Marine News Briefs

[thedrifter]

April 17, 2006 <br />
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Marine News Briefs <br />
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Airfield battle continues <br />
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In Southern California, where strict environmental regulations protect the pocket mouse, military airfields could become a new...

[thedrifter]

April 17, 2006

News Breaks

Marine killed on California interstate

A 22-year-old Camp Pendleton, Calif., Marine who was jumping around in traffic on Interstate 15 in Temecula was struck and killed April 6, the North County Times reported.

Officer Ron Thatcher, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, said the name of the Marine wasn’t being released yet, but he was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

According to the CHP, someone called 911 at 2:54 a.m. to report that a man was jumping in and out of the freeway’s southbound lanes, south of Rancho California Road.

Thatcher said a big-rig driver slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the Marine. The driver of a Toyota Previa behind the truck then swerved around the rig and struck the Marine, the officer said.

The Marine landed in the freeway’s center divide, suffering head injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:08 a.m.


Parris Island officer dies in vehicle crash

A senior officer at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., was killed in a car crash April 4 in Port Royal, S.C., Marine officials said.

Lieutenant Col. Annette Jacobsen was the deputy comptroller for the depot.

According to a depot spokesman, Maj. Billy Canedo, Jacobsen was pulling into an intersection around 4:15 p.m. when her 1999 Honda sedan was struck on the driver’s side by a dump truck.

Rescue crews extracted the Marine and transported her to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Jacobsen entered the Corps in 1981. Her husband recently retired as the depot’s inspector general.

Canedo said the accident is under investigation.

Philippine case raffled off to new court

The Philippine rape case involving four Marines was raffled April 3 to Judge Benjamin Pozon of Branch 139 of the Makati Regional Trial Court, according to a report posted on the Internet by ABS-CBN News.

According to the report, the case was supposed to have been raffled off to an Olongapo City Regional Trial Court, which has jurisdiction over the Subic Free Port, but on March 28, the Supreme Court allowed the venue to be changed.

The original judge, Renato Dilag, recused himself a day before the accused were to be arraigned.

Dilag said his son had worked with the law firm that represents one of the Marines.

The leathernecks were training in country with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. They are accused of raping a 22-year-old Philippine woman Nov. 1 in Subic Bay.

Japan, U.S. agree on relocation plan

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, will be relocated as part of a reorganization of U.S. troops stationed in Japan, officials said April 7.

The city of Nago in central Okinawa agreed to host the air station after Japan’s Defense Agency decided to relocate a planned runway to keep flights away from residential areas.

The deal marks a major step toward a final agreement between Japan and the U.S. on redeploying U.S. troops in Japan.

“The agreement today is extremely significant,” Japanese Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga said in a news conference. “The Futenma relocation plan had been up in the air for 10 years.”

Washington has proposed adjusting the deployment of some 50,000 troops based in Japan as part of a worldwide realignment of U.S. forces, which also includes a plan to move 7,000 Marines from Okinawa to the Pacific island of Guam.

Realignment talks were to resume April 13-14 in Tokyo.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

April 17, 2006

Around the Corps

Compiled from military and other public sources.

Iraq

Flash flood accident kills 6; 2 missing

An accident involving a 7-ton truck that rolled during a flash flood April 2 in Asad, Iraq, claimed the lives of six Marines, according to an April 5 Defense Department release.

Two Marines, Lance Cpl. Eric Palmisano and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Marcques Nettles of 1st Marine Logistics Group, are missing following the incident. Their duty status is listed as “whereabouts unknown,” the release stated.


The only other U.S. military member with this duty status is Army Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, missing since his convoy was attacked in Iraq and he was captured on Aug. 9, 2004.

On April 4, the Corps recovered the body of one Marine and determined the cause of death to be drowning, said Capt. Megan McClung, a spokeswoman for I Marine Expeditionary Force.

One Marine was injured in the accident, which was not caused by enemy action, according to the release.

McClung released no details about the injuries sustained by the surviving Marine but said he was transported to a surgical unit at Al Asad Air Base, where he was treated and returned to his unit the next day.

Reserve unit joins RCT-5 in Fallujah

Reservists from a Massachusetts-based unit have arrived in Iraq to join Regimental Combat Team 5, an April 6 Marine Corps news release said.

According to the release, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, assumed authority for the part of Fallujah formerly patrolled by leathernecks from 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, who were to return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., on April 12.

The battalion will train with Iraqi Security Forces and conduct counterinsurgency operations for RCT-5, according to Sgt. Maj. Bradley Trudell, the battalion’s senior enlisted Marine.

Jamaica

Nonlethal crowd control taught

Leathernecks and British Royal Marines joined forces in Moneague, Jamaica, to train Caribbean defense forces, an April 5 Marine Corps news release said.

The training is part of Exercise Tradewinds, an annual event designed to improve the ability of participating forces to manage security during the World Cup of Cricket, which will be held this year at locations throughout the Caribbean.

Since rioting is a primary security concern, the Marines worked a two-day mock riot into the three-week training schedule.

“We teach the troops that they just can’t shoot unruly people,” said British Royal Marine Capt. Rhys Hopkins, head training officer.

“The training is very physical, very disciplined, and the troops work hard to make all of this come together,” Hopkins said.

North Carolina

Squadron returns from NAS Key West

Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 302 returned from training in Florida to Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., on March 29, a Marine Corps news release said.

The squadron spent 12 days training at Naval Air Station Key West.

“Being able to come to Key West and have this experience is invaluable for both our pilots and crew chiefs,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Herndon, squadron commander.

Herndon said the squadron deployed with eight CH-53E Super Stallions and trained in instrument and area familiarization and confined area landings.

Civil affairs Marines return to Lejeune

The 6th Civil Affairs Group returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C., on April 4 from a seven-month deployment to Iraq, a Marine Corps press release said.

According to the release, 6th CAG is a provisional unit created for the Corps’ civil affairs mission in Anbar province. The unit was to be permanently deactivated upon its return.

The 6th CAG provided civil-military operations support to 2nd Marine Division during its deployment, including support for Operations Sayaid II, Steel Curtain, Freedom Express and Patriot Shield II, the release said.

Ellie