thedrifter
07-11-06, 12:42 PM
July 17, 2006 <br />
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Marine News Briefs <br />
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Military info in lesson plans <br />
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Public school officials on Guam are preparing for an influx of Marines from Okinawa, Japan, with plans to incorporate lessons...
thedrifter
07-11-06, 12:43 PM
July 17, 2006 <br />
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News Breaks <br />
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Sattler nominated for Joint Staff <br />
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President Bush has nominated Lt. Gen. John Sattler for reappointment to his current grade and a new assignment as the...
thedrifter
07-11-06, 12:43 PM
July 17, 2006
Around the Corps
Compiled from military and other public sources.
Germany
Catto becomes chief of staff
Maj. Gen. William Catto became the first Marine to serve as chief of staff at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, on July 5, Stars and Stripes reported July 7.
Catto previously commanded the Quantico, Va.-based Marine Corps Systems Command before assuming his position as EuCom’s 27th chief of staff.
Catto replaced Army Lt. Gen. Colby Broadwater III, who retired in May, the report said.
Japan
4th Marines show off combat training
Leathernecks with 4th Marines conducted a demonstration on ground combat elements for more than 100 Japan Air Self Defense Force officer candidates June 28 at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, a July 6 Marine Corps news release said.
According to the release, the candidates viewed presentations of infantry squad combat, field communication and amphibious warfare at various Camp Schwab locations as part of the Japanese Officer Exchange program.
The JOE is an exchange between Japanese and U.S. military personnel designed to improve interoperability and foster a healthy relationship among the forces, the release said.
According to Daiki Tanaka, a JASDF officer candidate, the exchange is vital for the Japanese because they don’t have combat experience, and “it’s very possible that any of us can go to Iraq soon,” he said.
Marines undergo survival training
Leathernecks with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Air Support Squadron 2 trained June 23 at the pool at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, on how to escape an aircraft crash at sea, a July 6 Marine Corps news release said.
According to Armando Alonso, the site manager for the Okinawa training center, the training uses three survival challenges in a downed aircraft simulator to increase the Marines’ chance of survival during a crash at sea.
MAW Marines conduct PME on Iwo Jima
Leathernecks and sailors with the Okinawa-based 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spent two days on Iwo Jima for a hands-on history lesson, a July 6 Marine Corps news release said. They visited historical sites on the island, including that of the famous flag-raising on Mount Suribachi during World War II.
Suez Canal
24th MEU hits Mideast waters
The seven ships of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group — including three amphibs bearing the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s roughly 2,200 Marines and sailors — slipped out of the Mediterranean Sea and into the Suez Canal on July 4, a Marine Corps news release said.
The transition marked the group’s official entrance into the U.S. Central Command’s area of operations, where the MEU will stand by for missions, the release said.
North Carolina
Lejeune Marines train for deployments
Leathernecks with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion’s Headquarters and Service Company participated in a six-day training exercise to prepare them for deployment, a July 7 Marine Corps news release said.
According to the release, the Marines performed vehicle maintenance, established a forward operating base, provided perimeter security and conducted patrols during the exercise.
Ellie