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thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:16 AM
Marines deliver firepower to Ramadi Police Academy
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200410135369
Story by Sgt. Luis R. Agostini



ABU GHRAIB, Iraq (Oct. 11, 2004) -- Marines with Combat Service Support Company 115 delivered more than 18,500 weapons, ammunition and supplies to the Ramadi Police Academy Oct. 11, 2004.

The Ramadi Police Academy will use the weapons, ammunition and supplies to train their recruits in handcuffing procedures and weapons familiarization, said 2nd Lt. Brendan A. Rome, CSSC-115's motor transportation platoon commander, who led the convoy to the weapons pickup site.

The company, comprised mostly of truck drivers, picked up the weapons and other gear at a warehouse on the morning of Oct. 10.

Although the drivers with CSSC-115 oversaw the weapons pickup and delivery as just another convoy operation, one of three they completed within the past 36 hours, the combat service support staff's role is vital in the quality of training of Iraq's National Guard and police forces, said Rome.

CSSC-115, part of the 1st Force Service Support Group, directly supports Marines operating in hotspots like Fallujah and Ramadi. The 1st FSSG is responsible for providing logistical support, such as food, ammunition and medical supplies, to all Marine forces operating in Iraq.

While combat service support units are delivering weapons and supplies to future Iraqi law enforcers, U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched joint operations throughout Iraq in the past week, moving against multiple targets across the central Iraqi province in a continuing campaign to restore security and stability here.

Just today, an Iraqi SWAT team, backed by elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, killed two insurgents and seized 10 more suspects in a skirmish near the south-central Iraqi city of Lutafiyah, according to a Marine Corps statement.

More than 100 suspected insurgents have been captured in the Northern Babil province since Oct. 5, when Iraqi and U.S. forces launched a fresh operation to capture or kill anti-Iraqi forces and disrupt their activity, according to the statement.

Joint operations like these are the result of U.S. efforts to train and supply Iraq's National Guard to stabilize and secure their country on their own.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004101354223/$file/WEAPONSPICKUPSTRAP041009_LO.jpg

Cpl. Dimitri Petrenko, top, and Lance Cpl. Jesse W. Carpenter tighten a cargo strap during a weapons pickup at Abu Ghraib Warehouse Oct. 10, 2004. Marines with CSSC-115 delivered more than 18,500 weapons, ammunition and supplies to the Ramadi Police Academy Oct. 11, 2004. The Ramadi Police Academy will use the weapons, ammunition and supplies for training their recruits in handcuffing procedures and weapons familiarization. CSSC-115, part of the 1st Force Service Support Group, directly supports Marines operating in hotspots like Fallujah and Ramadi. The 1st FSSG is responsible for providing logistical support, such as food, ammunition and medical supplies, to all Marine forces operating in Iraq. Petrenko is a 24-year-old native of Queens, N.Y., and Carpenter is a 24-year-old Martinez, Calif., native. Photo by: Sgt. Luis R. Agostini

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/CE6EA315A4CE1F8B85256F2C0034BFA7?opendocument

Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:17 AM
I MEF Marines obtain U.S. citizenship in Iraq
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 2004101364436
Story by Staff Sgt. A. C. Mink



BAGHDAD, Iraq (Oct. 3, 2004) -- Marines and Soldiers stood alone and in groups, like nervous fathers waiting for their first child. Some paced, some stood talking - anything to pass the time before their long journey came to an end.

They came from as far away as Haiti, Mexico and Brazil, as well as a few who were even returning to their homeland of Iraq.

Two First Marine Expeditionary Force Marines and 32 Soldiers, swore in as United States citizens in the Al Faw Palace here Oct. 3. The ceremony was the first of its kind held in Iraq, and was the prototype for many to come.

"There are more than 45,000 service members in the United States military who are pursuing their U.S. citizenship," said keynote speaker, the Honorable Eduardo Aquirre, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, U. S. Department of Homeland Security, following remarks by Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, commanding general, Multi-National Corps, Iraq. "Some of (the servicemembers) here have waited years for this moment. I would like to see the rest attain their citizenship as well."

The ceremony, held in the rotunda of the palace, was witnessed by hundreds who lined the walls on each of its three levels, including servicemembers from around the world and some of the top American officers in Iraq.

"I am just glad to finally be here," said Sgt. Demetrios Kontizas, administrative chief, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, who was told just a few weeks prior to the ceremony that his citizenship paperwork wasn't ready and that he wasn't going to be able take part in the ceremony.

Kontizas, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and grew up in Queens, N.Y., first applied several years ago, but because he was in the Marine Corps, his paperwork couldn't keep pace with his change of duty assignments. He reapplied in San Diego, but missed an appointment with the naturalization office, when he received orders to deploy to Iraq in February.

"I didn't think it was going to happen," said the sergeant, whose dream of becoming a Marine officer was hindered due to a requirement for American citizenship. "I felt betrayed. It had been more than two years, and now I was being (denied) with no way to fix it."

"This is the type of issue that occurs with applications from military members," said Leigh Colitre, immigration officer, Athens District Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "We lose them for years, and only find them again when they reapply for citizenship. It is hoped that the (proposed) amendment will alleviate this type of issue, and expedite the process for military members."

Motivated by the Marine who attained the rank of sergeant meritoriously, in addition to being named Noncommissioned of the Quarter while here in Iraq, members of Kontizas' command and I MEF representatives looked into the issue. The once arrested process stirred into motion.

"The first thing I will do when I get back to Al Asad is complete my officer's package," remarked the Brazilian Marine with an infectious smile.

Unfortunately, more than half a dozen I MEF Marines on the list, and dozens of Soldiers, did not take part in the ceremony, due to operational commitments, redeployment out of country and other issues. However, according to Virginia T. Palomares, immigration officer, Rome District Office, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who traveled with Colitre to Baghdad specifically to interview and complete the naturalization process for the military members, the Oct. 3 ceremony was only the beginning.

Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services personnel plan to repeat this process as often as possible, in essence, taking the process to the military members who are serving the country.

Prior to their trip to Baghdad, the lion's share of the arduous paperwork process for the candidates was completed.

"Specific procedures, including background checks were completed to ensure that we are connecting the correct benefit to the correct person," said Palomares. "We don't want anyone to show up just to find out they were ineligible."

The "candidates" arrived alone and in groups over the days preceding the ceremony, to complete the interview process and take their citizenship test.

"I was really nervous," said Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Cardale Harrison a personnel chief with the 308th Transportation Company, who grew up in Lincoln, Neb., after coming to America from Thailand.

However, as each applicant completed the process and took their citizenship test, there was a marked change in their demeanor.

"The officers kept the setting relaxed, but professional, so it was easier than I thought it would be," said Harrison, who didn't learn he wasn't an American citizen until a few years ago.

Following several days of practice, the ceremony may have at first seemed anti-climactic.
Differing from many citizenship ceremonies in America, there was no one draped in the U. S. flag. No crying or outward displays drew attention to individuals.
In fact, the rotunda was absolutely silent for a few seconds following the final words of the oath, uttered in one voice by the candidates. However, as applause filled the palace that was once the vacation home of a dictator, as one, the Marines and Soldiers stood taller and their chests swelled with pride. One could even spy smiles sneaking onto the serious faces.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Australian Army Cpl. Gavin Walker, a coalition member who made friends with several of the candidates.

"I feel kind of weird," said Lance Cpl. Jose M. Fonseca, Bravo Co., 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, whose tour in Iraq ends soon. "In a matter of days I'll go back to the States, and I'll be a citizen."

Fonseca, whose family immigrated to America when he was a toddler in 1983, says he grew up in San Diego with "all the Marines and Sailors," so joining the Marine Corps was "just in the cards."

As the rotunda emptied, following the ceremony, one soldier, formerly of Iraq, looked around the room. The gravity of the moment took on a whole new meaning when, clutching his tiny American flag, he turned to another soldier and said, "I never thought I would be standing here to become an American."

Note: The names of the Soldier whose came from Iraq have been kept out of the story in the interest of security. Information for military members seeking U.S. citizenship is available online at: http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/MilitaryBrochurev7.htm.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4CD10B7CDFA62DA685256F2C003B03F1?opendocument


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:18 AM
Credible Iraqi force offers best hope for success

BY JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY


The contenders for president of the United States have finally gotten around to addressing the question of the war we are fighting now in Iraq -- as opposed to the one we fought a long time ago. But the solutions of both of them for bringing American soldiers and Marines home rest on building a credible Iraqi security force to take their place.

Both Kerry and Bush acknowledge that any American troop draw-down or withdrawal depends on how swiftly the interim Iraqi government and the Americans can train, equip and stand up an Iraqi security force: army, national guard, police, border security, riverine force, navy and coast guard.

A senior American military officer, who asked that he not be named, told me last week that at present we have 230,000 Iraqi security and military forces in uniform. This number will top 250,000 within another month or so.

The situation, the official said, is improving every week -- but remains ''uneven in many respects.'' He cited some success stories, including the performance of Iraqi forces in the Najaf siege. He also noted that recently Iraqi counter-terror forces captured three key lieutenants of rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, 40 of his militia and seven dump-truck loads of weapons and ammunition in one raid, without a single casualty, in Najaf.

That said, the Iraqi forces have been virtually neutralized when not operating directly with American forces in the area of greatest danger, Anbar province, where the baddest of the bad guys rule the roost in no-go towns like Ramadi and, until last week, Samarra.

There, insurgents and foreign terrorists use intimidation and threats to great effect against Iraqis who support the government.

Equipping the Iraqi forces is moving ahead after a glacial beginning last year. Since July the Americans have issued the Iraqi forces nearly 23 million rounds of small arms ammunition, 42,000 armored vests, 4,400 vehicles and tens of thousands of AK-47 rifles and pistols.

The Americans have a very optimistic timetable for rapidly growing the Iraqi army, which at present is composed of only three regular army battalions and three intervention battalions. Eight more battalions are scheduled to complete training by the end of November. By the end of January the Americans hope to have a total of 27 Iraqi Army battalions ready for service.

This is in addition to 45 national guard battalions, 40 of which are currently operating and have some degree of momentum in safer regions outside the Iron Triangle of Sunni territory. But only a few of the national guard units could be said to be fully trained and fully equipped.

The same can be said of many of the earliest recruits for the Iraqi police, who got only the bare minimum of six weeks training.

Still, the American official said training capacity has expanded greatly, and there are now more than 3,000 going through basic police academy training, and that number is expanding quickly. Another 1,500 special public order troops, 400 border security troops and 200 special police are in training at any given time.

American advisors are being inserted in Iraqi regular army battalions to mentor the officers and noncommissioned officers, and there is talk of attaching an Iraqi battalion to every American brigade operating in Iraq for further training and to boost both their morale and effectiveness.

What no one wants to see and what the fledgling Iraqi government cannot afford is another incident such as the one last April when a new Iraqi army battalion was ordered to board trucks to Fallujah to join the fierce fighting there between the U.S. Marines and a determined insurgent force and foreign terrorists. The battalion soldiers balked on the road, ordered the trucks to turn around and went home without firing a shot.

The results in the fighting in Samarra, where American and Iraqi troops fought alongside each other, were quite satisfactory, and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is hailing this as the new model.

Two candidates for president and 135,000 American troops based in Iraq are sure hoping it works.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/9871564.htm


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:19 AM
In Iraq, Courtesy Call Takes Poise and a Convoy
Building Peace Is Goal For Civil Affairs Team Of D.C.-Based Marines

By Steve Fainaru
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 12, 2004; Page A18

MUSAYYIB, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Chris Fritz set out for a meeting with the mayor of Musayyib to discuss the needs of the city in a convoy of nine armored trucks equipped with .50-caliber machine guns and Mark 19 automatic grenade launchers. He was protected by three dozen Marines wearing full body armor and carrying assault rifles and assorted mortars and grenades.

The convoy rumbled up to the Musayyib city hall around 11 a.m.

Excuse me, is the mayor here? We have a meeting," Fritz said to a man standing near the entrance.

"No, I'm sorry," the man replied through Fritz's interpreter. "We have a new mayor today. This is his first day, but he has not come yet."

Five minutes later the new mayor, Mahdi Abdul Hussein, whom Fritz had never heard of, came walking up the street.

Fritz took the meeting with him.

It was all in a day's work for Fritz and four other members of a Marine civil affairs team based at the Anacostia Naval Station, one of just two such units in the Marine Corps. The team's unenviable task here is to build peace in the middle of a war.

The men are reservists who were placed on active duty to lead reconstruction efforts in the northern part of Iraq's Babil province, about 30 miles south of Baghdad. Fritz, 35, is a real estate agent from Springfield. The team's leader, Capt. Alex Wright, 31, of Baltimore, last worked at his family's medical practice near Towson. Cpl. Boris Diaz Manzur, 26, of Fairfax, is an engineer. Lance Cpl. Julien Werbicki, 19, of Washington, is an engineering student at Montgomery College in Rockville. Rounding out the team is Lance Cpl. Brian Kim, 19, also of Fairfax.

Outside the team's barracks, above a bunker, is a sign that reads "Washington D.C., 6,224 miles."

A day on the job with Fritz revealed the challenges facing U.S. troops assigned to what are called civil-military operations in Iraq. U.S. officials regard the country's reconstruction as critical to winning over Iraqi sentiments before planned elections in January.

"Our whole mission is to interact with the populace," said Fritz. But just getting to the populace can be challenging.

The convoy that would transport Fritz left the gates of Camp Iskandariyah, the forward operating base for the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, at midmorning Thursday. U.S. military vehicles had been attacked several times with roadside bombs and small-arms fire in the preceding weeks, according to Staff Sgt. Jason Jones, of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, who was leading the convoy.

In a last-minute briefing, Jones told the Marines that their mission was to escort a member of the civil affairs team to the city council building in downtown Musayyib, about 15 miles south of the base. "Remember, it gets real congested down there," he said. "Nothing has changed in the situation with the enemy."

Fritz, who is both intense and exceedingly polite, sat in the passenger seat while Diaz drove an armored Humvee.

The convoy turned south on Highway 9. The Marines scanned the sides of the road for potential bombs in cardboard boxes, mounds of garbage, concrete blocks and melted asphalt. The vehicles traveled at 35 mph and stayed at least 100 feet from one another "so we don't have more than one vehicle in the kill zone at the same time," explained Fritz.

"Distance! Distance! Too close, keep more distance!" Fritz warned Diaz.

Someone had scrawled "No No USA" in English on a white concrete wall. Fritz waved at the Iraqis. Some waved back and smiled. Others glared. A boy no older than 5 laughed and pointed both index fingers at the passing vehicles, as if he were shooting.

Sandbags, a coil of razor wire and a six-foot log protected the entrance to the Musayyib city hall.

When Hussein, the new mayor, arrived, he told Fritz that he had just been elected by the city council. There was no explanation of what had happened to the old mayor, who had arranged to have Fritz meet with him and a group of sheiks from Jurf al-Sakhr, a restive town on the west side of the Euphrates River. Hussein invited Fritz inside.

The mayor's new office contained a lacquered wooden desk set up in front of two facing couches and chairs. The ceiling had four gaping holes. Six members of the city council joined the meeting.

"I am Staff Sergeant Fritz. I'd just like to congratulate you on your election," Fritz said as the new mayor smiled and nodded. "How long are you going to be mayor?"

"I don't know," said Hussein.

"I hope your term is long enough to do some good for the people of Musayyib," said Fritz. "Now, what are some of the things we might be able to help you with?"

"Well, I am new," said Hussein. "But the most important thing is security."

Members of the city council then took turns peppering Fritz with complaints. One told him that the new, U.S.-trained Iraqi police officers were cowardly and ineffective. Another told him that the military had alienated local sheiks by failing to provide their sons positions in the new police forces.

Another, who identified himself as Mohammad Khalil, said the military had recently detained prominent sheiks who had wanted to help U.S. forces stamp out the insurgency.

"These sheiks wanted to cooperate, and you go and capture them," Khalil complained. "You've got to check your information. You've got to check with the city council and the chief of police. Maybe someday you'll get some information and come and arrest me."

Fritz answered each complaint calmly and politely. He explained that he did not know why the sheiks had been arrested but said "they must have been doing some bad things to the coalition forces and the Iraqi people."

Another member of the city council, Sataa Alhamdani, told Fritz that security in Musayyib had deteriorated since U.S. forces toppled former president Saddam Hussein.

"Look, the American Army came to remove Saddam Hussein, which was very good for the Iraqi people," said Alhamdani. "The first few months the situation was normal. But after a while the terrorists came from Baghdad, and now the whole world is fighting America all across Iraq."

Alhamdani glared at Fritz.

"You are using the Iraqi people as armor for the U.S. military," he said. "I don't want to say this -- I never thought I'd hear myself say this -- but we want Saddam back. For all the violence and terrorism that we are living through, I have to say we want Saddam back. . . . You asked us what we want? What does it matter if our children can't go to school because of the security situation?"

Fritz nodded politely. "My goal is to work with you to make Iraq the great country it once was," he told the mayor and the city council.

The session ended with the mayor and city council agreeing to another meeting in the near future. Fritz rose, picked up his helmet and rifle, and shook hands with Hussein and each council member. He walked out into the hallway, where other Iraqis gathered around him to ask questions and lodge complaints.

Fritz walked outside and got back in the Humvee. Diaz steered into traffic. The convoy inched through the Musayyib market area, which was filled with people selling produce and meat in the broiling afternoon. Men stared at the passing vehicles.

"All these guys are thinking, damn, if I only had an RPG," said Diaz, referring to a rocket-propelled grenade.

Fritz looked from side to side.

"Hell, this is almost like driving on M Street," he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25528-2004Oct11_3.html


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:20 AM
Marine battled Iraqi insurgents

Palmdale High graduate served two tours


By Karen Maeshiro
Staff Writer


PALMDALE -- Marine Cpl. Donald Jordan III is home from seven months in Iraq, waging war in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, where he came under mortar and sniper fire.
Once, he got knocked out by a rocket-propelled grenade that exploded 10 feet away during a nighttime ambush; while running for cover after snipers opened fire on his unit during a patrol, an 82 mm mortar shell landed near him, "the loudest explosion of my life."

Seven Marines from his company were killed when a truck they were riding in was the target of a suicide bomber, and a machine-gunner riding atop a Humvee was shot in the head during a patrol.

"I had a couple of close calls. By the grace of God I made it out of there," said Jordan, 21, a 2001 Palmdale High School graduate who went to boot camp after graduation.

Jordan, who is with the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment out of Camp Pendleton, returned home two days ago from his second -- and last scheduled -- tour in Iraq.

A small white sign hung off the edge of the garage roof of his home that said, "Welcome Home Corp. Donald Jordan, Semper Fi."

He had been in Fallujah, north of Baghdad, from late February through the first week of October. In 2003, he served 2 months in a southeastern port city near the Kuwait border.

His parents, Donald Jr. and Deborah, were glad to have their son home. They kept in contact with him through e-mail and satellite telephones, and did a lot of praying.

"Anytime the phone rang, we fought to get there," Deborah Jordan said.

Jordan said it felt good to be with family. "I thank God I can see them again. It feels good to see my mom here. It feels good to say, Hi Dad," Jordan said.

Jordan likened his work in Fallujah to being a police officer, although under more stressful conditions, conducting patrols and confiscating weapons in an environment he said at times was like urban or guerrilla warfare.

"It was something that's hard to describe. Every morning, you wake up to bombs going off, you never go anywhere by yourself, rounds flying overhead while you are walking on the street," Jordan said.

His company was in the city for about a month and a half before pulling out and setting up camp on the city's outskirts under an agreement with local officials. They then did joint patrols with local police forces.

"If you see someone beating a kid or somebody getting injured, you go stop it," Jordan said. "We were trying to be nice to them and trying to get information so we can get the bad guys out of there."

The killing of the machine-gunner atop the Humvee was the first casualty for Jordan's company. It happened while returning from patrol a day after four American civilian contractors were killed, some of their charred remains strung from a bridge.

"It was, like, we were going in there to get the guys who did this," Jordan said. Jordan recalled seeing "tracer rounds going everywhere" during that attack.

The contrast between north and south Iraq was striking in terms of attitudes toward American soldiers.

In the south in 2003, "it was just like they loved us. They were cooperative and happy to see us. The guys would cry and hug us. Women threw flowers," Jordan said.

In Fallujah, "it's totally different. You wave at them, and they flip you off or stare," Jordan said.

Jordan said the war has changed him. He said he's stronger and less afraid.

"It's made me a little more alert, the way I look at things, the way I deal with different situations. I don't back down on things," Jordan said during an interview in his living room. "If you make it out of there, what should you be afraid of? If you want something, just go after it."

Jordan has 11 months left to serve in the Marines and is thinking about becoming a police officer.

One thing he missed most on his most recent tour, aside from his family, was sourdough bread. He said he dreamed of the Jack in the Box Sourdough Jack sandwich.

"I bought one yesterday and swallowed it," Jordan said.

Karen Maeshiro, (661) 257-5744 karen.maeshiro@dailynews.com

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20943~2461200,00.html


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 06:21 AM
24 MEU Armor Art Brings Aircrafts to Life
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 20041010115317
Story by Lance Cpl. Sarah A. Beavers



CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (Oct. 10, 2004) -- The Marine Corps has developed many time-honored traditions since its establishment in 1775, one of which is the personalization of its aircraft. To many, these flying machines may seem to be nothing more than a mechanical marvel with the ability to transport personnel and supplies to various locations within an area of operation. Yet, to the Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, it's a representation of the close working relationship they share with their helicopters.

"When (Marines) personalize an aircraft, it gives them a sense of involvement in everything the aircraft does," said Lt. Col. Roy Osborn, 42, a CH-46E Sea Knight pilot from Groveton, Texas, and commanding officer of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element of the 24th MEU.

However, before the painting can take place, the first step is to give their helo a name.

"Marines (usually) name their aircraft something that relates to their own lives," said Sgt. Joel Giulano, 29, a CH-46E Sea Knight crew chief with HMM-263, from Gloversville, N.Y. "Mine is from a Grateful Dead song - "Eazywind" -- about a guy working hard at his job, (struggling with) his boss and wife. It was the epitomy of everything I felt."

Next, there's the decision of whether to have their personal design done professionally, or by their own hands. For the more artistically inclined Marines, this is their opportunity to give something of themselves to their aircraft.

"It means more when you paint it yourself," said Cpl. Daniel Yorba, 23, a Juneau, Alaska, native and CH-46E Sea Knight crew chief with HMM-263. "When (the armor is) airbrushed (by professionals), it just doesn't have as much soul."

But having the initiative to apply a personal design is no easy task. It's a time-consuming process that requires patience, talent, and a solid technique.

"First," said Yorba, one of the MEU's artists, "cut a piece of metal and bend the edges over the armor. Then, you prime it and draw the basic design with a pencil. (After that, you) paint it, clear-coat it, and get holes drilled to go over the armor."

Even when tragedy strikes, and a helicopter goes down, one of the few pieces Marines look to recover is the armor art. This is especially true when Marines have built a bond with their machine, encompassing overseas travel into combat zones over many years.

"That aircraft has been an extension of my life," said Giulano. "I'd been with it for six years, (to include) three deployments. (The armor art) is something in the aircraft that's a piece of us we can bring back. It's a representation of who we are."

People who don't work directly with these helos may not understand the bond each crew chief, mechanic, or pilot shares with these machines. However, they can always look at the illustration bolted against its steel exterior, and gain a better idea of not only what they're flying in, but with whom.

"Aircraft as old as ours have idiosyncrasies that they're known for," adds Osborn. "Each aircraft has a life of its own."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20041010121553/$file/041001-M-1250B-001low.jpg

Cpl. Daniel Yorba, of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, draws future armor art designs in his sketchbook during his free time at Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq.
Yorba, 23, is a Juneau, Alaska, native and a CH-46E Sea Knight crew chief with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, the aviation combat element of the 24th MEU.
Marines of the 24th MEU are currently conducting security and stability in the Northern Babil province.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Sarah A. Beavers

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/AB9CDCE23F02B1C585256F2900574698?opendocument

Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 09:13 AM
High court declines to decide the media's right of access to combat troops


WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to decide whether the Pentagon is constitutionally obligated to give news media access to U.S. troops during combat.

The court, without comment, rejected the appeal by Larry Flynt, the self-described smut peddler who publishes Hustler magazine. He was challenging a lower ruling earlier this year that the First Amendment does not shield journalists from government interference in gathering news from the battlefield.

"During war or other times of armed conflict, press representatives play a unique role in providing the American people with an independent source of information concerning the government's actions ... in a setting where the vast majority of Americans do not have personal access," Flynt stated in his legal filing.

Flynt sued the Defense Department after officials declined his request to have reporters accompany the first wave of U.S. troops sent to Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Defense officials then said only a small number of troops were in Afghanistan and that "the highly dangerous and unique nature of their work make it very difficult to embed media." They also noted that the media was given access to other aspects of military operations.

In their legal filing, government lawyers also argued that a First Amendment right of access does not extend to "government property or information that is not open to the public."

In February, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with Pentagon officials, concluding there "is nothing we have found in the Constitution, American history, or our case law to support" the claim that reporters have that constitutional right.

The case is Flynt v. Rumsfeld, 04-33.



On the Net:

Supreme Court: www.supremecourtus.gov/

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20041012-0721-scotus-troopaccess.html


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 10:50 AM
ING and 1/2 Marines help Iraqi children return to school
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 20041093639
Story by Sgt. Zachary A. Bathon



FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq (Oct. 5, 2004) -- Bright smiles and happy faces greeted Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as they arrived at a local school with a seven-ton truck loaded with new desks and other supplies for the students.

Soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard and Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, carried the desks and supplies to an empty classroom, where they will be passed out to the students for use in their new school year.

Throughout the month of October, the battalion and other subordinate elements of the MEU will visit schools in the immediate area as part of MEU’s Back to School Program.

“The 24th MEU and (1/2) are sponsoring 12 schools in the area, giving them a chance to improve their learning environment with new desks and other schools supplies like backpacks, pens and pencils,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Fritz, 35, an Alexandria, Va., native, and Civil Affairs Chief attached to BLT 1/2.

Throughout the school year, companies from the battalion will visit schools and make notes of needed improvements. They also listen to concerns from teachers and head masters as to what else they can do to help out the school.

“If the companies have the means to support some of the smaller projects, they will go ahead and do them,” said Fritz. “This includes things like painting and removing trash from the area.”

Many of the schools in the area are in poor condition, and most of the teachers are paid little.

“Most of these places have spartan learning conditions,” added Fritz. “They have two to three kids per desk and very little in the way of educational extras. That is what we are trying to provide.”

Along with making small improvements, the Marines from the Civil Affairs Group are also working on getting other items for the schools such as blackboards and athletic equipment.

Additionally, the MEU is looking into installing two wells at two of the schools to provide drinking water.

So far, the Marines have received a mostly warm reception.

“Some of the faculty have been slightly hesitant to work with us at first, but once they find out our purpose they are a little more cooperative,” said Cpl. Boris S. Diazmanzur, 26, a Fairfax, Va., native, and civil affairs Marine attached to the 24th MEU. “The best thing, though, is to see the kids smile when they see us.”

“The kids are the future of this country,” said Fritz. “By doing this program, we allow (the Iraqis) to see a different side of Americans than the ones kicking in doors and waving weapons in their face.”

“Hopefully (the people) will see the Americans are here to benefit all Iraqis and learn to trust us through their children,” added Fritz. “I think the key is to have the Marines interact with the kids. It allows them to relax a little and show their true face.
That is the key to winning the population over.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200410931517/$file/041004-M-7371B-003lores.jpg

An Iraqi child tries out a new desk delivered to a school in Iskandariyah, Iraq, Oct. 4 by Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard as part of the MEU’s Back to School Campaign.
The Marines are from Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines.
The 24th MEU is currently conducting security and stability operations in Northern Babil Province.
Photo by: Sgt. Zachary A. Bathon

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4D9E681D8DDADAF085256F2800270FCD?opendocument


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 03:29 PM
"Cowboys" Tame the Far East

The Marine Corps Forces Reserve is more and more a significant piece of the Corps' overall deployment pie in the war on terrorism and is adding several "firsts" as reservists are activated and deployed.

As a strong player on the air-ground team, the Marines, or "Cowboys," of Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron (VMFA) 112, home-based in Fort Worth, Texas, deployed to the Western Pacific on June 8. Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41, Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing, the Cowboys earned the historic distinction of being the first Marine Reserve fighter squadron to be mobilized for the global war on terrorism.

Staff Sergeant Russell R. "Rusty" Baker, MAG-41's public affairs chief, reported that the squadron deployed from Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth with "approximately 200 active-duty and Reserve Marines from VMFA-112, [MAG-41], and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41." Their initial destination was Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, where the squadron became part of III Marine Expeditionary Force's 1stMAW. Kadena was to be one of several bases the squadron operated from as it marked another first: its first operational deployment as a squadron outside the United States since World War II.

With a warfighting complement of 12 F/A-18A+ Hornets, the primary mission of the fighter/attack squadron is to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft under all weather conditions and support the commander on the ground with deep interdiction and close air support. The "A+" designation signifies that expanded warfighting capabilities have been incorporated into the aircraft.

The Hornets of VMFA-112 underwent some significant improvements to bring them up to speed for the deployment. Enhanced radar, navigation and night-vision systems gave the aircraft capabilities that rival those of any of the Corps' regular squadrons.

In fact, SSgt Baker noted, "The squadron [had] gained the designation of a trusted agent in working directly with Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake [California] while testing the new Air Intercept Missile-9X Sidewinder, as well as the joint direct attack munition [JDAM]."

Baker also reported, "Getting the squadron's 12 aircraft ready for the deployment was no easy task. Total man-hours for the month prior to the departure were 14,800. Approximately 5,000 of those man-hours were logged by the recently activated Reserve Marines."

A supporting element from MALS-41 and headquarters, MAG-41 accompanied the squadron. As a premier intermediate maintenance facility in 4thMAW, MALS-41 is a joint integrated maintenance unit with Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The MALS-41 team in Fort Worth provides direct support for Wing squadrons, regardless of their location. The aircraft group headquarters also augmented the deploying squadron with administrative personnel and a combat photographer, Corporal Joshua A. Tate, whose assignment was to visually record the deployment.

The squadron's executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Steven M. "Soms" Roepke, is one of the many Dallas-Fort Worth area reservists activated for the deployment. Roepke recently became a member of the Reserve squadron after nearly 15 years of active duty, where he had gained invaluable experience in a number of deployments, to include Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991 and an earlier unit deployment to the Western Pacific.

"We brought a significant MALS-41 augment with us who will provide support to the squadron by aiding MALS-12 in [MCAS] Iwakuni, Japan," said Roepke. "They will provide all of our intermediate-level maintenance and supply support during the execution of the deployment. Their support is critical to the successful execution of our deployment."

He added, "This [deployment] is huge for our unit. The Marine Corps always prides itself in being able to get the job done. This [operational deployment] just shows the confidence the Corps has in its Reserve units to come out here just like an active-duty unit would to train and fight if needed."

During WW II, VMFA-112 was Marine Fighter Squadron 112 and was known as the Wolf Pack. The squadron shined in a great many battles in the Pacific theater. Some of those battlegrounds have been revisited on the current deployment.

In WW II, "The Wolf Pack was responsible for the downing of 140 Japanese aircraft. It ranked third [among Marine squadrons] in the number of downed aircraft achieved. They were key to the victories attained in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa," said the squadron commander, LtCol Bill "Rock" Collins.

Currently, the squadron's mission is to support 1stMAW in a time of increased operational tempo in the global war on terrorism. In joining 1stMAW, the squadron also reinforces the U.S. military presence mission in Asia.

Squadron pilot Major Christopher Koelzer noted that one of the main challenges for the squadron on the deployment is the changing terrain and locations. Flying over the mountains of Japan, rugged forests of Korea, island of Guam and Australia routinely introduces the squadron to new challenges and drives home the flexibility and adaptability of leatherneck air.

"We'll be doing air-to-air simulations as well as air-to-ground, and we'll also be dropping live ordnance on the island target ranges," Koelzer said.

"It's a great opportunity for our pilots to learn the terrain and get experience, as well as for our Marines to experience new and different cultures," he explained.

"We can simulate all facets of weapon targeting and delivery now without having to carry JDAM or JSOW [joint stand-off weapon] training weapons," said Captain Kevin Paetzold, a Hornet pilot from Keller, Texas.

"Back in Fort Worth, we would execute dedicated JSOW or JDAM sorties to familiarize the pilots with the weapons. Since arriving in Okinawa, pilots have been executing simulated JDAM or JSOW releases on sorties as a secondary training mission," Paetzold said.

With the upgrades to the aircraft came the Tactical Aircraft Mission Planning System (TAMPS). The system gives the aircrew the ability to plan weapons delivery information for "smart" weapons such as JDAM and JSOW before the mission commences. Once mission planning is complete, the information, which has been digitally stored, can be loaded on a data cartridge and transferred to the aircraft for training or employment.

"Learning how to use the TAMPS system was an integral part of the upgrade process for our aircraft and aircrew," said Maj Everett Hood, an F/A-18A+ pilot from Austin, Texas. "The training opportunities here have been outstanding. We have been able to conduct air-to-ground training with Rockeye cluster bombs as well as 500- and 1,000-pound high explosive bombs. Being able to execute tactics with these weapons on a daily basis for the past month has been a huge training opportunity for the pilots."

"This deployment has been a tremendous experience for all the Marines in the squadron," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Tim Doty, squadron aviation ordnance officer. "I have young Marines that are getting to handle many different types of ordnance on a daily basis. You can't beat that type of training."

Additionally, the squadron pilots have been doing everything possible to exercise the digital close air support capability that the Hornet received with the newest software replacement.

"This squadron has been exercising the digital CAS system for over a year now," said Maj Dan Dewhirst, a Hornet pilot from Fort Worth. "Every pilot in the squadron is familiar with and has used the digital CAS system. The workload in the cockpit is dramatically reduced, as well as the time required to get ordnance on target."

The squadron, which at the time this article was compiled was two-thirds of the way into its deployment with 1stMAW, also trained in Guam during Exercise Jungle Shield. In August, the squadron flew to Darwin, Australia, for Exercise Southern Frontier. The pilots are continuing to hone invaluable air-to-ground skills.

"Target recognition with the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) pod will be a big part of our focus of effort in Australia," said Capt Kevin McDonald, an F/A-18A+ Hornet pilot from Aledo, Texas. "We will use the FLIR to acquire and mark the targets using the laser. Pilots in other aircraft will practice target acquisition with their laser designator tracker.

"The support from 1stMAW, MAG-12, Kadena [AB] and from Kadena Range management has been outstanding. We can only hope that the airspace in Guam and Australia will be as conducive to training as it has been here."

Editor's note: This article was compiled from news releases by Maj Michael P. Jeffries, SSgt Russell R. "Rusty" Baker and LCpl Martin R. Harris.


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 04:33 PM
No. 1019-04
Oct 13, 2004
IMMEDIATE RELEASE




National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of October 13, 2004
This week, the Army announced an increase in the number of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization, while the Navy, Air Force and Marines had a decrease. The Coast Guard number remained unchanged. The net collective result is 400 more reservists mobilized than last week.

At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 146,671; Naval Reserve, 3,771; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 10,283; Marine Corps Reserve, 11,495; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 1,515. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 173,735 including both units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2004/d20041013ngr.pdf.


Ellie

thedrifter
10-13-04, 05:56 PM
U.S. Hits Insurgents in Ramadi, Fallujah
Wednesday, October 13, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. troops went on the offensive from the gates of Baghdad (search) to the Syrian border Tuesday, pounding Sunni insurgent positions from the air and supporting Iraqi soldiers in raids on mosques suspected of harboring extremists.

American and Iraqi forces launched the operations ahead of Ramadan (search), expected to start at week's end, in an apparent attempt at preventing a repeat of the insurgent violence that took place at the start of last year's Muslim holy month.

Clashes broke out in a string of militant strongholds from Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad, northward along the Euphrates Valley (search) to the Syrian border town of Qaim — all major conflict areas.

Some of the sharpest exchanges took place in Hit, 90 miles northwest of Baghdad, where residents and hospital officials said U.S. aircraft attacked two sites, killing two people and wounding five. The U.S. command had no comment.

U.S. helicopters fired on a mosque in Hit on Monday and set it ablaze after the military said insurgents opened fire on Marines from the sanctuary. Scattered clashes were reported overnight, killing at least two Iraqis and wounding 15, hospital official said.

Insurgents attacked an Iraqi National Guard outpost east of Qaim Tuesday, the U.S. military said. The local hospital reported 15 to 20 people were killed.

Seventy miles west of Baghdad, Iraqi troops backed by U.S. soldiers and Marines raided seven mosques in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, arresting a locally prominent member of a clerical association and three other people. They also seized bomb-making materials and "insurgent propaganda" in the mosques, U.S. officials said.

In Baghdad, the Association of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni clerical group suspected of links to the insurgency, condemned the mosque raids as an example of alleged American hostility toward Islam.

"I think there is a religious ideology that drives the American troops," said the association's official spokesman, Mohammed Bashar al-Faydhi. "President Bush has said at the beginning of the war that this is a `crusade,"' he said, referring to the Christian attacks on Muslims in the Middle Ages.

Angry Ramadi residents accused the Americans of breaking down doors and violating the sanctity of mosques.

"This cowboy behavior cannot be accepted," said cleric Abdullah Abu Omar. "The Americans seem to have lost their senses and have gone out of control."

However, the raids followed a surge in insurgent attacks in Ramadi, and the U.S. command accused the militants of violating the sanctity of the mosques by using them for military purposes. Marine spokesman Maj. Francis Piccoli said U.S. troops provided backup for the Iraqi soldiers but did not enter the mosques.

In Fallujah, the focal point for Sunni resistance, residents reported explosions and clashes on the eastern edge of the city Tuesday afternoon. At least five people were killed and four wounded in the blasts, according to Fallujah General Hospital. The victims were reportedly traveling in a truck and two cars on a highway outside the city when they came under fire.

The U.S. command said the clashes began when insurgents in Fallujah opened fire on troops from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. After the rebels began firing mortars, the Marines called in air support, and a U.S. warplane "dropped a precision-guided weapon, eliminating the insurgent fire," the military said.

The renewed activity around Fallujah followed a pair of pre-dawn airstrikes, which the U.S. command said targeted hideouts and meeting places of the feared Tawhid and Jihad, the terrorist group responsible for numerous kidnappings and beheadings of foreign hostages.

One of the airstrikes flattened a well known Fallujah restaurant and the other destroyed a building in another part of the city. Five people were killed and two were wounded in the two attacks, hospital officials reported.

Tuesday's airstrikes in Fallujah were the first in four days and occurred as Iraqi officials were in talks with city representatives to restore government control, which disintegrated after the Marines ended a three-week siege in late April.

Since then the city has fallen under the control of hardline Islamist clerics and their armed followers, who defended Fallujah against the Marines. Both sides have said they were close to an agreement but that several details remain unresolved, including how Iraqi forces would enter the city.

The attacks appear to be designed partly to make life so hard for the civilians that they will turn on Tawhid and Jihad.

The terror group, led by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility for an attack Monday against a U.S. convoy in Mosul that killed three people, including an American soldier. The claim was contained in a compact disc made available to Associated Press Television News that shows a U.S. military vehicle exploding and bursting into flames.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are concerns within the U.S. government about a possible rise in insurgent violence around Ramadan, because of an upswing last year — when bombings and rocket attacks accelerated significantly in Baghdad and other areas at the beginning of the holy month.

Some militants believe they would win a special place in paradise by sacrificing their lives in a jihad, or holy war, during Ramadan, when Muslims say their sacred book the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and White House officials have said recently that they plan to use a mix of diplomacy and military force to try to regain control of dozens of key cities from insurgents before elections planned for January.

Last week, the government struck a deal with Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to lay down their weapons and allow Iraqi forces to take control of the Sadr City district of Baghdad.

On Tuesday, hundreds of al-Sadr's fighters from his Mahdi Army lined up at police stations to hand in weapons in return for cash. Some of the weapons appeared to be old, and it seemed unlikely that the Mahdi Army would surrender all its arms.

Still, officials hope the weapons handover will be the first step toward ending the Shiite rebellion, enabling the Americans and their Iraqi allies to focus on the more dangerous Sunni insurgency.

Once the weapons handover is completed this week, the government has pledged to start releasing al-Sadr followers who have not committed crimes and to rebuild the war-ravaged slum. Raids have also been suspended.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135239,00.html


Ellie