8/23/2010
By Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei,
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. —
Four Marines were added to the Purple Heart’s list of heroes injured during battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Four Marines awarded Purple Heart for their sacrifice" »
Marines offer Afghans what the Taliban cannot, but security is top priority
By Gretel C. Kovach, UNION-TRIBUNE
Originally published August 21, 2010 at 6:23 p.m
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Dust billows from the roads of this military base at all hours, during sun-baked desert days and hot windy nights.
Continue reading " Remote camp is Marines' key toehold in Afghanistan" »
by JOSHUA SUDOCK
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Aug. 15, 2010
Updated: Aug. 16, 2010 1:09 a.m.
Motivated by a love for the men and women of the armed forces and a passion for rock n' roll, more than 100 people gathered at Tortilla Jo's restaurant in Anaheim Sunday to support the families of Sgt. Maj. Robert Cottle and Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni, two Yorba Linda Marines who lost their lives in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Continue reading "Rocker's gift is music to Marines families' ears" »
BY NAOMI R. PATTON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Posted: Aug. 15, 2010
Twenty-two U.S. Marines from the 1st Battalion 24th Marine Reserve, based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, who died during their seven-month tour in Iraq were honored Saturday with a granite memorial bearing their names dedicated in Canton's Heritage Park.
Continue reading "Remembering the bravery of Selfridge's 22 Marines" »
A Knoxville-based Marine has died after being wounded in Afghanistan.
Reporter: Nick Bona
Email Address: nick.bona@wvlt-tv.com
Aug 14, 2010
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A Knoxville-based Marine has died after being wounded in Afghanistan.
Continue reading " Knoxville-based Marine killed in Afghanistan" »
By Darrell Clem • OBSERVER STAFF WRITER • August 12, 2010
In a somber, patriotic tribute to fallen U.S. Marines who died in Fallujah, Iraq, a new memorial will be dedicated during a ceremony set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Canton Veterans Memorial Wall in Heritage Park.
Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Date Posted:08.12.2010
Story by Staff Sgt. Luis Agostini
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A memorial service for Lance Cpl. Abram L. Howard was held at the Marjah District government center in Marjah, Afghanistan, Aug. 12.
Continue reading "Fallen Marine remembered as jokester, athlete, friend" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. • The reading of Sophocles' classic drama "Ajax" was polished and powerful.
Continue reading "'Ajax' strikes chord with Marine veterans" »
LOUDON - The striped fishing wasn't great in the waters just below Ft. Loudoun Dam.
Continue reading "Marines get an extra 'thank you' with fishing trip" »
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jul 29, 2010 14:24:48 EDT
A reserve Marine died Tuesday in Helmand province, Afghanistan, the Defense Department has announced.
Continue reading "Reserve lance cpl. dies in Helmand province" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 17:18:55 EDT
Time is running out for current and former troops involuntarily held on active duty beyond their service commitments to apply for retroactive $500 monthly payments.
Continue reading "Oct. 21 is deadline to apply for stop-loss pay" »
NELSON ISLAND, Alaska — Marines with 6th Engineer Support Battalion, Battle Creek, Mich., are spending their summer building a future for the isolated villagers of Newtok, Alaska.
Continue reading "Arctic Construction: Marines build road for new village over Alaskan tundra" »
USS NEW ORLEANS, At Sea - Naval traditions run deep in the Marine Corps. In fact, the 1775 resolution establishing the Continental Marines specifically directed recruiting efforts to focus on “good seamen, those acquainted with maritime affairs, and those who would be willing to serve at sea when requested”—those first recruits boarded the Alfred in Philadelphia to man the guns, protect the vessel and serve as infantrymen from the sea.
ANCON, Peru - The parade deck was an elaborate mixture of both ceremonial dress and battle dress uniforms. Desert tans and woodland green camouflage patterns were each as unique as the culture and country they came from: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and the United States. Although their backgrounds, culture and uniforms are different they all have one thing in common—they are Marines.
Continue reading "Marine Reserves Kickoff Exercise in Peru" »
By James K. Sanborn - jsanborn@militarytimes.com
Posted : Sunday Jul 4, 2010 11:21:13 EDT
Marine Forces Reserve is now offering $15,000 re-enlistment and affiliation bonuses for Marines in selected, in-demand fields who are willing to sign a three year contract with the Selected Marine Corps Reserve.
Continue reading "Marine Forces Reserve ups bonuses to $15,000" »
NEW ORLEANS — Second Lt. Christopher Banweg walked out of his staff platoon commander’s office in a state of shock in November 2000.
Continue reading "Reserve Marine officer finds niche civil affairs" »
ZANESVILLE -- Look into Lance Cpl. Nicholas W. B. Bloem's eyes and you see trust.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Waiting outside a conference room in the Regional Command Southwest headquarters building, Cpl. Paul A. Spies passes the time by glancing at the wall adorned with wood-framed pictures of fallen brethren, many of whom were killed by improvised explosive device blasts. A few moments later, Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, commander of RC (SW), walks into the conference room already full of unit commanders. Spies waits patiently for his name to be called.
Continue reading "Reserve Engineer Hopes to ‘Spark Some Innovation’ Against IED Threat" »
Chillicothe Marine among those honored
ZANESVILLE -- The Lima Company Memorial, a powerful display of paintings honoring the fallen heroes of Lima Company, including one from Chillicothe, will be in Zanesville beginning on Friday. Twenty-two Marines and a Navy Corpsman from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005. Among them was Lance Cpl. Aaron Reed, of Chillicothe.
MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER, Calif. — In the mountains, the temperatures vary hourly, from hot to cold, depending on the time of day. The terrain can work against Marines; the thin air and peaks tire them and provide cover and concealment for the enemy. Communications can become spotty and they never know what is exactly waiting behind the next peak or hill.
TAN TAN, Morocco — In close tandem with three others, the tank rocks back on its haunches as a massive ball of flame leaps from the barrel. A split second later, the tank lurches forward, settling, as a “BOOM!” reaches the ears of bystanders, the press of the concussion is felt, and a slow cloud of dust appears in the wake of the shell. Grins cover the sunburned faces of Marines from Fox Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – It was a bit of a bumpy ride for Cpl. Thomas Hornor when he sat atop the turret of his Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle during a nearly eight-hour combat logistics patrol across the unpredictable terrain of the scorching Afghanistan desert.
Continue reading "'You Can't Beat the View:' Reserve Gunner Helps Resupply Forward Troops" »
KENITRA, Morocco —
Reserve Marine aircrews flying KC-130 Hercules aircraft moved about 300 Marines and sailors of Task Force African Lion from the coastal Moroccan city of Agadir to a training area several hundred miles south May 28.
Continue reading "Hercs move Marines to southern Morocco, prepare for 2nd phase of AFRICAN LION" »
A group of South Bend area Marine reservists are coming home from Afghanistan this week. 44 members of Engineering Company 'B' will arrive at the South Bend airport Friday.
Continue reading "Marine reserves returning from Afghanistan" »
Frederick 's Marine reservists are back on American soil.
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marines at Quantico rolled toward a foreign town on 7-ton trucks. As they approached the perimeter an improvised explosive device took out one of the vehicles and insurgents opened fire on the Marines. The Marines dismounted and stormed the town in fire teams. Methodically they broke in and controlled each building, until the town was secure.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio Marine Reserve unit devastated by losses in Iraq in 2005 has left for its first large-scale deployment since returning from that ill-fated mission.
May 11, 2010 · More than 100 Marines and U.S. Navy Reservists based in Moundsville will soon head to Afghanistan. Family, friends and community members gathered at the Marine Forces Reserve for a special send-off.
Continue reading "Marshall County Marine reserves deploying to Afghanistan" »
AVON -- A proud father of a recently-deployed Marine Reservist will stand in for his son in a unique way -- graduating from law school.
Continue reading "Avon: Father finishes journey for Marine Reservist son" »
Under a blazing North African sun, U.S. Marines and Soldiers worked to offload 276 vehicles and pieces of equipment from the USS Arc in preparation for AFRICAN LION 2010 here. AFRICAN LION, a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise which commences May 15, will include various types of military training to include a command post exercise, intelligence capacity building, a field training exercise with live-fire, peace operations training, aviation training, medical exchange training, as well as humanitarian civic assistance programs.
Continue reading "Equipment offload kicks off Exercise African Lion ‘10" »
BOSTON —
The Marines are planning a full on assault at Carson Beach May 8.
They will be combining their combat elements from the air and on the ground when storming the South Boston waterfront, just to show the city how strong their force is when flexing their muscle.
BOSTON —
The New England Center for Homeless Veterans received a helping hand as part of Marine Week Boston’s community outreach program this week.
Bostonians driving past Marines painting a mural showcasing the Corps’ proud values displayed their support by waving, honking and shouting motivation toward the Marines at an intersection in Hyde Park, May 5.
Continue reading "Marines paint mural, display Corps to Boston" »
BOSTON —
If there’s one thing Marines are no stranger of, it’s a “working party.”
Continue reading "Marines assist Habitat for Humanity’s mission in Boston" »
Tour Will Last 7 Months
Fifty Marines left Orlando for Afghanistan Monday morning.
Continue reading "Marines Say Goodbye To Deploy To Afghanistan" »
BOSTON —
The Marines took to the land, skies to storm the city of Boston.
BOSTON —
A ruptured water main in the city Saturday evening shutdown all drinking water in the Boston Metropolitan area, causing city officials to reactivate Chestnut Hill Reservoir as an emergency backup supply of water.
Continue reading "Marines support reservoir cleanup during water emergency" »
Local Reservists brush up on rifle skills before leaving for seven months in Afghanistan
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Pop. Pop. Pop.
Continue reading "Savannah-based Marines prepare for deployment to Afghanistan" »
The day Jeremy Kane's friends and family laid him to rest in January was cold and snowy. On Sunday, when the weather was chilly and misty, they gathered once more to run two miles in his memory.
Continue reading "Rain doesn’t hamper memorial run for Cherry Hill Marine" »
The Marine Corps Active Reserve program is looking for qualified applicants for their upcoming officer accession board, which is scheduled to convene May 17.
Continue reading " Marine Corps Active Reserve program seeks applicants for upcoming board" »
Marine Maj. Gus Biggio will run 26.2 miles in Monday’s Boston Marathon with a friend.
Continue reading "Marine’s running marathon to honor his fallen friend" »
The Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, focused on the cornerstone of infantry leadership during a field exercise here, April 10.
SWAT Officer Robert J. Cottle was on Marine Reserve duty when he died March 24 in an explosion. He was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in services at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
A somber procession on Tuesday morning snaked its way through downtown Los Angeles as thousands honored LAPD SWAT Officer Robert J. Cottle, who was killed March 24 in Afghanistan while on Marine Corps Reserve duty.
Continue reading "LAPD officer killed in Afghanistan is honored in somber memorial" »
The last training week before the Landing Force, participating in Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2010, will start its embarkation on ship and set sail to their first CARAT exercise, April 12-16.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Ten Afghan national soldiers, armed with M-16's, lie in the prone position shooting downrange while their company commander barked orders for muzzle awareness.
Continue reading "Augments Depart Iraq Early to Mentor Afghan Army" »
COMBAT OUTPOST CASTLE, Afghanistan- The U.S. dollar is a powerful ally in improving the local Afghan economy and the Marines quality of life.
Since stepping on the yellow foot prints at recruit training, every Marine has formed a habit of firing rifles. It's ingrained in every Marine, no matter what military occupational specialty, that knowing basic combat marksmanship fundamentals is a requirement to be in the Corps – those fundamentals must be maintained.
Continue reading " More than 145 Marines from LF CARAT-2010 aim for black" »
Deep in the sands of Afghanistan, a Marine reservist who is also a volunteer firefighter carries out the missions placed upon him.
COMBAT OUTPOST CASTLE, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -When used, military working dogs and their trainers are an immense asset to troops on the ground.
Continue reading "Military Working Dogs Aid Marines, Find Explosives" »
On Christmas Day 2009, Lance Cpl. Ruben Wright awoke in a hospital bed in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Det. 2 Marine returns from war with Purple Heart Medal" »
Slots expected to fill soon, though
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marine Forces Reserve is in the midst of a major recruiting drive, targeting active-duty lieutenants, captains, sergeants and staff sergeants in select career fields and offering $5,000 bonuses to some who make at least a three-year commitment.
Continue reading "MarForRes seeks select junior officers, NCOs" »
SWAT team member Robert J. Cottle, a Marine Corps reservist, is the department's first member to die in post-9/11 combat. He previously had served two tours in Iraq.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday mourned its first officer to be killed in combat in Afghanistan after a roadside bomb took the life of a highly regarded SWAT team member.
Continue reading "LAPD officer serving in Afghanistan is killed by roadside bomb" »
he recent Marine operations in and near Marja brought into sharp relief a fact that contradicts much of what people think they know about the Afghan war. It is this: Forget the fables. The current ranks of Afghan fighters are crowded with poor marksmen.
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles SWAT team officer, who was on active duty as a Marine, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, police officials said Thursday.
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Explosions rumble through this former Taliban stronghold three or four times a day — an ominous sign that the insurgents have not given up despite losing control of this town to U.S. and Afghan forces about two weeks ago.
Continue reading "Newest Taliban tactic in Marjah: IED blasts" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Explosions rumble through this former Taliban stronghold three or four times a day - an ominous sign that the insurgents have not given up despite losing control of this town to U.S. and Afghan forces about two weeks ago.
Continue reading "Taliban adjust, wage bomb attacks in Afghan town" »
-- EDITOR'S NOTE - Associated Press photographer David Guttenfelder was embedded with U.S. forces during the offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan. Here is his account of some of the photos he made of the soldiers' daily lives.
---
MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) - For months, the U.S. military had been openly saying it was getting ready to crush the Taliban in its last stronghold in Afghanistan's Helmand province - the world's opium bazaar.
Continue reading "An up close look at the military life in Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- The first shots came from the north, sending Marines ducking into the nearest ditch - some filled with putrid water. More shots rang out from the southwest: a possible ambush from two sides.
Continue reading "Marine patrols still meet snipers in Afghan town" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- U.S. Marine Sgt. Brad Vandehei stood on the edge of the small opium poppy field that serves as a central helicopter landing zone for the new military compound that's rising nearby.
Continue reading "Afghan poppy harvest is next challenge for U.S. Marines" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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."
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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'" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
By mid-February, Marines will be out of Iraq.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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.
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" »
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.
Former Express-Times correspondent and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bill Cahir has been killed in combat in Afghanistan, family and friends said Thursday.
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" »
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" »
KSDK -- Dozens of marines from across the Midwest, including the St. Louis area, have been called to duty.
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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.
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" »
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" »
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.
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.
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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.
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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" »
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..
New River sandbars offer good raft training
There's more than one way to cross a river.
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.
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" »
WESTERN IRAQ — This isn’t the combat mission these Marines expected.
Parting is no easier the 2nd time
The charter bus waiting to carry Staff Sgt. Darryl Anderson off to war idled nearby.
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" »
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" »
Artist's portraits touch spirit of lost Marines of Ohio's Lima Company
COLUMBUS - There's a little-known stretch of heaven in Westerville.
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" »
DEVENS, Mass. — A Massachusetts-based Marine Corps Reserve unit is being mobilized for eventual deployment to Iraq.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
"Can I give you a kiss?"
Continue reading "Paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman returns home to well-wishers" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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" »
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.
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.
The Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, completed the Deliberate Assault Course at Combat Center Range 210 Dec. 5-7.
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.
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.
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).
A group of about 60 local Marines head to Iraq for the second time.
His orders are simple: "Go to war, do art."
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" »
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" »
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.
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" »
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" »
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" »
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."
From childhood, Brad Squires dreamed of being two things: a Marine and firefighter.
Continue reading "Plaza honors Marine, others killed in Iraq" »
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" »
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" »
MILFORD — A few days before Aug. 25, 2006, Marine Cpl. Jordan Pierson could have transferred to a safer assignment in Iraq.
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.
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. -- Salutes, softball and a brass band -- the 1/24th Marine Reserves are back in America.
EWING -- As they neared the waiting crowds, subdued anticipation turned instantly to sheer joy. As they entered the airport, the screams were deafening.
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.
April 21, 2007 - This has been an extra special Saturday in Northeast Philadelphia. It was a jubilant homecoming for some 150 Marine reservists.
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.