15th MEU’s Bravo Co. patrols help secure southern Baghdad area

[thedrifter]

15th MEU’s Bravo Co. patrols help secure southern Baghdad area
Submitted by: 15th MEU
Story Identification #: 20053302530
Story by Lance Cpl. Scott L. Eberle



BAGHDAD, Iraq (March 28, 2005) -- Shortly after arriving at their forward operating base in the greater Baghdad area, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)'s Bravo Company set out on foot to make their mark in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The company inserted by helicopter into a rural area of southern Baghdad for a 10-day mission to disrupt insurgency and provide security and stabilization to the region.

Bravo Co., part of Battalion Landing Team 1/1, was on the look out for mortar and rocket fire, which was reportedly fired from their area of operations. Their mission was to patrol the vast farming area on foot to find any enemy activity.

Attached to the company was a platoon of Iraqi National Guardsmen who would help deal with the locals and ease the burden of a language barrier.

After a short helicopter ride, they landed in a freshly plowed field. Exiting the aircraft, the Marines quickly found themselves trying to maneuver with two inches of mud stuck to their boots. The first wave established security around the landing zone as the helicopters headed back to the FOB to pick up more of the company.

Marines hit the ground and once accounted for, they moved to a secure position under moonlit conditions.

Moving from the LZ, Marines stumbled across a suspected improvised explosive device. Everyone quickly moved to a safe distance while explosive ordinance disposal technicians moved in to investigate. Although it wasn't an IED, the incident reminded everyone of the hazards in their area of operations.

At the patrol base, Bravo sent 3rd Platoon out on a night patrol while mortar men set up their guns to support the company with indirect fire if needed.

The heat of sunrise was welcomed after a night of bitter cold. The sun’s rays exposed the terrain Marines would be covering for the next ten days. The morning light revealed water-filled canals, uneven fields with knee high grass and numerous palm tree groves - not the desert-like sandy terrain most Marines expected.

Before 3rd Platoon returned from their patrol, the company moved the patrol base to a new position. Marines formed a tactical column with everyone keeping a watchful eye for any suspicious activity.

During the movement, the company passed a farmer and his son standing in front of their home waving to passing Marines. Many in 3rd Platoon said they liked seeing local citizens in their homes because it reminded them of the peaceful side of this war-torn country.

Bravo Co. set up their next patrol base in the middle of a large palm tree grove. This would be their home for the next week.

Mortars immediately set up their guns to provide indirect fire as needed.

Satellite communications was established with the Combat Operations Center back at the FOB and Marines rested in preparation for the miles of patrols they would be covering in the days to come.

As they started the next day’s patrols, the platoon ran across locals who informed them of insurgent activity that had taken place in the local area in the last month.

That, coupled with recent intelligence, led the platoon to a small area where a weapons cache was supposedly buried. Marines moved in and cleared a suspected building finding it empty. But in a near-by muddy field, fresh footprints were discovered leading to a recently dug hole that appeared to have been a weapons cache.

These patrols, lasting 12 hours or more, left the Marines sunburned and weary. Each day, the Marines stepped off before the sun came up and returned as the sun was setting.

When resting, Marines did everything to stay warm including sleep in their Kevlar helmets and flak vests, which can weigh an extra 40 lbs with their combat load.

Sleeping in the field proved especially difficult at times. After sunset, the sweat-soaked shirts that helped cool Marines during the day quickly turned from warm to cold in the chilly night air. Most didn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours before the biting cold would interrupt a sweet dream of home and loved ones.

The company was resupplied each night by a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter or by a tactical convoy of vehicles. Flying in blackout conditions, helos skimmed right over their heads to deliver Meals Ready to Eat and bottled water. Enemy forces also paid attention to the resupply patterns by periodically firing mortars near the landing zone. Because the enemy’s firing position wasn’t exactly known, the company fired illumination rounds to mask their location.

Things became more interesting on the third day of patrols. The long, routine patrol turned productive when locals guided Marines to a suspicious hole in the ground. After clearing away an old car hood and other debris, the Marines dug for a few minutes to discover a buried coffin-sized container.

Around the edges of the container were several empty mortar tubes, and although the container itself was empty, the patrol knew there was more to this story and questioned the locals occupying the house.

While members of the platoon investigated the house, another local Iraqi approached the platoon with information on insurgents just down the road.

Everyone began to feel their rush of adrenaline as they considered their chance to finally engage enemy forces. 2nd Lt. Byron Jay Owen, 3rd platoon commander for Bravo Co., quickly reacted to this information by posting a squad on security at the house while the rest of the platoon began making their way down the road to their new objective.

Approaching the house, the platoon observed two men running away from the back of the house. Another man was spotted through windows as the force quickly rushed towards the house and adjacent buildings. While Marines entered the front of the house, an Iraqi ran out the back door and headed down the road when he was caught and apprehended. The search of the house quickly turned up an AK-47 that lying on the floor with a round chambered and ready to fire.

The suspected insurgent was detained until he could be questioned. The rest of his family gathered outside while a corpsman made sure the children were in good health.
After the search for the two insurgents who had fled the scene was unsuccessful, the platoon decided to remain at the house overnight to see if the situation would develop. Some Marines set up security while others tried to get some rest.

The Marines fortified the house by breaking out the windows and moving furniture out from under them in case a firefight was to break out in the night. While Marines worked on security, the Iraqi National Guardsmen made a couple pots of hot tea to help keep them warm.

Throughout the night, Marines providing security apprehended three more suspected insurgents. One by one, each of the detainees was questioned for information that could lead to further captures. While the interrogations were taking place, a helicopter was called to take the detainees to a different location.

The Marines weren’t the only ones keeping busy on this patrol. A Navy hospital corpsman attached to the platoon was able to test his medical skills when Cpl. Eric Bobbitt cut his hand while removing flex-cuffs off a detainee. The corpsman immediately determined Bobbitt would need stitches. And in classic fashion, Marines curiously gathered around to watch the surgery as if it were a newly-released movie.

What made this procedure more complicated was that the corpsman didn’t have a numbing medications, so the stitches were extra painful for Bobbitt. As the Marines gathered to watch the procedure, some started debating how may stitches he should get. One simply yelled, “Just put a zip-tie around it!”

Three stitches later, the corpsman cleaned and wrapped the wound. Bobbitt was grateful to see him start putting his tools away. Despite their disappointment with Bobbitt’s lack of emotion during the surgery, they gave him a pat on the back for a good display of grit.
The morning eventually arrived like a long-lost old friend, as the Marines started cleaning up the house. Before beginning the day, the platoon took care of damages done to the house and started on that day’s patrol.

Shortly into this patrol, Marines heard machine gun fire in the distance. They immediately took action and searched the houses nearest to the gunfire. An Iraqi man at one of the houses said that an American convoy had just driven by and fired shots into the trees, however, no convoys had gone through that area for a while.

As the Marines searched his residence, they found a machine gun with the barrel still hot sitting in his chicken coop and suddenly his story had holes. A further investigation turned up a box of ammunition, binoculars, a bayonet, and a rifle magazine lying in the yard. He was questioned, detained and sent for further interrogation.

During six long days of patrols, each of Bravo’s platoons had covered more than 40 miles and captured numerous suspected insurgents. Hopkins summarized the company’s performance by saying, “The mission went great because of high operational tempo and positive contact with the locals.”


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Springhill, Fla., native fine tunes weapon, prepares for seven-month deployment
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200532123543
Story by Cpl. Mike Escobar



CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq (March 18, 2004) -- 'One shot, one kill' is the motto by which every Marine rifleman, like Pfc. Joseph H. Sysol, lives. This 18-year-old and his fellow Marines train long hours firing many ranges and familiarizing themselves with various weapons systems, from rifles to automatic grenade launchers, to refine the art of placing rounds on target with speed and deadly precision.

While on deployment, the story is no different.

Sysol and the Marines and sailors of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, continued to refine their marksmanship skills by conducting a battle sight zero range here March 18-19, approximately one week after arriving in Iraq.

"We fired this range to adjust the sights on our weapons," said the infantryman with 81 mm mortar's Platoon, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. "This is the first real exercise we've done since arriving here."

According to the Springhill, Fla., native, Marines battle sight zeroed, or 'BZOed', their weapons to ensure their rounds hit where they aimed. Differences in breathing patterns and eyesight affect how each person sees a target through their sights, so troops fired three shot groups and observed where the rounds impacted after each string of fire.

Following each volley of rounds, the 2004 Land O' Lakes High School graduate and fellow Marines approached their targets, marked the impacts and made adjustments to their weapon's front sight tip (to control the round's up and down direction) and windage knob (left and right direction). If properly done, the last group should strike the target dead center.

"We also 'BZOed' the optics on our weapons," Sysol added. "Some of us were issued ACOGs (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsights, rifle-mounted scopes that help shooters aim more accurately even in low light situations), and we needed to calibrate them too."

To accomplish this, Marines looked through the scopes and fired their groups. Instead of making elevation and windage adjustments on the weapon, troops use the knobs on the optics themselves.

Along with firing the BZO range, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, personnel also conducted function checks on their hand-carried and vehicle-mounted automatic weapons.

"They get pretty beat up riding around on top of vehicles in convoys here, so it's good to check to see that they're working too," Sysol explained.

He also said the weapons had to be checked and adjusted as quickly as possible, because his unit is replacing the California-based 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, in conducting security and stability operations in and around Fallujah.

"We need to make sure everything works before we really head out," Sysol continued.

With properly calibrated rifles and automatic weapons, Sysol and the rest of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, is expecting seven months of patrolling city streets alongside Iraqi Security Forces to flush out insurgents.

Despite any challenges the mission ahead presents them, Marines like Sysol remain motivated.

"This is going to be my first deployment, but it's one hell of a first one," he stated. "I'm excited about accomplishing the missions ahead."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Troops May Start Coming Home
Associated Press
March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in Iraq could begin coming home in significant numbers if insurgent violence is low through the general elections scheduled for the end of the year, a top general said Wednesday.

A larger and more capable insurgency, setbacks in the efforts to develop Iraq security forces, or missed deadlines by the transitional government could delay any significant drawdown, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith.

Smith, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which has military authority over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, commented in an interview with reporters at the Pentagon.

"(If) the elections go O.K., violence stays down, then we ought to be able to make some recommendations ... for us to be able to bring our forces home," Smith said.

Smith is the latest senior general to express conditional optimism about improvements in Iraq since the Jan. 30 elections. Previously, officials had spoken very little about prospects for withdrawal of the tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq.




In the last month, the rate of insurgent attacks on U.S., coalition and Iraqi personnel and civilians has dropped from an average of between 50 and 60 per day to between 40 and 45, defense officials say. U.S. forces are also suffering casualties at a lower rate.

Smith said that if that trend continues, Iraqi security forces should be able to handle the load, with American forces pulling back to function primarily as a rapid-response force in the event the Iraqis get in trouble.

"I think the answer to that is, yes, every indication is that they (Iraqis) will be able to handle this level of threat in the not to distant future," Smith said.

He said Gen. George Casey, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, will be coming up with plans early this summer for a possible drawdown.

Smith credited the security improvements primarily to the U.S. and Iraqi efforts in capturing and killing insurgents. But he also acknowledged that the Iraqi government has reached out to some Sunni Muslim groups that have been involved with the insurgency or worked against U.S. interests.

He mentioned in particular the Muslim Ulema Council, a group of leading Sunni religious leaders that is also known as the Association of Muslim Scholars.

"The Sunni have recognized boycotting the elections was a mistake," Smith said. "They clearly would like to figure out how they can get back in and participate."

But vast problems remain. Insurgents under Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and former leaders of Saddam Hussein's government remain active. Smith said there are some signs the groups, despite their different ideologies, are coordinating activities. Also, Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, only averages 12 hours of power a day, according to the State Department.

The insurgency has forced the United States to keep at least 138,000 troops in Iraq since the invasion two years ago. About 145,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq now, with about several thousand who were sent to assist in security for the Jan. 30 elections expected to go home in the coming weeks.

The semi-permanent force numbers 138,000 troops, or 17 brigades. More than 22,000 allied, non-Iraqi troops are also in the country.

Iraqi security forces have grown to more than 151,000 soldiers and police who have received training and equipment, Smith said. The quality and capabilities of these forces vary widely, and absenteeism among the police is a significant problem.

Early postwar plans for Iraq anticipated far fewer U.S. troops to be in the country by now, but the strength of the insurgency caught the U.S. military off guard.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Military Wary Of Payday Loans <br />
Kansas City Star <br />
March 31, 2005 <br />
<br />
Payday loan companies are exploiting cash-strapped military service members and their families, according to military spokesmen...

[thedrifter]

U.S. Sending Navy Ships To Quake Region
Associated Press
March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy has dispatched two vessels to Nias island in the earthquake-struck region of Indonesia, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday.

The USNS Mercy, a hospital ship, and the USNS Niagara Falls, a supply ship, are under way and should arrive at Nias island in six days, Lt. Cmdr. Greg Hicks said. The two vessels assisted in the recovery efforts from the December tsunami, and have since been on a humanitarian mission to East Timor.

The ships were sent to Nias island in response to an informal request for assistance from Jakarta, Hicks said. A formal request for help is expected through diplomatic channels shortly.

Other U.S. military assets, including aircraft and stockpiles of medical supplies, are standing by at Pacific Ocean bases if additional requests for aid are transmitted, Hicks said.




Monday's 8.7-magnitude quake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island, some 75 miles north of Nias. The larger Dec. 26 quake that generated devastating tsunami hit an area further northwest along the Sumatran coast.

Indonesian officials have estimated that 1,000 people died in the latest disaster, but some fear the number could climb to 2,000. Bodies were still being discovered in the ruins of houses and shops on Wednesday and laid out in front of churches and mosques.

The confirmed death toll was put at 518, with 500 of those on Nias, United Nations officials said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Early Letter May Affect Anthrax Ruling
United Press International
March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has sent a letter, possibly to hundreds of service personnel, apologizing for wrongly inoculating them with a controversial anthrax vaccine after a federal judge ordered the program stopped.

The timing of the letter, however, appears to forestall additional requirements directed by that judge, Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, and could create even more friction between him and the Pentagon.

Sullivan is expected to rule in the next couple of days on whether Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in contempt of court for failing to promptly halt inoculations of defense personnel with the controversial medication, called Anthrax Vaccine Absorbed or AVA.

The Pentagon vaccinated about 500 people after Sullivan issued his order last Oct. 27, with some of the shots being given as late as March 7 of this year.

Sullivan also is supposed to rule on a Defense Department request to modify the injunction, a decision that could lead to a formal resumption of the vaccination program. He has expressed displeasure with the Pentagon's handling of the injunction, however, even suggesting "systemic ineptitude" at one point.




Attorneys representing the department have returned the favor, telling Sullivan on March 21 they were preparing to go over his head and appeal the case if he refused to modify the injunction.

During the March 21 hearing, the Defense Department's attorneys said military readiness is being damaged by the halt in the program. In January, the department obtained from the Food and Drug Administration -- in another highly controversial move -- an Emergency Use Authorization, allowing the inoculations to proceed. The lawyers asserted Sullivan should recognize the emergency authorization as a legal way for the department to continue giving the shots despite the injunction.

The letter of apology appears to stem from a discussion during a hearing on Feb. 14. Opponents to AVA suggested those given the shots after the court issued the injunction should be notified of their rights.

"I think they should be given some notice," Sullivan said. "Notice of whether they have rights or not? I'm not so sure. Maybe at the end of the day the court will direct the government to at least tell them that at the time they were inoculated there was an outstanding court order."

Sullivan said he felt "very strongly about (notification)," and added those inoculated incorrectly perhaps should be sent a copy of the court order and "let the chips fall where they may."

On March 21, Sullivan and Defense Department counsel Brian Boyle engaged in a protracted discussion over the letter and to whom it should be sent. He said the Pentagon did not want to send it to personnel who were inoculated incorrectly the first two days after the injunction because it was unreasonable to expect the order to be carried out instantaneously.

The vast majority of those inappropriately inoculated received the shots in the first two days after the injunction. Leaving out those vaccinated during the first 48 hours would greatly reduce the number of people notified.

Boyle admitted, however, some inoculations were given as late as March 7, when nine marine reservists were vaccinated in Cincinnati. Other vaccinations have taken place as well.

"The inoculations were not an attempt to keep the program alive," Boyle said.

Sullivan again indicated he thought the Defense Department was not taking the injunction seriously.

"This is not a small claims court." he said. "This is a federal court."

Sullivan then directed that a letter be sent over Rumsfeld's signature.

Unknown to Sullivan at the time, however, the letter already had been sent and signed by Col. Steven Jones, director of the Military Vaccine Agency.

"This letter is not any sort of a health warning," Jones wrote. "You received the same vaccine that was given to other military personnel prior to Oct. 28, 2004."

The letter did apologize, however, and offered further information via a Web site.

Defense Department lawyers later filed a clarification with the court, saying the letter, dated March 8, already had been mailed to approximately 90 percent of the affected service personnel.

It is not clear how Sullivan will react to both the timing of the letter and the fact the court was not promptly informed. Given that he directed Rumsfeld to send the letter, only to be told later that the letter already had gone out -- and given his unhappiness with the Pentagon's handling of other aspects of the controversy over the past two years -- Sullivan may take a harder line.

The next hearing on the injunction, the letter and the contempt order is scheduled for April 1.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

No Proof That Medic Killed Detainees
Associated Press
March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - An Army investigation found no evidence to substantiate a combat medic's alleged claim to a social worker that he killed several detainees while serving in an intensive care ward in Iraq, a spokesman said Wednesday. The soldier himself later said he had not killed anyone and his initial statements were misinterpreted.

The soldier was not identified in investigation documents released by the Army. A summary of his case was among reports of dozens of others in 99 pages of documents that the Army released publicly and to the American Civil Liberties Union under its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The soldier served in the medical ward for a month in Balad, Iraq, during his 5-month tour in the combat zone in early 2004. Balad is about 45 miles north of Baghdad.

According to a summary of the soldier's case, he told a social worker at Fort Bliss, Texas, after he returned that he "had killed numerous detainees by putting bleach in their IV bags, intentionally cutting their arteries so they would bleed out, punched them, and spit in their food. Further, that the death certificates did not indicate any foul play involving their deaths."




However, when investigators interviewed him, the soldier said he was only describing dreams he had, and that the social worker misunderstood him. He said he was very emotional when he spoke to her but that he distinguished his dreams from reality.

"The case was thoroughly investigated," said Lt. Col. Jeremy Martin, an Army spokesman. "There was nothing to validate the soldier's claims."

The case is closed, he said.

The military has released information of many, but not all, of the prisoner deaths in Iraq attributed to various causes. No deaths have been reported at the Balad base.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Confidentiality Rules Confuse Military <br />
Associated Press <br />
March 31, 2005 <br />
<br />
WASHINGTON - A task force examining sexual assaults at U.S. military academies said Wednesday that counselors and cadets...

[thedrifter]

Deer Park Marine Discusses Life In Iraq


A 1995 Deer Park High School graduate is now proudly serving in
Iraq, keeping an “eye in the sky” as he and others serving perform their daily perilous rigors “just for the chance to see one person in Iraq free or smile.”
Staff Sergeant Jason Snyder of Marine/Light Attack Squadron 269 first enlisted in the Marines in 1998 “to better myself and earn money for college,” he said. “I also wanted to be a Marine.” His first tour of duty, he said, came in 2000, where he was shipped to Kosovo, and then to Haiti for “Operation Secure Tomorrow.”
Now his typical day involves being a gunner and helicopter mechanic for UH-1 Hueys and AH-1 Super Cobras. “We have a pretty chaotic flight schedule ranging from medical evacuations to reconnaissance to close air support for the ground troops, which are all very important to the cause,” Snyder said. “Our squadron is rather large and Marines here hold job titles such as mechanics, crew chiefs and aircrew gunners, among others. The squadron operates 24/7 and is dedicated to our work. We here have a saying here that goes, ‘Our job is to fly and fight, and don’t you forget it.’”
And, he said, he sees his current mission in Al Asad, Iraq, as being one that will change the country the United States is helping liberate.
“Honestly, I would say that we here feel like we are making a difference as all the Marines here understand our job and what it entails in order to make this country free,” Snyder said. “As Marines we will stop at nothing just for the chance to see one person in Iraq free or smile. It’s really a great feeling when they shake your hand and thank you personally. I guess what I want everyone at home to realize [is] no matter how messed up it looks here from the television and other sources of media, we here see the big picture and we know we are here for a reason. We came to do what we signed up for and we will. Also, we will all return home to our families as heroes.”
And, according to Snyder, it seems that despite the differences in language and cultures, the Iraqi people seem to know why the members of the United States Armed Forces are in their homeland. “I’ve noticed that most people seem to appreciate what we are doing here,” Snyder said. “I still think they are a little confused as it is hard to comprehend due to language barriers. I believe they know we are here to help but also know that it’s not going to be easy, but worth the price for freedom that this country has not ever experienced.”
And despite some media reports about American Marines being unwanted guests in Iraq, Snyder said from his perspective closer to the action, this may not be the right impression. “What has surprised me most is the actual willingness to help,” he said, “like the amount of Iraqis on base working with the Americans. It’s great here. On Al Asad they have an Iraqi flag and an American flag side by side and that is a picture worth a thousand words.”
When his tour is over, Snyder said he looks forward to returning home to Deer Park. “What I miss most about Deer Park in the springtime is my family, of course, and the weather. It is getting hot here.”



Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bravo Company returns home (2)

Bravo Company receives a hero's welcome as cheering crowds line Harrison Boulevard to greet returning Oregon National Guardsmen


By Peter Chee
The Daily Barometer

Residents lined the sidewalks along Harrison Boulevard and Harrison Bridge, waving signs and U.S. flags to welcome home the Oregon National Guardsmen of Bravo Company from their 18-month deployment in Iraq.

Yellow ribbons hung from trees, streetlights and telephone poles -- anywhere they could be tied -- to line the route leading to the National Guard Armory, Bravo Company's destination.

"I'm so glad that they are coming back," said Ully Fleck, 45, whose son-in-law is a Marine. "It's a good feeling when people support their troops."

Fleck, along with her daughter, Stephanie Leman, 24, and other family members waited in the early afternoon on the corner of Second Street and Harrison Boulevard, the first street corner coming into town.

Leman said her husband fought in the first battles of Fallujah, Iraq, with his fellow Marines and returned home last month to his station in California. Leman was in Oregon staying with her mother to welcome back Bravo Company because her husband knows several of the Guardsmen.

"There are five of them, a bunch of friends he went to school with," Leman said.

"He's my son-in-law, I'm so proud of him," Fleck said.

More residents began to gather as scattered reports came in that the two Greyhound buses carrying Bravo Company and their police motorcade drew closer to Corvallis. Many of those gathered were families with young children.

"We got here when the streets were empty," said Jamie Olsen, 24. "Now look at them."

Farther back from the corner where Fleck, Leman and Olsen stood was a red ladder truck from Corvallis Fire Department's Station No. 1. Its ladder was extended high above, with a large American flag suspended from its rescue basket.

Burke Van Patten, a sophomore in engineering and volunteer firefighter in residence, was on hand to man the truck. He said New York firefighters were the first on the scene during the Sept. 11 attacks and the soldiers of Bravo Company have continued their efforts to safeguard the country.

"They took over where we left off," Van Patten said. "We're showing respect that they're back home and safe."

Corvallis resident Sarah Hubert, 62, stressed the importance of citizens supporting troops even if they disagree with the war.

"We didn't support the people who came back from Vietnam and that was a huge injustice," she said.

At G&J Auto Sales across the street from the ladder truck, salesmen and workers gathered in the lot to await the motorcade, turning on the yellow emergency blinkers for all the cars in the lot.

Bob Bending, 33, a salesman for G&J, said workers tossed around many ideas on how to welcome the soldiers back home. The emergency blinkers were just one suggestion.

"It's good to see," Bending said, looking at those gathered in support along the street.

Bending said G&J is one of the first businesses drivers see as they enter Corvallis, so it was important they showed a warm welcome to Bravo Company. Bending said the car batteries could last several hours with the emergency lights on.

"It's all right; even if they went dead, we could jump them," he added.

At around 2:30 p.m., Bravo Company passed over Harrison Bridge and drove down Harrison Street to cheers and the blaring of police sirens from their motorcade.

"Whoop-dee-doo!" shouted Marcy Turmbull, 70, as the two busses drove past. From behind the tinted windows, the outlines of waving Guardsmen could be seen.

Turmbull said she was 10 when World War II ended and remembers listening to cheers coming over the radio.

"I remember the sounds," Turmbull said. "I'll never forget the sounds of people from Paris on the radio."

"I'm very proud of you," Turmbull said as a message to returning soldiers. "I'm so happy to see you're back."



Peter Chee, city editor

city@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Erlanger, Ky., native baptized in Iraq on Easter
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200533072558
Story by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel



CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (March 27, 2005) -- As the sun peaks over the Iraqi desert horizon heralding the Easter morning, a Marine is submerged in a small tub of chilled water.

As the Marine reemerges from the tub water pours from his face; his baptism is complete. Opening his eyes, he finds himself to be a new man on this sacred morning.

Cpl. Robert Sherman, a supply clerk with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, decided that being deployed to a combat zone in Iraq was the best time for him to claim his faith.

"The reason I decided to get baptized in Iraq was because about three or four months ago, I got tired of handling things on my own. So I started getting into the bible and going to bible studies," continued the 32-year-old Erlanger, Ky., native. "I just felt it was time to make a public announcement of my faith and that I will follow Jesus Christ and worship him with all my heart."

The 1990 Heights High School graduate knew that the country he was in was the perfect setting for his baptism.

"It was kind of ironic being baptized in Iraq, which is a biblical setting. I wanted to get it done, and it was eating me up inside. I knew that it was time to get it done and what better place," explained Sherman.

The 1994 Georgetown College graduate realized the effect his baptism may have on his fellow Marines who may question their faith due to being in combat.

"It's important for me because of the environment I'm in. You have people out here that might question their faith because of something they may have experienced. I wanted to show them that out here is the best place to renew your faith and just believe," he continued. "I'm a grown man, and it was my own free will."

After being baptized, Sherman continued with his daily work. His job is important because he ensures Marines get the right gear and he keeps track all the gear for the battalion.

"I handle all the serialized gear. I keep track of all the gear that goes to each company and each section," he explained.


Knowing most of the Marines in the unit because of his job, Sherman said that having his fellow Marines at his baptism was one of the best parts of the morning.

"The best part of being baptized was being baptized with my fellow Marines around and having the sun rising in the desert horizon," he explained.

One of his fellow Marines, fellow supply noncommissioned officer Sgt. Kendrick L. McRae, baptized Sherman.

"It was special for me to be a part of his baptism. He announced his faith in Jesus Christ today and it was amazing," McRae explained afterward.

For Sherman, this Easter is one he says he will remember for the rest of his life.

"Today was a day in my mind that I was saved. The whole time I was being baptized, I was saying prayers to myself, but I also kept thinking 'man this water is cold," he said, laughing.

With his baptism in Iraq completed, Sherman sees this experience as a new beginning for him.

"I'm not perfect and I'm going to make mistakes, I feel I have a responsibility to god and to my faith now. It was a big step for me in my life," Sherman explained, smiling with a peaceful look on his face.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines urged to talk about war experiences

By: PAUL SISSON - Staff Writer

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Generally, Marines are not seen as a touchy-feely bunch. Spotting a group hug at Camp Pendleton is as unlikely as spotting a dodo bird nesting along the Santa Margarita River.

However, the Corps has begun to realize that being physically and mentally tough does not necessarily mean keeping mum about traumatic memories from the battlefield.

Such was the case Wednesday at Camp Pendleton when a group of some 80 Marines, recently returned from Iraq, gathered in an auditorium to receive advice on how to avoid post-traumatic stress disorder, which can strike troops who have been subjected to the violence of war.


Col. Darcy Kauer, commanding officer for the I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, told the gathering that they should accept that war can inflict wounds that do not bleed.

"No matter who you are going into combat, you're going to come back changed," Kauer said. "We can be psychologically, emotionally and spiritually injured."

He used his own experience of returning from the war in the Persian Gulf in 1991 as proof that the mental ravages of war should be taken seriously.

"When I got home ... my wife told me I'd changed," Kauer said. "Looking back, I now realize I was not transitioning well."

Wednesday's briefing was part of the new "Warrior Transition Program," created in the wake of national criticism that the military wasn't doing enough to identify and prevent the stress syndrome after troops returned from war.

After four days of leave, Marines must now return to the base to receive a three-hour "warrior transition briefing" such as the one Wednesday.

They must then work a week of half days on the base, where they receive more counseling and time to adjust to civilian life. Only after that week can Marines take extended leave.

Col. William Hatton, a reservist from Oregon, returned last week from Camp Fallujah in Iraq. He noted that the transition program was not in place when he went to Iraq in 2003.

"The last time I was over there, we only had two days of it," he said.

Hatton, commander of a combat engineering company, said it was especially important that the Corps acknowledge that even troops who have not been directly subjected to combat are still susceptible to stress disorder.

"While they may not have been in a direct combat environment, just being over there can lead to a stressful situation," he said.

After the officers had their say, they were dismissed from the auditorium, leaving behind a few dozen Marines whose rank was sergeant or below.

In walked Chaplain Mark Smith, who urged the troops to "take out the garbage" by sharing their experiences in Iraq with other Marines, friends and family.

"Every time a memory comes to you, you should write it down," Smith said.

He stressed the therapeutic value of repeating stories.

"Tell your story every time and you will probably be OK," Smith said.

The chaplain also drew on recent brain research, which he said suggests that the hippocampus, the part of the brain that tracks where information is stored, can be physically harmed by trauma.

"It can actually shrink about 20 percent," he said.

He noted that even Marines who have never fired their weapons may still subjected to constant stress in the field, especially at such locations as Camp Fallujah, which was regularly attacked by insurgent rocket and mortar fire.

After the briefing, Sgt. George Dodds, who served as part of Lt. Gen. John Sattler's personal security force, said he had mixed feelings about the new emphasis on helping Marines cope with the psychological rigors.

"I wouldn't say I find it helpful," Dodds said. "I can see why they do it just to cover themselves."

The Burlington, Iowa, native has been sent twice to Iraq. He said his first tour was more difficult to return from than the second.

Dodds said the Marines he knows generally do not have much difficulty talking about their experiences in Iraq.

"I see a lot of people opening up with their stories," Dodds said.

Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Okinawa-based Marines push to meet smallpox vaccination goal
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 2005324205346
Story by Lance Cpl. Cathryn D. Lindsay



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan (March. 25, 2005) -- Units islandwide are pushing to meet the May 1 goal for smallpox vaccinations for the more than 20,000 servicemembers currently assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Medical personnel must screen and vaccinate all medically qualified servicemembers in order to meet the goal outlined in a letter of instruction issued by the III MEF commanding general, Lt. Gen. Robert R. Blackman, this past February.

The LOI was in response to a message sent by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld to hospitals militarywide Sept. 2, directing the expansion of the smallpox vaccination program to deploying servicemembers.

The immunization program was expanded as part of an ongoing military inoculation plan that began in 2002, in order to give military members an additional layer of protection, in addition to antibiotics, against infectious diseases.

Smallpox was officially considered eradicated in 1977, but the United States and the former Soviet Union kept samples of the disease for research purposes, explained Lt. Cmdr. Reed Pate, an occupational medicine physician at the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa in a smallpox briefing here March 8. In 1980, the former Soviet Union lost its samples of the virus, and it is unknown whether the samples were given to other countries in an effort to create biological weapons.

Servicemembers need to receive the smallpox vaccine before deploying to areas such as Korea and Iraq, which are high-risk areas for biological weapons, Pate stressed.

Before a servicemember receives the vaccination, he must receive a brief that outlines how the vaccination works, vaccination site care and medical problems that may prevent a servicemember from receiving the shot.

Representatives from the USNH have been giving mass briefings to Marines islandwide in order to meet the May 1 goal.

Following the brief, all individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccine will undergo a one-on-one medical screening with a specifically trained healthcare provider to ensure that the servicemember does not have any medical conditions that would make it dangerous for them to receive the vaccine.

People who would not receive the smallpox vaccine are those who have weakened immune systems, including people with AIDS, HIV, cancer, recent organ transplants or who are currently ill, Pate explained. Additionally, people with certain skin problems and women who are pregnant are not eligible for the vaccine.

The USNH has also been administering the vaccine to individual units and servicemembers at their place of work.

“Instead of making all the Marines come to (the hospital), we have been going to them,” Pate said.

The prevalent symptoms of smallpox are fever, chills and a rash, which is mostly concentrated on the face, legs and arms. The rash consists of swollen lumps under the skin and leaves individuals with permanent, disfiguring scars. About 30 percent of people who become infected with smallpox will die from the virus if not previously vaccinated, according to the military’s vaccines Web site at http://www.vaccines.mil.

The smallpox vaccine is administered with a small pitchfork-like needle, which is dipped into the vaccine and jabbed into the skin three times, usually on the upper arm, and it protects about 95 percent of people exposed to the virus, Pate explained.

A small blister forms at the vaccination site within six to eight days if the vaccine is working correctly. The virus stays at the site of the blister, making it extremely important for people not to touch the site after the inoculation. If a person touches the blister or scab, the virus could spread to other parts of the body, which could create a similar blister, Pate stressed.

The blister will turn into a scab, after the body has fought the virus, and fall off in about 21 days.

About 20 percent of those vaccinated suffer from side effects of the vaccine, which may include a headache, sore arm, itching at the site of the inoculation or fatigue, according to Pate.

“Since (the hospital) usually deals with young, healthy servicemembers, most everyone is eligible for the vaccine,” Pate said.

Servicemembers required to receive the smallpox vaccine will be contacted by their respective unit’s vaccine coordinators with scheduled appointments.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Army's Stryker Vehicle Faulty
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Thu Mar 31, 2005 01:24 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new U.S. Army troop transport vehicle in Iraq has many defects, putting soldiers at risk from rocket-propelled grenades and raising questions about its $11 billion cost, The Washington Post reported in its Thursday edition.

The vehicle is known as the Stryker, which is made by General Dynamics Corp., according to the newspaper, which said it reviewed a classified study by the Army in December.

The report, drawn from confidential interviews with operators of the vehicles in Iraq in the last quarter of 2004, lists complaints about the vehicle including design flaws and maintenance problems that are "getting worse not better," the paper said.

The Army report makes clear that the vehicle's military performance has fallen short although many soldiers in the field say they like the vehicle, the Post said.

For example, an armoring shield installed on Stryker vehicles to protect against unanticipated attacks by insurgents using low-tech weapons works against half the grenades used to assault it, the newspaper said.

The shield, installed at a base in Kuwait, is so heavy that tire pressure must be checked three times daily and nine tires a day are changed after failing, the paper said, referring to the Army document.

"The additional weight significantly impacts the handling and performance during the rainy season," the Post cited the Army report as saying.

The paper listed other complaints such as slow and overheating computers and a $157,000 grenade launcher that fails to hit targets when the vehicle is moving.

The Army report said its laser designator, zoom, sensors, stabilizer and rotating speed all need redesign; it does not work at night; and its console display is in black and white although "a typical warning is to watch for a certain color automobile," the Post reported.

Army figures show 17 soldiers in the Stryker combat brigade have died in Iraq in 157 bomb explosions. But whether the deaths occurred outside or inside the vehicle has not been specified, the Post said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. May Bring Troops Home if Violence Low
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By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. forces in Iraq could begin coming home in significant numbers if insurgent violence is low through the general elections scheduled for the end of the year, a top general said Wednesday.

A larger and more capable insurgency, setbacks in the efforts to develop Iraq security forces, or missed deadlines by the transitional government could delay any significant drawdown, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith.

Smith, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which has military authority over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, commented in an interview with reporters at the Pentagon.

"(If) the elections go O.K., violence stays down, then we ought to be able to make some recommendations ... for us to be able to bring our forces home," Smith said.

Smith is the latest senior general to express conditional optimism about improvements in Iraq since the Jan. 30 elections. Previously, officials had spoken very little about prospects for withdrawal of the tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq.

In the last month, the rate of insurgent attacks on U.S., coalition and Iraqi personnel and civilians has dropped from an average of between 50 and 60 per day to between 40 and 45, defense officials say. U.S. forces are also suffering casualties at a lower rate.

Smith said that if that trend continues, Iraqi security forces should be able to handle the load, with American forces pulling back to function primarily as a rapid-response force in the event the Iraqis get in trouble.

"I think the answer to that is, yes, every indication is that they (Iraqis) will be able to handle this level of threat in the not to distant future," Smith said.

He said Gen. George Casey, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, will be coming up with plans early this summer for a possible drawdown.

Smith credited the security improvements primarily to the U.S. and Iraqi efforts in capturing and killing insurgents. But he also acknowledged that the Iraqi government has reached out to some Sunni Muslim groups that have been involved with the insurgency or worked against U.S. interests.

He mentioned in particular the Muslim Ulema Council, a group of leading Sunni religious leaders that is also known as the Association of Muslim Scholars.

"The Sunni have recognized boycotting the elections was a mistake," Smith said. "They clearly would like to figure out how they can get back in and participate."

But vast problems remain. Insurgents under Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and former leaders of Saddam Hussein's government remain active. Smith said there are some signs the groups, despite their different ideologies, are coordinating activities. Also, Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, only averages 12 hours of power a day, according to the State Department.

The insurgency has forced the United States to keep at least 138,000 troops in Iraq since the invasion two years ago. About 145,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq now, with about several thousand who were sent to assist in security for the Jan. 30 elections expected to go home in the coming weeks.

The semi-permanent force numbers 138,000 troops, or 17 brigades. More than 22,000 allied, non-Iraqi troops are also in the country.

Iraqi security forces have grown to more than 151,000 soldiers and police who have received training and equipment, Smith said. The quality and capabilities of these forces vary widely, and absenteeism among the police is a significant problem.

Early postwar plans for Iraq anticipated far fewer U.S. troops to be in the country by now, but the strength of the insurgency caught the U.S. military off guard.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Soldier Defends His Killing of Iraqi as the Honorable Thing <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
From Associated Press <br />
March 31, 2005 <br />
<br />
WIESBADEN,...

[thedrifter]

April 04, 2005

Iraqis step into bigger role
Dedicated forces, ‘decisive’ leader have improved country, general says

By Gordon Lubold
Times staff writer


Both Iraqi security forces and leaders in Iraq are taking more responsibility for the security and stabilization of their country, a top Marine general said.
Speaking two years after he led Marines into Iraq as commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, Lt. Gen. James Conway painted an encouraging picture of the country and its ability to become more stable and prosperous. Iraqi forces will begin to take more of a lead in the coming months and hopefully give U.S. forces less to do, he said.

“We have got to plan for that day when Iraqis are truly front and center,” said Conway, speaking March 22 in Washington.

Conway, who was the senior Marine commander in Iraq for nearly two years, became the director of operations for the Pentagon last fall.

Training Iraqis to become members of the Iraqi security force was simply a “jobs program” at the beginning and also a means by which coalition forces could get the potential troublemakers off the streets, he said. It has since turned into an effective and formalized training program that is turning Iraqis into confident risk-takers willing to go the extra mile.

More members of Iraqi security forces are dying than U.S. forces, a positive sign that they are stepping up to stabilize their country, Conway said. Iraqis are putting their lives on the line in ways not seen just months ago, Conway added.

“They were literally tackling people thought to have explosives,” Conway said. “I find that impressive.”

Despite the risks, there are still more people willing to be trained to become members of the Iraqi security forces than U.S. forces have the ability to train, he said.

As of March 22, there were about 147,000 members of the Iraqi security force, Conway said. The goal is to train and equip 270,000 within the next couple of years, he said.

The Iraqi leadership, meanwhile, is also taking important steps forward, he said. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has been “more than satisfactory” as a leader, Conway said. Allawi has stood firm with members of local councils, some of whom complained to Allawi that coalition checkpoints were too restrictive and that many residents had yet to see compensation for family members who have been killed.

“He has shown the decisiveness and forward thinking that we would want to see in a leader,” Conway said.

Meanwhile, the man considered responsible for much of the insurgency, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has made critical strategic errors, Conway said.

Zarqawi’s attempt to create civil war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims by killing Shiites has been ineffective, Conway said. Zarqawi miscalculated by not winning the support of the majority of the Iraqi populace.

“I would argue that they have violated some of the precepts of a successful insurgency and at this point, things are not looking good for [Zarqawi] and his compatriots,” Conway said.

The challenge for the future will be for U.S. forces to use technology to counter the insurgency, using weapons and other equipment that insurgents don’t possess, he said.

But coalition forces must develop a way to destroy the cheap, simple killer of many troops in Iraq: the improvised explosive.

“Somewhere, I’m convinced the technology exists to both detect and destroy these things before we get in their range,” Conway said.

Media coverage of operations in Iraq has had its high and low points, Conway said. The embedded media program was considered a success during the 2003 invasion, but coverage turned more negative several months later and resulted in a disparity between the reality on the ground and the way it’s portrayed in the media, he said.

Echoing a newspaper column he had read, Conway half-joked that the negative coverage is just reporters getting payback.

“Remember, these reporters were being stuffed into wall lockers in high school by the types who now run our military,” he said, evoking laughter from the audience.

“They’re just trying to get even.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine's heroics caught on CNN tape; up for silver star
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By JOHN ANDERSON
Wellsville Daily Reporter
March 31, 2005

WELLSVILLE -- In just two months in Iraq, Wellsville Marine Lance Cpl. Jason T. Hunt has been involved in two near-death situations and is being recommended for a Silver Star.

About three weeks ago, Hunt was driving in his vehicle near Fallujah, Iraq, when he came upon a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee, overturned in a sewage pond.

Hunt, 23, dove into the murky waters and helped pull three soldiers to safety. A fourth person, a civilian interpreter, died.

"It flipped over and Jason and his men pulled three guys out -- he was very upset about that," said his mother, Lois Hunt. "He cant tell us a lot, he's on a mission now and I don't know where he is."

Hunt's father, James Hunt, said as a result of those actions, his son is being recommended for the Silver Star.

The Silver Star is a United States military award which is presented to any active duty U. S. Armed Forces cited for gallantry in action against a foreign enemy.

While those actions are being praised by the military, Hunt became a national figure Monday night when he was featured on CNN during a dramatic bomb explosion.

"He was riding around with some guys looking for roadside bombs when they came across a car," explained James hunt. "They inspected the car and couldn't get in the truck.

"They called the OED, the Ordinate Disposal Unit, and they were told if they couldn't find any wires in it, they weren't coming over. Jason was told to move the vehicle to the side of the road and when he did, a bomb detonated," he added.

Military officials were unsure if the bomb was tripped when the vehicle went up on the curve or if there was an insurgent with a remote control waiting to detonate the bomb when there was a possibility for most casualties.

Hunt was the only one in the Humvee when the bomb went off, and his vehicle was quickly engulfed with flames.

A CNN crew was traveling with Hunt and cameraman David Allbritton was taping the incident. The explosion blew Allbritton back 12 feet and he had shrapnel in his skin. CNN reporter Alex Quade checked on Allbritton and when he discovered his was not seriously injured, he grabbed his own handheld video camera and started taping the scene and doing interviews with Hunt.

As Quade was trying to find out who was in the Humvee, another Marine pointed to Hunt and said "the one in the Humvee when it blew up ... lucky son of a gun."

Hunt then told Quade, "I thought I was going to die ... I was pretty close, I consider myself lucky."

Hunt brushed himself off and worked security around the scene while his fellow Marines checked out the burning Humvee.

Recently, the safety of the Humvee's were called into question as soldiers were going to scrap yards to put steel plates on the vehicles to make them safer. The Humvee Hunt was driving was a new model designed for the military and has a price tag of around $175,000, James Hunt said.

"He was in an armored Humvee, thank God," said James Hunt. "He came through without any injuries, according to him."

The incident took place on Friday on a main supply road between Fallujah and Baghdad. The military told Hunt and the other Marines to quickly call home and tell their parents they were OK because the video was going to air on CNN Monday.

"They were doing what they were told to do," said James Hunt. "A $175,000 Humvee was toasted and the explosion could have killed three or four guys."

Lois Hunt said she has not talked to her son other than the five-minute conversation over a cell phone after the incident.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Ahmed...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the blog of A Day In Iraq - A soldier's daily experiences while living and fighting in Iraq.

A boy walked into my life for a brief moment this past Easter Sunday, and I am better because of it. Thomas and I were pulling guard on top of a tank that stands at the entrance to our FOB. We were tired, bored, and busy complaining about the endless hours we spend guarding something. Didn't we come over here to fight bad guys? It's as if we came over here for the sole reason to guard ourselves. Why can't we go on more wild rides on the Iraqi highways, letting adrenaline and chaos fuel our souls? At least the time would go by quicker.

We were sitting there on top of the tank, watching the Iraqi world pass us by and feeling sorry for ourselves. Since it was Easter, there weren't many convoys coming in or out of the gate, making the four hours seem endless. I tried hard not to glance at my watch again, knowing that I would be disappointed with what it had to tell me. Thomas and I had run out of things to talk about and were both in a daze of exhaustion.

I was behind the 240, and he was behind the .50 cal. Both of us were secretly wishing for a reason to make these guns talk. The guns sat lifeless, inanimate tools of death, begging to be brought to life. Do I really want someone to ride by and shoot at us? In the back of my mind I was grateful not to have bullets whizzing past my head. I know what that's like, and as soon as you're in that situation, you begin to imagine a million other places you would rather be. I was beginning to think that a firefight would be a welcome intrusion into my otherwise peaceful, boring day.

I must have been busy with these thoughts because seemingly out of nowhere, like angels sent from heaven, two young boys appeared at the gates, beckoning us with their voices. Where the hell had they come from? Thomas looked up and wondered the same thing. What did they want? One of them waived a piece of paper in his hand as if he was a messenger, anxious to deliver his message. "I'll go see what they want," Thomas said. "Hopefully they won't blow me up." As I held up my hand to signal for them to wait there, I realized that his comment didn't hold the sarcasm that it might have a couple of weeks ago before a boy their age blew himself up outside our FOB, killing four Iraqi soldiers in the process. Thomas got off the tank and began walking toward the boys, holding up his hand at one point when they began to duck under the gate. They got the message and stood there waiting, leaning against the long arm stretching from one side of the gate to the other.

As Thomas got close to the gate, the boy with the message held out the paper for him to take. The boys both smiled and looked at each other with relief, as if their mission had finally been accomplished in handing this young American soldier this piece of paper. I could see Thomas shake his head a little as he read the piece of paper. With the boys still smiling, Thomas walked back to the tank with a bleak look on his face.

"What does it say," I asked? While he read it to me, I couldn't help but look back at the boy with sadness. He looked right back at me with a smile still on his face, oblivious to the message he had carried with him. It was a note from a doctor at another FOB in the area asking if someone would evaluate the boy and give him any treatment they could. He was a 14-year old boy, named Ahmed, with signs of possible liver failure/cirrhosis in his lower extremities. Dammit. Why couldn't it be someone other than this boy? Why couldn't it be an old man who had lived a full life?

"What do you want to do," he asked? "Let me see the paper." He handed it up to me and I read it for myself. He's not even supposed to be at this FOB. It's for a doctor at the med station of another FOB close by. They better take a look at him anyway, or I'm going to walk him down there myself. I picked up the radio, called battalion, and let them know the situation. Thankfully the guy on the other end had a heart. He told us to search him and call an escort to escort him to the aid station. I called back and asked if it was okay if he brought his friend along too. He said it was fine, and we waved the two boys to the tank. While they are walking up, Thomas and I decide that if what this paper says is true, this boy may not live past his youth. "He doesn't even know, does he," he asked? "No, I doubt he does." "Man this sucks." "Yeah, but hopefully they can do something for him." I said this knowing full well that Iraq probably doesn't have some kind of donor program, and that this kid will never receive a donor or transplant in this country.

As the boys got closer, I noticed the one that was holding the paper walked with a pronounced limp. They got up to the tank and looked up at it with awe. Both of them said hello and waved to me again. I could tell they didn't understand English and confirmed it by asking them. I could tell Thomas didn't want to subject them to a search but did anyway, joking around with them as he waved the magic metal detecting wand over them. They didn't mind the search, even seemed to think that it was neat. I called an escort over the radio and told him to come to our location to pick up two boys that needed to go to the aid station. I knew it would be a few minutes before he arrived, so I got down off the tank to talk to them.

Ahmed's friend's name was Mohamed. They were both wearing long-sleeve t-shirts with sweat pants that were dirty from the knee down. Ahmed and Mohamed, good ole pals, were having the time of their life just getting to walk into the American's camp and talk with some soldiers. "Look at his foot," Thomas said. "It looks pretty bad." His right foot was twice the size of his left, so that it wouldn't fit into his sandal. Ahmed saw me look at his foot, and I tried to hide the surprised look on my face. With the hand signals that became our way of communicating, he asked me if I wanted to see it. "Yeah, let me take a look at it." He slid his pant's leg up and pulled his sock down, revealing a hugely swollen foot with a bandage around it that had been stained by blood and pus. At least they can clean it up and put on a new bandage, I thought, as I tried to hide the disgusted look on my face at the sight of his wound. "What happened to your foot," I asked? Mohamed somehow understood and began moving his arms in an upward motion around his body. "Was it fire, did he get burned?" Mohamed understood the word fire and said yes, it was fire. Ahmed, still smiling, showed me another burn scar on his hand. This poor kid got burned and now it won't heal.

Letting my fingers do the walking, I asked them if they had walked all the way over here from the other FOB. They didn't understand until I asked them if they had ridden in a sierra(sp) over here. Sierra is Arabic for car, and with that word they understood. They had taken a taxi over here. I wouldn't have been surprised if Ahmed had limped all the way over here with his bad foot. Where were Ahmed's parents? Why hadn't they come with him? They only answer that I could come up with was that they too knew nothing of the severity of his wound.

I wanted to give this kid something, anything that would maybe make him happy. I wish I could've given him a ride in the tank. I wish I had the power to get him a ride on a helicopter. I wish I could've put him on a plane to the U.S. with the best doctor in the world waiting to greet him as he arrived. I wish they could've saved the liver of one of the Iraqi soldiers that had been killed by another boy Ahmed's age and given it to him.

All I had with me was what I'd brought with me to my guard shift. I jumped up on the tank and got a few pieces of bubble gum, two packs of Trident, a Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and a small bag of Life Savers. Unfortunately it would take a lot more than candy to save this boy's life. Their eyes lit up with joy at the sight of these treats. They put the drinks in their pocket for later and started piling gum into their mouth. They looked at each other and laughed as they struggled to chew the big wad of gum. I tried to tell them that the bubble gum and peppermint Trident mixture might not be that good, but they didn't understand and didn't seem to care.

We showed them our guns and tried to explain all the trinkets that were attached to our vests. I wanted to give them all of it and let them play American Soldier for a while. As they continued to point at different things with curiosity, the escort showed up to lead them away. This escort was some young punk, who made a show of slapping a magazine into his weapon as he approached. I wanted to take him around the other side of the tank and punch him in the mouth. "Have you already searched them," he asked? "Yeah Rambo, we already searched them, but be careful, these kids may try to take over the FOB," Thomas replied as he rolled his eyes. I wanted a damn General to drive up in his armored Suburban and personally give them a ride. I wanted him to be treated like a King.

The boys gathered up their gum and candy and started to follow behind Rambo. Both of them looked excited about the prospect of entering this world of wonder. As Ahmed began limping away, smile still stretched across his face, he looked back at me right in the eyes, gave me a thumbs up and said thank you. I waved back and said thank you to him, wishing I could do more. He turned, caught up with his friend, and walked out of my life. His message had been delivered. Ahmed reminded me that I should be eternally grateful for all that has been given to me. At this point guard didn't seem like that bad a deal.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Colin Powell: U.S. was 'too loud' pushing Iraq war
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reuters
March 30, 2005

The United States made errors in presenting its case for war against Iraq, but Saddam Hussein had to be removed, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told a German magazine.

"We were sometimes too loud, too direct, perhaps we made too much noise," Powell told Stern magazine in an interview released on Wednesday. "That certainly shocked the Europeans sometimes."

He said terms like "Old Europe," the expression coined by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to describe countries such as France and Germany which opposed the war, had not helped ease European concerns about Washington's policies.

But he said that despite the problems facing U.S. troops in Iraq, it was better that Saddam Hussein was no longer in power.

"Yes, the insurgency is much bigger than we anticipated. But I'm glad that Saddam is in jail," he said in the German article.

Powell said he had argued for a diplomatic solution against Cabinet colleagues such as Vice President Dick Cheney, who did not believe that diplomacy would work.

"The situation with Saddam Hussein had to be resolved, either by taming him or by removing him by military means," he said. "I'm sure that the Vice President's view from the very beginning was: we'll never solve this through diplomatic means."

Angry over misinformation
Powell said he was "furious and angry" that he had been misinformed about Iraq's stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction when he laid out the case for war before the United Nations Security Council in February, 2003.

"It was information from our security services and from some Europeans, including Germans. Some of this information was wrong. I did not know this at the time," he told the magazine.

"Hundreds of millions followed it on television. I will always be the one who presented it. I have to live with that."

But he said he had never considered resigning and rejected suggestions that his relationship with President George W. Bush was a cool one.

"Anyone who says that has no idea. We are friends," he said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

The Iraq War's Outsourcing Snafu
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By Max Boot
Los Angeles Times, March 31, 2005

Ever since Ronald Reagan proclaimed in his 1981 inaugural address that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem," leaders at all levels of government, Democrats and Republicans alike, have been outsourcing as much work as possible to the private sector. This is generally a good idea, but when it comes to the military, this trend may have gone too far.

Peter W. Singer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of "Corporate Warriors," estimates that there are 20,000 to 30,000 civilians in Iraq performing traditional military functions, from maintaining weapons systems to guarding supply convoys. If you add foreigners involved in reconstruction and oil work, the total soars to 50,000 to 75,000. To put this into perspective: All of Washington's allies combined account for 23,000 troops in Iraq. In the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, Singer quips that "President George W. Bush's 'coalition of the willing' might thus be more aptly described as the 'coalition of the billing.' "

Let us stipulate that most contractors are upstanding, hardworking individuals who perform valuable and dangerous work. At least 175 have been killed and 900 wounded in Iraq. But their labor has been tarnished by scandals and snafus too numerous to ignore.

Oil-services giant Halliburton and the security firm Custer Battles, among others, have been accused of swindling U.S. taxpayers. Other contractors are said to have been simply ineffective. Vinnell Corp. did such a poor job of training Iraqi army recruits that half of its first battalion walked off the job. The Army had to step in to perform the work itself.

Other companies have been accused of human rights violations: Interrogators from CACI International were in the middle of the Abu Ghraib mess. And still others have caused major problems by failing to coordinate with the military chain of command. The most notorious example was the decision by four Blackwater employees to enter Fallouja on March 31, 2004, without notifying the local Marine garrison. Their well-publicized deaths in an ambush forced the Marines into a costly offensive to try to regain control of the city.

There is nothing new or nefarious about privatizing military support functions. But, in Iraq, the contractors aren't just building latrines or staffing mess halls. They're also running around with assault rifles and black body armor performing "tactical" functions. Many are well-trained U.S. or British veterans, but others are Rambo wannabes or sordid desperados. Among the mercenaries who have surfaced in Iraq are South Africans who were members of apartheid-era death squads and Chileans who served in Pinochet's security services.

When U.S. service members are accused of wrongdoing, they are investigated and, if necessary, court-martialed. That's not the case with civilians who are generally not covered by the laws of their home countries for crimes committed abroad. The Iraqi legal system could hold them to account, but in practice Baghdad won't do anything that might lead to an exodus of foreign firms. Dozens of U.S. and British soldiers have been prosecuted for misconduct in Iraq -- but not a single contractor.

A lack of accountability leads to occurrences such as those described by four former Custer Battles employees who claim that poorly trained Kurds on the firm's payroll killed innocent motorists. In one incident, a guard supposedly fired his AK-47 into a passenger car to clear a traffic jam. In another, an aggressive driver in a giant pickup truck allegedly pulverized a sedan with children inside. When true (the firm denies any wrongdoing), such incidents only create more insurgent recruits.

U.S. policymakers argue that they have to rely on private help because the U.S. armed forces simply aren't big enough to do everything, and allies have not made up the shortfall. But that's an argument for expanding the armed forces, not for hiring a lot of freelance gunslingers. Administration officials complain that a bigger army is too expensive, but are they really saving money by relying on privateers?

The most valued contractors are experienced former U.S. Special Forces operatives whose training cost the Pentagon hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are being lured out of uniform by the promise of making $500 to $1,000 a day. (If they stay in the service they'll be lucky to make $140 a day.) And where does that money come from? Pretty much all the foreign firms in Iraq are paid by the U.S. Treasury. So the government is in competition with itself for its most skilled and hard-to-replace soldiers. Does this sort of outsourcing really make sense?


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Insurgent attacks against U.S. troops decline <br />
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The Associated Press <br />
March 30, 2005 <br />
<br />
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgent...

[thedrifter]

Draft may be needed in a year, military analysts warn
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By BOB DART
Cox News Service
Thursday, March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - If American forces aren't pulling out of Iraq in a year, a draft will be needed to meet manpower requirements, military analysts warned Wednesday.

With recruitment lagging and no end in sight for U.S. forces in Iraq, the "breaking point" for the nation's all-volunteer military will be mid-2006, agreed Lawrence Korb, a draft opponent and assistant defense secretary in the Reagan administration, and Phillip Carter, a conscription advocate and former Army captain.

The U.S. military cannot deploy and sustain enough troops to succeed in countries like Iraq while still deterring threats elsewhere, Carter said at a symposium where he debated Korb on the draft.

Korb is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information. Carter is attorney who writes on military affairs for Slate.com and other media.

While conceding that the Army, Marines, National Guard and Army Reserve - the branches serving most in Iraq - face recruitment difficulties, military officials have denied any plans to revive the draft, which was replaced by an all-volunteer force in 1973.

"The 'D-word' is the farthest thing from my thoughts," Army Secretary Francis Harvey said at a Pentagon press briefing last week. He said the all-volunteer force has proven its value and applauded the performance of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"When you get over there, there's no difference between the active, the Reserves and the National Guard. The quality is high across the board. ... It's seamless," he said.

During his re-election campaign, President Bush declared flatly that he would not reinstate the draft. And there is little support for conscription on Capitol Hill.

"Today, no leading politician in either party will come anywhere near the idea - the draft having replaced Social Security as the third rail of American politics," wrote Carter.

However, the analysts said that the all-volunteer army is on the verge of "breaking" under current circumstances. The 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Ga., and the 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas, are among the units that are being sent back for a second tour in Iraq.

The National Guard and Reserves historically depend on men and women leaving active duty to fill their ranks, Carter pointed out. But they're not going to join if it means they will be sent right back to Iraq in an activated unit, he said.

Military men, women and machines are all suffering from repeated deployments.

"What keeps me awake at night is what will this all-volunteer force look like in 2007," Richard Cody, the Army Vice Chief of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 16.

Korb, assistant secretary defense for manpower from 1981 through 1985, said the current rotation is unfair to the "patriotic" men and women who volunteered for military service and are stuck on a cycle in and out of Iraq. Since only a tiny segment of the populace is sacrificing, there is no political pressure to change the system, he said.

"If you had a draft right now, I think you'd be out of Iraq," Korb said.

The American society "hasn't gotten the message that we're at war," agreed Carter.

"Those at peril are completely divorced from those in power," said Mark Shields, a syndicated columnist and TV commentator who moderated the symposium. "It's 'Patriotism Lite' - you put a sticker on your SUV."

"America has a choice," wrote Carter. "It can be the world's superpower or it can maintain the current all-voluntary military. But it probably can't do both."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Army captain found guilty in shooting death of wounded Iraqi <br />
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By Melissa Eddy, The Associated Press <br />
European...

[thedrifter]

Accused Soldier Has Hearing Postponed <br />
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By Associated Press <br />
March 30, 2005, 12:33 PM EST <br />
<br />
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- A...

[thedrifter]

Activists see deception in night arrivals at Walter Reed
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By Jon R. Anderson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, March 31, 2005

WASHINGTON - Steeling against rain and cold night air, clutching candles and placards, a group of activists are standing nightly vigils at the entrance to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, protesting what they believe is the Pentagon's attempt to hide the human toll of the war in Iraq.

With wounded troops arriving from Germany, where most receive treatment after being stabilized in the field, flights to the United States are arranged so that soldiers are admitted into Walter Reed for follow on care at night.

"When we first heard about this, we were appalled," said vigil organizer Gael Murphy, part of nationwide grass roots women's group dubbed Code Pink. "Why are they bringing them in only at night? Is it because they don't want the media to cover it? Is it because they don't want Americans to see the real cost of this war?"

No, say military officials.

"Night arrivals are beneficial to the patient, as they allow for a regular night of sleep, and then for doctors in Europe to make final determination on their ability to make the long flight, move patients from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and board the plane," wrote Walter Reed spokeswoman Lyn Kurkal, in a prepared statement.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Gary Keck said the arrival times were simply a matter of Air Force scheduling.

A spokesman for Air Mobility Command cited operating restrictions and patient processing in Germany.

Injured troops arrive at Andrews Air Force Base on Aeromedical Evacuation channel missions aboard C-141 Starlifter aircraft.

"These missions are scheduled to depart Ramstein in compliance with airfield operational restrictions and allow patients a restful night before the long trans-Atlantic flight," the spokesman said in a written response to Stars and Stripes questions.

"The Defense Department has been nothing but forthcoming in reporting the cost of war," said Jim Turner, another Pentagon spokesman, pointing to press releases on every servicemember killed, plus daily updates on numbers of wounded.

According to a Monday press release from Walter Reed, the hospital has treated 3,985 patients from Operation Iraqi Freedom since the war began, 1,050 of whom have been battle casualties.

But statistics and press releases are one thing, say the activists, the reality of burns and missing limbs quite another.

The activists say the practice seems too much like the White House ban on the filming of honor cordons repatriating war dead to U.S. soil in flag-draped coffins.

"The guys in here are the real cost of the war," says George Taylor, a former Navy officer and veteran of the 1962 Cuban Blockade, shrugging off the night cold among about two dozen activists outside the Walter Reed gates Tuesday night.

"It's just shameful that the military would try and sneak them in like this and hope no one notices their wounds," he adds, as a red minivan sporting a "Support our troops" yellow ribbon passes by. The driver honks the horn, yelling "We support you!" to the activists.

Kevin McCarron, a former Marine intelligence specialist and a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War, said he thinks the late-night admittances are a dishonor to the troops.

"They should be feted as they arrive, honored as heroes, not slipped through the back door like this," he said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Eyewitness from Baghdad <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
From: RandomProbabilities.Net <br />
<br />
Ever wonder what senior military leaders tell their troops...

[thedrifter]

M-1 Abrams tank proves useful, vulnerable in Iraq
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By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 31, 2005

The Army's M-1 Abrams tank unexpectedly has proven in Iraq to be one of the best weapons in close-range urban warfighting, but its once invincible image has been shattered by an inventive enemy.

The enemy has destroyed more than 20 of the 68-ton armored fortresses and disabled scores more, not with sophisticated anti-tank weapons, but with relatively crude rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and roadside bombs.

The good-news bad-news "lessons learned" out of Iraq has some Army officers rethinking plans to downsize the overall tank force, while M-1 producer General Dynamics quickly has developed a new package of protective gear called TUSK (tank urban survival kit).

"When you have a long endgame, a thinking enemy learns what to do," said Peter Keating, spokesman for General Dynamics Land Systems. "They have over time completely blown up a Bradley [fighting vehicle] and completely blown up a tank. You have enough time in the insurgency and build a big enough bomb, you can do the job."

The big-war-era tank was not supposed to be a key weapon in this new age of what the military calls "asymmetrical threats." When the 1st Cavalry Division left Fort Hood, Texas, for Iraq many of its tanks stayed behind. Doctrine dictated a lighter force for urban combat.

But a spring 2004 uprising by Shi'ites south of Baghdad and by Sunnis and foreign terrorists west of Baghdad prompted the division to summon more armor.

Now back at Fort Hood, Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli is telling audiences that the M-1 Abrams tank is a devastating weapon for battling urban-embedded terrorists. Some officers now want Army headquarters to rethink a plan to shrink the tank armada as part of a transformation to lighter, faster-deploying brigades.

Mr. Keating said current Army plans will reduce the fleet in the active Army and National Guard by 223, to 2,195 tanks. Gen. Chiarelli's division will be lighter by 13 tanks.

Last November in Fallujah -- the most crucial battle in Iraq since the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime -- tanks proved their worth. The 1st Cavalry Division dispatched a special task force to fight alongside the Marines, a light force that uses fewer tanks.

The division featured the M-1A2, the most advanced Abrams with special gun sights and digital communications. If shots came from a building, the M-1's cannon took out the entire floor rather than Marines having to do risky room-by-room clearing.

"If they were taking heavy fire or RPG fire from a house, [the Marines] would call on our tanks," said an Army officer who fought in Fallujah. "Our guys would open up on the house with 120 mm main gun or .50 [caliber machine gun]. After five minutes of suppression fire, then the Marines would go into the building and clear it. There was rarely anyone left alive by that point.

"The problem is that we couldn't be there to do that for all the Marines, and when we couldn't and they had to clear the building without our help, they took heavy casualties because the insurgents didn't stop firing until the Marines got into the building and killed them."

The previous summer, the Army's 1st Armored Division used tank squads to retake four cities overrun by supporters of Shi'ite cleric Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr. Precise gunfire let the squads spare the city's religious shrines.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine's mother urges people to avoid book

Friday, April 01, 2005


POWELL (AP) -- The mother of a U.S. Marine who was among the first servicemen killed in combat in the Iraq war is urging people not to buy a new book about her son, saying the book misrepresents her son's life.

Judy Childers said "Shane Comes Home," a 288-page book by Hartford (Conn.) Courant reporter Rinker Buck, did not accurately represent her son's life.

"We really wish people wouldn't buy it, but that's their choice," she said. "We had understood it was supposed to be a tribute to Shane, and we did not feel it was."

Second Lt. Therrel Shane Childers, 30, of Powell, was shot in the abdomen and killed March 21, 2003, while leading an assault on an oil pumping station in southern Iraq.

Because Childers was among the first casualties of the war, Buck came to Wyoming to cover his death. He returned that summer and spent time with the family and with area Marines while working on "Shane Comes Home."

Buck said Childers' parents did not appreciate the book's honest descriptions -- what he called the "warts-and-all" nature of the writing.

"Judy merely objects to the parts of the book that are true, and doesn't see the forest for the trees," Buck said. "Everyone else who has read it, including many Marines and Childers' family members, consider it a remarkable and glowing portrait of the family and the military."

Judy Childers said the book insulted her family and the Marines, and that parts of it were made up.

"If it was a fiction book. It was a very good book -- well written," she said. "But it was supposed to be a true story."

She also complained that Buck did little research and took few notes when he visited the family in the summer of 2003.

Buck said he took copious notes, filling nearly a dozen notebooks just with material from Judy and her husband, Joseph Childers.

The book was released March 1.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Reactions in military community mixed re: Capt Maynulet
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Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, April 1, 2005

Soldiers and family members voiced strong opinions when told that a 1st Armored Division officer was found guilty Thursday in the fatal shooting of an Iraqi man.

A court-martial panel deliberated for about 2½ hours before convicting Capt. Roger Maynulet in the May 2004 death of Karim Hassan Abed Ali al-Haleji.

Maynulet’s defense argued that the man was dying, and that the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment tank company commander shot the Iraqi in the head to put him out of his misery.

But that wasn’t an acceptable explanation to some soldiers and family members interviewed by Stars and Stripes shortly after the verdict.

“Any officer should know that you can’t shoot anybody who’s not shooting at you,” said an Army first lieutenant from Baumholder, Germany, who refused to give his name.

“That’s not his decision to make,” said Sharen Flowers, wife of an Army staff sergeant, interviewed in Kaiserslautern, Germany. “If he’s wounded, you have him treated and let the courts handle it.

“[Maynulet] can’t be judge, jury and God. What if they start doing that to us?”

But Army Sgt. Gary Lange from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center disagreed with the verdict.

“I think it sucks,” Lange said. “The guy is out there and he’s at war. People know that unless they identify themselves as noncombatants they’re subject to attack.

“It sounds political. In every war, you have one scapegoat.”

A defense character witness interviewed at a local hotel in Wiesbaden, Germany, said he was disappointed by the verdict.

“[Maynulet] is one of the best officers I’ve known since I’ve been in the Army,” said Capt. Jeremy Dobos, commander of Company C, 229th Military Intelligence Battalion at the Defense Language Institute in California. “He’s someone we need on the front lines of the war on terror.”

Dobos was the battalion intelligence officer deployed with Maynulet at the time of the shooting.

He said a drone video showing the Iraqi man waving his arm before being shot by Maynulet was not enough to change his mind.

“It doesn’t change my opinion of him one bit.”


Ellie

[thedrifter]

House-bound ailing veteran cries out for help
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IAN GILLESPIE
London Free Press Columnist
April 1, 2005

Gary Colwell sits in the spot where he spends almost every hour of every day -- propped up in a hospital bed in his living room, in front of his TV. He can't walk, can't stand and can only sit for short periods of time. His speech is slurred. His legs are virtually useless.

And his desperation is clear.

"I feel like I'm a prisoner in my own home," he says. "I feel like I'm serving time for a crime I didn't commit."

Because of patient confidentiality issues, it's virtually impossible to get both sides of Colwell's tale. And it doesn't help that the incident that apparently triggered Colwell's troubles occurred almost seven years ago.

But one thing is clear: Colwell isn't getting the help he needs.

At six-foot-four and 275 pounds, the 58-year-old Londoner jokes he's a pretty big man to fall through the cracks. But somehow, it seems that's what happened.

A Canadian who served three tours of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Marines, Colwell says his woes began on Sept. 15, 1998, when he visited a local chiropractor.

He says he'd hurt himself playing baseball several days earlier, and explained his symptoms -- pain in his back and right side -- to his chiropractor (who has since retired).

"He just put me on the table and started manipulating my spine," recalls Colwell.

"He tried three times to crack my neck . . . (There was) a sudden sharpness of pain."

"I was stunned," Colwell says. "It felt like I was blindsided by somebody hitting me with a baseball bat."

He says he felt groggy and had trouble walking. He says he felt so disoriented that he boarded the wrong bus and didn't make it home for about three hours. He says that in the following months, he often fell and blacked out temporarily. Within three months, Colwell says he was bedridden.

Although he couldn't comment on a specific case, Ontario Chiropractic Association president Dean Wright says the chances of experiencing a stroke-like vascular incident because of a neck manipulation is estimated to be between one in 500,000 and one in a million.

"Every health-care procedure carries a risk," says Wright. "But it (neck manipulation) is very safe."

Colwell never filed an official complaint. He says he didn't know how.

Colwell says his condition worsened and he consulted his family doctor. But Colwell says despite regular pleading from his wife, Diane, his doctor ignored him and didn't get Colwell booked for extensive testing until more than two years after the incident.

Colwell says the tests revealed he had suffered damage to his spine and his 12th cranial nerve.

He says after his wife threatened to sue the doctor for negligence, his family doctor dropped him as a patient in July 2002. (When contacted yesterday, the doctor cited confidentiality issues and declined to comment.)

Since then, Colwell's woes have worsened. He says he and his wife have failed to find a new family doctor and without one he can't get referrals to specialists, renew his prescriptions (he also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure) or continue receiving his monthly benefits of about $1,400 from the Ontario Disability Support Program.

He says he consulted a lawyer about suing his chiropractor and family doctor, but couldn't afford the lawyer's $10,000 retainer fee.

Then in November 2004, Colwell says he was diagnosed with primary lateral sclerosis, a progressive degenerative motor neuron disease that causes muscular weakness.

And still, his troubles mount.

Colwell says health-care officials visited his townhouse and told him the layout prevented them from installing a safe ramp for his wheelchair. He says he had pre-booked an ambulance to take him Monday to a local neurological clinic, but paramedics were called to an emergency and weren't able to transport him.

He says when he tried to re-book the session, a clinic official told him if he couldn't walk, they weren't interested in treating him.

"Without a family doctor, you can't get nothing done," says Colwell.

"I'm caught between a rock and a hard place and I have no other place to turn.

"I've got nothing to do and nowhere to go."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Colonel recalls each of 15 dead Camp Lejeune Marines
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By MARTHA WAGGONER
Associated Press Writer

Fifteen rifles. Fifteen helmets. Fifteen pairs of boots. And 15 sets of dog tags.

All were present Thursday for a final roll call during a memorial service at this massive Marine base in southeastern North Carolina. Missing were the 15 members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit who once wore the gear - and died during a recent deployment to Iraq.

The 2,200-member MEU deployed in February 2004 and arrived in Iraq in July. There, they were assigned the dangerous task of thinning the ranks of insurgents in the northern Babil province.

After rifles were stuck in sand bags, and the Marines' helmets, boots and dog tags placed on or in front of the rifles, Col. Ron Johnson walked the line, recalling something personal about each man.

Johnson said Sgt. Benjamin Edinger, 24, who died Nov. 23, was manning a .50-caliber machine gun when a roadside bomb exploded. Edinger refused to leave his gun until he passed out from a lack of blood, Johnson said.

"He will always be a hero in my heart," the colonel said.

He remembered that Sgt. Nicholas Nolte, a member of Johnson's personal security detail, died Nov. 24 when a roadside bomb exploded. Nolte was traveling in a Humvee ahead of Johnson.

His last words were to Johnson: "Sir, I'm sorry I let you down."

Nolte, Johnson said, did not let him down.

Cpl. Kyle Renehan, who died Dec. 9, always stood behind Johnson at church services. "I always shook his hand first," Johnson said.

And, finally, he got to the last three men, who died Jan. 31, the day after elections in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jason Redifer, Lance Cpl. Harry R. Swain IV and Cpl. Christopher Zimmy are "the ones that broke my heart the most."

They died when the 24th MEU was "still under the euphoria of the elections" and ready to transfer their duties to fresh troops. Their Humvee hit the most damaging roadside bomb the MEU had ever seen and was torn apart, he said.

"I am humbled to stand here on this ground and be with them," he said of all 15. "This is our final roll call. I will never forget them, no matter what.

"God bless them and semper fi."

The service brought tears to the eyes of both family members and Marines, who passed tissues among themselves during the service, held on a windy, overcast day at W.P.T. Hill Field.

More than 3,000 people were present, including members of the MEU. Many stood in formation on the field, while some sat in the stands.

For Vivian McDonald of Manchester, N.H., the tears began 30 minutes before the ceremony. Her son-in-law, Lance Cpl. Adam Brooks, died Nov. 28 when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, causing the vehicle to flip and land on Brooks and Lance Cpl. Charles Hanson Jr. Both men were killed.

"We need this," she said of the memorial service. "This gives us a sense of belonging and trying to understand and sharing with the people who understand."

She was there with her 19-year-old daughter, Ashley Brooks, who had been married to Brooks for exactly six months when he died. Also there was Adam Brooks' sister, Charlene Reynolds.

Ashley Brooks said she and her husband, her childhood sweetheart, never discussed the possibility that he would die. "He was a very strong man," she said. "Nobody thought anything would happen."

Adam Brooks joined the Marines with a friend because he wanted to serve his country, they said. "In my eyes, he's a real-life hero," McDonald said.

Johnson noted that the field was where the MEU gathered prior to its deployment last year.

It was fitting to have "the final roll call at the same place that we started," Johnson said. "Nobody, but nobody, could have given finer men than these 15 men."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

General Zinni on Mideast
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By the Editor
Sonoma Index-Tribune:

04.01.05 - On March 24 I had the privilege of attending General Anthony Zinni's inspirational talk regarding "The Future of the Middle East" at the Lodge at Sonoma. For those who don't recognize his name, Gen. Zinni is a very high-profile retired Marine Corps four-star general who is well-known internationally as a "warrior diplomat." He served as the commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command for three years before turning over command to Gen. Tommy Franks in September 2000. He is also the co-author of the best-selling book "Battle Ready" with Tom Clancy.

Sonoma doesn't often have people of Gen. Zinni's caliber stopping by to speak with a local group of citizens on a typical Thursday afternoon. This was a rare exception. True to my expectations, the general was both a highly intellectual and entertaining speaker. He was also refreshingly optimistic and encouraging regarding the future of the Middle East. This was a wonderful event and the type of enlightening and stimulating experience that should take place more often in our town.

It was very good to see the room packed by many of Sonoma's business leaders and citizens. The audience also included numerous local veterans, many of them Marines.

The general's talk was sponsored by a local group called SPIN (Sonoma Political Information Network). The event was largely made possible by the efforts of Bucky Peterson, a local resident and a retired Marine Corps colonel. Bucky is a man who obviously knows how to make good things happen for our community.

Bob Leonard


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines return to cheers, tears
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Amy Couteeacoutee@newsadvance.com
April 1, 2005

Nothing could be seen through the dark windows of the first bus as it rolled slowly into the parking lot of the Lynchburg Marine Reserve Center at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Through the windows of the second brightly lit bus, families and friends could see the young men of the Lynchburg-based Company C, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion climbing over each other to the window, searching for their families in the dusk.

Michelle Dickey, a Heritage High School graduate, easily found her husband Eric grinning at her from the second bus as she held their infant son, Jacob, up for him to see.

Nearby, Bethany Garrison, an Amherst County High School graduate, was looking for her husband Greg.

Jacob Dickey and Sage Garrison probably won't remember seeing the fathers pour from the bus Thursday night.

For their fathers Lance Cpl. Eric Dickey, 20, and Sgt. Greg Garrison, 28, it was a night they will likely never forget though - it was the first time they would see their newborn children.

Sage, 3 months old, looks exactly like his dad, said Bethany Garrison. She waited in the parking lot with her family for Greg, an Appomattox County High School graduate.

Within minutes, Eric Dickey had woven through the mass of bodies and wrapped his arms around Michelle and Jacob. He closed his eyes tightly struggling to hold back tears.

Minutes passed before he let them go.

When he finally looked up he saw his whole family waiting their turn.

"I didn't expect this much (of a reception)," said Eric. "I'm almost at a loss for words. I'm just shocked to be honest."

Michelle carefully placed Jacob in Eric's arms for the first time. Eric softly kissed Jacob's forehead before handing him back to his wife. Then, one by one, he embraced parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins as a relative snapped photos.

Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone only to reappear a moment later pulling the arm of a friend with the name "Berge" printed in neat block letters on his lapel.

Eric wanted to show off his son.

"He's big," said Eric. "I like him."

After everyone had been hugged and Jacob had his bottle, Eric was given his first chance to change his son's diaper.

He turned it down cold.

"Nope, I'm not doing it," he told Michelle as she headed to the car laughing.

"I expected to be a lot more nervous just because I haven't seen him in so long," said Michelle. "This week took forever."

For Eric, a Brookville High School graduate, leaving home was difficult. He knew that Michelle was going to have a complicated pregnancy.

It was their first child.

He wanted to be there.

"Something went wrong. She had it hard," said Eric, who remembers speaking with Michelle three times a day while he was in California, then at least three times a week on a satellite phone while he was in Iraq.

"She did a great job," said Eric, who bought Michelle a dog and named it Promise - and promised he would return to her - before he left.

"She ran everything seamlessly while I was gone."

For Michelle it was difficult.

She knew in the back of her mind that Eric was missing the milestones of Jacob's life. Jacob was born in October and Eric had missed the first time Jacob sat up and his first smile.

What got Michelle Dickey and Bethany Garrison through the past 10 months was the support they received from their families and their husbands' employers.

Being pregnant, having a baby and Greg being gone was hard, said Bethany Garrison.

"I think it's made us stronger though. You realize what you miss when it's not there."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

A survivor learned a lot from sergeant
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April 01, 2005
TIMMI TOLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Lance Cpl. Eric Knudson shifted his weight in his wheelchair as he waited for the memorial service to begin for 15 Camp Lejeune Marines killed while assigned to Iraq with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

He knew and served with most of them, but he wanted to pay special tribute to Sgt. Nicholas S. Nolte.

"He was a really good man," said Knudson, 21. "He taught me a lot."

Both Marines were part of the personal security detachment for Col. Ron Johnson, commanding officer of the 24th MEU. Knudson said he had only known Nolte for about seven months, but the mission made the group a tight bunch.

"It was kind of wild over there," Knudson said. "You were always in the road, always aimed outward and waiting for something to happen."

On Nov. 24, 2004, Knudson was traveling with six other Marines in a Humvee en route to a meeting. The group was about 45 minutes from the Marine base in Kalsu, when two explosives went through the Humvee.

"I covered my face with my hands and waited for the shrapnel to stop flying," said Knudson. He suffered wounds in his right leg, but Nolte was mortally wounded.

"He was sitting right beside me," said Knudson. The rest of the Marines suffered minor injuries. Knudson said Johnson was in a separate vehicle traveling behind and was not injured.

Knudson spent 69 days at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md. He's undergone 36 surgeries to remove shrapnel from his leg, and he still needs physical therapy before he can walk again.

He said none of that mattered Thursday.

The memorial was a chance to remember his friend and send a message about what it's like to fight for others.

"I take great pleasure in serving this country, and I'd do it all over again even if I knew I was going to be injured," he said. "I know the same goes for Nolte. I know he'd do it all again. If I could have taken his place, I would have."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

24th MEU honoring its fallen
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April 01, 2005
TIMMI TOLER
DAILY NEWS STAFF

Rhonda Winfield sat Thursday under a blue and white striped tent at W.P.T. Hill Field and watched Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit honor her son, Lance Cpl. Jason C. Redifer, and 14 other Marines killed in action during a seven-month tour of Iraq. She clutched a stuffed donkey in her hands.

As the names of the fallen were called, a rifle was placed nose down in a sandbag, a helmet was positioned on top and dog tags were hung from the handle - the Marine Corps' traditional memorial for the fallen.

When her son's name was called, Winfield clutched the donkey a little tighter.

"He loved the movie 'Shrek,' and he was always talking about Donkey," Winfield said. "We found this one and sent it over to him in Iraq figuring it would give him a few laughs â?¦ a few lighthearted moments."

Winfield, who lives in Stuarts Draft, Va., said she spoke to her son by phone on Jan. 31. Redifer was headed out on his last patrol. He was scheduled to come home in nine days. Winfield had just finished a banner that said "Welcome home Redifer and Donkey!"

"Donkey was the only one that made it back," Winfield said.

Two hours after the phone call, her son's humvee was hit with an explosive device that destroyed the vehicle.

Donkey came home in Redifer's personal effects from Iraq. She felt it was important to bring the stuffed animal with her to the memorial service the 24th MEU held Thursday to remember its 15 members killed in the seven-month deployment to Iraq.

Marines in her son's unit, Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, didn't know who Winfield was, but they recognized Donkey instantly. One by one, Winfield was introduced to Marines who served with her son.

"They said Jason would make them laugh by making the donkey talk - he could do the voice perfectly. He knew the value of a sense of humor. He saw the best in life every day," said Winfield, who said the memorial was a comfort.

"To see these Marines come together to honor their brothers who have fallen brings a comfort that is overwhelming," she said. "There is so much important work that goes on over there that you don't know about."

Winfield said she saw evidence on a disposable camera that was sent home with Redifer's effects. "There were pictures of his unit playing with small children. You could see it on their faces â?¦ there are these people who are getting a taste of freedom they've only dreamed of."

The 24th MEU was deployed to Iraq from Camp Lejeune from July 2004 to February 2005. They were in Iraq during a turbulent period that included the siege of Fallujah and the creation of an interim government.

The MEU was stationed in a hostile area known as the "triangle of death" just south of Baghdad. Months of raids, searches and patrols weakened the hold insurgents had in the area, and by the end of the deployment, the Marines had gathered 900 criminals and seized more than 75,000 munitions.

MEU commander Col. Ron Johnson called the Marines who died "America's finest" at Thursday's service. Johnson stood behind each memorial and spoke personally about each Marine. When he came to Redifer, Johnson said his death "broke my heart."

"I'm humbled to stand here on this ground and be with these Marines," Johnson said. "This is our final roll call, and we must never forget them."

Winfield said she knew her son believed in duty to his country and his mission.

"I heard it in his voice the day after the (Iraqi) elections - he knew they had a part in that. He was so proud of all of the Marines," she said as she held on to Donkey, to the words of her son's commander and to her son's memory.

"I'm going to put Donkey on a shelf in Jason's room," said Winfield. "His room is a place where we can go and be with him. A place that shows all the good he did."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Scenic backcountry draws runners to Devil Dog Duathlon
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By Linda McIntosh
COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER

April 1, 2005

CAMP PENDLETON - Quiet backcountry trails away from city traffic. Scenic vistas. And helpful Marines.

That's why hundreds of racers come on base for the Devil Dog Duathlon.

But duathlon participants say there's more.

"The run is tough, but it's . . . relaxed," said Gunnery Sgt. Tony Blane, 38, who also participates in Ironman triathlons.

The duathlon starts with a 5K run in the 43 Area off Las Pulgas Road. Then there's a 30K bike race through the base's scenic backcountry, and finally, another 5K run.

The race is open to military personnel and civilians.

"There's no time limit, so it's good for first-time duathlon participants as well as seasoned competitors," said Amanda Jarrett, sports coordinator at Camp Pendleton.

About 100 Marines volunteer in a variety of ways, such as handing out water, directing traffic and taking care of security.

Duathlon participant Joao Silva likes the way the Marines run the event.

"It's well-organized and the Marines are really helpful," said Silva, 43, a personal trainer and fitness director at the Olympic Hotel Resort & Spa in Carlsbad.

Silva competed last year and is coming back again.

"I hate hills because you have to slow down, but even the hills at Camp Pendleton are nice. The scenery is great and the air is fresh," said Silva, who competes in triathlons and marathons throughout the West Coast.

For many participants, it's a welcomed change from running on paved streets past blocks of buildings.

"I like doing events on base because there's less traffic," Blane said.

It's a good workout, even for trained athletes.

"The first time you run uphill, it's fine. But the last half mile before you turn around on the final 5K, it's tough. You feel it," Blane said.

But that's the idea.

"It doesn't get old. Each year I look at it as a new challenge," said Chief Petty Officer Donald White, 41, a longtime triathlon competitor.

"Just because you're old and fat doesn't mean you can't be competitive," said White, who has run races around the world and has won his share of trophies. "In any race, there's usually someone in front of you and someone behind."

The duathlon starts at 8:30 a.m. April 23 in the 43 Area off Las Pulgas Road.

Military and civilian divisions include categories for various age groups, ranging from 15 to 70-plus. There's the Clydesdale category for males of200 pounds or more; Athena for females 160 pounds or more; mountain bike riders; challenged athletes and two-person relays.

The awards ceremony is scheduled to be after the majority of racers are in. Awards are given to the top three overall finishers and the top three in each division.

Points for the 2005 Hard Corps Race Series are awarded to the top 10 overall males and females in both military and civilians categories. For Camp Pendleton active duty military, the points go toward the Commanding General's Cup.

For information, go to www.camppendletonraces.com or call (760) 725-6836.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Michigan native follows footsteps grandfather left behind

Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200532691427
Story by Lance Cpl. Athanosios L. Genos



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (March 12, 2005) -- Serving for 30 years in the Indian Army, his grandfather is and always will be his hero in life. Lance Cpl. Amarinder Grewal, a Sterling Heights, Mich., native, is the first one in his family to join a United States Armed Forces.

A mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-1, Grewal grew up having military history in his family, and a grandfather who inspired him to be a student of history as well as join the military to do his part as an American citizen.

"I am the first in my family to join a service in the United States," explained the 2001 Hazel Park High School graduate. "My grandfather served 30 years in the army back in India, and has been my inspiration for everything I am doing in life."

Following his dreams and aspirations, Grewal joined the Corps and attended basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. Prior to enlisting, he went to college and earned an associates degree in general studies, which qualified him for Officer Candidate School. He opted to go enlisted, the same as his grandfather did many years ago.

"I wanted to do it the same way my grandfather did when he joined; by starting enlisted and moving as high up as I can," he stated.

His grandfather joined the India military as a private and moved through the enlisted ranks, warrant officer ranks, and officer ranks achieving the rank of captain. Giving 30 years of faithful service, Grewal looked at his grandfather's example and decided to give his part for his family's new country.

"I feel it is necessary to give back to a country which has given so much to me," he explained.

His family questioned his motives on joining the military upon learning his intentions. An explanation and his graduation from basic training soon changed their minds.

"My family didn't want me to join the military, but coming to my graduation and seeing in my uniform, they understood," Grewal explained. "My mother saw me in my uniform and began crying telling me I reminded her of her father when he was in the military."

Currently serving in Iraq with the battalion, Grewal is not sure where his future will take him, considering his desire to teach history. His love for military history has him torn on his plans for the future as his reenlistment approaches.

"I am growing to really love what we are doing here and how I can relate to the culture of Iraq," Grewal stated. "But yet I plan to get further my education and one day teach at a junior college level."

Grewal also speaks four different languages, all originating from the Middle Eastern region. His knowledge of these languages and the cultures behind them ahs helped him understand the Arabic culture more than most.

"The Urdu language uses Arabic script and of the languages I know is closely related to what the Iraqi's use here," Grewal stated. "I have been able to learn some of the modern Arabic with the knowledge I have along with some books."

Knowing about different regions in which he is deployed is a tool he is using to help him better understand Iraq. Having been to many of these countries, he is able to focus on certain things with which others are not familiar. He passes this information on to his command while he and his fellow Marines fight the Global War on Terrorism.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Zarqawi Aide Held By U.S. Military
Associated Press
April 1, 2005

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military in Iraq is holding what it believes to be the first American captured fighting for the Iraqi insurgency. Pentagon officials describe the man, who holds U.S. and Jordanian citizenship, as a senior associate of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi.

He was captured in a raid at his home in Iraq in late 2004, Matthew Waxman, the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, said in an interview Tuesday.

Officials declined to provide his name or hometown or identify him other than to say he functioned as Zarqawi's emissary to insurgent groups in several cities in Iraq.

Zarqawi, who has declared his allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, is the most wanted man in Iraq, and is tied to numerous bombings and kidnappings since the U.S.-led invasion removed Saddam Hussein from power two years ago.

Defense officials also believe the captured American helped coordinate the movement of insurgents and money into Iraq, and provided support to kidnappings carried out by Zarqawi's operatives, Waxman said.




"Weapons and bomb-making materials were in his residence at the time he was captured," Waxman said. Several other insurgents were captured in the raid, conducted by U.S.-led coalition forces.

The man was born in Jordan and moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen, according to a U.S. official who discussed the case only on the condition of anonymity. The man lived in several places in the country over roughly 20 years, but officials declined to say precisely when he left or when he arrived in Iraq.

After his capture, a panel of three U.S. officers determined he was an enemy combatant and not entitled to prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Convention, Waxman said. Human rights groups argue the enemy combatant classification is vague and affords fewer legal protections than prisoner-of-war status.

The man is still being held as a security threat but has been visited by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Waxman said officials are considering how to proceed with his case.

His capture represents a complicated legal issue for the military, and it is uncertain whether he will be turned over to the Justice Department for investigation or to Iraq's new legal system, which has handled the prosecution of other foreign fighters who came to Iraq to fight the U.S.-led occupation and new Iraqi government.

Perhaps the most closely related cases are those of two American citizens who were captured fighting against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Two Taliban foot soldiers, John Walker Lindh and Yaser Esam Hamdi, held U.S. citizenship when they were captured in late 2001.

Lindh, a California native now in his early 20s, pleaded guilty in civilian court to supplying services to the Taliban government and carrying explosives for them. He received a 20-year prison sentence in 2002 and has since sought to have it reduced.

Hamdi was born in Louisiana and grew up in Saudi Arabia. He was held by the U.S. government for three years before being released to his family in Saudi Arabia in October 2004. He gave up his American citizenship as a condition of his release.

Other Zarqawi aides reportedly have been captured over the past few months, and the Pentagon announced this latest capture on the same day a presidential commission slammed U.S. intelligence agencies for its poor performance in the run-up to the Iraq invasion.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Guard Brigade Trains To Shed 'Bum Rap'
Associated Press
April 1, 2005

FORT STEWART, Ga. - As Sgt. Chris Youther trains with his Georgia National Guard unit for a yearlong deployment in Iraq, there's a sense of deja vu mixed with bitter memories. Youther is among 4,500 members of Georgia's 48th Infantry Brigade, whose reputation was tarnished during the first Gulf War but whose members now believe has the respect and responsibility it always deserved.

The transformation underscores a dramatic shift in how the Army views its Guard and Reserve units - from weekend warriors to essential combat forces.

"I believe we're actually going to go this time," said Youther, 48. "But we thought we were going last time."

As the Army deployed troops in 1990 for the buildup to the Gulf War, it left behind three National Guard brigades, including the 48th. Under pressure from Congress, the Pentagon eventually mobilized the brigades but none went to war.

The 48th Brigade's training in the California desert dragged on for two months as the Guardsmen struggled to learn new computerized maintenance systems.




The troops were criticized for being unfit for combat and their commander was ousted. By the time the Army deemed the 48th ready for combat, the war had ended.

"During Desert Storm, myself and a lot of other guys felt like we got cheated," said Youther, a contractor from Resaca.

But now, with a smaller full-time Army stretched thin across the globe, part-time reservists are no longer merely a fallback, they're a necessity.

Of roughly 140,000 U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, nearly half are National Guard or Reserve troops. More than 300 of the citizen-soldiers have been killed, accounting for about 20 percent of U.S. casualties.

"Now we're considered to be part of the combat platform for the Army, whereas before we were seen as a support structure," said the 48th's commander, Brig. Gen. Stewart Rodeheaver, who served as a senior officer during the first Gulf War.

Members of the 48th Brigade say they are given more respect and responsibility.

"The 48th Brigade got a bum rap in '90," said Staff Sgt. Glenn Henderson.

The unit is being equipped with new body armor, assault rifles and high-tech weapons sights. Most noticeably, in February the unit became the first in the Army to be issued new combat uniforms with all-in-one camouflage designed to work in forest, desert and urban areas.

Troops say that was an immediate morale boost.

"You can kind of see the little pickup in your step when you're the first," said 1st Sgt. Bruce Oliver, 56, of Reidsville. "It lets us know that we are doing the same job as the rest of the Army."

Many veterans in the 48th, which deploys in May after a month of desert training in California, feel a need to restore a reputation that was battered nearly 15 years ago.

At the time, Sen. Sam Nunn, the Georgia Democrat who chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee, publicly declared the 48th unfit for combat.

The brigade's commander, Brig. Gen. William A. Holland, was ousted during the 48th's extended desert training at Ft. Irwin, Calif. Holland said later it was because he refused to replace several top officers.

As the guardsmen hone their skills in drills at Fort Stewart - staging mock ambushes, taking cover behind Humvees, firing blanks at close-range targets - many members believe the 48th won't be shamed a second time.

"Probably 99 percent of the soldiers here, they want to go show we're not just weekend warriors," said Lt. Scott Carden, 33, of Rome. "We do the same missions the regular Army guys do."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

5 U.S. GIs Accused Of Cocaine Smuggling
Associated Press
April 1, 2005

BOGOTA, Colombia - Five U.S Army soldiers are under investigation for allegedly trying to smuggle 32 pounds of cocaine out of Colombia aboard a U.S. military aircraft, American officials said Thursday.

The soldiers were detained Tuesday as a result of the investigation, said Lt. Col. Eduardo Villavicencio, a spokesman for the U.S. military's Southern Command in Florida.

He would not disclose where the five are being held, other than "in the United States."

"The Department of Defense is working closely with Colombian authorities and U.S. law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation," William Wood, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, said in a statement. "I congratulate our law enforcement agencies for their excellent cooperation in uncovering this drug smuggling scheme." The embassy declined further comment.

Colombia's Defense Ministry confirmed an investigation was underway, but wouldn't discuss details of the case.




The United States has provided more than $3 billion in aid over the past four years to help Colombia battle Marxist rebels and drug trafficking that fuels the 40-year-old insurgency.

Up to 800 U.S. troops are permitted in Colombia, according to U.S. law, to train Colombian armed forces and to provide logistical support. Up to 600 Americans are also permitted in the country as U.S. government contractors.

It was the second major scandal to hit the U.S. military in Colombia.

In 1999, the wife of the former commander of U.S. anti-drug operations in Colombia, Laurie Hiett, pleaded guilty to shipping $700,000 in cocaine and heroin to New York City in diplomatic parcels. She was sentenced to five years in prison.

Her husband, Col. James C. Hiett, pleaded guilty to helping his wife launder $25,000 in illicit profits and was given a five-month prison term.

The case embarrassed the Pentagon at a time when former President Clinton was pitching the billion-dollar plan to back Colombian forces. Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine and a major supplier of heroin to the United States.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Air Force griping vs. Marines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A letter to a Dad from his son. His Dad was an Air Force pilot during Vietnam.

Dear Dad,

If I ever hear airmen griping and complaining, I jump into them pretty quickly, now. Most people over here have nothing to gripe about compared to Marines.

Marines are different. They have a different outlook on life.

One Marine Private was here for several days because he was a lower priority evacuation patient. He insisted on coming to attention and displaying proper military courtesy every morning when I came through on rounds. He was in a great deal of pain, and it was a stressful to watch him work his way off the bed and onto his crutches. I told him he was excused and did not have to come to attention while he was a patient, and he informed me that he was a good Marine and would address ".Air Force Colonels standing on my feet, Sir." I had to turn away so he would not see the tear in my eye. He did not have "feet" because we amputated his right leg below the knee on the first night he came in.

I asked a Marine Lance Corporal if there was anything I could get him as I was making rounds one morning. He was an above the knee amputation after an IED blast, and he surprised me when he asked for a trigonometry book. "You enjoy math do you?"

He replied, "Not particularly, Sir. I was never good at it, but I need to get good at it, now."

"Are you planning on going back to school?" I asked. "No sir, I am planning on shooting artillery. I will slow an infantry platoon down with just one good leg, but I am going to get good at math and learn how to shoot artillery". I hope he does.

I had the sad duty of standing over a young Marine Sgt. when he recovered from anesthesia - despite our best efforts there was just no way to save his left arm, and it had to come off just below the elbow.

"Can I have my arm back, sir?" he asked.

"No, we had to cut it off, we cannot re-attach it." I said.

"But can I have my arm?" he asked again.

"You see, we had to cut it off."

He interrupted, "I know you had to cut it off, but I want it back. It must be in a bag or something, Sir."

"Why do you want it?" I asked.

"I am going to have it stuffed and use it as a club when I get back to my unit." I must have looked shocked because he tried to comfort me, "Don't you worry now, Colonel. You did a fine job, and I hardly hurt at all; besides I scratch and shoot with my other hand anyway."

God Bless the Marines

Tell Bar I said hello.

Love Brett

Ellie

[thedrifter]

New Registration Procedures Announced for 30th Marine Corps Marathon
Lottery Scrapped for Online Rolling Registration Beginning Midnight EST on Wednesday, April 6 at www.marinemarathon.com

by Press Release
Marine Corps Marathon

QUANTICO, Va. - Mark your calendar. On Wednesday, April 6, 2005, the Marine Corps Marathon celebrates its 30th anniversary by opening registration to 30,000 runners. This will be the largest race field ever for the annual event to be held on Sunday, October 30, 2005. The previously-utilized online lottery system will be replaced by online rolling registration enticing runners from across the country and around the world, on a first come, first served basis to be a part of "The People's Marathon."

Each of the past five years, the MCM routinely turned away at least 7,000 would-be marathoners as part of the two-month lottery process. The new rolling registration, while open to more participants, could close out in as little as 24 hours, more than two months sooner than previous years. Applicants may begin to register on marinemarathon.com starting at midnight EST on Wednesday, April 6 and click the link to registration. The process includes accepting a waiver, completing the registration form, clicking through a payment and receiving a confirmation email. Included in the confirmation email will be a registration number, imperative for each runner to print and keep to access e-confirmation cards online beginning in August. E-confirmation cards are required at event check-in.

"The 30th anniversary will be the biggest and best MCM yet with 30,000 runners on the 30th of October," promises Rick Nealis, Marine Corps Marathon director. "The weekend of festivities offers something for all runners, their families and the entire DC area to enjoy."

MCM weekend events include the two-day Runners' Expo (in a new location- DC Armory), the Healthy Kids Fun Run, MCM8K, Crystal City Street Spectacular and more exciting anniversary happenings.

The Marine Corps Marathon continues a combined tradition of dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism. Since its inception, over 300,000 civilian and military runners from all walks of life have participated, deservingly earning the event its nickname "The People's Marathon." The 30th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on October 30, 2005. Rolling registration begins on April 6, 2005 at midnight EST on marinemarathon.com.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

March 31, 2005

First wave of Acadiana Marines returns from Iraq

By Beverly Corbell
Lafayette (La.) Daily Advertiser


Amid shouts from the crowd of “USA! USA!” about 30 troops from the TOW Platoon, 23rd Marines, got off a plane Wednesday afternoon at Lafayette (La.) Regional Airport and stepped into the waiting arms of their friends and family. The Marines had been in Iraq for the last seven months.
That was a very long time to wait for Gavin Reyes, who turned 3 on Easter Sunday, to see his dad, Sgt. Eric Reyes of Broussard.

“He couldn’t sleep last night, and Daddy is all he’s talked about for a month,” said Gavin’s mom, Casey Reyes, as she watched her husband and son hug, kiss and laugh.

Eric Reyes will probably go back to his old job as an instrument technician in the oilfield, said his wife, and this summer the family plans to take a trip to the Bahamas.

But for now, Casey Reyes said, she’s just glad the long wait is over and her husband is back home.

“The hardest thing was our daily life, like just sitting down at supper,” she said. She said she learned to pick up the slack and then some while her husband was gone.

“I remodeled the house with new paint, flooring and molding,” she said, “but right now, I’m just enjoying the moment.”

Like the other Marines who are home at long last, Lance Cpl. Jonathan Hernandez of Maurice said one of the first things he wants to do is “eat some good Louisiana cooking” and visit with his family. He was met by both his parents and lots of other relatives and friends. But once he gets settled, he’ll get on with plans he had before being shipped out.

“I’m enrolled at UL in electrical engineering,” he said.

Lance Cpl. Robert Locke of Kenner also plans to go back to school at the University of Louisiana, where he’ll major in math. But for the moment, he was basking in the warmth of family and friends, including his mom, Michele Locke, who like many other moms, was holding a sign to welcome her son home.

“At home I have a 15-foot banner put up,” she said.

Another mom, Sandra Frederick of Erath, was just as glad that her son, Lance Cpl. Drew Frederick, was at last back on his home turf. He said he also plans to attend UL, but is not sure yet of his major.

“Right now, I’m just going to relax and eat a lot,” he said. His mom added that she has a big pot of spaghetti waiting for him.

“It’s been a long seven months,” Sandra Frederick said.

The next group of the 23rd Marines, about 60 troops, will return in about a week and a half, said platoon spokesman Sgt. Brian Ardoin. The group that came home Wednesday was deployed with the 1st Marine Division and stationed at Camp Blue diamond near Ramadi, Iraq. The second group was deployed at Fallujah, about 60 miles away, with the Regimental Combat Team.

The public is invited to a parade to honor all the Marines in the platoon starting at Cajun Field at 10 a.m. April 16, Ardoin said.

“This event will give the public the opportunity to welcome home and thank the Marines for their courageous and faithful service,” he said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines deliver morale to fellow Marines in Iraq <br />
<br />
Press release <br />
<br />
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – “We always say a prayer and a dirty joke before we roll out. C’mon get into the huddle, the balance is...

[thedrifter]

Tracking the enemy with the BAT of an eye
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 200532711342
Story by Cpl. Christi Prickett



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (March 27, 2005) -- Stopping terrorists and insurgents is not an easy task. Part of the problem is positively identifying and keeping track of them, but with the help of modern technology the task is getting much easier.

To assist in the large mission of finding insurgents, the Marines and local citizens here have to look Marines in the eye.

Biometrics Automated Toolset, otherwise known as BAT, is being used throughout Afghanistan and Iraq to keep a database of the terrorists, insurgents,local workers and detainees.

Jon E. Davis, field service representative for BAT in the Anbar province, manages the BAT network, trains users and administrators and fixes the gear. He has been based at Camp Fallujah since November.

“The first few weeks I was here we did a whirlwind trip around Iraq,” said Davis, a Tysons Corner, Va. native. “I went with my predecessor to Ramadi, Blue Diamond, Al Asad and Al Qaim to install very high quality fingerprint scanners per Department of Defense regulations.”

The system works by scanning the iris of an eye to take a unique picture and storing it with other information like names, front facial pictures, and fingerprints to form a profile. The profile also provides information about an individuals past record, for example, if the person had been detained before or has been wanted for illegal activity.

Davis said, detainees held more than 72 hours must be fingerprinted on the better of two fingerprint scanners capable of working with the computer.

“The normal small one just takes single finger flat prints vice the slap and roll print,” he said.

The BAT system recently underwent a major upgrade, completed in November, which now allows BAT to store more records than the previous version.

In a matter of seconds, a Marine working at a gate or check point can collect biometric data from an individual, search the database in the computer, and look for a match with the many other records already in the database.

Some of the factors in the accomplishment of the program are the equipment and the results.

“Success with BAT comes from the relative ease of collecting good quality biometric data and then searching for a person using that data,” Davis said.

Biometrics also solves the current problem of matching the spelling of local names, which is often encountered even when an interpreter is available.

The majority of Marines working the gates are able to learn how to operate the system in a matter of days.

“It took me less than a week to learn the computer. The iris scanner is also easy to use,” said Lance Cpl. Ivan O. Galvan, II MHG administrative clerk.

Iraqi detention facilities, military and police academies and entry control points are all using BAT.

“Most of the cities where major units are headquartered have BAT,” said Davis.

There are six ECP’s in Fallujah proper alone and seven in Ramadi.

BAT played a major role in the success of the recent elections. About 1,050 election workers came to work the polling stations. It only took 30 hours compared to several days for them all to be identified or put in the database.

“The election workers came from all over Al Anbar in groups of 30 to 100. In order to get them to their designated polling stations, we had to hurry the process along. The system and the Marines running it made it happen,” said Davis. “I was shocked at the ease of how the system kept the workers from waiting in line so long.”

Even the Marines using the gear have a good impression of BAT.

Corporal Craig T. Peterson,Chesapeake, Va., has worked with BAT at the east gate of Camp Fallujah for about three-and-a-half weeks.

“I like the system because it provides positive identification of everyone that walks in. If the badge and face don’t match up, we turn to the iris scanner,” said Peterson. “We make sure everyone is good-to-go before letting them on base.”

Overall, the BAT system simplifies the tracking of people in and around military bases in the Middle East.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine recovering from wounds
Friday, April 1, 2005


Cpl. Jesse Jordan

Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse Jordan of McCook suffered shrapnel wounds in his left leg and burns on his left arm March 26 when Iraqi insurgents ambushed Jordan and his fellow Marines somewhere inside Iraq.

Jordan is the 22-year-old son of Darla and Randy Jordan of rural McCook. He is a 2001 graduate of McCook Senior High and a 2003 graduate of Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland. He was deployed to Iraq Feb. 12.

Darla said Thursday evening that Jesse and several other soldiers were wounded by roadside bombs set by insurgents waiting for an attack. Jesse was flown from Iraq to Germany where he underwent an initial surgery. He has since been flown to Washington D.C. and to North Carolina for more surgeries. He still has two to go, she said.

Darla said her son's sense of humor seems to be intact. "He told me, 'Mom, you didn't like that tattoo anyway. Well, now, it's gone,' " she said. "He also said his leg will set off metal detectors the rest of his life."

Darla said Jesse's sergeant anticipates that Jesse will be home in five to seven days. "He'll be home before any cards can reach him there," Darla said the sergeant told her.

Cards of encouragement can be sent to Darla and Randy's address: 71903 Road 382, McCook, NE 69001.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sen. Alexander: A Visit With Troops <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
by Sen. Lamar Alexander <br />
Chattanooga Dot Com <br />
posted April 1, 2005 <br />
<br />
There are...

[thedrifter]

Posted on Thu, Mar. 31, 2005





Marines patrol upper Euphrates for insurgents in region that even Saddam avoided

BY JAMES JANEGA

Chicago Tribune


HAQLANIYAH, Iraq - (KRT) - When the sun rose, the Marines of Lima Company found themselves surrounded by improvised bombs.

A week of rigorous patrols and sporadic fighting had brought the troops from the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment through the Euphrates River towns of Hit and Haditha to the outskirts of the small village of Haqlaniyah.

There they waited until dawn on a recent Wednesday to push into the river settlement, the end of an operation designed to harass insurgents fleeing north from Ramadi and Fallujah.

But outside Haqlaniyah the insurgents found the Marines first. They had dug explosives into the shoulder of the road and attached more to light posts nearby. Shortly after dawn, one of the improvised bombs exploded behind a troop truck that had parked in the dark - and missed everyone gathered nearby.

"I swear it was a miracle. The cloud enveloped them," said battalion intelligence officer Maj. Plauche St. Romain.

Then a van began speeding toward Lima Company's roadblock.

Stunned Marines waved for the van to stop. They fired two flares. But the van sped up, and at a hundred yards, every Marine who could point a rifle began firing. The rounds chewed first into the earth, then the grill of the van and then into its windshield.

It rolled off the road and stopped in the desert a few yards from the troop truck. Fuel drums and explosives were found inside.

In Anbar province, so far removed geographically and culturally from Baghdad that even Saddam Hussein took pains to avoid conflict with the Sunni majority there, the war in Iraq has turned to small units like Lima Company, 180 men working in forgotten towns like Haqlaniyah.

Home to organized crime, settled desert tribes and smugglers, Anbar's Euphrates River towns have become a new focal point for Iraq's insurgency. Major roads run along and across the Euphrates, connecting the area to Baghdad and Mosul as well as Syria and Jordan. U.S. intelligence officers believe money and guns are exchanged here, and loose alliances among insurgents are formed.

Troops in Anbar province spent more than a year fighting insurgents in Fallujah and neighboring cities. But for the first time, they are now exploring resistance in towns farther north and have found it taking root.

When Marines at last entered Haqlaniyah - tired, on edge and delayed for hours after defusing the bombs around them - they found it all but abandoned.

"It's a ghost town," said Maj. Steve Lawson, Lima commander. "Breakfast was half-eaten on the tables. They ran."

Of the 26,000 Marines in Iraq, most are divided among two groups splitting Anbar province. One force is based around Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The other is responsible for the towns along the upper Euphrates and the vast desert stretching to the Syrian and Jordanian frontiers.

Marines say their priority is to patrol the long-ignored Euphrates River towns aggressively. The recent raids in Hit, Haditha and Haqlaniyah were just the first step, they say.

Regimental Combat Team Two commander Col. Stephen Davis said 3rd Battalion Marines in Hit and Haditha have in recent weeks arrested midlevel bombmakers, smugglers and criminals who pay others to place roadside bombs.

Those caught in acts of violence are sent to Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, while intelligence officers in Anbar press those with lesser involvement for information about the insurgency.

The push into Haditha was particularly fruitful, Marine officials say. Besides key arrests, large arms caches were found, and a warming public described insurgents as unwelcome outsiders. They pointed down the river at Haqlaniyah, saying they believed the newcomers were organizing there.

Just a few blocks wide, Haqlaniyah sits on rolling hills along the Euphrates. There is no government to speak of. In the past two years, members of its police force have been killed or driven off. Military civil affairs projects such as electrical and sewer upgrades - common in other parts of the country - have yet to come to this region.

"They either steal whatever you give or destroy whatever you build," said 3rd Battalion commander Lt. Col. Lionel Urquhart.

It is often difficult to determine whether the assailants are ideological insurgents or just criminals trying to maintain sway over their turf, he said.

"The common glue that holds them together is that they don't want a central government in power. Even when Saddam was in power, he had very loose control over this area," Urquhart said.

Signs of a growing resistance were apparent to Lima Company. Outsiders recently closed the schools in the center of town because they were un-Islamic, Lawson said. Townspeople wrote apologies for past associations with the Americans and pleaded for Allah's forgiveness. The papers were pasted on the walls of the mosque, beside fresh graffiti.

Door-to-door searches turned up few people.

"Everyone shagged out of town because they didn't want a huge fight outside their front door," said Sgt. Josh Foltz of Columbus, Ohio, who spent recent days conducting searches.

Residents whose homes were visited begged the Marines to search neighbors' homes as well, lest the insurgents think one resident had cooperated with the Americans when others had not.

Lawson, the Lima commander, said an Iraqi with British citizenship reported that the insurgents had fled and that townspeople retreated up side streets and back roads to stay with family members. Within days, they were slowly filtering back.

While soccer-playing children and stony-faced adults began lining the streets, there was no sign of the enemy, despite long indications it was building up in Haqlaniyah.

"One step forward, two steps back," Lawson said with a shrug.

---


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Military parents in a bit of a bind
By David McLaughlin / Daily News Staff
Thursday, March 31, 2005

FRAMINGHAM -- The wife of a Framingham cop serving in Iraq is leaving for Virginia tomorrow for three-week's of training with the Marines, forcing her to find a friend to care for the couple's 14-year-old son.

Rebecca Blais, a medic with the Marine Reserves, has been at the center of an ongoing debate over whether to extend health benefits to town employees on active duty.

The wife of Framingham Police Officer Al Blais, she is taking the training in Quantico, Va., in stride. It comes with the job, she says, even though she is caring for her son, Michael, while her husband is in Iraq. Al Blais has been deployed since June.



"A few weeks here and there is not a big deal. It could be a lot worse. That's my commitment," she said.

Her situation is not unusual, said Reginald Townsend, an administrative officer with Blais' Marine Wing Support Squadron out of Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee. Reservists, he said, must have family care plans for such circumstances. Blais' friend will take care of Michael.

"It's understood, and they're briefed on that when they join," Townsend said.

Blais is leaving as her battle with the town over health insurance for her family rages on. Two weeks ago, she urged Town Meeting to support extending health benefits for deployed workers' families for as long as they are on active duty. They now lose benefits through the town after three months, though they can join the military plan.

This week when she went to the pharmacy, Blais said she learned the town cut off her health insurance retroactive to Jan. 1, forcing her to join the military plan. The town, she said, never notified her of the change.

Before that, she received a $2,000 bill in February for premium payments she is responsible for since losing health benefits. She said she was also never told she would lose them after three months.

"I just think everything has been an unnecessary struggle when all it takes is a phone call," she said.

After Blais made her plea, Town Meeting members voted to ask Town Manager George King to overhaul the policy and fully extend the health benefits. Neither King nor Human Resources Director Monica Visco could immediately be reached for comment yesterday about Blais' situation.

Meanwhile, Selectman Ginger Esty, who has advocated for extending the benefits, will announce at the board's meeting tonight the creation of a fund to help the families of those on active duty.

The fund, called "Supporting Framingham's Own," will be used to help families like the Blaises who face emergencies.

"It's too bad in one way we have to do this, but in another way people have said how can I help," Esty said.




( David McLaughlin can be reached at 508-626-4338 or at dmclaugh@cnc.com )


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Service members help clean up villages <br />
Submitted by: 2nd Force Service Support Group <br />
Story Identification #: 200533072019 <br />
Story by Sgt. Kristin S. Jochums <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (March 29,...

[thedrifter]

Marine rocker plays Iraq, set sights on big time
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200532135619
Story by Cpl. Tom Sloan



CAMP HURRICANE POINT, Ar Ramadi, Iraq (March 20, 2005) -- Patrolling the streets of the insurgent infested city here is probably the last place most people would expect to find a rock 'n' roll star.

However, that's just where you'll find Lance Cpl. Josh R. Barfield, lead singer and guitarist for up-and-coming metal band Blue Collar.

The 23-year-old Glendora, Calif., native and assault man with 1st Platoon, A Company, may not have reached international recognition for his music yet, but he does have a number of fans in his unit, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Many of his fellow grunts consider him to be a top-notch performer who's destined for rock-star fame.

"He's got great music," said Sgt. Erik D. Sphoon, a 26-year-old Salem, Ore., native and guide for 1st Platoon, A Co. "It's on my favorite play list. His band is awesome. I like how he mixes metal with jazz."

Barfield's band, Blue Collar, which includes four other members, currently has a demo CD out. They've also played a gig in Newport Beach, Calif.

"He has definitely got a future in music," said Sphoon. "If you were listening to his band and didn't know who it was, you'd swear it was a professional group. I'd be real surprised if someone didn't sign him on.

Barfield, who's been deemed by some of his fellow Marines as a young James Hatfield, lead singer for Metallica, plans to make it to the big time.

"I plan on being part of the number one metal band of all time," he said with a smile. "Our band is going to take over Metallica's spot."

The young performer even looks the part. Despite his high and tight Marine Corps haircut, he has a rocker image. Both his arms are covered with multicolored tattoos, and he speaks in a raspy voice.

For the meantime, his fans are Marines, and his stage is a folding chair surrounded by sandbags.

He often entertains his fellow grunts by singing his original rock 'n' roll songs while belting out complementary lyrics on an acoustic guitar during his downtime.

"I really enjoy relaxing and listening to him sing and play the guitar," said 20-year-old Pfc. Kenneth J. Morgan, a radio operator with 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, A Co. "He's good and we all look forward to hearing him play for us," continued the McFarland, Calif., native

After completing this deployment, he plans to pursue his musical career and start a family.

"I'm going to marry my beautiful minx of a fiancée, Khara Dawn Mori," said Barfield. "I found out four days ago I'm going to be a dad. I'm very happy and ready to go home."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

On the wings of the Warhorse; Lima 3/2 swoops in
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200532692027
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis



AL ASAD, Iraq (March 26, 2005) -- A wall of dust erupts from the desert as a CH-53E Super Stallion touches down, and Marines quickly jump out and set up a defensive perimeter.

While attack helicopters, commonly referred to as 'skids,' circle the landing zone around a two lane road in the desert between cities, the Marines setup an expedient road-side check point, and begin searching vehicles.

These vehicle check points are being conducted by the Marines of 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, in order to disrupt insurgent supply lines and support peace and stability in the Al Anbar province.

"It keeps the bad guys on their toes," said Lance Cpl. James D. Bergeron, team leader and native of Deridder, La. "They are seeing that they don't have free range on the roads, and that greatly limits their ability to move weapons or people from place to place."

One of the key ingredients to the success of the random check points is the speed, mobility and cover provided by the rotary wing assets of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).

"Our aircraft can carry a large number of passengers and we can get in and out to drop them off very effectively," said Capt. Kevin G. Hunter, CH-53E pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 and native of Shelton, Conn. "We allow them to bring the personnel they need and do it in a timely manner."

With the aviation aspect tied in, the whole process runs smoothly. The aircraft give the infantrymen the ability to punch out to remote and distant roads at anytime of the day, and offer peace of mind by providing close air support and readily available casualty evacuation in the event of an injury.

"With their fire power and vantage point, the air support makes our job a whole lot easier," said Lance Cpl. Lucas C. Wagner, team leader and native of Choctaw, Ok. "They act as a great deterrent, and provide us with a lot of information on what is coming our way. They can tell us what types of vehicles are coming, how many passengers and also if anyone is turning around or acting suspicious."

"The helos are awesome, and they help us out in anyway they can," said Cpl. Christian E. Izaguirre, squad leader and native of North Bergen, N.J. "People are less likely to do something when they see three or four 'skids' flying over head. It gives you peace of mind when you are on the ground."

Sometimes accompanied by a local national interpreter or even Iraqi security forces, the men of Company L said the Iraqi people are thankful and cooperative at the check points.

"They get a look of reassurance when they see one of their own countrymen with us at the check point," Izaguirre said. "They don't want weapons or insurgents in their communities as much as we don't, so they are willing to cooperate and appreciate what we are doing."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Gunrunners provide close air support near Syrian border
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 20054135236
Story by Cpl. C. Alex Herron



AL QAIM, Iraq (April 1, 2005) -- The ability to request close air support is an indispensable asset to the Marines on the ground. For the Marines here, being able to rely on the AH-1W Super Cobras and UH-1N Hueys of Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 to provide them assistance when called upon is a welcome addition to the fight.

The Gunrunners detachment is performing many different types of missions while in Al Qaim including close air support, medical evacuation escort and supply convoy escort missions.

“Some days we are just on call and it’s quiet,” said Lance Cpl. Travis Miller, crew chief, HML/A-269 and Louisville, Ohio, native. “But we also have days when we have missions one right after another … all day long. It all evens out at the end of the week.”

With Al Qaim only 11 miles from the Syrian border, the Gunrunners have a big part in keeping insurgents in Syria and out of the neighboring towns.

According to Miller a big part of the Gunrunners success is their maintenance crew, which consists of three Marines from each maintenance section, who keep birds in the air and ready for action.

“The maintenance Marines are outstanding,” Miller said. “The work they do makes the aircrew’s job a lot easier because we don’t have worry about the reliability of our birds. We know they won’t send out a bird that is not ready for combat.”

A few Marines were with the squadron when they deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. The Gunrunners were the first Marine light/attack helicopter squadron to see action at the beginning of the war.

“Compared to then our jobs are a little easier because we are doing more reconnaissance work and planning. Before during the beginning of the ground war we had aircraft in the air at all times,” said Sgt. Travis Storie, ordnance technician line chief and Abingdon, Va., native. “If a helicopter was ready to fly it was being flown.”

Now with the helicopters being used primarily for escort missions, the maintenance Marines are dealing with less wear and tear on the aircraft.

“In 2003 we would send our aircraft up and they would return with almost no ordnance so we would have to constantly be loading more missiles,” said Cpl. Garrett Pallerzi, ordnance technician and Quitman, Texas, native. “Now we usually have more time to load and work on the aircraft.”

The maintenance Marines are required to work around the clock making sure their helicopters are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“We don’t have a shift we work.” Storie said. “We have to schedule our day around the flight schedule, keeping in mind we might be needed to do something to the aircraft at the drop of a hat.”

The Gunrunners have a big responsibility serving so close to the Syrian border. They have to keep their readiness at full strength to ensure they are able to support the next mission.

“This what I came here to do,” Miller said. “We came to support, and to assist in any way we can. If it is to escort medical evacuations or provide close air support for an infantry unit in need of some extra fire power we are glad to do it.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Workhorses secure refueling point in western Iraq <br />
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing <br />
Story Identification #: 20053313944 <br />
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Shannon Arledge <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Al QAIM, Iraq (March 31,...

[thedrifter]

Deadline to file taxes only two weeks away
Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story Identification #: 200533184536
Story by Cpl. Shawn Vincent



MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (March 31, 2005) -- The deadline to file taxes is April 15, and time is winding down fast. For active duty service members, retirees and eligible family members, the Quantico Tax Center can electronically file taxes for free.

As of March 18, 2,164 clients have filed their taxes at the Quantico Tax Center via electronic or paper filing, resulting in $3,695,221 in refunds between state and federal returns, and also saved the tax payers $389,252 in preparation fees. The center can do paper tax filing if requested.

Currently, the average time for a tax return to be received through direct deposit is eight to 10 working days, but that return time may become longer very soon.

“It would be beneficial for people to file their taxes now because by the end of the tax season, the (Internal Revenue Service) will be so backed up with returns, it can take up to a month to receive your return,” said Sgt. David F. E. Peterson, electronic file supervisor, Quantico Tax Center. “I know, like in previous years, we will be pretty packed come the end of tax season.”

With off-base preparation fees as high as $140 per document, the tax center can save the taxpayer a lot of money in filing costs.

“If you can get your taxes done for free, get them done for free,” Peterson said. “There is no reason a Marine should have to go out in town, when we can save them hundreds of dollars.”

Peterson said that if someone needs an extension for any reason, he or she can contact their office to help file an extension with the IRS, but for Marines returning from a combat zone, they automatically have 180 days from the day they return to the U.S. to file their taxes.

Also, if an eligible Quantico Tax Center user has filed their taxes in an outside agency, and the taxes were filed incorrectly, their tax returns can be checked at the center.

“Most likely, the return amount that (the outside agency) came up with is the amount that we would have come up with, but if there is a difference, we can file a form to submit to the IRS that can amend the taxpayer’s return,” Peterson said.

When taxpayers go to the Quantico Tax Center to file their taxes, they must have their military identification card, their W-2 form and any other proof of income, child care provider information, mortgage information (if a homeowner) and any other forms that would need to be filed.

For taxpayers who owe the IRS money, the tax center electronically sends a payment plan to the IRS with their package.

“There’s a form here that the taxpayer can fill out. It asks how much they are sending with the federal return,” Peterson said. “Then it asks how much you would like to pay each month with a minimum of $25, and when the payment can be made throughout the month.”

Although a recent survey by the IRS concluded that people 18 to 25 have been filing earlier than people 26 and older, Peterson said there hasn’t been a big trend at the tax center.

“We’ve had a pretty steady randomness of taxpayers come in to the center since we opened in January,” he said. “One day we’ll be packed, the next day this place is like a ghost town.”

The Quantico Tax Center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and is now open 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Taxes are filed on a walk-in basis only; no appointments are scheduled. Spouses are not needed to file returns, as long as the taxpayer has a military identification card.

For more information, call the Quantico Tax Center at (703) 784-3975.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

McDonald's Partners With 'America Support You' Program
Submitted by: American Forces Press Service
Story Identification #: 2005331738
Story by Ms. Samantha L. Quigley



WASHINGTON (March 28, 2005) -- Since McDonald's joined the Defense Department's "America Supports You" team earlier this month to support the troops, the restaurant chain is "lovin' it."

"We want to make sure that our troops know that our customers and Americans are behind them," said Mike Donahue, vice president for U.S. communications and customer satisfaction.

"America Supports You is so important because we don't want people to forget that freedom is not free." The program recognizes citizens' support for the men and women of the armed forces and communicates that support to service members at home and abroad.

Donahue said America Supports You is a natural fit for the hamburger chain because the company's principles are so closely aligned with the military's.

"We believe that we share so many values in common with the military that we want to continue to express our appreciation," he said. "Dedication, hard work, training, teamwork: All the things a crew has to learn to run a McDonald's are similar to what (is taught) in the military and we want to make sure we're expressing our gratitude."

McDonald's, one of the first major corporate sponsors of America Supports You, has been expressing gratitude for America's heroes for the past three years through the National Salute to America's Heroes program. Donahue said the program honors many groups that are considered heroes, and that includes U.S. service members.

The company already has plans in place for this year's program, and is working to incorporate the America Supports You message into several of its events. McDonald's also plans to show support for America Supports You through advertising, in-restaurant materials and local marketing efforts during National Military Appreciation Month in May.

"We are thrilled that the America Supports You message will reach so many through the support of McDonald's," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison. "McDonald's efforts will help make America Supports You part of our national lexicon, providing a tremendous morale boost not just for those serving overseas, but for their families as well."

McDonald's will be making America Supports You dog tags available, as well as providing guidelines for franchise owners indicating how they can encourage support for service members locally, Donahue said. That also includes making people aware of the America Supports You site on the World Wide Web.

"We want to refer as many people as we can to the Web site, because that's a way that they can demonstrate (their support) and all the men and women who are serving can pull up and see how America is expressing their gratitude," he said. "We think that American companies have a responsibility to show their support for the men and women who serve. We believe that all Americans ... should participate in these efforts."

Donahue said he believes it's important to keep the troops and their mission in the front of people's minds. To work toward that goal, the company is considering events to promote the America Supports You message on other holidays throughout the year.

"We love being able to be a part of America Supports You, because I think at the end of the day, it's all about values and some of those traditional beliefs that all of us share," he said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

SOLDIER'S HEART <br />
Thousands of Iraq soldiers will come home to face serious psychological problems and a system that may not be ready to help them. <br />
By Dan Frosch Friday, April 01, 2005 <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
...

[thedrifter]

In September, Durman's unit shipped back to Virginia. It was then the nightmares started about Iraq, but also things he'd buried — his abusive childhood, Vietnam.

His girlfriend, Teresa A. McKay, noticed that Durman, once confident and kind, now broke into random sweats and angered easily. He drank too much whiskey and bought a .357 pistol. Their sex life, McKay said, went “190 degrees different.”

To McKay, a former nurse who'd worked with homeless Vietnam veterans, Durman's behavior looked disquietingly familiar.

Indeed, Vietnam provides the clinical and historical framework for PTSD and Iraq. Before Vietnam, treatment of a soldier for the psychological effects of battle was not really treatment at all, even though PTSD had long been acknowledged under a variety of names.

In 1871, a former Union Army medic JM Da Costa wrote about a stress disorder caused by heavy fighting. He called it “Irritable Heart,” a name changed shortly thereafter to “Soldier's Heart.”

During World War I, according to VA psychiatrist Jonathan Shay, veterans returning home with Soldier's Heart were told by military doctors they had “shell shock,” or “combat neurosis.” After World War II, says Shay, when tens of thousands of soldiers were hospitalized with psychiatric problems, doctors diagnosed the majority with paranoid schizophrenia.

“The diagnostic spirit which prevailed was based on Plato's idea that if you had good parentage, good genes, a good education, then no bad things could shake you from the path of virtue,” says Shay.

During Vietnam, that Platonic ideal began to shift. In 1970, 20 young vets from the group Vietnam Veterans Against The War (VVAW) called psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton to speak with them about the war. The vets didn't trust the VA or the military, but knew they needed to calm the devils they'd brought home.

Lifton, who had studied Hiroshima survivors and been an Army psychiatrist, began meeting in New York with the group in what became known as “rap sessions.”

He was shocked by the extent of the veterans' traumas.

“These men talked about a particular combat situation that had a level of extremity which was new, even to me,” Lifton says.

Prompted by the rap sessions, VVAW opened up dozens of “storefront” counseling centers — places where Vietnam veterans could speak with other vets about their experiences, a crucial part of treating PTSD. Still, despite the growing number of vets clearly suffering, the VA wouldn't accept PTSD as a diagnostic entity.

“This was because many of them were talking about atrocities, and that process was associated with a political view of the war,” says Lifton.

Finally, in 1979, the VA opened up its own network of storefront “vet centers.” A year later, the American Psychiatric Association recognized PTSD as a legitimate medical diagnosis.

When the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study concluded in 1988 that 30 percent of Vietnam vets suffered from PTSD, not many were surprised.

By then, Lifton (who never worked for the VA) and individual VA psychiatrists like Matthew Friedman had become leading experts on PTSD, and pushed the condition into psychiatric and public consciousness.

Through group and individual therapy, and sometimes medication, the VA was helping veterans heal, though the process could take years.

But by the time U.S. soldiers touched Iraqi soil, because of the enormous growth in the number of vets seeking mental health services and the VA's failure to adequately respond, the advancements in PTSD treatment were being compromised.

A new conflict, which bore an uneasy resemblance to Vietnam for the doctors who knew that war's demons, would test those advancements even further.

AS CRYSTAL LUKER TELLS IT, May 5, 2004 was the day her husband's platoon ran into trouble.

As usual, on that afternoon, Specialist Ron Luker was patrolling a section of Baghdad with his 1st Cavalry Division platoon.

“There was a lieutenant in the first Humvee, Ron was in the second and his platoon sergeant was in the third with a group of privates,” Crystal says.

A 19-year-old specialist from Tulsa named James Marshall, who Ron had been looking after, also rode in the third Humvee. As the convoy snaked through a teeming Baghdad street market, there was an explosion.

“The lieutenant was yelling over the radio for all of them to haul ass back to the base because they were coming under fire,” Crystal says.

When Luker looked behind him, he was horrified. The third Humvee was gone. He flipped his vehicle around and hurtled back down the street.

continued..................

[thedrifter]

Crystal says Luker told her when they found the Humvee, the force of the blast had blown the flesh from two of the privates all over the seats. When Luker looked in the back, he saw Marshall, wrapped...

[thedrifter]

Blast in Iraq kills Marine from Orlando <br />
<br />
<br />
The reservist, who had volunteered for more duty, was training to be an Orange firefighter. <br />
<br />
By Rene Stutzman <br />
Sentinel Staff Writer <br />
Posted April 1...

[thedrifter]

Lejeune Marines aid Korean counterparts, Logistics element provides model for success
Submitted by: 2nd Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200541134133
Story by Cpl. G. Lane Miley



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (April 1, 2005) -- Two Republic of Korea Marines, recent graduates of the Advanced Logistics Officers Course in Quantico, Va., visited the 2nd Force Service Support Group here March 30, to see firsthand what they learned during the course.

The ROK Marines, a supply officer and a logistics officer, visited 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Transportation Support Battalion, 2nd Maintenance Battalion and 8th Engineer Support Battalion to better understand how the U.S. Marines provide combat service support.

Lieutenant Col. Yong Il Kim, who visited 2nd Supply Battalion in 1990 after completing the Supply Officers Course, said a lot has changed in the last fifteen years.

Kim, a supply officer based at the ROK Marine Corps’ Headquarters in Baron, Korea, said the Marines now use more automated computer systems to track their gear shipments.

He and Maj. Ha Seo Park, a logistics officer with the ROK Marine Corps’ 6th Marine Brigade, took note of their American counterparts’ procedures with plans of developing and improving their own Corps’ logistical systems.

Captain Jonathan A. Derosier, a logistics plans and operations officer from Center Barnstead, N.H., explained how the visit to the 2nd FSSG was part of a professional military education tour.

He said the tour included logistics commands along the East Coast from Quantico, Va., to the Marine Corps Combat Service Support School at nearby Camp Johnson, N.C., and the Marine Corps Engineer School at Courthouse Bay, N.C., where Kim and Park learned how the Marines are trained.

“[The tour] gives them the opportunity to see what they experienced [in the ALOC],” said Derosier.

Derosier said the ROK Marine Corps is currently developing their logistics capabilities and organization, so understanding how their U.S. counterparts operates gives them insight and examples of what they learned in the ALOC.

Kim said what he learned in the ALOC introduced him to the U.S. Marines’ operations, but actually seeing their logistics system gives him tools he will apply when he returns to his command.

During the tour to 2nd FSSG, the ROK Marines not only saw how the II Marine Expeditionary Force’s logistics hub is organized, but how the Marines distribute the supplies – across the base’s roads and even across its aquatic obstacles as demonstrated by Marines from Improved Ribbon Bridge Platoon, 8th ESB.

The Marines constructed a small bridge and rafted the ROK Marines from Engineer Point across the New River and back.

Second Lt. Jason R. Berner said the bridges can be used for continuous spans or rafting operations, which his Marines demonstrated. He said factors like current strength and river depth have a large impact of how the bridges are used.

“It is good to show our capabilities so they can get an understanding of how we can support each other in a joint environment or combat,” said Berner, platoon commander, IRB Platoon.

While Berner, a Syracuse, Neb., native, and his Marines showed the ROK Marines how to construct the improved ribbon bridge; he explained its characteristics, nomenclature, capabilities and limitations.

“I was glad to show them our operations. It is important to get a good understanding of what capabilities each Corps has to offer,” said Berner.

After seeing the 2nd FSSG’s operations, the ROK Marines can return to their commands with new applicable knowledge in force sustainment.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

On the wings of the Warhorse; Lima 3/2 swoops in
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200532692027
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis



AL ASAD, Iraq (March 26, 2005) -- A wall of dust erupts from the desert as a CH-53E Super Stallion touches down, and Marines quickly jump out and set up a defensive perimeter.

While attack helicopters, commonly referred to as 'skids,' circle the landing zone around a two lane road in the desert between cities, the Marines setup an expedient road-side check point, and begin searching vehicles.

These vehicle check points are being conducted by the Marines of 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, in order to disrupt insurgent supply lines and support peace and stability in the Al Anbar province.

"It keeps the bad guys on their toes," said Lance Cpl. James D. Bergeron, team leader and native of Deridder, La. "They are seeing that they don't have free range on the roads, and that greatly limits their ability to move weapons or people from place to place."

One of the key ingredients to the success of the random check points is the speed, mobility and cover provided by the rotary wing assets of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).

"Our aircraft can carry a large number of passengers and we can get in and out to drop them off very effectively," said Capt. Kevin G. Hunter, CH-53E pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 and native of Shelton, Conn. "We allow them to bring the personnel they need and do it in a timely manner."

With the aviation aspect tied in, the whole process runs smoothly. The aircraft give the infantrymen the ability to punch out to remote and distant roads at anytime of the day, and offer peace of mind by providing close air support and readily available casualty evacuation in the event of an injury.

"With their fire power and vantage point, the air support makes our job a whole lot easier," said Lance Cpl. Lucas C. Wagner, team leader and native of Choctaw, Ok. "They act as a great deterrent, and provide us with a lot of information on what is coming our way. They can tell us what types of vehicles are coming, how many passengers and also if anyone is turning around or acting suspicious."

"The helos are awesome, and they help us out in anyway they can," said Cpl. Christian E. Izaguirre, squad leader and native of North Bergen, N.J. "People are less likely to do something when they see three or four 'skids' flying over head. It gives you peace of mind when you are on the ground."

Sometimes accompanied by a local national interpreter or even Iraqi security forces, the men of Company L said the Iraqi people are thankful and cooperative at the check points.

"They get a look of reassurance when they see one of their own countrymen with us at the check point," Izaguirre said. "They don't want weapons or insurgents in their communities as much as we don't, so they are willing to cooperate and appreciate what we are doing."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Naval Air Force representatives visit Al Asad
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 2005325121251
Story by Sgt. Juan Vara



AL ASAD, Iraq (March 25, 2005) -- A team of aircraft maintenance and aviation supply experts was here recently to assess the readiness of the squadrons participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom after the turnover between 3rd and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).

Sponsored by the 2nd MAW (Fwd) Aviation Logistics Department, Marines and sailors from Commander, Naval Air Force out of San Diego, Calif., and Norfolk, Va., joined Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 (Reinforced) to assess the squadrons here and Al Taqaddum, and provide advice and assistance with anything in regards to their fields of expertise.

The Aviation Logistics Department’s mission is to support Marine Aircraft Group 26 in matters related to aviation materiel readiness and internal materiel management of weapon systems. The department’s goals are to maintain high aircraft and systems readiness, improve aviation logistics efficiency and minimize costs associated with maintaining aircraft.

Throughout their 12-day stay, the CNAF representatives gathered information that will be used to provide an assessment to their commander on the aircraft readiness and preparedness of Navy and Marine aviation units of the U.S. Marine Forces Central Command.

“We’re here to see how we can establish a different way of doing things. We have to adapt to a new way and minimize the cost,” said Cmdr. Robert E. Howell, CNAF outfitting and allowancing officer and Pascagoula, Miss., native. “Not only are we tasked with fighting wars, we have to do it in a cost effective way. We’re here to help and see how we can take things to the next level.”

Captain Tony Dill, MALS-26 (Rein) Aircraft Maintenance Officer originally from Bedford, Va., said the functional areas the representatives are responsible for, whether it is aircraft maintenance or aviation supply, have a direct impact on how the squadrons here operate on a daily basis.

“Our overall assessment is that the squadrons here have a well led and highly trained team of aviation logistics professionals,” said Lt. Col. Bob Ehnow, CNAF Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Philadelphia native. “The transition from 3rd to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and from Marine Aircraft Group 16 to MAG-26 has been seamless to the organizational levels operating in Iraq.”

According to Dill, the team’s visit was well received and allowed them to observe both the Organizational and Intermediate level squadrons’ operations, taking into consideration that the Marine Aircraft Wing’s turnover was only a few weeks ago.

“They arrived here shortly after we assumed responsibility,” said Dill. “But they were able to observe a MALS that brought with them a fresh approach and tools such as Theory of Constraints (TOC) and LEAN process improvements, both AirSpeed initiatives, to the fight while continuing to enhance the logistical support foundation laid in by MALS-16. The collective goal for MALS-26, both the supply and maintenance departments, is sustained high aircraft readiness for operational units within MAG-26.”


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Richmond, Va., native protects meeting
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005331235229
Story by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel



AL QA'IM, Iraq (March 31, 2005) -- As Marines with 5th Civil Affairs Group meet with local leaders and town sheiks at the Super Phosphate Plant here, Lance Cpl. Ian Jones sits in the turret of the lead security vehicle scanning the outer perimeter for possible enemy threats.

The Richmond, Va., native is the lead gunner for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment's security platoon, which provided the security for the meeting.

The meeting was an opportunity for 5th CAG to get some feedback from local leaders on past operations and discuss possible improvements.

They discussed new ways to communicate instructions to local citizens, such as larger signs at checkpoints, as well as the overall success the battalion's had in securing the region.

Throughout this important meeting though, Jones had only one mission; to ensure the members of the meeting were safe and all Marines returned to the camp unharmed.

"As lead gun, I'm responsible for watching out for improvised explosive devices, mines and oncoming vehicles. I clear the way for the rest of the convoy to continue moving," said the 2003 L.C. Bird High School graduate.

He and his platoon go on a couple of missions a day, which according to Jones makes the time here in Iraq fly.

"This deployment is going by faster than I thought. We have constant 18-hour days, so there's not a lot of time to sit around," he said. "We have at least two or three missions a day, and we provide security for pretty much every convoy. We also provide security for explosive ordnance disposal technicians. Basically, whoever needs security, we are the number one guys they ask for.

"We are always on call."

During missions such as this meeting, Jones' main concern is oncoming vehicles.

"I always have to look out for oncoming vehicles and get them out of the way and off the road so the convoy can safely pass, he said. "It's hard sometimes to communicate with Iraqis because sometimes they don't understand or don't care about what I'm telling them. Some of them think they're above the law. It's my job as lead gun to peacefully try to get them out of the way."

Jones gave a brief description of what goes through his head when a vehicle approaches the convoy.

"I have to get this vehicle off the road by any means necessary, and I hope they can understand what I'm trying to tell them. But they should know the signals we give them, because it's been advertised out here," he said.

Before each mission, Jones completes a routine to calm himself down.

"I usually sing a few songs up in the turret before we take off. It helps calm my nerves and gets me ready for anything," he said.

Jones enjoys being deployed to Iraq and has one main goal he hopes to accomplish.

"My goal is for nothing serious to happen and to bring everyone back home safe. Out here in Iraq, you have a set job to do and you just do it to be successful," he said.

According to Jones, his mission today was successful for one reason; everyone returned safely.

"We got there and back with no incidents, the meeting was safely conducted and completed and anytime that happens, you know you did your job well," he said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Final Roll Call For 15 Marines
The News And Observer
April 2, 2005

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Fifteen rifles. Fifteen helmets. Fifteen pairs of boots. And 15 sets of dog tags.

All were present Thursday for a final roll call during a memorial service at this massive Marine base in southeastern North Carolina. Missing were the 15 members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit who once wore the gear - and died during a recent deployment to Iraq.

The 2,200-member MEU deployed in February 2004 and arrived in Iraq in July. There, they were assigned the dangerous task of thinning the ranks of insurgents in the northern Babil province.

After rifles were stuck in sand bags, and the Marines' helmets, boots and dog tags placed on or in front of the rifles, Col. Ron Johnson walked the line, recalling something personal about each man.

Johnson said Sgt. Benjamin Edinger, 24, who died Nov. 23, was manning a .50-caliber machine gun when a roadside bomb exploded. Edinger refused to leave his gun until he passed out from a lack of blood, Johnson said.




"He will always be a hero in my heart," the colonel said.

He remembered that Sgt. Nicholas Nolte, a member of Johnson's personal security detail, died Nov. 24 when a roadside bomb exploded. Nolte was traveling in a Humvee ahead of Johnson.

His last words were to Johnson: "Sir, I'm sorry I let you down."

Nolte, Johnson said, did not let him down.

Cpl. Kyle Renehan, who died Dec. 9, always stood behind Johnson at church services. "I always shook his hand first," Johnson said.

And, finally, he got to the last three men, who died Jan. 31, the day after elections in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jason Redifer, Lance Cpl. Harry R. Swain IV and Cpl. Christopher Zimmy are "the ones that broke my heart the most."

They died when the 24th MEU was "still under the euphoria of the elections" and ready to transfer their duties to fresh troops. Their Humvee hit the most damaging roadside bomb the MEU had ever seen and was torn apart, he said.

"I am humbled to stand here on this ground and be with them," he said of all 15. "This is our final roll call. I will never forget them, no matter what.

"God bless them and semper fi."

The service brought tears to the eyes of both family members and Marines, who passed tissues among themselves during the service, held on a windy, overcast day at W.P.T. Hill Field.

More than 3,000 people were present, including members of the MEU. Many stood in formation on the field, while some sat in the stands.

For Vivian McDonald of Manchester, N.H., the tears began 30 minutes before the ceremony. Her son-in-law, Lance Cpl. Adam Brooks, died Nov. 28 when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, causing the vehicle to flip and land on Brooks and Lance Cpl. Charles Hanson Jr. Both men were killed.

"We need this," she said of the memorial service. "This gives us a sense of belonging and trying to understand and sharing with the people who understand."

She was there with her 19-year-old daughter, Ashley Brooks, who had been married to Brooks for exactly six months when he died. Also there was Adam Brooks' sister, Charlene Reynolds.

Ashley Brooks said she and her husband, her childhood sweetheart, never discussed the possibility that he would die. "He was a very strong man," she said. "Nobody thought anything would happen."

Adam Brooks joined the Marines with a friend because he wanted to serve his country, they said. "In my eyes, he's a real-life hero," McDonald said.

Johnson noted that the field was where the MEU gathered prior to its deployment last year.

It was fitting to have "the final roll call at the same place that we started," Johnson said. "Nobody, but nobody, could have given finer men than these 15 men."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines get the royal treatment
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By Louis Brewster
Inland Valley Dailly Bulletin

Saturday, April 02, 2005 - FONTANA - Ryan Long is better versed about motorcycle racing than Grand American, but that didn't stop the U.S. Marine Corps recruiter from enjoying a special day at California Speedway on Friday.

Along with fellow Marine Rudy Davila, Long was given the VIP treatment as a contest winner, getting tickets, pace rides and a chance to wave the green flag for today's qualifying session. The fact that Long and Davila are combat veterans from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines was a bonus for speedway officials.

"I bought tickets for the AMA Superbike weekend (April 29-May 1) and entered the sweepstakes," said Long, a Rancho Cucamonga resident who works out of the Upland recruiting station. "Three days later, I get the call."

Long is no stranger to the speedway. Since his return from Iraq last July, he has attended a pair of NASCAR Nextel Cup races and participated in the FastTrack motorcycle racing school. As part of his winning, Long received a pace car ride that reached speeds of 120 mph, considerably faster than his motorcycle ride.

"I've been a race fan since I first smelled gasoline," said the Tulsa, Okla., native. "Going to the hard edge of the envelope is liberating. That's where freedom lies."

Long is very familiar with the price of freedom. He was wounded in the knee by a grenade during his tour of Iraq while in Fallaujah and also went through a windshield after his military vehicle crashed chasing an insurgent. He has since recovered from the injuries.

During his first Iraq tour in 2003, Long failed to get any news and his biggest surprise upon his return was the switch from Honda to Yamaha by Valentino Rossi. He was able to stay abreast last year through calls home and the Internet.

Along with wife Rachel, who has also ridden one of the family motorcycles at the speedway, both are planning to attend the July World Moto GP/Superbike doubleheader at Laguna Seca.

Canadian Scott Maxwell used the final practice session of the day to post the fastest time for today's Grand-Am Cup 200. Maxwell pushed the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang around the 2.88-mile, 21-turn road course in 1:48.515 minutes at 93.554 mph. Maxwell will share the car with Gunnart Jeannette and James Gue in the race.

Mustangs took the top three spots. Ian James was second fastest (92.797 mph) for Blackforest Motorsports while David Empringham was third (92.732 mph), also for Multimatic Motorsports.

In Sport Touring class, Sylvian Tremblay was fastest (88.745 mph) in the SpeedSource Mazda. In the GT class, Patrick Long led the charts with a speed of 99.125 mph in a Porsche GT3.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Group offers comfort, hope to fighting Marines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Linda McIntosh
COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER

CAMP PENDLETON - In the barracks, the women were putting red, white and blue goodie bags on pillows for returning Marines.

Not just a few bags, but 700.

They were filled with candies and a welcome-home message rolled up in a little scroll and tied with a yellow ribbon.

The message began, "Dear Marine, There's no place like home. Welcome back to America."

At the end was a short Bible verse and the message, "We care about you."

It's not the first time Cynthia Martinez and her volunteer team of friends and family have reached out to Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Martinez has been set on supporting troops and their families since the first deployments to Afghanistan after 9/11.

"I've got two sons the age of these young men, and I think God put a passion in my heart to reach out to the troops," said Martinez, whose husband is a retired Army sergeant.

Martinez, who lives in San Clemente, has rounded up support from community leaders, civic groups, businesses and church groups, in the San Clemente area and other communities north of the base.

For her efforts, Martinez was named one of six 2005 Women of the Year last month by Sen. Bill Morrow for the 38th Senatorial District, which includes north San Diego County and south Orange County.

In December, Martinez helped collect more than 200 toys for two Christmas parties for Camp Pendleton children and then sent pictures of people who supported the toy drive to the children's dads, or moms, serving in Iraq.

"We just wanted to show them the community cares about them," said Martinez, founder of Words of Comfort, Hope and Promise.

The nonprofit group is set on bringing comfort and encouragement to troops.

Not just in words, but in deeds, with care packages for deployed Marines and gift baskets and gift certificates for their wives left behind.

For Valentines Day, Martinez and a group of volunteers sent care packages with hundreds of home-baked cookies to two companies in the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Division.

Last month she coordinated a recognition dinner for about 20 wounded Marines.

"I was so honored to shake their hands and give them the award," Martinez said.

One of her biggest projects was sending her book, "America in Crisis," to 4,000 Marines in Iraq two years ago. The book talks about the power of prayer and includes prayers for the troops and the nation.

"I heard of people living in fear of the terrorists, and I wanted to bring comfort," Martinez said.

Martinez felt called to write the book after 9/11 and to reach out to troops in tangible ways.

"What's special is she's focused on both the troops and us wives staying behind," said Lisa Wright, whose husband is in one of the divisions supported by Martinez's group. "Her heart is so full of wanting to do this."

For information about Martinez's nonprofit group, Words of Comfort, Hope and Promise, go to www.comforthopeandpromise.org or call (949) 637-7615.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Free show rocks troops to the Corps
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marines, sailors saluted for Iraq, Afghanistan tours
By Rick Rogers
April 2, 2005

CAMP PENDLETON - "Rockin' the Corps" was billed as a star-studded, patriotic event to thank 55,000 Marines and sailors whose San Diego units have suffered the highest casualty rates in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But with the outdoor concert being broadcast to U.S. military installations worldwide, it felt more like a celebration of courage and perseverance.

Former NBA all-star Karl Malone kicked off the evening by donating $100,000 to the Marine Corps. Then longtime rocker Ted Nugent played "The Star-Spangled Banner" a la Jimi Hendrix as some Marines stood at attention.

Throughout the night, many in the crowd described the free show as a major morale-booster for the troops.

"Finally, somebody appreciates what we do," said Lance Cpl. Marcus Rodriguez, 20, of the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion.

That sentiment was echoed by Gunnery Sgt. Les Timmons, a 14-year veteran of the Marine Corps who came with his wife, Tracy.

"We have 18-and 19-year-old kids who have aged 10 years in six months (of deployment). Now they get home and they don't see all the people supporting them. This is like all the appreciation they need in one event," Timmons said.

Around him, the audience shouted cheers as each celebrity appeared on the 300-foot stage. It was a festive atmosphere, with beach balls bouncing everywhere, Frisbees being tossed around and people singing along to their favorite tunes.

Performers included the pop-music groups Destiny's Child and Hootie & the Blowfish, heavy-metal band Godsmack, rapper Ja Rule and vintage rock ensemble Kiss.

Making guest appearances were Sharon Stone, Marisa Tomei, Cindy Crawford, Mary J. Blige, Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora, Michelle Rodriguez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jennie Garth, Frankie J. and Randy Jackson, a judge on "American Idol."

Producers Quincy Jones, Joseph E. Robert Jr., Doc McGhee and Spencer Proffer organized the concert.

Robert, whose son is a Marine serving in Iraq, and Jones were the driving forces behind what's believed to be the largest event to honor veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Robert and Jones first discussed doing something for the service members about 18 months ago, shortly after they returned from a goodwill trip to Baghdad.

The idea for a concert at Camp Pendleton crystallized during a conversation Robert had with Marine Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee in August.

"Gen. Hagee said that Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton had suffered the most casualties of any military base in the country," Robert said. "That's when Quincy and I said let's do this."

Since 2001, about 40,000 Camp Pendleton troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least 248 of them have died and thousands more have been wounded.

Robert said he knew nothing about the military until his son joined the Marines about 2½ years ago. He describes the boot camp graduation he attended at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego as one of the most moving and patriotic ceremonies he's ever seen.

His son, Cpl. Joe Robert III, 24, is based in Okinawa, Japan.

"He's disappointed that he won't be able to see the show. But I hope he'll be able to hear it," said Robert, a businessman from Washington, D.C., who has raised millions of dollars for charities.

"What will make this a success is if 40,000 Marines and sailors walk out of the show high-fiving each other saying this was the greatest show they ever saw," Robert said.

People not invited to the concert will have plenty of chances to experience it later on. The performance was filmed for a pay-per-view cable channel. The show also might be screened at theaters nationwide, and it will be released on DVD.

Proceeds from these ventures, which Robert said could run into the millions of dollars, will go to a fund to support troops and their families.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bush to award first Medal of Honor of Iraqi war
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By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

It was inevitable that when American troops went into combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, the ranks of U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have received the Medal of Honor would begin to grow again.

On Monday, President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to the family of Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith in a Rose Garden ceremony exactly two years after Smith was killed while protecting his men from a larger Iraqi force during the capture of the Baghdad airport.

Smith, from Tampa, Fla., is the first military person to receive the nation's highest decoration for bravery in combat stemming from the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Smith was nominated for the medal after manning a .50-caliber machine gun in an exposed position and fending off an attack of more than 100 Iraqi soldiers who were attacking his 16-man detachment during fighting at the airport. Smith was fatally wounded just minutes before his men routed the attackers.

Smith, 33, was a veteran of the first Gulf War. He was the only American killed in the action, and his men credited his bravery in manning the machine gun and stopping the Iraqi attack, allowing his troops to regroup and counterattack.

For the Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation, it means another name will be added to a new plaque that is being prepared for Heroes Plaza, outside the Pueblo Convention Center. That's where the bronze statues of Pueblo's four medal recipients stand - the figures of Bill Crawford, Carl Sitter, Jerry Murphy and Drew Dix.

Since the plaza was dedicated several years ago, several veterans of earlier wars have had their decorations upgraded to the Medal of Honor, so Paul Smith will not be the only name added to the Pueblo memorial.

Smith's medal will be the first awarded by a president for recent combat since President Clinton presented the medal to the families of Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart for their heroism in trying to save the wounded crew of a Black Hawk helicopter during fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993.

Smith is survived by his widow, Birgit, and daughter, Jessica, and son, David.

Last autumn, the Friends and Family of the Congressional Medal of Honor group organized in Pueblo as a support organization, especially for the families of deceased medal recipients. All medal recipients become members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, but that membership lasts only as long as the recipient is alive.

"These are the families we created the Friends and Families organization for," acknowledged Paulette Stuart, one of the Pueblo organizers.

Doug Sterner, who operates the Home of Heros Web site and is an authority on the medal, said that several members of the friends organization had already been in contact with the Smith family.

Sterner said he is aware of two other potential Medal of Honor nominations that have been made for action in Iraq, but those nominations have not been approved yet.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Artillery battery moves toward Cobra Gold
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 20054115459
Story by Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Holgersen



CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan (March 21, 2005) -- Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conducted a battalion field exercise here March 21-23 in preparation for exercise Cobra Gold ’05 in Thailand.

The exercise allowed the battalion to familiarize itself with training in a jungle environment and maneuvering in the terrain of the Asia-Pacific region, according to Capt. Paul M. Ghiozzi, the commander for Battery F, 2nd Bn., 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, currently assigned to 3/12.

“These Marines are used to the desert in (Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.), and this is an environment they are not used to training in,” he said.

The Marines and sailors with the battalion conducted the exercise in the same manner as planned for their upcoming deployment to Cobra Gold, except they did not fire live artillery rounds, according to Ghiozzi.

“This is a practice run for us before we go to Thailand,” Ghiozzi said.

The battalion maneuvered throughout the central training area, simulating the operating procedures for movement with an advancing enemy infantry unit, Ghiozzi explained.

“We are always moving forward and bringing the fight to the enemy,” he said.

The battalion moved from location to location every few hours, according to Ghiozzi.

“It feels like we’ve been moving every 45 minutes,” said Cpl. Scott W. Mellow, a wireman with Battery F.

Before each movement, a few Marines and sailors from each battery formed an advance party and left their current positions to scout out the next location where they would simulate artillery support, according to Ghiozzi. The advance party also planned out the positions for the artillery and set up communications for each gun.

The battery arrived into the area and emplaced its guns after the advance team set up the location, according to Ghiozzi.

“The more you move and emplace your guns, the better you get at it,” said Staff Sgt. Gary G. Hall, a section chief with Battery F.

Simulated enemy forces attacked the battalion with small-arms fire throughout the exercise, and Marines with the battalion volunteered to portray aggressors, attacking the artillery positions with blank ammunition.

“Being attacked by aggressors while practicing dry-firing gives the training a more realistic feel,” Hall said.

The field exercise allowed each part of the battalion to practice its skills and learn new things, according to Lance Cpl. John Michael Gonzalez, an artillery cannoneer with Battery F.
“We have some (privates first class) learning the jobs of a sergeant,” Gonzalez said. “This is the best training we have had here so far.”

The exercise helped the Marines in all sections of the battalion learn how to work together, according to Sgt. Seth M. Nagy, the radio noncommissioned officer with Battery F.

“This training puts everyone on the same sheet of music, and it helps us train Marines new to the battery,” he said.

The battalion will be conducting integrated training with the Royal Thai Marines to improve combat readiness during Cobra Gold in May.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20054115910/$file/050322-M-0745H-005low.jpg


CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan — Marines with Battery F, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, currently assigned to 3rd Bn., 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, emplace a 155 mm howitzer here March 22. Marines and sailors with 3/12 conducted a battalion field exercise here March 21-23 in preparation for exercise Cobra Gold ’05 in Thailand. The battalion maneuvered throughout the central training area, simulating the operating procedures for movement with an advancing, enemy infantry unit. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Holgersen

Ellie

[thedrifter]

April 1, 2005
A smart Marine is a good Marine

by Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Cox
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point


MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- A smart Marine is a good Marine. Knowledge is a priceless gift no one can take away from someone else, and in the Marine Corps it's absolutely free.

That's what the personnel of the Marine Corps College of Continuing Education were promoting during a command brief at the station theater on March 14.

The purpose of these command briefs is to introduce and publicize the programs offered by the Marine Corps Institute and the Marine Corps College of Continuing Education, said Maj. Todd Perry, operations officer for the Marine Corps Institute.

Perry and other personnel who delivered the brief emphasized the importance of

Marines continuing education no matter where they are in their careers.

The Marine Corps' distance learning program is training for the 21st century and is constantly being updated and revised.

In addition, these beneficial courses are available in many different forms, catering to various lifestyles and work schedules of Marines.

Some of the methods of accessing the distance learning programs in the Marine Corps are automated electronic classrooms, any computer with Internet access, paperback manuals, compact discs, video training and learning resource centers.

There are more than 200 courses offered aiding Marines in their military occupational specialties.

Additionally, there are over 50 courses designed for professional military education purposes.

Overall, the combined efforts of the Marine Corps Institute in association with The Marine Corps College of Continuing Education offer an estimated 800 courses, some available online.

Furthermore, the course work is not just a book and a test. The material is interactive and gets Marines involved throughout the instruction. Some online courses provided by Marine Net include an animated mentor to coach students and further explain the curriculum.

On the websites, members can check individual records, enroll in courses, preview courses, complete course work and get questions answered via the online helpdesk.

These courses can also be used for a wide variety of multi-purpose training, pre-deployment training as well as required annual training. The Marine Corps College of Continuing Education also is available to deployed Marines around the globe. The program provides deployed units with portable learning resource centers that Marines can utilize for study while overseas.

Marines also get credit toward promotion with the courses offered by the duo.

Some of the classes can be converted into college credit by the American Council on Education, and can essentially give Marines valuable information for their careers, bonus points for promotion and college credit.

It is vital to the Marine Corps that its service members continue to educate themselves in their respectable military occupational specialties.

Marines aboard Cherry Point can visit the Training and Education Building that hosts 20 computers for MCI and Marine Net course work use, said Perry. For more information on continuing education and the Marine Corps, visit www.marinenet.usmc.mil, or visit www.mci.usmc.mil.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Area Marines return to joyful reunion
Hundreds cheer those coming home after seven months in Iraq.
April 1, 2005


By John Andrew Prime

jprime@gannett.com

Barksdale Air Force Base's Hoban Hall erupted with cheers loud enough to drown out B-52s when local Marines, returning from seven months in Iraq, trooped in to bask in the love and yearning of hundreds of friends and relatives Thursday.

What mattered most was that the number who left in June and the number who heard the magic words "Company, dismissed!" on Thursday are the same.

"The first statistic, the one that's most important to us, that is, is that every member of this company came home," said Capt. Matthew Phillips of Bossier City-based Bravo Company, 1/23rd Marines, who bears the scars of wounds he received in November in the battle for Fallujah.

The unit's turf in Iraq was troubled Al Anbar Province, which includes part of the "Sunni triangle" and the contested towns of Fallujah and Ramadi. The company took part in Operation Phantom Fury, the battle for Fallujah in November, as well as Operation River Blitz, securing and patrolling the Euphrates River. It also took part in the Battle of Hit.

Duties ranged from combat raids and patrols to convoy security missions, humanitarian relief and civil affairs projects. The company also helped provide security for the historic Iraqi general elections Jan. 30.

"This company participated in every major operation that took place in the Marine area of responsibility," Phillips said earlier Thursday at Shreveport Regional Airport, where the unit's 144 Marines and Navy medics attached to them left their charter jet to board buses for their Swan Lake Road training center, where they turned in weapons and gear before basking in accolades at Hoban Hall.

On hand to greet his buddies, people he hadn't seen since he was grievously injured in a bomb blast in Iraq in late September, was an overjoyed Cpl. Jacob Schick. Shick lost his right foot, a finger off his left hand and suffered severe wounds to his left arm when a bomb destroyed his Humvee.

He was the unit's most grievously wounded member.

During the Hoban Hall ceremony, Schick seemed uncomfortable as media representatives and relatives and friends of his buddies, and most of his fellow returning veterans, fussed over him. Thursday was the big day for the returning Marines, he said.

Sgt. Todd Atteberry, one of the returning Marines, understood.

"We all missed him and love him," said Atteberry, who calls Fort Worth home.

"He was concerned about us in Iraq, and we were concerned about him in the hospital. We love him and he loves us."



Ellie

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MWCS-28 keeps transfer of information reliable <br />
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing <br />
Story Identification #: 20053304381 <br />
Story by Cpl. C. Alex Herron <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
FORWARD OPERATING BASE AL QAIM, Iraq...

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April 04, 2005 <br />
<br />
Study: Many rapists had been disciplined <br />
Alcohol, enlisteds involved in vast majority of cases <br />
<br />
By Laura Bailey <br />
Times staff writer <br />
<br />
<br />
According to the sample of incidents from...

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Marines Return From Duty In Iraq
Roanoke Times And World News
April 2, 2005

When the two buses stopped amid the cheers, camera flashes and joyful crying Thursday night, hundreds of people swarmed forward to find their loved ones among the Marines coming home from war.

But in the crush there was a quiet moment.

The commander, Maj. Ed Straub, who was first off the bus, stepped down and silently returned the salute and gripped the left hand of the first man who came forward - Capt. John Kuniholm, who had been sent home early from Iraq, his right arm lost in combat, his sleeve pinned up to his shoulder now.

Then Straub turned and talked gently to a family who waited just for him - the family of one of the five men lost under his command.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said, and they nodded and said no more and faded away into the crowd that all around them were hugging and kissing and saying prayerful thanks for those Marines who had returned.




"He will always be a hero in my heart," the colonel said.

He remembered that Sgt. Nicholas Nolte, a member of Johnson's personal security detail, died Nov. 24 when a roadside bomb exploded. Nolte was traveling in a Humvee ahead of Johnson.

His last words were to Johnson: "Sir, I'm sorry I let you down."

Nolte, Johnson said, did not let him down.

Cpl. Kyle Renehan, who died Dec. 9, always stood behind Johnson at church services. "I always shook his hand first," Johnson said.

And, finally, he got to the last three men, who died Jan. 31, the day after elections in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jason Redifer, Lance Cpl. Harry R. Swain IV and Cpl. Christopher Zimmy are "the ones that broke my heart the most."

They died when the 24th MEU was "still under the euphoria of the elections" and ready to transfer their duties to fresh troops. Their Humvee hit the most damaging roadside bomb the MEU had ever seen and was torn apart, he said.

"I am humbled to stand here on this ground and be with them," he said of all 15. "This is our final roll call. I will never forget them, no matter what.

"God bless them and semper fi."

The service brought tears to the eyes of both family members and Marines, who passed tissues among themselves during the service, held on a windy, overcast day at W.P.T. Hill Field.

More than 3,000 people were present, including members of the MEU. Many stood in formation on the field, while some sat in the stands.

For Vivian McDonald of Manchester, N.H., the tears began 30 minutes before the ceremony. Her son-in-law, Lance Cpl. Adam Brooks, died Nov. 28 when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, causing the vehicle to flip and land on Brooks and Lance Cpl. Charles Hanson Jr. Both men were killed.

"We need this," she said of the memorial service. "This gives us a sense of belonging and trying to understand and sharing with the people who understand."

She was there with her 19-year-old daughter, Ashley Brooks, who had been married to Brooks for exactly six months when he died. Also there was Adam Brooks' sister, Charlene Reynolds.

Ashley Brooks said she and her husband, her childhood sweetheart, never discussed the possibility that he would die. "He was a very strong man," she said. "Nobody thought anything would happen."

Adam Brooks joined the Marines with a friend because he wanted to serve his country, they said. "In my eyes, he's a real-life hero," McDonald said.

Johnson noted that the field was where the MEU gathered prior to its deployment last year.

It was fitting to have "the final roll call at the same place that we started," Johnson said. "Nobody, but nobody, could have given finer men than these 15 men."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sergeant Found Competent To Stand Trial <br />
Associated Press <br />
April 2, 2005 <br />
<br />
FORT BRAGG, N.C. - An Army sergeant charged with killing two officers in a grenade attack in Kuwait two years ago is...

[thedrifter]

Remarks by Vice President Cheney at the Tenth Annual Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation Gala
Saturday April 2, 12:26 pm ET
- The Plaza Hotel New York, New York (April 1, 2005)8:06 P.M. EST


WASHINGTON, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of remarks by Vice President Cheney at the Tenth Annual Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation Gala:
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Well, thank you very much. And, Jim, thank you for your kind words, and for your service to the country in the Marine Corps and the FBI. Mrs. Lerner, Commissioner Kelly, military commanders, Director Basham, Director Truscott, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all tonight for a very warm welcome.

Permit me, as I begin to say a word about a great man, Pope John Paul II. (Applause.) The Pope is obviously very ill, and he's in the thoughts of all of us. Just last year, Lynne and I had the honor of meeting His Holiness at the Vatican. And we're thankful to have had that opportunity. This priest from Poland who was once forced into slave labor by the Nazis became a lifelong foe of tyranny and a fearless champion of human freedom and a culture of life.

Throughout his papacy, John Paul II has been a voice of salvation for the lost, compassion for the weak, and respect for life in all its seasons. In times of strength and in this time of suffering, the Pope has been a man of unfailing courage and grace, an extraordinary moral leader, an example to all humanity. We're all praying for the Pope's comfort during these difficult hours. And our hearts are filled with gratitude for his good life.

It's an honor to join you in marking the tenth anniversary of the Marine Corps/Law Enforcement Foundation. I want to thank the directors and the officers who lead this fine organization, and all of the donors who support its work. And I'm pleased to be here, and I bring greetings to all of you from our Commander-in-Chief, President, George W. Bush. (Applause.)

I particularly want to recognize the members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society present this evening. I want to recognize my fellow honoree, Roger Ailes, who is a distinguished businessman and provider of the news -- fair and balanced, of course. (Laughter.) I've known Roger a long time, and like everyone I'm well aware of his great intellect, his mind for detail, and the high standard of performance he sets for himself and for others. In fact, I think Roger would have made a very fine United States Marine, because he can relate to the old saying: "To err is human, to forgive divine -- neither of which is Marine Corps policy." (Laughter and applause.)

It's a special honor to receive your Globe and Anchor Award, given in the name of a great American, Al Lerner, and I thank you very much for the honor. I am a lifelong admirer of the Marine Corps, and each of the four-star generals here this evening is someone I am proud to know. For 229 years now, Marines have defended this nation, and represented the very best that's in it. Members of the Corps have been on the front lines of virtually every war, carrying out hundreds of successful operations on foreign shores. Marines have taken and held ground in some of the most dangerous and desperate circumstances ever seen in warfare, and in their bravery they have written some of the noblest chapters in our military history.

As a former Secretary of Defense, I can tell you that one of the most rewarding aspects of my public career has been the chance to be associated with the men and women of the armed forces of the United States. We live in a nation kept secure and free by their sacrifice. As was said here in New York by a Marine named Senator Zell Miller -- I like Zell; I quote him often (laughter) -- "Our soldiers don't just give freedom abroad, they preserve it for us here at home. It is in the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It's the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom he abuses to burn that flag."

As an officeholder and as a citizen, I also have profound appreciation for those who serve as federal law enforcement officers -- from ATF, to the Marshals Service, to the FBI. The President and I work with such men and women every day, and we know firsthand the detailed, difficult, and often urgent work they are doing for this country. And both of us, of course, are watched over by agents of the Secret Service, who are trained and drilled to place themselves directly in the path of danger. The men and women of that agency, and all of our law enforcement officers, are examples of integrity, and bravery, and the utmost professionalism. They do a superb job for the United States of America.

Service to our country, either in law enforcement or in the military, requires a commitment to a cause greater than self-interest, and personal sacrifices that are shared by entire families. Our nation is proud of these men and women -- yet the greatest pride is felt by their spouses and children. When a man or woman in uniform falls in the line of duty, the heaviest burden falls on the loved ones who are left to go on with their lives. That is why a Foundation such as this deserves the support of all of us. It says to Marines and federal law enforcement officers that if anything should happen to them, their children will still have a chance in this world -- because they'll have the support they need to get an education, and to grow every day in knowledge and character.

The work of this foundation has added significance in this time of war, as the Marines, and all branches of the military, confront determined and resourceful enemies on many fronts. This current period of challenge for our country began just a few miles from here, on the morning of September 11th, 2001. I was in the White House that morning, and throughout that day received reports on the situation in New York, and at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. As the hours passed, a lot of decisions were made at every level -- responding to the disaster, providing military air cover over major cities, and ensuring that hundreds of commercial flights came to a safe landing. In many ways throughout our government, the emergency that day brought out the very best in people under tough and extraordinary circumstances. Yet as the night fell, no realization was more sobering than the knowledge that we had lost thousands of our fellow citizens -- including agents of the FBI, and hundreds of New York City firefighters and police officers, last seen running into the twin towers and up the stairs.

Our military on 9/11 was one that had been recruited in peacetime, but was swiftly mobilized for war. And our servicemen and women were more than ready for the challenge. One of the Marines at Camp Pendleton put it this way. He said, "We signed up knowing the risk. Those innocent people in New York didn't go to work thinking there was any kind of risk."

In these three-and-a-half years we have asked a great deal of our military, and they have responded with all of the skill and the honor that we expect of them. To this hour, they continue their work -- striking hard against the forces of murder and chaos, conducting heroic raids, countering attacks, seizing weapons, capturing killers. At the same time, America and our allies are helping to bring about a new and hopeful era in a troubled part of the world.

We know that if the Middle East remains a place of tyranny, resentment, and ideologies of terror, we can expect more violence directed against the United States and other free nations. Yet if free institutions are permitted to rise, and people are given a say in their own affairs, and that region is allowed to grow in liberty and freedom, then tyrants and terrorists will lose their appeal, and people will turn their creative gifts to the pursuits of peace.

Today, people in the broader Middle Eastare standing up for their freedom. In the last few months, we've witnessed free elections in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories. Peaceful demonstrators are demanding their freedom in the streets of Beirut, and from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, nations and their citizens are taking important steps toward democratic reform. America is proud to stand with the men and women who are striving, speaking out, and sacrificing for their own liberty. And when freedom and democracy take hold in the Middle East, our nation and the entire world will be safer and more peaceful.

Defeating a resourceful and determined enemy, and advancing the cause of freedom in a vital region, will place great demands on us far into the future. Yet we are clear in our purposes: We recognize the nature of the terrorist enemy, and our duty to oppose it. We accept the responsibilities we have been given as freedom's home and defender. We understand that the hopes of millions now depend on the strength and the resolve of the United States. And we are showing the entire world that when America makes a commitment, America keeps its word.

In this war, members of the active duty armed forces, National Guard, and reserves have faced tough duty, long deployments, and the loss of comrades. And we have said farewell to some of our best. Last year, a National Guard infantryman from Tallahassee, Specialist Robert Wise, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. His father, David, said this to a reporter: "I remember the phone call when he actually was being sent overseas, asking, 'Son, are you sure you want to go?' He said, 'Dad, I would rather face them there than here.'"

The courage of that young infantryman, and the courage of his family in a sad hour, show the spirit of this country in the face of difficulty. And all of us show the spirit of this country in the respect we give to our military families. No one can take away the sadness they feel, but we can let them know that we care about them. The children, especially, need to know that their Dad or Mom died in a worthy cause. They need to know that their loved one brought honor to our country. They need to know that we respect every man and woman who wears the uniform. And they need to know that an American who dies in service to our country is a hero, to be honored and remembered by this nation forever.

For many years, brave Americans have found inspiration in the Marine Corps prayer, which includes these words: "If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again." As we gather this evening, we honor the men and women who say that prayer, who proudly wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, and who live by an uncompromising code that reflects immense credit on this nation.

In this period of testing for our country, Marines of a new generation are proving themselves worthy of their uniform, and of all who came before. The same can be said of the men and women in this generation of sworn law enforcement officers. We look with pride on those who serve. We are devoted to the memory of those who have fallen, and to the families they have left behind. And we are ever grateful to call ourselves citizens of the United States of America.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Ellie

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Insurgents attack Abu Ghraib prison
(Baghdad, Iraq-AP) April 2, 2005 - Dozens of insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and car bombs have launched a brazen attack on Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Some 20 US troops and a dozen prisoners are hurt.

The US military says 40 to 60 militants began their attack as darkness fell on the city. Soldiers and Marines stationed at the prison fought back, and the clash lasted about 40 minutes. A military spokesman calls it a "very well-organized attack and a very big attack."

No word on insurgent casualties. Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the area.

The jail is infamous for torture under Saddam Hussein and reports of prisoner abuse by American troops. The US holds more than 10,000 prisoners across Iraq.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine famous for statue demolition now studies...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
to build things up

Submitted by: New York City Public Affairs
Story by Cpl. Lameen Witter

NEW YORK (April 1, 2005) -- "They wanted a flag on his head, the American flag. They brought it up to me and I put it on there for a brief moment. The Iraqi crowd, they were egging us on. They were happy to see us do it. We took it down after a brief moment and put their flag up. We pretty much saw the Iraqi people trying to pull down the statue. They couldn't do it with just a rope, and our commanding officer gave us the go-ahead to give them a hand," said Brooklyn native Cpl. Edward Chin, of the moment that emanated triumph for the Marines involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom when the statue of Saddam was brought down in Baghdad in April 2003.

The Marines joined the effort to pull down the Firdos Square statue, which was built three years ago in April for the former Iraqi president's 65th birthday, when it became clear that a small group of Iraqis would not be able to bring it down on their own.

Today, as the anniversary of the statue falling nears, former Cpl. Edward Chin said he is glad to be home, but he misses the camaraderie of the Marine Corps. He has returned to his life as a civilian and is currently studying architecture at the New York City College of Technology. He also joined the American Legion Post 1291.


Ellie

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Brothers return from Iraq
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By Steve Huffman
Salisbury Post

The Garrigues brothers were greeted Saturday night with a welcome befitting a pair of heroes.

Which is exactly what they are.

There were hugs galore as the brothers - Bradford, 23, and Jonathan, 21 - returned to Salisbury after almost a year in Iraq serving with their Marine reserve unit based in Lynchburg, Va.

A welcome-home party was held at The Wrenn House, a restaurant on South Jackson Street. In attendance were plenty of family members, plus friends from the Garrigues' days at Salisbury High School.

"Hey, you got engaged," Bradford greeted two of his friends that he hadn't seen in years. "I missed it."

Saturday's party was hosted by the parents of Bradford and Jonathan - Brad and Debbie Garrigues. It was a special night for more reasons than the fact that Bradford and Jonathan were at long last home.

Brad and Debbie will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on Monday. They couldn't have asked for a better gift than their sons' safe return from the war-torn country.

Also in attendance Saturday was the brothers' 20-year-old sister, Deborah.

Deborah paraded around an upper room in The Wrenn House where the party took place. She was busy recording the activities with a video camera.

"Just pretend I'm not here," Deborah said as she zoomed in for closeup shots.

Bradford's wife, Sarah, was also on hand. The two will celebrate their two-year wedding anniversary in May.

Bradford and Jonathan shared plenty of stories about their year in Iraq. The brothers served in the same Marine platoon and kept a relatively close watch on one another.

Bradford commanded a grenade launcher and M-16 rifle during his stint in Iraq. Jonathan was a machine gunner.

Both Bradford and Jonathan attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., for a time following their high school graduations. Bradford graduated from Salisbury in 1999. Jonathan followed two years later.

Neither graduated from Liberty.

They both said they joined the Marine reserves as a means of securing money for college.

"The recruiter told me that 85 percent of Marine reserves get deployed," Bradford said. "I remember thinking, 'I'll be among the 15 percent that doesn't."

He was wrong. Bradford went through basic training in the summer of 2001, just months before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Suddenly, everything changed.

But Bradford said he's happy with the way his time with the Marines has played out, and his nation's role in the fight in Iraq.

"I know it's changed me for the better," Bradford said of his stint in the military. "There were a lot of young college guys in our platoon. We grew up more than we would have with just a four-year degree."

Both brothers said they plan to return to college. Bradford wants to earn a teaching degree. Jonathan hopes to enroll at N.C. State and earn an engineering degree.

Their mother, Debbie, just wants their boys to remain stateside where they'll be safe.

"They may be finished with Iraq, thank goodness," she said.

Debbie said she was never thrilled that her boys joined the Marine reserves in the first place, and was doubly upset when she learned they were being deployed to Iraq.

But she admitted that they've done well for themselves.

"It's amazing how quickly they grew up," Debbie said.

Evidence of that rapid assent to manhood was on display Saturday night.

In the room at The Wrenn House where the get-together was held, displayed were pictures of Bradford and Jonathan as little boys, and later as young teenagers when they posed with their musical instruments.

Their mother said the two played in the Catawba College jazz band before they ever graduated from high school. Debbie said the Salisbury City Council has invited the pair to attend Tuesday's meeting in order to recognize and honor them.

Unfortunately, the pair have to return to Lynchburg for a week's worth of debriefing.

Jonathan said the Iraqi people are made up of two extremes - those who love the United States' involvement there and those who hate it.

"Just about anybody can be a suicide bomber," Jonathan said.

He said the children of Iraq love the U.S. soldiers. He said the soldiers have passed out thousands of soccer balls to those children, who run along beside the military convoys shouting, "Football!" "Football!" in hopes of getting more handouts.

Jonathan said U.S. soldiers usually feel safe when there are Iraqi children around them.

"If the kids are close, you're not going to get ambushed," he said. "The people over there don't want to hurt their own kids."

Jonathan said that during his year in Iraq, he fired about 1,300 rounds from his machine gun.

Asked how often he'd hit his targets, he replied, "I hurt a few people's feelings."

Jonathan said he'd like to see the United States continue its involvement in Iraq until a democracy is established there.

"If we just roll out now, what a waste," he said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

From Iraqi sands to loving arms
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By Allison Perkins Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO

"Hi. I'm Nick," said the Marine, smiling as he moved down the line of well-wishers. He shook hands, reached for hugs and posed for pictures with dozens of people he had never met.

Not everyone at Piedmont Triad International Airport on Saturday morning knew Cpl. Nick Sowers personally, but they all recognized him as one thing: a hero.

Sowers came home yesterday after completing his second tour in Iraq - one that led his unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines Regiment, CAAT Red Weapons company, into some of the war's most vicious and deadly street battles. Six men from his company will never come home.

When the 26-year-old emerged from the door at the plane's gate, his father, Brian Sowers, wrapped his arms around him and did not let go.

"You look great," he said as he buried his face in his son's shoulder.

An announcement rang out over the PA system: "We'd like to welcome home U.S. Marine Nick Sowers from Iraq."

The passengers gathered at the gates nearby stood and cheered.

"Yeah, baby!" Brian Sowers yelled, thrusting his fist into the air.

"This is the best day of my life," he said, as he and his son began to walk through the terminal, their arms wrapped around each other.

Just past the security checkpoint, more than 50 people were waving American flags, holding up welcome home signs and singing the Marine Corps Hymn.

Nick Sowers was enveloped by the crowd. There were tears and shouts from those who knew him best and those who were just passing by.

Everyone wanted a moment with the Marine in his crisp dress blues and regulation haircut.

They said: "Nice to meet you." "You look good." "Welcome home." "He looks like his daddy." "Thank you for all you've done."

Bob Sagnette, whose son-in-law plays golf with Brian Sowers, traveled from Roanoke, Va., to greet Sowers at the airport.

"I want to give him a big thanks, mostly, and then welcome him home," Sagnette said.

Brad Self, one of Sowers' close friends, said he e-mailed Sowers nearly every day while he was on the battlefield.

"A lot of people didn't come home," Self said. "I'm glad he's home."

Video recorders rolled, and cameras flashed.

"This is symbolic of so many thousands of families," Brian Sowers said. "The support for not only Nick, but for all the troops, has been overwhelming."

On Saturday, those who looked closely as Nick Sowers passed by caught a glimpse of the reminder on his chest of the hell he had left behind - a Purple Heart.

During his seven months in Iraq, Sowers' unit completed 200 missions, mostly combat, and lost eight men - six from his company alone. He is alive today partly because of the sacrifice of one .

In early January, Sowers and three other Marines were saved during a street battle with insurgents when his friend Lance Cpl. Julio Cisneros took the entire force of a rocket-propelled grenade blast.

"They threw anything they had at us," Sowers said, recalling the dangers of day-to-day life in Iraq. His unit was tasked with patrolling the Syrian border and stopping insurgents from crossing into Iraq.

"There were incoming rounds at night. You knew the sound, how close they had to be before you had to get up," he said.

Finally being home, Sowers said, "is surreal, really."

"I can't describe it," he said. "The best thing ever is to see my dad."

While on a three-week leave, he plans first and foremost to spend time with friends and family. The family may head to the mountains for a vacation, and Sowers will speak at a local elementary school.

He will then return to his unit, stationed at Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he hopes to be selected to become a combat instructor.

The homecoming celebration may be short-lived, however. Sowers' unit is scheduled to return to Iraq in the future, though security concerns prevent him from revealing specific dates.

"I don't want to go back," he said matter-of-factly. "But it could be coming up.

"I made it through before; I'll make it."

The crowd dwindled, and Sowers and his dad were left alone for a moment. Strangers continued to stop, offer a handshake, ask for a picture.

The father finally turned to his son and said, "Well, Marine, you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Night Owls scan from the sky
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 20054262848
Story by Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis



AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (April 2, 2005) -- The earliest form of aerial reconnaissance dates back to the civil war, when the Union Army flew hydrogen filled balloons high above the battlefield to gain a greater vantage point.
Today's aerial reconnaissance has come a long way from the days of Gen. George McClellan's Balloon Corps.

The Marines of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2, are riding the wave of technology as they fly the Pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle, the Marine Corps' only dedicated aerial reconnaissance aircraft.

"We provide unit commanders the ability to see what is going on in an area before and while they are operating in it," said Capt. Stephen M. Dickerson, mission commander and native of Shreveport, La. "We can scan ahead of a convoy or patrol without the presence of an attack helicopter. Day or night, we provide them with the advantage of being able to see what lies down the road."

Unlike the other flying communities in Marine aviation, the enlisted Marines of this squadron are responsible for almost every facet of the mission. From flying the aircraft and operating the payload camera, to takeoffs and landings, enlisted Marines keep the 'eyes of the MEF' wide open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

"Our Marines have 'hands-on' during every phase of the mission," said Staff Sgt. Ronald L. Wolfe, UAV internal operator and native of Carlisle, Pa. "It's not just like going out to fly a remote controlled air plane. There are a lot of moving parts, and the all the Marines in the squadron go out of their way to ensure the mission is accomplished."

Because there are only two UAV squadrons in the Marines Corps, the VMU-2 Night Owls have been extremely busy throughout each Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Prior to the war, the entire unmanned aerial community flew on average, 300 flight hours per year. Due to the value of the service they provide, the Night Owls have been flying an average of 500 hours per month while deployed.

"Because we are flying constantly, staying on top of maintenance is more crucial than ever," said Lance Cpl. Brian W. Barnett, UAV mechanic and native of Mechanicsville, Va. "The equipment on the aircraft is very sensitive, so it is vital that we ensure they receive the best maintenance possible."

The advantage of the Pioneer lies in its flexibility and versatility. The surveillance aircraft can be used for battlefield assessment, forward observing for artillery and close air support, search and rescue, and observation and surveillance.

"We provide a huge asset for a large variety of requesting units," said Staff Sgt. Thomas B. Kush, intelligence chief and native of Weirton, W.Va. "The products we provide to unit commanders remove a lot of unknowns from their mission."

Serving as one of the only two 'drone' squadrons in the Corps, most of the Marines are on their third deployment of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite the long months and longer days the Night Owls continue to support security and stability in the Al Anbar province.

"We know that there are Marines on the ground depending on our capabilities," Barnett said.
"With the amount of hours and hard work these Marines put in, you would expect them to be worn out or demotivated," Dickerson added. "But they are continually surpassing all expectations and accomplishing the mission every day."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

400 Marines from 31st MEU return to Futenma after six-month tour in Iraq
1,700 expected to follow by sea as welcome celebration begins

By Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, April 3, 2005


MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, Okinawa — The return of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s air component Friday morning kicked off a busy weekend for the island’s Marine and naval bases, with about 1,700 servicemembers expected to arrive by sea Saturday.

About 400 Marines arrived at Futenma on 12 CH-46E Sea Knights, four AH-1W Cobras and two UH-1N Huey helicopters to a warm welcome from families, volunteers and fellow troops.

Marine Aircraft Group 36 set up the “welcome wagon” for the arrivals, complete with a barbecue and support from Marine Corps Community Services, the USO and the Key Volunteer Network, among others.

Two of the unit’s Sea Stallions landed at Kadena Air Base for transport to Hawaii on Friday, while another flew to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.

The 31st MEU left in August, training in Kuwait and the Persian Gulf before deploying to the western Al Anbar province of Iraq in October. The MEU’s 2,200 servicemembers were joined by task-force members from other units, swelling the unit’s ranks to more than 5,000 Marines and sailors.

The unit suffered dearly at times, with 50 Marines killed and another 221 injured. Several of the dead were Hawaii-based Marines who died in a helicopter crash while attached to the unit.

One Marine who attended a funeral ceremony in January for the fallen said: “There wasn’t a dry eye aboard. You feel for the families of those lost and for their friends.”

The reality of combat — and the long separation it brings — was fully evident among many of the returning Marines’ spouses, who broke down in tears of joy as their loved ones walked off the runway and into Marine Aircraft Group 36’s hangar.

Returning Marines were equally elated. Some, like Sgt. Joe Pittman, came back to wives who looked a bit different than when they had left.

“I didn’t know she was pregnant until I got out there,” said Pittman, whose wife is expecting within the next month. “It was hard not knowing if I would make it back in time, this being our first child together.”

Pittman and most other returning unit members will get some time off in the coming days.

The deployment meant big changes for Marine families on Okinawa, as Sgt. Carlos Martinez found out. His wife, Sgt. Christina Martinez, deployed with the unit, leaving him as a single parent for his daughter Abigail, 4.

“It gives you a whole new level of patience,” said Carlos Martinez, of the Camp Foster Headquarters and Service Battalion.

After seven months of shouldering the full responsibility of child-raising, all while working long days, Martinez says he is looking forward to getting back to “normal daily life.”

Martinez wasn’t the only one looking forward to a return to normalcy. Every day has its surprises in the desert, said Lance Cpl. Brandon Darke, a helicopter maintenance technician with the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265. Darke’s biggest source of surprise was one shared by many of the Marines who landed Friday — the weather.

“People say it doesn’t get cold in the desert, but it gets real cold in December, even during the day,” Darke said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sergeants advise female GIs to put plans for family on hold
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, April 4, 2005

CAMP CASEY, South Korea - Female soldiers should avoid having children until they are ready to leave the Army or have established careers, members of a panel of female first sergeants advised troops here Thursday.

Panel members who spoke at a meeting convened by the 177th Finance Battalion to observe Women's History Month cited their own mothers as role models, and all but one are mothers themselves.

First Sgt. Mary Maczko joined the Army 21 years ago as a 30-year-old mother of two. The Queens, N.Y., native said it's natural for younger soldiers to want to have children.

"Between 21 and 30 is when they have children. But we are an Army at war. The best thing to do is not have any children," she advised the soldiers.

"You want to make sure you are able to do what you have to do. A child is an obstacle. There are things you cannot do. It restricts your time," she said. "So think about it. Don't have children until you are ready to get out or have really established yourself as a senior NCO (noncommissioned officer)."

First Sgt. Tommara Ladson of Charleston, S.C., who serves with the 177th Finance Battalion, said she became a single military mother when she was 25.

"When I had my daughter things were pretty good in the Army. There were not all these deployments. My daughter is 11 and this [tour to South Korea] is the first time I have been separated from her," she said.

Ladson said her biggest challenge was when she served in Germany during the Bosnian peacekeeping mission.

"There were child-care issues. There were some long hard days trying to study. My daughter was two-years-old, but she kept me strong because I had to do it for her," she said.

Support from family members kept Ladson going, she said.

"For anyone out there who is a mother, I know a lot of times it is hard if you are single. Hopefully you will have family members who will be there for you. If I had to leave my daughter with a stranger it would affect my work," she said. "I have a great family support system. Not everyone has that. I would hope you would have someone close to you that you could ask to look after your kids."

She agreed that female soldiers should wait until they are ready to have children.

"Men this goes for you, too," she added. "You need to be there and not just financially."

First Sgt. Henney Hodgkins, who serves with the 4th Chemical Company, said she became a mother after only a year in the Army.

"I turned it into a way of life and a way to use things in my life and not use that as a crutch. My daughter became my motivation," said the Bristol, Pa., native.

And 2nd Military Police Company 1st Sgt. Carolann Murray of Deland, Fla., said she joined the Army straight out of high school and was pregnant a year later.

"I had my mom there for me. You have to balance your family life with your military career. You have to put them both on the same level," she said.

If all women were removed from the military, it would not survive, she added.

"We are needed and we are going to continue our road to success," she said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Posted on Sun, Apr. 03, 2005





Iraqi unit falls from grace in tragic misstep

BY JAMES JANEGA

Chicago Tribune


HAQLANIYAH, Iraq - (KRT) - During its short life, the Iraq Freedom Guard of maybe 100 fighters had a distinguished record in Anbar province.

But on an afternoon last month, the Freedom Guard's fall from grace led to the deaths of two unit soldiers and more questions about how reliable an ally Iraq's nascent armed forces are.

Seeking to make a point not fully understood by Marine commanders with whom they worked, guard fighters finished weeks of missions in Anbar by marching without clearance to violent Haqlaniyah, a small town on the Euphrates River.

Just hours before U.S. troops were to attempt to root out an insurgent cell in the town, Iraq Freedom Guardsmen confronted several young men.

Then, a roadside bomb blew up next to the Iraqi unit. Besides the soldiers who died, three other Freedom Guardsmen were wounded, and the Americans who followed that night arrived to find the town abandoned.

"This incident we'll look into," said Col. Stephen Davis, the Marine Regimental Combat Team-2 commander whose Marines patrol the area of Anbar province where the Freedom Guard operated. "You do not want friendlies going forward in an uncoordinated fashion."

Created without fanfare, the Freedom Guard is going to leave service as an independent unit as quietly as it arrived, he said. By mid-April, the force will be wrapped into the Iraqi army. The change was scheduled, but happened to coincide with the incident in Haqlaniyah.

The transition marks a change from early American moves creating a range of Iraqi military units to a more concentrated model: a standing army with wider responsibilities.

American military officials in Anbar say Iraqi National Guard rolls there appear to be declining, while army units will begin arriving for permanent assignments in the province by midsummer.

A central issue in the Iraqi military has been discipline. While army units have generally been well received by local residents and U.S. military officials, Anbar residents have decried the Iraqi National Guard as thieves who mistreat residents and steal from houses they search.

In the northern reaches of Anbar - the Euphrates corridor from Haditha to Hit, including Haqlaniyah - locals have accused the Freedom Guard of the same poor behavior, something American commanders who work alongside them deny.

In five days in late February, the unit cleared at least one mosque in Haqlaniyah, and an insurgent position east of town. They arrested 10 people and found caches of weapons.

In those and later operations, "they rolled guys up who turned out to be bad," said Maj. Steve Lawson, commander of Lima Company in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. "Rather than go to 40 homes and find two rifles, they'd go into two homes and find 40 rifles."

Staff Sgt. Shawn Delgado, the company's weapons platoon commander, said: "It seems like they know inherently what they're looking for. ... We're still on a learning curve."

But on March 22, they apparently took things too far.

The unit persuaded their American liaison to let them finish their mission in Anbar province by pressing south into a settlement across a gorge from Haqlaniyah.

The liaison was a Marine captain who has since left Iraq. Lawson said the Iraqis had asked to travel north but instead made the move south.

Third Battalion commander Lt. Col. Lionel Urquhart said he was later told the Iraqis wanted to celebrate the conclusion of their operation with a tribal dance nearer their enemies. Lawson and Capt. Lance Langfeldt, a tank officer who followed them, said they were told the guardsmen sought revenge for a member killed earlier by area insurgents.

Marines who watched said the Freedom Guard roughed up several young men along their march. Then, soon after the Iraqis danced in the street and fired their weapons toward Haqlaniyah - a remote-controlled bomb exploded a few feet from them.

The blast knocked Langfeldt down into his tank. One Freedom Guardsman was killed immediately and another died on the trip to the American base near Haditha. The unit was evacuated and badly shaken.

Clearly frustrated, the Marines say the future of Iraq remains in the hands of such forces.

"We can give them the teaching, the mentorship, the leadership," Davis said. "But it is their nation and they need to be able to provide their own destiny."

---

© 2005, Chicago Tribune.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine Has History of Providing Security

U.S. Marine Corps
Lance Cpl. Robert Dalzell

By Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
2nd Marine Division


CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq, March 29, 2005 — When Lance Cpl. Robert Dalzell was asked to escort incoming and outgoing Marines and sailors from the camp, a frequently dangerous job — he had no qualms. He's used to sticking his neck out for others.

The 21-year-old native of Wayne, N.J., and rifleman with the 2nd Marine Division's operations section, has a history in providing security.

When the 2001 Wayne Valley High School graduate shipped off to boot camp and then to the Marine Corps' School of Infantry, he found himself in a position few others in history have been able to claim as their profession. Dalzell was selected to be one of the president's men.

"I got lucky is what it was," said Dalzell, in a modest tone. "Before I graduated SOI, three or four of us were interviewed for the job. I had to have a spotless record and a rigorous background check done before I was accepted, so I guess I had that going for me."

Dalzell worked at the Camp David Presidential Retreat site in Maryland as part of the security forces team. His job demanded that he keep an extra sharp eye out to protect the president, dignitaries, VIPs and other important visitors.

He handled anything from walking patrols to gate security. His duties were not much different than operations at the camp, here. One of the main things that helped him here was training in detecting improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Before he knew it, his tour was ending after a one and a half year stint. He stood in the Oval office to pose in a photograph with the president -- a custom for all of the president's guards to do at the end of their tours.

Much of the business he conducted there can't be discussed, but the training he received there in security operations has made him a prime candidate for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"I just wanted to get out and see the world,” he added. “And after September 11th, I wanted to be able to say I served my country. For me, the Marine Corps was my way of doing that."

Since then, Dalzell has been trying to deploy to support the global war on terrorism. After all, that's what he joined the Corps to do.


"I extended a year on my contract to come out here," explained Dalzell. "I have a lot of work here and I'm glad for that."

It wasn't until last month that Dalzell got his chance. Now, he's one of the main security providers for the convoys that travel between the camps, transporting troops and officers. Many of the trips take small arms fire and some come across IEDs. But this is the kind of environment he's been looking for.

"It's my first deployment and what a place to choose," said Dalzell. "But I have no regrets. It's a dangerous job, but that's what I asked to come out here and do. I wouldn't have it any other way."

http://www.defendamerica.mil/images/photos/mar2005/profiles/pr032305b.jpg

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Dalzell, a 21-year-old native of Wayne, N.J., and rifleman with the 2nd Marine Division operations section, patrols the roof of the division's combat operations center at Camp Blue Diamond, Ar Ramadi, Iraq, March 20, 2005. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio

Ellie

[thedrifter]

No cushy duty for Texas reservists
Marines end up fighting their way across Iraq due to shortage of troops
By DAN MURPHY
Christian Science Monitor

HIT, IRAQ - When the reservists of Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment based in Houston got the call, most expected an uneventful tour in Iraq.

The Marines, drawn mostly from Texas and Louisiana, had anticipated pulling only security duty.

"We figured we wouldn't do much because we were reservists," said Staff Sgt. Jesse Noriega, a policeman from San Antonio. "We've been in the middle of it ever since."

Six months later, the Bravo Company infantrymen are as battle-worn and salty as any American unit. They've seen Iraq's dangerous Anbar province. They've fought in Fallujah and Ramadi and worked at the sharp end of the spear in the United States' most sustained urban combat since the Vietnam War.

They are among the tens of thousands of reservists who have fought in Iraq, a consequence of the country's insurgency and an active-duty military understaffed for long-term occupation. In the process they have become the epitome of the citizen soldier.


Breaking the mold
Typically older than active-duty Marines and soldiers, they left behind families and civilian jobs to brave Iraq's deserts. At least a dozen in the company no longer had commitments to the Marines and volunteered to go.

Sgt. Brian Heisinger from Aurora, Colo., finished four years as an active-duty Marine about four months before Bravo Company was deployed. In debt and working as a security guard, he talked his way into the unit when he heard it was going to Iraq.

Cpl. Sean McKamie, a father of three from Texarkana, says his proudest moment in Iraq came after attending a mass at the Al Asad air base.

When the priest found out what unit McKamie was from he said, "Oh, you're those reservists that fight."

On Bravo Company's last major operation in late February and early March before heading home back to the United States, they retook the city of Hit in Anbar province from insurgents.

They faced fierce resistance on their first entry to the city last October, but this time they encountered little resistance. That meant the Marines could get some downtime on the roofs of Iraqi homes they stayed in, staring out at the Euphrates and reflecting on their experience.

Many said they once foresaw a successful outcome in Iraq. But after six months of hard fighting, in which they saw towns overrun by insurgents and a flaccid response by Iraqi units, most are not optimistic.

"I just hope that all that we risked here, the people who have died" wasn't for nothing, says Sgt. Bob Grandfield, who lives in Boston. "But I'm not leaving with a lot of optimism."

Like almost every man in the company, Cpl. Daniel Benn of Houston has had clear reminders of the fragility of life. Fighting in Fallujah in November — when Bravo Company helped take a bridge where the bodies of two security contractors working for Blackwater Security Consulting of North Carolina were hung last April — Benn's platoon was ambushed. A piece of shrapnel buried itself in a spare rifle cartridge on his flak jacket.

The company has been fortunate. None of its 250 Marines were killed during their deployment.


Keeping their cool
Though the Marines don't allow themselves to show much fear, brushes with death have left their mark on all of them. To ease the pressure, the Marines spend afternoons bantering and burning off nervous energy.

They tell jokes and laugh about near misses: About Sgt. Burlingame, the gunner on top of a humvee hit by a roadside bomb, for example. Unconscious on a stretcher, a chaplain started to administer last rites as Burlingame awoke and shouted "I'm not dead yet." He was back in the field a few days later.

But the seriousness of their task is always close.

On their last foray into Hit, in October, the first platoon of about 60 men was pinned down in a six-hour gunbattle with insurgents. The day before, roadside bombs killed U.S. military contractors and rocket-propelled grenades hit a U.S. convoy. American commanders decided a show of force was in order.

All seemed quiet as the first platoon approached.

Then came the call to prayer at about 4:45 p.m. Hundreds of insurgents opened fire from houses and from the palm groves.

"They had everything you could think of, heavy machine guns, AK-47s, propped up on window sills and coming out of houses," says Capt. Shayne "Skinny" McGinty of Bossier, La. "They were the most formidable enemy we faced, worse than in Fallujah, pouring fire out of the grove, then maneuvering, then firing again."

A smaller group of Marines were pinned down a few hundred yards away, taking what cover they could on river banks and behind struts of a bridge.

Sgt. Kris Haines, from Novato, Calif., spent 45 minutes behind a piece of steel weathering a hail of bullets. The rest of the Marines pulled back. They couldn't fire for fear of hitting their own men and because they wanted to call in bombs on enemy positions. But malfunctioning radios meant they couldn't get the word out.

So two young sergeants — Armando Sanchez and Rick Mendoza — volunteered to run up to the position, braving fire.

"They were running forward throwing grenades while shots were coming out from the palm grove. There were guys up there in the trees, and we had to shoot them out like squirrels," recalls McGinty.


Top sniper from Bryan
Sgt. Byron Hancock, a sniper with an easygoing country manner and competence that makes him seem like Bravo's Brett Favre, is another who commands company respect. In Fallujah, Hancock, who works as a police sniper in Bryan, killed two insurgents setting up a mortar station at a distance of 1,050 meters, the longest sniper shot in Iraq.

"It feels good to just play my part, help everybody get back home safe," says the father of four, who grew up hunting squirrel and deer in Texas.

"A sniper's worst enemy is another sniper, and an enemy sniper can paralyze your operations."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Soldier and Marine Killed in Iraq Blasts

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military announced Sunday the deaths of two service members — a Marine killed by an explosion during combat a day earlier in the western town of Haditha and a soldier killed by a homemade bomb near the central city of Baiji.

Two car bombings in the northern city of Mosul killed one Iraqi civilian and wounded several others, according to the military.

Details also were released of a U.S. investigation confirming that a Bulgarian soldier was killed last month by friendly fire during a clash with American soldiers. The investigation found that Gurdi Gurdev was fatally wounded March 4 in southern Iraq when U.S. and Bulgarian forces "fired on each other in response to what each believed to be a hostile act from a legitimate military target," according to a statement released by the U.S. military.

An Internet statement purportedly from Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for an insurgent attack Saturday on the Abu Ghraib prison on the western outskirts of Baghdad. One insurgent died in the 40-minute firefight; 44 U.S. troops and 13 prisoners were wounded.

The claim could not be independently verified. It was unclear whether the attack, using car bombs, guns and rocket-propelled grenades, was aimed at freeing prisoners. None escaped.

Abu Ghraib was at the center of an abuse scandal last year that erupted after photographs became public that showed U.S. soldiers humiliating and otherwise mistreating naked Iraqi inmates.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Sharon and Cindy join the Marines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 4, 2005

Big names like Sharon Stone and Cindy Crawford are accustomed to having a bodyguard or two on hand. There was a rather more impressive security presence at their latest public appearance, though - some 40,000 burly Marines came along to keep an eye on them.

Sharon and Cindy were just two of the showbiz stars who jetted into Camp Pendleton in California for the "Rocking the Corps" concert. The event was organised as a thank-you to the soldiers and sailors whose San Diego units have been risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And the troops were treated to an unforgettable show, with a roll-call of top performers strutting their stuff on the stage. Destiny's Child, Mary J Blige and rapper Ja Rule gave musical performances, while Marisa Tomei and Jennifer Love Hewitt were there to represent the movie industry.

The gig was broadcast live to Marine bases all over the world, but none will have enjoyed it more than the young men and women who, having recently returned from the Middle East, were there in person to join in the fun. "We have 18 and 19-year-olds who have aged 10 years in six months of deployment," explained Gunnery Sergeant Les Timmons. "This is all the appreciation they need in one event."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Former Marine recruiter laments career, blasts military <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
April 4, 2005 <br />
Associated Press <br />
<br />
SPRINGFIELD - Former...

[thedrifter]

Restaurant, ad company team up to aid Iraq war vets <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
By SARAH HAINEY <br />
The Evening Telegram <br />
<br />
HERKIMER - A local...

[thedrifter]

Destiny Rock the Troops

Hand-picked girl group serenades the Marines in California



Performing for members of the military and their families on the beach at Camp Pendleton was an offer Destiny's Child couldn't refuse.
"We know that [the Marines] requested the performers," Beyonce told Rolling Stone backstage at the Oceanside, California, base on Friday night. "For them to even consider us is an honor. With all that they've done for us, we had to be here."

Billed as "Rockin' the Corps, An American Thank You," the diverse bill also featured Kiss, Godsmack, Ja Rule, Ted Nugent, Hootie and the Blowfish, and an unannounced solo turn by Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora.

"It's an honor and a blessing to be here," Godsmack frontman Sully Erna said before his band did double duty, playing both its own material and serving as the backing band for Nugent on a smoking version of "Cat Scratch Fever" and an extended "Stranglehold." Nugent had also kicked off the festivities with an instrumental guitar rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," a la Jimi Hendrix.

Sambora busted out revamped, softer renditions of Bon Jovi's "Living On a Prayer," "Wanted Dead or Alive" -- prefaced with a snippet of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider" -- and "It's My Life."

Still, the crowd had no problem with more familiar versions of hits, singing along to Hootie's "Only Wanna Be With You" and pumping their fists to a ten-minute medley of Ja Rule, who was introduced by Mary J. Blige. Destiny's Child had fans dancing in the sand to "Bootylicious" and the apt "Soldier" and Kiss delivered high-energy takes on anthems like "Rock and Roll All Nite" before fireworks shot over the beach.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Photographers Celebrate AP's 48th Pulitzer


By ANTONIO CASTANEDA
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Associated Press photographers Khalid Mohammed and Jim MacMillan were wrapping up yet another long day at the Baghdad bureau Monday when they got the news: They were part of a team of AP photographers who had just won a Pulitzer Prize.

"This a big deal?" asked Mohammed, an Iraqi who had only recently heard of the award.

The 11-member AP team won the prize for breaking news photography, the news cooperative's 48th Pulitzer, with a portfolio that included images of three charred bodies of U.S. contractors hanging from a bridge over the Tigris River; Marines praying over a fallen comrade; and U.S. soldiers taking cover during a gun battle in Najaf.

MacMillan said he found out when Director of Photography Santiago Lyon sent him an instant message saying he should call New York - now.

"I didn't suppose he wanted a call immediately to tell us we lost," said MacMillan, who is returning to Philadelphia after a year in Iraq. The AP entry included his picture of an American serviceman trying to draw sniper fire with a helmet designed to look like a soldier.

Mohammed, who took the March 2004 photo of Iraqis celebrating over the charred bodies in Fallujah, said he was threatened immediately after shooting the picture and had to flee within five minutes by car.

"I told the driver to keep the engine running, just in case," he said.

"Some people tried to prevent me from taking the picture," he said. "I had to move fast because I saw the situation was very, very dangerous."

Mohammed's photos startled the world, and were a critical part of Iraqi history after the U.S.-led invasion. Fallujah instantly became a household name, recognized as an insurgent stronghold until the U.S. military led a major assault on the city in November.

He said he knew immediately his shots would be pivotal photos.

"I thought this would be a huge deal for everybody, not just for me," he said.

The picture had both professional and personal significance for Mohammed. His brother was pulled out of high school and executed by the regime of Saddam Hussein in 1982 for refusing to join the Baath Party. Mohammed was arrested soon after and held several months.

"In the ex-regime, we didn't have the freedom to do this," he said, pausing to show old scars on his ankles from when Iraqi officials extinguished their cigarettes on his flesh.

"We have the responsibility to show the whole world what is happening here," he said.

Besides Mohammed, the AP team included four other Iraqi photographers - Bilal Hussein, Karim Kadim, Samir Mizban and Mohammed Uraibi. Other members were MacMillan, John B. Moore, Murad Sezer, Muhammed Muheisen, Anja Niedringhaus and Brennan Linsley.

Mohammed was proud to be in a select group of those who've won the Pulitzer Prize.

"Iraqi photographers are like any photographers in the world, but they need a chance to show their skill," he said.

MacMillan said the team had risked their lives on a daily basis to get the photos.

"It really comes down to the bravery of these guys," MacMillan said. "They are the bravest, most driven professionals I've ever seen."

AP President and CEO Tom Curley agreed, telling colleagues at New York headquarters: "These folks showed incredible courage this year."

"They took some extraordinary pictures; they captured some incredible moments in history and they did it in a way that made all of us proud," he said.

AP's Pulitzer entry contained 20 photos. It was the news cooperative's 29th Pulitzer for photography.

"They are the images that people will always remember from Iraq this year," said Kathleen Carroll, senior vice president and executive editor.

http://imgsrv.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=*&Date=20050404&Category=API&ArtNo=504041034&Ref=AR&AvisData=SH&MaxW=580&title=1


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Deputies had no reason to use stun gun on Marine <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br />
Associated Press <br />
April 5, 2005 <br />
<br />
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A sheriff's...

[thedrifter]

U.S. Marine Corps
Cpl. Steven Bruce Ames II

Marine Brings Comforts of
Home to the Battle Front


http://www.defendamerica.mil/images/photos/mar2005/articles/ai032205c1.jpg

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Steven Bruce Ames II, a 22-year-old native of Willard, Ohio, and personnel administration non-commissioned officer, delivers laundry to the staff billeting here, March 8. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio

By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio
2nd Marine Division

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, RAMADI, Iraq, April 4, 2005 — People raised in a small town often join the Marine Corps to get out, see the world and go home with stories to tell their friends and family. But one Marine here realizes that the small-town way-of-life will never be too far away.

Cpl. Steven Bruce Ames II, a 22-year-old native of Willard, Ohio, and personnel administration noncommissioned officer, recently arrived here to serve in the global war on terrorism. He found that when Marines get together in a place as small as Camp Blue Diamond, it's easy to make acquaintance with a lot of people. And in turn, become part of a community

Ames is a stocky breed of Marine with the standard close-cropped haircut and an exceptional knack for showing off a friendly smile to the service members in his unit. On an average day, one could see him trucking around the base in his vehicle to pick up supplies and amenities for the staff billeting.

Since Ames graduated Willard High School in 2001, he's made a lot of work for himself at Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. Before, his accomplishments included being a northern Ohio, two-time district qualifier and a Greco Roman state qualifier in high school. Now he's the facilities manager for the battalion.

Though he has still had time to wrestle, like during Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training, he's been occupied with more pressing things - making Marines more comfortable.

"My first responsibility is taking care of personnel issues at the administration section," said Ames. "I'm also tasked with tracking the accountability of the battalion and entering awards into their service record books."

The other half of his time is taken up billeting staff noncommissioned officers and officers upon arrival to the camp. He also arranges the delivery of fresh laundry and provides meals for local Iraqis who work on camp.

"I pretty much make sure their shacks are good to go," added Ames. "I provide everyone with things like locks, cots and water. And I take complaints like when the roofs leak.

"I never had a chance to deploy in my first three years in the Corps and I really wanted to," Ames continued.

"Now, at least I can go home being proud that I did something for my country during this time of war-fighting for freedom, or at least being in harm's way."

Ames enjoys his job, but most of all he's proud of being part of a community that has values like honor, courage and commitment - the Marines' code.

"I love it so much that I have a big Eagle Globe and Anchor tattoo across my back," said Ames. "My tattoo artist was also a Marine, so it has even more significance. The best part of the job is being a part of the 'gun club' where no matter what I do or where I'll go, I'll always be able to say I'm part of a small community . . . the Marines.”


Ellie