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thedrifter
10-04-06, 07:49 AM
Weymouth Marine is 'Good to Go'
Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Marine Reservist John Derusha from Weymouth who is just finishing up his tour in Fallujah is featured in a photo exhibit currently open at Parish Center for the Arts in Westford.

Derusha is in "Good to Go': Marines Train for a War of Insurgency," an exhibit of photographs taken by Jean Butler at the Marine Corps' Air Ground Combat Training Center in Twentynine Palms, California,

In March, Butler, a Westford photographer and photojournalist, responded to a press invitation to embed with the recently-activated 1st Battalion 25th Marine reserve unit as they underwent training for deployment in Iraq.

The 1/25, which is headquartered in Devens, Massachusetts and draws 57 percent of its personnel from New England, is currently winding down its tour in Fallujah.

The training program, dubbed "Mojave Viper," equips Marines with both the tactical skills needed to fight an urban insurgency, and the cultural awareness to practice street-level diplomacy as a peace-keeping force.

In a simulated Iraqi town of nearly 500 buildings on over 250 acres, Marines practice combined infantry-and-tank patrols, cordon-and-search sweeps, offensive strikes in an urban setting, and the design and operation of vehicle checkpoints.

All exercises overlay military skills with Muslim cultural awareness and simple Arabic language skills to facilitate interactions with the local populace. Native Iraqis role-play the part of townspeople to familiarize the Marines with situations they may encounter on the streets of Fallujah or other Iraqi cities.

The exhibit contains scenes from the training grounds, actual exercises and base camp life.

Butler is a graduate of Tufts University and the New Hampshire Institute of Art photography program. Her photography and writing have appeared in national and trade publications and area newspapers.

The public is invited to the opening reception on Sunday, October 8, from 3-5 p.m. The exhibit runs through Oct. 29, and may be viewed during gallery hours on Sundays from noon to 2 p.m.

Ellie