‘1/6 Hard’ comes home ready for war

[thedrifter]

‘1/6 Hard’ comes home ready for war
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200521575815
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 8, 2005) -- The final elements of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, returned here Feb. 8 from a three-week long field training evolution in California.

The unit conducted a revised combined arms exercise at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif., and security and stabilization operations training aboard March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to prepare for a deployment to Iraq in March.

According to Maj. Brian S. Christmas, the executive officer of 1st Bn., the Marines and sailors began their RCAX training Jan. 19.

“The rifle companies utilized the 100 ranges along with the new (military operations in urban terrain) facility and focused their attention on Ranges 400 and 410A. They were able to identify shortfalls and had the time to remediate,” Christmas said.

The 400 ranges allow rifle platoons to close with and destroy their target while machine gunners and mortar fire provide covering suppression fire, Christmas said, whereas the 100 ranges offered the Marines static firing training on weapons such as the MK-19 automatic grenade launcher and .50 caliber machineguns.

Units also simulated assaulting a mock Iraqi town at the MOUT facility. Personnel practiced room clearing maneuvers and working as a team to successfully clear the town of insurgents.

In many of these ranges and scenarios, rifle companies used the numerous weapons in their arsenal to execute a combined arms strike against an objective, Christmas stated.

“We assaulted MOUT town to practice clearing buildings in a safe manner,” stated Pfc. Jorge N. Gabrie, 2nd Platoon, Company A squad automatic gunner. “The biggest thing we kept in mind was watching other Marines’ backs and working as a team. (The tactics) we learned running through this course made it worth (the units’ time).”

While the battalion’s rifle companies refined their combined arms and urban operations tactics, their non-infantry counterparts at Headquarters and Service Company practiced conducting the missions they will perform in Iraq.

“We concentrated on convoy operations for H&S, which quite frankly paid big dividends,” Christmas said. “It was some of the best training we’ve seen.”

Marines with Okinawa, Japan’s 3D Marine Division-based Truck Company, who will deploy two platoons with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment to Iraq, agreed with Christmas.

“We’d already done similar convoy courses in Fuji, but training in the desert made it more realistic,” said Lance Cpl. Simon A. Fry, motor transport operator. “The terrain is similar to what we’ll face in Iraq, and we also got the chance to fire (.50 caliber machineguns and MK-19 automatic grenade launchers).”

After accomplishing their training mission in the Mojave Desert, the unit proceeded to March Air Reserve Base Jan. 27 to conduct SASO training.

Marines and sailors operated within Matilda Village, an abandoned Air Force housing complex, to simulate an Iraqi urban environment.

They conducted combat and humanitarian aid missions while dealing with Iraqi role player civilians, policemen and insurgents.

Christmas said this will prepare unit personnel to fight a “three-block” war in Iraq. This concept of the training focuses on teaching troops to conduct various operations throughout a small area.

On one city block, troops will meet with local officials to teach them self-governance skills, while on a second block, personnel are helping Iraqis rebuild infrastructure by restoring such things as community water and sewage facilities. On the third block, Marines are engaged in a full-fledged firefight.

During the first four training days, unit personnel received Iraqi culture briefs, practiced foot and mounted patrols through urban areas, and set up personnel and vehicle entry control points.

SASO training concluded with a three-day long field training exercise, where Marines and sailors simulated operating various bases in Matilda while helping rebuild the village infrastructure and rooting out terrorist activity.

“The training overall was absolutely outstanding and will make all the difference for this battalion,” Christmas stated. “Not only the Marines, but the staff as well got a lot of great training out of it, and it will truly help them accomplish their mission overseas.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200521581622/$file/050121-M-0502E-004low.jpg

MARINE CORPS AIR-GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Marines with Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment run through the streets of the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility here during their Revised Combined Arms Exercise. The unit practiced moving through city streets and room-clearing maneuvers to prepare for an upcoming deployment to Iraq in March. Photo by: Cpl. Mike Escobar

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Iraq, Afghan War Costs May Exceed $300B
Associated Press
February 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - With military costs since Sept. 11, 2001, now expected to exceed $300 billion, the Pentagon is spending more per soldier to fight in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere than it did during earlier conflicts.

High technology, the costs of paying and protecting a modern soldier, and the worldwide nature of the war on terrorism are all possible reasons, experts say.

"Every facet of military expenditure has skyrocketed since the Gulf War," said Loren B. Thompson, a military expert with the Lexington Institute. "The biggest reason why is because the military is more and more a microcosm of the broader economy."

The all-volunteer force, put in place by President Nixon in 1973 to replace the draft, has forced the military to compete with the private sector for soldiers, and offer better pay and benefits, he said. Sending those soldiers to war costs still more.

"The bottom-line problem with the all-volunteer force is you have to convince middle-class people to risk their lives for middle-class pay, so of course the price for each soldier keeps going up," he said.




According to government figures, the war in Iraq costs about $4.3 billion a month, and the war in Afghanistan runs another $800 million. That money goes for a variety of things, including fuel, ammunition, hazard pay for the soldiers and repair and replacement of weapons and vehicles.

On average, the government spent a similar amount monthly on the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1975, according to figures, adjusted for inflation, from the Congressional Research Service.

However, that figure is somewhat skewed, as the Vietnam War was far more costly at its height early in the war, from 1967 to 1970, than it was in the later years, when the U.S. presence was reduced. The Bush administration similarly hopes it can reduce the U.S. troop presence in Iraq in the coming year or two, if Iraqi security forces become more able to handle the insurgency.

The United States spent $623 billion on the Vietnam conflict, according to the service, using figures adjusted for inflation. If President Bush's new $81.9 billion emergency request is implemented, U.S. war costs since the Sept. 11 attacks will approach half that.

Still, the United States has 170,000 troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, but that will drop to 155,000 or fewer in the coming weeks due to a small postelection drawdown in Iraq. During the height of the Vietnam War, more than half a million U.S. soldiers were stationed in Southeast Asia.

Experts offered several reasons why post-Sept. 11 warfare has provided much more expensive per soldier than earlier conflicts:

-The U.S. military is more professional and capable than it was 30 years ago, when a significant portion of the soldiers in Vietnam were draftees. Now, it includes far more highly trained technicians running expensive computers and other gear. They are better paid, better trained, better equipped than their predecessors.

"We have a much better military than we had back then. We spend more on some kinds of support functions than we did back then," said Steven M. Kosiak at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

-The military is relying much more on Guard and Reserves than it has in the past during extended conflicts. Their pay comes from the emergency war spending measures, rather than the regular defense budget.

-The desert conditions of Iraq are wearing on vehicles at a much greater rate than expected, forcing more spending on repairs and replacements.

-Combat deaths are down compared to previous conflicts, owing to better training, better body and vehicle armor and quick access to emergency medical care, all of which are expensive investments. The U.S. military is also using automated systems in dangerous jobs that people once performed.

-The global war on terror and the war in Iraq - lumped together by the Bush administration but not by those who opposed the Iraqi invasion - are far-flung ventures that involve protracted deployments to many countries, requiring lots of transport, logistics and communications to many places. U.S. troops have also been sent in smaller numbers to Georgia, Djibouti and the Philippines, among others, to oppose Islamic extremist groups.

The Bush administration has been financing the wars through a series of emergency spending measures, all paid for with borrowed money. Including reconstruction spending, those have totaled $228 billion in approved spending.

The latest emergency proposal, $81.9 billion, includes $74.9 billion for the Defense Department. It includes some $12 billion that was requested to replace or repair worn-out and damaged equipment, including $3.3 billion for extra armor for trucks and other protective gear - underscoring a sensitivity to earlier complaints by troops.

The total request exceeds the annual defense budget of every other country in the world, according to figures supplied by the Center for Defense Information. The organization says Russia, with the second-largest military budget, spends $65 billion a year.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Judge Warns Rumsfeld In Anthrax Case
United Press International
February 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - A judge in Washington has warned Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld he could face contempt for ignoring a ruling on Pentagon anthrax vaccinations.

In October, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan largely struck down the U.S. military's involuntary vaccinations for weaponized anthrax.

The judge said the program could not be administered unless individual service members give "informed consent" to the vaccinations, President Bush issues a specific waiver or the Food And Drug Administration properly classifies a drug for use in the program.

A 1999 executive order by then President Bill Clinton required "informed consent" before administering the vaccine.




Monday, Sullivan ordered "Donald H. Rumsfeld" to "show cause by Feb. 28" why "he/or the government should not be held in contempt" for failing to follow the earlier ruling.

Sullivan also ordered Pentagon employees and soldiers challenging the program to respond to an emergency motion by the Pentagon asking that the earlier injunction be modified.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Kerry Calls For 40,000 More Troops
The Boston Globe
February 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - Senator John F. Kerry yesterday called for the United States to add 40,000 troops to its ground forces and improve benefits to military families, the latest in a series of signature issues from his presidential campaign that he has pledged to push in Congress.

The Massachusetts Democrat, speaking at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette's Visions Ceremony, said he would soon file legislation that would address the changes, which he said are necessary if the military is to meet what he called the emerging challenges of the 21st century -- counterterrorism, peacekeeping, and stability operations.

"Too many of the planners who designed today's defense policies are still mired in the post-Vietnam doctrine of only fighting 'big wars' against hostile states, not wars in and against 'failed states' in which enemy armies are the least of our problems," Kerry said in prepared remarks. "The American military today is both too small and ill- designed for today's dangers."

Kerry said the Iraq war is stretching American forces too thin. Army units that used to receive two years between combat deployments are being sent to their second turn in Iraq after as little as a year. National Guard and Reserve combat units are almost all locked down in Iraq -- currently there, recently returned, or about to deploy.




To ease the crunch, Kerry called for increasing the size of the Army by 30,000 and the Marine Corps by 10,000. The Bush administration has also proposed increasing U.S. ground forces, but less aggressively. In its 2006 budget request, the Defense Department proposed adding about 20,000 members to the active- duty Army and about 2,500 troops to the Marine Corps.

Kerry also said the federal government should increase the benefits to soldiers and their families. He said he would push for a "Military Families Bill of Rights." The proposal includes extending military health insurance eligibility to all members of the National Guard and Reserve, mobilized or not, and expanding death, disability, and mental health benefits for veterans.

"We owe U.S. troops the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they and their families will be taken care of if they sacrifice life, limb, or the ability to sleep without war's nightmares," Kerry said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Female MPs Ride Into Combat <br />
Boston Herald <br />
February 16, 2005 <br />
<br />
TIKRIT, Iraq - In a war without frontlines, female soldiers have stepped into the line of fire like never before. <br />
<br />
The Army's...

[thedrifter]

Pentagon Tests Laser Warning For Planes
Associated Press
February 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is considering using lasers to warn pilots they've flown into restricted airspace, an unusual choice because the government also says terrorists might use the beams of light to blind pilots as they approach airports.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has been researching the use of alternating red and green lasers as a way to communicate with pilots flying too near the Capitol or the White House when they can't be reached by radio.

NORAD tried the ground-based laser signals on a test plane flying into Washington's Reagan National Airport last Friday. The low-intensity lights are safe for the eyes, the command said in a statement.

If the system becomes operational, the Federal Aviation Administration would send a special notice to pilots describing the lights and telling them what to do if they see them.

Retired airline Capt. Steve Luckey on Tuesday called the warning system "a step in the right direction - as long as they can show they're prudent or safe."





Luckey, who chairs the national security committee for the Air Line Pilots Association International, has long been concerned about reports of powerful green laser beams projected into cockpits. An FAA study concluded that lasers could cause a plane to crash.

Beginning in December, the FBI investigated a rash of incidents around the country in which lasers were shined through cockpit windows. Though no links to terrorism were found, the government said in January it would require pilots to report immediately any lasers beamed at airplanes.

Such notification would allow air traffic controllers to broadcast warnings and quickly notify law enforcement officers.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hundreds of small planes have flown within the restricted airspace around the capital - a 15 3/4-mile radius around the Washington Monument. In some cases, fighter jets have been scrambled to check on a plane and escort it to a nearby airport.

In June, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher flew into the restricted airspace on a small plane with a malfunctioning transponder. A communications breakdown led police to believe a hijacked plane might be heading toward the Capitol, forcing a frantic evacuation of people gathered to view President Reagan's casket.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Soldier Killed In Western Iraq
Associated Press
February 16, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. soldier was killed in action in western Iraq, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The soldier assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed Tuesday "while conducting security and stability operations" in volatile Anbar province, the military said in a statement.

No other details were available. The deceased soldier's name was withheld as is customary in the military, pending notification of next of kin.

Anbar is a vast territory west of Baghdad where insurgents have been active and includes the cities of Fallujah, Ramadi and Qaim on the border with Syria.

As of Tuesday, at least 1,464 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,114 died as a result of hostile action, according to the Defense Department. The figures include four military civilians.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Positives changes reflected in eyes of Iraqi children
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 200521603133
Story by - Chief Suzanne Speight



FALLUJAH, Iraq (Feb. 16, 2005) -- FALLUJAH, IRAQ -- In spite of lingering resistance and with battles left to fight, many cities across Iraq are, nevertheless, beginning to rebound and revitalize.

With the euphoria of election day still fresh in the air, cities like Najaf, Taqaddum, and even former insurgent stronghold Fallujah, are showing signs of a positive direction, with commerce in the markets and new construction projects starting up.

No where is this resilient spirit more apparent than in the eyes of Iraqi children. Navy Seabees attached to the I MEF Engineer Group are in a unique position to interact with children daily at project sites in a number of cities, including Haidiriyah, where Seabees are paving roads and connecting a school to a water treatment plant, and Najaf, where they are conducting a construction apprentice program, teaching construction skills while building a new school.

The relationship between the Seabees and the children is often poignant, and a special reminder of the value of the sacrifices the service members of the U.S. military have made for the people of Iraq.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

3rd MAW Marines earn FAA certificates in Iraq
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200521273116
Story by Cpl. Joel A. Chaverri



AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 12, 2005) -- Some 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Marines are earning their Federal Aviation Administration Control Tower Operator certificates for the first time during Iraqi Freedom.

The FAA has strict requirements for their certification, but the operational tempo, complexity of operations, and recent authorization from the FAA have put Marines on the fast track to their certificates.

"Issuing FAA certificates is outside the norm for Marines here," said Capt. Jeff Meeker, detachment commander, Detachment C, Marine Aircraft Control Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. "Based on the volume and complexity of air traffic here at Al Asad, (the FAA) decided that a qualification earned here was as good as a qualification earned at any other Marine Corps Air Station."

Currently, Marines can earn a secondary Military Occupational Specialty within the Marine Corps that qualifies them to operate a Marine control tower. However, FAA regulations restrict Marines from managing air traffic in the United States unless they earn a FAA certificate.

"We have Marines out here that earned the title of control tower operator within the Marine Corps, but until recently (Al Asad hasn't) been officially approved by the FAA to issue certificates," said Gunnery Sgt. O.J. Ray, a qualified CTO examiner and air traffic controller with MACS-1.

A student Marine controller typically has to be at their particular duty station for at least six months before they can be eligible for their FAA CTO and getting it can take several years based on where they are stationed and how much experience in the field they get.

"Some bases don't get a lot of air traffic, so it can take longer for a Marine to earn his license," said Ray, a 36-year-old native of Ypsilanti, Mich.

The requirements for the certificate include numerous written tests and countless hours of on-the-job training.

"The hardest part is actually talking to and directing the traffic in the air," said Cpl. Benjamin M. Ables, a 20-year-old native of Prescott Valley, Ariz., and air traffic controller with MACS-1. "You can study for written tests as much as you want, but none of that matters once you get in the tower and have to perform."

Operating in a combat zone and working in unfamiliar skies increases the difficulty for controllers to attain the qualification.

"It can get pretty stressful," said Ables, who qualified for his certificate last November, but just received his official FAA certificate. "Peoples' lives are in your hands and you have to be able to handle that kind of pressure."

Earning the FAA certificate is a big deal for air traffic controller Marines, because it means greater responsibility and the ability to use it in the civilian world.

"If I were to get out of the Marine Corps, I would definitely peruse a career in air traffic control," said Ables. "Especially now that the Marine Corps has helped me get my certificate."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. military transitions relief efforts
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200529224153
Story by - CSF-536 Public Affairs



ROYAL THAI NAVAL AIR BASE, UTAPAO, Thailand (Feb. 4, 2005) -- The U.S. military support effort for tsunami relief is nearly complete.

The commander of Combined Support Force 536, on scene military headquarters responsible for US forces involved in relief operations, has announced that the remaining US military units in the effected region will begin redeployment.

- The USS Abraham Lincoln will depart the Northern Coast of Sumatra, Indonesia today.

- On February 10, the country headquarters known as Combined Support Group Indonesia will be disestablished based on the departure of its subordinate military units.

- With the disestablishment of Combined Support Group Indonesia, the overall Combined Support Force-536 headquarters will be disestablished on February 12.

Three days after the December 26 tsunami, U.S. military forces, under the command of Combined Support Force 536, deployed to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to provide humanitarian assistance in support of host nation disaster recovery activities.

This assistance was spearheaded by Combined Support Groups in each country and was designed to minimize loss of life and mitigate human suffering while the resources of other U.S. Government agencies, NGOs, and international and regional organizations were brought to bear in the affected areas.

While the redeployment of military forces has begun, US Government efforts continue.

- USNS Mercy, with an extensive array of medical and humanitarian capabilities, arrives today off Northern Sumatra, Indonesia to provide relief assistance to the GOI.

The deployment of U.S. military forces to Southeast Asia was part of a much larger U.S. commitment to providing long-term humanitarian assistance and disaster support. This assistance and support will continue to be directed by USAID, the U.S. Government's lead agency for support to the region.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

LAR Marine receives oxygen therapy
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005211161332
Story by Sgt. Ryan S. Scranton



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 10, 2005) -- The 26-year-old sergeant's gloves cover his burned hands as he removes his shoe and a brace on his right foot. The brace supports the metal plate holding his fused bones together.

He crawls into a long metal capsule like an astronaut before putting on a mask to supply pure oxygen to his lungs. The procedure has become part of Sgt. Charles J. Rhinehart’s daily routine after an improvised explosive device struck his light armored vehicle during convoy operations near the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, July 2004.

The Vinita, Okla., native suffered burns on more than 30 percent of his body and received shrapnel in his arm, shoulders, back, many of his internal organs and his right foot. The light armored vehicle crewman lost a kidney and nearly his big toe in the explosion.
Rhinehart was taken to the prison’s medical facility by his fellow Marines in 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion before being evacuated to Baghdad and then to Germany. The 1996 Vinita High School graduate was then transferred to Brookes Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

“I remember waking up in the [intensive care unit] at the BAMC in Texas trying to figure out where I was,” said Rhinehart.

After several weeks in BAMC recovering from his numerous surgeries and wounds, Rhinehart was transferred to the Naval Hospital here for further treatment. He received surgery on his foot, fusing his bones together with a metal plate. The explosion left significant burns and scarring that the surgery was unable to repair, leaving little viable tissue left to heal.

“After the surgery, I started to lose the blood circulation toward the plate in my foot,” said Rhinehart. “The skin around the plate died because it didn’t have a good blood supply.”

Rhinehart’s doctors needed to find a way to increase his blood flow and chances of recovery. The medical staff at the Naval Hospital enlisted the help of a small dive team from 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. Rhinehart’s doctors decided to use the divers’ hyperbaric recompression chamber system.

The chamber is commonly used by the battalion’s dive technitians to treat divers with diving disorders such as decompression sickness. In Rhinehart’s case, it is used for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The pressurized environment allows 200-300 percent more oxygen into Rhinehart’s lungs, according to Navy Capt. James M. Chimiak, who heads the anesthesia department at the Naval Hospital.

The increased oxygen levels are essential for the blood vessels in his foot to grow into the wound, said Chimiak. The vessels form a base allowing the skin to grow over the wound boosting his chances of a full recovery. The oxygen therapy also helps stave off infection and reduce the wounds swelling, said Chimiak.

Rhinehart recently received his eighth treatment and has seen significant improvements to his wound. Rhinehart could receive as many as 60 treatments, but Chimiak said he expects the sergeant will only need 20.

“He started with a three centimeter wound and is now only two and a half centimeters,” said Chimiak. “If this graphing of the surrounding tissue was not possible he could have lost his foot.”

Rhinehart is one of the first Marines to use the hyperbaric oxygen therapy. If not for the HBC therapy Rhinehart could expect a prolonged healing process over several months with only a 50 percent chance of full recovery, said Chimiak.

With many Camp Lejuene based II Marine Expeditionary Force Marines expected to deploy to Iraq later this year, those wounded in combat would likely return here for treatment.

Based on Rhinehart’s success, Chimiak said he hopes to see the therapy incorporated into the treatment of returniung Marines and sailors whose combat wounds are difficult to heal.

“I hope to see this option incorporated into a well designed wound care program,” said Chimiak. “This treatment is not for everybody, but could be useful for certain patients with non-healing wounds.”

Rhinehart said the therapy has also helped heal his other wounds.

“Before the chamber, my skin graphs were really red, puffed-up and itchy,” said Rhinehart. “Now they have evened out and are healing really well.”
He said his recovery has not been easy and he has had to rely heavily on his wife Elizabeth for support.

“She’s been there for me the whole time helping me put on garments and changing my bandages,” he said.

Waking up in a hospital bed at the BAMC he saw his three-month-old son Brent Alexander for the first time through a window.

“It was awesome seeing him for the first time,” said Rhinehart. “I wanted to hold him but I couldn’t.”

The first thing he reached for was his wedding ring normally hanging from the identification tags around his neck. The ring and ID tag’s thin metal chain were waiting with his wife who has virtually never left his side throughout his recovery.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” said Rhinehart. “She’s been my nurse throughout this whole thing.”

Rhinehart’s recovery is still in progress and he hopes the therapy will allow him to return to full duty.

“I plan to stay in the Marine Corps and retire after 20 years,” he said.
Rhinehart said the treatment has helped him, and he thinks it would be useful to other people with similar injuries.

“[Since the treatment] the swelling has gone down and it was sore to walk on, now there is no pain at all,” said Rhinehart. “I’m certain this treatment will be able to help other people.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Older soldiers answer the call to arms

By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, February 16, 2005


ARLINGTON, Va. * Old soldiers never die. Sometimes, they don’t even fade away.

“As long as my country needs me * and I can positively contribute * when the flag goes up, I’ll be there,” said retired Army Col. Emil Zimmerman, who is 57 and is now waiting to see if he can clear the Army’s medical requirements before returning to duty.

The flag went up in November 2003 for retired Army Lt. Col. Phillip Ritchey, when facing a critical shortage of eye surgeons, the Army phoned him with a request: Would you consider putting your uniform back on and deploying to Baghdad?

Ritchey, 69, didn’t hesitate.

Baghdad isn’t so different from many of the places where Ritchey and his wife of 48 years, June, had traveled to volunteer their medical skills, he said in a recent telephone interview with Stars and Stripes.

“My wife and I have been doing volunteer work all over the world,” said Ritchey, a 1957 graduate of West Point. said. “Baghdad isn’t so bad, compared to some of the other places I’ve been. It’s definitely not like Vietnam,” where he spent a year in 1967.

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, prompted a wave of inquiries from retirees who wanted to serve once again.

But it wasn’t until Iraq rotations began to strain the Army and Marine Corps that the services’ personnel officials began not only to take such offers seriously, but to actively seek volunteers to fill critical shortages.

The Army has received 12,000 telephone calls and e-mails from veterans offering to come back to active duty, according to Wayne Maricle, chief of operations in the Mobilization Operations Division of the Army’s Human Resources Command, or HRC, in St. Louis.

About 2,300 have followed through with formal applications and are considered “confirmed” volunteers, Maricle said.

The Army has returned 357 retirees to active duty, including 286 who are now serving, according to Don Ashenfelter, chief of the Army’s retiree mobilization program at HRC.

The Marine Corps has 77 older Marines back on duty and is seeking more volunteers with critical skills who left the Corps within the past five years, according to Lt. Col. Jeffrey Riehl, the Corps’ plans and mobilization officer for manpower and reserve affairs.

But the Navy and Air Force, which are working to reduce their active-duty end strength, have chosen not to bring retirees back, spokesmen for those services said. The Air Force did bring back some retired pilots beginning in early 2001, the program has been suspended.

In December, Army officials decided to actively solicit retirees for a potential volunteer re-mobilization, instead of waiting for veterans to initiate the re-entry process.

Retirees may be somewhat slower than their younger counterparts, but they make up in experience for what they may lack in the physical arena, Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman received an e-mail from HRC on Dec. 30, 2004, asking if he might consider a return.

“I said, not only do I volunteer, I volunteer with both hands.”

Now Zimmerman is “on pins and needles,” waiting to see if he will be allowed to re-enter after taking a special hearing test the Army required because he wears hearing aids.

“I’m not in it for the glory or the pay,” Zimmerman said. “I’m in it because we have troops in harm’s way, and I want to take care of troops.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

America Supports You: 'Sew Much Comfort' Relieves Patients
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 200521462433
Story by Ms. Samantha L. Quigley



WASHINGTON (Feb. 11, 2005) -- As she watched injured soldiers interviewed on a news special one night late last year, Virginia "Ginger" Dosedel expressed her dismay that they were wearing hospital gowns. She couldn't imagine wearing the drafty attire on television.

Her oldest son, Michael, 11, has a unique take on the whole situation. He put it all into perspective for her.

"Well, Mom, no one's sewing them clothes," he told her.

Michael has become used to not being able to wear normal clothes over the years. He was diagnosed with a rare muscle cancer when he was 3. The radiation used as part of his treatment stunted the growth of the femur in his right leg, one of the places the cancer had developed. He has had to have a fixator on his leg twice to help "stretch" the bone stunted by radiation treatments.

The device is attached to the leg on the outside by stakes or posts drilled into the bone. This causes problems with clothing. And it was a big problem for Michael until Grandma got clever and then Mom learned to sew.

"He loves Grandma because Grandma figured out how to make underwear," Ginger said. "She was his goddess for a while. Then I learned how to make pants and, whew, did I just soar over that one."

So Michael understood what the fixator-wearing patients at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center have to deal with just to get dressed. Unlike Michael, however, no one was altering clothes for them.

From experience, Michael knew that breakaway basketball pants don't make the cut. They fit over the device, but they don't cover it completely. Ginger's answer for Michael was custom pants made out of fleece with one leg slightly larger, a full-length Velcro closure and a drawstring waist, she said.

"When you have a fixator, particularly on the femur, you can't get anything over that," Ginger said. "And even if you do, you've got the issue with the rip-aways, they don't really sufficiently cover."

That leaves open wounds and skin exposed to the elements. The pants not only provide a good cover to help keep wounds clean, but they allow for an increased measure of "self-esteem, dignity and the ability to get out and feel somewhat normal," Ginger said. "And yeah, one leg is significantly bigger than the other, but it's not as blatantly obvious as when (the fixator) is uncovered."

When Michael made his comment about the TV interviews, his mother started thinking - and sewing.

Mother and son periodically take deliveries of the custom pants - and modified boxer shorts - to Walter Reed for the patients as part of their Sew Much Comfort program.

Michael is Ginger's icebreaker with the patients.

"He sees people first and medical issues second because he's so used to them," she said. "He's somewhat of my 'in' and I use him for that."

Once patients understand that she understands their situation, she becomes "part of the crew."

And they're a hit. Ginger and Michael and their "fixator pants" are very welcome sights at Walter Reed, especially with the staff.

"They are extraordinarily caring and excited to see the guys - the men and women - get something that provides them with comfort and dignity and some return to normalcy," Ginger said.

So much appreciated are Ginger and Michael's efforts that Ginger said they are struggling to cover the need at Walter Reed. And that's with help from six volunteers sewing in six states, including Michelle Cuppy, who has agreed to take on a technical leadership role and DeDee Galligan, who has agreed to work on communications issues. Both women are from Minneapolis, Minn.

And Ginger's sure that the number of pants made and delivered will soar - she's delivered about 30 pieces of modified clothing since December - when she starts turning out the pants modified for amputees. She said that amputees have, to a lesser extent, the same problems as fixator patients.

"We're scrambling just to cover Walter Reed. But eventually we'd like to get Bethesda (Naval Hospital in Maryland) and Brooke (Army Medical Center in Texas) as well," Ginger said. "It's such a nice thing to be able to provide and it's not a difficult thing to do. I just need to get more people sewing and more stuff."

Though she receives fabric donations from across the country, she has not received enough cash donations to file the expensive paperwork for Sew Much Comfort to become a nonprofit organization.

The cash donations she does get go to making the garments. And at a cost of $24-$34 for each pair - if she has to buy the fabric - they are still cheaper than the special-order commercial variety. Those pants run $80-$100 a pair.

Ginger calls Michael her technical director and her husband, Air Force Lt. Col. Stefan Dosedel, her model for the pants. With their help, and that of her middle son, Thomas, who also helps cut out patterns - the youngest, Sean Patrick, 4, is too young to help - Ginger keeps cutting and sewing.

She said she would continue to sew her fixator pants for injured servicemembers as long as she gets donations and there are servicemembers coming back that need them. Not even transfer orders for her husband would deter her.

"If we do end up going somewhere, I'll just find contacts that I can ship to," Ginger said.

A Web site about the pants project remains under construction, but she said people are free to email her at sgdosedel@yahoo.com for more information on her project.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

MOL registration deadline approaches <br />
Submitted by: Marine Forces Pacific <br />
Story Identification #: 2005210162237 <br />
Story by Sgt. Danielle M. Bacon <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Camp H. M....

[thedrifter]

Mother Applies Skills to Help Son, Other Wounded Troops
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Feb. 15, 2005 — Debby Schick arrived here at Brooke Army Medical Center sad and afraid of what lay ahead. Her son, Marine Cpl. Jacob Schick, had been medevaced here after his Humvee hit an anti-tank mine in Iraq, severing his right leg just below the knee.

With a long recuperation ahead for him, Debby left her Dallas home and put her career as an interior decorator on hold to be by her son's side as he began the long process of treatments and therapy.

What she didn't expect was that she'd get the opportunity to put her professional skills to use to make life just a little bitter nicer for her son and other servicemembers being treated here for wounds received in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Working side by side with the medical center staff, Schick volunteered her services to transform the center's assisted daily living center from a cold, institutional office into a homey environment where wounded troops can practice the skills they'll need when they leave the hospital.

Army Capt. James Watt, an occupational therapist at the hospital, described the new center as "a lifelike obstacle course" where patients can learn to do the day-to-day activities they'll perform in their homes.

There's a bedroom area, with a carpet patients must negotiate across, a fully stocked kitchen with a washer and dryer and dining area and a living room — all decorated in a style that looks fresh out of a designer magazine.

Schick said she wanted the new area to feel welcoming to patients, many learning to do chores that have become far more challenging with wounds and, in some cases, prostheses. She chose warm, soothing colors, modern furnishings and art and lots of mirrors that not only make the space look larger, but also give patients an opportunity to watch their movements.

"We wanted the best possible environment for the young men and women who had been injured — something they would enjoy being in," she said. "Now it's a great place for them to interface with each other as they recover and build their confidence."

"It's hard to believe that this was nothing more than a glorified break room," Watts said as he surveyed the area. "Now it feels like home. It's a place where patients can temporarily step out of the hospital experience and work on the skills they'll need so they can go home and be independent."

Schick said she's hopeful the new center will bring recovering troops comfort and a temporary escape from the institutional hospital environment as they prepare to return to their homes. "Hopefully this will bring the patients a lot of joy," she said.

She called the project "a way to give back" for the "five-star treatment" she said her son is receiving at Brooke while helping her work through her own emotions. "It's been a lot of fun, and it's been very therapeutic for me," she said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

NRPI Donates $25,000 to Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund
02.15.05, 1:19 PM ET

Company Spokesperson Erik Estrada and Retired Marine Employees Present Check

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- National Recreational Properties, Inc. presented a donation of $25,000 to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund Saturday, February 12 at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base in Oceanside, California. The announcement was made by Robert Friedman, co-founder of National Recreational Properties, Inc.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050215/LATU083)

The check was presented to volunteer Sondria Saylor of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund by Major Walter Skrzynski, USMC retired and National Recreational Properties Executive Vice President, as well as Master Sergeant James Corum, USMC retired. The company's celebrity spokesperson Erik Estrada, whose wife is the daughter of a career marine, showed his support by coming out to Camp Pendleton for the event.

National Recreational Properties, Inc. is appealing to other companies, locally and nationally to join them in supporting the Semper Fi Fund.

"We invite other businesses and associations to join us by opening their hearts and their wallets to Semper Fi," according to Robert Friedman. "It is our patriotic duty to help those wounded in combat, and their families and hope that other companies will accept our challenge to do their part."

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund was founded in May 2004, by Karen Guenther and a small group of concerned US Marine Corps spouses. The Semper Fi Fund works to alleviate the financial hardship incurred by US Marine Corps families in order to be with their Marine while he or she recovers.

"We support the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund because we believe it is a worthy cause to provide assistance to those injured while serving our nation," according to Jeffrey Frieden, co-founder of National Recreational Properties, Inc. "The meaning of semper fidelis -- always faithful, holds true at National Recreational Properties. Since we have a dedicated group of retired Marines working with us, many of our employees know firsthand the importance of this fund."

In their first eight months, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund provided financial assistance to over 540 families with more than $800,000.

"Often families have to travel great distances and make other sacrifices to be at the bedside of their wounded Marine," according to Karen Guenther. "We started the Injured Marine Semper Fi fund because there is a limited amount of funding available by the Marine Corps to accommodate the families of injured Marines, the Semper Fi Fund helps meet their additional needs during these difficult times."

National Recreational Properties, Inc. has been a leading national real estate acquisition company for over eight years, with various operations in California, Florida, Washington, Arkansas and Arizona. Friedman and Frieden are co-founders of National Recreational Properties Inc., based in Irvine and several other large real estate investment, development, and sales organizations, including LandAuction.com.

Friedman and Frieden regularly dedicate their time and funds in order to support local and national charitable organizations. Their efforts extend to their own California communities, as well as the places where National Recreational Properties, Inc. is involved in redevelopment efforts. Both have an affinity toward youth organizations, dedicating their efforts to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Anaheim YMCA.

SOURCE National Recreational Properties, Inc. -0- 02/15/2005 /CONTACT: Marla McCutcheon, +1-949-759-1970, mmalkinsynergy@sbcglobal.net, for National Recreational Properties, Inc./ /Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050215/LATU083 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/ CO: National Recreational Properties, Inc.; Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund ST: California IN: RLT ARO HEA SU: IL-AI -- LATU083 -- 4577 02/15/2005 13:17 EST http://www.prnewswire.com

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine wife shines in supporting role
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By KRISTA LEDBETTER
Greater Milwaukee Today Staff
February 16, 2005

MUKWONAGO - Sharon Semrow is a mother of six. Her husband, Jeff, a staff sergeant for Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, was deployed to Iraq in September, where he's been since.

There are good days and bad days, she said. Especially hard are the times when one of her young children asks, "Did daddy die yet?"

They're sometimes too young to fully understand.

But it's Semrow's job to get through the weeks as they turn into months, and help loved ones of nearly 160 other Marines get through them, too, as key volunteer coordinator for Fox Company.

A KVC provides a means of communication and access to resources and information on a variety of topics affecting those who have loved ones overseas. In Fox Company, Semrow acts as a family support network and oversees a network of volunteers who assist Marine families in becoming self-sufficient during the absence of their Marine.

"There's an instant bond between us," Semrow said of the nearly 350 family members within Fox Company. "No one else knows what you're going through except someone who is going through it."

Because of her efforts, Semrow was chosen to represent the state as recipient of the 2004-05 Veterans of Foreign Wars Military Family Member Volunteer Services Award, which recently earned her national recognition. She's flying to Washington, D.C. next month to accept the honor.

James Paar of Mukwonago VFW Post 7221, who nominated Semrow, praised what she's done to help other families.

"Her husband is over in Iraq, she's home taking care of six kids, she's done one heck of a job," Paar said. "She will be representing the entire Marine Corps."

Semrow trained for the position of KVC in 1997, before there was much demand for family support due to deployment. But after the attacks of Sept. 11, her job became much more of a task, especially in times of despair when the company loses one of its own. Fox Company has lost five Marines, more than any other company in the battalion.

"I have to let family members know, there's funeral arrangements, casualty calls," Semrow said. "I never thought I'd see a military funeral, but I've seen enough."

Semrow has attended all five Fox Company funerals. She said most of the other family members do, too.

"It's hard, but we support each other through the bad times," she said.

Semrow usually talks to her husband twice a month, for about 15 minutes each time. But he often sends letters - seven at a time, one for her and each of the children.

It's become nearly a full-time job for Semrow to keep in touch with the families in a Yahoo! message board she's created online. Everyone keeps in touch there, and relays any information they learn from their loved one.

"Sometimes someone will post that their husband said someone else's son says hello and that he's doing fine," she said. "Something as small as that makes everyone feel good."

Semrow said her job also helps herself. The group is her biggest supporter, she said.

"We all rally around each other."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Promote the general
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: RICK REISS
For The Californian

Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, our local military has been front and center in combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Our communities are filled with the warriors and their families who comprise the "tip of the spear" in countering the Taliban despots, al-Qaida thugs and Iraqi Baathist dead-enders who still seek to impose their Islamic fascist ideology upon a reluctant world.

Marines based at MCAS Miramar and Camp Pendleton play key roles in America's war against terrorism. The accomplishments of Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division will be studied in war colleges for years.

One particular standout is the 1st Marine Division's commanding general, Lt. Gen. James Mattis. Mattis consistently has won over the loyalty of his troops and stands as an icon throughout the Marine Corps.

Yet, Mattis recently found himself under fire over some straight talk about battling these Islamic fascist terrorists.

At a recent military symposium in San Diego, Mattis said, "Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. 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 continued, "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."

Predictably, Mattis' remarks have brought about howls of protest from politically correct liberals. Left-wing pundits have scorned Mattis for contributing to a culture of violence.

While un-American leftists excoriate Mattis for his remarks, they run to the defense of a nutty Colorado university professor who claims that the Americans killed in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks were "little Eichmans," a reference to Adolph Hitler's chief henchman.

But wait ... if anything, perhaps Mattis spoke too kindly about al-Qaida and their Taliban hosts in Afghanistan.

The simple truth is that the Taliban and al-Qaida are poster children for violence and barbarism. The following is a partial list of crimes against humanity perpetrated by these radical Islamists:

A complete ban on women working outside the home or going outside the home without a male relative.

A ban on women being treated by male doctors (since women could not work, women's healthcare was non-existent.)

Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of unaccompanied women or women not clothed according to Taliban law.

Ban on the use of cosmetics; many women with polished fingernails had their fingers cut off.

Ban on listening to music or watching movies or television.

Ban on flying kites or keeping pigeons.

Mandatory execution for anyone converting from Islam or for reading "objectionable" material.

Non-Muslim minorities were required to wear identifying insignia on their clothing to indicate their status as infidels (similar to the Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars.)

In addition, the Taliban destroyed numerous priceless Buddhist statues and artifacts that were more than 2,000 years old because they were "non-Muslim" icons.

So just who is the extremist here?

Give that general a promotion!

Rick Reiss of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail: RickReiss@netscape.net.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

A Critic's Defeatist Rhetoric
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
By David Asman
FoxNews.Com

Not all Marines take pride in the work of their brothers.

Take Scott Ritter, a former Marine and United Nations weapons inspector, who has turned into a critic of just about anything the U.S. does in Iraq. Now he's writing for Al-Jazeera's Web site, which seems like a perfect home for his defeatist rhetoric.

According to Mr. Ritter, "The highly vaunted U.S. military machine, laurelled and praised for its historic march on Baghdad (search) in March and April of 2003, today finds itself a broken force, on the defensive in a land that it may occupy in part, but does not control."

Offering no proof whatsoever, Mr. Ritter accuses the U.S. of conspiring with Iraqi assassination squads (search), and that, not foreign terrorists or former Saddam officials, is what started the post-war violence in Iraq: "Having started the game of politically motivated assassination, the U.S. has once again found itself trumped by forces inside Iraq it does not understand, and as such will never be able to defeat."

As for the enemy, which he calls a "genuine grassroots national liberation movement," Ritter is generous: "History will eventually depict as legitimate the efforts of the Iraqi resistance to destabilise and defeat the American occupation forces and their imposed Iraqi collaborationist government."

The only way out, according to Ritter, is for us to fail: "It is hard as an American to support the failure of American military operations in Iraq. Such failure will bring with it the death and wounding of many American service members, and many more Iraqis."

It may be hard for Mr. Ritter to root for the enemy in Iraq, but that's exactly what he's doing. Why he's doing that is another question.

And that's the Asman Observer.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Lansing, Mich., native helps to keep Corps' secrets safe
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200521482731
Story by Cpl. Adam C. Schnell



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2005) -- "The enemy is listening. He wants to know what you know. Keep it to yourself" is a slogan from a World War II-era poster about operational security.

Posters much like this one still hang in the halls of Marine Corps bases and when Marines walk by them, it’s a reminder that loose lips can sink ships.

For Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Sinclair, a Lansing, Mich., native and Marine Air Ground Task Force planner for 2nd Marine Division, practicing OPSEC is a daily responsibility. If he doesn’t make sure he safeguards the information he works with everyday, it could mean the loss of life for many of his fellow Marines.

This responsibility wasn’t always part of the 2000 graduate of Eastern High School class who worked at a movie theatre and as a manager at a local pizza place before joining the Marine Corps. He spent more than two years working until he heard Uncle Sam’s call on one of the most infamous days in history.

“My main reason for joining was the attacks on 9-11,” Sinclair explained. “But it was also about the time where I started realizing I didn’t want to be a Domino’s manager forever.”

Less than a year after that famed day, the soft-spoken man became a recruit at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He then graduated from boot camp and was sent to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. to train to be a basic rifleman.

“I still think about a lot of the things that were done in boot camp,” Sinclair chuckled. “Sometimes it just makes me laugh.”

He then completed his military occupational specialty school in Virginia, and received orders to Headquarters and Service Company, Headquarters Battalion April 14, 2003.

Now, the slender-built Marine spends most of his time at a computer in a classified room helping deploy 2nd Marine Division Marines to places all around the world. With Iraq being the main focus of his energy, he prepares documents ensuring the proper personnel and equipment make it to their destination.

“I guess the best way to think of me is as a glorified travel agent,” Sinclair added. “I help get people where they need to go.”

Like many Marines, Sinclair must wear a number of hats in the office. Another hat he wears is making sure classified materials and equipment are always accounted for, reducing of the threat of leaking information to the wrong people.

“One of the best things I can say about him is if I give him a task, I never have to worry about if it gets done or if it gets done right,” said Sgt. Ryan D. Hardy, a force deployment noncommissioned officer and Rogersville, Ala., native.

It’s this hard-working redhead’s ability to wear many hats that won him a nomination in a recent Headquarters Battalion Marine of the Quarter board. He competed against six other Marines on the board and displayed the knowledge and bearing to win.

“I got a lot of help from Gunnery Sgt. Quailes. He helped run mock boards and taught the entry and exit procedures,” Sinclair explained. “He gave me all the tools I needed to go up on the board and win.”

And win he did.

“I hope to go on a meritorious corporal board and being the Marine of the Quarter will hopefully helped me get promoted,” added Sinclair.

After spending a lot of time performing his daily duties and studying for boards, Sinclair uses his 6-foot-3-inch height to his advantage playing basketball with co-workers and friends. This is one of the ways he relieves the stress built up during the day.

“I never played basketball for my high school or anything, but I loved it every time I played it at the YMCA or playground courts,” Sinclair explained.

Recently he has had to forego basketball as he prepares for an upcoming deployment to Iraq where he will continue to keep the same job he has currently.

“I am really excited and ready to go,” Sinclair said. “I can’t wait to get the experience that comes from deploying over there.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

US Marines Aid In Tsunami Relief

US Marines have finished up their work on tsunami relief in Sri Lanka, but while they were there, 10TV Anchor Angela An and photojournalist Chris Hedrick traveled to Galle, where they talked to Ohio Marines, who say the devastation there cannot be compared.

They arrived in Sri Lanka in January, but the sight of US Marines in full camouflage still holds magic for the children of Galle.

One Marine says, "They're holding up. Talking to them, I feel so sad because most of them lost parents."

Their loss is why these Marines do what they do in helping the people of Sri Lanka rebuild and giving the children something to remember.

Not far from Galle in Hikkaduwa the Marines carefully excavate two massive concrete stones. They are sacred stones that once stood at the base of a temple.

The Marines aren't told why they're sacred; they just know the locals want the stones recovered.

US Marine MGS Ken Pershall says, "Tornadoes will cut a path and destroy houses and tear things apart, but nothing like this. [We are] very thankful that we're here and helpful in any way we can be."

MGS Pershall says with so much lost, the mission of the Marines is to limit future loss of life.

Captain Pete Wilson from Westchester, Ohio says it's also about restoring hope.

"What I've seen is an amazing rebirth of people starting to put their lives back together," says Capt. Wilson.

As Marines, they train for everything, including full scale war. Even they weren't quite prepared for this.

"Being from Ohio, a landlocked state, you do tornadoes like that but nothing of this nature or destruction at all," says Capt. Wilson.

Sixteen-hundred Marines spent 45 days in Sri Lanka.

At the end of their mission in Hikkaduwa, the sacred stones are saved.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

MOL registration deadline approaches <br />
Submitted by: Marine Forces Pacific <br />
Story Identification #: 2005210162237 <br />
Story by Sgt. Danielle M. Bacon <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Camp H. M....

[thedrifter]

Marines make Valentine's Day visit in Fallujah, Iraq
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 2005214124827
Story by Cpl. K. T. Tran



FALLUJAH, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2005) -- The Marines of Civil Affairs Detachment 4-4, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, visited several facilities during a civil military operation in the city of Fallujah, Iraq, Feb. 14, passing out Valentine's card and candy.

The Marines were able to speak to several contractors to assess the damage and the necessary steps to rebuild and reopen several needed structures.

The CMO is part of an ongoing operation to evaluate the progress of the city’s schools, medical clinics, fire stations and other major installations.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2005214133841/$file/kiss.low.jpg

Rahma Katheer, 8, a native of Fallujah, Iraq, gives Cpl. David Pavon, a civil affairs noncommissioned officer with Civil Affairs Detachment 4-4, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, a kiss after receiving Valentine cards and candy from him Feb. 14, while in Fallujah, Iraq. The Marines visited several facilities in the city, during a civil military operation to check the progress of each location. Photo by: Cpl. K. T. Tran

Ellie

[thedrifter]

American Unit Rotations Continue in Iraq
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2005 – With the Army's 18th Airborne Corps taking over as the Multinational Corps Iraq headquarters, the 2004-2006 rotation of troops is well under way.

Troops have been flowing into and out of Iraq since October as part of the rotation. When finished, there will be about 138,000 American servicemembers in Iraq.

DoD officials said spreading out the rotation makes sense from both an operational and logistical standpoint. Spreading out the rotation allows for a mix of experienced and new units in country. Logistically, the flow in and out of theater is more manageable.

The 18th Airborne Corps, based at Fort Bragg. N.C., replaced the Army's 3rd Corps, based at Fort Hood, Texas. The headquarters is at Camp Victory outside Baghdad. The Multinational Corps commands all coalition forces in country with the exception of special operations forces, the Multinational Transition Security Command Iraq and coalition forces involved in detention operations.

The New York National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division headquarters took over command of Multinational Division North Central from the 1st Infantry Division on Feb. 14. The division is headquartered in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit and includes such hotspots as Samarra and Baqubah. Units of the Big Red One have been returning to their bases in Germany. Two brigades of the 3rd Infantry Division will serve under the 42nd as will the Idaho National Guard's 116th Brigade Combat team and the Tennessee Guard's 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

The troopers of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Irwin, Calif., took command from Task Force Olympia on Feb. 13. The 1st Brigade (Stryker), 25th Infantry Division, is serving under the cavalry's command. The unit has been in country since September.

In the west, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, normally based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., is due to turn over command to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The MEF is responsible for Anbar province, which includes Fallujah, Ramadi and all the way to the Syrian and Jordanian borders. The Army's 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, will serve under the MEF commander.

Concurrently, the 2nd Marine Air Wing, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, N.C., will replaced the 3rd Wing – Miramar Naval Air Station, Calif. The unit is based in Al Asad, Iraq.

The 3rd Infantry Division will begin its second tour in Iraq when it relieves the 1st Cavalry Division by the end of February. The 3rd – out of Fort Steward, Ga. – will lead Multinational Division Baghdad and will consist of two brigades of the 3rd, the 256th Brigade Combat Team from the Louisiana National Guard, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division. The 1st Cav will return to Fort Hood.

The Hawaii Guard's 29th Brigade Combat Team will replace Washington State's 81st brigade around Baghdad.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

No. 165-05
Feb 16, 2005
IMMEDIATE RELEASE



National Guard and Reserve Mobilized as of February 16, 2005
This week, the Air Force and Navy announced an increase, while the Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard had a decrease in the number of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization. The net collective result is 1,811 more reservists mobilized than last week.

At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 156,195; Naval Reserve, 3,830; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 11,584; Marine Corps Reserve, 13,063; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 760. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 185,432 including both units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Military Stressed, But Able to Execute Strategy, Myers Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2005 – Despite stresses and strains on the force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told members of the House Armed Services Committee today that the American military remains able to execute America's national military strategy.

"We are now in our fourth year of sustained combat operations," Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said. "We are still a nation at war. Our servicemen and women continue to perform superbly under conditions of significant stress and in the face of myriad challenges. They stand ready to protect the United States, prevent conflict and surprise attack, and prevail against adversaries."

Myers said the military has had significant successes against a shadowy and dangerous enemy. "We and our partners have captured or killed many of al Qaeda's senior leaders and hurt their ability to conduct operations," Myers said. "But they are still a very real, global threat." The general added that the military will continue to hunt down terrorist leaders such as Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The chairman stressed that while the U.S. military is being successful, it must have multinational allies and interagency cooperation to be victorious. "While I believe the various agencies of our government have learned to work together in new and better ways, we need to become still more efficient and effective in integrating the efforts of various government agencies," he told the representatives.

Building Iraqi capabilities is the key to success in Iraq, the general said, and a timetable for American withdrawal from the country would be "counterproductive." A timetable would lead terrorists into thinking they could wait America out, he told the committee.

Iraqi forces are assuming a greater share of the security role, he said, and the recent national-assembly elections "represented a moral defeat for the insurgents."

As the coalition moves to the future, the objective must be to shift from the coalition providing security to building counterinsurgency capabilities in Iraqi forces, he said.

In Afghanistan, the plan also is on track, Myers said. The Afghan National Army is 19,000 members strong and is a "multi-ethnic, visible symbol of national pride, unity and strength," he said. The United States and coalition allies will continue to build that capability, he added.

But Iraq and Afghanistan are not the only hotspots. Myers said the threat of weapons of mass destruction, "particularly North Korea's and Iran's ongoing nuclear weapons-related activities," worry military planners.

Terrorist organizations too wish to acquire stronger and more deadly weapons, the chairman said, and the confluence of terror groups and nations willing to provide the groups with WMD is disturbing. "We will continue to work with the international community to expand counterproliferation activities," the general said.

Myers said servicemembers remain America's "No. 1 asset." He said morale in all components remains high, but said the department must revisit reserve-component mobilization processes.

He said fiscal 2005 will be "a very challenging year for both active and reserve component recruiting," and he is particularly concerned about recruiting for the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. He said the military is increasing the number of recruiters and restructuring enlistment bonuses to boost the numbers.

The general also said he was concerned about the wear and tear on equipment and vehicles caused by ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines' KC-130J joins mission in Iraq <br />
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing <br />
Story Identification #: 20052154019 <br />
Story by Cpl. Paul Leicht <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 15, 2005) -- Establishing...

[thedrifter]

New Yorkers thank service members during Valentine's Day at Ground Zero
Submitted by: New York City Public Affairs
Story Identification #: 200521583135
Story by Cpl. Beth Zimmerman



NEW YORK (Feb. 15, 2004) -- New York City families who lost loved ones during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, gathered at the former site of the World Trade Center yesterday to thank U.S. service members during a Valentine's Day prayer ceremony.

"The sacrifices each member of a military family makes is so special, it seems our words are insufficient to thank them," said Colin Neblett. His son was killed during the attacks on the twin towers. "We are happy to have this opportunity to let them know that our prayers are with them every day."

Neblett and others thanked the service members during a small ceremony at the corner of Liberty and Church Streets, where the small crowd gathered in front of what is now known as "Ground Zero."

On a cold and rainy Valentine's Day, some of the family members even gave a single rose each to service members.

"There are no words to say enough thanks to you for what you do," said Rosemary Cain, who lost her son on 9/11.

"You and others who wear that uniform make it possible for us to continue with our lives as we know them."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Cherry Point Marines deploy
February 16,2005
K.J. Williams
Sun Journal Staff

CHERRY POINT - Deploying Marine Cpl. Chris Clerico got a tearful farewell from his mother Tuesday at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station.

Arlene Clerico replaced her earlier brave words with cries of "I Love You. Bye, Christopher," as her son boarded a bus with about 220 Marines deploying to Iraq.

Her pride in her 21-year-old son and her pain at his leaving were juxtaposed. Her husband, Chris Clerico Sr., kept his arm around her consolingly while she waved and called out to her son.

"He wanted to be a Marine and I feel that's what he really is, a true Marine," Arlene Clerico said of her son. "We just want him to come home safe. We'll miss him, of course."

Her son, who called his deployment "an adventure," said he was expecting to work long hours but he thought it would provide him with good military experience,

Clerico's parents had traveled to Cherry Point from Aston, Pa., to see him off. They were among a crowd of sometimes tearful women, some with children, parents and friends who watched the buses fill with Marines, waving to them and watching until they were out of sight.

The six-month deployment of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, along with other Marines in the 2nd Marine Air Wing, will allow Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in California to return home. Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., were among those leaving Cherry Point.

The deployments are scheduled to continue through early March as up to 2,800 Cherry Point Marines join the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq.

Gunnery Sgt. Woody Spruill said he's a veteran of Desert Storm and his wife, Sarah, is a former Marine who understands his responsibilities.

"I'm looking forward to going so we can go over there and, hopefully, finish it up," he said.

His wife said her job would be to maintain a positive outlook for the sake of their 6-year-old daughter. After 12 years of marriage, she said her bonds to her husband were strong.

"He's just my best friend," she said. "(I) got me a good old Pamlico County boy."

Some families were already planning homecomings.

Capt. Alexis McCabe from Denver said her family has a Walt Disney cruise planned when she reunites with her husband and daughter.

McCabe shared a last snack from McDonald's with her daughter Haley, 3, before saying her goodbyes. She's been separated from her daughter for six months before when she was on the USS Enterprise.

"It's hard. You just really compartmentalize (and) focus on your job," she said.

Brenda Massey, whose husband Master Gunnery Sgt. Robert Massey of St. Louis, was being deployed, summed up the feelings of many family members.

"He's got to go - it's his unit - but I hate to see him leave," she said.

Chief Warrant Officer Rod Neilson of Virginia Beach said this will be his second deployment to Iraq.

"I'm sure operation tempo will be pretty high, but I think the focus of the effort has probably changed a little bit," he said, adding that he expected less combat and more emphasis on stabilizing the region.

Lance Cpl. Edward Roberts from Sumter, S.C., said the Marines were helping to provide security in Iraq. "I feel our presence will be really appreciated."

Once the Marines were on their buses to continue the deployment process, they were given care packages from the USO of North Carolina's Jacksonville office. Each pack contained toiletries, snacks and playing cards.

Marines who are part of the Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 will have several missions in Iraq. They will provide planning for flight operations and refueling, provide information on the locations of insurgents and weapons caches and plan the travel routes for supply conveys, said 1st Lt. Joshua Truesdale, Cherry Point spokesman.


K.J. Williams can be reached at 635-5664 or kwilliams@freedomenc.com.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Purple Heart: Crowd greets wounded Carlin Marine

By DAVE WOODSON - Staff Writer




ELKO - Lance Cpl. Stacy Alexander came home Saturday night to his family and friends.

Leaning on his cane to support his wounded knee and thigh, raw emotions overwhelmed the young Marine when he limped into the airport and saw the crowd there to greet him. At first his eyes clouded, and then he wiped away small teardrops.

It has been six weeks since he sustained severe shrapnel injuries when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the truck he was driving on patrol near the Syrian border. The attack killed the gunner riding atop the vehicle.

But, that was six weeks ago and Saturday night was a homecoming that will forever be engraved in his memory.

Alexander smiled, almost an impish grin that etched across his face, when he was surrounded by a sea of well-wishers, clapping and cheering, and waving hand-lettered signs at Elko Regional Airport.

"I walked in the door and it blew my mind," Alexander said. "A lot of surprise. A lot of joy to see people who mean so much to me."

And it was obvious that he means a lot to them.

It seemed like most of the City of Carlin had wedged itself into one end of the airport and when Alexander arrived, pandemonium erupted.

"It makes me feel good to know a lot of people think about you and to come here on a Saturday night to see me," Alexander said.

He said he had just been expecting his family to meet him at the airport.

There were hugs at first from his parents and then his younger brother and older sister, and then from friends and neighbors.

Among those at the airport was Robert Jensen, the past commander of the Carlin post of the American Legion.

"It makes you water up, doesn't it," he observed "I'm glad he is coming back in one piece."

Alexander carried his freshly laundered tunic that bore the ribbons of two new medals awarded to the 20-year-old Marine: The Purple Heart and the Combat Action Medal.

A 2002 graduate of Carlin High School, Alexander had been in the Marines about 15 months and was four months into his tour in Iraq before the night he was ambushed by insurgents while patrolling in Husaybah near the Iraq-Syria border.

"Our truck was hit with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) on the night of Jan. 6," he said.

He was one of three people inside the truck, all of whom were injured but survived.

"Our gunner, Julio Cisneros, was killed," Alexander said. "He died saving our lives.

"He took the brunt of it. We all took shrapnel but he took the most of it."

Alexander paused for a moment.

"We'd see him up in the gun every time we went out," he continued. "He was awesome with our crew."

Alexander said he initially lost consciousness from his wounds.

"It knocked me out for a few seconds," he recalled. "I woke up. Our truck was filling with smoke because it caught on fire on impact from the RPG. I stopped the truck and jumped out. My rifle was ruined from the blast. It was melting."

Alexander said he and the two other survivors who had been in the back seat of the truck ran and caught up with the rest of the unharmed patrol trucks and were driven back to the base. Then they were airlifted for emergency medical attention.

"I took a bunch of shrapnel in my right arm, shoulder and then my right thigh and my right knee," Alexander said. "My knee and my thigh are the worst."

He was flown to Germany for surgery and then transferred to 29 Palms, Calif., Marine Training Center where he was hospitalized for three weeks.

He said his prognosis isn't clear.

"They don't know right now," Alexander said. "I've got a lot of physical therapy ahead of me and maybe more surgery later on my knee."

While he was in the hospital there was one thing he was looking forward to as soon as possible.

"I have been waiting to get on this flight for over a month," he said.

On Thursday the doctors cleared him to come home for a 30-day convalescent leave.

His stepmother's eyes almost danced with delight while she waited at the airport.

"I'm tremendously excited," Janice Alexander said. "I am very proud of him."

There was also relief in her eyes as she waited and recalled the phone call in early January she received from the Marine Corps that Stacy had been injured in combat.

"You're pretty scared because they don't give you a lot of details," she said. "You just wait."

"You just had to bide your time until you found more information," Stacy's father, Jeff, said. "We were two days in the dark, wondering just how bad he was hurt. We knew he was wounded pretty good."

It was a wait that must have seemed like a lifetime but more information came two days later.

That's when they learned the extent of his wounds.

"That he had shoulder injuries, his elbow and knees, and that he had puncture wounds on the right side of his body," Jeff Alexander said.

Then the best thing possible that could happen did happen.

They received a phone call from their son.

"It was a big relief when got to call us," Janice Alexander said. "He called me at 5 a.m. and that was probably one of the best days of my life."

"Just to hear his voice and know he was OK," she continued. "That was wonderful."

Janice said he told he her was doing fine and was on his way to Germany for further medical treatment.

Alexander's younger brother, Michael 12, said he was concerned when he learned his older brother had been wounded.

"I was very worried," he said Saturday night. "I have been waiting for him forever."

Michael said his parents were able to visit his brother at the 29 Palms Marine Training Center while his brother was recuperating before getting his convalescent leave, but he didn't get to go because he had to attend school.

Sgt. Dave Altman and patrolman Cruz Marin presented Alexander with a commemorative Nevada Highway Patrol coffee mug.

"My idea behind this was to present the young man with a little bit of something from the men and women of the Nevada Highway Patrol to show our appreciation for the sacrifice this young man made," Altman said.

Alexander joined the American Legion post in Carlin on his leave before shipping to Iraq and the legionnaires were at the airport to support one of their own.

Jensen said he had tried to get Altman to join the Navy, "but he wanted to be a Marine."

Alexander said he did not regret his decision.

"There is nothing like it in the world," he said. "A million people shake your hands and it is good to know America backs us up even if they think we shouldn't be over there, they still back you up."

http://www.elkodaily.com/content/articles/2005/02/14/news/local/news1.jpg

Alexander smiles at the crowd gathered to greet him Saturday at Elko's airport. (Ross Andréson/Elko Daily Free Press)


Ellie