2/2 Recieves another group of awards

[thedrifter]

2/2 Recieves another group of awards
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20052416121
Story by Pfc. Christopher J. Ohmen



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 3, 2005) -- Marines from different sections of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, received awards here Feb. 3 for actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to October 2004.

Awards for the 12 Marines and two sailors included the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Most of the awards were received with a combat distinguishing device to signify the awards were given for actions while in combat.

The Marines of the battalion engaged insurgents while participating in countless convoys, patrols and humanitarian missions.

Many Marines and sailors put their lives in harm’s way to save fellow members in convoys and patrols. Others proved their superior leadership skills by making split-second decisions after their convoys were hit by improvised explosive devices.

"It was not just the infantrymen that received awards, it is the docs, a communicator, squad leaders and others," said Lt. Col. James G. Kyser, the battalions commanding officer. "Anyone in this battalion can get awards and this shows how committed these Marines and sailors are to one another."

The Marines that received their awards for combat accredit their awards to the training they received before leaving to Iraq. Many weeks prior to the deployment were spent doing last minute training so they knew what the insurgents might throw their way.

The Marines and sailors all feel pride for receiving their awards, but without the support from the other Marines and sailors in the regiment they don’t know if they would have received them.

“These awards are because of all of your hard work and discipline in the face of danger and for the support of our operations in Iraq,” Kyser said.

The Marines and sailors who received these awards were:

Purple Heart

Cpl. Keith R. Dawson *

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Staff Sgt. Patrick A. Gomes *

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason M. Barry *

Sgt. Kevin T. Hood *

Lance Cpl. Robert J. Donovan *

Gunnery Sgt. Richard Harris Sr.

Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher T. Brown

Sgt. Joshua M. Clark

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Sgt. William V. Eberhart *

Cpl. Jeffery A. Garrison *

Cpl. TJ P. Olson *

Lance Cpl. Matthew D. Adams *

Lance Cpl. Theodore L. Harrell Jr. *

Cpl. David P. Foley

* Indicates medal includes combat distinguishing device for awards given for actions in combat.

http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20052416328/$file/050203-M-2607O-001low.jpg

Marines and sailors from 2d Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment start to face left after receiving their awards for actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Twelve Marines and two sailors received awards ranging from a purple heart, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal some with a combat distinguishing device for actions in combat. Photo by: Pfc. Christopher J. Ohmen

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Defense Budget Goes To Congress
Associated Press
February 8, 2005

WASHINGTON - The $419 billion defense budget that President Bush submitted to Congress on Monday would buy fewer planes, ships and submarines than the Pentagon previously planned, but it puts extra emphasis on anti-terror commandos and expands the Army and Marine Corps.

Spending for the budget year that starts Oct. 1 would be 4.8 percent higher than the current defense budget, although neither year's budget includes the billions spent for war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq is expected to cost $100 billion this year and a similar amount in 2006; that money is authorized and spent through a separate budgeting process.

"This budget represents the latest installment in the President's strong commitment to transforming this department to face the challenges of the 21st century," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in a written statement. "We continue our transition to a more agile, deployable, and lethal force."

The defense budget under President Bush has grown rapidly since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which led to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to topple the Taliban and hunt down leaders of the al-Qaida terrorist network, but the Iraq war has been the more costly enterprise.

In order to make room for the extra costs of warfighting, the Pentagon has cut billions from planned spending on the Air Force's high-priority fighter jet program, the F/A-22, as well as Navy shipbuilding. The F/A-22 program will be halted in 2008 after 179 planes are built - 96 short of the Air Force's goal, and the Navy will get only four new vessels - one submarine and three ships - instead of the six that the Pentagon had said a year ago it would fund in the 2006 budget.




Military personnel would get a 3.1 percent pay raise, and pay for Pentagon civilians would rise 2.3 percent.

Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called the 3.1 percent pay raise a "bare minimum," and said the budget as a whole does too little for the troops.

Steven Kosiak, a budget expert at the private Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said it is unlikely that Congress will make any net reductions to Bush's budget proposal for 2006.

"However, over the longer term, once a decision is made to address the ballooning federal deficit, history strongly suggests that cuts in defense spending - or at a minimum slower rates of growth in defense spending - will be part of the solution adopted," Kosiak said.

The budget includes $1.9 billion to begin paying for a new round of military base closings. Pentagon recommendations on which bases to close will be presented to an independent commission in May. The Pentagon expects to spend another $5.7 billion on this process in 2007, although at a future point the closures are expected to save billions of dollars.

The budget does not include funds to pay the estimated $286 million it will cost to retroactively increase death payments, known as "gratuities," to the families of military personnel killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Those payments will rise from $12,420 to $100,000 per family. The money will come from a supplemental budget request to be submitted later.

Among other highlights of Bush's proposed $419 billion in defense spending:

- Special operations forces, including Navy, Air Force and Army commandos, get $4.1 billion, in part to pay for hiring an extra 200 civilians and 1,200 military personnel, including four platoons of Navy SEAL commandos. More also will be spent on developing foreign language capabilities.

- The weapons buying budget shrinks by $100 million, to $78 billion. Last year at this time the Pentagon said it intended to increase the procurement budget by $2 billion, rather than shrink it. The Army would take the biggest cut, about $2.7 billion, while the Navy would get a $1.2 billion increase.

- Spending on defenses against attack by chemical or biological agents would be $1.6 billion in 2006 and $9.9 billion over the 2006-2011 period covered by the Pentagon budget plan. That's $2.1 billion more than the Pentagon had previously planned.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Back From Iraq And Out On The Streets <br />
Christian Science Monitor <br />
February 8, 2005 <br />
<br />
NEW YORK - Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are now showing up in the nation's homeless...

[thedrifter]

U.S. Cranks Up Ammo Output
Chicago Tribune
February 8, 2005

WASHINGTON - The pace of training and combat required of U.S. troops in Iraq is prompting the Army to quadruple its production of small-arms ammunition compared with prewar levels, a move intended to stave off an ammunition shortage like the one the Pentagon faced last summer.

The Army within months will award manufacturing contracts for ammunition used in its M-16 and M-4 rifles and .50-caliber guns. Since shortly after the Vietnam War, that ammunition has been made at only one location in the U.S., the sprawling Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo.

But the intensified training of troops, particularly National Guard and Reserve units that find themselves in hostile situations throughout Iraq, has meant units are quickly running through the Pentagon's ammunition stockpiles. Last summer the Defense Department turned to ammunition-makers in South Korea, Canada and Israel to supplement the weapons stocks.

The expanded contracts are another indication of just how intense the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have become, especially compared with the original expectations of military leaders and planners.

"We have had in the past shortages in small- and medium-caliber ammunition," said Col. Mark Rider, project manager for maneuver ammunition systems at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Rider is responsible for the Army's small arms ammunition.





He added, "None of the shortages were in Iraq or with troops deployed in Iraq. What basically was going on is that our training requirement went up dramatically, and that caused a giant ramp-up in production."

Production of 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm rounds will jump to 1.8 billion rounds this year from 400 million in 1999. Most of those will be made by Alliant Techsystems at the Lake City arsenal, where many of the 465 buildings used in production were mothballed after the Vietnam War. Up to 500 million rounds of the 1.8 billion will be made by other manufacturers, and the contracts are expected to be awarded in June.

The budget for ammunition and expanded production has more than doubled to $285 million this year, including $100 million in supplemental funds provided by Congress directly for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, from $124.5 million in fiscal year 1999. An additional $185 million in supplemental funds for ammunition is expected this year.

The effort to provide enough ammunition follows a shortage of supply vehicles and armor protection for troops, as well as decisions to extend the service of soldiers in Iraq.

Army officials said the number of troops now training and carrying out operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has meant a rapid increase in the number of small-arms rounds fired.

Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army's chief of staff, has put a new emphasis on live-fire training in the U.S., and officers have been making adjustments so the exercises fit better with what soldiers experience in Iraq.

In addition, the nature of operations in Iraq has meant that Army Reserve and Guard units, which regular military units rely on for many support jobs, are highly likely to come under fire. The Army in particular relies heavily on the Guard and reserves to ferry supplies throughout Iraq, and supply convoys have become a favorite target of the insurgency.

That means the Guard and the Reserves must be more extensively trained with live ammo.

"Since the start of [combat] operations in '02 until now, we have shipped roughly around half a billion rounds of small, medium and large caliber," Rider said. "Seventy to 80 percent of the total quantity goes into the training accounts."

He added, "The priority goes to units that are in the process of deploying or those deployed. Even when you're deployed, you do some training over there, and we make sure those guys are front-loaded."

For Lake City, the military operations have meant round-the-clock shifts and expanding to production levels that it hasn't seen in two decades.

"The planners-to-be looked in crystal and believed that we would never do anything more than 300, 400 million rounds a year," said William Simmons, who recently retired as chief of production at Lake City.

"The plant was brought down to that size of product capacity intentionally," Simmons said. "And after 9/11, we're now up to those [higher] numbers. We are bringing more machines on line and working more hours per week."

While the Army is opening up what had been an exclusive contract, Army officials said that not many ammunition manufacturers are capable of meeting the military specifications required for its small caliber rounds.

When supplies were drawn down quickly last year, the Army had to turn to foreign suppliers to make "urgent buys."

That ammunition was supplied by Poongsan Metals Corp. in South Korea, Israeli Military Industries, SNC of Canada and the Winchester division of Olin Corp. in East Alton, Ill. Rider said Israeli rounds have been used for training in the U.S. but not in Iraq, where the ammunition's origin might create political problems with Iraqi citizens.

During World War II, there were 16 small caliber ammunition plants scattered throughout the U.S. That number was reduced to six during the Vietnam War, and after the war cut further to just Lake City, a facility that was opened in 1940 in a ceremony featuring future president Harry Truman, at the time a Democratic senator from Missouri.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Navy Adm. Clark To Retire This Summer
Associated Press
February 8, 2005

WASHINGTON - Adm. Vern Clark, the Navy's top officer, said Monday he will retire this summer after five years as chief of naval operations - the second-longest tenure in the history of the Navy.

"It is our view that it is about time to turn over the reins to the next generation," Clark, 60, told reporters at a conference in Alexandria, Va., according to a Navy transcript of his remarks.

He started in the job July 21, 2000, three months before the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, which killed 17 sailors. He has been considered an innovative leader who has fundamentally altered the way the Navy maintains the combat readiness of its 12 aircraft carriers.

The Sioux City, Iowa, native said he has submitted his retirement papers but not set a specific date. The only Navy chief to serve longer was Adm. Arleigh Burke, from August 1955 to August 1961.

Clark was commissioned in the Navy in August 1968.





Navy Secretary Gordon England, commenting on Clark's announcement, said: "He is a visionary leader, an outstanding colleague and a man of deep faith. I have been privileged to serve with a leader of great integrity who is also a valued and respected friend."

A chief of naval operations normally serves for four years, but in the summer of 2003 - one year before Clark's term was to end - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld took the unusual step of asking Clark to extend his service. Congress passed a law permitting him to be reappointed for up to two years, which means Clark could have stayed in the job until July 2006.

Clark said his decision to leave this summer instead of next summer did not reflect any dissatisfaction. "This is about the right time to go," he said. "And frankly, you know this is a challenging job. Five years is a long time, and I think five years is about the right time."

The Pentagon, meanwhile, said Vice Adm. Robert F. Willard has been nominated for appointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as vice chief of naval operations. He would replace Adm. John B. Nathman, who has been nominated for assignment as commander of U. S. Fleet Forces Command.

Nathman would replace Adm. William J. Fallon, who has been nominated to be the next commander of U.S. Pacific Command

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Army Bills 129 Wounded Soldiers <br />
Associated Press <br />
February 8, 2005 <br />
<br />
WASHINGTON - The Army has identified 129 wounded soldiers who mistakenly received bills for expenses upon returning home from...

[thedrifter]

Marine commander honors Iraqi “lions” of Babil
Submitted by: 24th MEU
Story Identification #: 200524141127
Story by -



FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (Feb. 4, 2005) -- The senior Marine commander in Iraq awarded medals today to six standouts of the Iraqi security forces for their role in restoring security and stability to northern Babil Province.

Calling them “lions” for “standing tall in the face of intimidation and terrorism,” Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, recognized the valor of six officers, four commanders from the 507th Iraqi National Guard Battalion, an Iraqi police officer and the commander of the Iraqi SWAT team.

“We as part of the coalition forces are honored to stand next to you,” Sattler told an assembly of Iraqi and U.S. forces here at the headquarters of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. “And we’re even more honored to fight beside you as we continue this battle to break the back of the insurgency and to bring to justice these thugs, murderers and intimidators who attempt to steal your country from you.”

Sattler presented the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal to Col. Salaam Addal Al Khadem, commander of the Hillah SWAT team, and to Maj. Mohammed Salman Abbas of the 507th ING Battalion.

The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal went to Col. Iesa Baher Mohammed, Capt. Ali Abd Al Hussein Kathum, and 1st Sgt. Mohammed Rashed Younis, all with the 507th, and to Lt. Col. Salman Obeid Khadum of the Eskan Police Department.

Sattler said the six men have proven instrumental in weakening the insurgency in a vital and highly volatile region south of Baghdad.

“They’ve never lost the legal and moral high ground, but they’ve gone hard against the intimidators,” the general said. “And now (the insurgents) know they cannot operate with impunity down here. As a matter of fact, if they attempt to operate, a combination of Iraqi security forces and their coalition partners are going to crush ‘em.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine reservists complete personnel recovery training
Submitted by: 2nd Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200524161823
Story by Cpl. G. Lane Miley



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 4, 2005) -- Approximately 75 Marines and sailors, primarily reservists temporarily stationed here from their home base in Marietta, Ga., recently completed two weeks of training to hone their unique job skills in personnel recovery Jan. 28.

When these Marines and sailors deploy for Operation Iraqi Freedom III later this year, they will form the Personnel Recovery Detachment attached to Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2d Force Service Support Group (Forward). In Iraq they will specialize in the expeditious recovery of U.S. service members who were killed there.

“Our main job once a Marine has died is to provide tentative identification and ensure he is sent back in time for his family to have closure, hopefully with an open casket funeral,” said Warrant Officer Bo Causey, detachment operations officer.

Once a service member is recovered he is taken to the Marines’ collection point, where all necessary paperwork is filled out. From there, the person is sent to the Theatre Mortuary Evacuation Point in Kuwait, where honors are rendered, then on to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base, Del., for positive identification and on to the family.

Causey, of Macon, Ga., said his unit ensures reverence for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“We treat a Marine in death the same as you would in life – with dignity, reverence and respect,” Causey explained.

While his warriors’ main focus is recovering U.S. service members and returning them to their families, Causey said they will also be recovering civilians, Iraqis and insurgents who will then be returned to their families through the proper authorities. He said the job the detachment does is often a stressful one, so the Marines have a Navy chaplain and corpsman attached to the unit.

He said while it is stressful, to ensure the detachment’s warriors are properly trained in personnel recovery their senior leaders, many of whom are OIF veterans, put them through an intense, thorough training cycle.

Causey said they used the “crawl, walk, run” method to train the Marines and sailors and certify them as Mortuary Affairs Specialists, beginning with the basics and getting more in depth toward the end of the training cycle.

Gunnery Sgt. Jamie Karnes, the detachment’s 34-year-old company gunnery sergeant, said the training began with a classroom setting where the students learned the history of mortuary affairs and the Marine Corps’ role in personnel recovery. Then the reservists learned how to receive and process service members as well as how to operate a collection point before transitioning to the practical application portion where they employed their new skills.

Karnes said because of the high esteem his MA Specialists revere for the deceased, there are certain ways to transport and transfer the body.

“When placing them in a vehicle, the biggest thing we make sure is that they ride in it just like a passenger with their feet toward the front,” Karnes said.

The Nashville, Ga., native said honors are rendered at the TMEP in Kuwait, so ensuring the departed are transported properly and in the most expeditious manner is the most his Marines and sailors can do for them at their level.

The largest part of the MA Specialists’ job is actually recovering the body from the site of death.

Lance Cpl. Crystal Green, 19, said her training taught her how valuable the smallest details are and how they can change the story surrounding someone’s death.

She said in one scenario there were rounds on the ground and by not noticing them the death could have been recorded as a homicide instead of a suicide.

Green, a recently certified Mortuary Affairs Specialist, said she understands how important her job is because it gives closure, not only to the families, but to the units who have lost their comrades.

The most important thing for her during the upcoming deployment is returning home with everyone from her unit, but to do so the Marines must be aware of everything surrounding the site, said Green.

In another scenario, she said a thorough Improvised Explosive Device search was not conducted and her whole squad was killed while trying to recover someone else.

Following the training cycle, Karnes said he feels confident in his Marines and sailors success on their upcoming deployment.

“What doesn’t surprise me is how, in true Marine Corps fashion, these Marines gelled and functioned as squads and a cohesive unit,” said Karnes.

Following the training in their military occupational specialties, the reservists began a package to hone their basic Marine battle skills, which he said is important because during his previous deployment he and his Marines often had to provide their own security.

Once properly trained in their job and basic warrior skills the Personnel Detachment will be ready for their upcoming deployment. Their training is set to be complete in the coming weeks and they are set to deploy in the coming months for an estimated seven-month deployment.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sent to me by Mark(Fontman)


The ordeal of Staff Sergeant Michael Lott

Op-Ed
The Washington Times
Feb. 8, 2005

As we have noted time and again, the armed forces are undermanned, and face major challenges in recruitment and retention of their best fighting men in the coming years. So one would think that the last thing that would be tolerated in the Pentagon these days would be a situation in which one of America's best soldiers - a Marine who performed heroically in combat while serving in Iraq - is effectively being drummed out of the military based on a personal vendetta, compounded by incorrect information and bureaucratic bungling. That appears to be precisely what is occuring in the case of Staff Sgt. Michael J. Lott.

According to the Navy Department, because Sgt. Lott was not selected for promotion to the rank of gunnery sergeant, he is subject to mandatory retirement under Title 10 of the U.S. Code just three months from now - when he completes his 20th year of active duty. Although we generally refrain from taking positions on individual military personel matters, we do so in this case because Sgt. Lott's wife, Merrie, and his attorney, Warren Wolfe, have put together such a compelling and meticulously detailed record of his case suggesting that an injustice has occurred. The record, unrebutted thus far, strongly suggests that that Sgt. Lott has not been denied a promotion to gunnery sergeant based on any lack of skill. Rather, he is being passed over because of good old-fashioned bureaucratic bungling - specifically, the military's apparent refusal to acknowledge its own decision to remove false, defamatory material from Sgt. Lott's case file.

The facts of the case are as follows: When Sgt. Lott reported to a Marine aviation logistics squadron in Cherry Point, N.C., in May 1999, he had compiled a record of distinction during 14 years in the Marine Corps, winning accolades from colleagues and commanders alike. But at Cherry Point, he encountered a problem: Staff sergeants and gunnery sergeants at that base did not appreciate having to attend job-related classes in areas such as pyrotechnics and ensuring that ordnance is in proper condition. When Sgt. Lott was told by a commanding officer to falsify attendance records, he refused to do so. The officer in question retaliated by writing three negative fitness reports on Sgt. Lott - effectively dooming his chances for promotion to gunnery sergeant. Sgt. Lott requested that the reports be pulled on account of bias. That took place in January 2003. Since then, he has served with distinction in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I witnessed first hand his dedication to the mission of the Marine Corps as SSgt. Lott performed outstanding Marine Aviation Ordnance Service during the war and then volunteered to remain in Kuwait after the rest of the squadron departed" to the United States, Lt. Col. D.J. Snyder, one of Sgt. Lott's commanding officers, wrote in an April letter of recommendation for Sgt. Lott. "SSgt/ Lott's Marines followed his lead in working long hours to ensure that all equipment was brought to a high state of readiness in spite of austere conditions and severe heat ... SSgt. Lott enjoys my confidence. He will be an exceptional Gunnery Sergeant of Marines."

"SSgt. Lott is among the most resourceful, talented and motivated SNCOs with whom I have served," wrote Major M.S. Stefanou, who worked with him in Kuwait during the early months of the war. "He immediately distinguished himself in Kuwait as a dynamo who could make things happen when no one else could. I strongly recommend that SSgt. Lott be promoted to [gunnery sergeant]. I believe the Marine Corps would retain a valuable asset with his promotion."

These are but two of numerous glowing letters of praise that Sgt. Lott has received for his work from his colleagues.

But bizarrely and indefensibly, some within the Pentagon bureaucracy who are responsible for stonewalling Michael Lott are unfamilar with basic facts of his case. In August, for example, after Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican, queried the Pentagon about the case, she received a return letter from the Navy Department that discussed some of the specifics of the Lott case. It concluded by helpfully suggesting that if Sgt. Lott has had fitness reports removed from his record (because they were found to be untrue), he can request remedial consideration of his request for a promotion. The author of the letter to Mrs. Dole, J.R. Jurgensen, a major in the Marine Corps office of Legislative Affairs, was apparently unaware of the fact that the fitness reports in question had been pulled - more than a year earlier.

In less than 90 days, Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Lott, by all accounts a first-rate soldier that we should be trying to keep in the military, will be forced to leave the Corps if he is not promoted to gunnery sergeant. If he is not promoted because the competition is superior, so be it. But if he is denied promotion because false information was allowed to remain in the record, that would be unconscionable. In the wake of Maj. Jurgensen's letter, the burden is on the Marine Corps to demonstrate that Sgt. Lott's request for promotion is getting a fair shake.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Quantico donates blood for war effort
Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story Identification #: 200524134339
Story by Cpl. Justin P. Lago



MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Feb. 3, 2005) -- Giving blood is service that can provide a second chance at life to someone you might never know. Marines and service members on Quantico take time from their schedules to truly provide that ability.

Quantico’s Barber Fitness center held its scheduled blood drive Jan. 26 on the gymnasium’s basketball court.

Navy and civilian members from the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. blood drive mobile team, brought the equipment necessary to extract the lifesaving solution from willing donors at Quantico.

The blood drive, scheduled every 60 days, draws a crowd of between 80 and 150 participants on the base’s mainside. The Naval Branch Medical Clinic, at The Basic School draws between 60 and 90 participants every other month.

“I’ve been donating my blood since 1987 and it is something I will continue to do,” said Master Sgt. Jesse Buzzard, operations chief, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

The universal blood type, O negative can be given to all A, B, O, and AB blood type recipients. Staff Sgt. Rodney K. Bondenson, systems operator for Marine Corps Network
Operational Security Command, was there to give his O negative blood.

“I give my blood because it is needed,” said Bondenson.

The blood mobile team is supported by military and civilian hospital workers from surrounding hospitals in the National Capitol Region with donors on every list.

“We coordinate with other services at the hospitals to come together to function as one unit,” said HN1 Alexander Jerrick blood drive mobile team supervisor. “We usually come to Quantico every other month for this region of the Washington D.C. area.”

Coordination through The Armed Services Blood Program Warehouse Logistics keeps the delivery of blood units rolling from the arms of the donor to the areas blood is needed, explained Jerrick.

Shipment quantities of roughly 200 one-pint blood units take an average of five days to arrive at the destination.

“I give blood to support our troops in Iraq,” said Gunnery Sgt. Brian Coons MCNOSC network engineer. “Besides, giving blood is a lot less painful than being in my shop listening to the phones ringing all day.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. MILITARY


In death, 2 Marines become citizens

The immigration service has conferred posthumous U.S. citizenship on 56 green-card troops, including two from South Florida.

BY ALFONSO CHARDY

achardy@herald.com


Nicaraguan-born Terry Holmes Ordóñez tried to become a U.S. citizen as soon as he was eligible -- but fate delayed his wish.

Enlisting in the military in wartime forced him to miss an appointment with a citizenship examiner, and he shipped out to Iraq before swearing allegiance to the United States.

Holmes Ordóñez of South Broward's West Park was killed last summer in an accident overseas, but in death his dream was fulfilled. He is one of 56 immigrants who have received U.S. citizenship posthumously since hostilities in Iraq began in 2003, according to a list released last week by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The list mentioned only countries of origin, but immigration officials later said two of the Marines had homes in South Florida. One was Holmes Ordóñez, 22, and the other was Armando Ariel González, 25, of Hialeah.

While their deaths were already known, the list marked the first time immigration authorities provided a specific number of foreign-born troops with green cards who have been naturalized after dying on duty.

More than 35,000 men and women who are green-card holders serve in the U.S. military. U.S. law allows foreign permanent residents to join the armed forces, but they cannot hold certain sensitive posts or high-level rank unless they become citizens.

Many join to speed citizenship applications. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush signed orders expediting naturalization for green-card holders.

LIST RELEASED

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released the list after its director, Cuban-born Eduardo Aguirre, a naturalized citizen himself, presented a posthumous citizenship certificate to the parents of Marine Cpl. Bihn Le on Jan. 27 in Arlington, Va.

Le, 20, of Alexandria, Va., a native of Vietnam, was killed in action in Iraq on Dec. 3.

Holmes Ordóñez, a graduate of Miramar High School, was killed in a vehicle collision in Iraq last summer.

González, a Cuban who arrived in the United States in 1995 by way of the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, died in 2003 -- crushed by a military refueling tanker that collapsed as he worked beneath it in Iraq.

González is believed to have been the first South Floridian killed in the Iraq war, which began in March 2003.

The two South Florida men are among the more than 1,000 U.S. troops killed since the United States invaded Iraq.

González's widow, Liudmila, could not be reached for comment, but in previous articles published about her husband's death, she expressed both anger and pride in his military service.

''At first I was very angry,'' she was quoted as saying in a 2003 article in USA Today. ``And I felt that he should never have been there in the first place. I felt like my husband shouldn't have died for anybody. He should have been with me, with his baby.''

But Liudmila also said: 'I started thinking, `You know what? He died with honor.' And that's the only thing my baby is left with, the memory of his dad, and feeling proud that his dad was a Marine.''

González's wife, who was four months' pregnant at the time, received her husband's posthumous naturalization papers at a funeral Mass for him in April 2003.

González is one of two Cubans on the list of 56 posthumous citizens.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials identified the other one as Pedro Peña Suárez. Officials said he was from Central Florida, but no relatives could be found in the area, and military officials said they could not provide personal information because of privacy laws.

A MOTHER'S REACTION

Holmes Ordóñez's mother, Guadalupe, initially reacted with anger when asked to comment on her son's posthumous citizenship.

''It's so stupid to give him citizenship in death,'' she told The Herald in a telephone interview last week. ``They should have given him citizenship while he was still alive.''

But later in the interview, she said she was certain her son would have been proud of being a U.S. citizen.

She said her son thought the military would intervene to expedite his naturalization.

As it was, she said, her application was approved first, and she became a citizen in December 2001.

Holmes Ordóñez shipped out to Iraq in mid-June. Marines delivered the news of his death to his mother less than a month later.

The family moved from Nicaragua about nine years ago, first settling in New Jersey and then moving to Broward County. Holmes Ordóñez joined the Marines after the cruise line where he worked laid him off, his mother said.

The list of 56 includes people from 25 countries.

The largest contingent, 18, was from Mexico, followed by six from the Philippines and four from Nicaragua.

The rest came from Albania, Bahamas, Belize, Britain, Cuba, China, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Japan, Micronesia, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Back from Iraq - and suddenly out on the streets <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
By Alexandra Marks <br />
The Christian Science Monitor <br />
<br />
NEW YORK -...

[thedrifter]

Foster families care for military pets
Submitted by: MCAS Beaufort
Story Identification #: 2005279631
Story by Cpl. Micah Snead



MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC (Feb. 4, 2005) -- Deploying overseas means leaving friends, family, loved ones and even pets behind. Marines and Sailors who have no one to look after their pets had few options when it came time to deploy.

Thanks to the non-profit Military Pets Foster Project, service members can now arrange foster care for their pets before deploying. The nationwide network finds individual foster homes that will house, nurture and care for the dogs, cats, birds and other pets of military personnel.

Steve Albin, a Myrtle Beach, S.C. native, began the program after September 11th when he learned that thousands of service members were forced to give up their pets when they deployed to Operation Desert Storm in the '90s.

"Based on my understanding, there were some 25,000 documented cases of pets that had to be put down between the first and second Gulf Wars, because their owners didn't know what to do with them when they were deployed," Albin said. "What kind of morale booster is that? Does it mean that to serve, you have to be willing to put your best friend to sleep?"

Pet owners and foster home volunteers apply for the program through the project's website. Pets are matched with prospective homes and both sides sign an agreement. Owners must pay for the food, treats, toys, medication and veterinary care required for their pets. Foster homes must provide two personal references, home information and their veterinarian's contact information to be accepted into the program. Animals will not be caged or crated without specific written instructions from the owner.

Special arrangements about gratuity or tips for the volunteer, animal behavior and treatment are all prearranged in the written agreement between the owners and foster, according to Albin.

"You must let the people who foster your pets know if they require special attention or treatment, unique characteristics, or behavioral problems," Albin said. "The more information you can give about your pets, the happier they will be."

Although dogs and cats are the most common pets in need of foster homes, the group has also placed ferrets, rabbits, horses, lizards, snakes and other exotic animals, including a pot-bellied pig. Since launching the project, the group has saved as many as 150,000 pets from being abandoned or turned over to shelters, where pets not quickly adopted are often put down by euthanasia, according to Albin.

The heart and soul behind the project has come from the foster home volunteers who have signed up and those who have made charitable donations to NetPets, according to Albin.

"People are opening up their hearts and their doors to help the people of the military," Albin said. "It's a patriotic gesture of thanks."

Since forming, the project has been endorsed and recommended by the Department of Defense and broadened its base to include homes in Asia, Canada and Europe. The hours of extra work and $800 phone bills are a labor of love, according to Albin.

"There are times when you just have to be selfless," Albin said.

Service members in need of foster care for their pets are encouraged to give the Military Pets Foster Project as much advance notice as possible of their upcoming deployment so the group can find a suitable home, according to Albin.

For more information, contact Albin at (843) 249-5262 or visit the project's website at:
www.netpets.org/netp/foster.php.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Lawmakers probe women-in-combat policy
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Posted: February 8, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
WorldNetDaily.com

A House of Representatives committee is looking into the issue of whether or not female service members are being put in land combat positions in Iraq despite Pentagon rules forbidding the practice.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says his panel has ordered an investigation into current practices involving female soldiers in the Army.

"We're looking into this issue," Hunter told the Washington Times. "We don't have many preliminary results, but the committee is looking at this. It's a serious question and we'll probably have an answer in a week or so."

The controversy came about when the Army rearranged some of its combat brigades into modular "units of action." The move has put women in "forward support companies" that critics say will collocate, or embed, with all-male combat units, thus violating a rule against women being placed in land-combat positions.

"The Army has deployed to Iraq female soldiers in formerly all-male units that collocate with the new modular infantry/armor land combat teams," Elaine Donnelly, head of the Center for Military Readiness, told WND.

While Donnelly, who opposes women in combat, welcomed the Hunter probe, she commented: "The president should not wait for hearings or congressional action. He should direct Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to get the Army back in line with law and policy - the sooner the better."

Donnelly noted President Bush last month stated he was against putting women in land combat situations. Women are allowed to see combat on ships and in aircraft due to a policy change by President Clinton in 1994.

While the Army has claimed it doesn't have enough male soldiers for the forward support companies to be men-only, Donnelly says "no data" exist to back up that claim.

Wrote Donnelly in a letter published in the Boston Globe: "An end to gender-based recruiting quotas would remedy alleged shortages of male soldiers for the new, modular land combat teams. Pride in our military women does not justify forcing them into land combat-collocated teams where they do not have an equal opportunity to survive, or help fellow soldiers survive."

The Army has said its new "units of actions" arrangement will not put women assigned to forward support companies in with combat units.

Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey wrote in a letter to congressional leaders: "My assessment is that, in our new brigade combat teams (units of action), no women will be assigned to a unit below the brigade level whose primary mission is direct ground combat. Neither will women be routinely collocated with units assigned a direct combat mission. Therefore, the brigade combat team (unit of action) is consistent with both Department of Defense and Army policy, and no change to the extant policy is required."

According to one source quoted by the Times, Army commanders are using different military terms to confuse.

"I am very disappointed that senior officers have added females to combat battalions by playing games with the terms 'assigned' and 'attached,'" the source wrote. "I have also seen comments made by Army spokesmen that are misleading to anyone who does not understand the terms, or is not aware of what the true situation is."

Not all military women in Iraq are busy helping to supply the troops. An Army spokesman announced Sunday that a female member of a National Guard military police unit was demoted for indecent exposure after she participated in a mud-wrestling party at the Army-run Camp Bucca detention center in Iraq.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Breaking Ranks to Shun War <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
By David Zucchino <br />
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer <br />
February 7, 2005 <br />
<br />
HINESVILLE, Ga. -...

[thedrifter]

With America at war, Hollywood follows <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
By César G. Soriano and Ann Oldenburg <br />
USA TODAY <br />
Feb. 8, 2005 <br />
<br />
In a...

[thedrifter]

Marine General says, “It's fun to shoot Some People” <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
Never-lose attitude remains important <br />
Op-Ed <br />
The Herald-Star...

[thedrifter]

'Face Of War' Marine Speaks Out
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'Face Of War' Speaks
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2005

Of all the images coming from iraq, few are more powerful than the photo by Los Angeles Times photographer Luis Sinco of an American Marine on patrol during the assault on Fallujah.

This past weekend, the Marine in the photo came home to his native Jonancy, Kentucky, and The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith was there to greet him.

The fighting in Iraq has been defined by the bravery of anonymous men and women, but suddenly, last November, valor had a face. And a name: Marine Lance Corporal James Blake Miller, who came to be known as "the Marlboro man."

Of the photo at the time, CBS News Correspondent Dan Rather asked his audience on the CBS Evening News, "Did you see it? The best war photograph of recent years is in many newspapers today. …See it, study it, absorb it. Think about it. Then take a deep breath of pride. And if your eyes don't dampen, you're a better man or woman than I."

His picture, it seemed, appeared in every paper in the country.

The added attention brought no special privilege, Smith reports. Miller served his entire combat tour before he and his buddies were ordered home.

His home is in the Kentucky hills. His mother's house is in a modest trailer park.

Miller's mother, Maxie, had been waiting for this day, when her son would return home, for more than a year. For her, the past few months have been excruciating: "I think that was one of my greatest fears, was somebody knocking on my door. It's like you want to get to the door, but you don't want to open the door. And you never want that van to pull up," she said, shaking her head.

But the official van never showed, the knock never came. And on this day, a long-awaited pickup truck pulled up the driveway.

There are moments for which no words are sufficient. And this was one of them.

The two hugged intensely.

"What is it like to be in this house now?" Smith asked Blake Miller.

"It is truly unreal," he responded.

"You're sitting as close as physically possible to your mom," Smith noticed.

"It's amazing," Blake Miller said. "Marines don't share very much emotion, even in rough times, but it's nice to know you can come home and share that."

"Did you leave some guys over there?"

"I lost a few of some of my dearest friends. And people don't understand how you can be so close to someone that you've only known for such a short time, but when you spend a year-and-a-half with someone, you know some things about them their own family doesn't even know about. People say that the Marine corps is a brotherhood and you truly do not realize that until you actually need your brothers. And that's when they're there."

Long before he was a combat-hardened Marine, Miller was a good-natured kid with a soft spot for the holidays. Smith and Miller spoke beside a lighted Christmas tree.

"A Christmas tree?" Smith wondered.

"I live for Christmas. I could care less if I ever get any gifts, but I live for the tree. And I dared them to take it down until I came home!"

There are actually two homes: Miller's parents are divorced. But he's still very close to his dad.

"Have you had a chance to see him yet?"

"Yeah, actually, I did. I came in and saw him first. Came in last night. Walked in and saw the Christmas tree and saw him just waiting. Just hugged him and stood with him for a good 10 minutes. Just silence. It was kind of like a conversation without even having to speak."

Miller puffed on a cigarette as we talked. But he says he's thinking about giving up his trademark habit.

"I actually made a bet with some guys that if i made it out of Fallujah alive, I'd quit. I don't know how it's going to work out. I'm trying, but I ain't gonna be able to quit cold turkey."

Miller may be called to Iraq again, Smith notes. His bravery is proven. But please, please don't call him a hero.

"Plenty of people feel you're a hero just for going," Smith told Miller.

"I ain't no hero," came the response. "That is one thing I wish could truly be clarified. I'm no more a hero than anyone over there. Every man, every woman that is not in the states, over there doing what they're doing…just to ensure that people here can enjoy their everyday life, and have the freedom that they do. They're all heroes."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

A Super gesture of appreciation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUR OPINION
The Jacksonville Daily News
Feb. 8, 2005

The Cleveland Browns weren't one of the teams in Sunday's Super Bowl - heck, they finished last in their division, a long way from even making the NFL playoffs.

But the Browns were well represented at football's big game. At least 30 Camp Lejeune Marines were on hand in Jacksonville, Fla., thanks to the Browns organization.

Giving the Leathernecks free tickets to the biggest spectacle in American sports wasn't something the Browns had to do, of course. It was something the club's ownership wanted to do.

The idea came from a trip to Camp Lejeune by Browns owner, Randy Lerner, and his son, in which they toured the base and experienced Marine Corps life first-hand. The game tickets were both a way to reward some of the many Marines who've seen combat and honor the late Al Lerner, Randy Lerner's father.

Al Lerner, a former Marine first lieutenant who served from 1955 to 1957, died in 2002 following a bout with cancer. Lerner apparently instilled his love of the Corps in his son and heir to the football franchise.

As a result, the Lejeune-based Marines received the free game tickets and, consequently, the time of their young lives. It was a kind and wonderful gesture for a group of brave young people who not only have risked their lives, but have helped bring the gift of freedom to other parts of the world.

They're people like 22-year-old Lance Col. Tony Agosto, who spent last year in Kuwait, or Jason Fields, also 22 and a lance corporal, wounded while on patrol in Afghanistan, or Cpl. Gaozoua Lo, injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb while serving with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Agosto, Fields and Lo will tell you they aren't heroes. They will tell you they are simply good Marines doing their jobs. And they are typical of the kind of men and women who have always occupied the ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Although this country has been divided by the military policies pursued by the United States and its leadership in Iraq, much as it was during the Vietnam War, one major difference separates the two conflicts: the attitude of the American public toward men and women serving in the military.

When members of the U.S. Armed Forces returned home from Southeast Asia in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they were met with derision and open hostility. They were spat on, called names and, in many cases, treated worse than criminals. Sadly, many of those veterans never lived to see the healing of that rift and subsequent vindication of those who simply did their jobs - and obeyed orders, honorably and dutifully.

But, the country has changed, perhaps taking a lesson from the not-so-distant, yet bitterly remembered past. This time around, the American public has learned to separate the politics from the individual. The young Marine who suffers a wound while fighting in far-off places in Iraq and Afghanistan is part of the solution, not the problem. And he or she should be treated with respect, both for accepting responsibility for a difficult mission and carrying it out with dignity.

The New England Patriots may be the Super Bowl Champions, but the real winners are the people of places such as Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Agosto, Fields and Lo, along with their fellow Marines, have faced down the enemies of freedom to return to a much deserved celebration of their dedication as U.S. Marines.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

'JAG' War Stories Can Hit Close to Home
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By BRIDGET BYRNE

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - The sound of gunfire ricochets inside a minaret as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps shoots a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi. Members of the camera crew remove their earplugs and discuss whether the scene went OK or needs a retake. It doesn't. "Death at the Mosque," shooting in this suburb north of Los Angeles, will air as an episode of "JAG," the military law series that's on 9 p.m. EST Fridays.

This season, war has been featured prominently in several episodes reflecting real events in Iraq.

"How we approach the stories I think probably changes from month to month, not unlike the mood of the country _ first some enthusiasm, then some doubt, some reservations," producer Peter Dunne says. "Our stories concern themselves more with the humane issues, the peace issues rather than the war issues ... because it's going to be the humanity that solves this war, not the weapons."

Local terrain in the hills visible from Dunne's Santa Clarita office provides convincing settings for Iraq as well as Afghanistan.

The series has always had cooperation from all branches of the armed services and often films on military bases, including the San Diego Naval Air Station and the Marines' Camp Pendleton nearby.

"You see all the young families there ... and how much we are like them, but are not suffering the same. We all have spouses, parents, children, whom we expect to find in the house at night when we get home, but they don't have that," says Dunne.

Created by Don Bellisario, the series follows the personal and professional trials of the Judge Advocate General Corps, the lawyers who investigate, prosecute and defend cases involving Navy and Marine personnel.

The stars of the legal team are Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, played by Catherine Bell, and Cmdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb, played by David James Elliott, who's leaving the series at the end of this season.

Chris Beetem, recently of daytime's "As The World Turns," has just been signed up as Lt. Gregory Vukovic, a charming but ethically defiant new member of the "JAG" team, who happens to be assigned to the minaret shooting.

Bell, whose toddler daughter is with her as she waits in her trailer for her next scene, mentions working at Pendleton on the day last month when 30 Marines and a Navy sailor were killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

"Meeting guys who have lost their friends _ or a young woman with a beautiful little 6-month-old baby whose father left for the war when the baby was 3 weeks old _ you meet these people, and man, this is definitely intense," Bell says.

"I think after 9/11 things felt different. It felt like we had more of a responsibility in how we represented what was happening, and also that people were paying closer attention to that, learning more about the military through our show, hopefully," she says.

"I don't think we can afford to be grim all the time, but I think we have to be honest and I don't think there is anything less entertaining about an honest drama," says Dunne.

The drama was canceled by NBC in 1996 after one season, then was picked up in January 1997 by CBS. It won't be known until May whether "JAG" will earn an 11th season, but Dunne feels the odds are with them:

"I don't think there will ever be a shortage of good drama set in the military _ it's one of the four main franchises _ along with police work, law and medicine __ that have held up, because they all provide the element of life or death."

And explaining the focus on reality-based war stories, Dunne says: "This war, like every war that we have fought, changes law ... We try to examine that and put our JAG officer-heroes in the center of this firestorm of what now works and what doesn't work in the legal system ... Our characters, though they are not fighting the war, are fighting to interpret its effect on this country."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

11th Marine Expeditionary Unit begins return home
Submitted by: 11th MEU
Story Identification #: 20052713418
Story by -



FORWARD OPERATING BASE DUKE, Iraq (Feb. 7, 2005) -- After a whirlwind deployment to Iraq, Marines and sailors of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit will begin the first of several homecomings today at Camp Pendleton, Calif., after nearly nine months away from home.

11th MEU spent seven successful months in the Shia provinces of Najaf, Qadisiyah and Karbala, stabilizing the region for more than 2.5 million Iraqis and setting the conditions for a violence-free national election where up to 85% of eligible voters voted.

In addition, Marines facilitated the spending of more than $36 million on 505 reconstruction projects, $9 million in condolence payments, and trained more than 16,000 Iraqi security forces in this relatively peaceful region of Iraq. However, the area hadn't always been quiet.

NAJAF

In August in Najaf -- the spiritual heart of the Shia world -- the MEU's 2,200 Marines and sailors battled and defeated radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia during an intense three-week fight. Seven Marines were lost and more than 100 wounded.

"Their sacrifice was not in vain," said Col. Anthony M. Haslam, commanding officer, 11th MEU. "Calm immediately swept the city after the fighting ended, and it hasn't left since."

The ensuing peace and trust established with the locals paved the way for one of the most aggressive reconstruction programs in all of Iraq. In five months, 418 projects worth more than $32 million dollars were started. MEU projects ranged from renovating 105 schools and constructing six new markets to building/renovating three medical clinics and dredging five water canals-- all using local contractors and workers and stimulating the economy. Projects funded by the Iraqi Interim Government and other U.S. military and government agencies included the construction/refurbishment of 36 police stations and traffic checkpoints, the refurbishment of 24 schools, and the construction of eight new schools, four community centers, and four water treatment units.

In addition, Marines distributed $9 million to 16,000 Najafis who experienced damage during August's fighting as part of a massive and innovative condolence payment program.

"We really built a lot of trust with the locals by making these payments," said Haslam. "Najaf has made tremendous progress since August. There is no doubt that the reconstruction effort and solatia payments have played a major role in that success."

Marines also trained and equipped the province's 7,600 Iraqi police, border police and soldiers from the Iraqi Army's 405th Battalion. These forces did so well that on Nov. 30, three months after decisive combat operations ended in Najaf, the 11th MEU commander declared "local control" in the province.

"The ISF demonstrated their capacity to maintain security on their own, to compile their own intelligence, and to conduct independent raids," said Haslam. "During elections, they provided a hundred percent of the security, while we got to take the day off. Not one act of violence occurred, and the people of Najaf came out in droves to vote."

QADISIYAH AND KARBALA

While half of the MEU's forces were in Najaf, the others were located in Qadisiyah province's major city -- Diwaniyah. In addition to participating in August's fighting in Najaf, these Marines conducted security patrols out in town and trained, equipped and mentored soldiers from the 404th Battalion and 50th Brigade of the Iraqi Army.

Reconstruction was also a focus in Diwaniyah. In three months, more than $3 million was spent on 85 reconstruction projects, and a $1.8 million barracks for the Iraqi soldiers was also built. In addition, Marines conducted four humanitarian assistance operations, providing limited medical and dental care and distributing thousands of thick winter blankets, school supplies, toys, food and water to more than 1,500 Iraqis. Marines also donated more than 4,000 backpacks to students in the city and distributed thousands of toys to local orphanages.

On Nov. 30, the 11th MEU relinquished control of Qadisiyah province to the Polish Army as part of a realignment of forces in southern Iraq. On Dec. 21, MEU Marines replaced the Polish Army in Karbala province. Marines immediately began training their third Iraqi Army unit, the 401st Battalion, and preparing the Iraqi security forces for Karbala's elections.

IN SUMMARY

During November, hundreds of 11th MEU Marines also supported the fight in Fallujah. Some augmented forces in the city, while others ensured the security and stability of the assault's back door in the cities of Kandari and Nasar Wa Salam. They returned to Najaf and Karbala in December.

With January's national elections going off without a hitch in both provinces, the deployment had an uplifting end.

"The sacrifice and hard work of the Marines made this deployment an absolute success," said Haslam. "If the militia hadn't been defeated, the provinces would not have been secure for elections and the aggressive reconstruction effort we put forth. Defeating the militia was essential to our success here, and the Marines made it so."

The 11th MEU is comprised of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 (reinforced); MEU Service Support Group 11, and the Command Element.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Two local marines killed in helicopter crash buried Monday
POSTED: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:43:40 PM
UPDATED: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:45:11 PM
PARMA -- A pair of local marines killed in Iraq will be laid to rest Monday.

Twenty-two-year-old Corporal Timothy Knight from Brooklyn was just days away from getting time off from active duty, when he died in the recent helicopter crash.

He was planning to meet his wife and three-month old baby girl at the marine base in Hawaii.

Services are Monday morning in Parma.

Sergeant Michael Finke Junior will be laid to rest Monday morning in Phoenix. He died in the same helicopter crash.

Finke was originally from Medina County.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

February 08, 2005

Families, order gradually returning to Fallujah

By Anja Niedringhaus
Associated Press


FALLUJAH, Iraq — Order and straggling columns of families are returning to the battered streets, where barbed-wire checkpoints, rumbling tanks and patrolling U.S. troops rule Fallujah three months after an all-out U.S. push virtually emptied the city.
Time to win “hearts and minds back,” says 1st Lt. Sven Jensen of Marines 1st Division, whose heavy patrols hand out soccer balls and candy.

But not many children are there to take the presents — Marines say only about one-tenth of the 250,000 residents have returned since fleeing a one-week U.S. offensive against insurgents in the hard-line Sunni town last November.

“Family leaves here” or “family in the home,” returning households scrawl on outside walls, in inexpert English — trying to show Marines that families live inside, not insurgents. White banners dangle, sending the same message.

The electrical system and running water still are out of whack — generators grumble on every corner.

Bored, Iraqi families run outside to watch when tanks roll past. Children cover their ears against the noise.

Marines handed out military meals-ready-to-eat for weeks after the offensive, helping the comparatively few families get by.

Now, “they have to get back on their own feet,” Jensen says.

Marine patrols in the city are meant to help reassure local people — and discourage insurgents.

Marine patrols notice any young men who seem not to want to be noticed by the U.S. forces — pulling the camera-shy aside for quick mugshots in case of future troubles.

Checkpoints across Fallujah and on its edges control the flow of the city’s people. Many refugees from the city come back for just a day, checking to see that their property is still in good order, or inspect any damage.

Marines make use of some damaged buildings abandoned by families. The young Americans lift weights in one. In another emptied home, Marines have laid out a map of the city. A brick represents each house, block by block.

Marines say the heavy U.S. presence is working. In the past, patrols used to net huge weapons caches. The haul last week: one automatic weapon.

“Safest city in Iraq,” says Daniel Ferrari, a Marine of the Third Battalion, Fifth Regiment.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Army Uniforms Redesigned After 20 Years
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By RUSS BYNUM : Associated Press Writer
Feb 8, 2005 : 2:09 pm ET

FORT STEWART, Ga. -- Army soldiers are being issued new fatigues with easy-to-use Velcro openings and a redesigned camouflage pattern that can help conceal them as they move rapidly from desert to forest to city in places like Baghdad.

"It might give you the extra second you need, save your life maybe," Sgt. Marcio Soares said Tuesday after trying on the new all-in-one camouflage uniform that is the first major redesign in Army fatigues since 1983.

Soares' unit, the Georgia National Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade, is the first to be issued the new fatigues as part of a $3.4 billion Army-wide makeover being phased in over the next three years.

The uniform will replace the standard forest camouflage -- green, brown and black -- and the desert camouflage -- tan, brown and grey -- now used by U.S. troops in Iraq.

Twenty-two changes were made to the uniforms, most notably the new camouflage pattern.

Instead of bold jigsaw swatches of colors, the new camouflage pattern uses muted shades of desert brown, urban gray and foliage green broken into one-centimeter segments. Black was eliminated completely because it catches the eye too easily.

The resulting camouflage -- similar to a pattern the Marines adopted two years ago -- conceals soldiers in forest, desert or urban battlegrounds, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, the uniform's lead designer.

"In Baghdad, you can go from the desert to vegetation to the city in 10 minutes," Myhre said. "What we realized very quickly is there's no camouflage that's the 100 percent solution for any environment."

Other changes were prompted by complaints from soldiers in the field. Jacket and pocket buttons, which can snag on nets and other gear, have been replaced with zippers and Velcro.

Pockets at the jacket's waistline were moved to the shoulders, where soldiers can reach them while wearing body armor. And the uniforms have a looser fit, with more room to wear layers underneath.

Rank, unit and name patches attach with Velcro rather than being sewn on. Infrared-reflecting squares on the shoulders make friendly troops easier to identify while using night-vision goggles.

"The only problem I have with the uniform is, once the soldiers put it on, they don't want to take it off," said Brig. Gen. Stewart Rodeheaver, commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade, which has 4,000 reservists training at Fort Stewart to go off to Iraq in May.

The Army started developing the uniform two years ago and field-tested prototypes in Iraq. The final version was rolled out June 24 -- the Army's 229th birthday.

Col. John Norwood, the Army's project manager for soldier equipment, said the new uniforms will be issued in coming months to units being sent to Iraq. New soldiers entering basic training will be issued them by October, and all Army troops will be required to wear them by April 2008.

The new uniforms cost a little more -- $85 each, compared with $60 for the old ones. But Norwood said the Army will save money by having to produce only one combat uniform rather than three -- standard greens, desert camouflage and cold-weather fatigues.

And they should make soldiers' lives easier, too. The fabric is wrinkle-free and machine-washable, and the new suede boots do not require polishing like the old black boots.

"If you have a choice whether you teach them to polish boots or teach them how to survive in battle, we'd rather teach them to survive in battle," Rodeheaver said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Navy Cross awarded in firefight rescues

By Gidget Fuentes
Times staff writer


ENCINO, Calif. — It was just a quick trip to give a pair of scout-snipers their mail and some smokes.
But that resupply mission in April 2003 became a long firefight that left casualties on both sides of a Baghdad street. Sgt. Scott C. Montoya’s decision to bring five of those wounded to safety earned him a Navy Cross medal.

Montoya, a 35-year-old reservist scout-sniper with 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, received the medal during a Jan. 23 ceremony at the Marine Corps Reserve Center here. A full-time sheriff’s deputy in Orange County, Calif., he is credited with “extraordinary heroism” for rescuing several Iraqis and four Marines from his infantry battalion caught in the street amid a “hailstorm of bullets.”

The commander of Marine Forces Reserve, Lt. Gen. Dennis McCarthy, presented the medal and said Montoya’s actions speak volumes about what Marines are doing to help Iraq.

“That adds great value to this citation and to the service that it recognizes,” McCarthy said.

“It’s kind of a little overwhelming, but I feel proud,” Montoya said after the ceremony, which was attended by about 200 people, including relatives, Marines and fellow sheriff’s deputies.

The Navy Cross, he said, isn’t just for him but “to inspire the Marines who come after me … so they can lead by example,” he said.

A series of rescues

It was the early morning of April 8 when Montoya, carrying his M40A1 sniper rifle and a 9mm pistol, and three other Marines took a vehicle to deliver mail and cigarettes to one of their two-man sniper teams with Fox Company.

After meeting up with Fox Company, they set out on foot on a patrol, soon finding themselves under intense enemy fire on a Baghdad street.

“It was very intense,” Montoya recalled. “It lasted all day and all night and into the next day. We were trying to hold onto our area.”

Amid the fighting, the sergeant could see several people caught in the middle in a white car that had become disabled.

He didn’t hesitate, an attribute he credits to his 15 years with the sheriff’s department and his 10 years as a Marine. “I already knew what I was going to do,” he said.

So he told Marines “to put rounds downrange” and stepped out several times to drag or carry someone out of the line of fire.

Montoya said he and other Marines helped move some of the Iraqis trapped in the car. “I popped the back door open, and three females had popped out” and ran off into the neighborhood, he said.

His award citation captures the bravery of his repeated trips into the line of fire.

“Noticing a disabled civilian vehicle on the road in the line of fire and with complete disregard for his own life, he rushed forward amidst a hail of gunfire and dragged a wounded Iraqi to safety. Observing a wounded Marine struggling to get off the same street, he risked his life to lead the Marine to safety,” the citation states. “Returning to the front, he spotted a wounded Marine lying in the street.

“Ignoring a hailstorm of bullets, Sergeant Montoya rushed into the street for a third time to carry the injured Marine to safety,” the citation continued. “Sergeant Montoya returned a fourth time to evacuate an unconscious Marine. Returning to the front again, he dashed into the contested street and assisted a Marine to safety who had been dazed by an explosion.”

‘He didn’t have to do that’

His battalion submitted paperwork for a Silver Star medal for his actions. But Navy Secretary Gordon England upgraded the award to the Navy Cross.

Montoya’s mother, Charlene Thais, said she wasn’t surprised by her son’s actions to save others.

“That civilian is what I am most proud of,” she said, after the ceremony. “He didn’t have to do that.”

Col. Geffery Cooper, who commanded 2/23 at the time, lauded Montoya as a selfless Marine “who is highly trained, highly dedicated and highly motivated.”

“He saw what had to be done, and he took action,” said Cooper, who also is a sheriff’s deputy and is now assigned to 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. “He’s a top-notch citizen-Marine.”

Montoya, a black belt and a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor-trainer, doesn’t know the names of the wounded Marines he helped. All he knows is they were fellow members of 2/23.

For him, it was just another day on the job as a Marine.

“We held our own,” he said. “We were just there to get the other snipers some mail.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sailors earn Fleet Marine Force Warfare pin in Iraq
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200527103453
Story by Cpl. Joel A. Chaverri



AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 3, 2005) -- Nine Sailors with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing received their Fleet Marine Force Warfare device in a ceremony held here Feb. 3.

The newly pinned Sailors make up a larger group of 154 who have qualified since August of last year.

“These numbers are way above average,” said Wing Command Master Chief Fiesco, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “In the rear, we qualify around 8 to 10 per month.”

The majority of those who earn the pin are corpsmen and religious program specialists because of their constant interaction with the Corps.

In order to qualify for the pin, Sailors train in various areas of Marine Corps fundamentals.

“They have to learn field communication, land navigation, weapons handling, Marine Corps history, and physical fitness,” said Fiesco. “Then they have to demonstrate their proficiency in each of the areas by taking a test and going before an evaluation board.”

This training adds to the Sailors ability to perform their job and builds rapport with the Marines.

“Before this program existed, many of the Corpsmen in Marine units were considered a liability,” said Fiesco, a 45-year-old native of Bogota, Colombia. “Now, Corpsmen are more reliable, and can even lead other Marines.”

Being awarded the FMF warfare pin is a high honor for Sailors because it symbolizes their hard work and dedication to the Marine Corps.

“They basically train to be Marines,” said Fiesco. “This is not a normal part of the job, so everyone who gets the pin is going above and beyond to earn it.”

The courses, tests and boards can be difficult, resulting in a program that can take up to six months to complete.

“Making the effort to earn this title shows the Marines in my unit that I’m dedicated to being the best,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class, Javier R. Esparza, squadron corpsman, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 265, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “I feel that the Marine Corps has given a lot to me, and this is the least I can do to show my respect.”

Esparza, a 24-year-old native of San Diego, Calif., who received his FMF award in the ceremony, said he values his accomplishments and recognizes the responsibilities that come with the title.

“It gives me a sense of pride knowing what I’ve achieved,” said Esparza.
“We’re now entrusted to go out and teach other Corpsmen the knowledge we’ve learned.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200527104718/$file/015LR.jpg

Sailors with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing are earning their Fleet Marine Force Warfare device pin while deployed to Al Asad, Iraq. Sailors earn the right to wear the pin through an intense series of tests on Marine Corps fundamentals. Photo by: Cpl. Joel A. Chaverri

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200527105413/$file/001LR.jpg

Nine Sailors with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, pose with Maj. Gen. Keith J. Stalder (Center), Commanding General, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, after receiving their Fleet Marine Force Warfare device Feb. 3. Corpsmen earn the right to wear the pin through an intense series of tests on Marine Corps fundamentals.
Photo by: Cpl. Joel A. Chaverri

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Cleveland suburb turns out to honor slain Marine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Residents lined the streets of a small Cleveland suburb as the funeral procession for a Marine killed in Iraq drove through his hometown.

Veterans stood at attention and saluted, and elementary school children held up handmade posters on Monday in honor of Cpl. Timothy A. Knight of Brooklyn.

Knight, 22, and three other Ohio Marines were among the 31 servicemen killed Jan. 26 when their helicopter crashed in a sandstorm in Iraq.

On Friday, Brooklyn Mayor Ken Patton had notices delivered to each of the 5,000 homes in Brooklyn urging residents to pay their respects. He estimated 1,200 to 1,500 turned out.

High school students and City Hall workers tied yellow ribbons from trees. Mourners along the route from the funeral in Parma to Cleveland's Riverside Cemetery included 375 students from Bethany Lutheran School.

"It's the least we can do as a school, teach our children what that sacrifice is all about," principal Ken Boerger said.

One sign along the route said, "Dear Tim, may you rest in God's hands." Another read, "We love you, Timmy."

The procession ended with firefighters in dress uniform, the lights of their ladder truck flashing behind them.

Knight, who was married, had expected to return from duty in a few months. He never saw his infant daughter Chloe.

"Freedom comes with an incredibly high price tag," the Rev. Carl Czirr said at Knight's funeral. "And today we feel that price tag in an incredibly personal way."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine General says, “It's fun to shoot Some People”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary: We can't handle the truth
By Pamela Hess
UPI Pentagon correspondent
Published February 8, 2005

WASHINGTON -- When a Marine lieutenant general last week said in public it was "fun to shoot some people" much hand-wringing ensued. The public outcry revealed less about him than it did about the hypocrisy of the United States.

It is not unreasonable to expect such a senior officer to exercise better judgment than that, and indeed he was "verbally counseled" by the commandant of the Marine Corps.

The judgment the Marine Corps expected Lt. Gen. James Mattis to make was that a "civilian" audience would not respond well to such bald truth. (It was, in fact, a room full of defense contractors who tend to be more cavalier about warfare than actual soldiers, as they profit directly from it. But there was a civilian television crew present.)

"Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot," Mattis said at a panel discussion sponsored by the Armed Force Communications and Electronics Association in San Diego last Tuesday. "It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

To his credit, Mattis did not try to weasel out of the controversy by saying he meant to be "deliberately provocative," a common excuse proffered by public figures criticized for what they say. Anyone who has ever met Mattis knows this is how he talks all the time, and he means every word.

Let's get a few things out of the way: I am not quite objective when it comes to Mattis. I've embedded with units under his command for each of the last two summers in Iraq, and I came away with an overwhelmingly positive impression of both his professionalism and personal character.

The Marines I embedded with held him in awe and several volunteered to me they would jump on a grenade to shield him. I know he feels the same way about them.

However, this is not a defense of Mattis, who has already been eloquently defended by the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fellow Marine Gen. Peter Pace.

"The last three times that that general has been in combat, when he was leading Marines in Afghanistan and the two times that he led his division in Iraq, his actions and those of his troops clearly show that he understands the value of proper leadership and the value of human life," Pace said last week.

This is instead an indictment of a country that frets for days whether a general speaks palatably enough about combat while apparently forgetting that it is we who sent him there to ply his trade. Mattis, who commanded the 1st Marine Division until last fall, spent three of the last four years in combat.

The U.S. military is a lot of things, chief among them a powerful killing machine that our nation, with almost no official debate, unleashed twice on countries most Americans couldn't find on a map before the bombs began to fall. The Council of American-Islamic Relations, a civil-rights organization that has consistently criticized the Iraq war -- in large part because innocent Muslims would die in the war and the occupation -- took justifiable offense at his words.

"We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement.

Many Americans were more forgiving but still understood the problem.

"Well of course he feels that way, and it's perfectly appropriate to say that to his Marines to get them steeled for combat," a friend and veteran of the Persian Gulf war told me. "But he shouldn't say it here."

We apparently don't mind that we have sent Mattis to kill in our name. We just don't want to hear about it. And if by God he has to talk about it, can't he at least be ambivalent about the "grim business," like the rest of us?

I think I expected ambivalence when I embedded with the 2nd Battalion , 4th Marine Regiment in downtown Ramadi last summer, at the time perhaps the most dangerous place for U.S. troops in all of Iraq. I found instead a mix of camaraderie, sadness, adrenaline, fear and revenge. There was ambivalence about the reasons given for the war. But there was not ambivalence about the fighting. People tried to kill them every single day. They meant to kill them first.

Last May, members of the 2/4 dropped in on an elementary school they had paid an Iraqi contractor to rebuild. He told them he was finished, but before they handed over the cash, they wanted to see that the work was actually done. So they got into four Humvees loaded with soccer balls, coloring books and candy and went to the school. They were in and out within 10 minutes. By the time they got outside, children were crowded around the trucks, scrambling for the candy and toys they had come to associate with the Marines.

This part was actually something they all look forward to -- tossing balls to the kids, seeing happy faces in a town that was roundly hostile to them.

Within moments the air around them exploded: two "insurgents" down a side alley had fired a rocket into the crowd of children, killing five instantly and wounding many others.

Marines are trained for crisis. Some went after the shooters. Others, carrying wounded children, ran from door to door to try to call an Iraqi ambulance. No one would let them in. Still others tended the children lying like litter around the Humvees. That's when a second rocket came, tearing the leg off a Marine who was tending to the injured kids. He died a week later.

I defy anyone to suggest to the Marines present that day they should feel ambivalent about killing their enemy in Ramadi.

When I returned to Mattis' headquarters after my time with the 2/4, he summoned me into his office -- rarely a good thing -- and asked for my observations. I was still sorting out my thoughts, so I repeated something a young lieutenant told me: If nothing else comes out of this war, the Marines have a battle-hardened force.

Mattis nodded, not at all ambivalently. He then told me this: Go into any VFW or American Legion Hall in the United States and the true combat veterans are easy to spot. They are invariably huddled together off to the side. They are not talking about war, or battles, or the friends they lost. They talk about anything but that.

After General Mattis' experience last week, perhaps we know why. We don't want to hear it.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Posted on Tue, Feb. 08, 2005





Marines resume V-22 test flights

The Associated Press


JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Marines resumed flights Monday of the experimental V-22 Osprey aircraft, which officials grounded last month after discovering that the coating on a crucial part had been wearing off faster than expected.

The last of the replacement tilt-rotor Ospreys was recently flown to the Marine Corps Air Station New River, allowing the training flights to resume, the base said in statement.

Officials temporarily halted Osprey flights in January. In six instances, worn equipment had caused a warning light to come on indicating a problem with the gearbox, military officials said.

Base officials said they could have kept flying with the problem, but that it would have led to more extensive repairs. A spokeswoman said the squadron is awaiting a new Osprey built with an improved gearbox.

The Osprey can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane after pilots shift its rotors from vertical to horizontal.

The Marine Corps has ordered 360 Ospreys, the Navy 48 and the Air Force 50 for special operations. If approved for full production, the Osprey would replace an aging fleet of CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.

Officials stopped Osprey flights for about 18 months after a pair of crashes in 2000 that killed 19 servicemen in Arizona. Four Marines died in another crash that year when an Osprey went down during a training mission near Jacksonville.


Ellie