Iraq-deployed New York City Marine takes top spot at leadership course

[thedrifter]

Iraq-deployed New York City Marine takes top spot at leadership course
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200512072431
Story by Lance Cpl. T. J. Kaemmerer



CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Jan. 20, 2005) -- Late nights and early mornings are not on the list of favorite things for many people, but for Cpl. Rafael M. Perez it was a necessary fact of life in becoming the honor graduate during Corporal’s Course in Iraq.

Perez, a field radio operator with the New York-based 6th Communication Battalion, met and exceeded the extremely high standards of the course and shot straight to the top of the class.

“I didn’t expect it at all,” said Perez, a 22-year-old Brooklyn native. “The class had a good bunch of Marines. From day one, I was working hard and studying. I wanted it and I had to really work for it.”

“He’s an outstanding Marine,” said Sgt. Steven S. Wheeler, a military policeman with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Military Police Battalion, who served as an instructor during the course. “I’d be glad to have him work for me. He could show the junior Marines how to act.”

The two-week course was held here Jan. 1-14, 2005, and is designed to teach junior noncommissioned officers the importance of small-unit leadership.

The Marine students spent long nights studying course material, sometimes staying up until 1 a.m. or later, just to be up again at 5:30 a.m. to conduct physical training – or “PT,” as the Marines call it - in the near-freezing morning air, recalled Wheeler.

When they weren’t trying to stay hydrated by sipping water throughout classes, the Marines were marching to the chow hall for quick meals, or practicing close order drill in a sand-coated open lot. In the evenings, it was back to the classroom where the Marines learned about the uniform code of military justice, uniform regulations, anti-terrorism measures, and leadership.

“The course re-instills the fundamentals of being a Marine, discipline and rank structure. It makes them realize that they’re NCOs, not lance corporals,” explained Wheeler, a 25-year-old Lutz, Fla., native.

Perez, however, well into his second tour in Iraq, has already had the opportunity to lead subordinate Marines since arriving in Iraq on Aug. 15, 2004 – his 22nd birthday. He’s responsible for the supervision of five Marines within the communications section of the General Support Motor Transport Company at Combat Service Support Group 15.

As a radio operator, he and his Marines are responsible for repairing radios and returning them to individual units, a job he doesn’t take lightly.

“Radios can be very tricky sometimes, but my Marines do an awesome job at it, which makes them more combat effective,” said Perez. “It is very critical that everyone does their part and it is that corporal and sergeant that ensures it gets done.”

Coupled with his experience from serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom last year, the lessons he learned during the course can be used now while he is serving in a combat zone, explained Perez, a college student and computer technician’s assistant back in New York.

“My parents worry all the time about me being out here,” he said. “My dad really didn’t want me to come out a second time, but he knows I have to stand up for what’s right. Marines fight and that’s why I joined the Marine Corps.”

Perez’s parents aren’t the only ones who are dealing with his absence on the home front. He has two sisters, who he enjoyed taking to the movies “when he had some spare time.”

He also gets involved with his church’s youth events “doing work for God,” by helping to lead youths to do something positive with their lives.

Perez’s “sweetheart,” 25-year-old Yenie Vargas, is awaiting his return to Brooklyn as well.

“She’s never had a long-distance relationship quite like this before,” he said. “She’s taking it kind of hard, but she’s being strong about the situation.”

He’s looking forward to taking her to Long Island and the pool halls where “I let her win, sometimes.”

Although his deployment to Iraq has kept him away from New York, Perez recognizes that he and his fellow Marines have an important role to play in the Global War on Terrorism.

“I think we’re making a big impact on the war,” he said. “We provide all the supplies that go to the frontlines. We get them everything they need and the make a difference. We contribute to that.”

Just because he’s not on the frontlines of battle in places like Fallujah, however, Perez must remain ever vigilant on a daily basis. He’s been on convoys that have encountered small-arms fire and improvised explosive devices, as well as having to dodge exploding mortars and rockets on base where he lives out his daily life.

“I’d rather be face-to-face with the enemy, because at least you know where it’s coming from,” he said. “With indirect fire, one minute you’re cool and the next you could be gone.”

The dangers he faces here daily give new meaning to the advice he loves giving others: “You’re too blessed to be stressed. Every day you wake up, you’re blessed. If you woke up, that’s one more reason to live.”

During the course, the base was hit by enemy rockets.

“It might as well be called ‘combat corporal’s course,’” said Perez. ”The enemy seeks to intimidate us but obviously it won't work with Marines.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

AF, Navy Look To Shed Troops
USA TODAY
January 24, 2005

- The Air Force and Navy have more people than they need and are trying to get thousands to leave without resorting to layoffs.

Over the next year, the Air Force says it will shrink by 20,000, downsizing from 379,000 troops to 359,000. The Navy will trim more than 7,300 and fall from about 373,200 sailors to 365,900. WASHINGTON

In contrast, the Army will grow from 493,000 to 502,400 and the Marines from 175,000 to 178,000. Their growth reflects the demands of open-ended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that are about to trigger second tours of duty for tens of thousands of ground troops.

The high-tech Air Force and Navy, which have few rifle-toting troops, believe they can absorb personnel cuts that might threaten to debilitate the Army or Marines. Part of the reason the two services can draw down: High tech weapons are changing warfare. A single Air Force B-1 or B-2 Stealth bomber flying with satellite-guided bombs can now destroy more targets than an entire squadron of Air Force or Navy planes dropping unguided bombs in the 1991 Gulf War.





In future years, the Navy and Air Force will sail fewer ships and fly fewer aircraft because of improvements in weapons. Whereas the 1980s-era Pentagon envisioned building up to a 600-ship fleet from 450 in 1982, the Navy now has a total of 289 ships and submarines.

''The outcome for us, we are using the skills and talents of our people the best we can, and we are harnessing technology,'' says Cmdr. Ron Hill, a spokesman for the chief of naval personnel. ''We're getting rid of outdated systems and getting rid of work that doesn't need to be done by uniformed people.''

Personnel is among the biggest expenses for the military. The cost of 10,000 additional troops is $1 billion or more a year when recruiting, training, salaries and benefits are included.

In the civilian world, a corporation with personnel shortages in one part of the company could shift workers around. In the all-volunteer military, it doesn't work that way. Each service has its own culture and is responsible for recruiting and retaining its workforce. There is little crossover among branches, and the Pentagon cannot simply order troops from one service to another.

As part of their efforts to downsize, the Navy and Air Force last year began encouraging sailors and airmen to consider transferring to the Army. But since the ''Blue to Green'' program began, only 50 sailors and 89 airmen have switched to the Army, according to Navy and Air Force figures.

The Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard continue to have a difficult time recruiting. The Army Guard and Army Reserve are part-time forces made up mostly of troops who typically serve one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, but who have frequently been called up for full-time duty since the invasion of Iraq in early 2003. Guardsmen and reservists make up about 40% of the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq now.

During the first two months of the 2005 fiscal year, which began in October, the Army Guard fell from 25% to more than 30% short of its recruiting goals. Earlier this month, the Army Reserve's top commander, Lt. Gen. James Helmly, sent a memo to Army leaders saying the Army Reserve was suffering severe personnel problems and becoming a ''broken force.''

The active Army was able to meet its 2004 recruiting goal of 77,000, in part because it rushed 6,000 recruits it had planned to enlist in 2005 to boot camp early, leaving less margin for error this year. In one sign of the concerns in the Army, the service is adding 574 new recruiters to bring its nationwide force up to more than 6,000.

The Marines say they expect to make their goal of about 38,000 recruits this year, but not without difficulty.

''It's a challenging recruiting environment. Nobody would tell you otherwise,'' says Maj. Dave Griesmer, a Marine spokesman.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Navy Leader Eyed For Air Force Job
Fort Worth Star Telegram
January 24, 2005

Navy Secretary Gordon England, a former Fort Worth aerospace executive, is emerging as a potential replacement for departed Air Force Secretary James Roche, who stepped down this week after a series of scandals and internal problems, according to sources with Pentagon contacts.

England could not be reached for comment, and his spokesman described the reports as premature. But insiders report that England appears to be in line for the Air Force job as part of a series of staff changes planned by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Roche resigned after a stormy period for the Air Force, including a procurement scandal involving Boeing tankers, sexual harassment allegations at the Air Force Academy and potential budget cutbacks threatening Lockheed Martin's F/A-22 and the C-130 Hercules airlifter.

Loren Thompson, an analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va., said speculation is spreading rapidly that England will be shifted to the Air Force in an effort to get the service back on track. England is widely respected within the Bush administration for his managerial skills and rapport with the Navy's rank and file, and he has been given several major Pentagon assignments beyond his job as Navy secretary.

"A lot of people who usually have good sources are saying it's so," Thompson said. "He's considered the one service secretary who is considered to be highly successful over the last four years."




Former Rep. Pete Geren of Fort Worth, a special assistant to Rumsfeld, said he is unaware of a possible job switch for England, but he acknowledged that the Navy secretary has a strong track record within the Pentagon.

"The secretary [Rumsfeld] really thinks England is one of the stars of the administration," Geren said. "His list of other duties that he gets assigned are enormous."

England, a former top executive for Lockheed and General Dynamics, is overseeing a modernization of the Pentagon personnel system, which will affect more than 800,000 civilian defense workers.

Capt. Kevin Wensing, England's spokesman, said there has been no official indication that England will leave his job. "I'd say it's premature," he said, "and I have not heard any formal discussions on that topic."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Military May Face Shortage Of Troops
Associated Press
January 24, 2005

WASHINGTON - The strain of fighting a longer, bloodier war in Iraq than U.S. commanders originally foresaw brings forth a question that most would have dismissed only a year ago: Is the military in danger of running out of reserve troops?

At first glance the answer would appear to be a clear no. There are nearly 1.2 million men and women on the reserve rolls, and only about 70,000 are now in Iraq to supplement the regulars.

But a deeper look inside the Army National Guard, Army Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve suggests a grimmer picture: At the current pace and size of American troop deployments to Iraq, the availability of suitable reserve combat troops could become a problem as early as next year.

The National Guard says it has about 86,000 citizen soldiers available for future deployments to Iraq, fewer than it has sent there over the past two years. And it has used up virtually all of its most readily deployable combat brigades.

In an indication of the concern about a thinning of its ranks, last month the National Guard tripled the re-enlistment bonuses offered to soldiers in Iraq who can fill critical skill shortages.





Similarly, the Army Reserve has about 37,500 deployable soldiers left - about 18 percent of its total troop strength.

The Marine Corps Reserve appears to be in a comparable position, because most of its 40,000 troops have been mobilized at least once already. Officials said they have no figures available on how many are available for future deployments to Iraq.

Both the Army and the Marines are soliciting reservists to volunteer for duty in Iraq.

"The reserves are pretty well shot" after the Pentagon makes the next troop rotation, starting this summer, said Robert Goldich, a defense analyst at the Congressional Research Service.

Among the evidence:

-Of the National Guard's 15 best-trained, best-equipped and most ready-to-deploy combat brigades, all but one are either in Iraq now, have demobilized after returning from a one-year tour there or have been alerted for duty in 2005-2006.

The exception is the South Carolina National Guard's 218th Infantry Brigade, which has had not been deployed to Iraq as a full brigade because smaller groups of its soldiers have been mobilized periodically for homeland defense and numerous missions abroad, including Iraq.

-The Army Reserve, with about 205,000 citizen soldiers on its rolls for support rather than combat duty, has been so heavily used since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that, for practical purposes, it has only about 37,500 troops available to perform the kinds of missions required in Iraq, according to an internal briefing chart entitled, "What's Left in the Army Reserve?"

-The chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, recently advised other Army leaders that his citizen militia is in "grave danger" of being unable to meet all its operational responsibilities. He said the Reserve is "rapidly degenerating into a `broken' force."

The mix of troops in the U.S. force rotation now under way in Iraq is about 50 percent active duty and 50 percent reserves. But that is set to change to 70 percent active and 30 percent reserve for the rotation after that, beginning this summer, because combat-ready Guard units have been tapped out.

Thus, two active-duty Army divisions that have already served one-year tours in Iraq - the 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry - have been selected to return in the coming rotation. The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force already is on its second tour in Iraq.

The potential squeeze could be avoided if security conditions in Iraq improve so dramatically this year that the Pentagon decides it can achieve stability with a smaller force.

The original expectation, after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003, was that a troop withdrawal could begin within weeks. But an unanticipated insurgency - which turned out to be lethal and resilient - changed the picture and led to the stressful situation the Army faces today.

In some respects, the use of Army and Marine reservists in Iraq has been a success story. Goldich, the defense analyst, said their performance has generally been excellent. Commanders sing their praise. Yet there is a limit to the reserves' resources, and the limit may be nearing.

It's not the absolute number of reservists that poses a problem. It's the number who have the right skills for what is required in Iraq and who have not already served lengthy tours on active duty since President Bush authorized the Pentagon three days after the Sept. 11 attacks to mobilize as many as 1 million reservists for up to 24 months.

A portion of the best-trained reservists are approaching the 24-month limit, and some senior officials inside the Army are considering whether the limit should be redefined so that mobilizations over the past three years would, in effect, not count against the 24-month limit.

The Guard and Reserve are hurting in other ways, too. Their casualties in Iraq have been mounting (16 deaths in October, 28 in November, 20 in December and at least 15 in the first 13 days of January), and the National Guard and Army Reserve have been missing their recruiting goals.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines Perform Hollywood Heroics
Submitted by: Los Angeles Public Affairs
Story Identification #: 2005121104758
Story by Sgt. James S. Goff



LOS ANGELES (Jan. 21. 2005) -- Whether it’s engaging enemies on the battlefield or on the small screen, Marines are always ready to go into “Action!”

And this time was no different here in San Pedro when Marines from Marine Air Group 46, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775, 1st Marine Division Schools and Special Operations Training Group, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, showed off their military prowess by conducting real and intense Marine Corps training exercises in support of the 20th Century Fox Television show “24” starring Kiefer Sutherland.

The exercises included aerial assault maneuvers by two AH-1s unloading a barrage of bullets at “terrorists” standing on a rooftop, 13 Marines fast-roping off a UH-1 into a smoke-filled alleyway, then engaging and killing more “terrorists” amidst aloud explosions and gunfire. In the end, the Marines destroyed the “terrorist” forces and saved Sutherland’s character “Jack.”

According to Maj. Michael J. Borgschulte, air officer for SOTG, the Marines were very happy to kill two birds with one stone by supporting the production.

“This is a great training tool,” said Borgschulte. It was also a great recruiting tool for interested young men and women to see military special operations training in action, Borgshulte added.

“This was great for our Marines, and it was a great opportunity to tell the Marine Corps story in a realistic setting,” said LtCol. John J. Houtchens, operations officer for Miramar, Ca., based MAG-46.

Tim Icafano, the show’s producer and director, was very pleased with the professionalism and performance of the marines, and he was excited about the footage they wee able to shoot during the filming. “Given the real-world challenges today in coordinating for marine Corps air support, it was amazing that we were able to make this scene happen,” Icafano said.

“We knew the Marines were good at what they do, but they were really good, very precise and precision oriented,” Icafano said.

Fast-roper and terrorist killer on the show SSgt. Jens Merritt, SOTG, I MEF, was thrilled to be a part of this unique training mission, even if it was just Hollywood dramatics.

“I can’t wait to see us on TV. Anytime I see Marines on TV, it just gets me motivated. Now, that’s me on TV representing the Marine Corps,” said Merritt.

According to Merritt, the best part about being in the TV show was all the free food. The caterers on set were the one thing he would remember the most about being on TV, Merritt said.

The Marines are scheduled to debut on “24” Monday on Fox. Check local listings for show times.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200512017845/$file/lead.jpg

In supporting the 20th Century Fox Television show "24", Marines from Special Operations Training Group, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, fast-rope down from a UH-1 onto a rooftop. A "terrorist" mowed down by two AH-1s lies dead nearby Photo by: Sgt. James S. Goff

Ellie

[thedrifter]

ID Tags Returned To War Veterans
Associated Press
January 24, 2005

WHEATON, Ill. - V.R. Roskam didn't know anything about the men whose names were stamped on the small, thin pieces of metal. He didn't know one belonged to a young Marine killed by a land mine. Or that one flew off a teenage soldier's neck when he jumped from a helicopter into a firefight.

But Roskam fought in Korea, and the way he saw it, 37 dog tags didn't belong in a wicker basket in some Ho Chi Minh City souvenir stand - they belonged in the hands of men who lost them fighting the Vietnam War.

"It's a matter of honor," said Roskam, 75. "They fell into our hands and they need to be returned to the right people."

Roskam and his wife, Martha, came across the military identification tags on a trip to Vietnam three years ago. Nine tags have been returned to soldiers or their families, and the Roskams are preparing to fly to Alabama to deliver another.

The Illinois couple is among a handful of Americans who have bought thousands of dog tags in Vietnam, not as souvenirs, but to return them to the U.S. troops who fought there in the 1960s and early 70s. They want to honor the soldiers whose service was treated with indifference and even open disdain.




"These are grown, hardened men in their 50s and 60s, and they're kind of in tears telling you about being spit on and told they were baby killers and basically ashamed of serving their country," said Bryan Marks, a San Jose fire captain who, along with his girlfriend Stacey Hansen, has returned more than 440 tags.

"Maybe this is our little way of trying to rectify that, make something right out of all that was wrong about that," he said.

The tags spoke for the troops when soldiers couldn't - telling medics their blood type and chaplains their religion. If they died, "The one thing they could rely on to get them home, it's their dog tags," said Robert Mann of the Navy Department's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in Hawaii.

For some veterans who spent decades trying to distance themselves from a painful chapter of their lives, the gesture has triggered powerful emotions.

When the Roskams went to Jefferson, Texas, to give Denzil Messman the tag he lost jumping from a helicopter into a firefight, "This big burly guy just wept when he held it," Martha Roskam said.

"It's kind of hard to explain," said Messman, a 55-year-old retired postal worker. "Them dog tags is a piece of your person. They become you, they are you."

But other veterans and their families don't want any part of the reminders.

"Some are extremely bitter about it," Marks said. "We've had hang-ups, or guys who said it was theirs but they don't want it, (that) they're done with that part of their lives."

The tags' authenticity has even triggered some debate among critics.

"These dog tags are manufactured today by the thousands by very clever street merchants," said Larry Greer, a spokesman for the Defense Department's POW/Missing Personnel Office.

Not only were machines that made them left behind when the United States pulled its troops out of Vietnam, but so were some records. "Anybody could plow through them and pluck off the numbers," Greer said. Information about veterans also can be found on the Internet, as can companies that manufacture similar tags.

But Mann, whose unit searches, recovers and identifies unaccounted Americans killed in war, said that in going through some 3,000 dog tags found in Vietnam, he only found one that was bogus.

He said it isn't surprising there would be so many dog tags still in Vietnam, given that countless troops lost them and had replacements made. Some even had extras, said Robert McMahon, a disabled veteran in New Hampshire who has returned 1,200 dog tags to veterans.

Anthony Kurr, who lives in Schaumburg, has no doubt he got back an authentic one.

"I knew this was my original dog tag because I remember it said A pos (blood type) and the replacement just said A," he said. A copy or fake dog tag with that significant difference, he said, "would be too much of a coincidence."

For the veterans tracked down by the Roskams - who hired a private investigator to help - what matters most is that somebody was thanking them for their service.

Upon receiving his tag, Reginald Gay wrote the couple: "It has been 30-plus years since my return from South Vietnam, and no one has said thank you!"

"That's what I thought was the most important thing," he said recently.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Foresaw Terror Threats In 1970s
Associated Press
January 24, 2005

WASHINGTON - Top government officials worry about the possibility of radioactive "dirty bombs" being detonated in large cities. Airlines, scared of losing business, protest that new security measures will bankrupt them. Civil liberties groups fear a focus upon Arab-Americans and Arab travelers will erode basic freedoms.

Sounds familiar? It should. It is the present, and also the past - more than three decades ago, according to declassified documents obtained by The Associated Press.

"Unless governments take basic precautions, we will continue to stand at the edge of an awful abyss," Robert Kupperman, chief scientist for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, wrote in a 1977 report. It summarized nearly five years of work by the Cabinet Committee to Combat Terrorism, a high-level government panel created to draft plans protecting the nation from attacks.

President Nixon created the group in September 1972 after Palestinian commandos slaughtered 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. It involved players as diverse as Henry Kissinger and George H.W. Bush to a young Rudolph Giuliani.




"It is vital that we take every possible action ourselves and in concert with other nations designed to assure against acts of terrorism," Nixon wrote in asking Secretary of State William Rogers to oversee the task force.

"It is equally important that we be prepared to act quickly and effectively in the event that, despite all efforts at prevention, an act of terrorism occurs involving the United States, either at home or abroad."

The full panel met only once, in October 1972, to organize, but its experts gathered twice a month over nearly five years to identify threats and debate solutions, the memos show.

Eventually, the panel's influence waned as competing priorities, a change of presidents ushered in by Watergate, bureaucratic turf battles and a lack of spectacular domestic attacks took their toll.

But before that happened, the panel identified many of the same threats that would confront President Bush at the dawn of the 21st century.

The panel's experts fretted that terrorists might gather loose nuclear materials for a "dirty bomb" that could devastate an American city by spreading lethal radioactivity across many blocks.

"This is a real threat, not science fiction," National Security Council staffer Richard T. Kennedy wrote his boss, Kissinger, in a November 1972 memo describing the "dirty bomb" scenario.

While Rogers praised the Atomic Energy Commission's steps to safeguard nuclear weapons in a memo to Nixon in mid-1973, he also warned that "atomic materials could afford mind-boggling possibilities for terrorists."

Committee members also identified commercial jets as a particular vulnerability, but they raised concerns that airlines wouldn't pay for security improvements such as tighter screening procedures and routine baggage inspections.

"The trouble with the plans is that airlines and airports will have to absorb the costs and so they will scream bloody murder should this be required of them," one 1972 White House memo said. "Otherwise, it is a sound plan which will curtail the risk of hijacking substantially."

By 1976, government pressure to improve airport security and thwart hijackings had awakened airline industry lobbyists.

The International Air Transport Association argued "airport security is the responsibility of the host government the airline industry did not consider the terrorist threat its most significant problem; it had to measure it against other priorities. If individual companies were forced to provide their own security, they would go broke," according to minutes from one meeting.

Thousands of pages of heavily redacted records and memos obtained by AP from government archives and under the Freedom of Information Act show the task force also:

-Discussed defending commercial aircraft against shootdowns from portable missile systems.

-Recommended improved vigilance at potential "soft" targets, such as major holiday events, municipal water supplies, nuclear power plants and electric power facilities.

-Supported a crackdown on foreigners living in and traveling through the United States, with particular attention to Middle Easterners and Arab-Americans.

-Crafted plans to protect U.S. diplomats and businessmen working abroad, who were frequently the victims of kidnappings and gruesome murders.

Although the CIA routinely updated the panel on potential terrorist threats and plots, members learned quickly that intelligence gathering and coordination was a weak spot, just as Bush would find three decades later.

Long before he helped New York City weather the devastation of Sept. 11, 2001, as mayor, Giuliani told the panel in May 1976 that he feared legal restrictions were thwarting federal agents from collecting intelligence unless there had been a violation of the law.

Giuliani, then the associate deputy attorney general in the President Ford's Justice Department, suggested relaxing intelligence collection guidelines - something that occurred with the Patriot Act three decades later.

Other panel members, however, felt that obstacles to intelligence gathering were more bureaucratic than legal.

Lewis Hoffacker, a veteran ambassador who served as chairman of the working group, said institutional rivalries, particularly between the FBI and CIA, were a constant source of frustration even back in the 1970s.

"That was our headache, a quarter-century ago," said Hoffacker, now retired. "They all pulled back into their little fiefdoms. The CIA was always off by itself, and the FBI was dealing with the same situation they're dealing with today."

Finding the political will to fight terrorism in the absence of a spectacular homefront attack also quickly became a problem. Proposals to levy international sanctions against countries harboring terrorists drew little support from the United Nations, the memos show.

"The climate at the 1974 General Assembly was such that no profitable initiative in the terrorism field was feasible," Kissinger, then-secretary of state, reported to Ford in early 1975.

Two years later, the terrorism working group was absorbed by the National Security Council. In a 1978 report, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee worried the Carter administration wasn't giving enough attention to terrorism.

"The United States will not be able to combat the growing challenge of terrorism unless the executive policymaking apparatus is more effectively and forcefully utilized," the panel warned.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bomber Strikes Near Iraqi Premier's HQ
Associated Press
January 24, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide driver detonated a car bomb at a guard post outside the Iraqi prime minister's party headquarters in Baghdad on Monday, injuring at least 10 people a day after the country's most feared terror leader promised an all-out war on democracy.

The bomber set off the blast at a police checkpoint on the road to Ayad Allawi's Iraqi National Accord offices in central Baghdad, shaking the city center with a thunderous explosion. Among the wounded were eight policemen and two civilians, said Dr. Mudhar Abdul-Hussein of Yarmouk Hospital.

Elsewhere in the capital, gunmen firing from a speeding car shot dead an Iraqi police lieutenant as he was returning home Sunday night, an Interior Ministry official said. North of Baghdad, the deputy governor of Iraq's Diyala province, Ghassan al-Khadran, escaped an assassination attempt Monday morning as a roadside bomb struck his car.

The attacks occurred six days before Iraq's crucial national elections, the first since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Insurgents have condemned the elections and vowed to disrupt them.

On a series of weekend appearances on American television, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq acknowledged there were serious security problems ahead of this weekend's landmark ballot, in which Iraqis will choose a national legislature that will run the country and draft a permanent constitution. Legislatures in 18 provinces and a regional parliament in the Kurdish-run areas of the north will also be elected.




American and Iraqi officials have warned they expect rebels to unleash bloodshed and mayhem to keep voters from the polls in what supporters are advertising as the first free election in this country since the overthrow of Iraq's monarchy in 1958.

During the weekend talk shows, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte acknowledged an increase in rebel intimidation of Iraqi officials and security forces and said serious security problems remain in the Sunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad.

"But security measures are being taken, by both the multinational forces here in Iraq as well as the Iraqi armed forces and police," Negroponte told "Fox News Sunday."

"There will be some problematic areas. ... But even there, great efforts are being made to enable every Iraqi eligible to do so to be able to vote," he said.

Three U.S. soldiers were wounded Sunday in a mortar attack in Samarra north of Baghdad, the U.S. command said. One of the soldiers was being evacuated to a U.S. military hospital in Germany with serious injuries.

Monday's blast in Baghdad rattled buildings along the Tigris River in the center of the city and sent black smoke rising above the skyline. U.S. military helicopters cut through overcast skies above the scene.

Splintered police vehicles were engulfed in flames, and gunfire rattled after the explosion.

Earlier this month, a suicide car bomber targeted the same checkpoint outside the offices of Allawi's party, killing four people and injuring 25.

Iraqi police had moved the roadblock of barbed wire and metal traffic barriers further away from Allawi's office after that attack.

The site is not far from Baghdad's Green Zone, the heavily fortified compound that houses the U.S. Embassy and the offices of the Iraqi interim government. Insurgents have frequently targeted the district with mortar fire and car bombs.

In a new audiotape posted on the Web, a speaker claiming to be terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi declared "fierce war" on democracy, raising the stakes in the upcoming vote.

The message condemned the Sunday election, branded candidates "demi-idols" and said those who vote for them "are infidels" - an unambiguous threat against the lives of those who participate in the ballot.

"We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology," the speaker said in an audiotape posted Sunday on an Islamic Web site. "Anyone who tries to help set up this system is part of it."

The speaker warned Iraqis to be careful of "the enemy's plan to implement so-called democracy in your country." He said the Americans have engineered the election to install Shiite Muslims in power. Al-Zarqawi, who is a Sunni Arab like most of the insurgents here, has in the past branded Shiites as heretics.

The United States has offered a $25 million reward for al-Zarqawi's capture or death - the same amount as for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Seabees, Marines aid tsunami-wrecked Sri Lanka <br />
Submitted by: 3rd Force Service Support Group <br />
Story Identification #: 200512132530 <br />
Story by - Navy Seaman Sandy C. Irwin <br />
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KOGGALA, Sri Lanka...

[thedrifter]

Iraq Forces Arrest Top al-Qaida Lieutenant

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi security forces have arrested the "most lethal" top lieutenant of al-Qaida's leader in Iraq (news - web sites) — a man allegedly behind 75 percent of the car bombings in Baghdad since the U.S.-led invasion, the prime minister's office said Monday.


Sami Mohammed Ali Said al-Jaaf, also known as Abu Omar al-Kurdi, was arrested during a Jan. 15 raid in Baghdad, a government statement said Monday. Two other militants linked to Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror group also have been arrested, authorities announced Monday.


Al-Jaaf was "the most lethal of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's lieutenants," the statement said.


Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi heads al-Qaida in Iraq, the terror network's local affiliate. The group is behind many of the car bombings, beheadings, assassinations and other attacks driving the insurgency in Iraq.


Al-Jaaf was responsible for 32 car bombing attacks that killed hundreds of Iraqis, the statement said.


"Abu Omar al-Kurdi claims responsibility for some of the most ruthless attacks on Iraqi police forces and police stations," said Thaer al-Naqib, spokesman for interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.


The statement said al-Jaaf "confessed to building approximately 75 percent of the car bombs used in attacks in Baghdad since March 2003," al-Naqib said.


Authorities also announced Monday that Iraqi security forces had arrested a man described as the chief of al-Zarqawi's propaganda operations.


And in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi forces seized one of al-Zarqawi's weapons suppliers.


Ellie

[lucien2]

Oooooh frickin' raaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thedrifter]

24th MEU Prepares ING to Defend Iraq
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200512294223
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank



FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKANDARIYAH, Iraq (Jan. 17, 2005) -- Looking to the future of their nation, soldiers of the Iraqi National Guard are preparing themselves to take over as the predominant military force in Iraq by putting into practice the training provided by coalition forces.

The training is key to the ING's ability to eventually take over the responsibilities of defending Iraq.

Nine Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, dubbed "Team Sabertooth," took on the task of training the ING. They've noted vast improvements during the past seven months.

The Marines, who are part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, began shaping the ING when they arrived in Iraq in July. They started by teaching the soldiers basic infantry skills and weapons familiarization. The Marines also began escorting ING soldiers on missions throughout the area south of Baghdad, offering up constructive criticism and a few pointers along the way.

"It's great when the teacher works with you," said Maj. Mohammed Salman Abbas, a company commander in the 507th Iraqi National Guard Battalion.

As part of their multifaceted training schedule, the ING soldiers are also learning specialized infantry skills including how to conduct insertions and extractions by helicopter and boats.

"It's just like a big school of infantry," said Sgt. Justin T. Walsh, an instructor at the ING compound at FOB Iskandariyah. "We handle it the same as Marine Corps training."

Working hand in hand over the last seven months, the ING has formed a tight battlefield bond with their Marine instructors.

"We worked with two Army units before the Marines came, and there was no trust in us to go out and do our missions," said Mohammed. "But we work as a family now."

Because they feel such respect for one another, they are not looking forward to serving the bonds they have forged, as a new prepares to take over the role of training the ING.

"I'm sure the Army will have no problem in this environment," said Sgt. Jeremy D. McAbee. "The ING know what we (the U.S.) are doing here."

Looking back on the last few months, Mohammad voiced some reservations. When the Army was last here, the ING were simply given orders that were to be accomplished by themselves. By contrast, the Marines have accompanied the Iraqis on their missions offering guidance.

"At the time, the Army wouldn't even allow the (ING) to set up traffic checkpoints," said Mohammad. "I almost got fired for insisting my soldiers leave (FOB Iskandariyah) to do their job. The Marines were all for us doing it."

The Iraqi troops have come a long way in their training since the arrival of "Team Sabertooth" and are hopeful that their months of action will help to make the change between units easier.

Over the last seven months, ING-led missions conducted with the Marines in support have led to the capture of many anti-Iraqi insurgents and bolstered the ING's confidence.

"Through our experiences, the ING soldiers are more comfortable with Marines, but we are looking forward to working with the Army again, to show them how far we've come," said Mohammad.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

2/2 Warlords receive combat awards
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005121143224
Story by Cpl. Adam C. Schnell



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2005) -- “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf,” - George Orwell.

Rough men from 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment received awards here recently for actions in Al Anbar Province, Iraq while deployed from March until October 2004.

Awards for 15 Marines and one sailor included the Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. All of the medals received included a gold ‘V’ device indicating their awards were given for actions while in combat.

The Marines and sailor participated in contingent operations in Iraq where they engaged the enemy countless times and showed in one way or another why they are worthy of a combat award.

Some people risked their lives to save the lives of fellow battalion members, while others showed exemplary leadership skills under heavy fire in order to ensure the safety of their Marines and corpsmen. Besides saving the lives of fellow service members, the battalion corpsmen even stopped to treat two Iraqi citizens.

“Today is a great day for the battalion,” Lt. Col. James G. Kyser, commanding officer for the battalion said at the ceremony. “It’s great because the whole battalion stands here and watches as these warriors are recognized for their actions.”

Many of them credit the training they received before deploying to Iraq as one of the reasons they received the award. They spent many weeks performing training evolutions prior to deployment.

With all of the time and training spent together, the battalion became very proficient with one another when in combat, said Staff Sgt. Nathan T. Hunt, the Bronze Star award recipient. And even though the awards are given for individual achievements, some think of them a little differently.

Many feel fortunate enough they received the award and are the ones who wear it, but without the rest of the battalion they wouldn’t have been able to receive it anyways, Hunt explained.

“I guess I’d say (the award) is just as much mine as it is theirs,” Hunt added modestly.

The Marines who received the awards were:

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal

Lance Cpl. Patrick Putt

Sgt. Robert Breneman

Sgt. Larry Coon

1st Lt. James Martin

Capt. William Wahle


Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Lance Cpl. Robert Johnson

Lance Cpl. Christopher Hamilton

Lance Cpl. Markese Morales

Lance Cpl. Egrain Nieves

Lance Cpl. Peter Duffy

Cpl. Kendrick Ballard

Cpl. Albert Carnahan

Cpl. Mandwell Hearn

Cpl. Thomas Ramsey

Cpl. Thomas Karlick

Sgt. Philip McCotter

Sgt. Howard Cates

Sgt. Mitchell Birdsong

Staff Sgt. Ronald Crutcher

Hospitalman Travis Reither


Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Nathan Hunt

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200512114384/$file/050110-M-8231S-001-lowres.jpg

A Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal hangs off the breast pocket of a Marine with 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment during an awards ceremony recently. Photo by: Cpl. Adam C. Schnell

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Helping the healing process
Submitted by: MCB Camp Lejeune
Story Identification #: 2005120112345
Story by Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Vega



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 13, 2005) -- In times of war it is not uncommon for service members to come home with war wounds, some more severe than others. Some come back with bandages or braces, and some come back with flags draped over their bodies. Lance Cpl. Michael Meyer, a Marine with Weapons company 2d Battalion 2d Marine Reginment, considers himself one of the lucky ones.

Meyer was a victim of an Improvised Explosive Devise. While in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom an IED struck the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle he was riding in sending shrapnel into his right arm shattering the humerus in his arm.

The Fort Meyers, Fla., native was immediately hospitalized in Baghdad, and then sent to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where he would spend a week before being transferred to the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

It would be in Germany where Meyer would come into contact with the Wounded Warrior Fund for the first time.

"While I was in Germany, I was given two-hundred dollars from the Wounded Warrior Fund for clothes and things to help me out," said Meyer. "I didn't know anything about the fund or anything and it was a really big surprise."

The fund originated two years ago, at the start of the deployments, according to Judy Pitchford, Jacksonville United Services Organization executive director. The intent of the fund is to provide help and comfort to Marines injured during a deployment.

"The money is really for clothes, hygiene items, and whatever the Marine needs at the time," said Col. William Meier, chief of staff, Marine Corps Base.

"Because of the harness my arm was in, I needed to buy new clothes," said Meyer. "And with the money I was given by the Wounded Warrior Fund, I didn't have to worry about not being able to afford the clothes."

Meyers attributes the majority of his help to Master Sgt. Steven Flick, the operations chief for 2/2 weapons. Flick contacted the fund committee and told them of the situation his Marine was in.

"The doctor says I will be completely healed in about three months," said Meyer. "Which means I will make it just in time for our next deployment. I can't wait till I get back out there."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bush Begins Inaugural Celebration With Military 'Salute'

by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON -- As the nation prepares to celebrate its 55th presidential inauguration, President Bush said Tuesday he could "think of no better way to begin than by giving thanks for our freedom and those who make it possible."

The president headlined a star-studded lineup of celebrities and military and civilian government leaders who gathered at the MCI Center here for a gala "Saluting Those Who Serve" event to honor members of the armed forces. The event is the first in a long line of activities leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration.

"As I prepare to take the oath of office, I want you to know how grateful I am for your service and sacrifice, and how proud I am to be your commander in chief," Bush told the estimated 6,000 servicemembers and their families and guests.

The audience also included troops deployed to Southwest Asia, who watched the gala via satellite in Baghdad, Iraq, and Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

"Whether you serve in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, each of you have stepped forward to serve," the president told the cheering crowd. "You have risked your lives in faraway mountains and arid deserts, in perilous skies and on the high seas, to defend liberty and to free those trapped by tyranny."

Bush cited the inauguration as an outward sign of what America is all about. "The inauguration of a president is a great moment in the life of our country," Bush said, noting that it's a time to celebrate freedom and the power of democracy.

The president credited the men and women in uniform for helping extend that same power to more than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq during the past four years. He called the first free elections in Afghanistan's 5,000-year history and the upcoming elections in Iraq "landmark events in the history of liberty."

"And none of it would have been possible without the courage and the determination of the United States armed forces," he said.

Bush told the troops their service and sacrifice in the war on terror is making America safer -- for today and the future. "Your sacrifice has made it possible for our children and grandchildren to grow up in a safer world," he said.

But this success has come at a great cost and through tremendous sacrifice, the president noted. He acknowledged the long separations families must endure, the wounds many servicemembers will carry with them for the rest of their lives, the heroes who gave their lives, and the families who grieve them.

"We hold them in our hearts," Bush said. "We lift them up in our prayers."

The president paid a special tribute to military family members who stand by their loved ones as they serve the nation. "Your families miss you and they worry about you and they pray for you, always wondering where you are and if you're safe," he said. "By their sacrifice, they also serve."

Bush said those who wear the uniform have given much, and will be asked to give more in the months and years ahead as the war on terror continues. "In Afghanistan and Iraq, the liberty that has been won at great cost now must be secured," he said. "We still face terrorist enemies who wish to harm our people and are seeking weapons that would allow them to kill on an unprecedented scale.

"These enemies must be stopped," Bush said, "and you are the ones who will stop them."

The road ahead will be difficult and dangerous, the president said, "but we can proceed with courage and with confidence" because we live in "hopeful times, when the promise of freedom is spreading across the world."

"And the cause of freedom is in the best of hands--the hands of the United States armed forces," the president said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines confront agonizing choice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GORDON TROWBRIDGE
ARMY TIMES

RAMADI, Iraq -- Without warning, Pfc. Kristopher Cramer suddenly had to decide: Do I kill this guy? Is he some poor soul in the wrong place? Or is he trying to take us all out?

It was yet another pop quiz in Counterinsurgency 101, where U.S. forces are constantly confronting enemies hiding among innocents, and innocents stumbling into a fate they don't deserve.

Often this is a war fought in seconds. Some of its most important decisions are made not by generals, but by young privates facing a ghost enemy.

Cramer's platoon recently was sweeping through a neighborhood just north of Ramadi's heavily booby-trapped main highway. The unit was partly in a search for intelligence, partly in hopes of drawing insurgents out of hiding, mostly letting residents and rebels know the Marines were around and handing out candy and soccer balls to curious kids.

But as Cramer stood guard outside the gate of a home other Marines were searching, a maroon Hyundai sedan appeared around a nearby corner. Cramer stepped into the street and waved the car away.

That's when the driver pumped the gas. The fast-approaching car became one of the gravest threats to U.S. troops in Iraq: Car bombs combine massive firepower with speed and stealth.

It is easy to hide a half-dozen artillery shells in the trunk of a car, and easy to conceal that car in the bustle of traffic. Cramer had little time to think. He stepped forward, raised his weapon, and listened to the sound of the speeding engine. "I was going to fire a warning shot, but he was already past that," Cramer said.

If he followed the standard procedure -- warning shot, a shot to the tires, before finally firing on the driver -- the car would already be on top of him. "I was wondering what the guy was doing," Cramer said.

With no more than a few feet to spare, the middle-age Iraqi man slammed on the brakes, lifted his hands from the steering wheel then gingerly shifted into reverse and backed away.

"I'm continually amazed at the Marines' bravery," said Capt. Eric Dougherty. "That they're willing to wait that extra second to make sure they don't take innocent lives is amazing."

This was a day like any other in Ramadi, the dusty capital of Wyoming-size Anbar Province that stretches across western Iraq to the Jordanian border.

Just 40 miles east of Ramadi in Fallujah, Marines won a decisive battle in November clearing that town of insurgents in one of only a handful of traditional force-on-force confrontations since Baghdad fell in April 2003.

But now in Ramadi, it's back to plucking insurgents from innocents, deciding in the span of a blink when to kill and when to ease off the trigger.

Restraint is difficult here, especially when anger and fear mingle and play off one another.

"If we took the reins off, we could roll this whole city over," Cpl. Justin Oxenrider said. "But you can't just take out anything that moves."

Capt. Ed Rapisarda praised his men in Ramadi for adapting to the nightmarish scenario of urban combat that war planners thought they had avoided before the insurgency flared last spring.

"Everyone has adjusted to this lifestyle, grown accustomed to it, accepted it," he said.

Marines say they're learning to spot where insurgents might hide improvised explosive devices that blow up when a foot patrol or a convoy passes.

But insurgents are adapting, too.

As the Marines set up observation posts along the main east-west highway that passes through Ramadi, the insurgents figure out the view from the posts and then place explosives in blind spots.

The result is a never-ending suspicion of the most seemingly benign objects.

"We have to treat every garbage bag, every pile of rocks or dirt mound, as a threat, because it is," said 1st Lt. Zachary Buitenhuys.

Staying alive in Ramadi also requires a little luck.

A lot in the case of Oxenrider.

Oxenrider's Kevlar helmet sports a dent near his right cheek, where an insurgent's AK-47 round had lodged.

In late December, an enemy mortar round landed about 20 feet from him but failed to explode.

The Marines occasionally long for the kind of traditional shootout they saw in Fallujah.

"This insurgency fight is against an element you can't see, an enemy that knows the ground; he's worked out his exact routes," Rapisarda said. "He has logistics support you can't see and a population that's usually either neutral or supports his cause.

"It's frustrating at times that you can't stand toe to toe with him because you know, every time, that you'll win."

So do the insurgents.

That's why they'll continue packing unassuming cars full of explosives, hoping at some point a Marine or soldier waits a few seconds too long.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Wife recieves award on behalf of fatally wounded Marine
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200512115652
Story by Lance Cpl. Zachary Lester



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 19 2005) -- Eliza Speer was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal in an award ceremony held for Sgt. Michael R. Speer for actions taken while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Lutafiyah, Iraq.

Speer’s mother Pam, father John, sister Kimberly and wife Eliza all attended the emotional ceremony Jan. 19.

“Michael had so many accomplishments that we did not even know about,” John said.
Sgt. Speer earned the medal for heroic actions taken while serving as 1st Squad Leader, 2d Platoon, Company F, Task Force 2/2 Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division.

After his platoon received the order to reinforce a unit engaged with enemy forces, he arrayed his squad to provide covering fire for a unit closing with the enemy. Speer exposed himself multiple times to ensure that his Marines had covered positions.

“He strived to take care of his guys,” John explained.

Speer then moved to gain better observation of the enemy while simultaneously exposing himself to hostile fire.

While seeking out the next position to move his squad, Speer was struck by enemy small arms fire and fatally wounded.

Speer performed with initiative, perseverance and total dedication to duty during all combat operations. He distinguished himself through his courageous leadership of his squad.
After the ceremony Speer’s fellow Marines congratulated and consoled his family members.

“When the men came to tell us what had happened they said he would be receiving an award, but we had no idea how big it was,” John said. “It is quite an honor to be able to receive this medal.”

While speaking at the ceremony Lt. Col. James G. Kyser, 2/2 Battalion Commanding Officer, urged his Marines to remember what they are fighting for and to never give up. He reminded them that if they ever felt like they couldn’t go on, to reach down and remember their fallen comrades.

“He was an excellent Marine. He would eat, sleep and breathe everything about the Marine Corps,” John stated.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Rooting out insurgents difficult, dangerous work


By Gordon Trowbridge
Army Times

Three rifle companies from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment recently launched a series of patrols in Ramadi aimed at further suppressing the Sunni insurgency. During the weeklong mission, the Marines experienced what has made the war in Iraq so dangerous and frustrating. Here are some moments from one week:
------

The 20-year-old Navy corpsman spoke for all three young men in the Humvee's open back.

"Man, I hate driving through the souk (market)," said Thomas McPherson as he and two Marines scanned the moonlit rooflines.

A jarring left and the Marines were on the target street, and their convoy unexpectedly was bathed in the fluorescent glow of streetlights and the outdoor lamps of homes. The advantage of night-vision equipment was gone, replaced by the worrisome question of why, in the middle of a blacked-out city, this street — that of the car-bomb maker they were hoping to surprise — was so well-lit.

After a quick word on the radio, McPherson, Marine Lance Cpl. Kaine Marzola and Pfc. Michael Florez were sprinting down the sidewalk, desperately hoping the target house was not wired to explode.

They ran up the stairs, helping other Marines rouse three Iraqi men from their beds, move them downstairs, ask some rapid, heated questions, blindfold them and then move them to the waiting vehicles.

But it was hard to know if the mission succeeded.

"We know he was here," Capt. Ed Rapisarda said of the car-bomb maker as Marines questioned the men kneeling in their living room. "This guy," he said pointing to the middle of the three, "fits the description. It's just a matter of whether we got the right guy."

Still, in one sense, it was a good night: Nothing blew up.

------

The Marines know Ramadi's residents are frustrated by their sweeps through the city, but the Marines are frustrated, too.

"One day we're out there on a PR mission handing out soccer balls. The next day we get a new piece of intel and we're at the same place breaking their doors down," Lance Cpl. Daniel Robinson said.

------

Instructing troops on shoot-don't-shoot decisions is among the commanders' most important and difficult jobs, said Capt. Ed Rapisarda.

"What I have to do is set the ground rules for the Marines to follow ..." he said. "Once I've done that, when they have to make those tough decisions, I stand behind them."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Flipping on the switch for Najaf electricity
Submitted by: 11th MEU
Story Identification #: 20051240721
Story by Cpl. Matthew S. Richards



FORWARD OPERATING BASE HOTEL, Iraq (Jan. 16, 2005) -- The power supply of Iraq isn't enough for the people, in fact it's even less than it was in 1991 with Saddam Hussein in power. Not surprising, however, after several wars and a tyrant who cared nothing for the upkeep of the electrical infrastructure, the current status is a few sparks short.

At the present, the electrical system in Iraq produces 4,000 megawatts of electricity but the demand all over the country is 7,500. So, that leaves the country with a light source, other than the sun, that's around only half the time. They get three hours of power on then three off. But it is improving; just a week ago it was two on then four off. In 1991 under Saddam, the country only needed 5,000 megawatts. This 50 percent jump in energy demand over nearly 14 years is attributed to normal growth, according to Navy Lt. Chris Martino, an electrical engineer augmented to the Project Contracting Office, Multinational Force Iraq.

The actual cause of the lack of power is from several different reasons, Martino said. As a result of Saddam's lack of infrastructure upkeep during his time in power, today's inoperable generating stations, bad electrical lines and the use of inefficient fuel such as diesel and crude oil instead of natural gas are just a few reasons why the efficiency is below its requirement. The countries surrounding Iraq also don't want to contribute energy because of Iraq's four national power outages in the last three months -- outages that would threaten to also overload their system if connected.

Congress allocated $4.3 billion for the refitting of the electrical infrastructure. So, PCO has picked four of the trouble areas where the power isn’t provided as it should be: Fallujah, Sadr City, Samarah and An Najaf. All but Najaf -- which is to be given $30 million for its electrical system -- have a plan formulated and ready to be put into action.

But even with the billions given for Iraqi power, it might not be enough to get everything running perfectly. The United Nations estimated during a survey last year that it would take at least $18 billion to put the Iraqis on their feet.

Nonetheless, PCO held their first meeting with engineers from the Najaf Electricity Distribution Office Jan. 16. The goal was to find out what projects where most important to distribute the funds toward to empower the city.

"We're trying to work with our limited resources to determine the projects that need to be constructed in this area," Martino said. "The idea was to come out of the meeting with a prioritized list of what needs to be done."

During the meeting, they decided their priorities were the lines and transformers in the 25 neighborhoods of Najaf, the city's substations, the hundreds of kilometers of wire with towers, maintenance buildings, storage areas and several other less important issues.

"We are trying to rebuild and jumpstart the infrastructure to support itself so it can make profit and grow by itself," Martino said.

PCO will now contract work out with the lowest technically qualified bidder, and will hire from the local population to improve job opportunities in the area. PCO will also have the responsibility of supervising the different projects, ensuring that the funds are spent correctly.

"We'll put out a scope of work and say this is what we want built," Martino said about how the contracts get accepted. "Then a bunch of companies will come back and say this is how much it will cost you to build this."

After the meeting was over, they were anxious to get working on lighting up the town.

"What I want to see is the work finished as soon as possible," said Mustafa Almuthfer, an electrical engineer with the Najaf Electrical Distribution Office. "I think cooperation between my office and PCO will of course improve the quality of life here."

They're on their way to giving power back to the people of Najaf and Martino is optimistic.
"This is going to be great. It's going to bring a lot of power to a bunch of neighborhoods that didn't have it before," Martino said.

But it won’t be at the speed of light. It's still going to take some time to totally revamp the system.

"The Iraqis don’t understand. They expect us to flip a switch and everything work," said Mohammed Ismil, an electrical engineer with PCO. "But there were years of neglect in these areas and it will take time to fix."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Out of war, transformed
In four years, Danny Eylward has gone from no destination to the Marines and to the chaos of Fallujah. Now he's back home with a new sense of focus.
By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer
Published January 23, 2005

Bullets zipped back and forth as Marine Corps Cpl. Danny Eylward crouched on the landing of a home in Fallujah. For five minutes, he traded gunfire with an Iraqi insurgent standing below. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw another Iraqi hoist a grenade launcher onto his shoulder.

"Oh, no," Eylward thought.

The missile soared over his head and smashed into the wall behind him.

Then everything went black.


* * *

A month ago, Eylward, 22, a member of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, was awarded a Purple Heart for the injuries he suffered that day in November 2004. But his brush with death paled in comparison to the tragedies he had already witnessed.

He saw Iraqi insurgents shoot little girls. He saw shrapnel tear a soldier's arm off. He saw his best friend die at his side.

As a Marine, Eylward endured some tough times. But if he had a choice, he would still do it all over again.

He joined the Marine Corps as an angry young man with little direction. He became a focused leader with a future.

"It changed me 100 percent," he said. "I have no regrets."


* * *

Eylward, 6-5 and 220 pounds, was a Friday night starter on a baseball scholarship at South Georgia College when, in the middle of his freshman year, he decided he just wasn't happy.

He came back to Clearwater to find himself. He ended up drinking almost every night and getting into lots of fights.

When his parents went through a rocky divorce, he turned to Jimmy Sever, a buddy about 30 years his senior, who took Eylward under his wing.

Sever suggested Eylward join the military.

At the time, the country wasn't at war. Sever thought Eylward could get his act together and set the foundation for a successful career.

Eylward enlisted on Feb. 14, 2001.

"One day me and Jimmy went down to the recruiting office. Next thing, I'm at Parris Island," Eylward said.

Boot camp in South Carolina was a drag. Right off, Eylward knew the military wasn't for him.

"I hated people telling me what to do, when to do it and how to do it," Eylward said.

He thought he'd made a big mistake.

His brother, Mike, had been drafted by the Anaheim Angels. Eylward thought he should have stayed in school and followed in Mike's footsteps.


* * *

Life seemed even bleaker a few months later, on Sept. 11.

But in some ways Eylward's life changed for the better that day.

At Kaneohe Bay, his base in Hawaii, he met Julian Woods, a Navy corpsman attached to the 3rd Marine Division.

Woods, whom everyone called "Doc," was a couple of years older and showed him the ropes.

The two became roommates and made the best of their free time, hanging out downtown and at the beach.

With the impending war, Eylward thought he would be deployed to Afghanistan. Instead, he ended training on a tour of more than 20 countries, some he'd never even heard of.

Eventually, he ended up back in Hawaii, where he stayed until he was deployed to Iraq in July 2004.


* * *

For much of his Marine career, Eylward took orders from his commanding officers. Now he was a squad leader supervising 16 men. He wasn't sure he was up to the task.

"Maybe I should have listened a little more," he told himself.

He had promised his parents he would return safely. Now he had to tell them he probably wouldn't come home.

His mother, Rebecca Beckman, wouldn't hear of it. She held him to his promise.

The night before entering Fallujah, he coached his men, asking them if they were prepared to die.

On the outskirts of the city, Eylward and 21 soldiers from his squad and others were packed into an armored vehicle when they felt a blast from a mortar round.

The vehicle withstood the attack, but shrapnel flew through a vent and ripped into the bodies of three men.

Eylward and Woods crawled over to the one who was hurt the most. Eylward grabbed the man's arm, but it was barely attached to his body.

Woods wrapped a tourniquet around the man's shoulder and injected him with morphine while Eylward radioed for transport.

There was a pool of blood in the middle of the floor. His men freaked out.

"Don't worry. They're going to be okay," Eylward told them. "They're alive. We've got to keep focused. If you don't keep your mind right you're going to die."


* * *

On Nov. 8, Eylward and his men pushed their way into Fallujah.

Four days later, one of his men, a lance corporal named Aaron, was shot in the chest.

Eylward and Woods ran to Aaron's side. They were administering first aid when Woods was shot in the back of the head.

Eylward and another corpsman returned fire on the insurgent.

But Woods, his best friend, died. He told himself Woods was with God. He's in a better place.

Eylward and his men shoved on. They worked their way through the city that day, going from home to home searching for insurgents.

Often they'd climb the exterior walls and enter windows. Sometimes, they'd prop themselves on rooftops and fire below.

Three days after Woods was killed, Eylward found himself poised on a landing trading gunfire when another insurgent fired a rocket-propelled grenade at him.


* * *

Eylward woke up at a Baghdad hospital. There were intravenous tubes in his arms. He couldn't see.

He was dizzy and shellshocked and wasn't sure what was going on.

"You're going to be okay," a nurse told him.

The medics told him he had a concussion. His eardrums had burst. They were surprised he was alive.

Eylward made a call to Sever, a call he doesn't remember now.

"Mr. Sever, I've been hit and I'm in the hospital. I have a concussion and I'm hurting," he said.

Little by little, the vision in his right eye returned.

Doctors told him he could go home and recuperate. If he got another head injury it could kill him, they said.

He insisted on returning to base camp near Fallujah. Within a week, the doctors fitted him with a protective eye patch for his left eye and sent him on his way.

Back at camp, his captain told him to stay put.

A day and a half later, he hopped on a supply vehicle and caught a ride to his squad.

"If I have one good eye, I can pull the trigger," he said.

For two weeks, he was a sniper.

Instead of watching over his men, they watched over him.

The sight in his left eye returned, too.

After a couple more weeks on the front lines, Eylward decided it was time to bring his military career to a close.

He wanted to be with family. He was tired of shooting and getting shot at.

On Dec. 17, Eylward left Iraq. He collected his things at base camp in Hawaii before returning home Tuesday.


* * *

Now he's working on the next chapter of his life. He's living with his father, Thomas Eylward, in Clearwater. His goal is to be a Clearwater police officer or sheriff's deputy.

On Friday he bought a car, a 2001 Nissan Maxima.

Next, he'll look for a job and find a place to live.

He and Sever are as tight as ever. They've already been to the racetrack and a boxing match.

But Eylward said he has had a hard time connecting with other friends his age. Most don't understand what he's been through.

"Something changed me and makes me appreciate what God's done for me," Eylward said.

For the past four years, much of his life was regimented. Now it's up to him to create his own destiny.

"I know I can do it," he said. "I can do anything in life."

Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com



Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bootin' Number Talk <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
Mackubin Thomas Owens <br />
National Review Online <br />
Jan. 24, 2005 <br />
<br />
Success is not about how many...

[thedrifter]

Reserve Marines keep 3/5 on the move
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200512223612
Story by Lance Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove



CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq (Jan. 19, 2005) -- They moved out of the office, out of the college class room and left their families to fly across the globe to a desert and be with another family that has few, if any blood ties.

Truck Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, is mainly comprised of reservists from Edensburg, Penn., who left their civilian lifestyle to fulfill their duties as Marines and keep the battalion on the road and at the tip of the spear.

“We support the battalion in all of its operations and our Marines play a bigger role than just driving or fixing the vehicles,” said Sgt. Dean A. Nist, platoon guide, Truck Company, 3/5. “Our guys go above and beyond. They are going on patrols and clearing houses right along side the grunts, in addition to keeping the vehicles running.”

Being a reservist means having to drop one life and assume another at a moments notice to fight abroad, and the men of Truck Company were not phased by the change.

“Going from a family life or a college life to coming out here and doing a Marine Corp job 24/7 is a major change, but our guys adapted well and fast,” said Nist. “We are leading two lifestyles, the military lifestyle and the family lifestyle. A lot of the guys have kids, so missing Christmas and birthdays has been tough on everyone, but they have plugged along.”

While the changeover from one life to the next was executed smoothly, a few surprises were experienced on the road into the combat zone.

“The newer guys in our unit didn’t know that sleep and chow are not the highest priority out here, but they adapted quickly,” said Sgt. Nathan T. Hostetter, platoon sergeant, Truck Company, 3/5.

In addition to adapting to the rigors of a combat zone, the mechanics and drivers have been busy since the day they landed on Iraqi soil.

“I can’t say enough good things about the mechanics,” said Nist. “They have kept the battalion’s readiness at 95% or better, keeping them on the road and in the fight. All of our guys have been working around the clock."

“We have only a few drivers compared to the number of our trucks, so our operators are a hot commodity, because they move everything,” said Hostetter. “Our Marines have been giving 110%, all the time.”

During Operation Iraqi Freedom I, the same men from Edensburg were spread over three different grunt battalions but this time around, the men have stayed together and have become a tight knit unit.

“This is a great group of guys,” said Nist. “We are busy non stop but you rarely hear a (complaint). Usually, there is a guy who complains about everything. Not here. Not these guys.”

When the men of Edensburg, Penn., return to their daily grind and families, a bit of relaxation will be welcomed with open arms, but until then, the Marines continue to push on.

“No one has let their guard down since we started training for this at Pendleton,” said Hostetter.

Ellie