Marines Prepare for the Battlefield in the Tri-Cities

[thedrifter]

Marines Prepare for the Battlefield in the Tri-Cities
Mike Giordano
News Channel 11
Dec 15, 4:42 PM EST

The sights and sounds of the battlefield...sort of.

This is the first time the Marines have let us videotape this high-tech simulated training exercise.

Marines say this big-screen video game is extremely realistic and practical...used to train for several missions under various conditions.

On this day, they're practicing urban combat...similar to what they'd see in cities throughout Iraq.

“You never know where they're going to be. You always have to stay on your toes and keep your guard up," said Lance Corporal Keith Thomas.

A lesson I learned first hand...although not very well.

This M16 rifle, while difficult for me to use, marines say is very accurate and able to hit targets more than 5 football fields away.

But, I found precise equipment is useless without adequate training.

After all, marines say, I would have been dead long before I shot a single insurgent.

Equally critical is clear communication.

That was never more evident than when a Marine's gun malfunctioned... leaving him repairing his weapon and unarmed.

"It’s like being a kid and you're standing in mud and they're throwing rocks at you and you have no rocks around," said Lance Corporal Joshua Morris.

Only on the battlefield rocks are replaced by lethal bullets and grenades.

Such situations force marines to rely entirely on the rest of their fire team.

"If we don't have communication, we're basically worthless. We have to know what each other's doing because we can't always look at each other and tell what they're doing," Thomas said.

Knowledge that could be the difference between living and dying.

"The Marine Corps, it's the tightest band of brothers I know," said Morris.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Pendleton Marines listed among detainee abusers

By Rick Rogers
STAFF WRITER

December 16, 2004

At least four Camp Pendleton Marines have been convicted of abusing prisoners in Iraq for violations including beating a captive, burning a detainee's hands and staging a mock execution of children.

The crimes are part of the Pentagon's fullest disclosures to date of the scope of prisoner abuse by U.S. armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The latest information gives an accounting of abuse charges by troops across every branch of the military.

As of yesterday, 130 troops had been charged with abusing detainees at those three locations since early 2001, according to the Pentagon.

In particular, 27 Marines have faced charges of mistreating prisoners. Two of those cases are pending, and 17 Marines have received punishments ranging from reductions in pay to one year's imprisonment.

In the Navy, investigators will decide in the coming weeks whether to file abuse charges against San Diego-based SEALs after photos showing sailors posing with Iraqi captives, some of them bloody, appeared on the Internet.

The public stir about prisoner abuse by Marines began Tuesday, when the American Civil Liberties Union posted documents from the Defense Department on its Web site. In those records, the Marine Corps said 10 cases of prisoner abuse were substantiated while 10 others were judged as lacking merit.

"Day after day, new stories of torture are coming to light, and we need to know how these abuses were allowed to happen," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU. "This kind of widespread abuse could not have taken place without a leadership failure of the highest order."

Yesterday, in response to a request by The San Diego Union-Tribune, a Marine spokesman updated the prison-abuse information. Maj. Doug Powell said two additional cases of abuse had been confirmed and six others dismissed.

Most of the cases posted on the ACLU Web site were reported previously, Powell said.

The Marine Corps has tightened its standards for handling prisoners since this summer, when the Army confronted an abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The Marines have established stricter training guidelines for prison guards.

Other changes include the Corps' requirement that prisoners be examined by a Marine before and after an interrogation, that officers document the circumstances of each arrest and that Marines check on detainees at least once every 24 hours.

"This clearly demonstrates our commitment to . . . hold people accountable for criminal actions or inappropriate behavior," Powell said. "Any behavior that does not constitute humane treatment of detainees is simply not tolerated."

Some people might view the latest abuse disclosures as an embarrassment for the military, said Loren Thompson, a spokesman for the Lexington Institute, a defense think tank in Arlington, Va. But he believes Americans and the U.S. media have naive notions of wartime conduct.

"The media need to have some reasonable standard of what is expected in a war zone," Thompson said. "I think it is amazing how restrained U.S. troops are."

He added that he didn't think this week's disclosures would hurt the U.S. effort in Iraq because "we are facing the real possibility that our whole strategy for Iraq may fail. Against that, the fate of a few detainees (is) likely not to make much of a difference."

Powell doesn't minimize the abuse cases against the Marines, saying "one case is one too many." But he added that "when you consider the number of Marines we have over there, the problems are very small."

Powell also said little attention has been paid to efforts by Marine Corps leaders to "continually reinforce in the Marines a message of doing the right thing."

After the ACLU filed its Freedom of Information Act request for prisoner-abuse documents, the Marines released an eight-page transcript titled "USMC Alleged Detainee Abuse Cases Since 11 Sep. 01."

The document details investigations against reservists and Marines based at Camp Pendleton, Twenty-nine Palms and Camp Lejeune, N.C. The names of the Marines involved in those cases were not released.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rick Rogers: (760) 476-8212; rick.rogers@uniontrib.com


Cases documented
In a document titled "USMC Alleged Detainee Abuse Cases Since 11 Sep. 01," the Marine Corps details 20 prisoner-abuse cases against its troops. Those involving Camp Pendleton Marines are:

June 2, 2003: A Marine from the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines beat detainees with his or her fists. The Marine was sentenced to 120 days in jail and given a bad-conduct discharge.

June 1 to July 6, 2003: Three Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines are accused of spraying Iraqi looters with a fire extinguisher and staging a mock execution involving four young Iraqis. Two of the defendants were punished, but apparently allowed to stay in the military. The fate of the third, who was to face court-martial, is unclear.

Aug. 3, 2003: A Marine from the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion set fire to the alcohol-based hand sanitizer that a detainee was using. The flames caused large blisters on the prisoner's hands. The Marine was sentenced to 90 days' confinement and received a reduction in rank.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Toby Keith wows ’em at wounded veterans’ convention

By Gina Cavallaro
Times staff writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — Wearing the sort of grin someone wears when he knows the gift he’s about to give will be a big hit, Cpl. Jose R. Martinez stood on the stage and handed a folded jacket to country music star Toby Keith.
“We figured you already had a lot of coins so we wanted to give you something you probably didn’t have,” Martinez said into the microphone, watching Keith unfold the shiny green bomber-style jacket. It was covered with the patches of all the major Army units that have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.

And it was his size.

The crowd erupted in applause and shouts and howls of approval as Keith looked over the gift appreciatively and then put it on.

“When we hear you sing, it’s therapy for us,” Martinez told Keith, provoking a swell of cheers from the audience of more than 500 disabled war on terror vets and their friends and families.

Keith’s appearance at the first annual convention of the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes was nothing short of spectacular, wrapping up a night of entertainment with a performance that seemed more like a revival meeting.

As he sang “Beer For My Horses,” “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” those who could moved toward the stage like moths drawn to a flame. Even otherwise detached journalists and photographers could be seen smiling and mouthing the words.

Cameras flashed and the room swayed in a big group hug as Keith stood alone at center stage, dressed-down in ragged denim

“It’s what he says. He talks about everything that’s going on,” said Sgt. Giovanni Bennett, 21, of Georgetown, Texas, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, whose legs were covered with shrapnel April 4 in Kirkuk after an attack by a suicide car bomber.

Keith told the audience that he gets a lot of requests for appearances, especially at events honoring the veterans of the war on terror.

“But this one made sense,” said Keith, in reference to the gathering of the wounded service members, who were invited to a four-day conference-vacation free of charge at Disney World. “I get called a hero a lot, but I’m just a songwriter. It’s because of people like you that I can even stand up here and do this.”

More cheers. More applause. More howling.

Keith’s sometimes controversial lyrics have made him a true folk hero among the troops because, as Bennett said, “He sings about us.”

“When I went to Iraq, country music is what helped me through,” Bennett said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

As skirmishes continue, Marines seek delay in civilians’ return to Fallujah

By Gordon Trowbridge
Times staff writer


CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq — Marines continue to battle pockets of insurgents in Fallujah at the start of what could be a crucial week for American policy in the rebellious city.
Officers here had hoped to begin as early as this week to allow the return of more than 200,000 residents forced out in November by fighting between coalition and rebel forces. But as Marines inside the city fought small groups of insurgents again on Sunday, senior officers from the I Marine Expeditionary Force said security, not the calendar, would drive their decisions.

“I wouldn’t pay attention to any particular date,” said Maj. Jeff Lipson, a Marine civil affairs officer. “There may be dates that are thrown around, but there are other criteria. We are trying to convince the [interim Iraqi government} of why a later date would be better.”

Officers have cited threats ranging from insurgent attacks to weapons caches to the absence of power and clean water as obstacles to civilians return.

One Marine died Saturday and one Sunday in clashes with insurgents inside the city. In one engagement on Saturday, troops reported killing 15 rebels, but Lt. Col. Dan Wilson, a Marine operations planner, said most incidents involved small teams of insurgents.

Maj. Jim West, a Marine intelligence officer, said it was unclear if the insurgents who are still fighting had been hiding in tunnels and basements since coalition forces retook the city, or had managed to re-enter afterward despite a cordon of U.S. and Iraqi troops.

As long as there is information that points to continued security dangers, West said, Marine intelligence officers will continue to recommend that at least some portions of the city remain off-limits to civilians.

In interviews conducted during the past week, I MEF staff officers have insisted they are under no pressure to return citizens to Fallujah before the city is safe. But officials here and across Iraq are operating under a demanding timeframe that calls for national elections less than two months from now.

The Marines control the area that is the biggest challenge to that plan: Anbar Province, which includes Fallujah and Ramadi, another center of insurgent activity.

The province is a power center for Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority, which has resisted efforts to prepare for January’s voting. If U.S. and Iraqi officials cannot encourage at least some political participation by Anbar’s Sunnis, the voting is likely to be seen as lacking legitimacy both in Iraq and internationally.

Although challenges remain in Fallujah, officers here have voiced increasing optimism that militarily, the November assault on the city has had the desired effect.

Wilson said insurgent attacks have fallen by more than half in the Marines’ area of operations, which includes Anbar and portions of several other provinces west and south of Baghdad.

Wilson said residents who had been reluctant to cooperate with U.S. forces have begun doing so. In the western desert, he said, a group of locals had staked out locations of roadside bombs planted by insurgents. In Ramadi, he added, a group of businessmen had chased rebels away from their neighborhood, burning two of the insurgents’ vehicles. Those reports could not be independently verified.

Marine officials also said they hoped to tighten security along the Syrian border, which is believed to be a conduit for foreign fighters as well as supplies and financing for the insurgency.

Additional Iraq border patrol units are scheduled to arrive this week. The Washington Post reported last week that some Bush administration officials have become convinced that Syria is aiding the insurgency. But West, the intelligence officer, said there is too little information to decide whether Syria is backing the insurgents or is just a convenient entry point.



Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Expands Cargo Flights Over Iraq
Associated Press
December 15, 2004

WASHINGTON - The Air Force is making more cargo flights over Iraq to keep Army transport trucks off the country's dangerous roads, accepting the increased risk to planes and added cost to reduce the threat on the ground, officials said Tuesday.

During the last month, the Air Force reorganized the operations of its cargo lifters and is now flying about 450 tons of cargo around Iraq daily, said Lt. Col. Mike Caldwell, an Air Force spokesman. That's an increase of about 100 tons a day over its previous average, he said.

Most of the missions are flown by propeller-driven C-130 Hercules transports; the Air Force has 64 available in and around the Iraq theater, officials said. The larger C-17 Globemaster and commercial aircraft also are used for some flights.

The cargo consists primarily of repair parts and ammunition. They flights also carry armored Humvees from Kuwait to Baghdad, eliminating for the vehicles the risks of a four-day drive.

While they carry only a small portion of the 25,000 tons hauled daily around Iraq in support of the U.S.-led military effort there, Air Force officials say the cargo flights keep about 180 people off the roughest roads in a 24-hour period.




The flights "give the ground forces the opportunity to reduce the traffic on the most dangerous routes," said Gen. John Jumper, the Air Force's chief of staff, according to a transcript of comments he made Tuesday.

On a given day in Iraq, 3,000 vehicles in 215 convoys are moving around, according to Air Force figures. They face ambush by insurgents and attacks from roadside bombs. Scores of soldiers and drivers have been killed or wounded while on convoy duty.

Many of the heavy trucks in these convoys are without armor and are protected only by troops in escorting Humvees. An Army Reserve unit refused to go on a convoy mission in October because they believed it was too dangerous. The military acknowledged some of their concerns were valid but punished some of the soldiers for refusing orders.

Still, increased flights by cargo aircraft subject them to greater risk. Insurgents have shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that are capable of taking down low-flying aircraft, although C-130s and other military planes have defenses against them.

"There will be increased SAMs," Jumper said. "But we've also got 100 casualties a month in convoys. We're not sending C-130s in there undefended, so they have the right kind of equipment to go in there and defend themselves."

Last year, a civilian cargo jet was hit with a shoulder-launched missile after takeoff from Baghdad, and earlier this year a burst of automatic gunfire killed a passenger aboard an Australian C-130.

In addition, the increased flights probably will mean greater fuel and maintenance costs and stress on aircrews. Flying a C-130 costs $3,400 an hour, Air Force officials said.

"I am totally disinterested in the cost," Jumper said. "It will be paid for. We will do what it takes."

Some Air Force officials ultimately hope to haul as much as 1,600 tons a day around Iraq, officials said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Local Benefits Raise Money For Marines, Families
Woman Ships Thousands Of Items To Iraq

POSTED: 7:22 pm PST December 13, 2004

SAN DIEGO -- Local benefits are raising money for the families of Marines in Iraq and providing bags of goods for those serving.

In Fallbrook, a Marine's wife has rallied her coworkers to ship hundreds of thousands of items to one Marine platoon in Iraq. She decided to take up the cause after her husband told her how much he missed everyday items like Chapstick, cookies and gum.

"We are going to be sending items every other week so they always get continuous packages," said Tina Retana. "It's not like a one-time holiday deal."

"I'm very fortunate to have my brother back now -- he's home for the holidays -- but I know a lot of other families are not so fortunate," said Summer Frost, a volunteer. "So it is very personal."

One Monday at Humphreys, an event called The Red, White and Blues Benefit raised cash and collected food donations for the families of local Marines serving in Iraq. The goal was to ensure more than 600 families were able to eat a holiday meal.

Four bands donated their time to the event. It was organized by the Marine Family Food Pantry.

Individuals interested in joining the Tina Retana's group of volunteers in Fallbrook can contact her at the Pala Mesa Resort.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Navy SEALs Expanding Iraq Photos Probe
Associated Press
December 16, 2004

SAN DIEGO - The Navy SEALs are expanding their investigation into recently published photographs that show freshly captured prisoners and grinning commandos sitting or lying on hooded and handcuffed detainees in Iraq, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Following a preliminary inquiry, senior SEAL officials have decided to take a more thorough look at the circumstances surrounding some of the photos, Navy Cmdr. Jeff Bender said. Some of the images also show the bloodied faces of detainees.

Such an investigation, which will take up to a month, could result in disciplinary proceedings.

The preliminary inquiry by a single Navy investigator found that the majority of the 15 photographs published Dec. 3 by The Associated Press were taken for legitimate intelligence-gathering purposes and showed commandos using approved procedures, Bender said. He cited as an example a photo in which a weapon with a flashlight attached is pointed at a detainee's head to illuminate his face as another commando snapped a photo.

But other photos appear to show Navy SEALs posing for photos on top of hooded and handcuffed detainees in the back of a pickup truck. Bender declined to comment on the pickup truck photos, citing the ongoing investigation.




Bender said some SEALs have been called in for questioning during the preliminary inquiry, which was launched after the AP brought the photos to the Navy seeking comment.

An AP reporter found 40 photos of detainees on a commercial photo-sharing Web site. They were among hundreds posted by a woman who said her husband brought them back from Iraq.

Taking photos of prisoners for administrative or intelligence purposes is an exception to Navy regulations that generally forbid photos of prisoners of war.

Naval Special Warfare Group One, which oversees four SEAL teams based in Coronado, will take over the investigation. A new investigating officer will be assigned to handle the case.

Bender declined to say which of the SEAL teams was involved. However, some other photos show the insignia and patches of Seal Team Five, which is based in Coronado.

Date stamps on some of the photos suggest they were taken in May 2003. That would make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse or questionable handling of prisoners in Iraq.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

DoD May Restart Anthrax Shots
United Press International
December 16, 2004

WASHINGTON - Several months after a federal court ruled against the Department of Defense's mandatory anthrax vaccination program, the DOD has requested an emergency ruling so it can continue to give the controversial vaccine to soldiers.

The authorization request was made in a letter from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

"I have determined there is a significant potential for a military emergency involving a heightened risk to the United States military forces of an attack with anthrax," said Wolfowitz in the letter, which was written Dec. 10.

"In making this determination, I have considered a classified November 2004 Intelligence Community assessment of the anthrax threat. This heightened risk has been and continues to be the basis for the DOD program of vaccinating personnel serving in the areas of Central Command and Korea," Wolfowitz wrote.

Powdered anthrax, a dried substance specifically intended to be inhaled, killed two postal workers and three other people in the fall of 2001. Weaponized anthrax frequently is cited as a potential bioterror weapon.





"It is certainly a concern within the Department of Defense that our troops might be exposed to anthrax," Col. Joseph Palma, medical director in the Chemical and Biological Defense Program with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told United Press International.

"We are concerned for the health and safety of our service members, particularly in worldwide operations involving the war on terrorism. Intelligence indicates an ongoing threat of anthrax against our military forces," said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

Under the Project Bioshield Act of 2004, signed into law last summer by President Bush, Thompson can allow the use of a vaccine for an otherwise-unapproved application if there is an emergency or potential emergency. The law gives Thompson that power in both domestic and military situations.

Whether there is a military emergency, however, is left by law for the secretary of defense to decide. It is unclear if Wolfowitz also has the authority to make the determination as indicated in the letter.

The letter is seen by critics as an attempt to circumvent a U.S. District Court ruling last October that the vaccine, originally approved many years ago to prevent anthrax-caused skin infections, not be used on soldiers to prevent illness from inhaled anthrax without their informed consent.

"They are using the statute to try to end-run the court ruling," said John Michels, an attorney with the firm McGuire Woods in Chicago and one of the lawyers who won the injunction.

Critics also claim the vaccine, manufactured by Bioport of Lansing, Mich., has sickened hundreds. Three lawsuits have been filed to stop the mandatory military vaccinations and Congress held hearings on the controversy in 2000.

DOD steadfastly has stood by the vaccine, however, working through manufacturing issues with Bioport and resuming the program at the end of last year, after an initial injunction on the same issue.

"America's best scientists say the Anthrax vaccine is safe and effective," Winkenwerder asserted.

The controversy, however, has had an impact on the fine workings of the military machine -- now overheating under the strain of the war in Iraq. As of October 2000, according to Department of Defense testimony before the House committee on Government Reform, some 442 service members had refused to be vaccinated. As of October of this year more than 100 service personnel had been court-martialed as a result of those refusals,according to Mark Zaid, managing partner at Krieger and Zaid. Zaid also was an attorney in the injunction case.

A lot is at stake. Even so, should the emergency authorization be granted, it is not clear what, if any, practical difference it will make. Though Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld halted the vaccinations after the October ruling by District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan, the vaccine still is considered an investigatory drug and can be administered with consent.

That requirement for consent remains unless Bush takes it away. Michels told UPI that language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004 requires the president personally to rule to make the program mandatory.

"Once they have the authorization to use it, the secretary still has to ensure that those getting the vaccine have the option to accept or refuse," Michels said. "Our position is that you can't administer the vaccine (mandatorily) without the president."

Whatever the answer is, it should be known soon.

The process will require a separate assessment by the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration, said a DOD spokesman.

"This process is deliberate and will require additional discussion between DOD and HHS over the next few weeks," he said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

MARINE GENERAL ANSWERS QUESTIONS IN IRAQ

From future troop rotations to new weaponry, Marines got their chance to ask any and every question to the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps during their recent visit to Iraq.

In a series of town hall meetings at Marine bases throughout Iraq, General Michael W. Hagee and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps John L. Estrada, candidly addressed many issues affecting Marines.

Troop rotations

During a visit here July 19, 2004, the 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps told Marines and sailors that the Camp Lejeune, N.C.,-based II Marine Expeditionary Force will relieve the I MEF, based in Camp Pendleton, Calif., next spring. Hagee readdressed these concerns after junior troops tossed up new questions about this rotation.

Though the other subordinate headquarters, such as the 2nd Marine Division and the 2nd Force Service Support Group will also come from the East Coast, many Marine units will be globally sourced to augment a force that is currently proposed at 20,000.

Several II MEF units are currently augmenting I MEF in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Within the 1st FSSG, which provides all logistical support to Marine forces in Iraq, II MEF Marines have filled critical roles here, such as military policemen to provide security for bases and convoys, communication operations and military vehicle operators.

As I MEF Marines in Iraq approach the end of their seven-month deployment next year, many wondered if they can expect a return to Iraq at the conclusion of II MEF's tour.

"We may not need such a large headquarters element by that time, and that's why we have not addressed that," said Gen. Hagee.

The recent extensions of Army and Marine units, including the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, also drew concern from the Marines.

"I am committed to seven-month rotations for battalions and below, and for group or regiment command elements, a year, or just over a year. The Secretary of Defense has supported the Marine Corps on that," said Gen. Hagee.

The ultimate goal is to restore full responsibility back to the Iraqis.

"If we don't properly equip and train the Iraqis, we will be here for a long, long time," said Hagee. "It's not what we want, it's not what they want. They want their own country, and (training them) is the fastest way of getting out of here."

Rules of engagement

In an environment where the enemy uses white surrender flags to lure coalition forces into an ambush, Marines asked if the current rules of engagement would shift with the changing battlefield.

The rules of engagement depend on the environment and operational commander, said Gen. Hagee.

As a platoon commander during the Vietnam War, Gen. Hagee said that U.S. forces didn't always abide by rules of engagement. He praised today's Marines and their adherence to the rules of engagement, especially in an uncertain, dangerous atmosphere.

"I'm extremely proud of the discipline you all have shown," said Gen. Hagee. "When you need to kill someone, you kill him, but there's not any indiscriminate killing going on. That is not always easy, especially here in this environment."

Afghanistan/Iraq campaign medals

With the recent approval and guidance of the Global War on Terror Expeditionary and Service Medals, Marines wondered if Congress had plans for separate Iraqi/Afghanistan campaign medals.

"My personal opinion? I think we ought to have it," said Gen. Hagee.

The Office of Secretary of Defense has set forth guidance on medals for Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns. Although no official timetable has been set for the Congress-approved medals, "You should see the new medals in May or June," said Estrada.

Weapons of the future

With recent testing of new infantry weapons by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, Marines wondered if they will upgrade from their current M-16A2 or A4 service rifles.

As reported in several military publications, warfighting experts are currently testing the XM8 lightweight assault rifle, a 5.56 mm, 6-pound weapon designed to decrease the combat load and increase mobility on the battlefield.

Although he didn't rule out future use of the XM8, the M-16A4 with the mounted advanced combat optical gunsite, commonly called "ACOG," will be the issued weapon for most forward-deployed Marines. Marines engaged in close-quarter combat will operate with the M4 rifle, said Gen. Hagee.

Embedded Media

"Is it perfect? No," said Hagee when asked his opinion about the reporters being allowed on the battlefield.

The commandant acknowledged that although the recent embedding of civilian reporters within combat units is not foolproof, it has allowed the public and the media to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of the armed forces.

"The knowledge base within the American (public) about military was not very deep. They have a much better understanding of what you do than they did before because of the embedded reporters," said Gen. Hagee.

"They (media) get to know you, and you get to know them. You get to understand one another better."

The commandant also wanted the Marines to distinguish between the reports from embedded reporters and those who are far from the frontlines.

"Most of the articles that appear in the paper that are inaccurate are often from reporters that are not here (with the Marines), or those who have certain political viewpoints," he said.

Retention and career progress

Combat leaders have gotten younger, and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps wants to keep them.

"I have yet to see a bunch of people beat down doors at recruiting offices to do what you are doing here," said Estrada. "We need you to take the Corps into the 21st century."

For fiscal year 2004, retention specialists met 100.8 percent of their goal for first-term Marines, and 137.3 percent of subsequent-term Marines. The Corps is currently ahead of schedule for the current fiscal year, as 65 percent of its retention goals have been met for first-term Marines, and 30 percent for subsequent-term Marines.

Estrada encouraged special duty billets, including drill instructor, recruiting and Marine embassy guard duty, noting that "the war is going to come to an end sooner or later."

"There are great duties out there for all Marines, including recruiting and the drill field. Without recruiters, there would be no Marine Corps, and without drill instructors, there wouldn't be anybody to make Marines," said Estrada.

The commandant also briefed the crowd on the "MOS Road Map," a new concept developed by the Marine Corps Training and Education Command to develop career progression and encourage off-duty education.

"It's a good plan, especially for junior Marines who need direction when it comes to civilian education," said Shreveport, La., native Staff Sgt. Carlos Underwood, 31, utilities chief for Combat Service Support Group 15.

Junior Marines hoped that progress in the Marine Corps' Martial Arts Program would help their promotion scores, but Gen. Hagee said that until the opportunity to increase MCMAP proficiency is equally afforded to every Marine, MCMAP certification will not lead to extra promotion points.

Even uniform issues were addressed in a humorous way when a Marine in the crowd noticed something different in the sergeant major's uniform.

"Sergeant major, is that a coyote brown shirt you were wearing?" referring to the brown undershirt that the sergeant major was wearing that differed from the Marines' issue olive green.

The 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps explained that carrying the top enlisted rank has its benefits.

"As a sergeant major, you get to test out all of these new things," joked Estrada, as Marines laughed at his remark.

General Hagee awarded the Marine's question with his personalized coin, an old military tradition, saying that it was the best question he's heard all day.

Overall, Marines were pleased with the answers and opportunity to interact with their top leaders.

"I thought he was open and honest with his answers," said Melbourne, Fla., native Cpl. Dayana Acosta, 23, Headquarters Company noncommissioned officer in charge, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st FSSG.

The meeting at Camp Taqaddum was one of several stops to visit Marines throughout the Al Anbar province, where I MEF Marines continue to conduct security and stability operations.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

CMC visits Marines in, around Fallujah
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 20041215105349
Story by Cpl. Randy L. Bernard



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 15, 2004) -- Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee met with the Marines of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment here during his tour of Marine Corps bases throughout Iraq, the commandant set aside time to meet with the Marines and discuss topics of the Corps and answer any questions that the Marines had.

The Marines took advantage of the opportunity to speak with Hagee, asking questions about how the war in Iraq would affect their careers in the Marine Corps. Hagee explained how and why reservists are activated, and what the Marines of the Battalion will have to look forward to in future deployments.

After visiting with the Marines of 1/8, Hagee and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps, John L. Estrada, convoyed into the city of Fallujah to see first-hand where his Marines have been operating for the past months.

While in the city, Hagee visited with the Marines of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, again answering questions, shaking hands, and giving the Marines a photo opportunity with their commander.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Chicago Tribune
December 12, 2004
Pg. 1

'Scrounging' For Iraq War Puts GIs In Jail

Reservists court-martialed for theft; they say they did what they had to do


By Aamer Madhani, Tribune staff reporter

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Six reservists, including two veteran officers who had received Bronze Stars, were court-martialed for what soldiers have been doing as long as there have been wars--scrounging to get what their outfit needed to do its job in Iraq.

Darrell Birt, one of those court-martialed for theft, destruction of Army property and conspiracy to cover up the crimes, had been decorated for his "initiative and courage" for leading his unit's delivery of fuel over the perilous roads of Iraq in the war's first months.

Now, Birt, 45, who was a chief warrant officer with 656th Transportation Company, based in Springfield, Ohio, and his commanding officer find themselves felons, dishonorably discharged and stripped of all military benefits.

The 656th played a crucial role in maintaining the gasoline supply that fueled everything from Black Hawk helicopters to Bradley Fighting Vehicles between Balad Airfield and Tikrit. The reservists in the company proudly boast that their fuel was in the vehicles driven by the 4th Infantry Division soldiers who found Saddam Hussein hiding in a hole last year.

But when Birt's unit was ordered to head into Iraq in the heat of battle in April 2003 from its base in Kuwait, Birt said the company didn't have enough vehicles to haul the equipment it would need to do the job.

So, Birt explained, he and other reservists grabbed two tractors and two trailers left in Kuwait by other U.S. units that had already moved into Iraq.

Several weeks later, Birt and other reservists scrounged a third vehicle, an abandoned 5-ton cargo truck, and stripped it for parts they needed for repair of their trucks.

"We could have gone with what we had, but we would not have been able to complete our mission," said Birt, who was released from the brig on Oct. 17 and is petitioning for clemency in hope that he can return to the reserves.

"I admit that what we did was technically against the rules, but it wasn't for our own personal gain. It was so we could do our jobs."

The thefts mirror countless stories of shifty appropriation that has been memorialized in books and films as a wartime skill. Birt and other reservists in the unit said that what the prosecutors called theft was simply resourcefulness, a quality they say is abundant among soldiers in Iraq.

While in confinement, Birt had a chat with a military police officer who was puzzled by why Birt was in the brig. The MP, a guard, told Birt that his unit had "acquired" a Humvee in a similar fashion.

Equipment shortages have become a concern, and soldiers are expressing growing frustration about them. On Monday, the military announced it would not court-martial the 23 reservists who balked at transporting fuel in Iraq because their vehicles were in poor condition and lacked armor, and on Wednesday, soldiers complained to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about the lack of armor for vehicles.

In addition to the six in the 656th who were court-martialed, eight others in the unit were given non-judicial punishment, including fines, pay reduction and loss in rank.

The commanding officer of the company, Maj. Cathy Kaus, 46, was sentenced to 6 months in jail and fined $5,000 for her part in the thefts. She is scheduled to be released from the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in San Diego on Christmas Day after serving most of her sentence.

Kaus and Birt chose to be tried by a military judge rather than a panel that would have included fellow soldiers, and they waived the formal investigation.

An Army spokeswoman said Friday that the Army does not comment on specific cases. But she noted that the military's judicial process allows those who are court-martialed to apply for clemency.

The severity of the punishments was surprising to many members of the company, who regularly saw off-the-books trading and thefts of military property in Iraq by troops in other units.

Surprised by severity

Even Lt. Col. Christopher Wicker, the former commanding officer of the battalion overseeing the 656th who ordered the investigation of the thefts, said he was shocked by the hefty penalties.

"Circumstances at [the] time, however, made these acts less serious than if done in a peacetime garrison environment," Wicker said in a letter supporting clemency for Birt. "The sentences . . . are too harsh given the situation during the initial drive north of Baghdad in April 2003, and the limited flow of repair parts that existed April-September 2003."

Theft of military equipment is legendary among American war veterans, and the act has its own lexicon. In past wars some called it "scrounging," while others called it "midnight requisitions" and "liberating supplies," said writer and Vietnam War veteran Robert Vaughan.

Military bureaucracy combined with the reality of warfare has long made "scrounging" a necessity for soldiers trying to get a job done, Vaughan said. Stealing is justified, he said, because everything being taken is U.S. government property and is being used toward the war effort.

He recalled that while his unit was serving in a remote area in Vietnam, headquarters in Saigon repeatedly denied his unit's request for high-power generators because it said there were none in stock. But on previous trips to Saigon, Vaughan had seen dozens of generators stacked in a holding area at headquarters.

Frustrated, he drove to Saigon one afternoon, posed as a captain from another unit and gave a guard a forged requisition to get the generators.

"I was the greatest scrounger in the Vietnam War," said Vaughan, who has a war novel to be published in January in which the protagonist is an expert at stealing equipment for his unit. "If you did something that is not for your own personal gain, your higher-ups tended to protect you from getting into any trouble for it."

The problems for the 656th started days before the company was to move into Iraq. The company had only two cargo trucks to haul six containers filled with tools, spare parts, ammunition, biological-chemical protective wear and other supplies.

Kaus, the commander of the 656th, said that officers with the 544th Maintenance Battalion, whose command her company fell under, informed her the day before their scheduled push into Iraq that they could not provide her company support in moving the company's six containers. She said she discussed the problem with Birt and her other chief warrant officer, and the two told her they could solve it.

Just deal with it

Kaus said in a telephone interview that she told the men "to do what they had to do" to move their supplies, but she did not tell them to steal equipment.

Birt said he inferred that they had her permission to take the vehicles. The other chief warrant officer, Christopher Parriman, was not charged in the thefts and left Iraq because of a medical disability before the investigation began. Parriman declined to comment.

Kaus said Birt and Parriman initially told her they had permission to take the vehicles from another unit. She said she learned in late May or early June of 2003 that the vehicles were stolen, but at that point the trucks had become an integral part of the unit's regular fuel convoys.

"These were vehicles that were not going to be used by the unit that originally owned them, and they had become an important part in allowing us to deliver 40,000 to 50,000 gallons of fuel a day," said Kaus, who was awarded a Bronze Star for effectively leading the unit.

Kaus also said she could not determine which unit the trucks belonged to, so she could not return them. In fact, the vehicles and trailers in question were never reported stolen, according to transcripts of court-martial proceedings.

In a meeting with 656th officers and leaders of other companies under his command in June 2003, Wicker, the 544th Maintenance battalion commander, asked the officers if they had any equipment that did not belong to them. Kaus and the other officers said nothing, Wicker said.

No one mentioned the stolen property, Wicker and others said, until a disgruntled soldier, Sgt. Charles Neely, reported the unit to Wicker as the company was preparing to end its tour and return to Ohio. Neely, who also took part in the theft of one of the trucks, was reduced to private as part of his sentence. Neely lives in Ohio; he declined to comment.

Wicker, who had heard stories from relatives about scrounging in Vietnam, said he was more bothered that the officers did not admit having the equipment when asked and that they dismantled the 5-ton cargo truck. He said he understood the rationale for stealing the equipment, but he did not agree with it.

In the first several months of the Iraq war, the supply line moved at a glacial pace. Obtaining even basic parts to repair vehicles took as long as six weeks, said Robert Chalmers, who had been a sergeant with the 656th. He received a court-martial for stripping the cargo truck for spare parts and disposing of its frame.

Sitting in his kitchen in Greenville, Ohio, Chalmers recalled the rocket attacks, bomb explosions and small-arms fire his company faced on the road between Tikrit and Balad.

He laughed about his eagerness to head to Iraq. Anticipating that his company was going to be called up, he took two weeks off from work as an electrician to get gear ready before the unit's soldiers received official word that they would be going.

Other reservists' penalties

Chalmers said their actions were technically wrong, but he felt the importance of the company's mission justified the thefts. During the company's year in Iraq, members of the 656th drove more than 1.2 million miles and delivered about 33 million gallons of fuel.

Chalmers was reduced to a specialist as part of his sentence. Of the other two reservists who were court-martialed, one received a jail sentence, and the second was punished but not jailed.

The situation has left Chalmers in debt and bitter. His wife, Tina, said she had to borrow against her retirement savings to pay his $20,000 in legal fees.

"We were sent to Iraq without what we needed," said Chalmers, who has spent 15 years on active or reserve duty.. "If they don't make that decision to get the vehicles we needed, we are worse off and can't do our mission. If we don't do our mission, those tanks at the front stand still."

For Birt and Kaus, the court-martial and confinements are a devastating end to long and successful military careers. Both are holding onto a thin thread of hope that they will be granted clemency by Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, commander of the multinational forces in Iraq, so their benefits will be reinstated and they will have a chance to continue their military careers.

Birt and Kaus were dishonorably discharged, and unless they receive clemency, they lose all military benefits, including the right to have the U.S. flag draped on their coffins.

This month, Birt received a certified letter from the trucking company he worked for as a shop foreman, telling him that it could no longer employ him because of his felony conviction. Kaus said her employer, sporting goods manufacturer Huffy Corp., has informed her that it is unlikely she will be allowed to come back to work because of her conviction.

Kaus said her anger has subsided, and she is trying to move on with her life.

"My family and friends remind me how fortunate we are that everyone of us [in the 656th] made it out of Iraq in one piece," she said.

For Birt, the end to his military career has been jolting.

"I don't have any regrets," Birt said. "I am proud of the work we did serving our country. If I could get back in the reserves, I would go back to Iraq in a second."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Rebel Strikes Across Baghdad Kill Five

By SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rebel strikes across Baghdad killed five people on Thursday — including three paramilitary policemen and a government official — as insurgents kept up their campaign to derail Iraq (news - web sites)'s upcoming general election.


Wednesday's launch of the campaign for the Jan. 30 vote for a 275-member National Assembly was marred by an explosion near one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines in the southern city of Karbala.


The attack in the heartland of Iraqi's majority Shiite population killed eight people and wounded 40, including a prominent cleric, Sheik Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalayee. Local leaders said the attack was an attempt by militants to fuel a civil war between the Shiites and the minority Sunnis.


The start of election campaigning was subdued due to security fears.


In the capital, unidentified gunmen on Thursday shot dead Qassim Mehawi, deputy head of the Communications Ministry as he was heading to work, police officials said.


Eight of Mehawi's bodyguards were injured in the attack and were taken to the hospital.


Government officials are frequent targets of the insurgents, who accuse them of collaborating with the Americans.


In western Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded near a passing SUV, badly damaging the vehicle, police said. After the blast, gunmen opened up on the survivors with automatic fire, killing a foreigner and wounding two others, Al-Khadra police commissioner Ali Hussein Al-Hamadani said.


There was no immediate information on their nationality.


Al-Hamadani said three Iraqi National Guardsmen died and six others were injured when another roadside bomb exploded in western Baghdad as their pickup truck was driving by.


And a U.S. soldier was wounded when the tank he was riding in struck a mine near Beiji, 150 miles north of Baghdad, a spokesman said Thursday.


U.S. and Iraqi security forces raided the Baghdad home of two Egyptian employees of an Iraqi mobile phone company belonging to Egypt's telecommunications giant Orascom, said Dina Abu Neda, a spokeswoman for Orascom Telecom.


Abu Neda said the U.S. and Iraqi forces also confiscated thousands of dollars from the men's home. "We don't know why they were detained, it came as a big surprise to us," Abu Neda said.


In the northern city of Kirkuk, several thousand Arab residents rallied Thursday in front of the governor's office to demand that the elections be postponed.


The protesters said they were worried that a campaign to return displaced Kurds to the city, where Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime drove out many Kurds and replaced them with Arabs from other areas, would alter Kirkuk's ethnic mix.


A government official said that Saddam Hussein's notorious right-hand man, Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," will be the first among 12 former regime members to appear at an initial investigative court hearing next week to face charges for crimes allegedly committed during Saddam's 35-year dictatorship.


On the final day of candidate registration on Wednesday, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite and Washington favorite, announced his 240-member list of candidates, pitting him against the slate embraced by Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. About 90 parties and political movements have applied to be represented on ballots.





Heading the al-Sistani-backed United Iraqi Alliance list is Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the pro-Iranian Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution and chief of its armed wing, the Iran-based Badr Brigade, during Saddam's rule.

With the threatened Sunni boycott, the lists submitted make Allawi and al-Hakim the leading contenders to take top jobs in Iraq's next government.

In the election, each faction will win a number of seats in the assembly proportional to the percentage of votes it gets nationwide — meaning the highest-listed candidates on each roster are most likely to be elected. The groups ending up strongest in the assembly will be in a powerful position — the body will elect a president and two deputies, who will nominate the prime minister. The assembly will also draw up a new constitution.

Shiites make up 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million population and are expected to dominate the polls.

In another development, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it is investigating a report that an Italian citizen was killed in Iraq after being taken captive by a militant group.

In a statement, the Italian Foreign Ministry said the report was unconfirmed and that it "must still be verified with maximum caution."

The ministry said the details were provided by an Iraqi journalist, who told The Associated Press he was taken by militants to see a body near the battleground city of Ramadi. The journalist said he was shown a man's body and passport.

The ministry statement said the victim may have been Salvatore Santoro, 52, a resident of Britain for years. However, it said Italian officials were not aware he was in Iraq.

At the Pentagon (news - web sites), a senior U.S. commander said Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may now be operating out of Baghdad, after leaving his former safe haven in the rebel-held city of Fallujah ahead of last month's U.S.-led offensive to retake that city.

"Baghdad would be the most likely area," Lt. Gen. Lance Smith told journalists on Wednesday.

Al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq group is believed to be leading a brutal campaign of hostage-takings, beheadings and bombings that victimize both Americans and Iraqis.

Smith said it was difficult to trace al-Zarqawi but that he can operate "pretty safely" in Baghdad.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

$4B Spent To Send Vehicles To Iraq
Associated Press
December 16, 2004

WASHINGTON - Iraqi insurgents are growing more effective and it will take time to get U.S. troops the $4 billion in armor they need for protection, defense officials said Wednesday. "This is not Wal-Mart," one general said.

Officials rejected growing criticism that armor shortages in Iraq reflect poor war planning, and they said they've been working as fast as possible to give troops what they need.

At a Pentagon news conference, Army officials declined to say how much has already been spent armoring vehicles for the campaign. But they said that by the end of the next six to eight months, they will have spent $4.1 billion to try to make sure vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan have full armor - either manufactured that way or with armor added.

They said they expect 98 percent of Army Humvees in the theater to have proper armor by March and the rest of the fleet, such as fuel trucks, by summer.

"This is not Wal-Mart ... this is a very detailed process in terms of trying to get this capability," said Brig. Gen. Jeffery Sorenson, adding that it takes time to study, develop, test and produce equipment needed against what commanders say is a sophisticated and ever-adapting enemy.




Asked at a separate news conference on Iraq operations whether he was concerned about still lacking protection, Lt. Gen. Lance Smith said officials are concerned that insurgents have changed their tactics -- attacking troops in the rear area after realizing they could not win in direct combat.

"Yes, we're concerned that he has changed his tactics and it's required us to armor vehicles that we might otherwise not armor," he said of attacks on logistics convoys.

"I don't know that we'll ever find a silver bullet" against the insurgents' homemade bombs, said Smith, deputy commander of Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations throughout the Middle East.

He said insurgents may use doorbell mechanisms today and remote controls from toys tomorrow to detonate the bombs that have become the major source of U.S. casualties in Iraq.

"As we adapt, they adapt," he said.

Smith and Sorenson spoke to Pentagon reporters in two separate press conferences Wednesday, a week after a soldier's question to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ignited a firestorm over why troops lack proper armor 21 months into the Iraq campaign.

Critics of Bush administration policies in Iraq blame what they say was a rosy picture the administration held before the war. The campaign was meant to be fought at rapid speed by a limited-size force with international help to disarm Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction. Instead, no weapons were found, the international community largely refused to participate and officials have been forced to increase the size of the force there, now going up to 150,000 troops.

There was too little advanced body armor and too few armored vehicles to deal with what the Pentagon has since acknowledged is a far stronger and longer insurgency than expected, critics say. Smith said all troops now have the body vests.

Defense officials say it wasn't a matter of poor planning but that insurgents have proven very smart. U.S. forces changed various tactics, including driving convoys fast through problem areas and getting jammers that foil insurgents' ability to detonate bombs by remote control, Smith said.

"And that's been effective, but it's effective for a short time," Smith said. "The enemy is very smart and thinking ... so he changes his tactics and he becomes more effective."

Officials also said this week that the Air Force has started making more cargo flights over Iraq to keep Army transport trucks off the country's dangerous roads when possible.

"Its not just armor ... but a holistic approach" to the threat, Sorenson said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Los Angeles Times
December 15, 2004
Pg. 1

Details Of Marines Mistreating Prisoners In Iraq Are Revealed


By Richard A. Serrano, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Marines in Iraq conducted mock executions of juvenile prisoners last year, burned and tortured other detainees with electrical shocks, and warned a Navy corpsman they would kill him if he treated any injured Iraqis, according to military documents made public Tuesday.

The latest revelations of prisoner abuse cases, obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit against the government, involved previously unknown incidents in which 11 Marines were punished for abusing detainees. Military officials indicated that they had investigated 13 other cases, but deemed them unsubstantiated. Four investigations are pending.

Military superiors handed down sentences of up to a year in confinement after finding Marines guilty of offenses ranging from assault to "cruelty and mistreatment," the documents show.

The new documents are the latest in a series of reports, e-mails and other records that the ACLU has obtained to bolster its contention that the abuse of prisoners goes far beyond the handful of soldiers charged with abusing detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The photographs of naked Iraqi prisoners being tortured by American troops at the prison shocked the world in April. The scandal involved abuse by reservists and members of the Army and National Guard; the latest cases elaborated for the first time on numerous allegations of abuse by Marines.

The mistreatment occurred as early as May 2003, months before the first allegations of abuse at Abu Ghraib were recorded. And the most recent case involving prisoner abuse by the Marines occurred in June, two months after the Abu Ghraib scandal broke.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU in New York, placed responsibility for the abuse on the Pentagon. "This kind of widespread abuse could not have taken place without a leadership failure of the highest order," he said.

Lawrence Di Rita, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said he could not comment on the latest cases because he was unfamiliar with them.

The documents described Navy criminal investigators scrambling to keep pace in June with an "exploding" number of abuse cases.

"Heads up," an assistant special agent in charge of the Navy's investigative field office in the Middle East wrote to his superiors in a 6 a.m. e-mail June 14, pleading for more investigators. "Case load is exploding, high visibility cases are on the rise," he warned. "We have scrubbed all of our personnel and have no other trained personnel available to deploy."

Cases involving prisoner abuse continue to tarnish the U.S. military's involvement in Iraq. Since the Abu Ghraib scandal, revelations have surfaced of other detainee abuse in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the prison for terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Authorities have charged eight prison guards for beating and sexually humiliating prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad last fall. At least two prisoners at Abu Ghraib died in custody.

In all, about three dozen prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan are believed to have died in U.S. custody.

The cases are in various stages of investigation or prosecution. The Pentagon confirmed this week that four soldiers were accused of killing a prisoner in Afghanistan in 2002, but charges against three of them were dropped.

In the case that drew the stiffest punishment, a one-year prison sentence for the Marine, a detainee at Mahmoudiya was shocked with an electric transformer. Wires were held against his shoulders, and "the detainee danced as he was shocked," the documents state.

The new records — which blacked out the names of soldiers — also show that a Marine was convicted of ordering four juvenile Iraqi looters to kneel down beside two shallow holes in Diwaniya. Then, "a pistol was discharged to conduct a mock execution." The Marine was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment with hard labor.

Other Marines were punished for physically abusing prisoners. In Karbala, a Marine held a 9-millimeter pistol to the back of a detainee's head while another Marine snapped a picture. A glass of water then was poured on the prisoner's head, and he was photographed with an American flag draped over his body.

A detainee in Mahmoudiya suffered second-degree burns and blisters on the back of his hands when "a Marine guard squirted alcohol-based sanitizer" on him. A match was lighted, igniting the prisoner.

Navy investigators found other allegations unsubstantiated, including sexual abuse cases alleging that a detainee's testicles had been squeezed and another prisoner had been sodomized with a rifle muzzle.

Navy investigators also interviewed a group of corpsmen from Washington state who were dispatched to Iraq last year. Two of them spoke about being intimidated by Marines there.

One corpsman said he was cautioned not to talk to others about prisoner abuse. "There was a lot of peer pressure to keep one's mouth shut," he said.

Another corpsman said, "We were told not to exhaust our resources on the Iraqis. Several Marines told me that if I provided medical services to any Iraqi military or civilian personnel, that they [the Marines] would kill me."

However, the corpsman later said that "there was a wounded Iraqi POW who needed his dressings changed" and that some Marines "actually called my attention to him to make sure he received treatment."

He also recalled seeing Marines force detainees' heads into the dirt, "which was a cultural insult to them," and said that he saw a Marine striking a prisoner with an empty, 5-gallon plastic water jug.

The records discuss the deaths of several detainees, but they do not identify them or say how the cases were resolved.

One prisoner, who had attempted 20 escapes, reportedly died after breaking free of his restraints and jumping from a window, "landing on his head," the documents state. The examining Marine officer "surmised that the detainee died from internal cranial bleeding from the fall that was slow to kill him."

Another prisoner was "ziplocked" — a military term for being handcuffed — and then died in custody. "Preliminary information is that the detainee died from an apparent heart attack," the reports state.

In other cases, there was spirited debate, in reports and e-mails, about the corpses of prisoners. One dead Iraqi could not be found, and an e-mail ordered, "Try to find that body; we'll exhume if possible."

In another e-mail exchange, military officials discussed whether autopsies should be conducted in Iraq, at military bases in Germany or in the United States.

"Personally," responded one military officer, "I suspect that remains should probably NOT be brought to the U.S. for legal reasons." He did not elaborate.

Two Marines were disciplined for claiming to have done things they didn't do. One was convicted of lying to a Las Vegas newspaper that he "personally executed two Iraqis." He forfeited a month's pay.

The other Marine told a military surgeon that he broke his hand "punching an EPW [enemy prisoner of war] in the face" and told an officer that he broke it "punching an EPW in the back of the head." Back in the U.S., "he recanted, stating he punched the ground," the reports said. He lost two months' pay.

Times staff writer Mark Mazzetti contributed to this report.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Omro Veteran Plans Memorial to Slain Marines

We have new information about how the two latest Wisconsin Marines died in Iraq. Private First Class Brent Vroman, 21, of Omro, and Lance Corporal Richard Warner, 22, of Waukesha, were both riflemen in the Marine Reserves Fox Company First Platoon. They were on foot patrol Monday when they were hit with an explosive device fired from a vehicle.

Vroman and Warner are the third and fourth members of the company to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

PFC Vroman's loss is especially painful for one Omro veteran. He was friends with the last member of the armed forces from Omro to die in a military conflict.

It's been a long time since the community has dealt with the loss of a hometown Marine. John Hoeft says it's his duty to make sure that sacrifice is remembered.

The stories are so similar -- from the same city, 37 years apart. Two young men -- both athletes, both well-liked at school, both gone.

John Hoeft knew them both.

"Here you got two young men, roughly about the same age, both Marines," Hoeft points out.

Twenty-year-old Merlin Allen died in 1967 in Vietnam when his helicopter was shot down. "Merlin, I think he was a door gunner on a Marine helicopter," Hoeft said.

Allen and Hoeft were friends growing up in Omro. "His memory stays with a lot of us in his age group, especially being in Vietnam and knowing what went on."

Hoeft says Vroman's death brings back memories of Allen, and of his own service in Vietnam.

"When you're a veteran yourself, I don't care what the age difference is, you have that special bond." A bond that Hoeft says requires him to create some memorial to Vroman and to Allen, too.

"I don't know what it is yet, but there will be something done on behalf of his memory and also any previous veterans that were killed. I don't care how far back it went."

Hoeft says he'll start to make plans for a memorial with his American Legion Group at its next meeting.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

"Learning To Care For Those In Harm's Way"

The Walter Reed Society, inc.
Post Office Box 59611
Walter Reed Station
Washington, D.C. 20012-9611
Phone 202.782.6607
14 December 2004

MEMORANDUM TO: Potential Donors

SUBJECT: Walter Reed Society/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom Family Support Fund
(OIF/OEF-FSF)

The Walter Reed Society, established in 1996 is a tax exempt organization (tax exempt id 52-1961196) incorporated in the District of Columbia with the purposes of preserving and enhancing the rich history and worldwide reputation of the Army's best known medical research, treatment and training facility and aiding and assisting its patients and staff. Membership is open to all and the society has been involved in fundraising for philanthropic purposes since its inception. Past projects have included the improvement of waiting rooms, provision of playground equipment, a healing garden and other contributions in accordance with requests from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Command and staff.

The Walter Reed Society is available to receive donations to assist family members of service members returning to Walter Reed Army Medical Center as patients. The Operation Iraqi Freedom Family Support Fund provides funds for lodging and other related expenses incurred by family members that are not otherwise covered by government funding. Donations may be made to the Walter Reed Society Operation Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom Family Support Fund and will be managed by a separate account ledger with payment authorized by an office/individual designated by the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Command. Receipts for donations will be issued by the Walter Reed Society and disbursements from the fund will be managed by the Walter Reed Society's treasurer in accordance with an established request form with appropriate validation. Incidental expenses incurred in the management of the fund will be recorded in the account's ledger.

Point of contact for this action is the undersigned or Mr. Dan Bullis - phone 202-782-8937, fax 202-782-7948 or e-mail: dan.bullis@na.amedd.army.mil .

FOR THE WALTER REED SOCIETY:



Peter B. Esker
Secretary
(301) 295-1219, FAX (301) 295-3757, email pesker@usuhs.mil

Walter Reed Society's Operation Iraqi Freedom Family Support Fund

Walter Reed Society continues to help our wounded warriors

The Walter Reed Society's Operation Iraqi Freedom Family Support Fund (WRS-OIF/FSF), established on 19 March 2003, continues to serve our wounded warriors here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in many different ways.

Most all of the soldiers that arrive here at WRAMC via the medical evacuation system arrive with little or no personal belongings and are generally met by their family who travels hundreds of miles to be here at Walter Reed to assist with their care and support them while here. The Medical Family Assistance Center is able to provide for the families needs through many of the support organizations that are here, however many times the needs exceed either the ability or bureaucracy sometimes involved in providing the support required.

For these soldiers and family members the Medical Family Assistance Center assists them with completing a request for assistance to the WRS-OIF/FSF and arranges for them to meet with SGM Dan Bullis (USA-RET), who meets with each soldier and or family members as part of the WRS's-OIF/FSF committee and insures that their needs are properly captured and transmitted to the committee for final review/approval.

Once approved the WRS provides a grant to the individual. Thus far we have provided direct support to over 50 soldiers/family members and have supported requests from the Occupational Therapy Department for musical instruments, clothing and other items to assist many of the amputees with their needs. We have also assisted with providing items for the patient recreation center, and supporting the transportation needs for soldiers and family members to outings.

The WRS-OIF/FSF has proven to be a huge care multiplier for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center's mission of providing the best possible care to this very special population and we are honored and proud to provide this support to our wounded warriors.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

General: Insurgents Growing More Effective

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Iraqi insurgents are growing more effective and it will take time to get U.S. troops the $4 billion in armor they need for protection, defense officials said Wednesday. "This is not Wal-Mart," one general said.


Officials rejected growing criticism that armor shortages in Iraq (news - web sites) reflect poor war planning, and they said they've been working as fast as possible to give troops what they need.


At a Pentagon (news - web sites) news conference, Army officials declined to say how much has already been spent armoring vehicles for the campaign. But they said that by the end of the next six to eight months, they will have spent $4.1 billion to try to make sure vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) have full armor — either manufactured that way or with armor added.


They said they expect 98 percent of Army Humvees in the theater to have proper armor by March and the rest of the fleet, such as fuel trucks, by summer.


"This is not Wal-Mart ... this is a very detailed process in terms of trying to get this capability," said Brig. Gen. Jeffery Sorenson, adding that it takes time to study, develop, test and produce equipment needed against what commanders say is a sophisticated and ever-adapting enemy.


Asked at a separate news conference on Iraq operations whether he was concerned about still lacking protection, Lt. Gen. Lance Smith said officials are concerned that insurgents have changed their tactics -- attacking troops in the rear area after realizing they could not win in direct combat.


"Yes, we're concerned that he has changed his tactics and it's required us to armor vehicles that we might otherwise not armor," he said of attacks on logistics convoys.


"I don't know that we'll ever find a silver bullet" against the insurgents' homemade bombs, said Smith, deputy commander of Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations throughout the Middle East.


He said insurgents may use doorbell mechanisms today and remote controls from toys tomorrow to detonate the bombs that have become the major source of U.S. casualties in Iraq.


"As we adapt, they adapt," he said.


Smith and Sorenson spoke to Pentagon reporters in two separate press conferences Wednesday, a week after a soldier's question to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ignited a firestorm over why troops lack proper armor 21 months into the Iraq campaign.


Critics of Bush administration policies in Iraq blame what they say was a rosy picture the administration held before the war. The campaign was meant to be fought at rapid speed by a limited-size force with international help to disarm Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) of his weapons of mass destruction. Instead, no weapons were found, the international community largely refused to participate and officials have been forced to increase the size of the force there, now going up to 150,000 troops.


There was too little advanced body armor and too few armored vehicles to deal with what the Pentagon has since acknowledged is a far stronger and longer insurgency than expected, critics say. Smith said all troops now have the body vests.


Defense officials say it wasn't a matter of poor planning but that insurgents have proven very smart. U.S. forces changed various tactics, including driving convoys fast through problem areas and getting jammers that foil insurgents' ability to detonate bombs by remote control, Smith said.


"And that's been effective, but it's effective for a short time," Smith said. "The enemy is very smart and thinking ... so he changes his tactics and he becomes more effective."


Officials also said this week that the Air Force has started making more cargo flights over Iraq to keep Army transport trucks off the country's dangerous roads when possible.


"Its not just armor ... but a holistic approach" to the threat, Sorenson said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

New Film Highlights 1st AD's Iraq Mission

By Terry Boyd,
Stars and Stripes European edition


BAUMHOLD-ER, Germany — Filmmaker Michael Tucker is perplexed.
The Berlin-based documentary maker asks why America doesn’t seem to care about the Iraq war or the American soldiers who are fighting it.

America, he says, has lost interest in the war and turned the channel to “Survivor” and “American Idol.”

“My friends say, ‘You’re obsessed with this war,’” Tucker said in a telephone interview from his Berlin office. “I say, ‘How can you not be?’ The American people have no idea what life is like for these soldiers.”

Tucker, a Seattle native, has channeled his obsession into “Gunner Palace,” the first feature-length film about the Iraq war; a film that he says is from the perspective of the soldiers themselves.

It’s a film that may do for the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment — nicknamed “Gunners” — what HBO’s “Band of Brothers” did for Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division: Make them into American icons.

The movie is set to open Feb. 11 in six U.S. markets, then expand the following week to 15 markets. Tucker said he hopes to have pre-release screenings next month at major U.S. posts, such as Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Drum, N.Y., but those plans are not yet complete.

Tucker spent a total of two months between September 2003 and April 2004 living with the unit at what soldiers call “Odai’s Love Shack,” a partially bombed-out palace on the Euphrates River where Saddam Hussein’s son, Odai, brought paramours for trysts.

The regiment set up headquarters at the palace complex, which they nicknamed “Gunnerland,” while patrolling Al-Adhamiya, one of the most volatile sections of Baghdad. Tucker accompanied soldiers on countless missions and simply hung out with the troops. He said that left him with a sympathetic view of his soldiers that strongly runs counter to an image colored by soldiers’ abuses of Iraqi captives at Abu Ghraib prison.

“I tended to give soldiers the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “They didn’t ‘sandbag’ detainees (place sandbags over their heads). It shocked me you didn’t see rougher treatment of detainees” given the constant threat level.”

He did see, over time, mounting frustration among troops over the language barrier, and the fatigue of working nearly around the clock.

“It’s a bunch of 20-year-old kids who just want to survive,” he said.

Gunnerland was a world between the reality of raids and attacks and the “real” world via the Internet, phones and the media, Tucker said. There were the funny moments, when soldiers would pull up to find suspects conveniently waiting to be caught, and darker moments when the U.S. troops rammed Humvees into houses, only to find out they had the wrong targets, he said.

Tucker said his goal is to show Americans — without being voyeuristic, political or patronizing — a world that he finds inspiring and terrifying.

He quotes one of the men he calls “soldier/poets:”

“It’s like (Spc.) Richmond Shaw said – ‘For y’all this is just a show, but we live in this movie.’”

Tucker and his partner, Petra Epperlein, have shown “Gunner Palace” at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado and the Toronto Film Festival in Canada to enthusiastic reviews.

It is, said Tucker, art out of pain.

It was painful getting to know and respect soldiers and officers such as Sgt. Maj. Eric F. Cooke and Capt. Ben Colgan before they died in separate attacks, he said.

After that, he said, he couldn’t make “something rah-rah.” But neither could he make a film disrespectful of soldiers. Tucker said: “I most like that it shows them being them.”

Tucker succeeded in keeping the film “apolitical,” said Jon Powers, 26, a former 2-3 Field Artillery captain, now a schoolteacher in Buffalo, N.Y.

“It’s a great movie … for soldiers to see, and … for their families and friends to see if they want to understand what we went through for 14 months,” said Powers, who saw “Gunner Palace” at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

The film is, he said, an accurate depiction of daily life made by a filmmaker given extraordinary access by Lt. Col. Bill Rabena, the battalion commander. Attempts by Stars and Stripes to reach Rabena were unsuccessful.

“People always ask me if there was censorship; if I had trouble getting access and all those issues,” Tucker said.

Instead, he said, he had unrestricted access to soldiers in their off hours, to all missions and even to interrogations of suspected Iraqi insurgents. “They embraced your being there,” Tucker said. “People just want their story told.”

Whether the regiment’s soldiers will be able to go to the local base theater to watch themselves on the big screen remains unclear. Army and Air Force Exchange Service executives say that’s unlikely, unless a major distributor with whom AAFES has a contractural relationship picks up the film, and it goes into wide release, said Judd Anstey, media branch manager at AAFES headquarters in Dallas.

Viewers should be prepared for what Powers calls “some down-and-dirty” footage, including a scene where soldiers are “playing guitars and basically hanging out,” a peaceful moment interrupted by a mortar attack. “But once (the audience) gets over the shock, it will get a conversation started. … The guys who went with me to see it said, ‘Is that what it was really like?!’ … I said, ‘Yeah.’”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines see double in Iraq
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200412162246
Story by Lance Cpl. Miguel A. Carrasco Jr.



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 15, 2004) -- In Iraq, Marines may come across these two female officers and think they are seeing double.
First Lt. Jennifer J. Ryu, with 9th Communications Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group and 2nd Lt. Jessica J. Ryu, with 2nd Radio Battalion, 2nd MEF Headquarters Group, are twins.

They caught up with each other here Oct. 14, during their deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jessica was sent here to see how things worked in the Operational Control and Analysis Element and was able to spend a few days with her sister.

The Ryu sisters used to be separated by 2,742 miles in the United States, when Jennifer was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Jessica was at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Now, they are only minutes apart.

“It is funny how we are closer, now, that we are deployed,” said Jessica.

Born only one minute apart on March 21, 1980, the two 24-year-olds from Winchester-Salem, N.C., had not seen each other since the beginning of August. They used their time in Iraq to catch up and reminisce about old times.

“Our goals, as kids, were centered around competing with one another,” said Jennifer. “We constantly compared all of our activities like grades, points in a game, everything.”

The Ryu twins remembered doing everything together. They attended grade school side by side for nine years. Then progressed to Bishop McGuinness Memorial High School in Kernersville, N.C., where their competitive nature kept close.

The twins played every sport imaginable, had the same friends and hung out a lot together, according to Jessica. They played basketball, soccer and cross-country, and even tried their hand in the drama department.

After four years of being inseparable, the twins branched out heading in different directions to obtain their college degrees. Jennifer stayed in their home state attending the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, N.C., majoring in interpersonal and organizational communication. Jessica ventured off to Ann Arbor, Mich., attending the University of Michigan, to major in Latin.

However, the duo would reunite once again when they both attended Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., during the summer of 2001. The sisters laughed when they thought back to some of the situations that only twins would run into during OCS.

“We were both standing at attention in front of the instructor when he said, ‘twins are a miracle of God,’ and I started to laugh,” said Jennifer. “Then the instructor turned to Jessica and demanded to know why I was laughing. Jessica said, ‘This candidate’s sister has no bearing, she is undisciplined.’”

“From then on, I was known as the ‘undisciplined Ryu,” laughed Jennifer.

After completing OCS, the sisters both continued on with their senior year of college, Jessica graduated in May of 2002 and Jennifer in December later that year.

The sisters have spent a lot of time apart since graduating high school in 1998 and joining the Marine Corps, but that doesn’t stop them from continuing the bond that they share, when they do cross paths.

“We spend more quality time together now because we can appreciate our childhood and all the things we went through together to get here,” said Jennifer.

After all they have been through the two have not lost their competitive spirits. After her promotion to the rank of first lieutenant in May, Jennifer, the younger twin, is senior in rank to Jessica, who is scheduled to pin on first lieutenant in December.

“The relationship that Jennifer has with her sister is very amusing,” said 1st Lt. Timothy J. Robinson, 28, a native of Ferriday, La., and the executive officer for Company B, 9th Communication Battalion. “Technically, Jessica is older by one minute, but Jessica is still a second lieutenant. Jennifer never hesitates to remind her older sister of this fact and jokingly prefers that Jessica refer to her as ‘ma’am’ in front of others.”

Although they manage to enjoy these moments of levity, every assignment has its ups and downs. The twins feel that with the support of their family and each other they can get through the rough times together.

Their parents, Jai, 64, and Jacqueline Ryu, 54, residents of Dewey, Ariz., have been there to support the twins in every decision they make.

“(Our parents) both came from big families that stressed love, hard work and the benefit of a good education,” said Jennifer. “They never let us quit anything.”

The twins have plans to become teachers after they have fulfilled their commitment to the Marine Corps. While Jennifer wants to focus on working with developmentally disabled children someday, Jessica would like to teach Latin at a middle school.

The Marines that work with each of the twins think highly of them both and believe the leadership skills they both uphold will ensure their success in and out of the Marine Corps.

"Jennifer is well rounded, has sound leadership skills, and possesses tenacity for mission accomplishment,” said Robinson

Cut from the same mold, it’s no surprise Jessica’s Marines look to her as an example.

“2nd Lt. Ryu (Jessica) upholds the Marine Corps standards both on and off duty,” said Cpl. Justin K. Kimball, 21, a native of Friendswood, Texas, with 2nd Radio Battalion. “She is always hard at work and determined to do what ever it takes to accomplish the mission.”

Despite all the competition and distance between them, Jennifer and Jessica are grateful for the moments when they can spend some time together.

“Whether it is here in Iraq or in the U.S., being with each other is great,” said Jennifer. “(Jessica) is someone I can laugh with, talk to and also someone who knows what I’ve gone through to get where I am right now.”

The twins have been in country for approximately two months of their expected seven-month tour. They hope this isn’t the last time they meet during their stay.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

HERO IN FALLUJAH: Marine Laid Himself on Top of Grenade to Save Rest of Squad

by Oliver North
Posted Dec 16, 2004

"It's stuff you hear about in boot camp, about World War II and Tarawa Marines who won the Medal of Honor," Lance Corporal Rob Rogers of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment told the Army Times. Corporal Rogers was describing the actions of his fellow Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta, a Mexican immigrant who enlisted in the Marine Corps the day he received his green card.

Most readers of this column probably haven't heard about Rafael Peralta. With the exception of the Los Angeles Times, most of our mainstream media haven't bothered to write about him. The next time you log onto the Internet, do a Google search on Rafael Peralta. As of this writing, the Internet's most used search engine will provide you with only 26 citations from news sources that have bothered to write about this heroic young man. Then, just for giggles, do a Google search on Pablo Paredes. Hundreds of media outlets have written about him. The wire services have blasted his story to thousands of newspapers. Television and radio debate programs gladly provide the public with talking heads that can speak eloquently on the actions of Pablo Paredes.

You see, Pablo Paredes, a Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class, did something the liberal elites consider "heroic" and the media consider "newsworthy" - he defied an order. Last week, Paredes refused to board his ship bound for Iraq along with 5,000 other sailors and Marines. He showed up on the pier wearing a black tee shirt that read, ``Like a Cabinet member, I resign.''

We know this because Petty Officer Pablo Paredes had the courtesy and forethought to notify the local media that he would commit an act of cowardice the following day. Perhaps he hoped to follow the lead of another famous war protestor who went on to become a U.S. Senator and his party's presidential nominee by throwing away his military medals. Petty Officer Paredes stopped short of trashing his military I.D. in front of the cameras because he said he didn't want to be charged with the destruction of government property. The media, we are promised, will continue to follow this story intently.

It is a shame that the media focus on such acts when they could tell stories about real heroes like Rafael Peralta who "saved the life of my son and every Marine in that room," according to Garry Morrison the father of a Marine in Peralta's unit - Lance Cpl. Adam Morrison.

On the morning of November 15, 2004, the men of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines awoke before sunrise and continued what they had been doing for seven days previously - cleansing the city of Fallujah of terrorists house by house.

At the fourth house they encountered that morning the Marines kicked in the door and "cleared" the front rooms, but then noticed a locked door off to the side that required inspection. Sgt. Rafael Peralta threw open the closed door, but behind it were three terrorists with AK-47s. Peralta was hit in the head and chest with multiple shots at close range.

Peralta's fellow Marines had to step over his body to continue the shootout with the terrorists. As the firefight raged on, a "yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped grenade," as Lance Corporal Travis Kaemmerer described it, rolled into the room where they were all standing and came to a stop near Peralta's body.

But Sgt. Rafael Peralta wasn't dead - yet. This young immigrant of 25 years, who enlisted in the Marines when he received his green card, who volunteered for the front line duty in Fallujah, had one last act of heroism in him.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta was the polar opposite of Pablo Paredes, the Petty Officer who turned his back on his shipmates and mocked his commander in chief. Peralta was proud to serve his adopted country. In his parent's home, on his bedroom walls hung only three items - a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and his boot camp graduation certificate. Before he set out for Fallujah, he wrote to his 14-year old brother, "be proud of me, bro...and be proud of being an American."

Not only can Rafael's family be proud of him, but his fellow Marines are alive because of him. As Sgt. Rafael Peralta lay near death on the floor of a Fallujah terrorist hideout, he spotted the yellow grenade that had rolled next to his near-lifeless body. Once detonated, it would take out the rest of Peralta's squad. To save his fellow Marines, Peralta reached out, grabbed the grenade, and tucked it under his abdomen where it exploded.

"Most of the Marines in the house were in the immediate area of the grenade," Cpl. Kaemmerer said. "We will never forget the second chance at life that Sgt. Peralta gave us."

Unfortunately, unlike Pablo Paredes, Sgt. Rafael Peralta will get little media coverage. He is unlikely to have books written about him or movies made about his extraordinarily selfless sacrifice. But he is likely to receive the Medal of Honor. And that Medal of Honor is likely to be displayed next to the only items that hung on his bedroom wall - the Constitution, Bill of Rights and his Boot Camp graduation certificate.

Yes, Virginia, there are still heroes in America, and Sgt. Rafael Peralta was one of them. It's just too bad the media can't recognize them.


Ellie