Lejeune battalion makes trip into Fallujah

[thedrifter]

Lejeune battalion makes trip into Fallujah
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200461731032
Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes



FALLUJAH, Iraq(June 15, 2004) -- Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C., ventured into Fallujah for the first time in more than a month, without a single shot fired.

The patrol into the city June 14 - conducted by the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, attached to the 1st Marine Division - had Marines on edge. The city was turned over to the authority of the Fallujah Brigade after fighting ended in April and since then, Marine presence was scaled back significantly. One patrol ventured into the city in May without incident.

"It was a tough mission and had the potential to get real ugly real quick," said Lt. Col. Giles Kyser, the battalion commander from Dumfries, Va., to his Marines. "For the rest of your life you'll be able to say you stuck your head in the lion's mouth and came out without a scratch."

Kyser said there was no group of Marines with whom he would have rather carried out the mission.

Marines from 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, also a Camp Lejeune-based unit, escorted the patrol into the maze of city streets. The same streets, just two months ago, were littered with the debris of combat. Marines carved out portions of the city, pushing back terrorist forces before Iraqi leaders called for a cease-fire agreement with Coalition commanders.

The city is still tense. Marines warned each other before the patrol to be ready for anything.

"One of two things will happen," said Lance Cpl. Jeremiah M. Doub, a 20-year-old from Winston-Salem, N.C. "Either it'll be a smooth ride or all hell is going to break loose."

For the Marines involved, it was thorny mission. They had to think on their feet when they were forced to limit themselves in personnel and vehicles by their Iraqi Civil Defense Corps escort.

"We didn't have that many vehicles at all for this mission. It was just a reinforced squad of Marines, that was it," Lance Cpl. Steven B. Knetchel, a rifleman with 2nd Battalion's Company G.

The 24-year-old from Woodinville, Wash., said he was fine with a smaller, more agile force. Behind the squad was a small army of Marine forces ready to help their comrades should the mission turn sour.

"We had fixed and rotary wing air support, artillery and a large quick reaction force waiting just outside the city in case anything happened," he added. "We were all pretty comfortable with that."

They found that Iraqi police and soldiers turned out in full force to ensure the patrol wasn't tampered with as they passed the sand-filled barriers into the city.

There were ICDC and police lining the streets like it was a parade, Knetchel said. The numbers of ICDC easily tripled the number of Marines. Still, Marines didn't let their guard down.

"It was a very open city," Knechtel said of the maze of streets through Fallujah. "That's good because we could see a long way, but it was bad because there were a lot of spots for the enemy to hide."

The Marines took up defensive positions around a key building where Marine and Iraqi leaders met to talk about plans for the future. They kept their vigil aware of the danger in the city.

"We were keeping watch over the place, and we saw some things that made us nervous," said Sgt. Lucas B. Hodges, a 23-year-old sniper from Chicago. "We saw some vehicles pull up to the crowds of people. They had weapons inside, but no one used any of them."

The lack of gunfire surprised all the Marines in the city and was echoed by Knetchel.

"I can't believe not one shot was fired the whole time," he said.

The Marines were prepared for a battle reminiscent of Mogadishu. They readied themselves for this possibility by going through dozens of rehearsal drills prior to the mission to prepare for any scenario.

"To me, the only thing that mattered was the guy next to me," Knetchel said. "The squad did their job by bringing everyone back alive and in one piece.

"Because not one shot was fired, I think the mission went really well," Knetchel said. "It couldn't have gone any better."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461731527/$file/fallujah1lr.jpg

Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., recently conducted a patrol in the city of Fallujah. It marked the first time in more than a month since Marines patrolled the streets. The patrol went off without a shot being fired.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes) Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4142B6D5DAB300B685256EB600276AC5?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

VMU-2 patrols Iraqi skies
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200461755734
Story by Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Rainey



AL Taqqadum, Iraq (June 17, 2004) -- Just as an owl uses its keen sight to search a landscape for prey, the "Night Owls" have used advanced technology in the air to aid allies on the ground to complete mission after mission during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Likewise as the owl has been traditionally known as a wise bird, it is a fitting name for the Marines of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, who have used their unique RQ-2B Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle to provide aerial intelligence.

The squadron can provide many different kinds of intelligence, said Staff Sgt. R. Brian Ward, internal and external UAV pilot, VMU-2.

"Our main focus right now is aerial reconnaissance. We also do battle damage reports, artillery adjustments and search and rescue," said the 33-year-old Anderson, S.C., native. "We try to be the eyes for the guys on the ground. Even if we find out that there's nothing on the ground, that's good (intelligence)."

The UAVs have daytime lenses and forward-looking infrared lenses so they can obtain detailed footage in any lighting condition, said Staff Sgt. Thomas B. Kush, imagery chief, VMU-2.

"With a lot of the things we do, we can tell exactly what is going on. We can watch all four sides of a house so we can track anybody going in or out of the house," said the 35-year-old Weirton, W.Va., native. "We can tell guys on the ground to go in the blue door or the red door if we need to."

The squadron has also been tasked with monitoring the Iraqi roadways for various threats to coalition forces.

"We've found (improvised explosive devices) on the sides of roads. We've found checkpoints for ambushes on our convoys," said Kush.

After flying 1,200 hours in eight months during their last deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, VMU-2 is within 200 hours of surpassing that number on their current deployment in Iraq.

"We broke a thousand hours in three months. We are allotted 300 hours a year. So in three months, we've flown almost four years worth of flight hours," said Ward.

According to Kush, part of the reason for the increase in flight hours is due to many people discovering the value behind the Pioneer's capabilities.

"People didn't know what we could do in the past. Now people request the services we can provide," he added. "We get requests for targets to check and we divide them up between upcoming flights. We (check) roughly 15-20 targets daily."

Regular wear and tear from flying increased hours in desert conditions would be a problem without the maintenance Marines, said Cpl. Jeff Witherspoon, internal UAV pilot, VMU-2.

"Maintenance has been doing an exceptional job. We've been flying for three months straight and that takes a toll on the aircraft," said the 27-year-old from Burkburnett, Texas.

The maintenance Marines have made a few changes due to the operational tempo, said Sgt. Jamie D. Shepler, UAV plane captain, VMU-2.

"Each aircraft has assigned mechanics. But with 24-hour (operations), you work on what needs to be worked on," admitted Shepler. "It takes eight maintenance hours (for) every one (hour of flight)."

The method that VMU-2 uses to approach flight separates it from other flying squadrons in the Marine Corps, said Lt. Col. Douglas M. Hardison, commanding officer, VMU-2.

"With this airplane, it's not so complex, so the Marine Corps can push the responsibility on to the enlisted Marine," said the 42-year-old Dallas native.

While an officer still signs for the aircraft and becomes the mission commander, he gives control of the aircraft to an enlisted pilot.

"Mission commanders are aviators that watch over the mission. He signs for the aircraft and allows us to fly it," said Ward. "This is about the closest an enlisted Marine can come to flying an aircraft."

Flying a UAV is less like piloting a manned aircraft and more like flying a remote controlled airplane, said Ward.

"Where other pilots can be inside the cockpit and feel shudders and hear noises, I have to do everything visually," he said. "It's a pretty stable bird with autopilot. It's like a (remote control) aircraft, but on a bigger, heavier scale."

The UAV pilots take pride in their enlisted heritage in a field now dominated by commissioned officers, said Ward.

"We are the last of the flying sergeants," he added in reference to the days of World War II when enlisted noncommissioned officers were chosen to be pilots based on their potential to fly.

Using enlisted Marines to pilot UAVs instead of higher-paid officers, maintains a high level of skill at the position while cutting down the cost, said Hardison.

"I give the guys a lot of latitude to fly the airplane. Nine times out of 10 he does a great job -- just like any aviator would," he explained. "For the Marine Corps, we are a great bang for their buck."

With cost and safety in mind, UAVs are the future of Marine Corps aviation, said Hardison.

"We have the technology now so we can do all the things we do in the air from the ground. You would need a huge airplane to do all the things we do here on the ground," he said.

Marines of VMU-2 are happy to be working with the wave of the future, said Shepler.

"They call it the next big thing in Marine Corps aviation. I'm glad to have my foot in the door," he said.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461762744/$file/002-FLYVMU2-lr.jpg

Plane captains (from left to right) Sgt. David R. Schradermeier, Sgt. Jamie D. Shepler and Cpl. John J. Gato, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, start the RQ-2B Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle at Al Taqqadum, Iraq, June 10. The Marines of VMU-2 have flown the UAV more than 1,000 hours in the last three months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Rainey

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/3344AAC33052BC0985256EB60036B595?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Car Bomb Explosion Kills 30 in Iraq

By SAMEER N. YACOUB

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A sport utility vehicle packed with artillery shells slammed into a crowd of people waiting to volunteer Thursday for the Iraqi military, killing at least 30 people and wounding at least 132, authorities said. A U.S. military officer said the bombing was believed to be a suicide attack.

A large plume of smoke rose over the city after the blast, which could be heard several miles away.

U.S. Army Col. Mike Murray said none of the recruits were among the casualties. However, survivors and Iraqi officials said many of the victims had gone to the center to volunteer for the government security force.

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Capt. Hani Hussein of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps said about 100 volunteers were trying to enter the recruiting center when a car crashed into the crowd. Health Ministry official Saad al-Amili said at least 30 people died and 132 were injured.

"We were standing waiting for our turn to register," Rafid Mudhar told The Associated Press from his hospital bed in Karama Hospital. "All of a sudden, we heard big explosion and most of those standing fell on the ground including me."

He said he was unconcious for a while, then managed to reach a nearby ambulance.

Yas Khudair, a member of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, said all the victims were "poor people" who "wanted to volunteer to support their families."

"There were no Americans nearby when the explosion took place," he said.

Murray said many of the victims had just gotten off a bus which "happened to be near the area when the blast happened" about 9 a.m. along a four-lane road near the old Muthanna airport, which is used by U.S. forces as a base.

"This clearly again was an attack that has hurt the Iraqi people," Murray said.

The bombing was the latest in a series of attacks on U.S. coalition forces and their Iraqi allies as the Americans prepare to hand over sovereignty on June 30. Coalition authorities have warned that attacks by insurgents could escalate in the weeks leading to the transfer.

Iraqi security forces tried to help the injured as blood-soaked victims were loaded into ambulances and cars. U.S. troops milled around the scene. Glass and debris littered the four-lane highway.

Bloody bodies covered in dust were scattered around the blast site. Residents and Iraqi security forces carried corpses away from the area, some on stretchers, some by hand. They loaded some of them onto trucks.

One dead man lay prostrate in the center of a highway median. The blast smashed windows of several cars in the area and hurled at least one into the center of the highway.

At least one artillery shell could be seen lying on the road. Insurgents in Iraq often fashion bombs out of artillery shells and other military ordnance.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/06/17/ap/headlines/d838lek80.txt


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Ravens' Smith Is Inspired by His Marine Brother

Wednesday, June 16, 2004; Page D02


As the Baltimore Ravens walked off of the field after a late-morning practice yesterday in Owings Mills, Md., they stopped to talk with a group of injured military personnel from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Players such as Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis posed for pictures and signed autographs; Coach Brian Billick answered questions from the soldiers who watched the second day of the Ravens' voluntary minicamp.



But one player, second-year running back Musa Smith, lingered longer than the rest. Smith sat in the shade and chatted with his brother, John, a Marine who was wounded in a mortar attack while serving in Fallujah, Iraq, in April. John, 21, was in a coma for three weeks and his right leg was amputated at the knee.

"Any chance I get, I spend time with my brother," John Smith said. "I'd crawl out of the hospital. He's like my twin."

It was hard for the Smiths to keep in touch during John's two tours in Iraq; there were long lines for the satellite phones and Internet, and letters were slow. When Musa found out that his brother was wounded, "the only thing we could do was pray for him," he said.

And now John serves as an inspiration for Musa, who is expected to get more carries this year as Jamal Lewis's backup.

"I just look at him, and to see my position, I'm definitely blessed," Musa Smith said. "It definitely puts things in perspective."

-- Camille Powell

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44949-2004Jun15.html


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sides 'loved to make you smile'
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 2004616113134
Story by Sgt. Colin Wyers



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(June 4, 2004) -- Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Sides, a motor transportation operator with 9th Communications Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was honored at a memorial service June 4 at the Camp Fallujah Chapel.

The 22-year-old Yakima, Wash., native was killed May 31 when the convoy in which he was riding struck a homemade, roadside bomb when returning from Al Asad.

"It's just one of these things where you start out in a lot of denial and you just can't believe it," his stepfather, Paul Billings, told the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Cmdr. Emilio Marrero, the I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group chaplain, shared a story he had heard from Marines who knew Sides.

"He went to a club and overheard someone talking of beating a young lady," he said. "Through that night he kept an eye on her, and when they left, he followed her to make sure nothing happened to her. And those assailants came out of the woodwork and they attempted to attack her, and he put himself between her and the assailants and he took the blunt of a bottle across his back. This, to help a totally perfect stranger."

Sides showed the same kind of devotion to his fellow Marines after being offered the position of headquarters commandant.

"Sides was nominated to go take that job, and he took it, and he did it," said Maj. Charles S. Morrow, the commanding officer of Service Company, 9th Comm. Bn. "And he only had one request - that, 'if convoys go out, I still want to be on them.' He wanted to be with his motor-T Marines on convoys. That's all he asked."

Sides' talents in motor transportation were many, including the ability to operate the 7-ton wrecker. It was this special skill Sides possessed that landed him the job of towing a disabled 7-ton truck back from Al Asad, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.

"He was in the middle of the convoy when the blast went and it sent the vehicle airborne," said Lance Cpl. Brain M. Overbey, one of his fellow motor-T operators at 9th Comm.

During the ceremony, Sides' friends told stories about him, occasionally smiling while recounting their memories.

"They tell us as NCOs to watch out for our Marines, to take care of them," said Cpl. Stephen R. Vandecoevering. "With Sides, that was no exception, except for one. He looked after me, too, and took care of me. I ran into him out in a bar one night, and needless to say, I had a little bit to drink. He made sure I was alright, stuck with me the whole night, and made sure I got home."

What came through the testimonials was the sense of joy that he brought into the lives he touched.

"He loved to make you smile, even if he was having a bad day himself," Lance Cpl. David L. Gerstenberg said with a small chuckle. "He was always ready to have fun any time of the day. Treated all people like equals, no matter what. A couple of times, I took him out for the weekend, and he stayed at my place. Every time I woke up in the morning, he had already made breakfast - mostly for himself, but he saved me some. And he said, 'Thanks for getting me out of the barracks, you know, same old routine.'"

At the podium, choking back tears herself as many of her fellow Marines were, Lt. Col. Loretta Reynolds, the battalion's commanding officer, spoke of their shared sense of loss.

"I am proud to have served with Lance Corporal Dustin Lee Sides," said Reynolds. "I am in awe of his courage, and his sacrifice, and of yours."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004616114353/$file/memorial01_rjlr.jpg

Marines file into the Camp Fallujah, Iraq, chapel June 4, 2003 to attend a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Sides, a motor transportation operator from 9th Communications Battalion. The 22-year-old Yakima, Wash., native was killed May 31 when the convoy in which he was riding struck a homemade, roadside bomb when returning from Al Asad. Photo by: Sgt. Colin Wyers

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/6208B27A60B65B0485256EB5005549C4?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

06-15-2004

Report From A Grunt In Falluja



To: Hack

My vehicle was hit directly by an IED a few days ago and despite it being an up-armor HUMV it was pretty bent out of shape. Thank God none of my platoon members have been hurt. They are all good soldiers. Unfortunately, in this war, the IED's don't discriminate. I pray for their continued safety.

A couple days ago we had a Battalion Mission to snag some high profile targets from the CJTF7 Weapons of Mass destruction hit list. CJTF7 is the Coalition Joint Task Force between UK, US, Poland, etc.

Members of the CIA and other international "Spook" Agencies briefed us. Our company was dubbed the main effort of the Battalion and my Platoon was the main effort of the Company. We were tasked to conduct a cordon and search.

The mission was a success and no shots were fired. It wasn’t without incident as a couple of IED's went off in the middle of our location about 20 meters away from some of us and about 100 meters from me. Somehow, by the grace of God, no one was hurt. Some members of my platoon picked up chunks of hot shrapnel that landed all over the house at which they were located-200 meters from the blast.

My platoon was then tasked to clear the area of any other IEDs. An RTO spotted another that we walked past, so we quickly moved out of the area. Within the next hour interrogators were on a plane from Baghdad to interrogate our target. Our platoon was praised by the Brigade commander for the success of the mission. Missions like this are very common here.

It seems that some in Baghdad think that the Fallujah Brigade has done nothing to catch the enemy, simply because they are the enemy. Some of the locals we talk to say that these are the same guys we have been fighting, except that now we have bought them weapons and uniforms. We are constantly being IED'ed in front of their stations and on the roads they supposedly patrol.

The Iraqi Police are not much different here. Many Iraqis who have worked in our base have been killed or members of their family have been killed. And the Iraqi organization that knows the most about who works here are the Iraqi Police, who have a checkpoint in front of our main gate.

This is not true for all of Iraq, just Fallujah. When we were in Iskandariyah, the Iraqi Militia and Police usually ended up being the terrorist’s favorite target. The Iraqis down there fought bravely against the terrorists. However, here we’ve not seen any attacks on the Iraqi Militia or Police. This leads me to conclude that they are working with, or are, the bad guys. My hunch is that this is so because anyone who works with the Coalition will generally be targeted.

Due to the anti-Coalition sentiment in Fallujah, it will take longer to change the attitude of the people here. However, I do believe it is still possible. We have been running civil military patrols passing out soccer balls, candy, toys, and radios so they can listen to a legitimate news source instead of their mosque's loud speakers which encourage "anti-Christian and Jewish Jihads" several times a day.

The summer here has been beautiful in the evenings and mornings, with miserably hot afternoons. This place would be a great place to live if it weren't for this war. Camp Manhattan and Camp Habaniyah are pretty lush compared to the rest of desert here. The streets are lined with Palms and Eucalyptus and Oleanders. When this place becomes a stable democracy it will be the perfect spot for a golf course and vacation community along the Euphrates.

God Bless America, God Bless Iraq.

AN INFANTRY GRUNT

http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Special%20Reports.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=254&rnd=1.3019353518985976


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Tears and pride flowed with abundance early Sunday morning as families bid farewell to 85 Marines leaving for duty in Iraq.


The Marines are members of the Wing Support Squadron 472, Detachment Alpha, based in Wyoming. They were activated on June 1 and departed at 8 a.m. on Sunday for California, where they will spend several months performing desert training before leaving for Iraq for a seven-month tour.
Inside detachment headquarters, families spent one last hour with their loved ones before walking outside to board a bus. Once outside, tears began to flow as families got in one last hug before the Marines set off.
"As a father I feel fear and a little bit of pride, but the fear comes first," said Mike Hueber Sr. of Pottstown, who bid farewell to his son, Sgt. Mike Hueber. "Now I know what my father felt during Vietnam when my older brother went over."
He said he would follow the news ardently to keep abreast of his son's whereabouts.
Alice Golden of Scranton, who said good-bye to her son, Sgt. Robert Golden, will have twice as much reason to watch the news over the next several months. Robert will be joining his brother, William, at Camp Pendleton in California, where the two will be heading to Iraq together.
"Two is a lot to worry about," she said. "But it does give me comfort. They're very close and they'll definitely watch each other."
Families weren't the only ones feeling fear.
Sgt. John Crouser of Virginia said the Marines are relying on two things to see them through to a safe and successful mission in Iraq - training and fear.
"Everybody will try to say they're not scared, but to not fear something like this isn't human," Crouser said. "Fear is what's going to keep these Marines alive."
He said all of the Marines have received excellent training and are fully prepared for any mission. Crouser added he is anxious to apply what he has learned.
"There's a lot of courageous individuals in this room doing something many people don't want to do. There's nothing else we can do except continue to train and apply it when the time comes," he said.
Crouser said the deployment affects every Marine differently, depending on whether they're single or married and have a family.
"It's different for every Marine. A lot think about bills and how they'll support their family while gone, but all of us have thought about the dangers we're about to face," he said.
Despite the enormous amount of news coverage on the events in Iraq, Sgt. Robert Golden said much of what they will encounter is unknown and the Marines have to expect the unexpected.
But like the others, Golden said he has trained for this moment for many years and feels anxiousness and pride.
"You look at what our grandfathers have done in World War II and our fathers in Vietnam, and now it's your time to go over there," he said. "That gives you a lot of pride."
Lance Corporal Luke Homison said he was feeling fear and excitement as he waited to board the bus. But the biggest concern, he said, was making sure all his personal matters were in order back home.
"We train hard here, so I'm not worried about going over," he said. "We'll finally be able to put our training to the test."


tvenesky@citizensvoice.com



http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11943717&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Chaplain Unger is from MCCDC Doctrine Division. He's been in Iraq for the <br />
past four months. <br />
<br />
30 May 2004 <br />
<br />
Dear Friends, <br />
<br />
This is my third letter from Iraq. I have been working myself into...

[thedrifter]

Pentagon: Marines will maintain seven-month Middle East rotation schedule


By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, June 16, 2004



ARLINGTON, Va. — Marines already in Iraq and those bound for the next rotation in the Middle East will continue on the current seven-month deployment cycle, according to a Pentagon spokesman.

During a Thursday meeting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee made a “good and compelling” case to keep the seven-month rotation, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday.

Rumsfeld was curious as to why the Marine Corps deployed its units for seven months, while the Army for 12 months, he said.

“Any time you have two services approach what is essentially the same problem in different ways, it’s worth taking a look at it and making sure it makes sense to do it that way,” Whitman said.

“Seven-month rotations will be the way we will be doing business,” said Corps spokesman Maj. Jason Johnston.

The Corps, with just more than 176,000 active members and about 39,000 reservists, is stretched thin because of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and the Horn of Africa. About 25,000 Marines are deployed to Iraq.

When the Corps was tapped last year to contribute forces to stabilization efforts in Iraq, the plan called for two rotations lasting seven months each. Manpower officials have said the Corps operates best on six-month rotational cycles, giving the service “the greatest flexibility in meeting our global requirement,” said spokesman Capt. Dan McSweeney.

Deploying Marines to Iraq for seven months instead of the traditional six was done with “flexibility built in,” McSweeney said.

“You don’t want to have an entire unit come in all at once. This allows for time to share information and an understanding of the area of responsibility” between inbound and outbound units and their leaders, he said.

Members of the I Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters element, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., are the exception, and will be in Iraq for 12 or 14 months, he said.


Pentagon: Marines will maintain seven-month Middle East rotation schedule


By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, June 16, 2004



ARLINGTON, Va. — Marines already in Iraq and those bound for the next rotation in the Middle East will continue on the current seven-month deployment cycle, according to a Pentagon spokesman.

During a Thursday meeting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee made a “good and compelling” case to keep the seven-month rotation, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday.

Rumsfeld was curious as to why the Marine Corps deployed its units for seven months, while the Army for 12 months, he said.

“Any time you have two services approach what is essentially the same problem in different ways, it’s worth taking a look at it and making sure it makes sense to do it that way,” Whitman said.

“Seven-month rotations will be the way we will be doing business,” said Corps spokesman Maj. Jason Johnston.

The Corps, with just more than 176,000 active members and about 39,000 reservists, is stretched thin because of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and the Horn of Africa. About 25,000 Marines are deployed to Iraq.

When the Corps was tapped last year to contribute forces to stabilization efforts in Iraq, the plan called for two rotations lasting seven months each. Manpower officials have said the Corps operates best on six-month rotational cycles, giving the service “the greatest flexibility in meeting our global requirement,” said spokesman Capt. Dan McSweeney.

Deploying Marines to Iraq for seven months instead of the traditional six was done with “flexibility built in,” McSweeney said.

“You don’t want to have an entire unit come in all at once. This allows for time to share information and an understanding of the area of responsibility” between inbound and outbound units and their leaders, he said.

Members of the I Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters element, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., are the exception, and will be in Iraq for 12 or 14 months, he said.


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=22791

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines help village with food, water, medical aid
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 2004615105351
Story by Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III



SAHL HAWRAN, Iraq (June 15, 2004) -- The Marines and Sailors of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing to perform convoy security and conduct patrols, swarmed the village here, June 12, bringing fresh fruit, candy and much-needed bottled drinking water.

Sgt. Andrew K. Van Riper, 1st squad leader, 2nd platoon, Co. L, led his Marines here with one thing in mind: making a positive and lasting impression upon the villagers who required their assistance after living under an oppressive dictator for nearly 30 years.

"It's a friendly village, but they do not have any clean (source) of drinking water, no physician and the ratio of children to adults is four-to-one, if not more," said the 28-year-old Boone, N.C., native. "We intend to (visit here) at least twice a month. Basically, we are here to continue to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people."

According to Van Riper, the Marines discovered the need for help here when a local expressed his concerns about a nearby gunnery impact area.

"The village lays right on the edge of the boundary of our test fire impact area," said Van Riper. "It is not in danger of being hit, but the shock waves and noises reach them."

With the assistance of a Department of Defense translator/interpreter who was with the unit for the day, Van Riper tried to explain the military's artillery exercises would not harm the village, despite the proximity between the impact area and here.

"We reassured them they are safe, but they still feel like they are in danger," Van Riper said. "One villager told us there is so much more open desert we can fire on and that he would even be willing to show us where it is."

A local named Ahmeen said the Marines' visit was the first time since the end of hostilities last year that any coalition forces had come here offering help, even though the village has been hospitable to U.S. forces.

"The Army never came here to help us," he said. "They only came to search our homes for weapons and terrorists. We told (the Army) that we are friendly and we would not allow terrorists to operate in our village. If they were to give (us) a problem, we would report it to the Americans."

Ahmeen noted that the largest problem here is not lack of food or medical assistance.

"The bigger problem we face is no power," he said. "We have not had power in this village since before the war even started. We have the wires already installed, but nothing to give them power. We need power to fix our farm equipment and cook and clean."

Ahmeen added the people here are indebted to the Marines for the services they have been providing since visiting.

"We are very thankful for the food and water," he said. "The gifts you brought my children are also very (appreciated)."

One of the children, Aziz, said he enjoyed the gifts the Marines delivered and looks forward to experiencing the generosity of the leathernecks again.

"I liked the fruit and the candy the (Marines) brought," he said. "One of the Marines told me the next time he comes, he will bring me a (football)."

The expressions of gratitude could not be verbally understood because of the language barrier, but one Marine could sense their appreciation by the way the children reacted.

"I don't speak Arabic and most of them don't speak English, so I could only imagine what they were thinking," said Lance Cpl. Marcus A. Kenny, 2nd fire team leader, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L. "There were so many children who saw what we were doing and you don't need to have verbal contact with them to know what they are thinking, you can see it on their faces."

The 22-year-old Maryville, Tenn., native added that he was very sympathetic when he first learned of the poverty here.

"When we first (came here) and I saw these people had no clean drinking water, I felt bad for them," he said.

Cpl. Jason W. Maddison, 1st fire team leader, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L, believes what the Marines are doing here will make a lasting impression on the future generations of Iraq.

"Those (children) can never grow up to hate Americans," said the 23-year-old Sevier County, Tenn., native. "They are going to remember that an American brought them water and food and asked for nothing in return. They are going to be able to grow up and tell their friends, 'Why hate Americans because this what they did for me.'"

Lance Cpl. Zach L. Craig, rifleman, 2nd fire team, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L, expressed his beliefs based on what he has experienced since his arrival in theater nearly four months ago.

"We went from kicking down doors, to knocking on doors and giving these people the assistance they need," said the 19-year-old Farragut, Tenn., native. "I think it is our responsibility as a world super-power to take care of the countries that are in need."

Capt. Allen C. Laughlin, platoon commander, 2nd platoon, Co. L, and 37-year-old Durham, N.C., native, summed up the objective of the operation best when he expressed his opinion of the visit.

"For whatever reasons people fight against each other, the children are the ones who suffer," he said. "Hopefully, what we did will show the adults that we really are here to help and also show the children that just because we wear uniforms, we are not bad people."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004615121836/$file/001-HawranVillage-lr.jpg

The awestruck look on the face of an Iraqi child made the visit worthwhile for the Marines of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, who had just given her soda and fruit in the village of Sahl Hawran, Iraq, June 12. The Marines brought bottled water, fresh fruit, as well as other treats for the children. The Reserve infantry company from Johnson City, Tenn., is attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing to provide convoy security and conduct patrols in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/9EDA739BF5FDAA4085256EB40051D5E8?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Creative ideas harvested to outfit Marines under fire in Iraq <br />
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group <br />
Story Identification #: 200461674613 <br />
Story by Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere <br />
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