Despite Inherent Differences, U.S. Can Apply Lessons Learned in Iraq to Afghanistan
BAGHDAD, Aug. 27, 2010
(AP) They are different wars in different regions, with different challenges. But as the war in Iraq winds down, there is a lot the U.S. military can learn and apply to Afghanistan, from how to deal with contractors to when to draw down troops.
Continue reading "Amid Drawdown, Lessons to Be Learned from Iraq" »
KABUL, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Insurgents, some wearing suicide vests, launched a rocket and ground attack on the main foreign military base in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar on Tuesday, with several militants killed in an ensuing gunfight, officials said.
Continue reading "Suicide bombers attack southern Afghan base" »
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A Security Council committee has deleted 45 entries from its blacklist of al Qaeda and Taliban individuals and firms under U.N. sanctions after a full review, Austria's U.N. envoy said on Monday.
Continue reading "UN panel finishes Taliban/al Qaeda blacklist review" »
KABUL, July 30 (Reuters) - Afghan police fired shots on Friday to disperse hundreds of people protesting the deaths of civilians in an accident involving a U.S. embassy vehicle, police said.
Continue reading "Afghan police fire shots to quell protest after accident" »
You might think Hamid Karzai's biggest problem right now is his mouth.
Continue reading "Karzai's words are heightening his unpopularity" »
KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan-international security force went to a compound north of Khozakheyl, in the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province, after intelligence information verified militant activity last night. As the combined force entered the compound area they were fired upon by heavily armed men. In the ensuing firefight two militants were shot and killed.
Continue reading "Afghan-International Force Kills, Detains Militants in Nangarhar" »
In a low, tan building in Nevada, Air Force personnel sit in padded chairs and control aircraft over Iraq and Afghanistan. They are 7,500 miles away, yet feel more affected by war than ever.
Reporting from Creech Air Force Base, Nev. - From his apartment in Las Vegas, Sam Nelson drove to work through the desert along wind-whipped Highway 95 toward Indian Springs. Along the way, he tuned in to XM radio and tried to put aside the distractions of daily life -- bills, rent, laundry -- and get ready for work.
Continue reading "Drone pilots have a front-row seat on war, from half a world away" »
By mid-February, Marines will be out of Iraq.
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Some 500 Marines from the St. Louis area are going to be part of a special place in history. They are among the last combat battalion of Marines to leave Iraq. The marines are part of the 3rd Battalion, 24th regiment based at Lambert. They should all be back in the U.S. by the end of January. It's a major step in the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq; a step that many spouses of the marines can't wait to happen.
Continue reading "St. Louis Based Marines Among The Last to Leave Iraq" »
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" »
WASHINGTON — Military members serving overseas will have to resubmit their voter registration this year if they hope to cast a ballot in the November midterm elections.
Continue reading "Overseas military will have to register again to get ballots this year" »
The last Marine infantry battalion will leave Iraq in January, closing a long, complicated chapter in the Corps’ history as combat intensifies on another front in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Last grunts in Iraq prepare to come home" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Combat Logistics Battalion 46 officially took over for Combat Logistics Regiment 27 (Forward) as the logistics combat element during a Transfer of Authority ceremony aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 16.
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" »
As the clouds and drizzle of the rainy winter season roll into Iraq, many Marines with Multi National Force - West are rolling out. The gradual drawdown of Marines aboard Al Asad Air Base has sparked the idea for Operation Blue Spoon.
Continue reading "Operation Blue Spoon underway aboard Al Asad" »
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 27 (Forward) woke up with the Iraqi sun aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, knowing that the day, Nov. 10, marked 234 years of the Marine Corps’ existence.
Continue reading "Celebration of 234 years brings deployed Marines together" »
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — The Iraqi Ministry of Defense directed that one detachment of helicopters from 4th Squadron, Iraqi Air Force, be located at Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, in order to provide a rotary wing transportation capability to the Anbar Operations Command, a command center for all Iraqi security forces in Iraq’s Al Anbar province.
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — Marine Corps participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom is drawing to a close as Marines, sailors and equipment make their way back home or to other parts of the globe. As part of the departure, one of the Marine Corps’ largest bases in the country is on its way to being in the hands of the Iraqi government once again.
Continue reading "Marines leaving Al Taqaddum little by little" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Since the earliest days of the Marine Corps, all Marines have been taught they are riflemen first. This philosophy shines true with the Marines of Task Force East, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward). As they depart Iraq, they do so knowing the basic training they received was the cornerstone for the experiences they shared here. With their deployment at its end, the Marines of TFE reflect on their overall experiences and lessons learned.
Continue reading "Task Force East Marines close chapter on successful deployment" »
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" »
Sgt. Doug Osborn, 27, has already earned a Purple Heart
MUNCIE -- A Purple Heart recipient from Delaware County has volunteered to return to Iraq for his fourth deployment there.
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq - Lt. Col. Kenneth R. Kassner, the commanding officer of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, officially relieved the Marines of Company E of their duties during a ceremony held aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2009
Continue reading "Reserve LAR company prepares for return to U.S" »
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" »
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – As Regimental Combat Team 6 prepares to hand over military operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province after over five years of Marine Corps presence, to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), we talked with the man once known to some Iraqis as the "Lion of Al Qaim," Marine commander, Col. Matthew Lopez.
Oh, it was a good life. A cushy life. Clean and comfy, polished and primped.
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq - Prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps, every potential Marine sits down with a recruiter and picks out the reasons they want to join from a stack of colorful cards with the words travel, education and discipline, among others that describe most of the reasons someone would make the decision to commit.
Continue reading "Marine's Award-winning Past Leads to His Significant Presence" »
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" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
As U.S. forces have begun their responsible drawdown from Iraq, and as combat operations continue to decrease, other types of missions have moved to the forefront. U.S. forces have made a continued effort to pass on their knowledge to the Iraqi Security Forces that will help to ensure security and stability once U.S. forces are completely gone.
Continue reading "Marines of 2nd CEB show Iraqi soldiers new moves" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq, - Marine Corps snipers and designated marksmen have been operating across the vast Iraqi deserts since the outbreak of hostilities in 2003.
Continue reading "Sniper's Eye Counters Smuggling in Iraq" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
Third Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment relieved 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment during a certificate of relief ceremony Aug. 16, 2009.
Continue reading "3rd Battalion, 9th Marines relieves 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq — Marines from Company C, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, or “Comanche Company,” conducted leadership training on an abandoned farming compound north of Sahl Sinjar, Iraq, August 5, 2009.
Continue reading "Comanche Marines conduct leadership training" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
Every Marine unit conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom has one thing in common: dedicated hospital corpsmen always prepared to deal with illnesses and injuries, both great and small.
SAHL SINJAR AIRFIELD, Iraq —
From the Rumaylah oil fields in Operation Iraqi Freedom I to Operation Phantom Fury during the retaking of Fallujah to patrolling the western border of Iraq, and now providing security and training for the 11th Iraqi Army Brigade, the Wolfpack Marines have fought our country’s battles in light armored vehicles.
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq —
The population of U.S. forces in Iraq is becoming less dispersed throughout the country as Marines and sailors from Combat Logistics Battalion 4 and Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), are packing up and heading out of Camp Baharia and Combat Outpost Rahwah, two bases in Iraq’s Al Anbar province that have been home to Marines since early 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Continue reading "Marines one step closer to successful drawdown" »
Children walk the streets safely, store fronts are filled with patrons buying goods and the Iraqi Security Forces are seen throughout the Al Anbar province keeping the Iraqi people safe from insurgents and terrorist activity.
With each passing month, the Iraqi army and police have proved more and more they can protect their citizens with less and less coalition help.
NAJAF, Iraq — It may be hard for Westerners to believe, but one industry that’s booming, despite the global recession, is Iraqi tourism
HILLAH, Iraq — The remains of what was once the greatest city in the world occupy a vast site on the bank of the Euphrates River.
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
United States Marines pride themselves on being America’s force-in-readiness. At any given time, Marines are prepared to deploy anywhere in the world to defend America and respond to crises. Even while deployed, they still find ways to continue their combat training in order to maintain their reputation of always being mission-ready.
Continue reading "8th Communications Battalion zeros in on combat marksmanship" »
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" »
CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq — As the last rays of sunlight duck behind the security barriers aboard Camp Baharia, Iraq, a chorus can be heard. It is not the crickets emerging to greet the night —it’s the Marines of Security Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), gearing up to provide security for a convoy.
It is January in Iraq, the evening temperature has dropped below freezing and we’re on another mission, rolling down the highway. I’ve geared up with layers of undergarments for warmth and outerwear for protection: fire-resistant Nomex to keep my skin from turning crispy in flames and body armor to keep the pointy stuff from poking holes in my body. Anyone who rides motorcycles, as I do, knows the value of good protective gear. But I don’t focus on it.
CAMP YASSIR, Iraq – With flags waving high and feet pounding the ground in a steady rhythm, soldiers with Commando Battalion, 7th Iraqi Army Division, showed off their military talents during a demonstration aboard Al Asad Air Base, May 23, 2009.
Continue reading "Iraqi commandos show off their combat skills for MNF-W commanding general" »
KSDK -- Dozens of marines from across the Midwest, including the St. Louis area, have been called to duty.
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
Western Al Anbar was considered ‘the wild west’ at the beginning of the insurgency in 2004. It wasn’t until after the Anbar awakening in 2006 that the area began to move forward democratically. Now civic leaders and politicians have assembled together to discuss better ways to reallocate provincial funding.
Continue reading "RCT-8 supports EPRT organize western Al Anbar Civic Leaders Conference" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq —
Western Al Anbar was considered ‘the wild west’ at the beginning of the insurgency in 2004. It wasn’t until after the Anbar awakening in 2006 that the area began to move forward democratically. Now civic leaders and politicians have assembled together to discuss better ways to reallocate provincial funding.
Continue reading "RCT-8 supports EPRT organize western Al Anbar Civic Leaders Conference" »
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — A city girl from coastal California shocked her relatives and friends when she became the first in her family to join the Marine Corps in 2005.
Continue reading "Female Marine serves as gunner, Lioness in Iraq" »
CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — Even before Feb. 17, when President Barack Obama announced his strategy for Iraq, the operational tempo for Marines and sailors within the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, was high.
Continue reading "Removing unnecessary gear from Iraq: a crucial step in a responsible drawdown" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq —
First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 8, relinquished its operational responsibilities in Iraq’s Ninewa province, Iraq to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, April 7, 2009. Operating from a remote airfield near the Sinjar Mountains, the Marines of 1st LAR Bn. spent the majority of their seven-month deployment interdicting smuggling and conducting reconnaissance in the open desert terrain.
Continue reading "Wolfpack takes control of Ninewa Province from Highlanders" »
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" »
Soldiers hope to build on existing peace
Kaneohe Marines who have deployed more than once to Iraq say the country is now far more peaceful and amenable to community building projects.
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.
Dateline
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq —
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“First to fight” is a phrase that often comes to mind when referring to the Marine Corps. Not only is being the first to engage the enemy very important, but reacting quickly to a call for assistance or help is imperative.
Continue reading "Tank Marines take responsibilities as quick reaction force" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
When Lt. Cmdr. Kobena Arthur arrived in Iraq for the first time in September 2008, he pledged to make an impact in the far reaches of the western Al Anbar desert.
Continue reading "Coalition forces focus on helping victims of war" »
CAMP EAGLE, Iraq — Which costs more: Buying a box full of toothbrushes or mailing it halfway around the world?
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Marines with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s detachment of CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters left their ship at sea earlier this week and are flying combat support missions in Iraq.
Continue reading "CH-53s from 13th MEU fly support in Iraq" »
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" »
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq – The famous poet Khalil Gibran once stated in Sand and Foam, “We shall never understand one another until we reduce the language to seven words.” Arabic and English are equally comprised of thousands of words, and Marines here have found each of the words as equally important to their linguistic counterparts.
Continue reading "CAG Marines learn conversational Arabic" »
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq —
In a combat environment it is not uncommon to see Navy corpsmen. These servicemembers often times sacrifice their personal safety to ensure Marines receive proper medical treatment in order to remain combat effective. For some corpsmen, the sacrifice is deeper than most people know.
Continue reading "Navy Surgeon leaves family practice for front lines" »
SAHL SINJAR AIRFIELD, Iraq — The sun had barely peaked over the horizon as a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, affectionately known as the Battle Wagon, and more than 30 other vehicles carrying Marines, civilian contractors, and one interpreter, rolled out of Al Asad early Sunday morning, Feb. 8, 2009.
Continue reading "CLB-2 makes long haul to remote location of Iraq" »
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – With Iraqi training and partnered operations taking priority in Iraq, Force Reconnaissance Marines have taken it to the next level, incorporating specialforces training with an elite group of Iraqi soldiers during a 10-day training exercise that started here, Feb. 7.
Continue reading "Reconnaissance Marines harden Iraqi Special Forces" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
For the past five months, the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment have been conducting operations in the Iraq’s Rutbah district, which covers nearly 4,000 square miles of open desert terrain interspersed with towns, villages and nomadic-shepherd communities in Iraq’s western Al Anbar province.
Continue reading "Reservists help reconstruct a nation, one line at a time" »
What are the odds?
Continue reading "Twin brothers meet by chance in Iraqi desert" »
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq —
While deployed, Marines often depend on phone calls and e-mails to keep in contact with their families. Some Marines however, can find themselves separated from a loved one by just a few miles.
Continue reading "Brothers meet up during deployment to Iraq" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq —
When the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8 arrived at al Asad Air Base in western Iraq in early September, they were faced with an immediate challenge: transportation.
Continue reading "Reserve motor transportation Marines keep the mission rolling" »
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Regimental Combat Team 8 relieved Regimental Combat Team 5 at a ceremony here today.
Continue reading "Regimental Combat Team 5 turns over with Regimental Combat Team 8" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq – For the past75 days, the Marines and sailors of Company C, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion have been living and operating in the open areas near the Sinjar Mountains of northern Iraq to interdict smuggling on the Iraqi-Syrian border. After this extended period, the “Warpigs” recently turned over responsibility of the region to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division so that they may return to Sinjar Airfield for further missions.
Continue reading "Warpigs of 1st LAR hand off smuggling search in northern Iraq" »
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq —
Keeping in peak physical condition isn’t an exception but more like a rule for Marines and this mindset doesn’t change during deployment.
Continue reading "‘Semper Fit’ more than motto to RCT-8 Marines" »
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq -- Constant communication between leaders at all levels is important whether they are deep in the sands of Iraq, the mountainous regions of Afghanistan or the confines of Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Continue reading "RCT-8 Communication Marines: keeping it connected during the fight" »
COMBAT OUTPOST AKASHAT, Iraq —
Local Iraqi Police teamed up with Marines and sailors from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8, Jan. 14 to give students something to look forward to after finishing their annual standardized tests at Akashat Primary School.
Continue reading "IP, Marineshelp change perceptions in rural al-Anbar province" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq – If they have fought in ‘every clime and place’ as the Marines’ Hymn recounts, maybe a verse should be added for clarity. What would it say? Perhaps something about ‘for however long it takes with minimal supplies…’
Continue reading "1st LAR Bn. secures remote northern Iraq, impeding insurgents" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marines and sailors of Regimental Combat Team 8 said goodbye to their loved ones here Jan. 6 as they departed for a scheduled one-year deployment to al Asad, Iraq.
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq – Drop a stone into a pond. Its ripples reach far from where it entered. Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion tested this philosophy here with an agriculture project, trading stones for barley seed and their pond for local villages of Northern Iraq.
Continue reading "Marines of 1st LAR Bn. plant a seed for local economy" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police in Karmah demonstrated their ability to take charge of a crime scene after a suicide bomber attacked citizens and policemen on a local highway in Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 28.
Continue reading "Iraqi police respond to Fallujah attack" »
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" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – “He’s bleeding out of a major artery! He’s going into shock! Get his pulse and apply a tourniquet, now!”
COMBAT OUTPOST RAWAH, Iraq — The expeditionary nature of the Marine Corps requires a responsive and capable force able to adapt to the ever-changing mission of the Global War on Terror and operations in Iraq.
Continue reading "Battalion takes root in new area of operations" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the commanding general of Multi-National Corps Iraq, visited Marines and Sailors with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, at Camp Baharia in Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 25.
FALLUJAH, Iraq – The holiday season can pose a particularly hard time for some service members deployed overseas and away from their families.
Continue reading "Taking care of your own, one package at a time" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Scout snipers with Teams 2 and 4 of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, have taken on a new role during their deployment to Iraq.
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq — Always faithful; a saying by which Marines and sailors of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion fight and one by which their chaplain shapes a deeper meaning, exemplifying a way to live a life.
Continue reading "Chaplain helps Marines stay Semper Fidelis" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – There is nothing like a backyard barbecue to take your mind off the daily grind of fighting terrorism.
Continue reading "Barbecue a morale booster for Marines in Iraq" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – There is nothing like a backyard barbecue to take your mind off the daily grind of fighting terrorism.
Continue reading "Barbecue a morale booster for Marines in Iraq" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1 assisted Iraqi Police during a humanitarian-aid operation in the Muallimeen area of Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 3.
Continue reading "Marines support Iraqi police with aid operation" »
AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq- Marines and sailors assigned to Task Force Mech, Regimental Combat team 5 are conducting various operations here to improve the securityand to assist the Iraqi people where needed.
Continue reading "Task Force Mech makes tracks through al-Anbar" »
AL-ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq — Amidst the array of Coalition force operations in the area, medical attention is still offered to the Iraqi populace by Task Force Mech, Regimental Combat Team 5.
Continue reading "Tanks supply area with medical attention" »
NINEWEH PROVINCE, Iraq – Watch out Al-Qaeda, the Marines have just set up shop.
Continue reading "“Diablos” Take The Reins From 3rd Cavalry" »
NINEWEH PROVINCE, Iraq – It wasn’t long after breakfast on Nov. 12 that Lance Cpl. Russell L. Pope was sitting in the cold in the back of a Light Armored Vehicle driving through a small town in western Nineveh province.
Continue reading "Diablos test waters with patrol in unfriendly city" »
SAHL SINJAR, Iraq – On ground that was little more than a strip of cement surrounded by desert, a veritable camp now stands, built and manned by Marines of Task Force Ninewa ready to hunt foreign fighters and terrorists near the Syrian border.
Continue reading "Task Force Ninewa pounds ground into northern Iraq to take down Al Qaeda" »
Fallujah, Iraq — Just four years ago the streets of Fallujah were a hot zone for terrorist activity. Now that the area is stabilized, Coalition Forces are in the process of returning Camp Fallujah to the Iraqi government.
Continue reading "CLB-5 hits the ground running: New move ensures success for Iraqis, CLB-5" »
RUTBAH, Iraq — A patrol of Reserve Marines, soldiers and sailors, led by Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, showed their support for local schools and introduced children to the role that women serve in the U.S. armed forces when visiting the Houran Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, Dec. 2.
There is a peace surrounded by insurrection in Rhamadi, Iraq.
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Reserve Marines from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 based here received an honored guest at their remote desert outpost Nov. 26.
Continue reading "Reserve Marines Host Distinguished Visitor" »
Fallujah, Iraq — Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter visited Marines and other service members operating in Fallujah, Iraq, during the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Continue reading "Secretary of the Navy visits troops in Fallujah" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — When Lt. Col. Geoff Rollins took command of 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team in October 2006, he had a daunting task before him.
RUTBAH, Iraq — And then there was light.
Continue reading "Utility Marines light up Rutbah TCPs, gain knowledge" »
FERRIS, Iraq — A recent enemy attack at a hospital in Ferris, Iraq has Marines and Iraqi Security Forces searching the city for clues to find suspects linked to the incident.
Continue reading "Marines, Iraqi Security Forces search for answers to Ferris attack" »
AL-ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq — Reserve Marines from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 based here drove more than 200 miles Nov. 9 to conduct a security patrol and inspect construction of new Iraqi forts along the country’s border with Syria.
Continue reading "Marines Maintain Vigilance on Syrian Border" »
AL-ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq — Reserve Marines from Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 based here drove more than 200 miles Nov. 9 to conduct a security patrol and inspect construction of new Iraqi forts along the country’s border with Syria.
Continue reading "Marines Maintain Vigilance on Syrian Border" »
SINJAR AIRFIELD, Iraq -- (November 11, 2008) What does it take to keep a mechanized infantry battalion rolling? At more than 12 tons each, light armored vehicle sounds like a contradictory name, but there’s nothing light about the mission these Marines have.
Continue reading "Skilled hands of maintenance Marines keep 1st LAR rolling" »
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq (Nov. 11, 2008) — Founded in a small Philadelphia tavern on Nov. 10, 1775, by order of the Second Continental Congress, the Marine Corps’ history books were opened, and today, in Ramadi, Iraq, 2008, the pages are still being written.
Continue reading "Marines celebrate birthday alongside Iraqi counterparts" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, took a brief moment away from daily combat operations to celebrate the 233rd Marine Corps birthday at Camp Baharia in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 10.
FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, assisted by Iraqi Police, issued identification badges to civilians living in the Abuyuset area near Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. 8.
Marines and sailors are headed to Anbar province, but first, the pain of leaving family -- again.
Reporting from Camp Pendleton -- The drill was new to some of the families attached to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369. But it was a familiar and heartbreaking scene Sunday for most, who said goodbye yet again to hundreds of Marines deploying to Iraq for repeat tours.
Continue reading "Another tour in Iraq, another tearful goodbye for Marines" »
HIT, Iraq — All Marines are taught a skill at the beginning of their military careers that will help support the Marine Corps. Some Marines, though, bring their own skills.
Continue reading "From personal trainer to Marine; Marine passes on knowledge" »
HIT, Iraq — While some Marines have trouble making an edible hot pocket for themselves at home, the chow hall Marines of Task Force 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 have proven themselves qualified cooks, even in Iraq.
BAGHDAD — When the clock strikes midnight Dec. 31, the U.S. military’s days of operating freely in Iraq will come to an abrupt end — regardless of whether a new long-term security agreement is in place, current and former military officials say.
Continue reading "Next year will be different for troops in Iraq" »
HIT, Iraq — Even during the fast tempo of a deployment, Marines do what they can to relax when they get down time.
COMBAT OUTPOST TREBIL, Iraq — When you step into the mess hall here, the first thing you notice is the smell of gourmet coffee. Next, you notice an orderly array of shelf-stable meals displayed in cubbies along the plywood walls, available to the post’s Marines 24-hours a day.
Continue reading "Reserve MP spices up life for Marines at remote outpost" »
RAWAH, Iraq — Six months of security posts and sector patrols have come to an end here for Marines with 1st Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battlalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, who left their posts at Traffic Control Points 3 and 4 Oct. 12 when Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, RCT-5 assumed the watch.
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Most Marines agree taking care of the man on your left and right is the number one concern in combat.
RAWAH, Iraq — Combat Outpost Rawah, Iraq -- Atop the flatbed of a seven-ton truck and behind wooden pallets stacked as a barrier, gladiators took cover from incoming fire. They popped up to return suppressive fire, and the soccer ball onslaught continued for nearly an hour.
HIT, Iraq — The American Gladiators paid a visit to the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 to show their support and have some fun Oct. 8.
Titan, Militia, Panther, Phoenix and Venom, stars from the television show “American Gladiators,” traveled here to sign autographs and take pictures with the Marines.
Continue reading "American Gladiators bring fight to Marines" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — It takes a lot of gear to run a battalion. Infantrymen need weapons and chow. Mechanics need parts and tools. Everyone needs something, and aside from haircuts, it all comes from one place: supply.
Continue reading "Supply gives Highlanders goods to keep tip of the spear sharp" »
RAMADI, IRAQ — RAMADI, IRAQ (October 5, 2008) – Just over seven months ago, service members with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, packed their bags and traveled halfway across the world to Iraq, marking the unit’s first battalion-sized deployment since its reactivation in late 2005.
Continue reading "Legendary Marine battalion completes Iraq deployment" »
RAMADI, Iraq — RAMADI, Iraq (Oct. 4, 2008) – With the dust settling on their seven-month deployment, Marines of 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team, 1 are handing over their area of operations in Ramadi, Iraq, to 2nd Bn., 9th Marines.
Continue reading "‘Trading Spaces’; Camp Lejeune units pass torch in Iraq" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Marines and sailors of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 finished movement here Sunday as they took the reins for mechanized security in al-Anbar province from 2nd LAR Bn., RCT-5.
Continue reading "1st LAR Bn. takes over mechanized security for al-Anbar province" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. —
Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, deployed to Al Anbar province from Camp Lejeune, N.C., in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom Sept. 23, 2008.
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Reserve Marines from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, headquartered in Garden City, N.Y., arrived here in late September to support RCT-5’s security and stability mission in western al-Anbar province.
Continue reading "Reserve Marines settle in at Korean Village" »
The Iraq war has faded as an item of interest to the national press because the violence has plummeted, while a consensus has formed that the American military learned from experience and now knows what it’s doing. In 2006, we were losing the war; today, the military trajectory is encouraging, and U.S. forces are slowly withdrawing. During my 15th trip to Iraq in August, for the first time I didn’t hear a shot fired. In several cities, I walked into markets with only a few American soldiers, and was immediately surrounded by Iraqis eager to talk about the economy, security, politics, whatever.
Continue reading "Decency, Toughness ... and No Shortcuts" »
Haditha, Iraq – Marines aren't paid to be pacifists. So perhaps it's not surprising that some Marines here are actually a little disappointed that the situation isn't more "kinetic" – that is, that they aren't seeing more action.
Continue reading "Dillow's Iraq: Marines aren't paid to be pacifists" »
HIT, Iraq — The Marines of Task Force 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 assumed control of an area of operations previously held by 3rd Bn., 4th Marines and will continue to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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.
With the Corps’ mission in Iraq’s Anbar province all but stamped with the seal of success, Commandant Gen. James Conway is again positioning his service to take on a larger role in fighting a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, where about 3,500 Marines have fought throughout much of 2008.
Continue reading "Marines plan next moves after Anbar success" »
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" »
KARMAH, Iraq – In an act of defiance toward al-Qaida in Iraq, Karmah sheikhs and Marines with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, recently held their first meeting since a suicide vest attack killed 20 local leaders and key tribal figures and three Marines, June 26, 2008.
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.
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Marines and sailors from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, departed the Combat Center Aug. 26 and 27 on a seven-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Marines and sailors from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, departed the Combat Center Aug. 26 and 27 on a seven-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq – A Marine underwent an immense transition from monitoring pay to becoming the eyes and ears of the battalion commander.
Continue reading "Admin to Grunt: Battalion Commander’s eyes and ears" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. —
In the years since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, ordinary Iraqi citizens have stepped forward and taken an active role in charting their country’s future.
Continue reading "Iraqi sheikh prepares Lejeune Marines for upcoming deployment" »
For the third time in six years, II Marine Expeditionary Force will deploy to Iraq sometime in early 2009, but it will be a much different tour than the unit’s 2007 mission.
Continue reading "II MEF likely to get better Anbar welcome" »
RAMADI, IRAQ -- As Iraqi officials and the U.S. military haggle over when to let Anbar province take control of its own security, a row of broken-down Ford pickups in a Ramadi schoolyard offers a sobering picture of the readiness of the region's security forces.
Continue reading "Marines inch closer to a formal transfer of security control to Iraqis in Anbar" »
CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq – The Warlords of Jump Platoon have the responsibility of escorting the battalion commander anywhere he needs to go around the Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 area of operations.
Continue reading "Jump Platoon explores roads less traveled" »
COMBAT OUTPOST RIO LOBO, Iraq – The most important natural resource for Coalition Forces in Iraq is water.
Continue reading "Engineers, LAR’s plans may put H2O back in Rio Lobo" »
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — A quiet base in the western Al Anbar province was filled with sounds of electric guitars and the crash of cymbals July 10.
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq — CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq (August 10, 2008) – Since June 28, 2004, when the Coalition Provisional Authority officially transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government, Marines have done their part to assist the Iraqi people in building a unified Iraq with the political and economic stability needed to govern itself.
Continue reading "Knowledge, skill, will: 1/2 Marines hit ground running" »
COMBAT OUTPOST AKASHAT, Iraq — It’s common for Marines to refer to each other as brothers-in-arms, but the esprit de corps might just be stronger between two Marines who are actually full-blooded brothers serving in the same unit.
HIT, Iraq — Combat engineers have assisted 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, with bringing things down to the ground or raising things up from ground level.
Continue reading "Engineers increase battalion’s abilities" »
UM AL WAZZ, Iraq – Western al-Anbar province was one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq in recent years, and Marine units operating there have encountered threats ranging from improvised explosive devices to small-arms firefights.
Continue reading "Marines target oil smuggling, protect citizens" »
RAMADI, Iraq — RAMADI, Iraq (August 2, 2008) – Mustafa, a 14-year-old Iraqi boy, couldn’t stand still during a recent soccer tournament at the grand reopening of the 17th Street Soccer field July 24.
Continue reading "Ramadi citizens gather for soccer field reopening" »
HADITHA, Iraq -- The K3 Oil Refinery opened July 18 and is ready to pump life into the city of Haditha and Anbar province, Iraq.
COMBAT OUTPOST AKASHAT, Iraq —
A Marine started several years ago to learn Arabic, a language spoken throughout the Middle East. Recognizing the value of the talent, he decided to put it to use helping his country.
Continue reading "Marine’s Arabic skills benefit operation" »
KARMA, Iraq – A large percentage of new businesses in the U.S. fail within the first year.Starting a business in Iraq is no different, if not harder, but with the help of Marines with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, four Iraqi businessmen have hopes of beating the odds.
COMBAT OUTPOST AKASHAT, Iraq —
The stresses of a constant operational tempo give Marines the need for something to balance out the tension. Some Marines have found a way to relax by participating in outdoor sporting activities.
AKASHAT, Iraq — Another Iraqi Police station became an independent unit in Al Anbar province during a ceremony here July 9. During the ceremony, Marines with Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5 passed responsibility of the city of Akashat to the IPs.
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — A company of Marines, in one of the most secluded combat outposts in Iraq, had an unusual visit by a special group of entertainers from Hollywood, Calif..
HIT, Iraq — Marines here played the role of policemen by following one lead to another to bring down criminals and make the area safer for everyone.
WESTERN IRAQ — This isn’t the combat mission these Marines expected.
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" »
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" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Entry control points (ECP) throughout Fallujah are designed to protect the city from harm and prevent people from transporting illegal contraband such as weapons and explosive materials. Coalition forces discovered the enemy exploiting the cultural sensitivity precluding the search of females by having females carry contraband into the city.
Continue reading "Sisters of Fallujah break barriers, build security" »
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2008 – More than a year ago, the Iraqi city of Ramadi was a ruin of blasted buildings amid a population ravaged by al Qaeda terrorists and the effects of war, but the capital of Anbar province is bouncing back, a senior U.S. military commander in Iraq said today.
Continue reading "Commander Cites Ramadi’s Recovery as Example of Iraq Success" »
FALLUJAH, Iraq (March 6, 2008) -- Just mentioning of the city of Fallujah conjures up images of a devastated city ripped apart by the horrors of war. It was November 2004, there were an estimated 2,000 insurgents infesting the city prepared to fight to the death and it was the Marine Corps’ job to facilitate this. After bitter house-to-house fighting the Marines took the city. In the battle’s wake, laid a city in ruin. Numerous buildings turned to rubble, the streets littered with debris, any form or city infrastructure such as water and power eliminated. It was total devastation.
WOW, what a flight! After a non-stop from Denver to Frankfurt and then right on to Kuwait, we finally arrived last night and checked into our hotel here in Kuwait City.
Continue reading "Jason Elam's Diary from Iraq: Day 1; Broncos kicker visiting U.S. soldiers" »
COMBAT OUPOST AKASHAT, Iraq – Intelligence specialists at the battalion level support a large area of operations, but some ground combat companies prefer to have “intel” elements at their level, especially when that unit is responsible for a large area itself.
Continue reading "Company intel changes pace of operations" »
(CNN) -- The Iraqi leadership at a military camp east of Baghdad gave the U.S. military a $1,000 check last week to aid victims of California's wildfires, the U.S. military said.
Continue reading "Iraqi soldiers donate $1,000 for wildfire aid" »
NEAR KARMAH, Iraq (Aug. 14, 2007) -- We live in the electronic age. The added comfort of phone and internet capabilities in forward areas can ease strain on personal relationships and business matters “back home.” During the brief contact service members have with their loved ones, generally only the most important words are exchanged: “How’s the baby? Really, her first tooth?” or “I’m safe, I love you.” Our phone calls “back home” are a great break from the reality of everyday life here. Rest assured, when a Marine hangs up the phone, he goes right back to scratching heat rash. He can smell his dirty body, feel his sore shoulders and hear IEDs in the distant night. While making a phone call can be the best part of the week, hanging up is the worst.
Continue reading "Understanding stress in a combat environment" »
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.
Marines are getting too comfortable at their dug-in bases in Iraq, the Corps’ top officer told an audience at the Naval War College on June 13.
Continue reading "Conway: Marines too comfy at Iraq bases" »
Northern Iraq —- "There he goes! He's moving, he's moving!" cries my gunner. From a hidden alley, a white sedan fishtails onto the road ahead, its rear window shattering as the passengers open fire with AK-47s. As the bullets spray past our Humvee, the blistered air fills with the various whines, hums and snaps of our high-velocity passage. Above, my gunner takes aim, and the fight begins.
AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (June 17, 2007) -- After President William McKinley dotted the i’s June 17, 1898, the U.S. Navy’s Hospital Corps was established. One hundred and nine years later, sailors here carried out a ceremony to celebrate the birthday of one of the most decorated organizations in the military.
Continue reading "Hospital Corps celebrates 109th birthday" »
RAMADI, Iraq - It began with a house-to-house sweep through what U.S. forces said was one of this city's last insurgent strongholds. It ended with rooftop gunfights, airstrikes and dead guerrillas on the streets — one sprawled next to a grenade he was about to hurl.
AL ASAD, Iraq -- When a servicemember is wounded in combat, his comrades quickly apply first aid and call for a medical evacuation; taking the first steps towards saving his life. When the helicopter arrives, the wounded man is loaded and transported to the hospital, where he is met at the landing pad by a team of medics and doctors who rush the servicemember into the hospital. At the hospital, the real lifesaving begins.
Sgt. Eddie Jeffers was killed in Iraq on September 19, 2007. He was 23.
I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – A Marine tank struck an improvised explosive device today in Fallujah.
Nov. 28, 2006 — ABC News has learned that Pentagon officials are considering a major strategic shift in Iraq, to move U.S. forces out of the dangerous Sunni-dominated al-Anbar province and join the fight to secure Baghdad.
ROXBURY TWP. – Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Masterson said his convoy was driving down an Iraqi roadway when it came to a sudden halt because a young Iraqi girl was sitting in the middle of the road, clutching a Teddy bear.
Continue reading "Marine pen pal tells of Iraqi experiences" »
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military denied on Thursday reports it had killed the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, and Iraqi officials said they were awaiting the results of DNA tests on several suspects killed in a raid.
Continue reading "U.S. denies killing al Qaeda leader in Iraq" »
Machine gunners Cpl. Charles J. Trask, 22, and Cpl. Jimmy D. Miller, 20, with Security Platoon, Combat Logistics Company 117, Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Fwd), stand by a weapon mount similar to the ones they manned in separate incidents when the vehicles they were in encountered improvised explosive devices during operations in the Al Anbar Province. Trask, a Kansas City, Mo., native, said he believes personal protective equipment saved his hearing. Miller, a Huntsville, Ala., native, recovering from shrapnel injuries to his wrist, said he believes that personal protective equipment he wore prevented serious injuries
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq (Aug 24, 2006) -- Snapping awake, the Marine realized it was all a dream. The improvised explosive device his vehicle had just hit was only imagined. Shrugging it off, he went back to sleep.
Continue reading "Purple Heart recipients appreciative of their protective equipment" »
Navy Lt. Stacey R. Black stands in front of a CH-53E Super Stallion shortly before flight Aug. 20, at Al Asad, Iraq. Black is a flight surgeon for Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and a native of Huntsville, Texas
Continue reading "Flight surgeon looks to future while deployed to Al Asad" »
We call it "the war in Iraq." But to many of the Marines here, it's not really a war – at least not on their side.
CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq (Aug. 14, 2006) -- Marines from A Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 paused their operations to honor one of their fallen, Aug. 14.
AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Tank mechanics with the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based C Company, 1st Tank Battalion log in 12-plus hour days, usually six or more days a week, turning wrenches and repairing parts to keep a fleet of 68-ton M1A1 Main Battle Tanks operational.
Continue reading "Tank mechanics work around clock to keep tanks running, Marines safe" »
AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Tank mechanics with the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based C Company, 1st Tank Battalion log in 12-plus hour days, usually six or more days a week, turning wrenches and repairing parts to keep a fleet of 68-ton M1A1 Main Battle Tanks operational.
Continue reading "Tank mechanics work around clock to keep tanks running, Marines safe" »
BAGHDADI, Iraq (Aug. 14, 2006) -- The quick thinking, coupled with a series of well-aimed shots, by a Marine on post saved lives July 27, 2006, according to Marines and Iraqi soldiers serving here.
Continue reading "Marine’s quick thinking saved lives, comrades say" »
The Marine Corps Marathon is coming to Iraq this October with parallel races scheduled for Arlington, Va., and Anbar province, Iraq, organizers said.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Marathon set for Iraq in October" »
Ar-Rutbah, Iraq Just after midnight, the night patrol embarks from its small but heavily bunkered and concertina-wired outpost on the edge of this small town in southwestern Al Anbar Province. They are 10 young American Marines, venturing into the darkness on the other side of the world.
Marines alter their tactics as attackers become increasingly sophisticated in the Iraqi city, a Sunni insurgent stronghold.
RAMADI, Iraq — The orange-red glow of the tracer rounds burns bright in the dusk, forming a perfect cone over the heads of the Marines and Iraqi soldiers patrolling a dusty walled street.
Four Eastern Upper Peninsula men are part of a group of 200 U.S. Marine Reserves making their last visit to Michigan before being deployed into the Iraq conflict.
“We've been training in California since June 1,” said LCpl. Jacob Green of Sugar Island regarding his unit - Bravo Company First Battalion/24th Marines out of Saginaw.
A Medford resident in Iraq recently spent two days being treated for injuries after an Improvised Explosive Device blew up the vehicle he was driving.
Stephen McLaughlin was driving a Humvee down a road near Fallujah, one he had driven down many times, when he saw a pothole that was "bigger than it was before," said his father, Joseph McLaughlin, who spoke to his son by satellite phone last week
Staff Sgt. Steven Pereira greets his wife, Stefanie, as he embraces his daughters, Chloey and Briannah, after returning from Iraq. Approximately 100 Marines and Sailors from Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 returned, Friday.
Continue reading "Family, friends welcome home Death Jesters" »
U.S. Crew Knows Risks Of Iraq Bomb-Clearing
RAMADI, Iraq -- A red sun sinks behind a dusty row of tents at Camp Ramadi, and another shift begins for the dogged crew of soldiers and Marines who nightly scour this city's streets for bombs.
Continue reading "In Ramadi, Steel Nerves Needed for Night Ride" »
WASHINGTON – The man nominated to be the next Marine Corps commandant told a Senate committee yesterday that the decisions to disband the Iraqi army and to bar all members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party from holding government jobs left U.S. commanders with too few troops and duties for which they were not prepared.
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lt. Gen. James T. Conway lived up to his reputation for being brutally candid. He won glowing praise from the committee leaders and a promise of easy confirmation.
Continue reading "Marine wins over Senate committee with candid take on problems in Iraq" »
Enemies that fade into civilian crowds, using hospitals and schools as hideouts and watching every move you make from the shadows. How do American troops prevail against them?
By learning to tell apart the good guys from the bad. By winning the good guys to your side.
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (July 20, 2006) - Marines of the Personnel Recovery and Processing unit at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, carry the remains of a fallen service member into a waiting aircraft at Camp Taqaddum’s airfield for transportation to the United States. The mission of PRP is to inventory the personal effects, identify the types of wounds sustained, and prepare the remains of service members killed in the Al Anbar province for transportation to Dover Air Force Base. The Marine Corps’ Personnel Retrieval and Processing units, formerly known as mortuary affairs, serve as a stepping stone on the journey home for those killed while serving in what is arguably the most dangerous province for U.S. service members in Iraq. Called PRP for short, the units are made up of 51 reserve Marines and sailors from various units and job fields. At Camp Taqaddum, a main logistics base located between Fallujah and Ramadi, the Marines have converted an old Iraqi Air Force hangar into the processing center for those killed in the Sunni-dominated area west of Baghdad.
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT -- Even with only the first few rays of dawn and the unnatural glow of lights from a hangar early Monday, it was clear April Tripepi, pregnant with her second child, was fighting back tears. Her husband, Staff Sgt. Matthew Tripepi, held their 5-month-old son in his arms for the last time for six months. She could only manage to nod when asked whether she was proud of him.
Continue reading "Marines to deploy to Iraq, some for second or third time" »
Cpl. Brian M. Henner, a 22-year-old Marine from Rochester, N.Y., displays the Kevlar helmet he wore July 23, 2006, when he was shot in the head by an insurgent. Henner, a combat photographer with Regimental Combat Team 7, was shot in the helmet when insurgents, hidden in a near-by tree-line, fired upon Marines manning a vehicle inspection checkpoint. The incident took place in Haqlaniyah – one of three Euphrates River valley cities in the western portion of Al Anbar Province which make up the Haditha Triad region. “If I didn’t have it on, it probably would have went into the top of my head,” said Henner, a two-time veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “It didn’t just graze, it dug in to the helmet, but that’s why we wear them, though.” Henner was photographing the Marines’ activities when the gun fight began, and was caught in the middle. After firing several rounds at the insurgents, he began crawling along the median away from the insurgents’ fire – that’s when he was shot in the head, he said.
Continue reading "Marine photographer says Kevlar helmet saved him from enemy bullet in Iraq" »
Cpl. Bryan D. Escobedo, a U.S. Marine and combat engineer attached to the Twenty-nine Palms, Calif.-based 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, carries lumber for use in the construction of bunkers July 27, 2006, at Camp Korean Village, Iraq. Bunkers are just one example of the various construction projects combat engineers frequently build to help protect Marines and Iraqi soldiers throughout the country’s Al Anbar Province. The engineers, trained in demolition, mine detection, and construction, operate in this vast desert stretching from the Jordanian border about 120 miles east towards the Euphrates River. Most of the engineers’ time is focused on beefing up security measures at the various U.S. military bases throughout Anbar’s western desert region. “We’re jacks of all trades,” said Cpl. Joshua T. Raney, a 21-year-old combat engineer attached to the battalion’s engineer detachment. “Without us, a lot of weapons caches, and IEDs would not have been found, and a lot of stuff wouldn’t have been built- we just make things a little easier for everyone.” In addition to the fortifications, combat engineers are keeping Coalition Forces safer by disposing of unexploded ordnance. Since their arrival in March, the engineers disposed of more than 500 pounds of ordnance – mortars, rockets, bombs, and other munitions. “We’re cutting down on the insurgents’ munitions,” said Raney. “For every piece we blow up, that is one less IED.” Escobedo is a 21-year-old from Houston, Texas.
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (July 27, 2006) -- If you’re a Marine in Iraq, there’s a new set of eyes scanning the mail you’re sending home.
Continue reading "X-ray system aids postal Marines in Iraq" »
-A group of Marines from 1st Battalion, 25 Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, move an insurgent rocket found while conducting Operation Spotlight. The operation took place in the Fuhaylat, south of Fallujah, Iraq where three hostages were rescued and several weapons caches were located and destroyed by Marines.
Continue reading "Marines rescue three hostages, uncover weapons caches in Operation Spotlight" »
Still considered one of Iraq’s most dangerous places, Ramadi has seen a surge in violence over the last several months despite continuing pressure on insurgents by Iraqi army forces, Marines and soldiers.
A “murder and intimidation campaign” against provincial government officials, near-daily roadside bomb ambushes and attacks on Marine outposts have forced leathernecks from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, based in the city, to take Ramadi back “section by section,” restricting civilian traffic into and out of the city and setting up more combat outposts with Army and Iraqi security force presence.
“This is pushing insurgents into a box,” said coalition spokesman Maj. Chris Perrine.
The Marines at Camp Fuji, Japan, are to officially welcome their new permanent commander Friday.
Col. Kenneth X. Lissner is to assume leadership in a change-of-command ceremony set for 11 a.m.
Lt. Col. Geoffrey D. Thome has served as interim commander since Col. J.J. Tabak departed on June 2.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A Marine based on Okinawa was killed July 2 while conducting combat operations in Iraq’s Anbar province.
According to Marine Corps Public Affairs on Okinawa, Sgt. Justin L. Noyes, 23, of Vinita, Okla., was assigned to the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force before being deployed to Iraq on Feb. 20. He was an explosive ordnance disposal technician.
OBSERVATION POST OMAR, Iraq — Lance Cpl. Noah Welter has lugged his rifle and body armor down Route Mets so many times now the 21-year-old U.S. Marine has lost count.
“Our first patrol down this road turned into a five-hour hump-a-thon — in the rain,” the native of Snohomish, Wash., recalled as he scanned the route for signs of roadside bombs on Saturday. “Not fun.”
Continue reading "‘One step closer to not having to be here’ for Marines in Al Anbar" »
Camp Taqaddum, Iraq - Life on base is often monotonous when it isn't dangerous for the service members stationed here. The occasional mortar and rocket landing in the base's perimeter can break up daily routines.
Daily convoys leave the relative safety of the base braving improvised explosive devices to deliver supplies and transport troops to hotspots like Ramadi and Fallujah.
Continue reading "Jazz, Coffee Morale Medicine for Marines" »
Alternative rock band, Hollowell, plays for service members at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building at Al Asad, Iraq, June 29. The Orange County, Calif., rock band played at several different bases in Iraq and Kuwait as a way to show support to the men and women stationed away from home.
KARABILAH, Iraq (July 7, 2006) -- Thanks to the work of Marines and Iraqi Security Forces, 800 elementary-aged girls will now have a school to attend this fall.
Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment unveiled a brand-new grade school in this city of about 30,000 on the Iraq-Syria border in western Al Anbar Province July 7, 2006.
Continue reading "Marines thwart insurgents’ attempt to destroy new Iraqi school for girls" »
COMBAT OUTPOST HAWK, Iraq (July 6, 2006) -- Marines with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment sleep at Combat Outpost Hawk, which is being constructed July 6 with help from Combat Logistics Detachment 115.
The detachment has been transporting Iraqi Army and Iraqi police throughout the city of Ramadi and has also been working to build combat outposts in an effort to establish an Iraqi Army and police presence in the city.
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (July 4, 2006) -- It’s the Fourth of July in Iraq.
By 9 a.m. the wind has picked up and the powder-fine sand it carries causes the Marines to squint their eyes. Besides the dull rumble from diesel-engine powered generators and trucks, the day is quiet, almost empty.
Continue reading "No holiday breaks for Marine mechanics in Iraq" »
A U.S. soldier from the Friedburg, Germany-based 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, renders honors to the memorial of Spc. Michael J. Potocki June 28, 2006, in Hit, Iraq, during a memorial service. Potocki, a 21-year-old native of Baltimore, Md., and 2003 graduate of Patterson Senior High School, was killed in action June 26, 2006, while conducting combat operations in Hit – a city of 30,000 in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province. Potocki is the second U.S. soldier killed in the region since the battalion arrived in February. “He was a new breed of infantry soldier, but more importantly, he was a helluva person,” said Potocki’s team leader, Cpl. William McCoy, during the ceremony. “He is what I would want another country to see an American as.”
Continue reading "U.S. Army battalion honors second fallen soldier since arrival in Iraq" »
RAMADI, Iraq (June 29, 2006) -- In recent days, the tempo of security operations have significantly increased in this insurgent stronghold.
As U.S. and Iraqi forces push further into the city they plan to hold the ground they take by setting up small outposts on the insurgents' doorstep.
Continue reading "Logistics Marines take on insurgency to entrench Iraqi Army in Ramadi" »
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Marines with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, move through the cover of smoke during a live-fire exercise on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms. Supported by machine gun teams, the Marines attacked multiple bunkers during the mock assault. Participating in the month-long Mojave Viper training, the battalion conducted platoon, company and battalion sized live-fire operations.
DETROIT - A Marine and one-time recruiter who appeared in Michael Moore's documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11" has died in a roadside bombing in Iraq.
Continue reading " Marine in `Fahrenheit 9/11' killed in Iraq" »
HADITHA, Iraq (June 27, 2006) -- Marines here say a lieutenant who was leading Marines and Iraqi soldiers through the volatile streets of Haditha, Iraq, June 14, showed uncommon valor when he ran into a barrage of enemy gunfire to pull a wounded Marine to safety.
1st Lt. Rick Posselt, a 25-year-old from Crystal River, Fla., said he is not the Marine who deserves the recognition.
Continue reading "Marine lieutenant exposed himself to enemy fire to save another in Iraq" »
AL ASAD, Iraq (June 27, 2006) -- Marines from across station here enrolled in the Corporals Course supervised by Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The course was started by the Marines from VMFA(AW)-533 and began its third course June 5.
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AL ASAD, Iraq (June 26, 2006) -- The thumping of helicopter blades beats over the noise made by service members scrambling to help a wounded person, and as the sound becomes clearer, they look up and see the dark silhouettes of two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters drifting in to land.
Continue reading "'Angels' descend on Al Asad, save lives" »
A Marine assigned to the Hawaii-based India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment pays his final respects to Cpl. Michael Estrella, a 20-year-old from Hemet, Calif., June 25, 2006, at a memorial service at the Marines’ base in Haditha, Iraq. Estrella was killed by enemy gunfire recently while on patrol with his platoon while searching for a suspected insurgent in western Al Anbar Province, Iraq. During the ceremony, Marines described Estrella as a “dedicated and professional Marine” who excelled at his job of being a radio operator. He often went without sleep to make sure his battalion had communication, the Marines said. Estrella was a 2003 graduate of Hemet High school and joined the Marine Corps in September 2003. He reported to 3rd Battalion in May 2004 and deployed with the unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom last year. His awards include the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment ribbon. The Hawaii-based battalion, also known as “America’s Battalion,” arrived in March and will be replaced by another Hawaii-based Marine unit this fall.