Military eligible to register at discount before public
If you want a leg up on fellow runners, active-duty and reserve service members can register now for the 35th Marine Corps Marathon at a 15 percent discount.
Continue reading "Early Marine Marathon registration begins" »
SAN DIEGO -- Many local military leaders, members of the military community and veterans attended the San Diego premiere of "The Pacific" aboard the USS Midway, Feb. 25.
NEW YORK — For a civilian it's a source of inspiration. For a photographer it's a dynamic study of composition and structure. For a historian it inspires debates on amphibious tactics and whether an island a third the size of Manhattan should have been bypassed in favor of other objectives.
Continue reading "The picture of Marines: past and present" »
WASHINGTON — Troops caught near a roadside blast will be pulled out of combat for 24 hours and checked for a mild traumatic brain injury, even if they appear unhurt or say they are fine, according to a new treatment policy the Pentagon is planning to release.
Retired Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey, widely known for his performance as the sadistic drill instructor in the 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket,” headlined a Thursday news conference in Washington, D.C., calling to rename the Department of the Navy the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
WILMINGTON – Chaplains deployed to Afghanistan have provided support for Marines dealing with the loss of their own in recent battles. After two weeks of intense fighting in Afghanistan, an Afghan flag now flies over Marjah, a former Taliban stronghold.
Continue reading "Chaplains help Marines cope with offensive in Afghanistan" »
Senators say it’s a missed opportunity for soldiers
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Marines and Navy SEALs are using an Army facility to train for Afghanistan, and soldiers are missing out, two U.S. senators report.
SATTAHIP, Thailand — Right now, there’s probably no place on earth with a greater collection of people qualified to critique disaster response than at the annual Cobra Gold exercise — with the exception of Haiti.
Continue reading "Troops train for humanitarian response at Cobra Gold" »
Rayong - Cobra Gold, the 2010 version of the annual joint exercise among US and regional armed forces, began in Rayong province on Monday.
UTAPAO, Thailand – The 29th annual Cobra Gold exercise presented the perfect picture of unity among nations as the exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony, Feb.1.
Continue reading "29th annual Cobra Gold opening ceremony kicks off exercise, promotes unity" »
AL-ASAD, Iraq — The base loudspeaker no longer wakes them up with calls for blood donors; armored trucks sit idle in neat rows. The Marines who stood at some of the bloodiest turning points of the Iraq war are packing up and leaving.
Continue reading "Marines exit Iraq in first wave of forces out" »
At 5 feet 6 inches and 140 pounds, Damacio Page may not look intimidating to a burly, battle-hardened Marine.
Continue reading "MMA fighters teach Marines skills for combat" »
DELARAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine commander in south Afghanistan blamed provocateurs for using religion to stir up a violent demonstration that has raised the political temperature in the country's most volatile region.
Continue reading "Marines defend troops after shots at Afghan protest" »
Call it a year of renewed focus. The Marine Corps’ primary combat mission and deployments in 2010 all appear to be clear. A surge of 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, including 8,500 Marines, is underway, and the Corps expects to stand up an expanded command structure led by a two-star general based in Helmand province in the spring.
Hundreds of Marines will descend on Boston this spring, as the Corps holds its second-ever “Marine Week” event in one of the nation’s oldest cities.
Continue reading "Corps to hold second Marine Week in Boston" »
You are going to have to get your own winter coat and hat to keep you warm off duty, because Marines are now prohibited from wearing the extreme cold weather gear and the associated accessories while in civilian attire.
Continue reading "Conway approves several uniform rules changes" »
The military’s surge of forces deploying to Afghanistan by this spring will include about 8,500 Marines commanded by the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
8,600 Marines to come from Okinawa
Navy officials have outlined their plans to build a Marine Corps base in Guam and expeditionary field training sites on the nearby island of Tinian, measures meant to support the relocation of 8,600 Marines from Okinawa beginning in 2014.
Grunts in Afghanistan soon will have a smaller, lighter sleeping bag.
Continue reading "New sleeping bags lighter, more compact" »
The Pentagon announced Monday that 8,500 additional Marines will deploy to Afghanistan, including 1,500 by the end of the month as part of battalion task force headed by Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 1st Battalion, 6th Marines.
Continue reading "Numerous Lejeune units to deploy in surge" »
In Oceanside, Near Camp Pendleton, Nearly Everyone Is Linked to the Military - and Feeling the Strain of Repeated Deployments
(CBS) The president announced this week an additional 30,000 U.S. troops will head to Afghanistan. Of course, in this country that means more changes on the home front, and not just at home, as CBS News correspondent Terry McCarthy reports from Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Continue reading "A Calif. Town Feels Afghan War's Impact" »
The Marine Corps will add a second regimental combat team to supplement U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and it apparently has at least three infantry battalions ready to deploy.
Extra 30,000 U.S. Soldiers for 18 Months; Republicans Say Timetable Poses Risk
WEST POINT, N.Y. -- President Barack Obama announced Tuesday a surge of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, along with plans to begin withdrawing the reinforcements in 18 months -- a potentially high-risk political and military strategy.
President Obama's Afghan surge of 30,000 additional U.S. troops will include an immediate infusion of California-based Marines, with the first elements set to be on the ground in southern Afghanistan around Christmas.
At Quantico, fired-up Marine recruits struggle to meet expectations that seem impossibly high
Finally, it is here: Tyler Martin's first real step on the road to becoming a Marine. His debut comes in the form of a routine physical fitness test.
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The message on Gail Kroger’s cell phone said her son was home from Afghanistan.
Continue reading "New family systems improves link to Marines" »
Fighting two wars, Marines hold new leaders to higher standard
There is no yelling. No invective. No spittle-laced derision.
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – After returning from a two-week mission in Iraq, a Marine makes a call to his wife, assuring her that he has returned safely. She is relieved, but panic creeks into her voice as she tells him that creditors have been calling their home asking about mortgage payments and threatening foreclosure. She anxiously asks her husband what went wrong and how to deal with it. The Marine is baffled, and he knows he needs legal assistance.
Continue reading "Legal Services Support Team Makes a Difference for Deployed Service Members" »
Grunts everywhere, prepare to face the Crips of Kabul.
The same techniques used by inner-city cops to fight street gangs in the U.S. are headed to Afghanistan — this time to root out insurgents, collect intelligence on improvised explosive device networks and build sources in Afghan villages.
Continue reading "Not everyone sold on combat policing training" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Student officers in Company A at The Basic School conducted martial arts-based training Nov. 18 on Landing Zone 7.
$7.9 million facility will help meet requirements for predeployment
The Marine Corps will expand its use of special effects in infantry training next year, with an expansive urban training facility anticipated in Hawaii and high-tech immersion trainers planned in North Carolina and California, Marine officials said.
Continue reading "Marines to build urban training site in Islands" »
Nov. 6--"I've been waiting for this film since the early days of the war," writes Roger Ebert about "Brothers at War," which he calls an "honest, on-the-ground documentary" about American soldiers fighting in Iraq.
Continue reading "'Brothers at War" takes intimate look at combat life" »
Washington -- Former Marine Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez completed his third Marine Corps Marathon on a crisp fall Sunday, one of about 60 riding hand-cranked bikes on a course that passes by memorials to Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington.
Say goodbye to sea bag drag.
Initial distribution of the Corps’ new Deployment Bag, a 10-pound footlocker on wheels, began in September and will continue for the next year, according to Marine Corps Systems Command. Manufactured by California-based ForceProtector Gear, the new bag can haul up to 75 pounds and is a significant upgrade from the service’s standard green duffel, which has remained largely unchanged for the past 25 years, officials said.
Continue reading "New wheeled footlocker issued for deployments" »
The Marine Corps moved fast to silence an Air Force military training instructor who boasted in a service-sponsored video that airmen are in better shape than Marines.
Continue reading "Recruiting video pulled after Marines complain" »
A massive attack on US troops in a remote part of east Afghanistan has added more heat to the debate about the level of American engagement in the country.
Continue reading "Taliban assault heats up US troop debate" »
As policymakers debate whether to deploy more troops, training at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms is being tweaked to reflect a counterinsurgency mission in mountain terrain.
Reporting from Camp Pendleton - In the power corridors of Washington, there is debate about whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. But here at Camp Pendleton, the training and deploying of Marines, with a focus on Afghanistan, continue.
Continue reading "Marines increase readiness with Afghanistan in mind" »
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq —
Marines and soldiers stand ready in formation. Distinguished guests begin to filter in. Among them are prominent Iraqi government leaders, paramount sheikhs, Iraqi Police and Army generals, and U.S. military members from all services and units across Iraq. The air is thick with excitement, and more importantly, hope.
Continue reading "Six-year legacy of Marine Corps regiments in Iraq followed by an Army brigade" »
Troop assignments not yet clear
In a little noticed development last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered 2,500 to 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan as soon as possible to meet imminent threats from roadside bombs.
The Marine Corps will launch a new TV advertising campaign Saturday during the Florida-Tennessee college football game on CBS, focusing on what it takes to become a Marine, recruiting command officials said.
PICKEL MEADOW, Calif. — With more Navy medical personnel on track to deploy to Afghanistan, officials at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center are injecting more reality into the center’s mountain medical courses.
Continue reading "Mountain training prepares docs for Afghanistan" »
JEFFERSON COUNTY — The Jefferson County sheriff has offered a stern response to a woman complaining she was inconvenienced by a procession accompanying a soldier's casket.
Continue reading "Jefferson County Sheriff defends soldier's funeral procession" »
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command is about to mark another first.
This fall, 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion from Camp Pendleton, Calif., will assume command of a task force responsible for parts of northern and western Afghanistan, overseeing all U.S. spec ops forces in the region.
The Corps is bringing back the Field Supply and Maintenance Analysis Office, an inspections organization that officials acknowledge had a reputation for harshly enforcing equipment accountability before it was phased out six years ago.
Continue reading "Inspectors to ensure Marine units police gear" »
In a ceremony with military traditions dating back centuries, a new Marine general took command Friday of Marines and sailors serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
Continue reading "Change of command for Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the strongest terms in trying to persuade the Associated Press to refrain from running a graphic picture of a Marine taken shortly after the service member was wounded in southern Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.
Continue reading "Gates Objects to News Photo of Dying Marine" »
Harvard Business School recently touted the Marine Corps’ leadership philosophy as effective not only on the battlefield but in the office, too.
It’s not just the body armor.
Over and over again, that’s what Marine officials say when questioned about the heavy load grunts are carrying in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marines’ combat loads typically include no more than 35 pounds of armor. But weapons, communications gear, water, batteries, ammunition and other essential fighting gear make up most of the load.
Continue reading "Corps researching new, lighter combat gear" »
Every Marine has to earn his Eagle, Globe and Anchor, but that doesn’t stop copycats from taking the easy route.
Continue reading "MarPat-like cammies show up on Iraqi troops" »
U.S. Marines and Republic of Georgia soldiers marked the beginning of the Georgia Deployment Program today with an opening ceremony at the Krtsanisi National Training Center just outside of the city here.
Continue reading "U.S. Marines Begin Training Georgian Troops for ISAF Mission" »
The Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group and U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team partnered here Tuesday to improve the joint training and combat readiness of Marine battalion and regimental staffs before they deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Continue reading "MCTOG, USJFCOM Enhance Joint Readiness for Marines" »
The Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group and U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team partnered here Tuesday to improve the joint training and combat readiness of Marine battalion and regimental staffs before they deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Continue reading "MCTOG, USJFCOM Enhance Joint Readiness for Marines" »
KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan– If the amount of water troops consume daily is one good indicator of the rigors of summer combat duty, then this isolated outpost in southern Helmand Province is surely one of the most arduous postings in the entire United States military.
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. —
The recently-released Marine Administrative Message 458/09 caused some to ask questions about how to properly use the social media sites that have become a popular way to communicate. Many Marines use social networking as a quick and easy way to maintain contact with family and friends, especially while away from home.
Continue reading "Marines encouraged to use social media appropriately" »
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - The top U.S. Marine is checking on troops in one war zone as he gets ready to send more to the next.
Continue reading "Conway predicts ‘more combat support’ after Army general’s review" »
CAMP BASTION, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – A new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle featuring upgraded suspension systems arrived here August 17.
Continue reading "MEB-Afghanistan receives first of new MRAPs" »
Marines who support the Corps’ elite units spend long days — and a lot of brass — preparing to deploy.
Continue reading "Support Marines train for MarSOC deployments" »
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is reviewing the use of Facebook and other social networking sites on its computers with an eye toward setting rules on how to protect against possible security risks.
Continue reading "Pentagon reviews social networking on computers" »
Corps Offers Unparalleled Look Inside Officer Training
MARINE CORPS BASE, QUANTICO, Va. (July 23, 2009) – Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) and Officer Candidate School (OCS) have joined forces to provide America with an inside look at the making of a Marine officer.
Four days into the Helmand operation, military officials in Afghanistan say the offensive to break the Taliban's grip on the region has exceeded their own optimistic expectations — in particular, the speed with which the Marines were able to move into the vast Helmand River valley region and clear areas of Taliban and other Islamist insurgents without widespread civilian casualties
Continue reading "Marines Cautiously Optimistic On Afghan Offensive" »
NAWA, Afghanistan – Taliban militants were nowhere in sight as the columns of U.S. Marines walked a third straight day across southern Afghanistan. But the desert heat proved an enemy in its own right, with several troops falling victim Saturday to temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Continue reading "Marines march in grueling Afghan sun for July 4" »
NAWA, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines pushed deeper into Taliban areas of southern Afghanistan on Friday, seeking to cut insurgent supply lines and win over local elders on the second day of the biggest U.S. military operation here since the American-led invasion of 2001.
KABUL — Taliban militants fired rockets and mortars at a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing two American troops and wounding several more in a two-hour battle, officials said.
Continue reading "2 U.S. Troops Killed in Attack on Base in Afghanistan" »
NAWA, Afghanistan — Marines moved into villages in Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan on Friday, meeting little resistance as they tried to win over local chiefs on the second day of the biggest American military operation here since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001.
Continue reading "Little Taliban resistance early in operation" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers and police are continuing clearing operations in key population centers along the Helmand River valley in an effort to secure the local population from the threat of Taliban and other insurgent intimidation and violence.
Continue reading "Marines, Afghan's Continue Operation Khanjar" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - The sun was high and the heat was at its peak. The sound of rocks crackling beneath service members' boots, the noise of construction work, and the voices were nowhere to be heard. It was as if time came to a sudden halt.
Continue reading "Personal Security From an Outside Perspective" »
Today, nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines and Sailors of Task Force Leatherneck, partnered with Afghan national security forces and supported by Task Force Pegasus, the Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, conducted a near-simultaneous heliborne and surface insert into the central and southern Helmand River valley. These efforts, combined with closely coordinated U.K. and Dutch operations to our immediate north, will dramatically change and positively impact the security of the Afghan people living in this long-held Taliban heartland.
Marines and Sailors with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment defended their position and attacked a simulated enemy during Clear, Hold, Build Exercise III in the Combat Center's Quackenbush and Gays Pass training areas, June 17 and 18.
Continue reading "3/9 Attacks Simulated Enemy in Enhanced Mojave Viper" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — They endured countless hours of swimming and finning in the combat pool and then in the open, cold ocean.
Continue reading "Recon-improvement plan pays off for Corps" »
WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps hopes to give Marines 14 months at home after deployments by mid-2010, Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway said Thursday.
Continue reading "More dwell time for Marines in future, Conway says" »
The first of eight new student quarters for the Corps’ newly commissioned officers is slated for completion this August as the next phase of construction at The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., is expected to ramp into full gear.
Continue reading "TBS opening new student quarters in Aug." »
So long Wikipedia. Say hello to Corpspedia.
OWATONNA, Minn. — On the morning of her wedding day, Breana Michel stood next to her pastor Rev. Jay Grave. The groom was nowhere to be found in the small house on 15th Street Southeast.
Continue reading "Marine in Iraq gets hitched over the Internet" »
Marine expeditionary units have provided aid to a tsunami-ravaged southeast Asia, conducted exercises in Djibouti aimed at improving the Corps’ amphibious capabilities and captured insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Focus of Marine expeditionary units questioned" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
Area weather conditions are known to fluctuate in the spring. But summers are known to be hot, and maintaining safe training conditions is increasingly important.
Continue reading "What color is the weather? Check the flag" »
The Corps’ glitzy video promoting motorcycle safety will debut June 25 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as part of an event that will include live motorcycle stunts and autograph sessions with celebrities, officials said.
Continue reading "Semper Ride video set for Lejeune debut" »
CHICAGO —
On the final day of Marine Week Chicago infantry Marines from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines put on a raid demonstration in front of around 2,000 people at the Arlington Park Racetrack.
Continue reading "Marine Week Chicago closes with the MV-22 Osprey" »
CHICAGO —
The Marine Corps gave Chicagoans the chance to look at, hold and even play with some of its newest equipment today at Navy Pier.
CHICAGO —
Despite Friday’s constant rain showers and cold winds, numerous citizens braved the weather and came out to Daley Plaza here for an exercise demonstration dubbed “Chicago Moves,” which called upon Marines from the Quantico, Va.-based Martial Arts Center of Excellence, also known as MACE, to showcase their own version of fitness and self defense techniques.
Continue reading "Chicago Moves Despite Afternoon Showers" »
CHICAGO — Lance Cpl. Sean R. Padfield, hardly ever gets the chance to show his family what he does in the Marine Corps. With Marine Week Chicago in full swing he’s taking advantage of the opportunity, including a static display at Sears Holdings today.
CHICAGO — Approximately 1000 people, including 800 Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ cadets from the local area attended one of two performances by “The Commandant’s Own” U.S. Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon at the historic Soldier Field Wednesday despite overcast skies and rain.
Continue reading "Local JROTC students attend Battle Color Detachment performance" »
CHICAGO —
About 25 Marines, many from the Chicago-based 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines—a reserve infantry battalion — joined other volunteers at the Cornerstone Community Center in Chicago to help feed the needy and clean-up the facility today
Continue reading "Giving back to the community one ‘cornerstone’ at a time" »
CHICAGO — Electricity filled the air as the eager crowd of hundreds waited with anticipation for the United States Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment to begin their performance at Oak Park & River Forest High School, Oak Park, Ill., yesterday evening as part of Marine Week Chicago.
CHICAGO —
In a sun-lit room of the Ida Ndyes Study Lounge in the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, three Marine Corps general officers held a panel in front of students and faculty members yesterday afternoon as part of Marine Week Chicago.
Continue reading "High ranking officers talk, answer questions at local university" »
CHICAGO —
The Marine Corps provided some local news reporters with the chance of a lifetime today allowing them to fly in a MV-22 Osprey.
Continue reading "MV-22 Osprey in full flight in ‘Windy City’" »
CHICAGO —
A brass quintet with the Twentynine Palms Marine Band shared their music knowledge and answered questions about opportunities in the Marine Corps as musicians after performing at Roberto Clemente High School here today.
Continue reading "Party of five rocks West Side Chicago high school music class" »
Chicago is home to eight Medal of Honor recipients and 27 Marine generals, so it is only fitting that the inaugural Marine Week kicks off in the Windy City.
Continue reading "Inaugural Marine Week kicks off in Chicago" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. — Those who are fond of the noise they hear above them are in for an earful as the 2009 MCAS Beaufort Air Show dubbed “Blues Over Beaufort,” soars into the Lowcountry skies, May 16 and 17.
Continue reading "Angels take wing; 2009 MCAS Beaufort Air Show roars into town" »
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Tanya Queiro, a former Marine Corps noncommissioned officer, was named the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year at a ceremony held here today.
Continue reading "Former Marine NCO Takes Military Spouse of the Year Honors" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — The Marine Corps and Army are pushing forward with a plan to roll out a new, tougher battlefield helmet, but will keep existing padding inside despite criticism over safety and comfort.
Continue reading "New helmet program focuses on stopping power" »
As the beauty of spring slowly but surely paints the landscape of the Missoula valley, productive indoor activities go right out the window. Of the possible outdoor activities to choose from, running 400-meter sprints in the blazing hot sun would probably reside at the bottom of the list for most. But University of Montana sprinter Cody Henning holds many things in lower esteem than sprint workouts. Relay workouts are not hard. Cody Henning knows what hard is.
Continue reading "Becoming a Marine redefines ‘hard’ for senior track runner Cody Henning" »
The Marine Corps outlined details Monday for its inaugural Marine Week, saying that nearly 2,000 Marines will participate in a week-long series of demonstrations, concerts and outreach efforts in Chicago beginning May 11.
Continue reading "Corps outlines inaugural Marine Week event" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Marines not currently within their height and weight or military appearance standards are feeling the burn.
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — More than half of the Corps’ family readiness officers are using a new Internet-based tool to pass the latest deployment news, scrapping the traditional key volunteer-to-spouse phone call.
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — When the focus of military operations in Iraq shifted from direct combat actions to stabilization and peacekeeping missions, Marines in combat units manning tactical control points throughout the country began using search and seizure methods to capture insurgents trying to smuggle weapons and other contraband through the checkpoints.
WASHINGTON – Using heavy layers of armor to keep troops safe from bullets and bombs is making the Marine Corps too slow on a battlefield where speed and mobility are critical, a senior military leader said Tuesday.
Continue reading "Too much armor robbing Marines of speed in combat" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — The Corps’ new running suit has been made available to 125 units, the latest step in the plan to get one free outfit to every Marine, officials said.
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military map in Iraq in early 2010: Marines are leaving the western desert, Army units are in the former British zone in the south and the overall mission is coalescing around air and logistics hubs in central and northern Iraq.
Continue reading "Leaving Iraq: Shift south, exit through desert" »
Leathernecks have long found it irksome — heck, they’ve downright hated the fact — that The New York Times has refused to capitalize the “m” in Marine. It’s a point of pride, Marines always argue, to which the Times has routinely replied, “Yeah, but we don’t capitalize the ‘s’ in soldier.”
In late December, a former NCO decided to rejoin the Corps.
Continue reading "Re-enlistment getting tougher for Marines" »
The Corps will launch an effort this spring similar to the Navy’s popular Fleet Week, with hundreds of Marines descending on Chicago in May for a week of community outreach efforts, concerts and demonstrations by a Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
Continue reading "Corps to launch Marine Week event in Chicago" »
WASHINGTON — The results of the 61st annual U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign, conducted during October, November and December 2008, have been tabulated. The results are: U.S. Marines distributed 16 million new toys to 7.6 million less fortunate youngsters throughout the nation. This was one of the most successful campaigns in the 61 year history of Toys for Tots.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2009 – A series of educational assistance programs administered by the Veterans Affairs Department, commonly called the GI Bill, have helped servicemembers pursue post-secondary learning for decades.
Continue reading "New GI Bill Carries Different Eligibility, Benefits" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2009 – Stephen Cochran was a normal 19-year-old with a dream of making music his life when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led him down an unplanned path to the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Country Music Star Earned Stripes in Iraq, Afghanistan" »
TRIANGLE, Va., Jan. 27, 2009 – The National Museum of the Marine Corps here has maintained its position as a top Virginia attraction, with more than 500,000 visitors recorded in 2008, museum officials said.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Museum Attracts Half-million Visitors in 2008" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The top commander here has ordered that all Marines, including officers and senior enlisted Marines, must have their unit’s permission before traveling to Mexico.
Continue reading "More restrictions placed on travel to Mexico" »
An official has barred Marines from visiting Tijuana as the California border town's drug violence soars.
Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton has restricted travel to Mexico for the unit's 44,000 members, USA Today reports.
Continue reading "Military Bans Marines From Visiting Tijuana" »
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. troops serving in Morocco and Burkina Faso or who are helping share intelligence with Turkey are eligible for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2009 – U.S. Marines raised the American flag yesterday during the dedication ceremony for the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker declared “a new era” for Iraq and the Iraqi-U.S. relationship.
Continue reading "Marines Raise Flag on New U.S. Embassy in Baghdad" »
BAGHDAD — The United States opened its new embassy in Iraq under tight security Monday, the most visible sign of what U.S. officials call a new chapter in relations between America and a more sovereign Iraq.
Continue reading "New U.S. embassy inaugurated in Baghdad" »
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. — Marines have learned from day one at recruit training that their best friend is the M16A2 service rifle. However, what they may not know is the vital importance corpsmen play in the lives of Marines—literally.
Continue reading "FMTB makes ‘groundbreaking’ changes to save Marines’ lives" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — For more than 60 years Marines have been the main source of protection for about 125 American Embassies and U.S. government offices around the world.
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — After weeks of on-going training, Class 1-09 gathered as the newest Marine Security Guards at their graduation ceremony Friday at Little Hall.
Continue reading "Corps’ newest embassy guards take their posts" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — More than six weeks ago, 120 Marines in Marine Security Guard School class 1-09 started on a mission which included more than 300 hours in the classroom covering a variety of subjects from diplomatic courtesies to alcohol abuse in their quest to become embassy guards.
Continue reading "Knowledge projected, information received" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marines are trained, organized and equipped as a force in readiness, and stand prepared to meet all mission requirements, according to the National Security Act of 1947.
Continue reading "Locate, isolate, contain: MSG students learn room entry, clearing" »
The Corps has closed 24 military occupational specialties to re-enlistment, marking the first time in nearly two years that some first-term Marines will be forced out of their specialties.
Continue reading "Corps closes some jobs to re-enlistment" »
Marines readying for deployment to war zones must now undergo a battery of computerized tests assessing whether they have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The planned shift of combat forces from dusty Iraq to mountainous Afghanistan will reshape predeployment training for many Marine battalions, according to the Corps’ top officer.
Continue reading "Corps mulls training for Afghanistan fight" »
MCB QUANTICO, Va. -- Four weeks into the course, Marine Security Guard students have been put to the test mentally and physically, enduring hours of in-class studies and field exercises, training in defense and weaponry.
Continue reading "Future Marine Security Guards Train in Defense" »
Rising in the military ranks with a wisdom forged by war
While he was gearing up for the long trek through the high desert plains of southern Afghanistan, Capt. Sean Dynan made the rounds among his marines to make sure their sacks were pared to the bare minimum. How much heavy ammunition his infantry company would bring along on its journey was his call as well. If the soldiers brought too little, they could easily run out in the middle of their mission to rout entrenched Taliban forces. Too much and his marines were risking the injury that comes with carrying 120-plus-pound packs in 120-plus-degree heat.
Continue reading "America's Best Leaders: U.S. Junior Officers, Military" »
Camp Pendleton is an unusual site for the herd of nearly 150. Now, base wildlife officials want to properly manage the bison.
CAMP PENDLETON – After rumbling up and down some dirt roads in a Ford Explorer, through training areas in the rolling grasslands of the central part of this sprawling U.S. Marine base, Eric Kershner has spotted a special herd.
Service fast approaching its plus-up goal, but more work remains
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Taking the first steps toward becoming a Marine wasn’t easy for Melissa Weissner.
My son Zachary was a gangly high-school junior when he casually informed me, in the fall of 2003, that he’d been speaking with military recruiters. “An Army guy, a Navy guy and a marine are coming over,” Zach said. “A parent has to be present because I’m not 18 yet.”
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2008 – As they have for the past 32 years, nearly 20,000 runners gathered at the Marine Corps War Memorial here to tackle the 26.2 miles of the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 26.
Continue reading "Runners Tackle Marine Corps Marathon to Support Troops" »
Fort Meade's Defense Information School Marine detachment has a new home on the installation as the roughly 100-person unit moved from an aging barracks to a newly renovated facility.
Continue reading "Marines relocate to newly renovated barracks" »
TRIANGLE, Va. — The National Museum of the Marine Corps unveiled an exhibit Oct. 15, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the attack on the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va — Since the war in Iraq began in 2003, more than 1,700 of the nearly 4,200 U.S. fatalities have been caused by improvised explosive devices employed against troops in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Four Bowdoin students push their limits at the Marines’ Officer Candidate School
"No one in their right mind would want to go through OCS again," says Jack Dingess '09, who has spent 12 weeks training to become an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced the launch of its "Make A Difference" campaign to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation's annual toy drive.
Continue reading "Annual Toys for Tots Campaign Kicks Off" »
TRIANGLE, Va., Oct. 15, 2008 – With the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut just nine days away, the National Museum of the Marine Corps here today unveiled a temporary exhibit in memory of the 238 U.S. Marines who were killed that day.
Continue reading "Marine Museum Honors Marines Who Served, Died in Beirut" »
The benefit was authorized in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, and Tricare officials now have the mechanism in place to implement it.
Continue reading "Tricare offers active-duty respite care" »
Afghan nationals paid by Pentagon simulate village life for troops
TWENTYNINE PALMS -- Marine Capt. Mike Hoffman sat on the floor of a shack with an Afghan mullah and village elders and accepted a meager meal as he sought their help in the fight against the Taliban.
Group wants everyone to say it exactly the way the general did
Lt. Gen. John Archer Lejeune is one of the Corps’ all-time heroes, a legendary leatherneck who became the first Marine to lead an Army division, and who later ushered in a new era of amphibious warfare.
The Corps has launched a new effort to track brain injuries, supplying two battalions with sensor systems that record how the impact of a combat blast or other violent incident affects the brain.
Continue reading "Marines deploy with blast measuring helmets" »
SAN DIEGO - The Marine Corps is no longer allowing troops who have extra-large tattoos on their arms to serve as recruiters or security guards at U.S. embassies.
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan — The counterintelligence and human intelligence military occupational specialty has opened to female Marines.
Continue reading "Counter, human intel MOS opens to female Marines" »
The Corps has introduced a new alternative to the body armor Marines wear in combat.
Continue reading "Lighter body armor issued for Afghanistan" »
Half of all Marines are struggling with their personal finances, according to a new survey conducted by the Corps’ inspector general’s office, a trend that worries some officials who fear that the jittery economy is further undermining readiness for a force already stressed by steady combat deployments.
Continue reading "Survey: Marines struggling with finances" »
Military installations across the Carolinas are making preparations for tropical weather approaching the Southeast.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. Marine officer said on Wednesday he could reduce his 25,000-strong force in the former al Qaeda stronghold of Iraq's Anbar province to reinforce military operations against a growing Taliban threat in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Top U.S. Marine sees shift from Iraq to Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marine commandant said Wednesday that his forces in Iraq's once-volatile western Anbar province can be reduced, as the military moves to hand over control of the region to the Iraqis next week.
Continue reading "Fewer Marines needed in Iraq's western province" »
After a summer of delays, the highly touted handover of security in the once-volatile Anbar province of Iraq is scheduled for next week, the top Marine in Iraq said Tuesday.
YUMA, Ariz. — — In the final stage of the Corps' physical fitness makeover, the commandant signed a new order Aug. 8 defining tougher body fat and appearance standards for Marines.
Continue reading "Shape Up: Corps tightens weight, appearance standards" »
WASHINGTON — Marines who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq might need to update their record of personal decorations following newly published criteria for Long War campaign awards.
Continue reading "Awards branch releases criteria for Afghanistan, Iraq campaign medals" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Marine Corps, meet the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Marines give new HBO series positive reviews" »
WASHINGTON - Washington is a city of memorials to war heroes, but beyond the Beltway near Quantico Marine Base in Virginia is another tribute to brave Americans at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Marines museum gives a sense of service" »
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan — Challenge coins are minted military coins embossed with a unit's insignia and commander's billet and are often given to service members by commanders to boost morale and honor service.
Continue reading "Challenge coins pass on heritage, history of Marine Corps" »
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2008 – Tomorrow the United States observes National Flag Day, an annual tribute to the American flag, the ideals it stands for and the sacrifices made to preserve them.
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Only time will tell where the men of the final battalion of 9th Marines to reactivate will deploy next year.
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — — The United Services Military Apprenticeship Program helps Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen make their military job experience more marketable to potential employers after the military.
Continue reading "Apprenticeship program makes military job skills more marketable" »
Navy docs staff medical facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan
TAQADDUM AIR BASE, IRAQ ---- It wasn’t a roadside bomb or small-arms fire that put Marine Lance Cpl. Douglas Cox in a hospital bed here last week.
Continue reading "MILITARY: Treating the wounded in the Middle East" »
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — You gave four to the Corps.
Continue reading "IRR Marines still have Corps rules to follow" »
BLOOMER, Wis. — A new Marine who’s graduating from Bloomer High School this month won’t be able to wear his military uniform during the commencement ceremony.
Continue reading "Marine can’t wear uniform at graduation" »
Training routine, war experience explained to leathernecks’ parents
Col. Bryan McCoy warned the Marine Corps parents that he would be blunt before he began describing what Marines face in combat, and how leaders prepare them for the death they will see.
Time’s ‘green’ Iwo Jima cover sparks outrage among Marines
Donald Mates clearly recalls the moment, more than 63 years ago, when he stood at the foot of Mount Suribachi and looked up as his fellow Marines planted an American flag at Iwo Jima.
MIAMI — Armed and alone, Guy Gabaldon roamed Saipan’s caves and pillboxes, using his Japanese language skills to convince enemy soldiers and civilians to surrender during the hellish World War II island battle in the summer of 1944.
Continue reading "New push to award Gabaldon the Medal of Honor" »
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The idea to build a museum that would tell the stories of Marines and sailors who’ve served in the Carolinas is almost as old their presence here.
More than 500 people moved to register for the Marine Corps Marathon on Tuesday during a rally near the Pentagon, one day before general registration opens on the Internet.
Continue reading "Marathon registration opens to public today" »
KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq, April 28, 2008 – A hard-fought transition brought one Marine from shooting photos to shooting rifles.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Air Force Photographer Becomes Marine Infantryman" »
Listen up, Devil Dogs. Oh yeah, that got your attention. Perhaps it even got your blood boiling? Or maybe you didn’t notice the big double-D.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraq's National Museum on Sunday welcomed the return of more than 700 antiquities stolen during the chaos that followed the U.S.-led invasion five years ago.
Continue reading "Baghdad museum receives artifacts stolen from Iraq" »
Marine Corps ads now run in magazines aimed at women
THE Marines are looking for a few good women.
Continue reading "Sending in the Marines (to Recruit Women)" »
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fighting in Iraq took a heavy toll on Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Patrick, damaging his hand, injuring his brain and causing him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Offers Yoga, Massages to Marriages Strained by War" »
The UPS Store in Sehome Village has teamed up with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to announce its first yearround initiative, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program.
Continue reading "UPS, Marines begin year-round Toys for Tots Literacy Program" »
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.
Continue reading "Accidents kick-start revised motorcycle rules" »
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.
Deciding whether to give the Corps four more years is a tough decision any time. But as the halfway point of the fiscal year rapidly approaches, many enlisted Marines still sitting on the fence may find those decisions tougher, thanks to newly released rules for fiscal 2008 Selective Re-enlistment Bonuses and Broken Service SRBs.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Mar. 14, 2008) -- For Marines, “special forces” traditionally means Force Reconnaissance units.
Continue reading "Special Ops Marines deliver in southern Afghanistan" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
The Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsored a job fair Monday at The Clubs at Quantico for four hours, where representatives from dozens of companies were waiting to receive resumes from and maybe even hire wounded and retired Marines.
Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsors job fair" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, YUMA, Ariz. (March 6, 2008) -- To synchronize uniform wear worldwide, the seasonal change of garrison uniforms will correspond with the beginning and ending of daylight saving time, the Marine Corps commandant directed March 6.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March 4, 2008) -- In his book, “The Epic of America”, James Truslow Adams described the American dream as “…that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.”
BETHESDA, Md. (March 4, 2008) -- The Marine Corps officially unveiled its new running suit to Marines assigned to the Wounded Warrior Regiment at the National Naval Medical Center here Feb. 29.
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (Feb. 26, 2008) -- The Parris Island Marine Band is well known aboard the Depot and in the Lowcountry, but there is more to this band than playing at recruit graduations and parades. Since the Corps is expanding, the band is traveling around the Eastern Recruiting Region to aid recruiters and showcase what the Corps has to offer.
Continue reading "Parris Island Marine Band keeps up recruiting efforts" »
Defense officials and lawmakers are forging ahead on a plan that would allow all troops — not just a few in critical skills — to transfer unused GI Bill education benefits to family members.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 8, 2008) -- During 73 days of some of the most physically arduous and mentally grueling training in all of the militaries around the world, two Marines from Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, persevered to become the first MARSOC Marines to earn the title of “Lancero.”
Continue reading "MARSOC Marines become first to earn title of “Lancero”" »
HYDE PARK, N.Y. — The Marines were at their stations by 0900 hours, knives in hand, ready for a tough new mission. Before the morning was out, they would slice, braise and deglaze like never before.
Continue reading "Culinary school adds a pinch of Ooh-rah!" »
MARINE CORPS TIMES - (Feb. 4, 2008) -- Some of the most grizzled Marines have worried in recent years that the Corps was getting away from its “expeditionary roots.”
Continue reading "Corps commissions symphony for New Orleans" »
MARINE CORPS TIMES - (Feb. 4, 2008) -- Some of the most grizzled Marines have worried in recent years that the Corps was getting away from its “expeditionary roots.”
Continue reading "Corps commissions symphony for New Orleans" »
While the protest that you staged in front of my office on Wednesday, Sept. 26th, was an exercise of your constitutional rights, the messages that you left behind were insulting, untrue, and ultimately misdirected. Additionally, from the comments quoted in the Berkeley Daily Planet article, it is clear that you have no idea what it is that I do here. Given that I was unaware of your planned protest, I was unable to contest your claims in person, so I will therefore address them here.
BERKELEY, Calif. — Local officials in this liberal city say it’s time for the Marines to move out. The City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and “if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests.”
Continue reading "Berkeley facilitates protests outside recruiting center" »
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., says the City of Berkeley, Calif., no longer deserves federal money.
DeMint was angered after learning that the Berkeley City Council voted this week to tell the U.S. Marine Corps to remove its recruiting station from the city's downtown.
The Military Postal Service Agency has launched a new service that allows service members to track down lost and late-arriving packages and mail with an e-mail inquiry.
Continue reading "Lost mail? Send an e-mail to the military" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 17, 2008) -- At 6,288 feet, Mt. Washington is the tallest mountain in the Northeast and a treacherous mound of earth, rock, and ice known to have the some of the worst weather of any mountain in the eastern United States. Climbing such a mountain might be a daunting task for anyone to undertake, but Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Szylobryt, hospital corpsman, Marine Special Operations Support Group, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, took on the challenge and planted a Marine Corps flag at the summit of Mt. Washington, N.H., Jan. 3.
Continue reading "Climbing corpsman conquers mountain carrying Corps’ colors" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2008 – The deployment of 3,200 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan this spring represents a one-time troop movement that partially fulfills a long-time request by NATO commanders for additional forces, a senior Pentagon spokesman said here today.
Continue reading "Marine Deployment to Afghanistan ‘One-Time Deal,’ Official Says" »
Many parents of junior Marines know little about the Corps and how it operates — and now there’s a campaign underway to bring them into the loop.
Continue reading "Parents folded into family readiness efforts" »
PORT CHESTER, N.Y., Dec 20, 2007 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- With more than 1 million visitors expected at http://www.toysfortots.org/ this December, they will now see free Month2Month.com eCards as a major sponsor along side Best Buy, Coca Cola and Toys R' Us. When these eCards are sent and received, it triggers a cash contribution to Toys for Tots.
Continue reading "Marines Toys for Tots Website now Features Free eCards that Contribute Cash" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2007) -- Since Opha Mae Johnson first enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1918, many women have earned the title of U.S. Marines and bound themselves to the Corps’ traditions and history.
Continue reading "Female Marines pass wisdom to the future of Corps" »
SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) -- Marine Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee and his German shepherd, Lex, scoured Iraq for roadside bombs together, slept next to each other and even posed in Santa hats for a holiday photo.
Continue reading "Marines let dog go to slain handlers' family" »
MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii (Nov. 16, 2007) -- Many young Marines have never worked in the job field they are expected to master in the Corps. They join with little to no experience and from there are molded into experts their field.
Continue reading "MARFORPAC band member follows passion and family tradition" »
The Marine Corps turned 232 years old Saturday. Ever since it was formed in a Philadelphia bar in 1775, the Corps has given Marines countless reasons to take pride in the heritage of their organization.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Some marathons begin with a fireworks display. Others begin with a balloon release. Some marathons have bands along the course, and others have contests for best water stations.
LOS ANGELES —
The U.S. Marines agreed Thursday to train with state firefighters, in a move that could get more water-dropping helicopters into the air when wildfires break out.
ARLINGTON, Va.(Nov. 1, 2007) -- For the first time in a decade, the coveted Challenge Cup will stay on American soil.
Continue reading "U.S. Marines capture Challenge Cup from Royal Marine runners" »
Dressed in full camouflage fatigues on a crisp Sunday afternoon, Tim Keithley witnessed Americana. On duty since 1 a.m., the aspiring Marine lieutenant watched 20,000-plus marathoners dash past the finish line after conquering the 32nd annual Marine Corps Marathon, the fourth largest marathon in the United States and seventh largest in the world.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2007) -- Marines here joined disaster-relief efforts for California wildfires Monday night by supplying food, water and hundreds of cots to residents on the base and in surrounding communities.
Continue reading "Camp Pendleton Marines aid in California wildfire relief" »
OCEANSIDE – The Marine Corps is taking on the role of fashion police.
Marines Raising Funds to Support Marines Injured in Iraq or Afghanistan
Washington, D.C. (October 04, 2007) – LCpl. Josef Lopez and Cpl. Neil Schalk didn’t know each other while serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq, but the invisible bonds of brotherhood that tie Marines together made it an easy decision for them to support each other through their next challenge: the Marine Corps Marathon. Those same bonds also made it an easy decision for a Gold Star family to support their cause.
QUANTICO, Va. — The Marine general in charge of the program to send new armored vehicles to Iraq says the Pentagon has developed "a solution" to protect the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected trucks from the deadliest type of armor-piercing roadside bomb, called explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs.
Continue reading "Plan calls for more armor on new combat vehicles" »
Marine commanders would be required to intervene in cases in which combat-hardened Marines with clean records have gotten into trouble after suffering combat stress, under a proposed order.
Continue reading "Mandate would check Marines for stress, injury" »
Brand-new Marines fresh out of boot camp have a little bit more to look forward to as they head down the road to becoming a rifleman. Grunt school is about to get longer.
Continue reading "SOI adds 7 days, weapons skill to training" »
The Marine Corps’ legendary recruiting pitch, “The Few, The Proud, The Marines,” defeated such famous ad slogans such as “Just Do It,” “Have It Your Way,” “Take a Bite Out of Crime” and “Think Outside the Bun” for a spot on the advertising industry’s Walk of Fame in New York City.
Female Marines may no longer wear skirts in their promotion photos under a policy change that went into effect immediately upon authorization by the Corps’ top personnel official, Lt. Gen. Ronald Coleman, according to a Sept. 17 Corps-wide message.
Continue reading "Skirts no longer allowed in promotion photos" »
One Marine Corps League detachment is changing its game plan this holiday season after popular toy makers such as Mattel and Fisher Price recalled more than 10 million toys manufactured in China.
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2007) -- Marine Corps Installations West recently announced updated off-limit areas and areas of caution for the service members who fall under its command.
Continue reading "MCI West releases updated off-limit areas" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2007) -- The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society recently introduced a loan program designed to offer Marines and sailors an alternative to payday lenders.
Continue reading "Relief Society introduces quick assist loan program" »
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has contracted Maryland-based Lockheed Martin for development of the USMC Embedded Platform Logistics System.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2007) -- Today’s war fighter is a high-tech individual. He has the ability and the means to accomplish his mission faster than ever before. But technology is not perfect. There are still things he needs to be even more successful at his tasks.
Continue reading "Bridging the gap: War fighters express needs at conference" »
His orders are simple: "Go to war, do art."
QUANTICO, Va. -- Marine Toys for Tots Foundation announced today the actions being taken to prevent the distribution of unsafe toys. In response to recent events within the toy industry regarding unsafe toys manufactured in China, and in preparation for the 2007 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is taking this opportunity to enlist the assistance of the millions of caring Americans who support the annual Toys for Tots Campaign.
Continue reading "Toys for Tots asks for donors to screen toys" »
CAMP FOSTER, Japan – Lance Cpl. Alexander Karman is waiting around the barracks for his friends to finish up so they can head to the gym and a karaoke joint just outside the gates. This is Karman's last payday on Okinawa, and he has to report back for duty at 3 a.m.
Call off the manhunt. The leatherneck whose patriotic spoken-word performance in a YouTube video called “BadAss Marine” that has received well over 400,000 hits has been found.
Call off the manhunt. The leatherneck whose patriotic spoken-word performance in a YouTube video called “BadAss Marine” that has received well over 400,000 hits has been found.
To the Marines convinced they weren’t violating a real reg even while getting chewed out for keeping their hands in their pockets or wearing a cell phone on their belt — listen up.
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Aug. 2, 2007) -- Active and reserve Marines who conducted rifle re-qualification during recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., between January 2004 and December 2006 should expect a letter from Marine Corps officials informing them about a compromise of personal information that occurred in June.
Continue reading "Marines to be notified of compromised personal information" »
It has taken more than three months since the policy was first announced, but at least three of the four services have finally told the Defense Department how they will implement a policy that awards administrative leave for active and reserve troops who exceed rotation policy goals while serving in the greater Middle East war zone.
Continue reading "Corps sets policy for administrative leave" »
AL ASAD, Iraq (July 6, 2007) -- Smells of secret sauces and spices filled the inside of the dining facility as employees from Outback Steakhouse prepared Bloomin’ Onions, calamari, and pasta. Outside, the scent of sizzling steaks rose from the grill and wafted throughout the base.
Ten-year supporter Jerry Turner hails it as "one of the most amazing nonprofit organizations in existence." More than 10,000 children in the Tennessee Valley know it as Santa Claus every Dec. 25.