just hours after broken levees unleashed a torrent of water on the communities of the New Orleans area, Marine helicopters based in the stricken area began pulling survivors to safety.

Coming together as Task Force Aviation, Marine aviation assets from the 4th and 2nd Marine Aircraft wings operated under Marine Aircraft Group 42 to support SPMAGTF St. Bernard.

Logging more than 930 flight hours during 620 sorties, the CH-53E Super Stallion, CH-46E Sea Knight and UH-1N 'Heuy' helicopters of Task Force Aviation played a critical role in not only search-and-rescue efforts but also the logistics of the operation.

"Before we had official orders to come down here, units started flying their helicopters down here to begin search-and-rescue," said Lt. Col. Richard D. Thompson, the task force's acting operations officer. "For the first three to four days, our aircraft would launch up, tell the Coast Guard air command and control their capabilities, (and) the Coast Guard would tell them where they could help."

Task Force Aviation aircraft plucked stranded residents from rooftops, transported patients from New Orleans hospitals to other medical facilities and moved people from collection points and evacuated them from the area.

During those first vital days, the task force rescued more than 440 people and evacuated nearly 1,500 others.

"During the first few days, SAR was the heart of the mission," Thompson said. "As the battalion and other units arrived and the main effort transitioned from SAR to recovery and clean-up, we focused on cargo, equipment and troop movement."

In order to supply and resupply base camps separated by miles of impassable roads, the aircraft of Task Force Aviation moved more than 930,000 pounds of supplies and equipment and more than 4,300 passengers.

The aviation ground support Marines of the task force also played an essential role in the success of the mission.

Marines from Marine Wing Support Group 47 worked from locations at Naval Air Station New Orleans, Michoud, Stennis International Airport and Slidell to refuel aircraft, operate water-purification equipment and showers, and set up and maintain communications.

Although not an organic part of Task Force Aviation, the KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft from Marine Aerial Refuler Transport squadrons 234, 252, 253, and 452 made the entire deployment of forces to the Gulf Coast possible.

"We've had more KC-130 support here than I have ever seen in my Marine Corps career," Thompson said. "They provided all of our mobility to deploy down here, most of our logistical support, and the ability to manage and redeploy our capabilities."

Thompson said the ability to remain flexible and adapt to the fast pace of developing operations is what allowed the task force to accomplish as much as it did.

"That's something Marines have always and will continue to bring to the table," Thompson said. "We are able to work around and through any obstacle to get up and running in order to accomplish any mission."

America's force in readiness

In two weeks, the Marines of SPMAGTF St. Bernard searched more than 5,000 homes, rescued 610 stranded residents, delivered two million pounds of supplies, and cleared debris from more than 1,000 homes, schools and municipal buildings.

"Though we arrived without a formal mission, the intent was pretty clear," Shook said. "Do whatever we could to help save lives and ease the suffering of those who survived. We approached our mission with a profound sense of purpose and accomplished what we set out to do."

As they spent what appeared to be their final few days in Louisiana clearing roads, removing debris from homes, schools and key government facilities, and helping leaders in both St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes prepare for the return of business owners and residents, Hurricane Rita bore down on the Gulf Coast. The Marines repositioned themselves to ensure their own safety and enable a rapid response wherever Rita came ashore.

The morning of Sept. 24 bore witness to the new path of destruction cut by Rita across southwest Louisiana and coastal Texas.

The Marines of 4th Anti-Terrorism Battalion were directed to Lafayette La. Driving through the remnants of Rita's foul weather, they arrived within hours of the storm's impact. They synchronized their efforts with soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, who had come from New Orleans to help.

By Sunday evening, the Marines had rescued 26 people in New Iberia, La.

"We were determined to do as much as we possibly could in the time available to us," Shook said. "We set out to make a difference, to offer a lifeline, to give the local leaders enough time to get their feet under them again."

Posted by CB for MarineParents.com at 12:11 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC (Sept. 30, 2005) -- With the continuing increase in the cost of living today, and the strain placed on natural resources, the Air Station has been doing its part to conserve energy, and was recently awarded for its efforts.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/8D9D78EE6961B3498525708F0051B3B7?opendocument

Submitted by: MCAS Beaufort
Story Identification #: 2005103105224
Story by Cpl. Anthony Guas

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC (Sept. 30, 2005) -- With the continuing increase in the cost of living today, and the strain placed on natural resources, the Air Station has been doing its part to conserve energy, and was recently awarded for its efforts.

Fightertown was one of 23 military installations and one of five Marine Corps bases that were awarded a Gold level of achievement by the Secretary of the Navy.

The gold level of achievement indicates that a military installation has a very good-to-outstanding energy management program, has implemented significant energy projects du