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thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:36 AM
Iraq Veteran Receives New Liver
Associated Press
January 31, 2005

LOMA LINDA, Calif. - With little time left before his organs would likely fail, a U.S. Marine received a new liver Sunday for a mysterious ailment doctors said would kill him if he didn't get a transplant.

Doctors operated on Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu, who had been in a coma and on life support, for nearly 12 hours Sunday after an unidentified donor from New Mexico was found late Saturday night.

Doctors said the procedure went well, said Sgt. Jennie Haskamp, spokeswoman at Twentynine Palms, where LeBleu was stationed. He was in critical condition late Sunday.

In the hospital lobby, his 21-year-old wife, Melany, found comfort in photos of her wedding last fall, shortly after LeBleu returned from Iraq. Despite her fears, she has remained optimistic since her husband's illness was discovered earlier this month.

Several of LeBleu's commanding officers, fellow Marines and other family members huddled with his wife Sunday as they awaited the outcome of the operation.

Burt Parham, who is related to LeBleu by marriage, said he expected bad news when he got the call that a liver had been found.





"It was kind of a worried ring, but we were glad of the news," said Parham, who lives in the family's hometown of Lake Charles, La. "It's a shame somebody has to die. But I mean, it's God's will, I guess. We sure have been praying for Chris."

The cause of the infection is unknown. Dr. Donald Hillebrand, a liver specialist, said LeBleu most likely caught a virus or was exposed to a toxin or chemical in Iraq or after his return.

LeBleu, 22, was a rifleman in Iraq for seven months as part of a 2,200-man task force that lost 21 people and had nearly 200 wounded in action. His battalion commander, Lt. Col. Matt Lopez, said he wasn't aware of any other members of the unit with similar ailments to LeBleu.

Fellow Marines call him "Blue," and say the Marine kept a cool head as his 160-man company guarded a base near the Syrian border.

"He's a real resilient guy, the most relaxed, confident person you'll ever meet," said Lance Cpl. Rob Whittenberg, 23, of Spring Branch, Texas.

The infection developed gradually.

In mid-December, just months after he returned from Iraq, LeBleu told his new wife he felt tired, a little under the weather.

Still, he was strong enough to drive them home to Louisiana for the holidays from his Marine Base in Southern California, going for 36 hours straight. On Jan. 2, he found the strength to go wild boar hunting with relatives.

"We kept telling him to go to a doctor, but he said it was just a sinus infection," Melany LeBleu said. "Of course, we didn't think it was anything major."

Days later, he felt much worse during the drive back to the Marine base at Twentynine Palms. In Texas, LeBleu felt so nauseous he had to pull over. They made it back to their home on the base, but he didn't get better.

On Jan. 10, she took him to a base emergency room, which sent him to Loma Linda University Medical Center, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.

"He couldn't keep anything down, not even water," she said.

As recently as Thursday, he was jaundiced and swelling but could still answer questions, Hillebrand said.

Within 24 hours, however, he was no longer coherent and had to be put on life support.

Without a new liver, his other organs would have started to fail, his doctor said.

About 17,500 people are waiting for liver transplants in the United States, Hillebrand said. LeBleu's family and friends had sought a liver from someone with O-positive blood as a directed donation, outside the usual waiting process.

"It's hard to see your husband in that situation," Melany LeBleu said. "You can't even describe the feeling."

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:36 AM
Bush: Iraqi Election A Success
Associated Press
January 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - President Bush called the Iraqi election a resounding success and promised that the United States will help Iraqis fight continuing insurgency as they build a democratic government.

"There's more distance to travel on the road to democracy," Bush said Sunday, four hours after the polls closed. "Yet Iraqis are proving they're equal to the challenge."

The president mentioned that some were killed while voting, but he focused his brief remarks on the success for Iraq and its citizens. He told of one voter who lost a leg in a terrorist attack last year but still made it to the polls to vote for peace.

"The world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East," Bush said. "In great numbers, and under great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy."

He called the leaders of three key U.S. allies in the Middle East - King Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt - Sunday afternoon to talk about building on the Iraqi election and to support democracy among the Palestinians.




Insurgents in Iraq struck polling stations with a string of suicide bombings and mortar volleys, killing more than 40 people, including nine suicide bombers. Bush also said he mourned the loss of U.S. and British forces on election day, including troops killed when a British military transport plane crashed.

"Terrorists and insurgents will continue to wage their war against democracy, and we will support the Iraqi people in their fight against them," Bush said. "We will continue training Iraqi security forces so this rising democracy can eventually take responsibility for its own security."

Bush did not take questions from reporters or mention any military withdrawal.

In a statement, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass, said Bush "must look beyond the election" and start bringing troops home.

"The best way to demonstrate to the Iraqi people that we have no long-term designs on their country is for the administration to withdraw some troops now" and negotiate further withdrawals, Kennedy added.

Earlier Sunday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would not say whether U.S. forces will leave the country in great numbers after the vote. She said the United States will discuss the continued need for outside security forces with the newly elected Iraqi government.

So far, more than 1,400 U.S. troops and many thousands of Iraqis have lost their lives. The United States is spending more than $1 billion a week in Iraq.

Rice said the election went better than expected, but did not elaborate on U.S. predictions for turnout, violence or other measures.

In Iraq, officials said turnout among the 14 million eligible voters appeared higher than the 57 percent they had predicted. Complete voting results are not expected for days.

Polls were largely deserted all day in many cities of the Sunni Triangle. In Baghdad's mainly Sunni Arab area of Azamiyah, the neighborhood's four polling centers did not open at all, residents said.

"It is hard to say that something is legitimate when whole portions of the country can't vote and doesn't vote," Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Bush's re-election challenger in November, said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

Even with lower turnout among Sunni Arabs, the government can be representative of all Iraqis, Rice said. She also minimized concerns that a Shiite-dominated government will morph into a theocracy.

"I'm sure that they will have a healthy debate about the role of Islam, about the role of religion in that society," Rice said on CNN's "Late Edition."

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:37 AM
10 U.K. Troops Dead In Plane Crash
Associated Press
January 31, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A British C-130 military transport plane crashed Sunday north of Baghdad, scattering wreckage over a large area, officials said. At least 10 troops were killed, Britain's Press Association news agency said.

The crash occurred at around 5:25 p.m. about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense.

Press Association quoted unidentified military sources saying the death toll was "around 10" and it was "highly unlikely" to be more than 15. A Ministry of Defense spokesman said late Sunday that military officials were still trying to reach families of those involved.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash, which occurred about a half hour after polls closed in Iraq's elections.

Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed there were deaths in the crash, but did say how many as he paid tribute to the casualties in a televised speech praising Iraq's election. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives today. They can be so proud of what their loved ones accomplished. This country and the wider world will never forget them," he said.





The plane was flying from Baghdad to the town of Balad, a U.S. military official said. Helicopters were at the scene and observing the wreckage, which was scattered over a large area, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A spokeswoman from the Royal Air Force's Lyneham base in Wiltshire, southwest England - home of the plane and its crew - was not able to confirm how many people were on board.

Britain's Royal Air Force flies several versions of the American-built C-130 Hercules aircraft, which is mainly used to carry troops, passengers and freight. The older C-130K model has a crew of five or six and carries up to 128 troops. The newer C-130J version has a crew of three and can also carry up to 128 infantry. The RAF has some 60 Hercules aircraft, about half of which are newer planes.

The British military has reported 76 deaths since the start of the Iraq war. Six British crew members and on American were killed when two Royal Navy helicopters crashed over the northern Persian Gulf on March 22, 2003.

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:37 AM
Buildup Of Iraqi Security Forces Slowed
Associated Press
January 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - Iraq's security forces are still far from reaching U.S. goals in numbers and capabilities, but American military commanders insist they are gaining ground in training and equipping these units.

Iraq had some 125,000 trained security and military personnel as of Jan. 19, according to U.S. government figures, about 46 percent of its goal of 271,000. The figures include police and Iraqi National Guard as well as army, navy, air force and special operations and rapid-response units.

Six months ago, Iraqi security forces were in roughly the same place - 87,000 personnel amounted to about 45 percent of U.S. goals at a time when planners were seeking a smaller force. U.S. government projections, posted weekly on the Internet, said the Iraqi security forces would be completely trained and equipped by spring 2005.

That is no longer the case. Security forces are now expected to be fully trained and equipped by the summer 2006, according to a senior U.S. military officer in Iraq who is close to the training effort but spoke on the condition of anonymity. The officer did not have a final projection for when the military would be completely trained and equipped.

Congratulating the Iraqi people Sunday for turning out at the polls, President Bush said: "We will continue training Iraqi security forces so this rising democracy can eventually take responsibility for its own security."





Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who has pressed for an early pullout of U.S. forces, said, "Over the next year, we must more effectively train capable Iraqi security forces."

Iraqi officials and Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. point man in building the security forces, vastly increased the proposed size of Iraqi forces last summer - for the police force from 90,000 to 135,000 and the National Guard from 41,000 to 62,000. These are two key units within the larger security and military force structure.

However, the expansions have lengthened the time it will take to fully trained and equipped.

Nor do U.S. numbers square with statements from Iraqis. Kasim Daoud, Iraq's national security adviser, predicted last week that an army of 150,000 trained soldiers would be ready by 2006. Yet U.S. plans call for Iraq's military to be no larger than 95,600 troops. Security forces, working for the interior ministry instead of the defense ministry, would number more than 170,000.

Other changes are under way. Iraqi police forces have begun training with assault rifles and other heavy weapons, U.S. military officials say, in a move aimed at making them better able to fight a guerrilla war.

It is also an acknowledgment that the earlier efforts to train and equip Iraqi forces may have been inadequate. Police have been overmatched in confrontations with better-armed insurgents.

A host of other changes to Iraq's nascent security and military forces have taken place in recent months - forces that, if able to operate without American direction, are the key to U.S. troops coming home.

Numbers of trained Iraqi troops don't provide a complete picture. The U.S. military no longer supplies figures on how many have been fully equipped with armor, weapons, vehicles and communications gear. Their effectiveness also is at issue.

The U.S. military provides anecdotal evidence that some units are growing more capable. Iraqi military units performed well in the assault on Fallujah, senior American officers say. Press releases note the performance of a given Iraqi unit in a joint operation with U.S. forces or in stopping a bombing. Still, it is impossible to discern an overall picture of their quality.

There have been significant setbacks. Close to 10,000 Iraqi National Guardsmen have been dropped from the rolls in the last six months. Hundreds of security and military personnel have been killed. More have been intimidated into leaving. Last April, whole units evaporated when confronted by insurgents. The police force in Mosul, Iraqi's third-largest city, collapsed in November.

The actual numbers in the National Guard, however, have ebbed and flowed between 35,000 and 43,000 and are now around 36,000, according to U.S. government figures. Over the last six months, the Guard has lost 10,000 personnel, although some have been replaced through recruiting.

Officials estimated that Iraqi security and military personnel are dying at a greater rate than U.S. soldiers. More than 1,300 members of those forces have died in the last seven months, many victims of large car bombings at police stations, officials said.

The U.S. military is also moving forward with plans to assign advisory teams to Iraqi military units nationwide, officials said.

Such 10-person teams are in place in some areas, but officials say that will spread to every battalion of Iraq's military forces. Fewer U.S. military personnel will embed with the police forces, generally at high levels in the police command structure.

Defense officials have said this could mean up to 10,000 U.S. soldiers and Marines will be assigned to work directly with Iraqi security forces.

The latest focus is augmenting the Iraqi intervention forces and creating a cadre of experienced sergeants and officers to lead the troops and coordinate larger operations.

Anthony Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the new urgency in training is helpful but almost a year too late. "We're only now beginning to train forces against the insurgency problem," he said.

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:38 AM
Marine In Hawaii Honors Crash Victims
Associated Press
January 31, 2005

KANEOHE, Hawaii - A grieving Marine joined hundreds of local residents on Sunday to pay tribute to 27 Hawaii-based servicemen who were killed last week in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Buck Gates left Iraq on Jan. 8, expecting his Marine buddies to finish their tours of duty soon and follow him home. But 26 members of his company were killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion went down in western Iraq while transporting troops for security operations in preparation for Sunday's elections. A Navy corpsman stationed in Hawaii also died.

"I just want to tell the families I love these guys," Gates said. "They're a part of me."

Military officials opened the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe for six hours Sunday to allow the public to pay tribute to the dead.

Hundreds of residents, including veterans and more than a dozen bikers wearing motorcycle club jackets, placed bouquets and leis at the base of the Pacific Marine Memorial, a replica of the Marine Corps Memorial near Washington that depicts the flag-raising on Iwo Jima during World War II.





Five of the dead were Gates' closest friends in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. "If anyone needed to find us on a weekend (while still in Hawaii), if they would find one, they would find all of us," he said.

Sharon Kostic, whose husband is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion and still in Iraq, has been helping four military wives widowed by the crash. All four had married childhood sweethearts.

"They are devastated," she said. "They are having to make decisions they never thought they would have to make."

Also placing a bouquet of flowers at the memorial was Marine Maj. Alex Chatman, a helicopter pilot at the Kaneohe base who flies a model similar to the CH-53E Super Stallion that crashed Wednesday.

Chatman didn't know any of the dead but said losing fellow Marines was "like a punch in the stomach. I still feel the sting."

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:38 AM
U.S. general gets earful from Iraqi electorate
Using translator, Ramadi men share grievances that may cause boycott of voting.

Los Angeles Times
January 30, 2005


RAMADI, Iraq -- A dozen Iraqi men were sitting in chairs on a residential street corner Saturday morning, vigorously discussing politics and the fate of their war-torn country.

Unexpectedly, the group had a visitor.

Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, was making an election-eve inspection of a nearby polling place and urging Iraqis to vote. More chairs and more Iraqi men suddenly appeared.

For 30 minutes, the Iraqis used a Marine translator to give the general a vigorous, unapologetic recitation of the grievances that might lead many of them to boycott Sunday's election.

The election will create a Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad, the capital, that will ignore Sunni Muslim cities like Ramadi, said one man emphatically. There is nobody on the ballot who cares for Ramadi, said another.

Hamad Shahir Forhan, 39, a former lieutenant colonel in the Iraqi army, said that if it had not been disbanded by the Americans, the army could have kept the peace in Ramadi, which has been wracked by kidnappings, killings, thievery and intimidation.

"The Iraqi army should belong to the nation and serve the people, not a single party," Natonski replied. No one mentioned the fact that under Saddam Hussein, the army enforced the will of Hussein's Baath Party. Natonski agreed with the Iraqi men that if the new Baghdad government ignores Ramadi, its legitimacy will be doubtful.

"The Sunni people need to be recognized by the government in Baghdad," Natonski said. "If they (Ramadi residents) do not feel a part of the government, it is a mistake."

Only once during the discussion did Natonski seem taken aback, when the Iraqis asserted that the Americans were the cause of the violence that grips their city.

"We cannot open our shops and cannot go out because the Americans are here," said one man.

The general replied that the violence is caused by insurgents and that the American were there to help get rid of them.

"They don't call them insurgents," the translator told Natonski.

"Well, to me, anybody who kills people, who cuts people's heads off, is an insurgent," the general said.

On one point, the two sides were in agreement.

"We want to help you repair your country and leave," Natonski said.

The group nodded with enthusiasm.

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:39 AM
Marines utilize joint service for aircraft damage assessment
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200512932526
Story by Cpl. Paul W. Leicht



AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 29, 2005) -- Every time a Marine Corps aircraft here is shot at and damaged by insurgents—whether it’s a bullet hole from small arms fire or a gaping tear in the fuselage—a specialized team of Air Force and Navy engineers make it their business to determine the cause.

“We have been trained to look at battle damage to aircraft and figure out what did the damage, everything from small arms fire to something like a shoulder-fired missile,” said Air Force Capt. Gary F. Chavez, engineer, Joint Combat Assessment Team, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2.

Chavez, a native of San Francisco, added that his team’s mission is similar to that of the Marine Corps battle damage assessment officers who look at the damage in terms of how to repair it.

“We look at it from another angle to determine the cause of that damage,” said Chavez, who recently relieved his MWHS-3 predecessor, Air Force 1st Lt. Miroslav Karamarinov. “It’s our job to conduct an investigation to determine the cause. For the most part 99 percent of the time we figure out the cause based on various factors that we measure from the physical damage to the aircraft, such as velocity, the size of the hole, trajectory, etc.”

In addition to conducting visual evaluation, JCAT documents their findings and record the data for further analysis and archiving.

“We also do this so that new team members like me can come in and look back at what others did,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael A. Nennmann, JCAT engineer, ALD, MWHS-3, who is also a reservist and a system engineering manager with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas.

JCAT also sends their information back to the United States to a branch of the National Transportation Safety Board.

“The NTSB office is kind of like the one that reviews damage to civilian aircraft, who confirms our findings,” said Chavez. “We have a pretty good track record for being correct.”

The JCAT officers have had a good working relationship with the Marines.

“They are totally supportive of our mission and see the importance of it,” said Chavez. “Some may not know who we are and what we do. In the past sometimes there has been a rush to repair the damage for the sake of maintaining readiness before we can properly make our assessment, but it’s typically not a problem.”

According to Chavez and Nennmann, the ultimate goal of our mission is to determine what types of munitions the enemy has so that tactics can be reviewed and revised as needed.

“For instance, we look at damage trends and advise commanders of our tactical recommendations to prevent further incidences, such as to have aircraft fly higher if necessary or whatever the case may be,” said Chavez.

With their knowledge and skilled analysis, JCAT engineers dispel rumors or uncertainties regarding what pilots and aircrew are being shot at with.

“It’s nice to have someone able to say for sure what exactly was being fired at the aircraft,” said Chavez. “Based on everything I have seen, our aircraft hold up and we are pretty well protected.”

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:39 AM
Expectant, new parents fall in for Baby Boot Camp
Submitted by: MCAS Iwakuni
Story Identification #: 2005126181629
Story by Pfc. Lukas J. Blom



MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan (Jan. 28, 2005) -- The New Parent Support Program held its monthly Daddy's Baby Boot Camp to help new or soon to be parents learn some of the finer points on how to raise a happy, healthy baby.

The day-long course, which kicked off at 8 a.m. in the Family Services Building, taught individual parents and couples how to care for their newborns during the infants’ first year of life.

The free course was split up into many separate classes through out the day. The classes covered everything from parent relationships to changing diapers.

“Our main goal is to raise [the parents] comfort level with actual hands-on baby care,” said Lisa A. Cadwalader, the programs master social worker and home visitor.

Speakers from the Marine and Family Counseling Service, Educational and Developmental Intervention Service, Women, Infants and Children Overseas Program, American Red Cross and Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, came to explain what their organizations could offer the expecting parents.

The first guest speaker from the Marine and Family Counseling Service spoke with the students about how to resolve communication problems when another person is introduced to the family, and how “husband and wife” issues will transform into “father and mother” issues.

“For these serious issues [listed above] parents need to come together face to face and resolve them,” said Kerri L. George, Marine and Family Counseling Service individual and family counselor.

After receiving classes on how to carry a newborn and change diapers, dolls were brought out for some hands on exercises.

“The dolls were actually pretty heavy, very real feeling,” said Cpl. Douglas Connelly, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, nondestructive inspection technician. “It was great to actually get some real practice- kind of like a dry-run with diapers.”

Next was the quiz to see how well the couples knew each other. The husband and wife duos tried to predict the answers that their spouse would give to questions ranging from favorite ice cream flavors to favorite holidays. The quiz is usually one of the favorite parts of the class, or not, depending on the quiz results.

“He did pretty well on the quiz,” said Tamaki Connelly of her husband Douglas. “We spend quite a bit of time together, so we know each other pretty well.”

“This class was defiantly worth coming to,” said Cpl. Connelly. “Even if you have to get off work for it, new parents should take the time to come here.”

Along with a wealth of knowledge, the students walked away from the class with gifts of diaper bags, parenthood books, baby hygiene supplies and other baby equipment.

"We suggest that parents come in during their third trimester, but this class is designed for parents of newborns to six-year old children,” said Cadwalader, who is five months pregnant with twin boys.

For more information call NPS at 253-6553.


Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 06:50 AM
Shortstop-turned-Marine survives 9 bombs

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

ASKAN, Iraq -- The first time Lance Cpl. Tony Stevens was bombed in Iraq, a car packed with 155 mm shells exploded next to his vehicle just as a device containing five more shells detonated beneath it.

By bomb No. 9, the former shortstop in the Minnesota Twins' farm system had become a good luck-bad luck icon and the awe of his 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment patrolling the so-called "triangle of death" south of Baghdad.

With a couple of weeks remaining in his second tour of duty in Iraq, the 26-year-old might be counting the days a little more closely than most and has become a seasoned, battle-hardened veteran of the laws of physics.

"When you hear the explosion, that's actually good," Stevens said, pointing out that because sound travels relatively slowly, hearing the blast means you have survived it. "It means you're still in the game."

Stevens' deployment landed him in an area known for insurgents' use of what the U.S. military calls improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Some of those are vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, or VBIEDs - military-speak for car bombs.

It is not unusual for Marine patrols on the two-lane roads through towns and gray-and-brown fields to encounter three or four bombs a day. Sometimes, there are more - many more.

The bombs contribute to an injury rate of one-in-five Marines during their 6-month-old deployment here. The bombs also kill U.S.-allied Iraqi police and Iraqi National Guardsmen patrolling in unarmored pickups and cars.

Many Marines here have been bombed two or three times, and a couple seven or eight.

Stevens, at nine, appears to hold the record that no one wants to break.

His streak started Aug. 8.

His unit was going to check on a mortar attack when it rolled next to the one bomb and on top of the second.

Marines tended the wounded in what they later realized was a field of undetonated bombs. "We were pretty much walking on top of them," Stevens says.

Bomb No. 2 was on the same run. That bomb was a freezer filled with five 155 mm shells and set off by a detonating cord left on the road. It cost a fellow Marine some fingers.

Bomb No. 3 exploded on a security patrol. It injured a Marine riding in the turret of Stevens' vehicle.

That was October.

"October to Thanksgiving we were pretty much hitting one every time we went out," Stevens says.

Bomb No. 4 hit his vehicle. No wounded.

Bomb No. 5 hit his vehicle, and sheared off a live power line overhead, sending it sparking on top of the neck collar of Stevens' flak jacket. He shows the ripped, burned material. "Two-in-one on that one," he says.

Bomb No. 6 through 9 hit his convoys.

In factory-armored Humvees - the vehicles of choice for patrols - Marines know they can survive all but the biggest bombs and the unluckiest hits. None has been killed in any of the bombings Stevens has survived. "It's not that we laugh about it, but we joke a lot, once we know it's all right," he says.

What saves his life, Stevens doesn't know. He doesn't do anything special. "Just pray. That's all you can do in this place."

What saves his spirits are the Internet and phones, put in not long ago at the Marines' forward operating base. "That way you can call the wife, say it's been an easy day, even though you've just got hit with an IED."

Home is Jacksonville, Fla., and he played for the Double-A New Britain, Conn., Rock Cats, hitting .261 in two seasons before joining the military. He was also the Florida high school basketball player of year in 1997, said Rock Cats President William Dowling.

Despite all the bombings, Stevens says he would sign up again. He speaks against a backdrop of explosions as his company sets off cratering blasts, destroying a dirt road to keep it from being used by insurgents for election-day attacks.

"We came here and accomplished our mission," Stevens says. The triangle of death has seen attacks drop sharply. Local security forces have more confidence. Crowds are friendlier.

"Ow!" the Marine standing next to Stevens shouts. The man grabs a wrist slapped numb by a stinging chunk of dirt from a cratering blast a quarter-mile-plus away.

"I told you not to be around me," Stevens says, going after the hunched-over Marine. "How many days we got left?"

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 08:39 AM
Child saves Marine patrol
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Stacey Creasy/Editor
The Macomb Journal
Jan. 30, 2005

IRAQ - If you talk to Marines serving in Iraq, they will tell you there are positive stories coming from the war-torn nation.

The Marines spend every day of their lives on the front line of the war against terrorism. There is fighting on a daily basis. Marines and soldiers, along with civilians are injured or killed on a daily basis.

"We see that on the news every day," the wife of a soldier said one day at the Macomb National Guard Armory.

What confuses some of the troops and their families is how very few, if any, positive news makes it way to the network news.

Gunnery Sgt. Mark Francis had a story to tell, one he will never forget. Francis told his story through a letter to his wife, Colleen, who shared the story with family and friends in Macomb.

Francis said he and his outfit asked for toys to be sent to them. On each patrol Francis and his fellow Marines take as many toys as they can fit in their pockets. They hand the toys out to Iraqi children, who take the toy and run away, beaming with joy, showing the gift to everyone they know.

Francis said the Marines like handing out the toys to the children. They are the truly innocent bystanders of the war. Francis said most of them have no idea what's going on around them.

One day in December, Francis said his unit was on patrol when the lead security vehicle stopped in the middle of the street.

"That is not normal and is very unsafe," Francis told his wife.

Francis said the other vehicles immediately radioed ahead to find out what was going on. When they learned a little girl was sitting in the middle of the street, and refused to budge from the spot.

The order was to be kind to the little girl and drive around her. Francis said that particular street was wide enough to go around the girl without going off the street.

The marines waved to the little girl as they drove around her. The girl sat there, clutching a stuffed bear the Marines gave her on a previous patrol.

When Francis spotted the girl he said he felt an immediate connection with the child. Francis radioed the other vehicles and told them to stop.

"I got out to make sure she was okay," Francis said in his letter. "The little girl looked scared and concerned, but there was a warmth in her eyes toward me. As I knelt down to talk to her, she moved over and pointed to a mine in the road."

Francis said it was a mine his convoy would have hit. He realized the girl was sitting in the street in an effort to save their lives.

The area was blocked off. Francis said the mine was detonated. No one was injured.

Francis said the people in America who sent the toy to Iraq to give to a child and American Marines who gave the bear to the girl, created a connection that motivated the girl to sit in the street and save their lives.

Francis said politics aside, if the U.S. continues to support this girl and her new government, she will know what it is to be free, to have a future to believe in.

Francis said all the Americans who are backing the effort by sending toys and other items are also a vital part of that mission.

Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 08:58 AM
Mainstream Media Plays Down History in the Making
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 30, 2005
by Sher Zieve

As our mainstream media continue to downplay the unprecedented and historic nature of the Iraqi elections, the Iraqis, themselves, went to the polls. Reminiscent of their attempts to show "disenfranchisement" of US presidential voters due to extremely long lines which caused them "discomfort" (discomfort is disenfranchisement?), one of these media representatives (CNN) reported of the Iraq elections: " After navigating security checkpoints to get to their polling places, Iraqi voters face a lengthy ballot." With its additional comments "Not only is the security situation tenuous in many Sunni areas, but also, two influential Sunni groups -- the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Association of Muslim Scholars -- are boycotting the elections", CNN further attempts to marginalize these elections.

The Washington Post chose to concentrate its 'reporting' on the lack of turnout in Ramadi, Tikrit and Mosul; areas where terrorist activities still remain heavy. In a rather blatant attempt to dismiss the comments of a senior US diplomat "I have a certain faith in the human spirit", three Post reporters wrote their lengthy counter-comments: "Such an outcome would be a major accomplishment for the deeply troubled American project here. After the U.S.-led invasion toppled Hussein in April 2003, Iraq was stripped of much of its government infrastructure by looters, and was then plunged into chaos by an insurgency that has killed more than 1,400 U.S. troops, more than 10,000 Iraqis and turned car bombings from exceptional events into tactical attacks that occur at the pace of a half-dozen each day." Although their facts are technically correct, their characterizations of the terrorists performing "tactical attacks" while the US "invaded" Iraq and is engaged in a "deeply troubled" project speaks of the publication's proclivity towards continuing its attacks against this venture; despite the fact that the US now seems to have successfully begun the conclusion to Part 1 of this "project".

Despite the negativity from our mainstream press, which will surely continue, Iraq's elections are one of the most important occurrences of our time. And, despite the threats to their lives and the lives of their families, the Iraqis turned out to vote in overwhelming numbers. Some have said that this is the first true election in Iraq in over 50 years. Others have noted that this is the first "free and democratic" election in the country's 5,000 year history. Either way, the election is of momentous proportion. And, irrespective of the anticipated continuing pessimism from the mainstream press, this election has the potential of changing, forever, the face of the Middle East. Tyrants and naysayers both hate and fear it. But, for the people of the electorate, there is now hope of a better life; for themselves and their future generations. I seem to remember that there was another group of people who fought a war for freedom from tyranny. It was called the American Revolution.

---Zieve is a conservative political commentator who firmly believes that if Leftists ran the country (left to their own devices), it would be the end of the United States as a sovereign nation. Sher's articles can be found on Google, MSN Newsbot, US-News.Net, Useless Knowledge and other news sites. Zieve welcomes you comments and can be reached at: earthseed@iwon.com.


Ellie

thedrifter
01-31-05, 08:59 AM
Christians in combat boots
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By Mark Baylis - Staff Writer
The Lompoc Record
01/28/05

It's Sunday morning at Trinity Church of the Nazarene and staff member Mark "Gunny" Hestand is on his belly behind a tree, an imitation M-16 in his hands, showing six teen-age boys in fatigues how to ambush an enemy.

Hestand, 43, and a teen-age squad leader have been barking at the "soldiers" who are cranking out pushups and line sprints beside the church.

"You girls are going on a hike tomorrow," shouts squad leader Zach Smith, 15. "How are you girls going to hike tomorrow if you can't do 25 pushups?"

Thirty minutes later, the teens march into the church cafeteria in two single-file lines to the cadent commands of Smith. They gather around a table with Hestand and Bible study leader Tom Gilbert.

"Man has lost his focus on purpose," Gilbert says to the boys, in a lesson taken from the best-selling and controversial Christian book "Wild at Heart," John Eldridge's examination of masculinity.

"Life needs man to be fierce. Aggression is part of the masculine heart," Gilbert says.

The teens are part of "Boot Camp," a youth group that mixes Marine Corps values and combat techniques with Bible study. The concept is the brainchild of Hestand, who started the group in 2001 to encourage youth involvement in the church. As far as he knows, Boot Camp is unique in the Christian world.

While some may find the juxtaposition of military and the church to be unusual, or even alarming, Hestand said he believes the two share key principles.

"We take the basic principles that are Christian and basic principles of warfare and we merge them," he said. "Our enemy is Satan. Our weapon is not an M-16, it's the Bible. We're trying to get them to be warriors for God."

Hestand lists the Marine values of honor, courage and commitment as analogous to Christianity.

"One of the reasons I chose the Marine style over other military branches is that almost anything they say you could replace the word 'Marine' with 'Christian,'" Hestand said.

Boot Camp has just over a dozen members - all in junior high or high school - who have signed pledges of commitment to the group. Every Sunday, participants arrive early to church in their camouflage fatigues and black boots.

Once the 90-minute service commences, the boys gather outside, usually in the church's south parking lot, where for 20 minutes they do physical training like new recruits under the barks and orders of drill sergeants.

"We really get in their face," Hestand said.

The next 20 minutes are dedicated to combat techniques, such as ambushes or guerrilla tactics. The last 45 minutes are spent on Bible study.

Marine recruiter Sgt. Thomas Bustamante swings by once a month - without compensation and on his own time - to instruct the physical training and combat portion of the service. Recruiting isn't part of Bustamante's involvement, Hestand said.

Hestand sees no contradiction in instructing military combat techniques alongside the teachings of Jesus, who often is considered a pacifist because of his doctrine of "turning the other cheek." Neither does it bother Trinity's Pastor Jim Morris, an ex-Marine.

"His turn-the-other-cheek comment was talking about confronting things in life that seem unfair: An opportunity to be gracious rather than combative," Morris said. "Having said that, we're not preparing these guys to go into the military. We're using a military model as a hook."

While Boot Camp's four-year existence is too short to judge whether it is encouraging church youth to join the military, at least one teen says his military days won't end with Boot Camp.

"I'm looking at the Marines," said Zach Smith, the team's squad leader. Smith said his training at Boot Camp is a solid foundation for the military and a good start toward his goal of becoming a U.S. Marshall.

Despite his nickname - Gunny for gunnery sergeant - Hestand has no military experience. At just over 5-feet tall, he didn't meet the minimum height requirement to join. A former social studies teacher, Hestand said his absence of military experience is a lesson for the teens.

"God took someone who didn't have the capabilities, only the heartfelt desire to do something, and put them here," Hestand said.

Hestand doesn't get paid to do Boot Camp. He is employed as the manager of the church's radio station, KRQZ 91.5, though one wouldn't know by looking at his church office.

Framed marine posters hang on walls Hestand painted army green. He sits behind his desk on a weekday dressed in fatigues and boots. A G.I. Joe doll is displayed on a table. A Bible wrapped in a camouflage book cover rests next to his computer.

"My office looks more like a ROTC recruitment center than a radio station office," he said, laughing.

Morris and Hestand are well aware that Boot Camp is "way out of the box" of normal church programs, but the only complaint thus far has been from the occasional parent concerned about the marine-style yelling of drill instructors, they say. Occasionally a parent will be uncomfortable with the use of toy guns. But Morris says it's in boys' nature to play with weapons and if it wasn't guns it would be sticks.

This aggressive and combative nature is at the heart of Boot Camp. Hestand and company say that men - particularly Christian men - have become domesticated, boring and divided from their natural instincts of adventure and drive to tackle challenges. The end result is a docile and unhappy man.

The idea that Christian men must be reshaped is straight from Eldridge's "Wild at Heart," which argues that man's wild heart is a mirror of God's and that man's three natural and worthy desires are to: fight a battle, live an adventure and rescue a beauty.

"Wild at Heart" has sold over a million copies since its 2001 release. It has sparked debate, but is used as a manual by many churches and is prominently displayed in Christian bookstores.

Other Christians consider Eldridge a demagogue who shapes God in his own "muscular Christian," outdoorsman image. They say his teachings - which favor movie icons like the character William Wallace of "Braveheart" and bash "Mr. Roger Christians," who hold office jobs and "make decisions at the kitchen table," - are dangerous and heretical concepts.

Church leaders at Trinity say the book is a refreshing reprieve from a culture that favors the introspective "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus" and churns out meek men.

"Guys will be guys and boys will be boys" and the trick is not to stifle that, but encourage the correct use of it through discipline and morality, Morris said. "The message of Christ is timeless, yet the methodology has to change in order to connect with the culture."

The teens in Boot Camp go on monthly hiking expeditions as part of their physical and combat training. They bring an arsenal of automatic and rapid-fire air-soft guns and practice ambushes and other tactical warfare. Once they even went with the police Explorers to Vandenberg Air Force Base and practiced at a simulated shooting gallery with real M-16s, complete with recoil, hooked to computers.

Once a week, the church opens the gym to all teens to play air-soft war games.

Boot Camp kids also get involved in occasional public service. Most recently they helped out with Toys for Tots at Christmas time.

Surprisingly, none of the Boot Camp kids have military parents. Hestand says kids who have parents at VAFB don't want more military structure and don't join. Many of the teens come from single-family homes and homes without fathers. The all-male camaraderie and mentorship compensates for the absence of a male figure at home, church officials say.

The program is also not designed for teens with behavior problems, though Hestand said he believes it would be productive for them also.

The group would like to start a female Boot Camp, but doesn't have enough interested girls yet. Initially the group had girls, but Hestand prefers to keep the genders separated. Examining male identity is central to Boot Camp, Hestand said, and guys are less honest and forthcoming with girls in the group.

The nearly 80 other junior high and high school kids at Trinity participate in a separate youth group led by Youth Pastor Brad Clark, 27. Clark said there is no pressure for kids to join the Boot Camp. He said churches need such innovative programs to attract kids - and they need to understand the context of Boot Camp.

"The thing I don't want is these guys to think it's about violence. It's easy to see guys in camou and running around with air-soft guns and think that's what it's all about," Clark said. "It's really not. It looks like that because of the packaging but it really is more 'Get at the heart of what a good man should be: That we should be protectors.'"

Staff Writer Mark Baylis can be reached at 736-2313, Ext. 105 or by e-mail at mbaylis@pulitzer.net

Ellie