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" »
OCEANSIDE - In a symbolic 30-minute Camp Pendleton ceremony on Wednesday, attended by 1st Marine Division veterans from various eras and marking the impending departure of some 7,000 Marines and sailors from the division to Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. Richard Mills said this and past deployments are not about commanding generals.
Continue reading "Pendleton Marines set to deploy to Afghanistan" »
Soldier Court-Martialed after Posting Details of Operation in West Bank Village Online
(AP) The Israeli military says a planned raid on a West Bank village was called off after an Israeli soldier disclosed its details online.
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.
IWO TO, Japan – Hundreds of U.S. Marines landed on the remote island of Iwo Jima on Tuesday to prepare for the 65th anniversary of one of World War II's bloodiest and most iconic battles.
Continue reading "US Marines land on Iwo Jima to mark anniversary" »
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.
KABUL — As U.S. and Afghan forces squeeze the last fighters from the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, the coalition is preparing to move against the next target: Kandahar, the country's second-largest city and birthplace of the jihadist movement, U.S. commanders say.
Hawaii, other Pacific islands escape major damage in wake of Chile quake
HONOLULU - Hawaii's peaceful beaches were again filled with sun-soaking tourists as life returned to normal Sunday following a scare from a tsunami that raced across the world, setting off mass evacuations and safety worries across the Pacific.
Continue reading "Tsunami warning ends after waves hit Japan" »
Middle Pacific ordered the return of Pearl Harbor-based ships that sortied today.
Continue reading "Navy Cancels Tsunami Warning in Hawaii; Ships Return to Pearl Harbor" »
Today the Department of Defense released a policy memorandum regarding the safe and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) and other interactive Web 2.0 applications.
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.
WASHINGTON - Scientists at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and a professor at Columbia University are working on a collaborative study measuring brain damage on traumatic brain injury patients.
FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Wearing my body armour and helmet and carrying my rifle, pistol and camera, I climbed into an M1151 up armoured humvee for a mission outside the wire of Forward Operating Base Farah.
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.
Brain scans, blood tests may help predict condition
Two new studies seem to provide more evidence that post-traumatic stress disorder is a chemical change in the brain caused by trauma — and that it might be possible to diagnose, treat and predict which troops are most susceptible to it using brain scans or blood tests.
Continue reading "Studies find breakthrough in PTSD treatment" »
KABUL—The Taliban released a video Friday showing a U.S. soldier who was captured more than five months ago in eastern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Taliban release video of captured US soldier" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A Navy chaplain from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, was awarded the Witherspoon Award in a ceremony held at the annual National Bible Week Gala Dinner in New York, Nov. 19.
Continue reading "SOI-West chaplain receives Whiterspoon Award" »
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).
About 4,500 Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station are among the 30,000 troops President Barack Obama is ordering to Afghanistan, a Marine spokesman said Tuesday.
Continue reading "Marines identify units ordered to Afghanistan" »
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" »
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.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2009 – As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn’t envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later.
Continue reading "Vice President Opens Home to Recovering Troops" »
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will announce his decision on the next steps in the war in Afghanistan on or about Dec. 1, according to a U.S. official familiar with the issue.
Continue reading "Obama to Give Afghan Strategy Decision on Dec. 1, Official Says" »
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 AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — A good mind is a terrible thing to waste, but failing to maximize GI Bill benefits is just plain foolish.
Continue reading "Get educated: Ins, outs of Post 9/11, Montgomery GI Bills" »
More than 30,000 troops would be deployed next year
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it until after he consults with key allies and completes a trip to Asia later this month, administration and military officials have told McClatchy Newspapers.
$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" »
NEW YORK – The Fox NFL pregame show will be broadcast from a military installation in Afghanistan on Sunday.
Continue reading "Fox NFL pregame show to be aired from Afghanistan" »
A US presidential aide says the auxiliary troops, Washington is likely to deploy to Afghanistan, would be consumed by the volatile situation in the war-torn country.
Continue reading "Obama aide says no to troop surge in Afghanistan" »
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" »
During the week of Veteran's Day (Nov. 8-14), as a way of helping the country say "thanks for being there" to our nation's service men and women, State Farm will donate $1 to Fisher House Foundation for each "thank you" sent via its Thanks For Being There Web site. Fisher House Foundation, a military families support organization, will receive a donation of up to $50,000 from State Farm.
Bloomington, IL (PRWEB) November 4, 2009 -- A new Web site launching today, ThanksForBeingThere.com,
http://www.thanksforbeingthere.com/#/home
lets people express their thanks to others through social media by creating and posting personal "thank you" messages accompanied by a photo or short video. During the week of Veterans Day (Nov. 8-14), as a way of helping the country say "thanks for being there" to our nation's service men and women, State Farm will donate $1 to the Fisher House Foundation for every thank you sent.
A Colorado Marine is one of nine people missing after a midair collision off the coast of Southern California on Thursday.
Continue reading "Colorado Marine among missing in crash off California coast" »
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama Friday meets his top military chiefs to talk strategy in Pakistan and Afghanistan in one of the final steps before deciding whether to send thousands more US troops to war.
Continue reading "Obama to meet military brass on Afghanistan" »
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009 – U.S. Postal Service officials have announced recommended mailing dates for delivery by Christmas to U.S. servicemembers serving in Afghanistan and other overseas locations.
Continue reading "Postal Service Announces Holiday Mailing Guidelines" »
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — North Carolina Marines from several units recently joined to form Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26. SPMAGTF-26 is scheduled to board the ship that will become USS New York, Oct. 29. The ship and embarked Marines will sail to New York City for the ship’s commissioning, Nov. 7, where it will be designated USS New York.
USS New York holds particular significance to the people of New York with 7 1/2 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center forged into her bow. The ship also honors the memory of those who lost their lives during the unprovoked attacks of 9/11.
Continue reading "N.C. Marines will take part in the commissioning of USS New York" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2009 – Pentagon officials today announced additional replacement units scheduled to deploy next year to Afghanistan as part of the requirement to maintain the current level of security efforts there, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
Continue reading "Pentagon Officials Announce 2010 Afghanistan Deployments" »
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 U.S. military command in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday imposed a new ban on publication of photographs taken by embedded journalists that identify American war casualties.
Continue reading "Military Limits Publishing Images of U.S. Casualties in Afghanistan" »
Study finds $2.6 billion taken from guns and ammunition
Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.
Continue reading "U.S. troop funds diverted to pet projects" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2009 – First Lady Michelle Obama today vowed to make the voices of U.S. military families heard in the nation’s capital, and called on Americans to recognize the sacrifices made by those in uniform and their loved ones.
Continue reading "First Lady Embarks on Mission to Help Military Families" »
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" »
BONHOMME RICHARD, At sea (NNS) -- USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), the flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), arrived in Savu Sea to conduct a multilateral exercise in cooperation with the government of Timor-Leste Oct. 14.
Continue reading "Bonhomme Richard ARG/11th MEU Arrives in Timor-Leste for MAREX-09" »
USS New York, built with World Trade Center steel, sets sail for its namesake city
A Navy assault ship built with tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center towers began its journey to New York on Tuesday, sailing down the Mississippi River in a pea-soup fog as watchers along the levee strained for a glimpse.
Continue reading "Ship Built With WTC Steel Sails for Namesake City" »
About 150 Marines and sailors will return to Camp Lejeune from Iraq Monday. While the mission in that country winds down, the future of U.S. troops in Afghanistan remains murky.
Continue reading "Marines Return Home, Afghanistan Questions Linger" »
KABUL, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Afghan soldiers and U.S. marines seized some 52 tons of drugs and dozens of tons of explosives in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
Continue reading "Over 50 tons of drugs seized in southern Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Tuesday ruled out shrinking the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism campaign. Yet he did not signal whether he is prepared to send any more troops to the war zone – either the 40,000 his top commander wants or a smaller buildup, according to several officials.
Continue reading "Obama Rules Out Drawdown In Afghanistan, But Mum On Troop Increase" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2009 – American Forces Press Service, the Defense Department’s vehicle for news and feature content on the Defense.gov Web site, has unveiled a “widget” for photographs.
Continue reading "Defense Department Launches Photography Widget" »
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" »
'We have to do more now, if we want to do less later,' says Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He says additional help is needed in training Afghan security forces.
Reporting from Washington - Stepping into an intensifying debate in Washington, the new head of NATO said Monday that more allied troops are needed in Afghanistan to help train the country's security forces.
Continue reading "NATO chief says more troops needed in Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON — Troops will begin getting required swine flu shots in the next week to 10 days, with active duty forces deploying to war zones and other critical areas going to the front of the vaccine line, a top military commander said Tuesday.
Continue reading "Troops to start receiving swine flu shots" »
Thousands could go. What you need to know.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2009 – Checks for up to $3,000 soon will be available to students who have applied for Veterans Affairs educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment
Continue reading "VA to Provide Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Benefits" »
WASHINGTON — As President Obama weighs sending more troops to Afghanistan, one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency, he has discovered that the military is not monolithic in support of the plan and that some of the civilian advisers he respects most have deep reservations.
Continue reading "Plan to Boost Afghan Forces Splits Obama Advisers" »
WASHINGTON — As President Obama weighs sending more troops to Afghanistan, one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency, he has discovered that the military is not monolithic in support of the plan and that some of the civilian advisers he respects most have deep reservations.
Continue reading "Plan to Boost Afghan Forces Splits Obama Advisers" »
WASHINGTON — As President Obama weighs sending more troops to Afghanistan, one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency, he has discovered that the military is not monolithic in support of the plan and that some of the civilian advisers he respects most have deep reservations.
Continue reading "Plan to Boost Afghan Forces Splits Obama Advisers" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
WASHINGTON - American forces are cleaning out a "very, very big garage" in its drawdown in Iraq, the deputy commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq said, Sept. 22.
Continue reading "U.S. Troops Cleaning Out 'Garages' in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s top commander in Afghanistan has told him that without more troops the United States could lose the war that Obama has described as the nation’s foremost military priority.
Continue reading "McChrystal: Bigger force a must for Afghan war" »
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.
MARYVILLE, Tenn. – Hotaru Ferschke just wants to raise her 8-month-old son in his grandparents' Tennessee home, surrounded by photos and memories of the father he'll never meet: a Marine who died in combat a month after marrying her from thousands of miles away.
Continue reading "Proxy wedding means Marine's widow, baby unwelcome" »
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.
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" »
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is objecting “in the strongest terms” to an Associated Press decision to transmit a photograph showing a mortally wounded 21-year-old Marine in his final moments of life, calling the decision “appalling” and a breach of “common decency.”
Sources say McChrystal will ask for more troops within weeks
KABUL — The commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan said in an assessment of the war that a new strategy was needed to fight the Taliban, while NATO officials disclosed he is expected to separately request more troops
Continue reading "Report: Change strategy for fighting Taliban" »
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 nation’s top military officer wants to hear what’s on your mind — via YouTube.
Continue reading "Mullen wants your questions – on YouTube" »
DAMAN DISTRICT, Afghanistan — Afghan police and NATO troops have tightened security in southern Kandahar province ahead of Thursday’s presidential election.
Continue reading "Security tightens in Kandahar province ahead of Afghan election" »
AVONDALE, La., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The USS NEW YORK Commissioning Committee today announced that Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV, the owner of the New York Jets and renowned businessman, has been named chairman of the Committee. The announcement took place aboard USS NEW YORK during a ship visit here at the Northrop Grumman shipyard. The committee is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that is responsible for organizing welcoming activities leading up to the formal commissioning ceremonies of USS NEW YORK in New York City in November 2009.
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" »
Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama and his advisers moved closer to the crux of their Afghanistan strategy review, whether to boost the number of U.S. troops in the war as they considered the role of Pakistan in fighting terrorists.
Continue reading "Obama Moves Toward Troop Question at Crux of Afghan War Review" »
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" »
The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Jason Dunham, Aug. 1, 2009, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
Continue reading "Navy Christens New Guided Missile Destroyer Jason Dunham" »
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.
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
To travel around the world in a diplomatic capacity to any of 148 posts and 133 countries, ensuring the safeguard of classified material is an opportunity Marines have but are not exploring.
Continue reading "Embassy group promises exciting career through program" »
(Springfield, MO) -- The U.S. Senate is in the middle of debating a comprehensive defense bill. A Springfield family has its own reasons for wanting a new amendment to the bill passed.
Continue reading "Vaccination Amendment Added to Defense Bill" »
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.
Jackets might be latest piece of bikers’ required gear
Members of the Corps’ Executive Safety Board are considering whether protective jackets should join the list of personal protective equipment required for Marine motorcycle riders.
Department of Veterans Affairs officials expressed confidence that the Aug. 1 launch of the Post-9/11 GI Bill will go smoothly, with the first benefits checks to be cut by the Treasury Department on Aug. 3.
Continue reading "Post-9/11 GI Bill going smoothly, VA says" »
The Marine officer who devised centralized barracks for wounded warriors is leaving the Corps.
Continue reading "Marine behind Wounded Warrior barracks to retire" »
Press Release
The Kansas City Division is issuing information regarding a new scam involving the victimization of families of deployed U.S Military personnel through social networking sites. Significant personal data is available through these sites which users join by city, workplace, school and region to connect and interact with other people. The scam involves individuals using these social networking sites to contact relatives of deployed U.S. military personnel, most specifically grandparents. The impostor advises the grandparents that he is returning home on leave from Iraq and asks the grandparents to keep his presence secret so he can surprise his parents. A short time later, the grandparents are again contacted and the impostor advises them that he and a friend are stranded with a broken down car. He then asks the grandparents to wire a significant amount of money to cover the cost of the repairs.
SEOUL, South Korea - The United States says it has deployed anti-missile defenses around Hawaii, following reports that North Korea is preparing to fire its most advanced ballistic missile in that direction to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday next month.
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" »
So long Wikipedia. Say hello to Corpspedia.
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 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 8, 2009 – Surfs up! Military children of wounded or fallen servicemembers will be able to catch their first wave this summer, thanks to Freedom Is Not Free, a California-based troop-support group.
Continue reading "'Little Warriors' Surf Camp to Host 100 Military Children" »
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. — As defense officials monitor the H1N1 flu situation, Marine Corps Base Quantico Operations Division passed around its containment plan for pandemic influenza.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.—Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met with Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, April 23, as thousands of them prepare to deploy to Southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Defense Secretary Gates visits Marines before Afghanistan deployment" »
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" »
ARLINGTON, Va. —
The Marine Corps is a military service branch within the Department of the Navy and since November 10, 1775, its warriors have fought at the tip of America’s military spear. Still, some believe that as a branch within the Navy department, the Marine Corps doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
Continue reading "Congressmen push for a 'Department of the Navy and Marine Corps'" »
MANAMA, Bahrain - At approximately 7:19 p.m (12:19 p.m. EDT) U.S. naval forces rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, the master of Motor Vessel Maersk-Alabama.
WASHINGTON — A military team sent to evaluate electrical problems at U.S. facilities in Iraq determined there was a high risk that flawed wiring could cause further “catastrophic results” — namely, the electrocutions of U.S. soldiers.
Continue reading "Safety team: Iraq site wiring deemed risky" »
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" »
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen servicemembers’ remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Continue reading "Gates Signs Policy Change for Dignified Transfer Operations at Dover" »
U.S. troops gather evidence for prosecution of Aden piracy
The second part of a series.
THE GULF OF ADEN — When American forces in the Gulf of Aden find a suspected pirate skiff, they don’t send in the Marines, Navy SEALs or other combat forces. The first people to confront the suspected pirates are members of a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment.
(Day One of a two-day series)
THE GULF OF ADEN — The USS Boxer is an impressive ship, purpose-built to show up on the horizon and grab a well-protected beach from a determined enemy. An array of helicopters can spot threats before they ever see the amphibious assault ship. Harrier jets can pound them into the ground. And hovercrafts can carry hundreds of Marines and their armored vehicles to storm the beach.
Continue reading "Combined Task Force 151 hunts down pirates in the Gulf of Aden" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Marines not currently within their height and weight or military appearance standards are feeling the burn.
The Obama administration waved a white flag of surrender Wednesday, dropping a budget proposal that would have billed private insurance companies for treatment of service-connected medical problems at Veterans Affairs Department hospitals and clinics.
Continue reading "Obama backs down on vets insurance billing" »
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans groups are angry after President Obama told them Monday that he is still considering a proposal to have treatment for service-connected injuries charged to veterans' private insurance plans.
Continue reading "Veterans groups irate at Obama's private insurance proposal" »
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 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" »
A bill that would allow military spouses to maintain residency in their home state regardless of where the military moves them has been introduced again in the House, and its twin has been introduced in the Senate.
Continue reading "Bill would let spouses keep state residency" »
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A Navy medic has received the Silver Star medal for heroic action during an ambush on a foot patrol in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Lejeune petty officer receives Silver Star" »
President Obama is proposing a 2.9 percent military pay raise effective Jan. 1, 2010, a figure that would match — not exceed — average wage growth in the private sector.
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — President Barack Obama consigned the Iraq war to history Friday, declaring he will end combat operations within 18 months and open a new era of diplomacy in the Middle East.
Continue reading "Obama formalizes plan for 2010 Iraq pullout" »
But Gates says decision on images will be up to families of war dead
WASHINGTON - Families of America’s war dead will be allowed to decide if news organizations can photograph the homecomings of their loved ones, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.
Continue reading "Pentagon lifts media ban on coffin photos" »
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.”
Obama Boosting U.S. Force by Nearly 50% to Address 'Deteriorating Situation'
President Obama has ordered the first combat deployments of his presidency, saying yesterday that he had authorized an additional 17,000 U.S. troops "to stabilize a deteriorating situation" in Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Tuesday that he would send an additional 17,000 American troops to Afghanistan this spring and summer, putting his stamp firmly on a war that he has long complained is going in the wrong direction.
Continue reading "Putting Stamp on Afghan War, Obama Will Send 17,000 Troops" »
Pursuant to President Obama’s decision today, Secretary Gates ordered the deployment of two additional combat units, totaling more than 12,000 troops, to Afghanistan. The 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), from Camp Lejeune, N.C., with approximately 8,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in late Spring 2009.
Continue reading "DoD Announces Afghanistan Force Deployment" »
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, Feb. 6, 2009 – Sixteen million new toys were distributed to 7.6 million children over the Christmas holiday through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.
Continue reading "Toys for Tots Successful Despite Slow Economy" »
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" »
Sgt. Wayne Dekorte, a platoon sergeant with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, recently left the Marine Corps after his enlistment came to an end. Part of his enlistment was receiving a Bronze Star medal for his accomplishments overseas.
Continue reading "3/7 Marine receives Bronze Star, moves on to future" »
Economic recovery legislation passed by Congress is likely to include a tax incentive for employers to hire newly discharged service members who are having problems finding work.
Continue reading "Stimulus offers tax credit for hiring vets" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2009 – A civilian journalist received a top Navy honor in Iraq on Jan. 24 for his heroism in saving a Marine’s life while in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Navy Honors Civilian Journalist for Saving Marine’s Life" »
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" »
Be careful eating those peanut butter crackers, cookies and candies — including those that you might receive in care packages sent by families, friends and well-meaning community organizations.
Continue reading "CDC warns military about peanut butter recall" »
Marines shipping out to Afghanistan this year eventually will spend twice as much time at home as deployed, Commandant Gen. James Conway said Thursday.
Continue reading "CMC: More dwell time between Afghan tours" »
The Defense Department has created a new outreach center for troops and family members who need help understanding post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, as well as to help them get the resources they need.
BAGHDAD — American troops in Iraq will be allowed to drink beer without fear of court-martial for this year’s Super Bowl — an exception to a strict military ban on drinking alcohol in combat zones.
Continue reading "Troops in Iraq allowed beer for Super Bowl" »
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A California assemblyman says military identification should be accepted as official proof that an armed forces member is old enough for alcohol.
Continue reading "Calif. eyeing military IDs for alcohol use" »
What's in a name? In Washington, almost everything.
Continue reading "Jones Renews Effort To Rename Dept. of Navy" »
ANN ARBOR, Mich – The McCormick Foundation in Chicago has awarded $350,000 to the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry to help address the “invisible brain injuries” among returning Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans and their families. These include sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and associated problems. The gift is part of a larger fundraising initiative called Welcome Back Veterans created by New York Mets Chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon to provide returning veterans the quality evaluations, treatment, support systems, and long-term employment assistance they deserve to restart their lives and care for their families.
WASHINGTON — Overseas military voters from 16 states and the District of Columbia had little chance of successfully voting in the presidential election this year, according to a new study released Tuesday.
Continue reading "Study: States’ overseas voting systems are flawed" »
The Pentagon has decided that it will not award the Purple Heart, the hallowed medal given to those wounded or killed by enemy action, to war veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder because it is not a physical wound.
Continue reading "Purple Heart Is Ruled Out for Traumatic Stress" »
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 —
Shades of Green is a resort hotel, located on Walt Disney World Resort, exclusive to service members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians, and their family members. It is a safe haven for military families, whether they’re reintegrating after an overseas deployment, having one last “Family fling” before mom or dad deploys, or simply getting away for a weekend.
Continue reading "Shades of Green, Disney partner to make vacations affordable for military" »
WASHINGTON — (Reuters) - Many U.S. troops serving overseas are effectively excluded from voting because they are not given enough time to cast absentee ballots, according to a report released Tuesday.
Continue reading "Study: Many in U.S. military don't get time to vote" »
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" »
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — Sprawling toward the horizon in every direction, Andersen Air Force Base is surprisingly quiet, leaving the impression of a big, empty parking lot.
Continue reading "Guam, focus of new U.S. strategy, faces hurdles" »
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" »
The Corps will be featured in several Hollywood projects
More than four years ago, then-Lt. Col. Mike Strobl shared his experience escorting a fallen Marine back to their mutual hometown, weaving a narrative rich with detail and emotion.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The U.S. is preparing to pour at least 20,000 extra troops into southern Afghanistan to cope with a Taliban insurgency that is fiercer than NATO leaders expected.
Continue reading "U.S. readying Afghan surge against Taliban" »
BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The United States' three top broadcast television networks have quietly stopped sending full-time correspondents to Iraq, industry watchers say.
Episode explores the needs of America’s returning service members
Washington D.C. – Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, will appear on Dr. Phil in an episode focused on honoring America’s contract with our military veterans. Dr. Phil talks with veterans and their families about the challenges of returning home after deployment. Congressman Filner shares his views about the medical and mental health care needs of returning service members. He also discusses the need for a good faith reform effort at the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the care and services offered to America’s veterans. The show, entitled “Beyond the Front Lines,” is scheduled to air on Friday, December 19. Check your local listings for air time.
Continue reading "Filner Discusses Veterans Issues on Dr. Phil Show" »
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" »
The pilot for a new, jointly-developed DoD-VA disability evaluation system (DES), set to expand from five to 22 military bases by May, does much of what proponents hoped it would.
Continue reading "Disability reforms bring higher ratings, faster pay" »
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" »
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wall Street Warfighters Foundation, a nonprofit organization preparing disabled military veterans for financial services careers, has selected Marine Staff Sergeant John Jones and U.S. Army Master Sergeant George Holmes as the first students in Operation Wall Street, the Foundation’s intensive academic and vocational training program.
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.
KOKOMO, Ind. — The family of Lance Cpl. James Swain is proud that the Marine Corps named a building at its intelligence base in Virginia after him. But it’s an honor that comes with mixed feelings.
Continue reading "Intelligence site named for slain Ind. Marine" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marines are preparing to enter a building as the machine gunner squints to identify figures approaching from a distance. Suddenly the figures come into focus, and the Marine reacts instinctively to the threat by manning the vehicle-mounted weapon and immediately providing suppressive fire to alert fellow Marines of the impending danger.
Continue reading "Hero honored at annex with Medal for Valor" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Nov. 25, 2008) — An Iraqi reporter from Al Jazeera met his worst nightmare and possibly his best friend when he was caught in the crossfire while covering combat operations, April 4.
Lawmakers’ pleas for award of Medal of Honor denied
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rebuffed pleas from Capitol Hill to award the Medal of Honor to a Marine who died smothering a grenade, saying “the evidence presented did not meet the exacting ‘no doubt’ standard necessary.” The comments came in a Nov. 18 letter Gates sent to eight members of California’s congressional delegation. The group asked President George W. Bush to review a Pentagon decision announced in September to deny Sgt. Rafael Peralta the military’s highest honor.
Continue reading "Gates: Peralta evidence left room for doubt" »
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" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2008 – Military Family Appreciation Week begins tomorrow, and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today noting the observance.
Continue reading "Chairman Notes Military Family Appreciation Week" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2008 – Recent changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act will extend the period of unpaid, job-protected leave that eligible family members can take to care for wounded warrior spouses, Labor Department officials said.
Continue reading "Changes to Leave Act Benefit Wounded Warriors, Families" »
Eighteen months after banning access to YouTube and other social networking and entertainment sites on Defense Department computers, the Pentagon has launched a site where troops and families can upload and share videos.
Continue reading "Pentagon launches its own version of YouTube" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – A troop-support group that provides education on the brain’s and body’s natural responses to stress launched its redesigned Web site yesterday.
“Our Web site is completely redesigned to power our mission of providing the best education, training and resources for supporting strength and resilience in all areas of military life,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.”
Continue reading "Troop Support Group Launches New Web Site" »
WASHINGTON -- Veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect this month.
Continue reading "New Law Authorizes Veterans’ Salutes during National Anthem" »
SPRINGFIELD -- An obscure state law and an ambiguous federal ballot form are combining to invalidate some of the thousands of absentee votes being cast this fall by Virginians overseas, most of them in the military.
Continue reading "Law Threatens Thousands of Military Votes" »
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" »
In a few short weeks, U.S. Marine Dawid Pietrek was supposed to be coming home after his tour overseas ended.
Continue reading "Virginia Marine running in honor of fallen Bensenville comrade" »
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" »
Troops and family members are invited to join a live Oct. 20 Webcast of a Pentagon summit meeting that will explore the best ways to support families of service members who are killed, seriously wounded or become ill or injured.
Continue reading "DoD to hold family support summit Oct. 20" »
Jamestown, Mo. -
Friends and family of Leon B. Deraps have announced that a formal dedication ceremony for the Lance Corporal Leon B. Deraps Memorial Highway has been set for Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m.
Continue reading "Dedication ceremony planned for Lance Corporal Leon B. Deraps Memorial Hwy." »
Troops can shift them to spouse, kids
All career service members, regardless of their military occupational specialty, will be offered the opportunity to transfer GI Bill benefits to immediate family members starting next summer, under a plan taking shape in the Pentagon.
In the first of what could become many revisions in its disability ratings, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Sept. 23 that it is changing how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of veterans who have been injured by roadside bombs or other explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "VA rule change may mean higher TBI payouts" »
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" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2008 – Overseas-deployed servicemembers and other troops serving outside their home states need to fill out and forward their absentee ballots so their votes can be counted as part of the Nov. 4 federal and state elections, Defense Department officials said today.
Continue reading "Officials Urge Military Voters to Send in Absentee Ballots" »
The door to employment with the federal government is being pushed open a little wider for military spouses whose service members have been incapacitated or killed or who are moving with their service members on permanent change-of-station orders.
Continue reading "Military spouses get boost for federal jobs" »
Sergeant covered a grenade with his body to save comrades in Iraq
SAN DIEGO - A California congressional delegation asked President Bush on Friday to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to a Marine who was chosen to receive only the second-highest medal the Navy can bestow for valor.
Continue reading "Bush urged to review denied Medal of Honor" »
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — —
The Combat Center’s American Red Cross Chapter helps keep service members informed when they are stationed away from home in the event of a birth, death or a serious or critical illness in their immediate family.
Continue reading "American Red Cross messages keep Marines in touch during hard times" »
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.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2008 – The Defense Department announced today the deployment of two additional units to Afghanistan, following up on President Bush’s announcement last week that he will beef up the U.S. presence there while reducing it in Iraq.
Continue reading "Defense Department Announces New Forces for Afghanistan Mission" »
BAGHDAD — Gen. David Petraeus said Sunday that experience in Iraq shows it will take political and economic progress as well as military action to tackle increased violence in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Petraeus: More than force needed in Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military presence in Afghanistan will grow by a maximum of 1,800 troops by the end of January, AFP has calculated, based on figures provided by the Pentagon Monday.
Continue reading "US to boost military presence in Afghanistan by 1,800" »
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" »
FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C., Sept. 9, 2008 – The United States will continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq, but will increase its footprint in Afghanistan, President Bush said here today.
The Corps has introduced a new alternative to the body armor Marines wear in combat.
Continue reading "Lighter body armor issued for Afghanistan" »
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALAGUSH, Afghanistan — American troops in Afghanistan will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks, a U.S. commander told The Associated Press.
Continue reading "General: US forces to up Afghan winter ops" »
SCHINNEN, Netherlands, Sept. 5, 2008 – With the Democratic and Republican national conventions now behind us, the 2008 presidential campaign enters the home stretch as Americans look toward Election Day, Nov. 4.
WASHINGTON - President Bush will announce his decision on future troops levels in Iraq next week and is expected to largely follow the recommendations of military leaders to reduce the number by up to 8,000 by mid-January.
Continue reading "Bush to announce US troop levels in Iraq next week" »
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.
As the military considers an Afghanistan 'surge', the head of the U.S. Marines pays a visit, and finds that far more troops are needed on the ground.
When Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway visited the dusty hinterlands of southern Afghanistan last week, probably the last thing he expected to find was U.S. Marines with full, bushy beards. But there they were, members of the Marines' Special Operations Command unit, known as MarSOC.
Gen. David Petraeus has no intention of doing a victory lap on his way out of Iraq. As he heads off next month to take over the U.S. military's Central Command, in charge of Afghanistan as well as Iraq, he leaves a country on the rebound. People in Baghdad feel so safe they are out on the streets at midnight. The scourge of Al Qaeda in Iraq is a spent force. They've lost Anbar province and Baghdad, where at best they can mount a couple of mostly insignificant attacks a day. They've vacated the Sunni Triangle. Virtually the entire Sunni Arab population has turned against them, and nowadays not a single Sunni imam, politician or tribal leader of note inside the country supports them. So why then don't we just say it: Al Qaeda in Iraq has been defeated.
Continue reading "He’s Chased Al Qaeda From Baghdad. Next: Kandahar." »
When Lance Cpl. William “Billy” D. Spencer saw his squad leader wounded in an Iraq shootout, he did the only thing he could do: He tried to save his commanding officer.
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" »
The U.S. commander there, in an exclusive interview, calls for a further buildup to counter the Taliban
The Pentagon will be sending 12,000 to 15,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, possibly as soon as the end of this year, with planning underway for a further force buildup in 2009.
Continue reading "Pentagon Plans to Send More Than 12,000 Additional Troops to Afghanistan" »
(CNN) -- Some airlines are charging U.S. soldiers extra baggage fees to take their military kits with them as they set off for war.
Continue reading "Troops pay baggage fees on way to war zones" »
Featuring the Recipients of America’s Highest Military Honor
August 12, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) - In MEDAL OF HONOR, a new documentary that PBS announced today will air nationwide on November 5 at 9 p.m., powerful stories of those who have received our nation's highest military honor beg fundamental questions about the nature of the human spirit and what it means to have the courage of a hero. What makes a person face almost certain death in order to save the lives of others? What gives a person the strength to endure unspeakable acts of torture under the hands of an enemy without losing the will to carry on? And is every person, if put into the same situation, capable of such virtues? Can we all be heroes?
If a homecoming celebration is in the works for your returning service member, you’d better get in on the rush to order a free banner from Buildasign.com.
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 - Pentagon leaders on Wednesday signaled a surge in U.S. forces in Afghanistan "sooner rather than later," a shift that could send some units there within weeks, as officials prepare to cut troop levels in Iraq.
Continue reading "More US troops may go to Afghanistan this year" »
Pentagon confirms the deaths of men who were seized in 2007 ambush
WASHINGTON - For more than a year, Gordon Dibler held out hope that his stepson, Army Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, would return home from Iraq. Then military officials delivered the grim news that the bodies of Fouty and another soldier captured in an ambush south of Baghdad had been found.
Continue reading "Missing soldiers' bodies recovered in Iraq" »
Special Ringtones, Video, and Graphics Tailored to
All Branches of U.S. Military Personnel
DALLAS, JULY 2, 2008 — We honor freedom in our yards and in our homes, on our cars and even in our wardrobe, and now AT&T is providing customers with a unique way to give tribute to those who have fought for our independence, just in time for the 4th of July holiday. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced a program with 2ThumbZ Entertainment, Inc. to launch the wireless industry’s first comprehensive portfolio of mobile content tailored to the United States Military. The impressive selection of content consists of ringtones, Answer Tones™, 3D graphics and animations, and videos tailored to members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Continue reading "AT&T LAUNCHES FIRST MOBILE CONTENT PORTFOLIO FOR UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES" »
U.S. military personnel and Defense Department employees won’t have to pay new fees for checked baggage as long as they’re traveling on official government orders in most instances, according to military officials.
Continue reading "Military orders trump new airline baggage fees" »
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.
The producers of a new game show for ABC are looking for military families to be contestants on the pilot episode of the show, which will offer “a huge cash prize.”
Continue reading "Game show seeks military family contestants" »
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" »