Marine Corps News Room

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, took the reigns from 3rd LAR Battalion here March 31 to continue the mission of making a safer and better Iraq.

http://www.usmc.mil/units/marforpac/imef/mnfwest/Pages/2ndLARassumescontrolofwesternAnbar.aspx

3/31/2008 By Cpl. Ryan L. Tomlinson, Multi National Force - West

Secnd LAR Bn., is an infantry-based, light-armored-vehicle battalion stationed out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene, N.C., that will be operating in the western Anbar province of Iraq. The battalion arrived here March 23 to begin familiarization with their area of operations for the next seven months in support of the Long War.

The battalion will have several missions to conduct, but one of the most important is the continued transition from coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces controlling the area.

"We are here to return the control of the country to the Iraqi people and to provide them with a self-sufficient and stable government," said battalion executive officer Maj. Stuart M. Harness.

Harness added the battalion’s other main goal is to bring everyone back home safely.

Beginning his command of the area of operations, battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Russell E. Smith visited the city of Trebil to see its citizens and the Iraqi Border Patrol.

"Since the Marines came to Iraq in 2003, my country is a lot better than before," said Aziz Shalan, an Iraqi Border Patrol commando. "Life is good here."

Third LAR Battalion is scheduled to return to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., after completing a seven-month deployment here.

Posted by sr at 11:08 PM | Permalink

KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Marines with Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, are conducting vehicle route reconnaissance missions throughout the western Anbar province of Iraq in pursuit of insurgent activity that may be harmful towards Coalition forces, the local Iraqis and the Iraqi Security Forces.

http://www.usmc.mil/units/marforpac/imef/mnfwest/Pages/%E2%80%98Outlaws%E2%80%99combthedesertforthreats.aspx

3/31/2008 By Cpl Ryan Tomlinson , Regimental Combat Team 5

Delta Co. Marines, who go by the nickname “Outlaws,” are also securing the area for a transition of control to the ISF.

“These operations are setting up future success for the Iraqi Security Forces,” said Cpl. Andrew H. Oquendo, a scout with Delta Co. “It’s a large part of the hand-over process.”

During the missions, the “Outlaws” search the desert and the roadways for areas where insurgents may have stored, smuggled or planted weapons. The Marines patrol for long hours every day to ensure the area of operations is clear of threats.

The Marines also engage with as many Iraqi civilians as possible, providing them with food, water and candy for children. The supplies and the visits signify the Coalition forces are available to help and give supplies to those in need.

“Our actions show the Iraqi people we aren’t leaving them alone,” said Sgt. James D. Leach, a scout squad leader with Delta Co. “We’re here to take care of them, so until everything is settled, we will be sticking around for them.”

Being part of this kind of operation has made an impact on the Marines conducting the house searches and area sweeps for weapons.

“I am very proud to be a part of this part of Operation Iraqi Freedom,” said Oquendo, 22, from Paterson, N.J. “The operations are another footprint in the road to success in this war.”

Some members of he “Outlaws” were here in 2007 and see a difference in the peoples’ attitude toward them and Iraq in general.

“Being a scout squad leader you have to meet with the people and communicate with them,” said Leach, 24, from Rutherfordton, N.C. “I could tell just by the way they speak, people are feeling safer and happier.”

Posted by sr at 8:32 PM | Permalink

The military has used motion pictures for training and entertainment since the dawn of the medium. Now the age of YouTube has brought a Web site dedicated to the sharing and preservation of military films from World War I to the present.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/03/military_militarymovies_032908w/

By Seamus O’Connor - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 31, 2008 6:43:08 EDT

Http://realmilitaryflix.com is the brainchild of retired Air Force Capt. John Corry, who served as a combat cameraman from 1986 to 1990. Corry was involved in the production of numerous military documentary shows for the History Channel after he left the service. In creating each show, Corry made copies of hundreds of old military films, transferring film reels and other former standards onto Beta SP tapes, the longtime broadcast standard.

“These are very engrossing to people that have never seen them before, especially the old ones, the World War II films,” Corry said. “They really take you right back.”

With the onset of widespread Internet access, Corry said, he began “fantasizing” about an online archive of all the films he had collected over the years, a conduit for sharing them with the world.

That dream became a reality Thursday with the launch of the site. Corry and a small staff in Los Angeles spent most of the last year converting the Beta tapes into digital files, then uploading them to the site.

There are about 650 films available on the site, and Corry says he has another 1,200 films digitized that he will upload as he’s able. The films are categorized by time period and subject matter, including a section of formerly classified materials. Some of the films are gory, including the execution of German Gen. Anton Dostler, while others are entertaining for their primitive perspectives on topics like sexual diseases and foreign cultures.

Corry said that the military continues to offer him its full cooperation, and he continues to add modern and historical films to his collection.

In its first day, Corry said, the site got about 1,000 hits, with viewers staying on for an average of 14 minutes.

“Ideally, we’d like to hook up with a bigger portal” like AOL as a future revenue source, Corry said. For the time being, he is counting on press releases and word of mouth to generate traffic for the site. Corry also hopes to allow for downloading and embedding of the movies on separate sites, but doesn’t yet have the bandwidth, he said.

Posted by sr at 8:17 PM | Permalink

HIT, Iraq —
HIT, Iraq Marines with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, continued their mission of assisting Iraqi people in Hit, Iraq.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/mnfwest/Pages/MarinesvisithospitalandIPStation.aspx

3/31/2008 By Cpl. Erik Villagran, 5th Marine Regiment

Company I, 3rd Bn., 4th Marines, performed a mobile patrol through the city stopping at two important destinations.

“The objective of our patrol was to build rapport with the people and see if we could help the hospital with anything,” said Lance Cpl. Israel H. Aguirre, 21, a team leader with Company I from Miluakia, Ore. “We also wanted to check out how the (Iraqi Police) were working.”

Marines made their way to the hospital through the congested streets of the town. After setting up security outside the hospital, a few of the Marines entered the building with a doctor.

“They were more then willing to let us walk around,” Aguirre said. “They showed us around the hospital. They took us to see a girl who was sick and that was heartbreaking. There wasn’t anything they didn’t show us.”

It was the first time Seaman Nicholas C. Vassilopolous, 25, a corpsman with Compnay I from Southwick, Mass., had visited an Iraqi hospital. He said he was pleasantly surprised by how similar it was to any other hospital.

“It was better then what I thought it was going to be,” Vassilopolous said. “It was really organized. They had a lab area and X-rays.”

While they walked around the hospital, Marines offered the hospital staff assistance in anything they needed. Aguirre ensured they weren’t having problems with food, water and electricity.

“We want to get (the Iraqis) what they need,” Aguirre said. “We want to show the Iraqi people that we are here to help.”

After the tour of the hospital, the Marines moved on to an IP station. Iraqi policemen greeted the patrol with open arms and quickly launched into a walk through of the facility.

“They let us know that they were more then willing to work with us,” Aguirre said.

Marines walked through the jail inside the IP station to see how the prisoners were treated and discussed recent activity in the area with the policemen.

Marines were pleased with how the IP station was run and were satisfied on how the patrol went overall.

“The patrol flowed nicely,” Aguirre said. “We let the IPs know we are willing to work together. We showed people at the hospital we’re not just here to fight. Only good things can come from doing humanitarian things like helping hospitals.”

Posted by sr at 8:00 PM | Permalink

BATAVIA, Ohio - Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin's parents vowed to never let the U.S. Army forget about finding their son.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080331/ap_on_re_us/iraq_soldier_s_remains_14;_ylt=Apubpbi9.p4AlXVpc29wO6lX6GMA

By TERRY KINNEY, Associated Press Writer
Mon Mar 31, 6:26 AM ET

Their efforts included trips to the Pentagon and even meeting with President Bush, but they ended in disappointment Sunday: An Army general told them the remains of Maupin, a soldier who had been listed as missing-captured in Iraq since 2004, had been found.

"My heart sinks, but I know they can't hurt him anymore," Keith Maupin said after receiving word about the remains of his son, who went by Matt.

The Army didn't say how or where in Iraq his son's remains were discovered, only that the identification was made with DNA testing, Maupin said. A shirt similar to the one his son was wearing at the time of his disappearance was also found.

The Army was continuing its investigation, Maupin said.

Lt. Lee Packnett, an Army public affairs officer in Washington, said an official statement about the identification would be released Monday.

Matt Maupin was a 20-year-old private first class when he was captured April 9, 2004, after his fuel convoy, part of the Bartonville, Ill.-based 724th Transportation Company, was ambushed west of Baghdad.

A week later, the Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing a stunned-looking Maupin wearing camouflage and a floppy desert hat, sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark and grainy tape showed only the back of the victim's head and not the execution.

The Maupins refused to believe their son was dead. They lobbied hard for the Army to continue listing him as missing-captured, fearing that another designation would undermine efforts to find him.

The Pentagon agreed to give the Maupins regular briefings, and Bush met with them when he traveled to Cincinnati.

Keith Maupin said the Army told him soon after his son's capture that there was only a 50 percent chance he would be found alive. He said he doesn't hold the Army responsible for his son's death, but that he did hold the Army responsible for bringing his son home.

"I told them when we'd go up to the Pentagon, whether he walks off a plane or is carried off, you're not going to leave him in Iraq like you did those guys in Vietnam," Maupin said.

Keith Maupin and his ex-wife, Carolyn, held a candlelight vigil Sunday night outside the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in Batavia, an office they used to package thousands of boxes of donated snacks and toiletries for shipment to soldiers in Iraq.

"It hurts," Carolyn Maupin said. "After you go through almost four years of hope, and this is what happens, it's like a letdown, so I'm trying to get through that right now."

The Maupins were told by an Army official on Friday to expect an update on their son over the weekend, Keith Maupin said. The Army broke the news about their son's remains at a somber meeting.

"When you look out there in the parking lot and see a three-star general get out of a car, you know it ain't good news," Keith Maupin said.

Matt Maupin graduated from Glen Este High School, just east of Cincinnati, in 2001 and attended the University of Cincinnati for a year before joining the Army Reserves.

Dan Simmons, the athletic director at Glen Este, remembered him as a quiet but hardworking backup player on the school's football team.

"Matt was a selfless kid on the football field," Simmons said. "He did whatever the coaches told him. He wasn't a starter, but he made the other kids play harder."

A month after his capture, Maupin was promoted to the rank of specialist. In April 2005, he was promoted to sergeant.

Posted by sr at 9:31 AM | Permalink

Harrier jets arrive at base

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series of reports from Afghanistan by The Daily News writer Jennifer Hlad, who is embedded with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit there.

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The dust, fine as powdered sugar, cast a fog in the air as Harriers cut through the sky. As the jets taxied to their spots on a newly built mat, each plane kicked up a small storm of sand in its wake.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/24th_55754___article.html/afghan_eyes.html

March 30, 2008 - 12:22AM
JENNIFER HLAD
THE DAILY NEWS

Ten days after leaving Cherry Point Air Station in North Carolina, the first wave of jets from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Harrier detachment landed on base in southern Afghanistan. The AV-8Bs give the Marines on the ground an eye in the sky, said Maj. Stephan Bradicich, a Harrier pilot.

The jets can perform reconnaissance or determine routes, Bradicich said, as well as "keep an eye on the fight" and send information directly from the cockpit to the ground.

"It extends the range of vision for the ground commander," Bradicich said.

The jets also provide heavy firepower, he said, "the big bombs."

And laser-guided and Global Positioning System technology means "we can put bombs on target the first time around," said Sgt. Robert McElmurry, an aviation ordnance Marine with the Harrier detachment.

That can be very important when ground troops call in for air support, he said.

"When the ground guys are out doing their thing, if they run into trouble, they know we're just a phone call away," he said.

McElmurry has been in the Kandahar province less than a week, but he spent a year in Bagram, Afghanistan, on a previous deployment. During that tour, he said a group of American soldiers came and thanked the air unit for air support.

"They said without us, they'd be dead," McElmurry said. "It was really cool and kind of humbling to hear it actually from their mouths."

Harrier pilots Capt. Christopher McLin and Capt. Arthur Bruggeman also arrived Saturday. This is the first deployment for both, and they said they are not exactly sure what to expect. But since the MEU is the first large Marine unit in this area for a few years, Bruggeman said he thinks there will be plenty to do.

"We're definitely looking to do some good work, and looking to be busy," he said.

Contact Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or visit her blog at http://fromafghanistan.encblogs.com.

Posted by sr at 11:12 PM | Permalink

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq Service members from all over the United States deploy to locations around the world leaving their family behind to fight for their country. For one Marine, deploying to Iraq actually meant reuniting with his father.

http://www.usmc.mil/units/marforpac/imef/mnfwest/Pages/IraqLikefatherlikeson.aspx

3/29/2008 By Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson, Multi National Force - West

Representing two generations of warriors, Lance Cpl. Nathan O. Nail, a scout team leader with Security Platoon, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, and his father Harry A. Nail, a police advisor with International Police Advisory, reunited here March 28.

“I feel exhilarated knowing that I am stationed with my son,” said Harry, 56, from Prattville, Ala. “I knew he was going to come to Iraq, so I wanted to be at the same place he would be.”

Nathan hasn’t seen his dad since December 2007. After that, his dad deployed to Iraq to assist the Iraqi Highway Patrol with his law enforcement knowledge.

The 20-year-old from Oxford, Ala., deployed to Iraq March 18 with 2nd LAR knowing that his dad would be here waiting.

“It’s comforting to know that I have my dad here with me,” said Nathan. “I know that I will always have a person I could talk to anytime,”

Harry requested to work in Korean Village because of Nathan’s upcoming deployment. Within a week of Nathan’s arrival here, his dad ran to the flight line every time he heard a helicopter.

“The feeling of being able to see my son again in a war zone was exciting,” said Harry, 56. “I was just so happy and over-joyed to see him.”

Nathan was raised by an Alabama State Trooper and a U.S. Army soldier all in one man: his dad. Even through his parents divorced when he was young, Nathan and his dad kept a bond that nobody could break while Nathan split time with his parents.

The men have been through everything together, from working through the hard stresses of divorce to Nathan dressing up in his dad’s uniforms and playing. Being in Iraq together is just building on their relationship.

“It’s awesome to have both (of us) here because he and I will have an understanding of what Iraq is like and what we do for our country,” said Nathan.

The two warriors continue to see each other every day as many times as they can. Every single time he glanced at his son, Harry couldn’t stop smiling, knowing the fact he Nathan is safe.

He is one of the main reasons I wanted to come out here and train the Iraqi police,” Harry said. “I’m extremely proud of him.”

He concluded, “It was one of the proudest moments of my life to see him graduate and become a Marine.”

Posted by sr at 8:14 PM | Permalink

SITCHER, Iraq (March 29, 2008) – The sun suspended high in the sky, beating down on all who did not seek shelter from its rays. But the mid-day heat did not stop Iraqi workers and the Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.

http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil/MNF/mnfw_IM.nsf/(ArticlesRead)/18A7EEAA806BA075432574200068D0D4

Story by Cpl. Chadwick deBree

The Hawaii Marines, in partnership with Iraqi Police and Iraqi civilian workers, continued with a two week project March 29, to build up security around the IP station here.

The IP station is being fortified so that the Marines can conduct joint operations and work even closer with their Iraqi counterparts, said 2nd Lt. Husein Yaghnam, platoon commander, second platoon, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines.

“We are going to move out to the IP station in order to work closer with the Iraqis,” Yaghnam, a 24-year-old native of Toledo, Ohio, said. “We should be done with the construction by the end of the week and move there shortly after.”

With the word construction, most people associated with the Marines Corps will think that combat engineers are doing the work, but not in this case, said Yaghnam.

“No engineers were here to help us do the construction around the IP station,” he said. “It was just Iraqi workers and our grunts doing all the work. We worked on everything; building the HESCOS, placing the razor wire, and guard posts, we did it all.”

Within a two-week period, the Marines were able to flatten the ground, build up a guard post, and build the wall about half way around the station, said Sgt. Dane Y. Kincaid, section leader, second platoon, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines.

“Once we are all done we’re going to be occupying it, so we have to make sure it is good,” said the 25-year-old native of Makawao, Maui, Hawaii. “I’m looking forward to us going out there because it takes up a lot of our time driving out there everyday. It takes about an hour to drive out there and an hour to drive back.”

The Marines are also anticipating working with the Iraqi Police on a daily basis.

“We’ve built a good relationship with them (the IP),” Kincaid said. “They’ve been willing to do their job and work hard to keep peace in their area. They are good at their job and believe in what they are doing.”

Yaghnam said that the Iraqis play a key role in providing security for the area.

“We found our joint partnership beneficial in counter insurgency warfare,” he said. “I look forward to working with them on a daily basis.”

The Island Warriors are working closely with the Iraqi Security Forces during their seven-month deployment to help bring security to the region.

Posted by sr at 11:40 AM | Permalink

When a vessel is seized, the U.S. Navy lies low -- until lives are at risk. Off Somalia, violence in such incidents is on the rise.

ABOARD THE USS TARAWA, PERSIAN GULF -- From a computer screen on this amphibious assault ship, U.S. sailors kept close watch on a 6-week-old drama more than 2,500 miles away involving pirates from Somalia and a Danish merchant vessel.

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fg-pirates29mar28,1,263399.story

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 28, 2008

A second American warship was off the coast of Somalia near the captive vessel, a 115-foot tugboat called the Svitzer Korsakov with an international crew.

As long as the pirates didn't mistreat the crew and continued to negotiate a ransom with the ship's owner, the U.S. would not intervene. But if the pirates became violent or deprived crew members of food and water, heavily armed U.S. sailors were prepared to storm the Svitzer Korsakov and free the crew.

"We want the pirates to know there will be consequences if they escalate," said Rear Adm. Mark Balmert, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three and point man for the Navy's 5th Fleet on piracy in the region.

The consequences are real: In October, the U.S. guided-missile destroyer Porter sank two pirate skiffs after receiving a distress call from a Panamanian-flagged, Japanese-owned cargo ship in international waters in the Indian Ocean.

Fighting piracy on the high seas is an increasingly significant part of Balmert's overall mission to maintain maritime security in an ever-volatile region.

Although the United States, along with various partners, has long taken on the job of stability in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden, the mission has expanded in the last year to include piracy off Somalia. Since October, the United States, leading a coalition of 20 nations, has kept at least one warship in international waters off Somalia.

U.S. sailors also are on the lookout in the Persian Gulf for pirates who might attack the smaller merchant ships and dhows.

"We're like a cop walking a beat," said Capt. David Adler, commander of the guided-missile cruiser Port Royal in the Persian Gulf. "We haven't had any piracy incidents, but that's because we're here."

Pottengal Mukundan, director of the London-based International Maritime Bureau, said involvement of the U.S. Navy and its coalition partners "may prove to be the only way to stop the pirates, which have until now shown complete disregard for the law."

The waters off Somalia, connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, has become a favorite hunting spot for pirates.

Although attacks have declined in more traditional pirate areas such as the waters around Indonesia and Bangladesh, incidents off Somalia have increased, with pirates showing a greater tendency toward violence, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Thirty-one acts of piracy were reported off Somalia in 2007, more than anywhere else in the world and a 10% increase from the previous year, according to the bureau. Pirates held 154 crew members hostage. A Chinese sailor aboard the fishing trawler Ching Fong Hwa was killed in pirate incident.

The shipping industry and insurance companies prefer to negotiate for the release of the ships and crews and have asked the U.S. to stand off unless loss of life appears imminent. Negotiations can drag on for months, while the U.S. ships keep in contact with both the pirates and the captains of the seized vessels.

"It's sort of a standoff now," said Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain. "If the pirates just hold the ships and crews for ransom, that's one thing. But if the pirates change the rules and get violent, that's when the shipowners get excited. That's why we've told the pirates: 'If you change the rules, we'll change the rules and you won't like it.' "

This month, the International Maritime Bureau warned merchant vessels to be wary of fishing boats or dhows asking for assistance. Pirates use such tactics to trick merchants into stopping to render aid, under the immutable law of the sea.

The U.S. is bracing for a possible increase in piracy incidents off Somalia as summer approaches, bringing smoother seas. In late January, a swarm of pirate boats took over the Svitzer Korsakov, which was bound for Russia's Sakhalin island near Japan. On board were a British captain, an Irish mate and four Russian sailors. A U.S. ship reportedly fired warning shots at a boat resupplying the pirates.

The U.S. was in daily communication with the Svitzer Korasakov to determine the condition of its crew.

"The captain will say, 'We're fine,' and then one of the pirates will grab the microphone and say, 'That's enough,' " Balmert said.

Through interpreters, the U.S. told the pirates that it wouldn't stand by if the merchant sailors were harmed.

On March 19, the standoff finally ended: The pirates released the ship after a reported $700,000 ransom was paid.

tony.perry@latimes.com

Posted by sr at 7:45 PM | Permalink

233 WENT, 233 RETURNED: Marines back from Iraq into open arms

This is how it should be, when warriors come home.

http://www.ajc.com/community/content/news/stories/2008/03/28/marines_0329.html
Click on above link for photos.

By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/28/08

They should see 40 American flags, fluttering in the breeze. They should hear the cheers of hundreds of moms and dads and kid brothers, sweethearts and spouses and old school pals. They should hold babies, shake a buddy's hand, run a finger along a loved one's cheek.

And send up thanks for a safe return.

Friday morning, 233 warriors did.

Marines attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 came home from war. The men and women came back to Georgia on a spring morning redolent of flowers and new life. They came back in an Omni Air International jet that had left Kuwait City about 13 hours earlier. The jet's arrival at Naval Air Station Atlanta in Marietta ended a seven-month deployment to western Iraq, where the squad flew thousands of sorties in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Every Marine deployed Sept. 4 came back alive.

The Marines are not expected to return to Iraq for at least a couple of years, said Col. Doug Hardison, commanding officer of the air group that includes the squadron.

"They all went forward and they all came back," he said. "That's the best news you can ask for."

The best news is knowing your sweetie's home, said Lindsey Longtin. A pert blonde with a pretty smile, she grasped a sign that leaves little room for interpretation:

Welcome home Tigger! Time to pounce

Tigger? That's what she calls her boyfriend, Staff Sgt. Ethan Held of Auburn.

Nearby, Chicago mom Janet Mason bounced on her toes and stared at the big jet. It held her son, 1st Lt. Matthew Mason, 28 — she was ready to hold him, too. She glanced at her husband, Matthew's dad, Monty Mason. They shared a thank-God smile.

"We've done a lot of praying," she said.

And then the doors to the airplane opened. A Marine, his face tanned from the desert sun, stepped out...

Prayers answered.

'I was lonely'

The Marine Corps announced in July that the squadron, called the "Red Dogs," would head to Iraq for several months to relieve other helicopter units. The squads' pilots would fly Cobras and Hueys to give aerial support to ground troops, and do reconnaissance work.

The work was hot, the work was cold, said Lance Cpl. Merico Fantigrossi, 21. Life in the desert caught him by surprise.

"You know, you say 'desert' and you think of camels and things like that," said Fantigrossi, a helicopter mechanic. "It wasn't like that. We had snow. Rain. Mud! Mud in the desert!

"It would be freakishly hot in the day," he continued." And then frigid at night."

The holidays were lonely, said Sgt. Emerson Greason. He's 25, his face just showing the ghosts of squint lines. He held hands with his girlfriend, Tanjuneka McIntosh.

"I was lonely," he admitted. He slid a sly grin in her direction. She beamed back.

"I was very lonely," she said.

Terrie Higley worried. She prayed. She kept faith. Friday morning, the Newnan resident smiled — faith answered, worries gone. Her 21-year-old son, Matt Higley, stood at her side.

When Matt joined the Marines after graduating from high school, "I was not happy," she said. "But he was 18, and wouldn't listen to me. All I could do was support him."

"He's a great kid," said Cartersville resident Hugh Higley, a Navy veteran whose cap announced his service on the carrier USS Forrestal decades ago. "Now that the lake [Allatoona] is full again, I'm going to take him fishing."

But that could wait. Friday morning was a time to go home, to sniff the air, to look at trees greening gently. To marvel at the miracle of love. They left the air station in large groups and small clusters. They walked hand-in-hand or with arms around each other.

One Marine, muscled and lean as a prizefighter, gently placed his sleeping daughter in a stroller. He looked over his shoulder at his wife. She wore a short dress that reminded him that he'd married a good-looking woman.

She reached out her hand, and he took it.

That is how it should be, when warriors come home.

Posted by sr at 10:12 AM | Permalink

Marines in Ramadi have begun dismantling some of the combat outposts credited with helping calm what was once among the most violent cities in Iraq.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61002&archive=true

By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, March 27, 2008

According to Marine Corps officials in Anbar province, the “demilitarization” process is another sign of the calm that has enveloped the city over the past year and a half. Ramadi had been the heart of the Sunni insurgency, with militants mounting attacks on U.S. and Iraqi targets daily.

Now, taking down the combat outposts is hoped to have a positive economic impact.

“The people will have more freedom of movement and civil-military operations projects will allow people to return their businesses to the surrounding neighborhoods,” 1st Lt. Matthew Johnson, a company executive officer with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, was quoted as saying in a news release.

The first outpost to be “demilitarized” was Joint Security Station Steel, officials said.

Marines cleared the outpost of barricades and concertina wire that had previously been used to fortify the station. The station had been built in October 2006 by soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division and occupied a month later by the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment.

“Just walking down the street doesn’t do you anything but get you shot at,” Capt. Adam Rudy told a Stars and Stripes reporter in November, shortly after the outpost had been built.

The outpost was the centerpiece of an “inkblot strategy” that created several small outposts in dangerous quarters of the city, gradually spreading a U.S. security presence. Now, less than two years later, that strategy has appeared to pay off in Ramadi.

“We started out constantly patrolling when we first got here, mostly by ourselves,” Marine Lance Cpl. Chris Hopkins said of the improvement.

“After months of hard work alongside the [Iraqi police], they’ve taken the lead role and we’re serving more as advisers.”

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

ABOARD USS TARAWA — Marines and Sailors from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit took advantage of hot and humid conditions and a no-fly day to take part in acclimatization and combat conditioning drills on the flight deck here.

http://www.usmc.mil/units/marforpac/imef/11thmeu/Pages/CombatconditioningatseahelpsMarinesbeattheheat.aspx

3/26/2008 By Staff Sgt. Sergio Jimenez, 11th MEU

On deployment, the birds are always in the air and it is rare that the flight deck is available to train, “so we take advantage of it when we can,” said Staff Sgt. Adam Kryszczynski, 1st Section Leader, 81 Millimeter Platoon, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. BLT 1/5 is from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and is the MEU’s ground combat element. The 11th MEU is currently on a seven month deployment through the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf Region.

This was one of the hottest and most humid days many of the Marines had seen on the deployment and it was also scheduled as a day off. But rather than take it easy, the Marines decided to turned it up a notch. So instead of beginning their training during the cool morning hours, the Marines waited until the hot midday sun warmed things up outside.

So while other Marines and Sailors were inside the ship relaxing, playing basketball, dodge ball or in the gym, Lance Cpl. Ivan C. Ceniceros, a mortarman, from El Paso, Tx., was in combat gear taking part in patrolling formations exercises and pushing himself through a grueling workout that included pushups, crunches, wind sprints and various combat conditioning drills.

It was the perfect opportunity to get “our boys acclimatized and ready for the rigors of combat,” said Kryszczynski, or Ski [pronounced Skee] as he is called by most Marines in his unit. “We never know when we’re going to get the call, so we have to always be ready,” said Ski.

“Inside the ship, we live in a controlled environment, like in a bubble,” said Pfc. Ryan C. Ortiz, mortarman, from Augusta, Ga. “Training like this keeps us from getting too comfortable and keeps our bodies used to operating in hot and rigorous environments.”

According to Ceniceros, besides combat conditioning, the Marines and Sailors also practiced hand and arm signals and formation movement techniques to help them cross through dangerous areas when exposed to enemy fire.

After each team ran through an exercise, they gathered as a group and critiqued each other and offered suggestions on how the team could have done things differently, said Ceniceros.

Other sections also ran fireman carry and stretcher bearer relays to practice evacuating casualties from the combat zone, said Ortiz.

Today’s training was tough, said Ortiz. “But I’ve seen tougher.”

“We do acclimatization training at least once a month,” he said. “Last month in Kuwait, we did a two-and-a-half hour run in flak jackets. We started out slowly and worked our way up to that level to make sure nobody got hurt,” he said.

Ortiz and Ceniceros said they expect the command to push them further the next time they train to beat the heat. “They can count on it,” said Ski. “That’s how we stay sharp. We push each other to the limit.”

For more information about the 11th MEU, visit their website at http://www.usmc.mil/11thmeu.

Posted by sr at 8:26 PM | Permalink

HIT, Iraq — Lance Cpl. Jonathan D. Cobb is kicking his way to the top of the Marine Corps martial arts world.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/1stmardiv/Pages/Marinefinetunestalents.aspx

3/26/2008 By Cpl. Erik Villagran, 1st Marine Division

Cobb, 20, a scout sniper from Colorado Springs, Colo., has been taking time during his second combat deployment with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 to hone his skills in Tae Kwon Do.

“I went to the U.S. Open for Tae Kwon Do in New Orleans in February,” Cobb said. “I lost in the quarter finals, but I learned that I was at the world class level.”

Cobb became proficient in Tae Kwon Do, a martial art that focuses on using kicks to defeat your opponent, with the help of his uncle. His uncle, a ninth degree black belt, helped open Cobb’s eyes to the sport.

“There are only fifteen ninth degree black belts in the nation. It’s Chuck Norris, my uncle and thirteen other guys,” Cobb said. “I trained with him and Master Chae. I’ve been training with Master Chae for nine years. He’s like a second father.”

Cobb has worked hard to get to this point in his career of Tae Kwon Do. He took his first class in martial arts at the tender age of 4 and began training seriously when he was 11 years old.

“I trained thirty-hours a week with Master Chae for the first five years,” Cobb said. “I hit black belt when I was 16 years old. Now, I’m a third degree black belt.”

Through it all, Cobb has stayed humble. His fellow Marines have noticed his modesty.

“He doesn’t use his talent to intimidate people or to try to get his way,” said Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Conde, 24, a scout sniper with 3rd Bn., 4th Marines, from Prescott, Ariz. “He talks about Tae Kwon Do, but he doesn’t gloat or boast.”

Some of the Marines serving with Cobb have taken advantage of his knowledge by training with him. Marines were impressed with his guidance.

“I’ve practiced with him,” Conde said. “He’s taught me a lot of things. He has a natural ability to teach.”

Marines who haven’t had an opportunity to learn from Cobb, have been awed by him in other ways. His stretching exercises and round house kicks left his Marines amazed.

“I saw him kick an eight- to ten-foot ceiling one time,” said Lance Cpl. Bryson M. Uribe, 20, a scout sniper with 3rd Bn., 4th Marines, from Kellyville, Okla. “I wasn’t going to mess with him that’s for sure.”

Cobb’s focus is on improving on what he already knows and preparing for his bigger plans in the future.

“I’ll be a master, which is a fourth degree black belt,” Cobb said. “Hopefully I can make the U.S. National team and open up a Tae Kwon Do school someday.”

Cobb’s aspirations may be large, but with the dedication he has shown, his goals will fall before him just like his opponents.

Posted by sr at 7:40 PM | Permalink

MONROVIA, Liberia — The streets were lined with hundreds of smiling faces and thumbs-up signs. Happy shouts of "Marines!" were directed towards a humanitarian assistance convoy of two seven-ton trucks and several humvees laden with thousands of dollars worth of hospital and school supplies making their way slowly through the city of Monrovia, Liberia.

http://www.usmc.mil/units/marforeur/Pages/Sea-basedMarinesdeliverhumanitariansuppliestoLiberians.aspx

3/25/2008 By Sgt Rocco DeFilippis, Marine Forces Europe

Marines from 4th Landing Support Battalion completed the first of two days of convoy operations March 25 delivering humanitarian assistance supplies throughout Monrovia as part of the exercise West African Training Cruise 2008 being held March 17 to April 5. The exercise is in conjunction with the ongoing African Partnership Station deployment and has a focus on the delivery of humanitarian assistance supplies to various clinics and schools in Monrovia, Liberia from a sea based command.

Operating from aboard the High Speed Vessel-2 Swift, the Marines showcased sea basing, and keeping a limited footprint ashore by returning each day to load the next shipment of humanitarian assistance supplies requested by the Liberian government and donated by United States European Command's J4 Humanitarian Assistance Directorate.

"We are working to establish those friendly relationships while at the same time exposing the Marines to a new and different culture," said Maj. Jason Smith, convoy commander and a Marysville, Wash., native. "I wouldn't call [the supplies] luxury items, but these supplies will provide a definite improvement to the quality of life at these facilities."

During the first day of convoy operations the Marines delivered medical supplies to JFK Hospital; Monrovia's main hospital, and Logan Town Clinic, a small clinic on the outskirts of the city. While in Logan Town they also delivered school supplies for Arthur Askie School.

The supplies consisted of multiple disposable medical supplies, furniture, text books and other school supplies. The total value of the items to be delivered over the two days is $58,000.

"Today is a day that the Lord has made, because we have been long awaiting these supplies to come in," said Rev. Elwood Jangaba, director of Agencies for Holistic Evangelism and Development International associated with the Logan Town clinic. "I think they are going to make a great impact to the community when we see the health care delivery system in this community brought to life."

"It's not only a great training exercise, but it's a good opportunity to experience something new working with another country in peace-time environment," said Lance Cpl. Brandon S. Malone, 4th LSB heavy equipment operator and Vienna, Ohio native.

Although the Marines of 4th LSB come from reserve units across the United States, Smith said the importance of the mission weighed heavily on the preparation training.

"Because of the magnitude of the exercise, the Marines knew that preparation for this mission would be key," Smith said. "All of the Marines have put a lot of time into this outside their own regularly scheduled training. All of the Marines were really excited once they got this opportunity."

The convoy fits into the larger picture of WATC 08, by serving as a component of a sea-basing exercise. During the first phases, equipment aboard Maritime Prepositioning Ships USNS 2nd Lt John Bobo and USNS LCpl Roy M. Wheat was linked up with forces from aboard the USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), assembled at sea and then transferred between the naval platforms using the Improved Navy Lighterage System. Using the causeways and ferry system that makes up the INLS, the Marines were capable of moving vehicles from ship-to-ship in open seas for the first time.

"The importance of this phase for the Marine Corps is two fold," said Lt. Col. Roy Edmonds, exercise support team officer-in-charge and native of Dallas. "Not only does it show that we can operate from a sea base, transit through an austere port and execute a humanitarian assistance mission; but it also gives us an opportunity to conduct security cooperation with the Armed Forces of Liberia and establish positive relations through good will."

During the convoy, the Marines were aided by a variety of international and inter-agency organization such as the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the Liberian National Police, the Armed Forces of Liberia and numerous state department members who arranged security and traffic management, as well as other coordination during the convoy ashore.

"This event could not have occurred without the planning efforts of many different agencies," Edmonds said. "Truly, this has been an international team effort."

After the completion of the second day of convoys, the Marines will conduct a wash down of the vehicles to prepare for agricultural inspections and then transfer the vehicles back to the Maritime Prepositioning Ships, again using the INLS.

Overall, the Marines said the convoy provided a unique opportunity in a time when the Corps is fighting a war with one hand, and lending out the other to help those in need.

"For the young Marine, it's important for them to understand that the Marine Corps is more than just kicking down doors-we can actually help people in other ways," Smith said. "Because of the current mission in Iraq, for so many of these young Marines, that's the only part they know, so this is an opportunity for them to see a different part of the Marine Corps and make a difference in this part of the world."

Posted by sr at 8:29 PM | Permalink

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich (WOOD) -- When word went out that Joshua Hoffman was coming home, his family asked the injured Marine corporal if he wanted a public homecoming.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8064101

Posted: March 25, 2008 04:24 AM CDT
By Joe LaFurgey and Tony Tagliavia

Yes, he said.

On Tuesday, hundreds jammed a hangar at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and others lined the route that took Hoffman to his new apartment in Kentwood.

A member of Alpha Company, Hoffman's unit was assigned to Fallujah, Iraq. In January 2007, he took a bullet in the neck and is now paralyzed from the shoulders down. He will now receive around-the-clock care at his home.

For months, Hoffman recovered as best he could in a Richmond, Virginia VA hospital, waiting for the day he could come home to West Michigan.

He didn't know the reception he would receive.

"I think we figured a few people," said his brother Jacob Hoffman. "Family, friends. But nothing this big."

Joshua Hoffman, confined to a bed, did not want any pictures of his deplaning shown. As a fellow Marine told 24 Hour News 8, Hoffman didn't want "a pity party."

His brother said the welcome home will play a crucial role in his recovery. "He'll see all the support he has. He'll be, like, 'Man, I gotta get strong, show that I can do this.' That's just the way my brother was. He's a fighter."

When the ambulance carrying Joshua Hoffman left the hangar for his home, it signaled the beginning of another journey. And not just for Joshua.

"It's definitely going to be a challenge," said Heather Lovell.

She and Hoffman have been a couple for the last three and a half years.

"We get to focus on our relationship, and not have to just focus on the medical. We get to continue our relationship and enjoy that," said Lovell, who was at Hoffman's side in Virginia.

She says they are in the relationship for the long run, despite the challenges they face.

"We're just taking it day by day. Now we're just trying to get settled in and enjoy what time we have together right now and keep going forward."

Lovell said she was told multiple times Hoffman wouldn't make it. At one point, he could raise an arm up. But a few bouts with illness have sapped that ability for the time being.

Doctors have been hesitant to set expectations, but the ones they have Joshua has exceeded.

"I expected it. I definitely expected it. I knew he had it in him and he was going to fight to show that the doctors were wrong. And he's going to do better than what they anticipate," said Lovell.

Joshua can now feel his abdomen, his arms, and sometimes his hands. His recovery is of course not over.

"He's aware that he's going to be working 10 times harder than he was before," said Lovell.

The past year has been about getting in good enough shape to come home. Now rehab is about getting Hoffman ready to live the rest of his life.

Hoffman is set to have his first rehab session at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids within the week.

He and Lovell talk about their plans. She wants to go back to school. So does he. Hoffman was just about finished with training to become an airline pilot - a dream that could live on thanks to planes that quadriplegics can pilot.

"His face lit up when he found out he could fly again," Lovell said.

It could take months, even years, to achieve that dream. But for now, "He's here with us. I got to bring him home and that's just exciting. It's just a good feeling," said Lovell.

Posted by sr at 7:53 PM | Permalink

"Can I give you a kiss?"

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/03/paralyzed_exmarine_joshua_hoff.html

Posted by Ted Roelofs | The Grand Rapids Press March 25, 2008 15:55PM

Ex-Marine Joshua Hoffman raised his eyebrows twice: The answer was yes.

Then, to the applause of hundreds in the Alticor hangar at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Hoffman, 26, made his journey on a gurney toward a waiting ambulance and the next chapter of his life.

"I told myself when I got here I wasn't going to cry," said Jacob Hoffman, 24, a Wayland resident found it impossible like many others Tuesday to hold back tears.

It is a bittersweet homecoming for Hoffman, paralyzed from the chest down by a sniper's bullet in Iraq in January 2006. He has been in a Virginia Veterans Administration hospital since February 2007

Accompanied by his fiancee, Heather Lovell, 21, he was wheeled through a sea of American flags and well-wishers. They included dozens of Marines from his home unit, the Grand Rapids-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment.

Jacob Hoffman grappled for words as he tried to express what the support meant to him.

"To me, it meant the world, everyone showing up here. All these people came to support my brother. To me, it means they care.

"To me, it's bigger than any gift you can give."

Posted by sr at 7:49 PM | Permalink

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The majority of Marines and sailors killed in motorcycle accidents during the past two years did not have documentation showing they’d completed the required rider safety course training.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/03/marine_motorcycle_031908/

By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 23, 2008 11:44:48 EDT

According to AlSafe message 076/07, 79 percent of those killed in fiscal 2007 and the fiscal year that began in October either had no training or no documented training, which is a Corps requirement.

The statistics, which the Corps began tracking 10 years ago, also show that 19 Marines died in motorcycle crashes last fiscal year, making 2007 the deadliest in several years. And this fiscal year, things aren’t substantially better, with eight Marines dying as a result of motorcycle wrecks since October, according to the Naval Safety Center.

“We had a very bad start,” said Pete Hill, safety engineer for Marine Corps headquarters’ safety division. “We have seen a fairly steady decline since the beginning of the fiscal year.”

But given the size of the force — nearly 200,000 Marines — statistically the Corps is where it was last fiscal year in terms of motorcycle deaths, Hill said. Meanwhile, both the Army and the Navy have seen improvements in their motorcycle death ratios, he said.

There are different theories as to why, but no solid statistics reveal what’s behind the problem. What is known is that most riders who died this year were going too fast into a curve. They were all riding sports bikes, which are cheaper and offer a much higher power-to-weight ratio than cruisers.

A Corps-wide message is being developed that will spell out new motorcycle regulations, according to Marine Corps headquarters officials.

The Corps’ Executive Safety Board announced plans March 14 for a motorcycle safety operational planning team, with representatives from Marine Corps Installations-East; MCI-West; I Marine Expeditionary Force; Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.; and MCB Hawaii directed to “study best practices and provide recommendations” to the upcoming ESB meeting in August.

In the latest attempt to get Marines to comply with the nearly eight-year-old Marine Corps Order 5100.19E that spells out motorcycle rules, MCI-East leaders came up with a policy early this year that re-emphasizes the order and standardizes its implementation.

“It was a concern across the region here, in that every installation commander interpreted the Marine Corps order differently,” said Stan Dutko, MCI-East deputy safety manager.

One issue was that commanders were not allowing Marines to receive the 30-day temporary base registration pass required for them to ride their bikes on an installation. The order states only that commanders “may authorize” the temporary registration.

“They chose not to,” Dutko said. “Across all MCI-East installations, six months ago, you could not get temporary registration.”

This meant that commands, such as II MEF at Camp Lejeune, N.C., could not easily identify new motorcycle riders because they were not allowed to ride on base until they completed a rider safety course. Marines who choose not to take the course or register on base often find ways to keep their bike ownership secret.

They’re considered to be part of an “underground motorcycle community” Dutko said, and some of them are caught only after they’ve been involved in an accident.

In a recent example, four Marines riding their motorcycles March 1 along a two-lane road outside Jacksonville all crashed at once. The lead motorcyclist tried to make a left turn, lost control and caused a chain of accidents among the other three motorcyclists.

Because of an agreement the base has with local authorities, the North Carolina Highway Patrol turned its report on the incident over to officials at Camp Lejeune, where the four Marines are stationed, Dutko said.

“All four of the motorcyclists were not registered on the base,” he said. Fortunately, no one was killed in the wreck.

“There are a lot of Marines who ride motorcycles right now who choose to ride them off post,” he said. “It’s larger than a lot of us would guess right now. That’s the whole thing we’re trying to curtail. The thought process behind this whole thing is to make it a little bit easier for the Marine to do the right thing. Now, the Marine can come on the base, he can get a temporary pass … and that allows the command to identify them as a new motorcycle rider.”

The temporary pass also gives Marines the opportunity to ride in an environment where they’re likely to be more cautious. Whether on a motorcycle or in a car, Marines driving on an installation tend to be a little more careful because of tighter policing on base, Dutko said.

MCI-East enacted the new policy in January. Since then, Marines who drive motorcycles between any of the seven installations running from Virginia south to Florida should have noticed more uniformity in the rules.

Comments from motorcyclists across the region caught the attention of commanders, who got word up the chain that different rules were being applied at different bases. Dutko said one example pertained to a rule about wearing long sleeves.

The order states that a “properly worn long-sleeved shirt or jacket” is to be worn while riding. At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., that was interpreted as a jacket. At Camp Lejeune, the camouflage utility blouse was considered appropriate.

As a result, Marines making the more than 30-minute drive from the base to the air station wearing only their utility blouses were turned away at the air station’s gate, Dutko said.

Other articles of clothing under the order’s personal protective equipment section were also interpreted differently. The order calls for hard-sole shoes with a heel, and some installations considered that to mean over-the-ankle boots, something encouraged, but not required.

“The reflective vest is probably the most controversial PPE thing we have,” Dutko said.

According to the order, bright-colored clothing is OK to wear during the day. But some bases said a reflective vest had to be worn day and night.

“We’ve chosen now to enforce the Marine Corps order that says during the daylight hours, you don’t have to wear a reflective vest,” Dutko said. “We went back and said, ‘there’s no easier way to do that than to follow the exact guidance of the Marine Corps order.’”

But, for whatever reason, that’s a concept seemingly not worth it for some Marines.

“Everyone seems to think they have this option,” Hill said. “We’re really not out there trying to pick on riders. The problems we have with motorcycle drivers is they’re really not following the rules. The feeling from the top down here is anyone violating a Marine Corps order, they’re subject to the UCMJ.”

Posted by sr at 8:31 PM | Permalink

When Lance Cpl. Justin Longcor returned after seven months in Iraq he expected to see a few smiling faces.

http://www.mtdemocrat.com/story.php?id=101.7&m=1
Click above link for slide show.

By Noel Stack | City editor | March 23, 2008 14:30

What he encountered at Sacramento International Airport Thursday was an airport full of smiles and cheers when he arrived. His mother Sandra Longcor, a Shingle Springs voice on marineparents.com, and his girlfriend Charlene Derheim of Vacaville stood waiting with a crowd complete with other marineparents.com members, the Patriot Guard, Move America Forward members and staff from the Mountain Democrat.

'I didn't expect all that,' said Justin, 23. 'The news crew was definitely new for me.'

The 2003 Ponderosa High School graduate volunteered to go to Iraq after years of canceled deployments. He joined the Marines four years ago, following in the footsteps of his grandfather.

'I just wanted to go somewhere,' Justin said.

When she found out her son volunteered to go to Iraq, Sandra said, 'I thought he was absolutely out of his mind.'

Serving with MWSS 372, Justin went to Al Asad Airfield, a base in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq west of Baghdad.

'I knew where I was going. Al Asad is known for being 'Camp Cupcake,'' Justin said. 'I wasn't worried about it.'

For the first half of his tour, Justin said he spent time as a gunner on a Humvee, patrolling 'the wire' (the fence around the base). The second half he spent in a tower on base watching the wire from above.

Because the base had Internet access, Justin was able to stay in touch with his family and he met his girlfriend online while serving his country half a world away.

'This is the first time they ever met, too,' Sandra said of the event at the airport. The whole thing took Justin by surprise, she added, saying, 'He was shocked. It's so cool when you can get people together like that.'

Justin, who was trained to work in aviation electronics and also expertly repairs night-vision goggles, is home with his parents, Sandra and Dave Longcor, in Shingle Springs on a 30-day leave, his mother said. One thing he'd like to do while here, Sandra added, is visit a 5-year-old boy named Hagen. The Blue Oak Elementary School student sent Justin a Christmas card and the Marine wants to say 'thank you,' she explained.

After this visit, Justin will return to his home base in Miramar with the MALS 16 company to serve the rest of his contract, about one year.

'He won't be going back to Iraq unless he re-enlists,' Sandra said, adding that he should be promoted to the rank of corporal soon.

Justin said he's decided not to re-enlist, wanting instead to pursue a college degree in computer science.

Posted by sr at 11:39 AM | Permalink

OKINAWA CITY, OKINAWA, Japan (March 21, 2008) -- Amidst a procession of mostly green-clad paraders, the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band’s tightly-formed ranks of red, white, blue and khaki stood out during the 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Chuo Park Avenue near Kadena Air Base March 15.

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/lookupstoryref/2008323231048

March 21, 2008; Submitted on: 03/23/2008 11:10:48 PM ; Story ID#: 2008323231048
By Lance Cpl. Robert C. Frenke , MCB Camp Butler

The Marines performed in front of hundreds of spectators who gathered for the weekend St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the country in the 5th century. It is widely believed he died on March 17, and people all over the world celebrate his life on that date.

“I thought it was great seeing (the III MEF Band) come out and perform, doing what they do best,” said Lance Cpl. Jimmy Drennan, a motor transportation operator with 7th Communications Battalion, III MEF Headquarters Group, who attended the celebration.

Chuo Park Avenue, which is a popular street known for its many bars, restaurants and retail stores, closed to vehicle traffic from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the parade. Paddy Mac’s Irish Pub and the Chuo Park Avenue business community hosted the event.

Martin McIntyre, owner of Paddy Mac’s Irish Pub, led the parade down the street.

Vendors provided green beverages – including slushys and beer – and Irish food and many local foods.

Other performers in the parade included the ‘What’s Up’ Akemi Dance School, the Misato High School Band and Manly Slough on bagpipes.

“This is mine and my daughter’s first time seeing this parade,” said Jin Meku, a reporter with Japan Times. “This parade is new to the Okinawan people. It was very interesting.”

Following the parade, spectators made their way to the main stage for live Irish and Okinawan music. Performers included Irish music bands Yonamine-san, The Islanders, The Explode, an Okinawan Music Band Shima Gais among other bands.

The stage show also included a clown show and demonstrations of karate and kendo.

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration continued throughout the weekend at Paddy Mac’s, with live performances by local bands.

Posted by sr at 9:36 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Mar. 21, 2008) -- Any Marine would brave enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade when you have friends that "got your back."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/CB831455513ACDC885257415000F4320?opendocument

Mar. 21, 2008; Submitted on: 03/22/2008 09:46:42 PM ; Story ID#: 2008322214642
By Cpl. Ray Lewis, 1st Marine Division

Cpl. Ian M. Dollard exemplified that sense of brotherhood when he risked his life to save a fellow Marine.

For his actions while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dollard received the Silver Star — the nation’s third highest award for combat heroism.

His former company commander, Maj. George D. Hasseltine, pinned the award on Dollard during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field here March 21.

The date was June 24, 2007. While checking a vehicle, Dollard and his men were attacked by automatic machine gun fire.

According to the award citation, Dollard promptly returned fire with his weapon so his Marines could come to the aid of a Marine who was wounded in the attack. Then Dollard and his men started receiving automatic machine gun fire from a second position, which inflicted two gunshot wounds to his platoon commander.

Dollard wasn’t going to let the enemy get away with that. He said adrenaline and suppressive fire from his Marines helped him run to the sound of the enemy’s gunfire.

Without regard for his personal well-being, Dollard narrowly avoided enemy bullets to reach his commander. He then shielded his commander from danger, only to get struck himself, taking two rounds his upper torso body armor.

He was dazed but still insisted to provide first aid to his commander. Then he dragged the lieutenant 25 meters and continued to provide first aid. Seconds later, Dollard was struck in the leg by small arms fire. He refused medical care, then directed his fire team to tend to his commander’s wounds.

Even after a vehicle arrived to the Marines’ rescue, Dollard still refused medical attention until his wounded Marines were treated first.

Dollard’s parents are extremely proud of their son’s accomplishments.

“Ever since he was born I knew he was going to be special,” said Judy Dollard, mother of Cpl. Dollard, of Pleasant, Calif. “It was something that I just felt. He always was that kind of guy that stood up for his friends.”

Cpl. Dollard’s father said he didn’t expect anything like this.

“I know he worked hard in Iraq,” said Todd Dollard, father of the Silver Star Medal recipient. “It’s nice to have something like this to focus it all. Everybody we’ve talked to about this [has] been supportive of this.”

Cpl. Dollard’s former company commander flew here from Arizona to be a part of ceremony.

“I wanted to recognize his achievement and the achievements of the company,” said Hasseltine, Company F’s commander during the time of Dollard’s heroic actions.

Dollard was grateful for the award, but humble.

“I don’t know what to say; it feels good,” he said. “It was a lot of adrenaline. I know I had machine guns doing their job, so I felt safer.”

Dollard currently works as a lifeguard at one of the recreational swimming facilities here and will do so until his Marine Corps contract expires in September.

Meanwhile, Dollard’s former unit will become the first battalion-sized Marine unit to support the Afghan National Police in Afghanistan when they deploy this spring.

Posted by sr at 9:13 PM | Permalink

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan(Mar. 21, 2008) -- After toiling in the harsh sun and sand all morning, Marines surprisingly found themselves eating a hot, full course meal in a make-shift motor pool on a remote desert patch of Afghanistan.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/E9C34438231157B58525740D0020CA8F?opendocument

Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story by: Computed Name: Cpl. Alex C. Guerra
Story Identification #: 20083212226

The meal came courtesy the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s food service specialists and their new Field Food Service System, used for the first time this meal.

The FFSS is essentially a mobile kitchen where food service Marines can prepare and serve cafeteria quality meals to more than 500 Marines in remote locations.

“The Marine Corps purchased these [systems] approximately four years ago to support operations just like in Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Sgt. Charles W. Parmenter, chief messman, food service specialist, Headquarters and Support Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th MEU, ISAF. “Now we are finally getting to use these [units] in these places.”

“We can supply chow (meals) in any condition, at any climate,” said Parmenter, a 10-year food service veteran. “No matter where the Marines go we can set up a field mess, which is a site where there basically is a kitchen that can feed an X amount of Marines over a certain period of time.”

The system provides all the tools needed to create a cook-out rivaling those at home, and in the case of a MEU this is the first time they have been utilized.

“Every piece of gear in here is the same as you would have at any base,” said Parmenter. “You can cook exactly the same as if you were on any base, cooking the same chow they order with the vendors.”

An invaluable advantage of the FFSS is its capability to draw power from tactical (most military) vehicles, to heat water and cook fresh-frozen meals, said Staff Sgt. Lenard V. Tilley, senior mess chief, Headquarters and Support Company, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF.
“It’s a great piece of equipment to have when you can throw it in the back of a truck and take with you to prepare a good meal for Marines,” said Col. Peter Petronzio, commanding officer, 24th MEU, ISAF. “This piece of equipment will be a tremendous capability on the battlefield.”

Along with making a meal, grilled or steamed, the FFSS also helps keep morale high while out in the field, where the delicacy is often Meals-Ready-to-Eat.

“It’s a whole lot better than eating MRE’s, because eating MRE’s everyday just gets terrible after awhile,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua D. Sepanski, mortarman, Combined Anti-Armor Team platoon, Weapons Company, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF. “Having a good hot meal once and awhile is good. [It] helps you stay focused and sharp.”

Helping create an environment where Marines can relax and clear their minds is essential for operational success.

“Eventually we are going to step out the wire and do what we got to do,” said Lance Cpl. Christopher R. Sanderson, mortarman, second platoon, Weapons Co., BLT 1/6, 24th MEU, ISAF. “We are not going to have hot chow all the time, so we have to take advantage of it as much as possible.”

Fielding of the food system helps keep Marines focused by upholding the Marine Corps’ second leadership principle – troop welfare.

“I feel that is the most important part in the Marine Corps,” said Parmenter. “As long as Marines are well fed, taken care of and have good morale, we can accomplish anything, in any climate. With this piece of equipment we can (help) do that.”

Posted by sr at 9:06 PM | Permalink

One Mother Of A Fallen Soldier Showed His Platoon Her True Support

(CBS) Maureen O'Haire of Rockland, Mass., supports the troops, and not in the patronizing, bumper-sticker sort of way. She really supports the troops.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/21/assignment_america/main3959380.shtml
Click on above link for video and pictures.

BOSTON, March 21, 2008

Specifically, the Marines, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports.

And in particular, a platoon of soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. O'Haire has given them so much - starting with her son.

Last year, just before his 21st birthday, Lance Cpl. Walter O'Haire was killed in Iraq.

"God has a date we come in and a date we leave," O'Haire said. "And Wally did what he had to do and it was time to go back."

Obviously, you can't ask for anything more from a Gold Star mom. But that proud Irish woman wanted to give more anyway.

Using the $20,000 death benefit she got from the government, O'Haire offered to fly the whole platoon for a St. Patrick's Day bash in Boston. She welcomed them like family … exactly like family.

"You bring all that mud in my house I'm kicking your ass," she said to one of the Marines.

"They come into my home and they're just like having my other kids around," she told Hartman.

O'Haire is widowed with eight other kids. She certainly had plenty of other ways to use that $20,000 - and yet she chose to spend it on the boys her son served with - for three days she put them up in a nice hotel, and took them all to church with her.

And she made sure they got the royal treatment wherever they went. She even got 'em a spot in the big Boston St. Patrick's Day parade.

Did they have a good time? What do you think?

"I was amazed," one of the Marines said. "I mean this is just overwhelming."

"She's probably one of the most amazing women I've ever met in my life," another said. "If a mother can cope with such a loss so well, I know I can do it too."

It's the message - the gift - O'Haire was hoping these boys would leave with.

"Men and women leave the service and they're very hurt because they lost good friends. And I don't want these guys to regret that Wally died," If these guys walk away and they remember Wally and not grieve - it will make me happy."

Posted by sr at 10:35 AM | Permalink

AKASHAT, Iraq — When gloves and trash bags are priority gear for mission accomplishment, there is little doubt that things have changed in Akashat, Iraq.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/1stmardiv/Pages/3rdLARMarinescleanupAkashat.aspx

3/20/2008 By Lance Cpl. Paul Torres, 1st Marine Division

The citizens of Akashat were informed via the mosque loudspeaker that there would be a town wide cleanup March 20 where all residents were urged to help pickup trash.

“The trash will be cleaned away to increase the health and welfare of the citizens,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jeremiah C. Johnson, 28, from Elko Nev., who is the company gunnery sergeant for Company H, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5.

Several platoons of Marines patrolled through town recruiting local children and handing out plastic trash bags.
“We thought we were going to have to do most of the work ourselves, but then the local children pitched in,” said Cpl. Carl D. Youker, 28, from Peru, Ind., an anti-tank assault man with Blue Platoon, Company H.

The Akashat community’s willingness to work with Coalition forces has opened the door for several humanitarian projects such as the cleanup.
“There are two reasons we are cleaning up the trash,” said Johnson. “First is to make it safer for the children to play and second is to give the town a more professional look.”

Throughout the day, the Marines focused on cleaning the town as much as possible. A 7-ton truck dragged away concertina wire that barred the entrance to the once banned local theatre. Marines dragged broken ceiling panels out of the theatre as children swept and picked up other garbage. The trash bags were then piled on the side of the road as trucks and tractors filled their beds to haul away the garbage to a burn pit.

Local residents were encouraged to cleanup the area around their homes and to help pick up trash in the streets as well.

“The people stated throwing bags into the 7-ton and cleaning more than the area around their yard,” said Youker.

The Marines helped supervise and provided security down the roads, but there was little fear of incident.

“It was (very) rewarding because it was one of the better things we did to help the kids out,” said Youker.

Posted by sr at 8:20 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March. 20, 2008) -- Marines from 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, held a St. Patrick’s Day Field Meet, here, March 18.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/19CD02F6E8116CA2852574120044A493?opendocument

March. 20, 2008; Submitted on: 03/20/2008 07:29:45 AM ; Story ID#: 200832072945
By Lance Cpl. B.A. Curtis, 2nd Marine Logistics Group

The field meet was a way for the Marines and sailors of 8th ESB to celebrate the life of St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers. Patrick is credited with fostering the development of clay buildings and masonry in Ireland.

“Every St. Patrick’s Day engineers take time out and remember their heritage,” said Lt. Col. Daniel P. O’Hora, commanding officer, 8th ESB, 2nd MLG. “The field meet gives us the opportunity to do that.”

Nine events made up the field meet, pitting five of the battalion’s companies against each other in competition. Events included a one-mile relay race, a blarney stone toss and various events that pertained to the engineers’ military occupational specialties.

“We are naturally competitive,” said Sgt. Charles Flynn, with the battalions Motor Transport Section. “This competition allows us to get away from our regular work day and participate in some motivating P.T. You also get part of the day off and some good chow.”

The competition was held at a time when the battalion was reunited after deployments and at its full strength.

“This has been the first time in a year where we have been able to get the battalion together as a whole,” O’Hora said.

At the end of the day the battalion held a cook out where Marines conversed while enjoying lunch.

“No matter where I am, whether in combat or here, I always look forward to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with my fellow engineers,” stated O’Hora. “It’s part of our tradition.”

Posted by sr at 2:11 PM | Permalink

A majority of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit has arrived in Afghanistan and begun setting up its base in Kandahar province, Marine Corps officials said.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/03/marine_24thMEU_031808/

Staff report
Posted : Thursday Mar 20, 2008 10:03:20 EDT

More than 2,300 Marines are building a new tent city with living and logistics facilities. The unit will fall under the NATO command in the region known as Regimental Command South, Capt. Kelly Frushour, a MEU spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

The MEU, including 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, is the first Marine expeditionary unit deployed to Afghanistan since 2004. It will conduct “full-spectrum operations” in the region, where former elements of the Taliban regime and other insurgents continue to mount attacks.

Col. Peter Petronzio, the MEU’s commander, and other top officers have begun meeting with adjacent commands in the region, Frushour said.

The unit recently brought in helicopters belonging to its aviation combat element, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365, Frushour said.

Later this year, an additional 1,000 leathernecks will deploy to Afghanistan from Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. The battalion will focus on training Afghan troops, officials said.

Posted by sr at 1:57 PM | Permalink