Marine Corps News Room

Devin Chambers (from left), Ben McCorkle and Pacheco Perez, new Marine recruits departing for basic training, pose for a photo.

SAN DIEGO - An opportunity to get an education, to see parts of the world they’d only heard about or serve their country attracted 16 passengers here last evening aboard American Airlines Flight 1961, and ultimately, to 13 weeks of boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

http://www.dcmilitary.com/stories/083106/southpotomac_20060831001.shtml

Thursday, August 31, 2006
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

The 16 Marine Corps recruits, most from Texas, displayed the expected range of emotions as they boarded their flight at Dallas⁄Fort Worth International Airport, leaving behind civilian life to become Marines. Nervous laughter rippled through the group as the airline attendant called out their boarding sections, although most tried to retain a level of nonchalance as though they were taking a bus ride to the local mall.

Nineteen-year-old Devin Chambers, from Marietta, Okla., sat in seat 32B and explained that he’s always wanted to be a Marine. After a year at Murray State College, an endeavor he said he didn’t really enjoy, he felt ready to give his dream a shot.

''It doesn’t really scare me,'' Chambers said of the prospect of deploying to Iraq after he’s finished his training as a Marine Corps engineer. ''The odds (of getting hurt) are about the same as driving in a car.''

For Ben McCorkle, 18, from Wichita Falls, Texas, the opportunity to serve in Iraq was actually the big drawing card that led him to enlist immediately after high school. ''I want to go,'' he said from his seat in the last row of the plane. ''That’s why I chose infantry.''

McCorkle said he figures he’ll go to college after serving in the Marines, tapping into the educational benefits he’ll earn through his military service. ''I’ll do college later in life,'' he said. ''For right now, I need the discipline and structure first.''

Twenty-one-year-old Pacheco Perez, McCorkle’s seatmate and one of the oldest members of the group, said he, too, was attracted to the Marines because he wants to go on to college to study either computers or medicine.

Born in Queretaro, Mexico, and now a legal resident of the United States living in Dallas, Perez said he hopes to smooth the path toward U.S. citizenship, too. He said he chose the Marines because he’s heard it’s the toughest of the military services. ''I want to prove to myself that I can do it,'' he said. ''I know it will be hard, but it will help me grow.''

Perez expressed more trepidation about his mastery of the English language than anything the Marines might throw at him in basic training. ''I’m a little nervous about it, but I’ll do okay,'' he said.

Like his fellow recruits, Perez said he’s not overly concerned that he’s likely to end up deploying to Iraq in the not-too-distant future. ''I’m not really nervous because I know they’re going to train me for that,'' he said, adding that he’s also putting a lot of stock in his faith. ''God will take care of me,'' he said. ''I’m sure of that.''

Still sporting the long blond hair he knows will get buzzed off minutes after arriving at the recruit depot, McCorkle acknowledged that a bit of old-fashioned patriotism also attracted him to the military. ''Freedom isn’t free,'' he said. ''And if I can have it, then everyone else should, too, right?''

It’s the same patriotism McCorkle said he felt when his entire high school class and their guests gave him a standing ovation at his high school graduation ceremony. ''My friends are all supportive,'' he said. ''They think it’s awesome.''

McCorkle admitted that his mother is ''extremely nervous'' about his decision and his father also has some misgivings but is ''proud to have a son who’s a Marine.''

Chambers said his family is ''a little sad'' that he’s leaving, ''but happy too, and proud of me.''

Perez said his mother is sad to see him shipping off to basic training but pleased at the doors the Marine Corps will open to him. ''She’s sad about the separation, but recognizes that it’s a good thing for me,'' he said.

Like his fellow recruits, Chambers said he found strong support among his friends, many who already serve in the Marine Corps. They’ve shared stories about what he will soon encounter in basic training, but Chambers said he’s not worried. ''I’ve heard a lot,'' he said. ''But I’ve been playing football since third grade, so I’m used to getting yelled at.'' He said he’s looking forward to seeing how he performs during ''the Crucible,'' the last, difficult rite of passage that recruits must endure before graduating from basic training.

As the group arrived in San Diego, they had directions to call a phone number and to gather together and await their bus ride to boot camp and their new lives as Marines.

''All of us are pretty excited,'' McCorkle said. ''I think we’re ready.''

Posted by sr at 10:39 PM | Permalink

COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER CAMP FUJI, Japan (Aug. 31, 2006) -- When heavy fire power is needed quickly, combined anti-armor teams are the ones who are called to action. The CAAT provides heavy fire power at a moment’s notice in the heat of battle. Two combined anti-armor teams and a sniper element with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team, spent a day conducting various live-fire exercises here Aug. 31.

http://192.156.19.109/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/78DD8C486FC17511852571E100207B72?opendocument

Aug. 31, 2006
Story ID#: 20069615447
By Lance Cpl. Kevin Knallay, 31st MEU

“Our goal was to sharpen our immediate action drills, heavy machinegun skills and target suppression,” said 1st Lt. Juan R. Plascencia, a CAAT platoon commander.

A CAAT is a mobile assault team consisting of humvees mounted with weapons such as M2 .50-caliber machineguns, M240G medium machineguns and tube launched optically tracked wire guided (TOW) missiles according to Sgt. Freddie Cavasos, a CAAT section leader. The team’s purpose is to be a very mobile unit with a large amount of firepower to counter threats from enemy armored personnel and vehicles.

Through the exercise, the team fired their machineguns while mounted on humvees while the sniper element employed their M40A3 sniper rifles and M82A3 .50-caliber special application scoped rifles.

“Working with the snipers was a new learning experience for us,” Plascencia said. “The training exercise was more productive because their involvement allowed us to participate in more scenarios.”

During one scenario, snipers would find targets and request permission to fire upon them; however, the snipers were not allowed to engage their targets until a CAAT team was in place for support to provide suppressive fire. Once the simulated engagement was finished, the Marines were extracted out of the site.

As the teams progressed through the scenarios and provided suppressive fire with crew-served weapons, the training became more difficult as they engaged undersized targets. This allowed the Marines to improve their accuracy throughout the course, explained Staff Sgt. Robert A. Chute, the platoon sergeant of CAAT-1.

“The smaller targets at this range work for our benefit,” said Chute. “We need to be precise and accurate in firing. It’s essential for us to function properly and do what needs to be done. It may be frustrating for some of the gunners, but it makes them try harder.”

Great effort was put into teamwork during the scenarios, which allowed personnel to improve unit cohesion.

“Small unit leadership really shines during training like this,” Cavasos added. “Guns are going off and everyone is screaming, but it’s the leaders that control the confusion and get the task done quickly.”

“There is a great burden of responsibility lying on the shoulders of these Marines and sailors to support the line companies with heavy firepower,” Cavasos said. “Whether if they are old blood or new blood, the training was helpful for preparing the entire platoon for whatever mission they get handed.”

Marines and sailors of the BLT, arrived to Camp Fuji, Japan Aug. 23, to conduct training for heavy weapons, maneuvering and tactics until Sept. 14 when they are scheduled to return to Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.

Posted by sr at 09:50 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. -- The Marine Corps activated its second non-training squadron flying the MV-22 Osprey, the tiltrotor aircraft that can take off like a helicopter and fly like a plane.

http://www.wral.com/news/9772559/detail.html?rss=ral&psp=news

August 31, 2006

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 quit flying the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters in December to begin training to fly and maintain the craft long-delayed by fatal crashes and rising costs.

"The Osprey is the present and it is the future," said Lt. Col. Karsten Heckl, the squadron's commanding officer. "This airplane is going to be phenomenal."

Heckl said he'll start the squadron with 50 Marines and reach full strength around November. The squadron will have all its aircraft around February, Heckl said. The unit then will begin a six-month period of further training to prepare for deployment.

Heckl praised the new aircraft's range and fuel efficiency. He said during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, his squadron flew CH-46 choppers to evacuate casualties. Some Marines died from injuries because those helicopters could not perform at the level of the Osprey, Heckl said.

The Osprey can carry more cargo then the CH-46 and fly five times farther at speeds around 300 mph.

The aircraft has been in development since 1986. Flights were stopped for about 18 months after a pair of crashes near Tuscon, Ariz., and Camp Lejeune killed 23 Marines.

Last summer, the Osprey passed its operational evaluation. In September 2005, the Pentagon approved the aircraft for full-scale production. The Marine Corps plans to buy 360 at about $71 million apiece.

The first deployable Osprey squadron was established in March. There are about nine aircraft and 250 people in the New River-based squadron.

The aircraft is scheduled to deploy sometime next year.

___

Information from: The Daily News, http://www.jdnews.com

Posted by sr at 09:45 PM | Permalink

HADITHA, Iraq (Aug. 31, 2006) -- Marines who knew Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer will tell you that he loved three things – his family, his Marines and going to the gym.

Ramseyer, 28, died April 21, 2006, in the western Al Anbar Province of Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near him.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/55E57C04DBE4E7AB852571DB00415B7E?opendocument

Aug. 31, 2006; Submitted on: 08/31/2006 07:53:52 AM ; Story ID#: 200683175352
By Sgt. Roe F. Seigle, Regimental Combat Team7

To honor the fallen warrior, Marines from Ramseyer’s unit, the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, which arrived in Iraq in March, dedicated the make-shift gym in the Marines’ headquarters – the Haditha Dam – in honor of the Lenoir, N.C., native.

In a simple ceremony Aug. 20, 2006, the Marines named the gym “Ram’s Dam Gym.” The small gym, which consists of various workout benches, free weights, televisions and a radio, features new equipment and enclosure around the facility.

Since the Marines’ arrival in Iraq, they have honored their fallen by naming facilities after them. The Marines assigned to the battalion’s Weapons Company named their forward operating base “Camp Lueken,” after Cpl. Eric Lueken, 23, who also perished in a roadside blast, just one day after Ramseyer was killed.

On the highest level of the Haditha Dam, the Marines’ communications shop at the dam was named after Cpl. Andres Aguilar, 21, who died in a vehicle accident April 2, 2006. Aguilar, from Victoria, Texas, and Lueken, from Dubois, Ind., were both assigned to 3rd Battalion.

The Marines hung a plaque near the gym’s entrance, officially commemorating it to Ramseyer’s memory.

A partially completed painting of Ramseyer is just below the plaque.

“Staff Sgt. Ramseyer loved his job and the gym,” said Sgt. Michael Ferguson, 23, who served as a platoon sergeant on the Jump CP, the battalion commander’s personal security element, with Ramseyer. “He went to the gym every chance he could get.”

Ramseyer was the platoon commander for the battalion’s Jump CP. He was hand-selected by Lt. Col. Norman L. Cooling, the battalion’s commanding officer, for this position – a duty his Marines say he performed with consummate professionalism and unparalleled valor.

Ramseyer was responsible for providing security to the commanding officer and his staff. He and his Marines served as a quick reaction force that was equipped to respond to combat situations on a moment’s notice.

He frequently traveled Al Anbar Province’s roads, and was exposed to small arms fire and roadside bombs.

Although Ramseyer, a nine-year veteran of the Marine Corps, was a common site in the dam’s gym, Marines say they will remember him as a family man who would never put his Marines in a dangerous situation that he was not willing to put himself in first.

“His Marines respected him because he treated them, regardless of rank, with the respect and dignity they deserved. He was a great friend and a great Marine,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Kiernan, 33, company gunnery sergeant for the battalion’s Weapons Company. “We all miss him.”

Kiernan wears a “Hero Bracelet” on his right wrist bearing Staff Sgt. Ramseyer’s name - something he said he “will never take off.”

Ferguson said he and Ramseyer would often have competitions on the bench press and motivated each other to keep physically fit.

“When we were not on missions, we were in the gym,” said Ferguson. “He knew how to motivate all his Marines. He was a true leader and it is just not the same without him.”

Now, as long as Marines are in Iraq and living in the Haditha Dam, they will be reminded of Ramseyer every time they enter the gym, said Ferguson.

Marines here agree that the naming of the gym was the best way they could honor Ramseyer because he spent most of his off-time in the gym.

“We all miss him,” said Ferguson. “Now we will be reminded of his sacrifices every time we go to the gym. He will never be forgotten.”

Click on any photo for MORE pictures, descriptions, and credits.

Posted by ph at 08:57 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Aug. 31, 2006) -- For the first time since the beginning of the war in Iraq more than three years ago, Marines in the individual ready reserve face the possibility of pulling their uniforms out of their closets, dusting them off and stepping off with their packs for another deployment.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/C3C24722F8853758852571DD00443043?opendocument

Aug. 31, 2006; Submitted on: 09/02/2006 08:24:48 AM ; Story ID#: 20069282448
By Pvt. Andrew S. Keirn, MCB Quantico

The Marine Corps was authorized by President George W. Bush July 26 to activate as many as 2,500 Marines back into service.

Individual Ready Reserve Marines will begin receiving involuntary activation orders to report for a year of active duty beginning in October, said Lt. Col. Francis P. Piccoli, public affairs officer for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He added that each activation will last around 12 to18 months.

According to Piccoli, during the past couple years the number of volunteers to fill requirements for the IRR has had a steady decline but the requirements have stayed the same. This has made it necessary to issue involuntary activation orders, he added.

The IRR has approximately 60,000 Marines. Only approximately 35,000 of those Marines will be affected. Marines in their first or fourth year of their IRR status will not be considered for activation, said Piccoli.

Marines who receive involuntary activation orders to report for active duty service will be used in support of the Global War on Terrorism in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.

Each Marine called up will receive ample time to prepare once notified. They will be notified five months in advance before reporting for active duty and “by giving them sufficient future time before having to report, we allow them to get their affairs in order,” Piccoli said.

A Marine can request a delay, a deferment or an exemption from the IRR activation. A Marine can request a delay if he can report but may not be able to make it on the exact date required. A Marine can also request a deferment to another rotation if a situation arises such as a spouse’s death or they can request an exemption if a circumstance forbids the Marine from being able to deploy now or in the future.

There have been reports that low recruitment levels have initiated the IRR activation.

“The reason for the activation is not due to a recruiting problem,” Piccoli said. “According to the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, recruiting goals are consistently being met. This is more about meeting the requirements that come to the Marine Corps to fill joint and Marine Corps billets in support of the Global War on Terrorism. The Marine Corps is looking at grade and MOS requirements and then trying to match them up with the positions needed to fill.”

Military Occupational Specialties needed are broken down by rank. From the officer ranks, the most needed MOSs are infantry, logistics, intelligence, artillery, staff judge advocate, communications and engineers. On the enlisted side, aviation, infantry, intelligence, motor transport, logistics, communications, linguists and military police are the most needed specialties.

“These folks are filling forward deployed positions,” Piccoli said. “We’re not calling them up to fill positions in places such as Quantico-they are not needed there.”

This initiative has an open ended window and it will continue indefinitely. The Marine Corps is planning to have three rotations during a minimum time frame of two years.

“This is not just for the reserve side of the Marine Corps,” Piccoli said. “The Marine Corps operates with a total force mentality. This is just another indication we mean business. Whether it is the reserve or active components, we’re coming together to get the job done.”

Posted by ph at 05:03 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (Aug. 31, 2006) -- “Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.”

“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Red Lion 98 and 99 in midair collision over West Field with 48 total souls! Losing control of A/C!”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/220DB678F45D729F852571DC007629B4?opendocument

Aug. 31, 2006; Submitted on: 09/01/2006 05:30:39 PM ; Story ID#: 200691173039
By Lance Cpl. Edward C. deBree, MCB Hawaii

Those were the words that blasted over the radio call received by the air traffic control tower at Marine Corps Air Facility here, Aug. 25.

Those words all set the tone for Marines and Sailors assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 who were participating in a mass casualty/mishap drill at West Field.

The drill served to prepare HMH-363 squadron members for their upcoming deployment to Iraq where they will deploy in support of Operation Iraq Freedom and to teach them how to save lives and their aircraft.

“We had three goals that we wanted to achieve during this drill,” said Navy Lt. Peter Lombardo, flight surgeon, HMH-363, Marine Aircraft Group 24. “We wanted the corpsmen and combat lifesavers to practice combat casualty care. We wanted the squadron to practice ready room mishaps, and we wanted the MAG aid station to conduct a mass casualty drill – all of which we accomplished.”

Aircraft Rescue Firefighters arrived on scene to extinguish fires on the two aircraft and to help transport crash victims to a safe area where they could be examined and treat the wounded.

“We extinguished the flames on the two aircraft and quickly went into the medical aspects of our jobs,” explained Staff Sgt. William B. McCormick, section leader, Section Two, ARFF. “We were able to recognize the injured and the dead.
“Our main priority was to find the people who needed the most help.”

Marines and Sailors identified and treated 39 Marines, all role players assigned to HMH-363 and MAG-24. The hospital corpsmen and combat lifesavers treated ailments such as broken limbs, open wounds and head trauma.

“The combat lifesavers performed admirably,” said Lombardo, a native of Guam. “This training will prepare them well for any mishap that might occur.”

The Marines and Sailors went through classroom training to learn how to treat patients – which can be challenging enough, he added.

“To get out there and actually apply what you have learned is invaluable,” Lombardo continued. “They’ve proven that they can treat any major combat injury.”

Combat lifesavers are trained to treat wounded personnel in a combat situation until a hospital corpsman is available to tend to the service member’s wounds.

“We need to expand combat lifesavers in the unit,” said Lombardo. “It’s good training for anybody to have. We need to train as many Marine combat lifesavers as we can

Posted by ph at 04:56 PM | Permalink

BOULDER - A Marine visiting home on leave from Iraq remained missing Wednesday night, one day after he injured his head in a climbing accident.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4957832,00.html

By John C. Enslin, Rocky Mountain News
August 31, 2006

About 40 searchers with dogs, horses and a helicopter scoured the steep trails and creek beds in Eldorado Canyon State Park, five miles south of Boulder.

Lance Hering, 21, of Boulder, had been "bouldering," or freestyle climbing, with friend Steve Powers, 20, also of Boulder, when Hering fell about 10 to 15 feet. Hering slid another 30 feet down a steep slope before coming to rest, Powers told Boulder County sheriff's deputies.

"It's very ironic that he survived all the combat that he saw and that he's injured here at home doing the thing he liked to do best," said his father, Lloyd Hering, who was at a command post waiting with his wife, Elynne, for news about their son.

Hering was unconscious for about four hours after the fall, according to Powers, who remained with his buddy.

Later, Hering came to, but he appeared to be disoriented, Sheriff Joe Pelle said. "Lance was described as what I would call 'loopy,' " Pelle said near the command post that had been set up outside the park's visitors center.

"He knew Steve and he knew he was hurt, but he would keep repeating things," Pelle added.

Neither man had been wearing a helmet, the sheriff said. The pair used fabric torn from Hering's black T-shirt and fashioned a bandage for his head wound.

Hering fell about 10 p.m. Tuesday. When he began to regain consciousness about 2 a.m. Wednesday, Powers said, he decided to get help.

"Steve told Lance, 'I need you to stay here. I'm going to get help,' " Pelle said.

It took Powers about 90 minutes to two hours to hike back down the trail. The 911 call to sheriff's deputies came in around 5:15 a.m., Pelle said.

Deputies quickly assembled a rescue team that returned to the point where Hering had last been seen on a trail that runs between Eldorado Canyon and Boulder County's Walker Ranch Open Space Preserve.

"They found Lance's climbing shoes - he's wearing sneakers. They found some blood and they found a water bottle," Pelle said. "They couldn't find Lance."

Searchers from Rocky Mountain Rescue, the Boulder Emergency Squad and the Boulder City Park rangers took part in the daylong effort.

Deputies also utilized five dogs and three horses, plus a helicopter that the sheriff's office had hired. Hering is described as about 5 feet 8 inches tall.

His parents were at the command post fielding calls from relatives and friends, and helping authorities to make calls to area hospitals on the chance that their son had wandered out of the park.

"He's in terrific physical condition," his dad said. "He's a very determined, very self-reliant young man. He's not in the habit of calling for help. I wished he'd stayed where he was.

" 'Lance, if you're out there please make yourself known. Don't be embarrassed.' My gut feeling is he'll get out. He's tough."

The search ended at 8 p.m. and was to resume at dawn. Pelle said he planned to keep a small crew of deputies on the trails in case Hering wanders out on his own.

"Your heart bleeds for the parents. They're brave people," Pelle said. "I hope we can deliver for them."

Hering's parents said their son had returned from Iraq about a month ago, and he had returned to his Boulder home during the last week. Hering is familiar with the area where he fell because he had climbed it when he was attending high school in Boulder, his parents said.

"He's a very self-sufficient person," his father said. "It would be like him to hike out and try to take care of his wound. We're afraid he might be confused in walking around."

Posted by sr at 02:09 PM | Permalink

NORTH KINGSTOWN -- Thanks to a special lady from Rhode Island, a quadriplegic Marine from Wisconsin will receive heartfelt cheers -- and a set of keys -- when he's wheeled on the field at halftime of the Naval Academy-University of Massachusetts football game.

http://www.projo.com/southcounty/content/projo_20060830_davcol30.343fba2.html

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Former Sgt. Jason Wittling, of Mason, Wis., will be on the 50-yard line Saturday, Sept. 9, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., to take the keys to a specially equipped van.

With a Marine escort, and a general or two at his side, Wittling will receive the $60,000-van courtesy of Wheels for Warriors, a division of the North Kingstown-based Operation Support Our Troops, which is supported by donations and in-kind services from the public.

"There are a lot of good people on this earth and they seem to find me," said Mary Kay Salomone, who heads Operation Support Our Troops out of her home in North Kingstown.

Salomone comes from and has an Army family (a son is in Iraq and another served there). She launched Operation Support Our Troops soon after the start of the war in Iraq. Now a national organization, she mails tons of comfort items each year to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She started Wheels for Warriors two years ago after visiting severely wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The war in Iraq, of which Salomone is no fan, has produced at least 8,000 severely injured service members, she said, with many missing limbs from the explosive devices the Iraqi insurgents used against the Americans.

Wheels for Warriors gave out its first van in April. Sgt. Wittling will be the second recipient of America's generosity.

Wittling was injured on May 3, 2003, when he and a group of Marines were blowing up a cache of captured RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades). They had set their charges, and attempted to make a quick getaway in their HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), better known as the Humvee.

As the Humvee sped around a corner, the Marines were suddenly confronted with an embankment they didn't know was there. The Humvee rolled over. Sgt. Wittling suffered a broken neck.

"He has a little movement in an elbow and a wrist," Salomone said. "But he's not going to get better."

Jason Wittling, 32, lives in Mason with his wife Maureen and their two children, Cody, 9, and Emily, 6. Mason is in rural northwestern Wisconsin. "There's Jason, the family and the moose," Salomone said, with a laugh.

But, she noted, the rural setting provides a serious reason for her board awarding the Wittlings the van. It's a long, long way to rehab and doctors' appointments.

The van cost Wheels for Warriors $38,000. It paid for such "extras" as leather seats, making it easier to slide Jason in and out of the van. The van will also have a DVD player for those long trips.

"Jason and the two kids can watch movies while Maureen does the driving," Salomone explained.

Wheels for Warriors may also have to shell out $22,000 for the van's wheelchair lift.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs normally pays for wheelchair lifts, but the VA has lost Jason's paperwork, Salomone said.

She said dealing with VA is "a nightmare."

"If the VA doesn't come up with the $22,000, Wheels for Warriors will pay and hopefully get reimbursed some day," Salomone said. "I'm not going to take the van away from this kid."

Referring to Jason's case as "one small case," Salomone asked, "What's happening to the rest of our vets. They are making it so difficult for veterans to get what they deserve. That's a disgrace."

Said Salomone: "The VA is underfunded, understaffed and overtaxed, but that's not the fault of the young soldier or the young Marine. A wounded veteran should not have to wait six, ten or eleven months for something he's entitled to."

While Wheels for Warriors' fundraising efforts produced the first two vans -- and has a third that's on the way -- the flip side is what others provide.

Jason Wittling and his family will be spending a week in the Annapolis-Washington area. Hotels are donating the rooms for their stay.

They'll be flying first class -- thanks to Northwest Airlines and one of its pilots.

Steven Middleton, who heads the Wheels for Warriors board, is a 1974 Naval Academy graduate. He graduated with the Northwest pilot. He contacted the pilot to see if he could get the Wittlings' tickets.

Northwest agreed to fly Mr. and Mrs. Wittling. The pilot said he would send Salomone a check for the other two seats. She expected $600. He sent $5,000, and told her to put what's left over in the van fund.

Salomone said Annapolis was picked as the delivery site because of the connection between the Navy and the Marine Corps. Naval Academy graduates can opt to be officers in the Marine Corps.

And, she said, "The Marines are part of the Navy. They're close to the Navy guys."

On the Friday before the game, the Wittlings will have lunch with the midshipmen. Then, Salomone said, "They'll get their van Saturday in front of the whole stadium."

A Marine general will stand with the Wittlings on the 50-yard-line, and the commandant of the Marine Corps may also make an appearance, scheduling permitting.

In Washington, the Wittlings have asked to visit Arlington Cemetery and the Marines' Iwo Jima monument.

"They will have a Marine escort the whole time," Salomone said. "The Marines are taking care of one of their own."

With help from an Army brat in North Kingstown.

Donations can be made to Wheels for Warriors, PO Box 404, North Kingstown, RI 02852.

Dave McCarthy is the Journal's South County regional editor.

Posted by ph at 09:32 PM | Permalink

A photograph of Weimortz exchanging a handshake with an Iraqi child was featured in a magazine.

Cpl. David G. Weimortz was killed in Iraq on Saturday, just days short of his 29th birthday, when a roadside bomb went off while he traveled in his Humvee.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15385625.htm?source=rss&channel=thestate_local

By JASON RYAN
jpryan@thestate.com

The Marine and Irmo native was on patrol in Al Anbar province, nearly 45 days into his second tour of duty in Iraq as an assault man.

This tour was to be his last before the Marine was to return home in February and study law, his father, Terry Weimortz, said.

David Weimortz is the 41st member of the U.S. military with S.C. ties to die in the Iraq war and the second this month.

Saturday, 29-year-old Marine Sgt. John Paul Phillips was buried in Moncks Corner. He died Aug. 16 in a Texas military hospital of injuries suffered in March near Fallujah.

Weimortz graduated as a golf standout from Dutch Fork High School and then from the University of South Carolina, where he majored in history.

Weimortz was stationed at Camp LeJeune, N.C., but kept a room at his sister Kelly Weimortz’s house in Columbia, his father said Monday from his home in Crestview, Fla.

Before leaving for Iraq in mid-July, Weimortz visited family and friends, including playing a round of golf with his father.

“I kissed him, gave him a hug and that’s the last time I saw him,” Terry Weimortz said. “He died like a man. He’s a hero as far as I’m concerned.”

Weimortz said that though his son claimed his Christian faith had prepared him for death, he was still scared of the upcoming mission in Iraq where he was trained to fire heavy weapons that can destroy tanks and bunkers.

“What was so eerie was that he started giving me things,” Terry Weimortz said, listing a pair of sunglasses, a Tommy Bahama shirt and a uniform.

As a boy, he played many sports, his father said, and his first word was “ball.”

“He was 6 feet 6 inches, 225 pounds — solid man,” Terry Weimortz said.

After college, he worked for a publisher in Raleigh, for a car dealer in Charleston, and modeled products at NASCAR races before enlisting.

Weimortz joined the Marines in March 2003 and graduated from boot camp at Parris Island. His commendations included the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal, said Marine spokesman Lt. Barry Edwards.

In June 2005, Weimortz was attached to the headquarters section of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and participated in Operation Sword.

The operation aimed to drive out insurgent fighters in Hit, located along the Euphrates River in the Al Anbar province.

A story published by Infoline Marine, an online service of Marine Corps public affairs, quoted Weimortz as saying the troops also tried to connect with the local citizens and show they were liberators, not conquerors.

The publication featured a photo of Weimortz exchanging a handshake with a local child outside Camp Ripper in Iraq.

“We not only flushed out insurgents, but we also helped the people so they can build the infrastructure of their society,” Weimortz said in the story.

Fighting in Iraq’s most volatile province helped him put life at home in perspective, he said.

“From the simplest things such as getting milk, to being stuck in traffic, or even going to college football games, it all comes to the surface and you realize how fortunate you are,” Weimortz said.

Weimortz also believed his efforts would help the Iraqis.

“This entire operation reminds me of a Boy Scout saying, ‘Leave your camp better than you found it,’” Weimortz told the publication. “Not only will I leave this base in better shape and more secure, but we will have left this country in a greater shape for their future.”

Weimortz joined the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division in June.

Terry Weimortz said his son warned him before his redeployment not to expect as many e-mails during this campaign because of his remote location.

Terry Weimortz also didn’t expect the hysterical call from his daughter on Saturday telling him of David’s death.

“She’s suffering, I’m suffering his mother’s suffering. It’s just unbelievable.”

Weimortz is also survived by his mother, Fran Fellers of Irmo, a stepbrother, Jody Weimortz Harley of Lexington, and a grandmother, Helen Asbill of Aiken.

Staff writer Chuck Crumbo contributed to this report. Reach Ryan at (803) 771-8595.

Click on photo for credits, and descriptions.

Posted by sr at 09:45 PM | Permalink

VMFA-251 to deploy.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/6528D2E9F0EEFFFA852571DB003E3401?opendocument

Aug. 29, 2006; Submitted on: 08/31/2006 07:19:25 AM ; Story ID#: 200683171925

By - MCNews, MCNews

ARABIAN SEA (Aug. 29, 2006) -- Marines assigned to the "Thunderbolts" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 prepare to deploy to Al Asad, Iraq, from the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing One are currently underway on a scheduled six-month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Click on photo for description and credit.

Posted by ph at 09:17 PM | Permalink

Marine Cpl. Rowdy Zane Burney's hands, face and eyes were blasted with shrapnel May 6 when the Humvee he was riding in was blown up by a bomb hidden under a road in western Iraq.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1156843173222100.xml&coll=2

Tuesday, August 29, 2006
KENT FAULK
News staff writer

The driver, a friend, was killed and three other Marines were injured.

After recuperating for a month at his camp, the Cullman County native hit the road again. He could have stayed at camp with the Purple Heart that he was awarded. But he chose to go back out despite lingering health problems from the blast and a plea from his mother.

"I want to be with my platoon ... because that's my family out here," Burney said in a telephone interview from Iraq.

Burney, 21, is a combat engineer with Charlie Company second platoon Combat Logistics Battalion 5. The unit fills road craters caused by improvised explosive devices and builds things such as checkpoint stations and temporary housing for infantry.

Burney mans the .50-caliber machine gun on a Humvee turret while his platoon travels to and from work sites.

Burney, who arrived in Iraq in March, said he was going out with his platoon on four or five such convoys a week until that day in May. The convoy was heading along a road in Al Anbar Province to repair two bomb craters. Ahead of the convoy were large vehicles that sweep the road for bombs.

But as Burney's vehicle passed, someone hidden nearby triggered an IED - five 122 mm mortar rounds bundled together and placed in a culvert under the road.

"As soon as it blew up, the Humvee stood straight up, and I hit my face off the .50 caliber," Burney said. "As it came back down, it threw me out of the turret, and I hit the road about 20 feet in front of the Humvee."

The vehicle's front end and turret were blown off. "Marines in the convoy behind us say they saw shrapnel and pieces of Humvee fly at least 40 to 50 feet high," Burney said. With shrapnel in his face, eyes and hands, Burney crawled toward the Humvee, where his lieutenant was leading the effort to get everyone out of the vehicle.

His friend, Lance Cpl. Leon B. Deraps, who was driving the Humvee, was killed. The lieutenant and two other Marines also were injured.

Burney was treated in the medical facility at Abu Ghraib prison and then taken to the Camp Fallujah hospital, where he was checked out by doctors and released to his barracks to recover.

A month later, still with a burst left eardrum and a right thumb that he couldn't fully move, Burney decided he was ready to rejoin his platoon on missions.

"I begged him not to go back out," said Becky Burney, his mother. But she wasn't surprised by his decision. "He's been that kind of person his whole life. ... He believes in helping his buddies," she said.

Burney admits that first convoy back with his platoon in early June was tough. "All you could think about is being blown up again," he said.

In recent days, Burney's platoon hasn't been going out as often as it prepares to return in seven days to Camp Pendleton, Calif., where it is based.

Burney still has 1½ years to go on his hitch with the Marines.

When he gets home, Burney wants to go to school and become a diesel engine mechanic. He said he's been home less than 60 days since he enlisted 2½ years ago.

"I miss my family more than anything," Burney said.

His mother said her son plans to visit his family in Good Hope in October. When he returns home, Burney will have the Purple Heart he was awarded for his combat injuries.

"I'd give it back if I could have my friend back. I'd give anything to change that day," Burney said.

E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.com

Posted by sr at 09:11 PM | Permalink

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Aug. 29, 2006) -- Marines from 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion kicked over the hornet’s nest during Operation Rubicon in Mushin, Iraq, west of Habbaniyah. What they found underneath was a lot deadlier than a stinger.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/63A8DE2BFB3A5148852571DB0031F96B?opendocument

Aug. 29, 2006; Submitted on: 08/31/2006 05:05:51 AM ; Story ID#: 20068315551
By Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva, Regimental Combat Team 5

They battled insurgents in running gunfights lasting nearly an entire day and scored hundreds of weapons finds in a several-day operation.

Recon Marines, working in support of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, uncovered hundreds of weapons, artillery and mortar rounds, improvised explosive device-making material, small arms and ammunition.

In all, they recovered more than 500 mortars rounds, nearly 100 artillery rounds, more than 130 rocket-propelled grenades, more than 120 grenades, 22 mines, 10 mortar tubes, 20 rifles and machine guns, 18 sets of body armor and various other items including binoculars and bayonets.

“This area was definitely an insurgent stronghold,” said Cpl. Brandon M. Stair, a 25-year-old team leader from Utica, Ohio, assigned to the battalion’s B Company. “They had stuff for the long fight and they had stuff for tomorrow. There were initiator systems ready to go.”

Recon Marines found themselves in the thick of the hive from almost the moment they set foot into their operating zone.

Soon after inserting, they found a lone berm, which Marines scanned, according to Stair. They got a hit indicating something was buried underneath. They didn’t dig far to find buried weapons.

“It was big,” said Sgt. Joshua D. Cross, a 26-year-old team leader from Forestville, N.Y. “It was about 12-feet long and two-feet wide. It had a disgusting amount of stuff.”

Among other weapons, Marines uncovered rocket-propelled grenades and a complete mortar system at the first cache site. It was a sign of things to come.

Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth A. Westgate, a platoon sergeant for B Company, said all his team leaders are second-tour veterans for Iraq. They’ve learned to read the land and find the sites that harbor weapons caches. Their experience paid out.

“The whole platoon can walk and pick out sites,” said Westgate, a 35-year-old from East Wareham, Mass. “They’ve gotten to that level of ability where about 50 percent of the time, they’re right.”

Later that same day, Cross’ team uncovered another large cache site. This one was buried in a 250-gallon water container. It took them well into the night to get all the insurgent weapons out.

“We couldn’t reach down that far to get it all,” Cross explained.

So, he improvised. He stripped off all his gear and jumped into the buried container to get the last few pieces.

“I ended up sitting down inside and handing stuff up,” Cross said.

The mission continued, and that platoon set up a firm patrol base in their sector only to come under intense fire within a couple hours. Rocket-propelled grenades and mortars slammed into their patrol base. Insurgent machine gun fire raked the walls. Marines returned fire in a withering hail of bullets and pounded the attackers with artillery, sending insurgents fleeing.

“For the first day, it was non-stop,” Stair said.

The firefights started about 10 a.m. and lasted in running gun battles until nearly sunset.

“I thought it was going to be a long haul the first day,” said. Cpl. Peter H. Garguilo, a 21-year-old platoon communicator from Naugatuck, Conn. “It was pretty heavy fire. You knew these guys were going to stick around for a fight.”

Still, cache sweeps continued. These finds, however, were more than Marines expected. Marines moved to another location to start sweeping again. They didn’t get far.

“We thought we’d cover a lot more distance,” Stair said.

“We didn’t make it 100 meters and we started finding stuff,” Westgate added. “We had a problem.”

Westgate said the amounts of munitions they were uncovering was greater than the ability they had on hand to destroy it. They called in explosive ordnance disposal teams to assist.

The area was so littered with caches that they accidentally uncovered some. A demolition charge on one cache site ended up catching fire to some reeds. As the reeds burned, four or five more caches exploded in the flames.

“They just blew themselves up in the next 200 yards,” Westgate said.

Garguilo manned the radios for the platoon reconnaissance operations center. The information, he said, was overbearing. Teams were uncovering caches so quickly they were getting swamped trying to track them all.

“We had trouble in the ROC trying to keep up with the stuff coming in,” he said.

Cross said his team had to shorten their patrols. They simply couldn’t move as far as they planned without having to stop and dig up more buried weapons.

“We’d plan to patrol for two hours and six hours later, we’d end up coming in,” he said. “We pulled in some of the guys from 81’s Platoon to help. You’d get so smoked digging, you didn’t know your name.”

Marines from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment’s Combined Anti-Armor Team and 81 mm Mortar Platoon assisted the Recon Marines. The task was becoming much bigger than they could have imagined.

It was while combining efforts with CAAT Marines a vehicle struck a mine, killing one Marine from the CAAT section and wounding several others. It came on the heels of Recon Marines setting a time-charge on one of the cache sites. The fuse was burning and Marines were wounded laying in the blast zone.

Westgate explained Recon Marines rushed to the site to find several Marines nearby the wrecked humvee. They dragged the wounded Marines to a nearby ditch. The humvee was burning and munitions stored inside were beginning to explode. The fuse on the cache site was also still burning.

Recon Marine again grabbed the wounded and carried them to another ditch, further away. The blasts from the humvee and cache site sent debris and shrapnel flying in all directions.

“In many instances, we feel we were lucky to be alive,” Westgate explained. “There was so much stuff going on and so much stuff blowing up all around us.”

The blasts didn’t slow the Recon Marines, though. They continued their hunt.

Another cache yielded 500 blasting caps, each one capable of setting of a single IED. Another, mortars. In yet another was a stash of modified-silenced insurgent sniper rifles. Still, Marines found something they hadn’t yet seen. They’ve been operating primarily in Zaidon, south of Fallujah, where they came across their fair share of buried weapons. But not like this.

“Every cache was a separate set-up,” Westgate explained. “We usually find just mortars or just guns. These had a mix of everything.”

Stair said it appeared as if insurgents staged the weapons so they could easily fall back from one to the other. Some were found just thrown into the high grasses edging farm fields. Others were buried. Caches appeared to have weapons stored for bigger fights, and others bore 155 mm artillery shells with detonation cord and explosives already rigged so they could be placed along roads.

“You could tell that most of this stuff was still fresh,” Stair explained. “These guys were staging stuff.”

Marines even found AK-47 assault rifles in pristine condition.

The cache finds kept coming. They uncovered anti-aircraft guns at one more site. Then Marines found more rocket-propelled grenades. More than 50,000 rounds were captured. Stacks of artillery shells were gathered.

“The engineers would turn on the metal detector and it would go off almost immediately,” Westgate said. “Wherever the engineer went, we got a hit.”

“It was slow moving,” Cross added. “We could only make a couple hundred yards progress and we were finding more stuff.”

By the third day of constantly uncovering cache sites, Marines were cursing the mission they could have only hoped would be so successful.

“I knew we’d be busy, but not like that,” Cross said. “It was a straight-up kick-in-the-nuts.”

Cross said Marines knew immediately they put a dent in insurgents’ abilities to carry out attacks against Marines and Iraqi Security Forces. The areas they once considered a safe haven to hide weapons and refit are now the stomping grounds for Marines and soon for those Iraqi soldiers and police who will take over. Cross talked to one local man who told them operations were wreaking havoc on insurgents.

“He was real grateful for what we were doing there,” Cross explained. “That’s gratifying to hear that kind of result. We put a hurting on them. We slowed them down for a couple of months.”

Stair said this most recent operation was rewarding more than many of the others. He said Marines could see an immediate result. Every mortar, artillery shell and mine they dug up saved Marines’ lives. They are weapons no longer in the insurgents’ hands and the area is no longer under insurgent control.

“We’ve cleared 144 houses before and saw no result,” Stair explained. “I felt better coming off of this operation more than any other.”

“We poked that hornet’s nest a little bit,” Cross said. “We poked it with a two-foot stick.”

Click on photo for MORE pictures, descriptions, and credits.

Posted by ph at 09:04 PM | Permalink

Lance Cpl. Randy Lee Newman, of Bend, died Aug. 20 of injuries from an improvised explosive device in the Al Anbar province of western Iraq. He was 21.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/NEWS05/608290324/1010&nav_category=

To View/Sign Guest Book:
http://www.legacy.com/fitchburg/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=18977374

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. today at Des-chutes County Fairgrounds.

Mr. Newman was born May 25, 1985, in Bend to Jerry and Ramona (Dahm) Newman.

Mr. Newman served in the U.S. Marines in Iraq for nearly seven months. He was a member of Christian Life Center. He enjoyed muscle cars, sports, wrestling, hunting and fishing.

Survivors include his parents and two brothers, Dan and Ken.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mountain View ROTC or the Mountain View wrestling program.

Autumn Funerals of Bend is in charge of arrangements.

Posted by sr at 03:45 PM | Permalink

Adam Galvez 1985 ~ 2006 Beloved hero, son, brother, nephew, uncle, grandson and Marine Cpl. Adam Galvez, age 21, ended his tour of duty in Iraq on August 20th, 2006.

http://www.legacy.com/SaltLakeTribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=19047252

To View/Sign Guest Book:
http://www.legacy.com/SaltLakeTribune/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=19047252

He was born in Loma Linda, California on April 2, 1985. He lived in Hemet, CA. until he was seven when his family moved to Salt Lake City. He attended West High School and graduated in 2003 from Horizonte in Salt Lake City Utah. He served in the United States Marine Corps assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division as an LAV mechanic, driver and scout. He was stationed in Twentynine Palms, California and deployed to Iraq in March of 2006. Adam enjoyed playing baseball, skateboarding and snowboarding but more than anything, he loved to work on cars. Visitation is open to the public on Tuesday, August 29th from 5-8 p.m. at McDougals Funeral Home located at 4330 S. Redwood Rd., Salt Lake City, UT. Services for Adam Galvez will be held Wednesday, August 30th at 2:00 p.m. at Calvary Chapel located at 460 West Century Dr. (4350 South), Salt Lake City. He is survived by his parents Tony and Amy Galvez of Salt Lake City; brother, Travis Galvez; sister, Sarah Galvez; nephew Drew; and nieces Rilee and Jaye; grandparents, Tom and Anne Gierhart and Eugene Garber, all of Salt Lake City, Utah; and many uncles, aunts and cousins. We express deep gratitude to our friends, local churches and the community for the sincere love, care and support that you have shown us through this difficult time. We say a very special thank you to Adam's friends for being part of his life. We deeply appreciate the United States Marine Corps for allowing Adam to proudly serve his country and for providing support and strength to his family during this time. Another Marine has reported for duty. Semper Fi.

Posted by sr at 03:33 PM | Permalink

CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (Aug. 28, 2006) -- After befriending Marines and sailors serving in this region of Iraq, a 12-year-old Iraqi girl who is in need of a kidney and liver transplant is now in a life-or-death struggle.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/B7769DC647677AE5852571D800487E01?opendocument

Aug. 28, 2006
By Cpl. Antonio Rosas, Regimental Combat Team7

Hadael Hamade, a young Iraqi girl from Karabilah, Iraq, a city of about 30,000 near the Iraq-Syria border, desperately needs life-saving surgery in order to live, according to U.S. Navy physicians who have treated her on occasion in recent months.

The girl befriended Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment – the U.S. military unit assigned to provide security in this portion along the Euphrates River – months ago when the Marines were on patrol in the city.

“When we first saw Hadael several months ago, she was walking,” said Navy Lt. Mark D. Rasmussen, an anesthesiologist with the surgical suite here. “Now she can’t move much. The Marines needed to carry her from her house to the humvee, and from the humvee to the surgical suite here.”

Since then, U.S. military forces here have regularly checked-up on the girl, evaluating her condition.

Hadael’s father, Ahmed, a 46-year-old school teacher, sought the aid of Marines and sailors, stating that doctors in his country cannot help his daughter, according to Navy doctors here.

After losing four children to kidney disease, he’s not ready to let his 12-year-old daughter suffer the same fate as her brothers and sisters, he said.

“If I need to go to outside of Iraq to help my daughter, I will go,” said Ahmed through an interpreter. “I will do anything to help my daughter stay alive and I am thankful for anyone that wishes to help me in any way.”

But that’s not enough to save the girl. She needs immediate surgery, and regular medication, to sustain her. That procedure and follow-on care, though, could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – money Hamade’s family doesn’t have, and medical treatment Iraqi doctors are unable to provide, according to Ahmed.

Hadael recently received medication which doctors say will prolong her life a bit, medicine donated by several U.S. non-government agencies.

But the medicine is a temporary fix to a much larger problem. Without a kidney transplant and further treatment, Hadael will die, according to Navy Capt. H.D. Elshire, the officer-in-charge of the Marines’ medical facility at their camp at this border city – headquarters for the southern Calif.-based battalion.

The surgery is just the start, as Hadael will require life-long medical care if the kidney-liver transplant is successful. That, the Marines say, will require a life-time of medication, and plenty of funding to purchase that medicine.

“If she doesn’t get it soon, her chances of survival are pretty dismal,” said Elshire, 55, a Huntington Beach, Calif. native. “There is no help for her here in Iraq as the doctors in Baghdad don’t have the resources to help her.”

Hamade’s case has recently garnered attention in the U.S. after several non-profit organizations and a congressman from California learned of her situation. Her case was first brought to their attention upon the death of a Marine killed here, who just days before his death vowed to help the girl by bringing it to the attention of his chain-of-command.

Lance Cpl. Aaron W. Simons, a rifleman with the Marines serving in Karabilah, met the dying girl during a midnight security patrol through the city, according to the girl’s father.

Simons befriended the family and wanted to help Hadael’s father find help for his daughter, according to Simons’ best friend, Cpl. Ian Kutner, who also visited the family several times.

“I remember the young Marine (Simons) and how he was interested in getting help for my family,” said Ahmed. “I am very sorry for his death. Without him I would have never gotten help for my daughter.”

Several months ago, Hadael had become very ill in the middle of the night and her father ran out into the street for help. He knew the Marines were near-by, said Ahmed. A few days later she was taken hundreds of miles east to a medical center in Baghdad, but the doctors there could do nothing for her, he said.

“She was evaluated, and they (doctors) basically said, ‘The prognosis is too poor, you’re too sick,’ and they sent her home,” said Lt. Col. Larry White, director of a civil military operations center for the Al Qa’im region.

Due to a lack of medical resources in this region capable of handling cases of this nature, four of Hadael’s siblings have died from the very same hereditary kidney failure now claiming her life, said Ahmed.

The disease, called “Oxalosis,” began in Hadael’s liver, where it limited her liver’s metabolizing capabilities. That began a chain reaction of deterioration, affecting her other organs - specifically her kidneys, causing permanent kidney failure. The disease has caused Hadael to appear small for her age, ill-appearing and has zapped her energy – she is too weak to walk, U.S. doctors say.

The disease is prevalent in the Middle East and is the leading cause of renal (kidney) failure in Iraq, according to Elshire.

Nevertheless, concern for this region’s healthcare system have been expressed. The governor of Al Anbar Province, an area roughly the size of South Carolina, made a pledge to improve local medical resources in the area, including the construction of a new hospital, when he made a tour of Al Qa’im last month.

Ahmed has sought the aid of the Americans because professionals in Iraq have already given up on saving his daughter’s life, he said.

When Ahmed learned that his daughter had the same disease his other children died from, he took her to the local hospital in the nearby city of Husaybah, where doctors there told him that they could do nothing for her. He went to Baghdad where Iraqi doctors gave him the same story – they could do nothing.

Without treatment, Hadael’s health began deteriorating. That is when Ahmed sought the help of the Marines.

“She is alive right now because of the Americans,” said Ahmed. “My other children died because there is no medicine here in Iraq.”

Of the few U.S. medical centers with the facilities to handle special circumstances like Hadael’s, two have turned her case down, according to White.

“They’re explanation was that aside from the fact that the cost of treatment would be extreme…this would put this girl and her family through a tremendous ordeal to get them to the States and transplanting organs and still might have pretty low odds of success with the case,” said White, a 39-year-old from St. Paul, Minn.

“Their point is that, do we put these people through this? Do we spend this kind of money on a case that in all likelihood is not going to be successful?” he said. “That’s the hard calculus that they made.

Hadael has enough medicine for the next six months, thanks to donors in America. Now, a permanent solution is a race against time – finding an answer to her problem may take years – something her family can’t afford, according to the medical personnel here.

“She needs a kidney-liver transplant now,” said Elshire. “The longer they wait for a donor, the less chance she has of living.”

Even if Hamade receives a financial sponsor and medical institution willing to perform the surgery, there is also the likelihood that her whole family may have to relocate outside Iraq for her to receive the long-term follow up care that she will require, according to White.

For now, Hadael will make regular trips to the Marines’ base to receive her weekly medicine which is intended to raise her blood count, until a solution can be found through the work of non-profit organizations around the world.

The Marines say they will continue to visit Hadael’s family from time to time.

“Hadael doesn’t move around much because she is tired all the time,” said Kutner when he and other Marines visited the girl recently. “Other than sit in the living room watching T.V., she can’t do much.”

Hadael’s father says she doesn’t play with the other kids in her neighborhood and doesn’t smile much anymore, although when the Marines come around she smiles a bit more.

Staring at his daughter as she lies on a green stretcher, receiving medication inside the Marines’ medical facility in Al Qa’im, Ahmed says that now, “all that is left to do is wait.”

Email Cpl. Rosas at rosasa@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

Click on any photo for MORE pictures, credits and descriptions.

Posted by sr at 09:51 PM | Permalink

AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 28, 2006) -- More than 30 years have passed since the first EA-6 Prowler flew into combat during the Vietnam War. Today, it continues to provide lifesaving electronic warfare support to U.S. service members during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/3D3F12E3825E0DED852571D90028D450?opendocument

Aug. 28, 2006
Story ID#: 200682932557
By Cpl. Jonathan K. Teslevich, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), reached the milestone of 3,000 combat flight hours during a mission high above the Iraqi desert in Al Asad, July 13.

According to the official Marine Corps fact file, the Prowler is normally assigned to assault support and attack strike missions in hostile territory. The Prowler's mission is to defeat deadly anti-aircraft systems and collect electronic data on the battlefield.

The Prowler dominates the electronic battlefield and the safe return of thousands of aircraft and crews makes obvious the need to field the aircraft. The EA-6B exhibited its abilities during conflicts in the Middle East and Balkans, where aircraft losses were much lower when it was in the air.

While the capabilities of VMAQ-2's Prowlers may be unmatched in the aviation world and though the squadron recently made its own entry in the history books, they might as well be 34,000-pound paperweights without the Marine maintainers and aircrews who keep the "Death Jesters" airborne daily.

"This is a really old aircraft. It is amazing we can fly the amount of flight hours that we do," said Capt. Mark S. Gombo, an electronic countermeasures officer and Purke, Va., native. "The amount of maintenance hours is unbelievable, but the fact is, we continue to fly this airplane. I am and a lot of others are impressed with the people who built this airplane and those maintaining it."

The engineers and assembly line workers at Grumman Aircraft Corporation, which manufactured the EA-6B, were commended by several VMAQ-2 Marines for their quality design and construction.

However, the people receiving the most praise from their superiors in the squadron are the "Death Jesters'" maintainers.

"The maintenance department has busted their butts, adapted and overcome supply issues, a nonstop flight schedule and a difficult work environment," said Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan L. Falcon, maintenance control chief and a Fayetteville, N.C., native. "These aircraft were left here by VMAQ-1 and have been in Iraq for nearly a year, flying in a sandy environment that is not good for them. I'm not surprised though that (the Prowlers) go up. It all goes back to the maintainer."

Although the maintainers take pride in the recent milestone, safety has been the focus of their efforts.

"I try to do everything as safely as possible and follow all the publications and guidelines, because there's no point in accomplishing 3,000 flight hours if someone gets hurt along the way," said Lance Cpl. James R. Elmore, a power plants mechanic and Houston, native. "I imagine that any aircraft takes a lot of work, but to accomplish 3,000 hours with this one, means a lot to me. I always sit down to watch them take off, and it's a good feeling to watch something I put a lot of work into go in the air."

Click on any photo for MORE pictures, credits, and descriptions

Posted by sr at 09:04 PM | Permalink

DIJIBOUTI, Africa (Aug. 28, 2006) -- At the top of the world, cloaked in ice and blinding snow, rest more than 100 permanent residents of Mt. Everest’s “Dead Zone.” They wait there at 26,000 feet like castle guard, their stunned silence an unspoken warning to passing travelers concerning the thin air that lays claim to new residents each climbing season -- including 11 souls this year. Those lucky enough to pass through their frozen neighborhood, unscathed en route to the summit, generally have three common characteristics: safety, stamina and Sherpas, or guides.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/0EB84E0520150C5A852571D8005E5949?opendocument

Aug. 28, 2006
Story ID#: 2006828131032
By Cpl. Jeffrey A. Cosola, 24th MEU

For Marines waging war on the front lines of the Global War on Terrorism – and in the mountain ranges where madmen hide – safety, stamina and “sherpas” are also key ingredients to their mission’s success. Recently, in Dijibouti, Africa, Marines with Alpha, Charlie and Weapons companies, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), participated in a mountain assault course taught by the MEU’s assault climbers, a group of Marines trained to scale challenging terrain and “guide” a follow-on force to the fight.

Lance Cpl. Patrick Kanaley, a squad automatic weapon gunner and assault climber instructor with 2nd Platoon, Charlie Co., said that the purpose of the course is to teach infantry Marines sporting a “full combat load” the basic skills needed to move through a pre-established course and reach the top of the mountain ready to engage the enemy. Kanaley, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., explained that in addition to the information taught in the course, safety is paramount, because “people’s lives are hanging on ropes.”

“The idea is to move quickly, but to move up and down safely,” added Kanaley, whose job as a MEU “sherpa” could ask him to negotiate any difficult terrain in support of a raid force ranging from platoon-sized to battalion-level invasions. “This is a good course and gives the guys a general idea on how to use these installations.”

Course instructors set up three rope-climbing stations on a rocky slope – simple, fixed and semi-fixed – to give the Marines a hands-on class illustrating the techniques they’ll need to know for mountain combat. Cpl. Victor Rodriguez, a team leader and course instructor with Charlie Co., and a native of Brownsville, Texas, said the idea was to have them “go through the systems” that were set up for them in order to “become familiar and gain experience.”

“Our job, as assault climbers, is to make their job easier in getting up the mountain and getting to the fight,” said Rodriguez. “We show them how to get through.”

Ascending a mountain in full combat gear is a task that demands a great deal of stamina, a feat that Lance Cpl. Richard Gosch, a machine-gunner with Charlie Co. and a class participant, said was the toughest part of the course. Gosch said that climbing the unstable incline in Dijibouti’s searing heat gave each of the Marines an appreciation for the endurance needed for sustained operations in mountain warfare.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to do this in a mountain environment,” said Gosch. “I didn’t realize how tough climbing the actual mountain is on your body. After this we’ll be better prepared.”

For now, Marines are probably safe in the knowledge that they’ll most likely never scale Mt. Everest in pursuit of a fight. However, as madmen and jihadists continue to run out of places to hide, the day may come where – armed with safety, stamina and their “sherpas” – Marines will turn a battlefield “Dead Zone” into a high-altitude graveyard, complete with the stunned silence of terrorists who thought they were safe.

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Posted by sr at 08:44 PM | Permalink

Programs help prepare, support families through deployments

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- As members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here make last-minute preparations for their upcoming deployment, Staff Sgt. Danny Sava and his family are getting their own affairs in order so they're ready for another long separation.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/releaseview/A82F676C27386B15852571DA0041CA6C?opendocument

United States Marine Corps, Public Affairs Office
American Forces Press Service; Donna Miles
Release # 0830-06-0758
Aug. 28, 2006

The Sava family - Danny, a seven-year Marine, his wife of two years, Julia, and their children, Anthony, 10, and Alyssa, 18 months - offer insights into what a "typical" military family faces during deployments and the importance of the services the military provides to help them.

Less than three weeks before Danny and 2,300 fellow Marines leave here for six months of duty as U.S. Central Command's theater reserve, the Savas told American Forces Press Service they've got a handle on their family affairs.

Sava, the 15th MEU's data chief, is drawing up a list of details and contact information for Julia. The family bill-payer, he set up automatic online payments and is making sure she knows where to find his will, power of attorney, Social Security card and other important documents. "We're trying our best to get everything together and get squared away," Julia said.

The Savas already have endured one deployment as a family - when Danny was in Iraq and Julia was experiencing a difficult pregnancy until Alyssa's birth two months before her daddy's homecoming. The family lived off base during the last deployment, and Julia's doctor warned her not to drive. Fortunately, her parents didn't live far away and were able to pitch in when she needed it. "That's what kept me going," she said.

Danny made his presence felt at home the best he could by calling whenever possible, sending frequent e-mails and photos and picking up souvenirs for Anthony during port calls. "Frequent communication let me know he was OK and gave me peace of mind," Julia said. "It made a big difference."

Now that they have one deployment under their belts, the Savas say this time they pretty much know what to expect.

With the family now living on base and Julia serving as a key volunteer for the 15th MEU's family support network, they're hoping the deployment will go a bit easier than the last one. In her volunteer role, Julia will serve as a conduit between the unit and other Marine spouses, keeping the information channels open and helping steer families to any help they might need during the deployment. "We pass information to them and let them know what's going on," she said.

A vast volunteer network is just one part of the array of resources and services Camp Pendleton offers its 18,000 families to help them cope during deployments, explained Veronica Largent, assistant branch manager for the base's Family Team Building and Community Support effort.

The program has grown by leaps and bounds since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the launch of the war on terror and the corresponding acceleration in the Marines' deployment cycles.

The program's offerings span the full deployment cycle, from pre-deployment briefings to prepare families for what's ahead to support groups during the deployment to a Warrior Transition Briefing that helps redeploying Marines transition back to their roles at home, Largent explained.

In addition to committing more resources to family support, the Marines are fine-tuning their support network to make it more proactive to families' needs, she said.

For example, "family readiness officer" was once an additional duty that rotated between Marines as they came and went. Now the base has hired full-time civilian employees, such as Bill Bonney, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's family readiness officer, to bring experience and continuity to the job.

The base also established task-organized response teams, made up of professional counselors and other family experts, to bring families together and assist them through bumpy spots during deployments. "It was an opportunity to bring spouses together and allow them to vent and express their concerns, with counselors able to take that discussion and steer it in a constructive way," said Lisa Stehle, team leader for the base's LINKS program.

The program, better known for its acronym than its full name -- Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills program -- has proved to be invaluable in bringing Marine families into the fold of the base support program, officials said. They describe LINKS as "Marine Corps 101," an eight-hour workshop that teaches families about the Marine Corps, how it's organized and what services it provides. "It's the single most important program we have," said Bonney, noting that this knowledge empowers family members to tap into programs offered to help them.

Like many family support programs here, LINKS is run by volunteers who shoulder the largest share of the load in taking care of families. Last year alone, this network of Marines, spouses, military retirees, base civilian employees and members of the local community, clocked 180,000 volunteer hours, said Emily McKinley, the volunteer program coordinator.

In addition to steering families toward the resources and services offered to help them, Camp Pendleton's programs aim to ensure they understand the family dynamics that take place before, during and after a deployment, explained Deborah Smith-Porter, a readiness support coordinator and key volunteer trainer.

"There's an emotional cycle of deployment, and a lot of times spouses don't realize that," said Smith-Porter, a Marine wife who's held down the homestead during her husband's three deployments. "They might fight a lot just before the deployments and have doubts about their marriage. They might go through a stage where they are mad at their Marine and mad at the whole Corps. We teach them about this cycle and let them know that this is all perfectly normal."

As spouses of deployed Marines support each other, they form bonds that officials said many simply can't find outside the base network. Frequently families like the Savas, who counted on their extended family for support during the deployment, begin seeking that support from their Marine Corps family, Smith-Porter said.

"At home with your parents, the same support system of understanding just isn't there," she said. "Military spouses are a special breed who understand what you're experiencing. The Marine Corps family is a very small family, but we are very supportive of each other."

"We are spouses, and we are in this together," agreed Stehle. "So we circle the wagons and take care of each other."

Rebecca Rider, a family member employment assistance specialist and Marine wife, said he's proud of Camp Pendleton's programs and the support it offers families. "If spouses grab hold of these programs, they won't be disappointed," she said.

As the base's family support program has evolved, a new level of cooperation has developed between the base's operational side and its support side. "We're working more closely together and understand each other better," Largent said. "We're synchronizing our efforts and, as a result, ensuring we are providing the services needed."

"It's really part of taking care of our own," said Lloyd Thorne, supervisor for Marine Family Team Building and a retired Marine. And that, he said, ultimately boils down to supporting the Marine Corps mission. "It's so they can do their job and keep their head in the game," Thorne said. "That's what it ultimately comes down to."

Col. Brian Beaudreault, the 15th MEU commander, praised the support services being offered to his Marines and their families. He noted with pride that on his past deployment, he didn't have to send a single Marine home to take care of a family problem. "There wasn't an issue that arose that my key volunteers couldn't handle," he said. "I have total confidence in them."

As Beaudreault's unit prepares to deploy in early September, he said he's counting on the family support network to look out for his Marines' families. "A commander can't do this alone," he said. "We count on them and the support they offer."

As the Savas prepare for the MEU's deployment, Julia said she knows she has to be extra strong once again - not just for her children, but also for her husband, who's counting on her so he can focus on his mission. It won't be easy, she acknowledged, particularly knowing that he'll be gone over Christmas and for both of his children's birthdays.

But Julia said she's determined to make the deployment a success. "We'll make it," she said. "We'll be OK."

For now, little Alyssa toddles around base with an infectious ear-to-ear grin, blissfully unaware that her father will soon be leaving. Ten-year-old Anthony understands all too well what's ahead, keeping a brave face as he promises to be a big help to his mother while his Marine father is deployed. "I get used to it," Anthony said of Danny's absence, "but I kind of miss him."

As he utters the words with a brave smile on his face, a tear forms in his left eye and slowly rolls down his cheek.

Posted by ph at 08:37 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (Aug. 28, 2006) -- This year’s Summer Reading Program, coordinated by Marine Corps Community Services here, and the Base Library, officially came to end Aug. 12 during an official Wrap Up Party held in the Reading Room of the library. The festivities began at 1 p.m. and ended at 2 p.m.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/1E5E5F5D46147290852571D1006749C7?opendocument

Aug. 28, 2006; Submitted on: 08/21/2006 02:48:10 PM ; Story ID#: 2006821144810

By Lance Cpl. Ryan Trevino, MCB Hawaii

During the party, certificates of completion were handed out to program participants who completed at least one reading log during the summer months. A book drawing and give away, using books donated by library patrons, was also held during the event.

The Summer Reading Program is geared toward encouraging children, from infants to 18 year olds, to become more active readers, according to Program Coordinator Merri Fernandez, MCCS. Even if the child is too young to read for his or herself, the parents or older siblings of that child are encouraged to read to them as much as possible. According to Murray Visser, head librarian, if children have positive reading experiences when they are young, then they are more likely to become lifelong readers.

“We hope to instill a love of books that will stay with them the rest of their lives,” said Fernandez. “We want children to realize reading is not a chore, it’s a great adventure.”

“The earlier a child starts to read, the better student they will be later in school,” added Visser.

MCCS decided to play on the phrase, “reading is a great adventure”, by declaring this year’s theme, “Voyage to Bookaneer Bay.” Keeping with the pirate theme, the children were given a treasure map used to keep track when and what they read during the passing weeks, according to Fernandez.

“Each week they put a sticker on their map and were then able to choose a prize from our treasure chest,” she added.

McDonalds of Hawaii, the program’s sponsor, also chipped in and provided the children with coupons, good at participating McDonalds, as an added incentive to read.

According to Fernandez, the reading requirements for completing a reading log depended on the child’s age and reading ability. Young children needed at least 15 books read to them, she explained, and the older children were required to read a certain amounts depending upon their grade level.

Prizes were awarded to the top readers in five age categories, which included: 0 - 3, 4 - 6, 7 - 9, 10 - 12, and 13 - 18.

Now in the program’s 15th year, participation is at an all-time high with more than 200 children signing up for the program, declared Fernandez.

“I really enjoyed our theme this year, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s program.

For more information on the Summer Reading Program and other events contact the Base Library at 254-7624.

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Posted by JG for MarineParents.com at 07:58 PM | Permalink

A group of U.S. Marines based in South Bend is preparing to go back to the front lines of the war in Iraq.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/3729571.html

(WSBT)

Members of Company B have been training at Camp Pendleton in California. This is the second time in three years they've been called on to serve in Iraq.

The Marines will clear routes in that country so coalition forces can safely get through. That means anything from breaking down barricades to finding and dismantling landmines and other explosives.

“They’ve got a very