Marine Corps News Room

DELARAM, AFGHANISTAN -- Home to a dozen truck stops and a few hundred family farms bounded by miles of foreboding desert, this hamlet in southwestern Afghanistan is far from a strategic priority for senior officers at the international military headquarters in Kabul. One calls Delaram, a day's drive from the nearest city, "the end of the Earth." Another deems the area "unrelated to our core mission" of defeating the Taliban by protecting Afghans in their cities and towns.

Continue reading "At Afghan outpost, Marines gone rogue or leading the fight against counterinsurgency?" »

Posted by sr at 11:06 AM | Permalink

EDITOR'S NOTE: Alfred de Montesquiou, an Associated Press correspondent embedded with U.S. Marines in the battle for the Afghan town of Marjah, was able to observe some of the lessons of the fighting and hear from the officers in command how they are being absorbed.

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — After a day spent pinned down in gunbattles or caught in a maze of roadside bombs, with little hope of air support and an erratic Afghan army to coax along, Lance Cpl. Travis Anderson reflected on the frustrations of the campaign U.S. forces were fighting.

Continue reading "Marjah push: Ups and downs are lessons for future" »

Posted by sr at 9:17 PM | Permalink

The impetus for the U.S.-led assault on Marjah began one moonless night last May when a squad of American and Afghan anti-narcotics agents, backed by U.S. Marines, slipped through the town's empty streets and raided the Lachoya opium bazaar.

Continue reading "Afghan Drug Trade Complicates U.S. Task in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Despite Rehab, the Yellow Lab Won't Sniff For Bombs in Combat; He's 'a Lover'

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan—When the Marines cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war, one remains in his kennel. Quivering.

Continue reading "Even His Red Squeak Toy Can't Get First Sgt. Gunner, USMC, to Fight" »

Posted by sr at 7:54 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Even by Afghan standards, it was a startling find: An opium packaging workshop, buried under donkey dung and old hay in a stable that U.S. Marines turned into a patrol base in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Taliban, not drugs, focus of US-Afghan offensive" »

Posted by sr at 10:34 AM | Permalink

MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- The initial phase of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan to wrest Marja from insurgent control has largely ended, but the more daunting task of building a credible government in the place of Taliban rule has just begun, according to senior U.S. and Afghan officials.

Continue reading "McChrystal, others visit Marja, Afghanistan, as offensive enters governing phase" »

Posted by sr at 11:39 PM | Permalink

MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- The initial phase of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan to wrest Marja from insurgent control has largely ended, but the more daunting task of building a credible government in the place of Taliban rule has just begun, according to senior U.S. and Afghan officials.

Continue reading "McChrystal, others visit Marja, Afghanistan, as offensive enters governing phase" »

Posted by sr at 7:37 AM | Permalink

In southern Afghanistan, U.S. Marines and their Afghan counterparts are tightening their hold on the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. Each day, troops are uncovering weapons caches left behind by Taliban fighters who ran away or are hiding among the local population.

Continue reading "Taliban Flees Marjah, Threat Remains For Marines" »

Posted by sr at 11:27 PM | Permalink

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CAFERETTA, Nimruz province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – As improvised explosive devices continue to be a threat in the region as the Taliban's weapon of choice, coalition forces continue to adapt their ways of dealing with them.

Continue reading "Improvised Explosive Device Detection Program for the Dogs" »

Posted by sr at 11:23 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan -- One by one, the men of Marjah tentatively approached the high-ranking Afghan official with their complaints.

Continue reading "Residents of Marjah wary of U.S. after Taliban ouster" »

Posted by sr at 8:27 PM | Permalink

The Marine Corps’ footprint in Afghanistan has expanded to include 15,000 Marines, the service’s top general said, and another battalion is expected to deploy soon.

Continue reading "MEB in Afghanistan grows to 15,000" »

Posted by sr at 7:47 AM | Permalink

SEMITAY BAZAAR, Afghanistan — After the declaration this weekend that the battle for the Taliban enclave of Marja had been won, for the Marines standing behind sandbags and walking patrols, the more complicated work has begun. With it will be a test of the strategy selected by President Obama and the generals now running the Afghan war.

Continue reading "With Marja Largely Won, Marines Try to Win Trust" »

Posted by sr at 11:20 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan — More than 2,000 U.S. Marines and about 1,000 Afghan troops who stormed the Taliban town of Marjah as part of a major NATO offensive against a resurgent Taliban will stay for the next several months to help ensure insurgents don't return, Marine commanders said Sunday.

Continue reading "Marines, Afghan troops to be stationed in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 12:25 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan - Marines and Afghan troops who fought through the centre of Marjah linked up Saturday with American soldiers on the northern edge of the former Taliban stronghold, clearing the town's last major pocket of resistance.

Continue reading "Insurgents disappear as US, Afghan forces clear last areas of former Taliban stronghold Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 11:07 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Just a few dozen yards from the bullet-riddled government building, Marine Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson found more proof Saturday that the battle for Marjah was over.

Continue reading "Normalcy takes root in Marjah after allied offensive" »

Posted by sr at 12:29 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. and Afghan forces say they have cleared the last major pocket of resistance from the former Taliban stronghold of Marjah.

Continue reading "US, Afghan forces clear last parts of Taliban area" »

Posted by sr at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Two days before launching the most ambitious military campaign of the Obama Administration, General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, convened a meeting in Kabul of 450 tribal elders and scholars from Helmand province. The general's objective: to build support for Operation Moshtarak, a massive offensive on the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. McChrystal ran through the military phase of the plan, which would involve 6,000 U.S. Marines and British soldiers and 4,500 Afghan troops and police. Then he described how these troops would protect the town while a "government in a box" — a corps of Afghan officials who had been training for this moment for months — would start administering the town. The elders all signed off on the plan, but not before one of them warned the American general, "You have to understand that if you don't do what you say, we'll all be killed."

Continue reading "Taking It to the Taliban" »

Posted by sr at 11:11 PM | Permalink

WILMINGTON – Chaplains deployed to Afghanistan have provided support for Marines dealing with the loss of their own in recent battles. After two weeks of intense fighting in Afghanistan, an Afghan flag now flies over Marjah, a former Taliban stronghold.

Continue reading "Chaplains help Marines cope with offensive in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 11:11 PM | Permalink

Flag-raising ceremony held as troops mop up last pockets of resistance

MARJAH, Afghanistan - The Afghan government took official control of the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, installing an administrator and raising the national flag while U.S.-led troops worked to root out final pockets of militants.

Continue reading "Afghan government claims Taliban stronghold" »

Posted by sr at 11:03 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan : US-led troops were inching closer to declaring victory over a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan as a senior commander said Wednesday militant resistance had fallen dramatically.

Continue reading "US-led troops inch close to victory in Afghan assault" »

Posted by sr at 11:37 AM | Permalink

At least 24,000 people have fled since the assault on the Taliban began. Each passing day is a countdown to ruin for farm families.

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - In wind-whipped tents, makeshift shelters and overcrowded family compounds, Afghans who fled the battleground town of Marja are asking themselves and one another: When will it be safe to go home?

Continue reading "Afghans displaced by Marja offensive fret in a cold limbo" »

Posted by sr at 11:25 AM | Permalink

More than 100 Marines and their Afghan counterparts are pushing into a neighborhood they say is the last significant stronghold of insurgents.

Marines are starting a push to clear the last pockets of Taliban insurgents from Marjah.

Continue reading "Marines Clearing Last Taliban Pockets In Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 11:18 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Bouwudin courteously greeted the Afghan and American officers who came to meet him, offering tea and eventually a meal as the meeting lingered on. No amount of invitations could get him to walk a few hundred yards to the Marines base.

Continue reading "US offensive yet to persuade Afghans in key town" »

Posted by sr at 12:34 PM | Permalink

It's the second week of a major U.S.-led offensive in southern Afghanistan to expel the Taliban from a key stronghold in Helmand province.

Continue reading "Taliban Resistance Strong In Southern Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 11:22 PM | Permalink

A year ago, the mention of Marja, a speck on the map in southern Afghanistan, would have drawn befuddled stares in the Pentagon.

Continue reading "Battle for Marja not only militarily significant" »

Posted by sr at 11:08 PM | Permalink

US-led forces fighting to clear a Taliban stronghold in south Afghanistan are making "steady progress", the most senior US military commander says.

Adm Mike Mullen said the operation in the town of Marjah in Helmand province was "messy... but that doesn't mean that it's not worth the cost".

Continue reading "US-led troops make 'steady progress' in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 10:58 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan—Ten days into the fight for Marjah, U.S. and Afghan troops continue to seize ground, often battling the Taliban from one mud-walled compound to the next. But progress has been slower in winning over local civilians, many of whom are unsure which side will make life safer for their families.

Continue reading "Progress in Marjah, But Civilian Trust Elusive" »

Posted by sr at 11:45 AM | Permalink

For more than a week, CNN International Correspondent Atia Abawi has been embedded with U.S. Marines who are working alongside Afghan soldiers to rout out Taliban forces from the southern Afghan province of Marjah. Abawi filed this inside look at Operation Moshtarak:

It's been over a week now since Operation Moshtarak began here in southern Afghanistan. The city of Marjah shakes with the sound of improvised explosive devices, most of them set off by controlled explosions. Between IED blasts, the air is filled with the sounds of whizzing bullets, booming mortars, clacking helicopters, and other noises of war that I can't even express in writing.

Continue reading "Reporter's diary: Inside Operation Moshtarak" »

Posted by sr at 11:33 AM | Permalink

MARJA, Afghanistan — Since the American-led offensive into the last large Taliban enclave in Helmand Province began nine days ago, local Afghans have faced a dangerous and uncertain world.

Continue reading "Afghans Voice Their Fears Amid Marja Campaign" »

Posted by sr at 11:28 AM | Permalink

Fighter jets, drone and attack helicopters focus on part of city

MARJAH, Afghanistan - Outnumbered and outgunned, Taliban fighters are mounting a tougher fight than expected in Marjah, Afghan officials said Sunday, as U.S.-led forces converged on a pocket of militants in a western section of the town.

Continue reading "Marines target Taliban holdouts in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 11:18 AM | Permalink

Marines and Afghan troops fight to clear holdout insurgents from one corner of the city in southern Afghanistan. NATO says there is another casualty among Western troops, bringing the total to 13.

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Nawa, Afghanistan -- Backed by fighter jets and attack helicopters, U.S. Marines and Afghan troops closed in on an insurgent-ridden sector of Marja on Sunday, the ninth day of a coalition bid to wrest control of the southern Afghan town from the Taliban.

Continue reading "Military sweep of Marja focuses on pocket of 'determined resistance'" »

Posted by sr at 10:37 AM | Permalink

Nawa's district governor, upset by the unresponsive provincial government, pleads with residents not to become disenchanted and ally with insurgents.

Reporting from Nawa, Afghanistan — Haji Abdul Manaf, the district governor for this region of Helmand Province, was incensed.

Continue reading "Afghans frustrated in bid to remake Taliban-free towns" »

Posted by sr at 10:30 AM | Permalink

NATO Forces Face 'Determined Resistance'

MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Marines and Afghan units converged Sunday on a dangerous western quarter of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, with NATO forces facing "determined resistance" as their assault on the southern town entered its second week.

Continue reading "Marines Converge On Taliban Holdouts In Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 10:23 AM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan—The Taliban grenade that whizzed overhead was John Kael Weston's first indication that this town might not be ready for an influx of diplomats, agriculturalists and economic-development specialists.

Continue reading "Taliban Resistance Stalls New Rule in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 11:56 PM | Permalink

ARJA, Afghanistan — As American Marines and Afghan soldiers have fought their way into this Taliban stronghold, the performance of the Afghan troops has tested a core premise of the American military effort here: in the not-too-distant future, the security of this country can be turned over to indigenous forces created at the cost of American money and blood.

Continue reading "Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle" »

Posted by sr at 7:53 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan police were deployed on Saturday in an area recaptured from the Taliban by U.S. Marines this week, in the early phase of a plan to put the country firmly under the control of Afghan authorities.

Continue reading "Afghan police deployed in wake of NATO offensive" »

Posted by sr at 9:49 AM | Permalink

MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- They had slogged through knee-deep mud carrying 100 pounds of gear, fingers glued to the triggers of their M-4 carbines, all the while on the lookout for insurgents. Now, after five near-sleepless nights, trying to avoid hypothermia in freezing temperatures, the grunts of the 1st Battalion of the 6th Marine Regiment finally had a moment to relax.

Continue reading "In Marja, it's war the old-fashioned way" »

Posted by sr at 9:40 AM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan—The Taliban grenade that whizzed overhead was John Kael Weston's first indication that this embattled town might not be ready for an influx of diplomats, agriculturalists and economic-development specialists.

Continue reading "Troops Face Pockets of Resistance in Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 5:36 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan – After a fierce gunfight, U.S. Marines seized a strongly defended compound Friday that appears to have been a Taliban headquarters — complete with photos of fighters posing with their weapons, dozens of Taliban-issued ID cards and graduation diplomas from a training camp in Pakistan.

Continue reading "US Marines seize Taliban headquarters, IDs, photos" »

Posted by sr at 5:33 PM | Permalink

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan — Following the deadliest day yet for coalition forces seeking to drive the Taliban from the town of Marja in southern Afghanistan, U.S. Marines took aim Friday at the threat posed by insurgent snipers.

Continue reading "Marines in Marja focus on sniper threat" »

Posted by sr at 8:47 AM | Permalink

The Marines have been ordered not to treat Afghans roughly. When making an arrest, they are instructed to ask their suspect to voluntarily go with them. Most do.

Reporting from Spin Ghar, Afghanistan - The three men were blindfolded, their hands bound in front of them with plastic flex cuffs, and each was in the firm grip of a Marine. Their loose-fitting clothes were faded and dusty, their thick beards beginning to show gray.

Continue reading "In Afghanistan, Marines handling detainees by the book" »

Posted by sr at 8:42 AM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan - Two U.S. helicopters dropped elite Marine recon teams behind Taliban lines before dawn Friday as the U.S.-led force stepped up operations to break resistance on the seventh day of fighting in the besieged militant stronghold of Marjah.

Continue reading "Marines dropped behind Taliban lines; NATO now controls key roads in Marjah but progress slow" »

Posted by sr at 11:40 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - It's only been six days since NATO launched a major assault against the Taliban and some Afghans are already asking Marines when they can reopen their shops.

Continue reading "Marines still looking over shoulder for Taliban" »

Posted by sr at 12:06 AM | Permalink

MARJA, Afghanistan — In five days of fighting, the Taliban have shown a side not often seen in nearly a decade of American military action in Afghanistan: the use of snipers, both working alone and integrated into guerrilla-style ambushes.

Continue reading "Snipers Imperil U.S.-Led Forces in Afghan Offensive" »

Posted by sr at 11:44 PM | Permalink

US Marines moving from the north of Marjah have joined up with US troops who were dropped into the area by helicopter four days ago, helping to increase their control over a crucial area known as the “Pork Chop”.

Continue reading "US forces move swiftly to take control of region north of Marjah" »

Posted by sr at 5:01 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters holding out in Marjah are increasingly using civilians as human shields, firing from compounds where U.S. and Afghan forces can clearly see women and children on rooftops or in windows, Afghan and U.S. troops said Wednesday.

Continue reading "Embattled Afghan Taliban rely on human shields" »

Posted by sr at 12:25 AM | Permalink

Lt Col Cal Worth, who commands one of two Marine battalions leading the offensive against Taliban fighters here, set off at 7am on Wednesday for the return journey to his battalion headquarters from a combat outpost less than four miles away.

Continue reading "Marjah inroads slowed by new bombs" »

Posted by sr at 12:10 AM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan – Marines moving by land from the north linked up Tuesday with U.S. units that have faced nearly constant Taliban attack in the four days since they were dropped by helicopter into this insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Marines link up in Afghan Taliban stronghold" »

Posted by sr at 5:12 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan—U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers seized the site of Marjah's government offices, setting the stage for Kabul to attempt to resume its authority in a town long run by the Taliban.

Continue reading "Site of Marjah Government Offices Seized" »

Posted by sr at 5:06 PM | Permalink

MARJAH, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan forces traded gunfire with insurgents shooting from haystacks in poppy fields in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah as they pressed ahead in NATO's assault on the militants' heartland in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Marines: Taliban resistance more disorganized" »

Posted by sr at 4:49 PM | Permalink

MARJA, Afghanistan — Ten minutes after walking out of the small outpost on Monday morning, the Marines of Company K were ambushed again.

Continue reading "Soldiers Keep Up Push in Taliban Stronghold" »

Posted by sr at 9:04 AM | Permalink

KABUL — The Taliban vowed on Thursday to fight back with a "hit and run" guerrilla campaign against Western and Afghan forces preparing to storm one of their key strongholds in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Taliban vow guerrilla warfare against NATO troops" »

Posted by sr at 5:17 PM | Permalink

Marines Test Taliban Defenses Before Attack on Key Militant Stronghold

(CBS/ AP) U.S. Marines fired smoke rounds Wednesday and armored vehicles maneuvered close to Taliban positions to test insurgent defenses ahead of an anticipated attack on the biggest militant-controlled town in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "U.S. Inches Closer to Major Afghan Assault" »

Posted by sr at 5:47 PM | Permalink

By mid-February, Marines will be out of Iraq.

Continue reading "Marines quietly wrap up ops in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:20 AM | Permalink

Family plans to bury Frederick High graduate at Arlington National Cemetery

Kristen Forse will always remember her brother's bravery — on and off the battlefield.

Continue reading "Frederick Marine remembered for bravery" »

Posted by sr at 6:39 PM | Permalink

The attack will be aimed at Marja, the last community held by the militia in Helmand province.

Reporting from Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan - The U.S. Marines and Afghan army plan a massive assault on Taliban fighters in Marja, the last community under Taliban control in a sprawling, lawless region once dominated by the insurgency, a top Marine said Wednesday.

Continue reading "Marines, Afghan army plan massive assault on Taliban" »

Posted by sr at 11:43 PM | Permalink

A U.S. Navy Sailor and former University of Texas student was killed in Afghanistan Saturday. According to the Department of Defense, Petty Officer Second Class Xin Qi, 25, died in combat.

Continue reading "Former UT student, Navy sailor died in combat" »

Posted by BR at 7:21 PM | Permalink

Marines and Afghan border police recently seized more than six tons of illegal drugs during operations in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "6 tons of illegal drugs seized in Afghanistan" »

Posted by BR at 9:18 PM | Permalink

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — The arrival of Marines has disrupted the illegal drug trade in opium-rich Helmand province — and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Continue reading "Marines grope with complex Afghan drug woes" »

Posted by BR at 8:59 PM | Permalink

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — The governor of this remote district in southern Afghanistan has employees he can't afford to pay, a school he struggles to staff with teachers, a clinic where doctors are scarce and a police force of mostly illiterate farmers.

Continue reading "Troops, Taliban race to build up governments" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 10:29 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "From group to regiment, regiment to battalion: Marines continue to drawdown in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 AM | Permalink

Surge troops will allow some to be stationed, but Taliban still may be able to move across freely

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — Only a few hundred American troops are policing the southern border of one of Afghanistan’s major smuggling areas, leaving open a vast expanse of desert that the Taliban use to shuttle in weapons and fighters from Pakistan.

Continue reading "Stretched Marines largely ignore Afghan border" »

Posted by sr at 11:01 PM | Permalink

The dusty bazaar in this remote town in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province was once teeming with Taliban fighters and drug smugglers who used it as a central transit point in their journeys to and from nearby Pakistan.

Continue reading "Jobs, Not Taliban, Are The Worry In Afghan Town" »

Posted by sr at 10:56 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by BR at 2:55 PM | Permalink

About 145 Marine reserves from Fort Detrick are preparing to deploy to Helmand province in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Marine reserves from Detrick heading to Afghanistan" »

Posted by BR at 8:38 PM | Permalink

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Oct. 14, 2009 – Marines here have brought new meaning to the expression “goat rope” by helping local farmers with free veterinary care for their goats, sheep and cows.

Continue reading "Marines Spread Good Will With Vet Care" »

Posted by BR at 8:55 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Marine readies for 4th Iraq tour" »

Posted by BR at 4:10 PM | Permalink

ANDERSON, SC — Law enforcement officials from across the state will be coming to Anderson on Wednesday to pay their respects to Lance Cpl. Jonathan S. Nash, a graduate of the city’s Oakwood Christian Academy.

Continue reading "Funeral set in Anderson for Highway Patrol trooper" »

Posted by BR at 3:38 PM | Permalink

Marine Sgt. Bill Cahir, 40, a former Washington-based journalist and congressional staffer who joined the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 13, his unit and friends reported. He was an Alexandria resident.

Continue reading "Journalist Joined Marines After 9/11" »

Posted by BR at 7:01 PM | Permalink

Former Express-Times correspondent and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bill Cahir has been killed in combat in Afghanistan, family and friends said Thursday.

Continue reading "Bill Cahir, Express-Times reporter-turned-Marine sergeant, killed in Afghanistan" »

Posted by BR at 6:50 PM | Permalink

Express-Times correspondent Bill Cahir wrote this front page account of his U.S. Marine boot camp experience that appeared in the newspaper July 4, 2004. Our valued co-worker, friend and journalist was killed in active duty in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Bill Cahir, journalist, soldier, great American, killed in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 6:26 PM | Permalink

CAMP WILLIAMS -- As the United States intensifies its military mission in Afghanistan, Utah Marines prepare to deploy. We caught up with Charlie Company at the crack of dawn as the Marines trained for their mission.

Continue reading "Marines ready as they prepare for Afghanistan" »

Posted by BR at 3:28 PM | Permalink

KSDK -- Dozens of marines from across the Midwest, including the St. Louis area, have been called to duty.

Continue reading "Marines deploy to Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 2:59 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 9:55 AM | Permalink

The reservists with Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines, had been at Camp Barber only three weeks in February when they conducted a successful field test of their High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, a first for any Marine unit operating in Afghanistan and a sign of what’s in store for the insurgency there, officials said in a news release.

Continue reading "2/14 touts advanced artillery system" »

Posted by at 2:51 PM | Permalink

Reserve and National Guard members deserve a better retirement plan, one that pays an annuity earlier than age 60 at least for those willing to serve longer than 20 years, Reserve leaders have told Congress.

Continue reading "Reserve chiefs: Our people deserve better retirement" »

Posted by sr at 11:22 AM | Permalink

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — When the Corps hands you lemons, a good CO won’t settle for lemonade — he’ll bake a lemon soufflé.

Continue reading "Iraq-bound 2/23 has packed training schedule" »

Posted by sr at 8:40 AM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 11:35 AM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 10:18 AM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 7:45 AM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Iraqi children receive an education" »

Posted by at 12:00 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 9:37 AM | Permalink

At first, fellow Marines might have thought Staff Sgt. Daniel Stranahan was nuts for carrying a plaque with him into outhouses in the middle of Iraq — and photographing it.

Continue reading "War tour plays role in firehouse prank" »

Posted by sr at 10:51 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Reserve Commander Adapts and Overcomes" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 PM | Permalink

CINCINNATI — Three-year-old Christian Kreuter will see a life-size image of the father he never had the chance to know when he and his mother make their first visit to a memorial honoring 23 Ohio-based service members killed in Iraq.

Continue reading "3/25 memorial opens at Cincinnati museum" »

Posted by at 2:50 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by at 2:45 PM | Permalink

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Life-size paintings of 23 Marines and service members killed in Iraq are about to be taken down from display at the Statehouse after a five-month run.

Continue reading "Lima Company art moving to Cincinnati" »

Posted by at 12:06 PM | Permalink

New Orleans — Capt. Joseph Lizarraga, Inspector/Instructor, Battery G, 3rd battalion, 14th Marines, and a Hamilton, N.J. native, was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service while on deployment in Iraq, at the reserve center in Trenton, N.J., Oct. 20.

Continue reading "N.J. Marine receives Bronze Star" »

Posted by at 1:37 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by at 10:31 AM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marines from Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, a reserve unit based at Camp Upshur here, reunited with their loved ones at a special homecoming reception at Barnett Field here Tuesday, October 14. The Marines deployed to western Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to October 2008 performing a mechanized security mission across more than 9,000 square miles, an area as large as South Carolina. They were mobilized and attached to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Lejeune.

Continue reading "Welcome Home 4th LAR" »

Posted by at 2:17 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 11:17 AM | Permalink

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Civilian life can wait. At least that was how Sgt. Jonathan J. Gray felt when he found out his unit needed him.

Continue reading "4th Tanks Marine extends to deploy" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 AM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by at 2:07 PM | Permalink

How One Team Roping Marine Made A Difference

Cody Hill was like most late-teen roping bums you know. Coming off a 300-mother cow operation in Ada, Okla., he gravitated toward the arena and was a natural.

Continue reading "Beyond the Call of Duty" »

Posted by sr at 11:20 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Marine receives Silver Star" »

Posted by sr at 11:15 PM | Permalink

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. (WZZM) - Supporters of a local Marine paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Iraq broke ground today on a new home for him in Middleville.

Continue reading "Supporters break ground on home for West Michigan Marine" »

Posted by sr at 11:32 PM | Permalink

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — There are hundreds of thousands of Marines spread across hundreds of occupational specialties, yet only two of them are combat artists, and they are both Reserve Marines

Continue reading "Combat artists paint Reserve battalion’s portrait" »

Posted by at 12:25 PM | Permalink

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Reserve Marines from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, braved the heat of the Mojave Desert while conducting the Deliberate Assault Course (DAC) Aug. 13-14, in a remote section of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center here.
Each of the battalion’s companies went through the DAC as an integral element of Mojave Viper, an intensive 30-day comprehensive assessment of combat readiness prior to overseas deployment.

Continue reading "Reserve Marines go on the assault" »

Posted by at 12:22 PM | Permalink

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Marine Reserve Staff Sgt. John Tacopino invaded Iraq in a Humvee with no doors.

Continue reading "New Jersey Marines train in the high desert" »

Posted by at 11:43 AM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Brothers stick together through all" »

Posted by at 12:38 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by at 12:36 PM | Permalink

Twentynine Palms, Calif. — Marines and Sailors from Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, had the opportunity to go through the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) at Camp Wilson here on Aug. 4.

Continue reading "Reserve Marines deal with the HEAT" »

Posted by at 12:16 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 7:26 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Marines relax with sports" »

Posted by at 12:53 PM | Permalink

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.

Continue reading "Akashat police take control" »

Posted by at 12:42 PM | Permalink

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..

Continue reading "Hollywood arrives at Akashat" »

Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink

New River sandbars offer good raft training

There's more than one way to cross a river.

Continue reading "Marines bridge the gap" »

Posted by sr at 11:21 PM | Permalink

HABBANIYAH — Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, have worked together day in and day out, searching for weapon caches and disabling the enemy’s number one threat; improvised explosive devices.

Continue reading "Marines Find, Destroy Enemy Weapons" »

Posted by at 10:12 AM | Permalink

HABBANIYAH, Iraq — Marines of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1 and Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, have worked together day in and day out, searching for weapons caches and disabling the enemies number one threat; improvised explosive devices.

Continue reading "4th CEB continues search for weapons caches" »

Posted by at 11:15 AM | Permalink

WESTERN IRAQ — This isn’t the combat mission these Marines expected.

Continue reading "Marines adjust to an evolving Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 11:19 PM | Permalink

Parting is no easier the 2nd time

The charter bus waiting to carry Staff Sgt. Darryl Anderson off to war idled nearby.

Continue reading "Hard, familiar words: Off to Iraq" »

Posted by at 10:16 AM | Permalink

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. -- It was tears, hugs and lots of “I love you” as 18 marines from Company K, 3d Battalion, said goodbye to their families in Moundsville, and prepared to head overseas.

Continue reading "Local Marines Pack-Up, Head Out On Memorial Day" »

Posted by at 9:52 AM | Permalink

A luxury housing development in Wailea is the site of a newly dedicated monument honoring the 4th Division Marines who trained on Maui during World War II before shipping out to battles in the Pacific.

Continue reading "Monument to Marines dedicated at development" »

Posted by at 10:12 AM | Permalink

Artist's portraits touch spirit of lost Marines of Ohio's Lima Company

COLUMBUS - There's a little-known stretch of heaven in Westerville.

Continue reading "Healing visions" »

Posted by sr at 5:55 PM | Permalink

HABBANIYAH, Iraq (May 8, 2008) – Funny, outgoing, crazy, loving, full of life – those are just a few of the many words that describe the late Cpl. Richard “Ricky” J. Nelson, a 23-year-old rifleman from Kenosha, Wis., who was killed by an improvised explosive device in the al Anbar Province of Iraq, Apr. 14.

Continue reading "Wisconsin family remembers their fallen Marine" »

Posted by sr at 3:22 PM | Permalink

DEVENS, Mass. — A Massachusetts-based Marine Corps Reserve unit is being mobilized for eventual deployment to Iraq.

Continue reading "Mass. Marine Reserve unit mobilized" »

Posted by at 10:20 AM | Permalink

HABBANIYAH, Iraq —
HABBANIYAH, Iraq — The war has changed. No longer are Marines kicking in doors and battling insurgents with continuous gunfire. Instead, they are walking through the war-torn streets of Iraq, the same streets that just a few short years ago were the sights of horrendous warfare, where Marines are now continuously greeted by hoards of children, with their parents or guardians watching, smiling from a distance.

Continue reading "Local tips lead Marines to weapons cache" »

Posted by at 4:31 PM | Permalink

CINCINNATI — Yes, there were many tears Sunday afternoon as Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin was finally laid to rest. But they were not all tears of sorrow.

Continue reading "Thousands attend service for former MIA Maupin" »

Posted by sr at 8:56 AM | Permalink

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

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

Continue reading "Marines return to Atlanta after Iraq deployment" »

Posted by sr at 10:12 AM | Permalink

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

Continue reading "Sea-based Marines deliver humanitarian supplies to Liberians" »

Posted by sr at 8:29 PM | Permalink

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

Continue reading "Hundreds greet wounded Marine" »

Posted by sr at 7:53 PM | Permalink

"Can I give you a kiss?"

Continue reading "Paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman returns home to well-wishers" »

Posted by sr at 7:49 PM | Permalink

HABBANIYAH, Iraq (March 8, 2008) -- Sacrifices are made when preparing to deploy. When a reserve battalion is activated, the Marines are required to put their entire lives on hold. Not only do they sacrifice being away from family, friends and jobs, some of them even put their dreams on hold.

Continue reading "Marine deploys to Iraq, puts Ultimate Fighter dream on hold" »

Posted by sr at 9:42 AM | Permalink

SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Feb. 23, 2008) -- Thanks to the Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, the streets of Saqlawiyah continue to be a safer place to live.

Continue reading "2/24 Patrols, Keeps Streets Safe" »

Posted by sr at 10:31 PM | Permalink

CAMP HABBANIYAH, Iraq — What a difference a couple of years makes. That’s how long it’s been since the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, a Reserve unit out of Chicago, have been deployed to Iraq.

Continue reading "Marine reservists bring maturity to latest deployment" »

Posted by sr at 10:25 PM | Permalink

SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2008) -- Getting to know the family living next door can sometimes be a challenge, but Marines of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, patrolled through the streets of Saqlawiyah Feb. 12, introducing themselves as the new ‘family’ next door.

Continue reading "Company E, 2/24 conducts Census Ops" »

Posted by sr at 3:27 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS TIMES - (Feb. 4, 2008) -- Some of the most grizzled Marines have worried in recent years that the Corps was getting away from its “expeditionary roots.”

Continue reading "Corps commissions symphony for New Orleans" »

Posted by sr at 9:41 PM | Permalink

HADITHA CITY, Iraq (Feb. 1, 2008) -- Marines with 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, and the Army’s 170th Military Police Company routinely work side-by-side to train the Iraqi Police in the Haditha area.

Continue reading "Marines, Soldiers train IP for the future" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Feb. 1, 2008) -- A newly reactivated Marine Corps Reserve light armored reconnaissance company put their skills to the test Feb. 1.

Continue reading "Reserve LAR company celebrates activation with assault course training" »

Posted by sr at 10:25 PM | Permalink

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" »

Posted by sr at 7:21 PM | Permalink

Marine reservists glad to serve in same unit in Iraq

Brian and Mike Wiebe shared everything, from friends to a passion for football, while growing up in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows.

Continue reading "2 brothers also in band of brothers" »

Posted by sr at 9:36 AM | Permalink

Marine reservist unit based at Quantico departs for eventual deployment to Iraq

Tom Patsos fought back tears yesterday as he gave some last-minute advice to his son, who was setting out on his first deployment.

Continue reading "Quantico reserve unit ships out to Iraq War MARINES >> 'Band of brothers' among those deploying" »

Posted by sr at 9:45 AM | Permalink

The Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, completed the Deliberate Assault Course at Combat Center Range 210 Dec. 5-7.

Continue reading "2/24 takes on Mojave Viper DAC" »

Posted by sr at 9:54 PM | Permalink

BAY CITY -- A Purple Heart hangs on the wall over his pillow. Photos from Iraq are taped above the desk. A Marine Corps flag is pinned above the bed.

Continue reading "A Marine's long road home; After an Iraq bomb left him in a coma with Traumatic Brain Injury, a Saginaw man struggles to be normal" »

Posted by sr at 11:06 AM | Permalink

NAVAL AIR STATION/JOINT RESERVE BASE NEW ORLEANS, La. — (Nov. 17, 2007) -- Family members of 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment’s deployed Marines and sailors came together here Saturday afternoon during a battalion family day.

Continue reading "A family affair-3/23 holds family day" »

Posted by sr at 3:01 PM | Permalink

A Marine reservist seeks Dad's House seat.

While California Congressman Duncan L. Hunter, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, is navigating the campaign trail in his long-shot bid for the White House, his son, Marine Capt. Duncan D. Hunter, is running to replace him in Congress with help from his dad's Beltway buddies. The younger Hunter, or Junior, as he is called by some friends and family, is waging this political struggle while serving his country 8,000 miles away in Afghanistan (he has also served in Iraq).

Continue reading "Campaigning From a Combat Zone" »

Posted by sr at 10:03 AM | Permalink

A group of about 60 local Marines head to Iraq for the second time.

Continue reading "Marines Going to Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:29 PM | Permalink

His orders are simple: "Go to war, do art."

Continue reading "As bullets fly, Marine takes out a sketchpad; His mission is to deploy with various squads and create art depicting life in a war zone." »

Posted by sr at 10:45 PM | Permalink

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 6, 2007 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace last night thanked veterans of the storied 4th Marine Division who fought in Iwo Jima and other major World War II battles for setting the example for today’s troops and demonstrating why they’ll never fail in combat.

Continue reading "Pace Thanks World War II Marines for Setting Standard for Today’s Troops" »

Posted by sr at 10:38 PM | Permalink

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A large contingent of Marines from the Armed Forces Reserve Center will leave for Iraq next week for a seven-month tour of duty.

Continue reading "OKC Marine Reserve unit to leave for Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 11:09 AM | Permalink

ROCKHAMPTON, Australia - Tens of thousands of U.S. and Australian forces concluded the largest joint war fighting exercise in the Pacific this year July 3 with successes all around.

Continue reading "Talisman Saber 2007 comes to a close" »

Posted by sr at 2:55 PM | Permalink

From the time he was a young boy, Maj. James L. Browning Jr. wanted to fly. As a 12-year-old, Browning joined the Mississippi Wing Civil Air Patrol, a civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. During his time as a Civilian Air Patrol cadet, he learned the importance of leadership, physical fitness, and a strong moral compass—all qualities that would serve him well as a Marine in the years to come.

Continue reading "NMCRS Combat Casualty Program Meets Critical Need" »

Posted by sr at 4:22 PM | Permalink

CIFUNCHO, Chile (June 9, 2007) -- Building cooperation and support through humanitarian missions as well as training, Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 24 joined Chilean counterparts in distributing donated items to the needy this week.

Continue reading "Task Force 24 reaches out to Chilean needy" »

Posted by sr at 8:41 AM | Permalink

CIFUNCHO, Chile (June 9, 2007) -- Almost three weeks into their deployment, the Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 24 are still discovering just how surprising, yet familiar, Chile’s landscape and climate can be.

Continue reading "Marines offload, train in Chilean desert" »

Posted by sr at 8:35 AM | Permalink

It wasn't easy for Jon Thomas to let his son go to Iraq the first time, but the second time is devastating. "I cried," Thomas said. "He volunteered to do it, but I just hope he comes back OK."

Continue reading "HARD TO SAY GOODBYE" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 4:07 AM | Permalink

From childhood, Brad Squires dreamed of being two things: a Marine and firefighter.

Continue reading "Plaza honors Marine, others killed in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:01 PM | Permalink

Memorial Day is the day we remember the men and women in uniform who died serving this country, from Saratoga and Bunker Hill to Haditha and Fallujah.

Continue reading "Their words live on; Letters shine light on what Marines thought in final days" »

Posted by sr at 1:01 PM | Permalink

NEW YORK (May 25, 2007) -- New York police and firefighters joined forces with the Marine Corps on Thursday for a two-mile motivational run through the lower east side of Manhattan led by a “wounded warrior.”

Continue reading "Wounded warrior leads formation run to Ground Zero" »

Posted by sr at 8:46 AM | Permalink

MILFORD — A few days before Aug. 25, 2006, Marine Cpl. Jordan Pierson could have transferred to a safer assignment in Iraq.

Continue reading "Playground dedicated to fallen Marine" »

Posted by sr at 5:58 PM | Permalink

WINSTED - An American flag will come full circle today.
Pearson Middle School students took a flag from a pole outside the school in October 2005 and gave it to 25th Marine group, 4th Marine Division in Plainville prior to their deployment to Iraq. The Marines returned from active duty, and they will now return the flag to the students.

Continue reading "Flag to return to Pearson school" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 5:29 AM | Permalink

TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. -- Salutes, softball and a brass band -- the 1/24th Marine Reserves are back in America.

Continue reading "MICHIGAN'S BAND OF BROTHERS Soon, 1/24th Marines will be home; After 7 months in Iraq, they are back in the U.S." »

Posted by sr at 9:40 PM | Permalink

EWING -- As they neared the waiting crowds, subdued anticipation turned instantly to sheer joy. As they entered the airport, the screams were deafening.

Continue reading "Many local Marines return home" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 6:05 PM | Permalink

Lance Cpl. Brandon Morgan seemed a little disoriented Saturday afternoon as he stepped onto the lawn at his wife's grandmother's house in Red Bank.

Continue reading "Marines welcomed home from Iraq" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 5:51 PM | Permalink

April 21, 2007 - This has been an extra special Saturday in Northeast Philadelphia. It was a jubilant homecoming for some 150 Marine reservists.

Continue reading "Reservists Return Home from Iraq" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 6:10 PM | Permalink

Grand Rapids - The Grand Rapids-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, will be coming home soon. Sunday, the families of the 170 Grand Rapids marines prepared for the homecoming.

Continue reading "Grand Rapids based Marines coming home" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 6:36 PM | Permalink

Homecoming celebrations are in the works tonight for some Tri-Cities marines.

Continue reading "Tri-Cities Marines coming home" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 7:28 PM | Permalink

The Marines with South Bend-based Engineer Company B are back in the United States. They arrived in California just after 5 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. They're back from a seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Continue reading "South Bend-based Company B Marines back on U.S. soil" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 7:17 PM | Permalink

Just a few days before the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq, there's a happy homecoming for some hometown heroes

Continue reading "Local Marines Return from Duty" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 7:49 AM | Permalink

After seven months in Iraq, these Mobile-based troops were home.
Cheers erupted from the crowd of family and friends as the Marines got off the bus.

Continue reading "Mobile-based Marines welcomed home" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 8:24 AM | Permalink

Mar 16, 2007 - Two local Marine reservists are home tonight... after a seven month deployment in Iraq.

Continue reading "Back Home" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 8:07 AM | Permalink

Marine Reservists from West Texas and New Mexico returned home late Thursday night from a 7 month deployment in Iraq. Members of the 6th Motor Transport Battalion in Lubbock arrived at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport around 9:45 p.m. Thursday.

Continue reading "South Plains Marines Return Home From Iraq" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 8:32 AM | Permalink

When his son, Jon, was deployed to Iraq, Dan Meyer didn’t know how he would handle the “in between.”

Continue reading "Program aids area families with Marines in Iraq; Official singles out locally based unit for national honor" »

Posted by sr at 11:11 PM | Permalink

The dangerous main drag through insurgent-infested downtown Fallujah, Iraq, was cleared of three dump truck loads of dirt, rubble and trash during a recent fast-paced night mission — the first such cleanup on the street.

Continue reading "Marines clean up Fallujah streets – literally" »

Posted by sr at 10:04 PM | Permalink

For the families of about 700 Michigan Marines, there's finally a little daylight peeking into a long, dark tunnel of anxiety as their sons, brothers, boyfriends and husbands near the end of their seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Continue reading "Brothers see end of mission coming, Selfridge battalion can decamp Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 7:44 AM | Permalink

For the families of about 700 Michigan Marines, there's finally a little daylight peeking into a long, dark tunnel of anxiety as their sons, brothers, boyfriends and husbands near the end of their seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Continue reading "Brothers see end of mission coming, Selfridge battalion can decamp Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 7:44 AM | Permalink

West Palm Beach · For the sixth time in less than four years, yet another small band of young U.S. Marines left a reserve center across the street from Palm Beach International Airport early Thursday to start a long journey to the war in Iraq. All stood erect and proud, and most were dry-eyed.

Continue reading "Reserve troops in West Palm tapped for sixth time in four years" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

The sky was still dark and the streetlights bright early Thursday when 29 young men arrived at the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center on Belvedere Road to go to war.

Continue reading "29 Marines from area bound by mission in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 PM | Permalink

Some of Palm Beach's finest are to be sent from the sun-kissed tropical beaches of South Florida to the sand-scoured landscape of Mesopotamia — a place that can only be described as "different."

Continue reading "Local unit preparing for Iraq duty, Red Cross provides Marines with a send-off, offers of support." »

Posted by sr at 10:38 PM | Permalink

It's been a difficult day for a number of military families in the valley. About 40 local Marines said their good-byes before heading out to Iraq. The Marines are with a reserve unit, the 6th Motor Transport Battalion.

Continue reading "Dozens of Marine reservists headed to Iraq" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 12:16 PM | Permalink

BETHESDA, Md. -- The first round blew through Maj. K.C. Schuring's helmet, creased the top of his head and popped out through his goggles.The second round felt as if Tigers slugger Magglio Ordonez were teeing off on the center of his back.

Continue reading "Wounded but still fighting. "I remember thinking to myself, with that shot to my head, I shouldn't be alive right now -- and I was."" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 12:53 PM | Permalink

Marine Corps Maj. Randall S. Hoffman never knew his uncle, a Vietnam War helicopter crew chief who died in a troop recovery mission in 1968.

Continue reading "Marine receives 2 Bronze Stars, Danville graduate is honored for service in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 11:06 PM | Permalink

Norwich Police Chief Joseph G. Angelino recently received Purple Hearts for two injuries he suffered in Iraq in September 2005.

Continue reading "Police chief gets Iraq war medals, Angelino receives two Purple Hearts" »

Posted by sr at 3:12 PM | Permalink

MT. JULIET — Gene Leigh McCollum stepped out the door Friday morning to run errands, pay some bills and have a fairly normal day. Less than five minutes later, he was a decorated war veteran.

Continue reading "Surprise ceremony honors Marine at home. Purple Heart recognizes Iraq war wounds" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 6:04 PM | Permalink

Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve could face involuntary activations to fill the gap as the Corps moves to increase its end strength by 22,000 Marines, according to the Corps’ top mobilization official.

Continue reading "More IRR Marines face involuntary call-ups" »

Posted by sr at 8:01 PM | Permalink

CALEDONIA -- He lost a kidney, his spleen and almost his life.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine remembers fallen comrade" »

Posted by sr at 9:52 AM | Permalink

Fundraisers planned to aid Saline reservist

Continue reading "For Marine, long list of wounds - and friends" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 3:35 PM | Permalink

GRAND RAPIDS — More than two hundred boxes filled the auditorium of the Marine Reserve Center of Grand Rapids today.

Continue reading "Local Marines Send Medical Supplies To Iraq" »

Posted by LD for MarineParents.com at 1:41 PM | Permalink

A tribute to honor a local Marine and others killed while serving in Iraq will be broadcast at 10 tonight on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.

Continue reading "Bowling's unit subject of CNN show, Segment scheduled to air tonight" »

Posted by sr at 7:40 AM | Permalink

COMBAT OUTPOST RAWAH, Iraq - Mothers of Marines here have another reason to be proud of their sons - their boys are trying to solve problems with words, instead of violence.

Continue reading "Civil Affairs Marines fight crucial battle in Al Anbar Province" »

Posted by sr at 9:11 PM | Permalink

Most people think being a reservist means serving one weekend a month and two weeks a year. In many instances, that’s the right idea, but there are a variety of other ways to be a Marine without being part of the active-duty Corps.

Continue reading "Understanding Reserve Duty, How Duty is Fulfilled in Marine Forces Reserve" »

Posted by sr at 5:51 PM | Permalink

Richard Litto does not like the term “weekend warrior.” In fact, he despises it, and the mere mention of the phrase triggers a standoffish response in a thick, South Boston accent.

Continue reading "Weekend Warrior No More, Reserve Marines Drop Stigma" »

Posted by sr at 5:41 PM | Permalink

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq (December 17, 2006) -- The candy coated grins on the children’s faces were matched only by the smiles of the Marines handing out the treats.

Continue reading "Marines bring smiles, relief, hope for the future to refugees" »

Posted by sr at 10:10 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON — On the 52nd day of the rest of his life, Marine Lance Cpl. Eric Frazier chatted with a basketball star, enjoyed time outside soaking up an unusually mild December morning and stood for more than a minute on his new right leg.

Continue reading "Fighting spirit carries Marine, After a bomb in Iraq took Tennessean Eric Frazier's legs, he took on a new mission — to walk again." »

Posted by sr at 10:03 PM | Permalink

The tiny globes of tortilla dough line up as straight as Marines in the kitchen of Maria Ponce's modest home near Grand Rapids.

Continue reading "Brothers for real, in war together; Sons near each other a fear, comfort for parents" »

Posted by sr at 9:57 PM | Permalink

The bright pink walls of the tiny room in the modest home in Mason seemed to glow as portraits of Disney princesses looked down from the wallpaper trim.

Continue reading "MORE MARINES HEADED OUT: Painful partings, Troops leave families for Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:50 PM | Permalink

CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq (Dec. 15, 2006) - Coalition Forces recently completed construction of an 8-foot high, dirt berm with traffic control points along the eastern perimeter of Barwanah, Iraq, to deny insurgents freedom of movement into the city.

Continue reading "Additional Coalition Forces, construction of dirt “berms” increase security conditions in Iraq’s Haditha Triad region" »

Posted by sr at 5:41 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, IRAQ – While their weapons were ready, this was a mission about charity. The US Marines weren't entering a hospital in downtown Fallujah to root out insurgents, they were going there simply to help.

Continue reading "In Fallujah, Marines bring goodwill, but trouble can follow" »

Posted by sr at 10:05 PM | Permalink

Shrapnel from an explosion hit Lance Cpl. Bryon Bailey hard. It gave him a concussion and left his face pockmarked.

Continue reading "GR Marine unit puts in long days in Anbar province" »

Posted by sr at 8:56 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Inside a stronghold that commands a stretch of land between the river and the desert, the Hobbits work wonders in a windowless chamber.

Continue reading "In Iraq, their weapon is data, Marines fight with what they know" »

Posted by sr at 8:44 PM | Permalink

(Dec. 8) - The story of a group of Marines' quest to save a sick baby in war-torn Iraq gives some hope to humanity this holiday season.

Continue reading "Marines Save Iraqi Baby to Honor Fallen Medic, Routine Patrol Turned Into Mission to Help Sick Child" »

Posted by sr at 9:10 PM | Permalink

Free Press staff writer Joe Swickard and photojournalist David P. Gilkey are in Iraq covering the 1st Battalion of the 24th Marine Regiment, the largest deployment of Michigan Marines in the war. On Monday, they were on patrol with Alpha Company when a roadside bomb exploded. Here is their account.

WEST OF FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Rolling slow and southwestward along Route Boston in the late afternoon Monday, Lance Cpl. Tom Stellema looked closely at the patch covering one of the many old roadside bomb holes that pit the pavement.

Continue reading "MICHIGAN'S BAND OF BROTHERS: The road erupts and hearts stop, After weekend gunfights, Alpha Co. hit by blast outside Fallujah" »

Posted by sr at 9:34 PM | Permalink

Terrence "Shane" Burke wanted a quiet reunion with his Boston police family last evening.

Continue reading "Hub officer gets a hero's welcome home" »

Posted by sr at 9:22 PM | Permalink

TERRE HAUTE — Mike Watson struggled to hold back tears as he spoke Wednesday via telephone about his son, Lance Cpl. Chad M. Watson.

Continue reading "TH Marine loses leg after Humvee blasted by improvised explosive device" »

Posted by sr at 9:13 PM | Permalink

Talk about a refreshing turnabout in circumstances.

Continue reading "Marines, Steelers fans score with Christmas toys for tots, Collection a winning play to bring smiles to children" »

Posted by sr at 5:33 PM | Permalink

Unto death, platoon fulfills a mission in Iraq

It was a routine patrol, in the third week of June -- if, in fact, there is such a thing as a routine patrol in Fallujah, in the Anbar Province of Iraq.

Chris Walsh, a Navy medic assigned to a US Marines weapons company, was riding in a Humvee with three Marines, when a hidden bomb exploded in the dirt road just in front of them.

Continue reading "*Saving baby Mariam" »

Posted by at 6:51 AM | Permalink

Lance Cpl. Timothy Lang manned the turret atop a Humvee patrolling Fallujah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb made him a casualty of war.

Continue reading "Marine is facing the fight of his life" »

Posted by sr at 9:32 AM | Permalink

MOUNT ZION - When a Marine Corps Reserve officer called Mike Watson at work to tell him his son had been seriously injured in Iraq, he asked the officer if his son would survive.

Continue reading "Mount Zion Marine wounded" »

Posted by sr at 3:14 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Marines from Personnel Security Detachment, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion 24th Marine Regiment, apprehended two suspected insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq Nov 20.

Marines with the battalion are currently serving under Regimental Combat Team 5 in Fallujah, Iraq.

Continue reading "Marines take two suspected insurgents off the streets" »

Posted by at 8:10 PM | Permalink

Marines' credo: Stop trouble before it kills

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- "Patrollin', patrollin'," a turret gunner sang, encased in chicken wire like somebody in a carnival dunk tank as the line of Humvees growled out of Charlie Company's base camp. "We're patrollin' through Fallujah."

Continue reading "On patrol in Fallujah: Danger zone" »

Posted by at 8:28 PM | Permalink

TIFFIN - To the altar of St. Mary's Catholic Church, family and friends of Lance Cpl. Jeremy S. Shock carried symbols of what was important to the young Marine killed 10 days ago in Iraq.

Continue reading "'HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS', 2 Ohio towns say farewell to fallen Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:22 AM | Permalink

SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Nov. 28, 2006) -- Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment swooped down on unknowing insurgents recently. Marines netted 13 suspected insurgents and rescued two Iraqis held hostage by insurgents.

Continue reading "Marines dig ‘Talons’ into insurgency" »

Posted by at 7:59 PM | Permalink

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- As if the war in Iraq wasn't hard enough, now local reservists are serving during the holiday season.

So Tuesday night at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center on Alcoa Highway, family members came out to make that distance a little shorter.

Continue reading "*Families and volunteers help Knoxville Marines in Iraq" »

Posted by at 7:42 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. Christopher Owens couldn't get an inch of traction trying to rag Charlie Company's chief cook, Lance Cpl. Steven Oliver, that his insignia should be a bowl with crossed spoons.

Continue reading "Good cook is a fortune of Iraq war, Plymouth man feeds troops" »

Posted by sr at 2:33 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Thanksgiving came to Fallujah with fists hammering on sheet metal gates.

Continue reading "Love prevails, even in war, Bond unites families while U.S. mission in Iraq continues" »

Posted by sr at 9:21 PM | Permalink

Wary Marines take deadly route in Iraqi desert killing field

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Two Humvees, a pair of 7-ton armored trucks topped with gun turrets and a tow truck swing onto what has been dubbed Route Michigan, rolling toward sunset in the Sunni Triangle into one of the world's worst killing zones.

Continue reading "BAND OF BROTHERS: Michigan reservists travel path of peril" »

Posted by at 8:15 PM | Permalink

Just weeks before Terrence Burke would lose his right lower leg in a bomb blast in Fallujah, the rookie BPD officer had already been dubbed a hero and “all heart” by the Marines of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines - not an easy feat in a unit that includes four Boston cops and several city firefighters, men generally leery of “hero” tags.

Continue reading "Hub’s bravest doing double duty overseas" »

Posted by at 8:08 PM | Permalink

Greenfield - The Marine uniform symbolizes strength, honor and country. The men and women who answer the call live by the Marine motto "Semper Fidelis." It means "Always faithful" in Latin.

Continue reading "*Greenfield Marine fights battle at home" »

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink

Last week was a stellar week for Nashua. Oct. 25 was a cold dark evening, but Nashua High School South was ablaze with lights. The gym was filled with electricity and emotion.

Continue reading "Magical evening welcomed home New Hampshire soldiers" »

Posted by at 9:44 PM | Permalink

In a crowd of parents waving banners and wives dressed in their prettiest outfits, little Cody Watkins was one of the few who could relax.

Continue reading "Heroes come home" »

Posted by at 7:34 AM | Permalink

JACKSONVILLE - In a crowd of parents waving banners and wives dressed in their prettiest outfits, little Cody Watkins was one of the few who could relax.

Continue reading "Gainesville Marines Return From Iraq" »

Posted by at 7:23 AM | Permalink

AL ASAD, Iraq (Nov. 4, 2006) - Sgt. Mark Miller should have graduated from the Virginia Military Institute a few months ago with a bachelor"s degree in civil engineering.

Continue reading "Despite battle wounds and missing college, Marine reservist volunteers for second tour of duty in Iraq" »

Posted by at 11:39 AM | Permalink

It’s an unforgetable sound.
Five times a day, the first around 5 a.m. as the dawn sun presages the heat of the coming day, the sound echoes across the city from loud speakers dangling from every minaret.
“Allah u akbar! Allah u akbar! Hayya la-s-saleah! Hayya la-s-saleah!”

Continue reading "*THE WAR: Two Ridgefield Marines recall life in Iraq" »

Posted by at 9:50 PM | Permalink

FALLUJAH, Iraq - When Marines want the straight scoop, they get out on the street and talk face to face with Fallujans.

Continue reading "Detroit-based Marines helping rebuild Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:32 PM | Permalink

CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq (Nov. 01, 2006) - Chuck Norris doesn't raise morale. He roundhouse kicks it into the stratosphere.

Continue reading "Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks Camp Baharia" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 PM | Permalink