thedrifter
01-11-07, 07:28 AM
Lejeune troops are ready
January 11,2007
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When President Bush formally announced Wednesday night that more troops would likely be headed to Iraq soon, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Marc Chismar said he would be ready soon.
After all, it’s the job he joined the Marine Corps to do, he said.
“Whatever our commander in chief says to do to get this thing over with, a successful mission is what we’ve got to do,” Chismar said. “It’s what we signed up for.”
Even before the president announced his new plan for Iraq, which calls for 20,000 more forces, it was already drawing mixed reviews from an American public increasingly critical of the war.
But not in Jacksonville where Marines and sailors from Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station have deployed for the war on terror several times since 2003..
Around 4,500 Marines and sailors of 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force are gearing up to deploy to Iraq soon to “relieve forces currently in the Al Anbar province of Iraq as part of a schedule rotation,”
according to a press release. Approximately 2,200 troops deployed last week with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The number of Lejeune-based troops that might be sent to Iraq under the new expansion was not immediately known.
Chismar, now with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, would currently be deployed if it wasn’t for a sports injury, he said. The Marine, who has served for 13 years and been deployed to Iraq twice, knows he will head out again when his injury heals.
“I don’t want to leave my family but I’m OK with it because I have a very stable family — a faithful wife and a son and daughter who understand,” Chismar said. “We’ll get through it.
”
Ruthie Ruppert, who is married to a Marine, expressed similar sentiments.
“My husband volunteered to do this, he signed the paperwork,” she said. “That is what our life consists of and if our commander in chief wants to send more troops, that’s what we go with.”
Ruppert’s husband, 1st Lt. Heath Ruppert of II Marine Expeditionary Force, is also facing future deployments.
“My husband came home wounded from Africa (last year) and while he was in the hospital in Germany he went up and down the hallways talking to other Marines coming in wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ruppert said. “These young men wanted nothing more than to get back in the fight with their buddies.”
Ruppert says staying the course is something she believes in.
“This might sound cliché, but the feeling that my husband and I have amongst many of our friends is that we’d rather have our troops fighting on foreign ground rather than fighting on our own ground,” she said.
Lance Cpl. Chris Turner said he is prepared to leave on Monday to go to Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division.
“If (sending more troops) betters the troops, then it’s a good thing,” Turner said while buying gear before his first deployment. “I’m excited to go. Joining the Marine Corps is something I always wanted to do.”
When Marines like Turner deploy, it does affect Onslow County businesses. Keith Chasten, part-owner of New Legends Barber Shop on N.C. 24, says it’s hard when the troops leave.
“I don’t like it that more troops are going,” he said. “This is basically how I feed my family. A big chunk of my income is through them. The numbers slow down significantly when they go.”
To make up for the loss, Chasten says his family has to cut back and buy only the “necessities.”
“We do a lot of sacrificing,” said Chasten, who has given high and tights since 1992 in Jacksonville. “We have to do without the extras. The military takes care of a lot of people in Jacksonville.”
And Project Care is one way that Jacksonville is trying to take care of the military. The Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce-run organization was formed after the first Gulf War in 1991, when a large number of troops deployed — and many families left the area.
Project Care stood down two of its modules — helping military families and local businesses during mass deployments — last year. The organization’s third module, meeting the needs of military families as they come forward, remains in place.
“We can always, and will if need arises, activate the first two modules if needed,” said Mona Padrick, president of the chamber. “But we always have somebody deployed here, so the task is ongoing.”
Dane Somdahl, owner of Alien Art Tattoo, said his business has done well despite the constant deployments.
“Usually with deployments you’ve got guys coming back and it never really hurts us that bad,” said Somdahl, adding that 75 percent of his customers are military. “We get less walk-in business in general, but it has a lot to do with the rotations.”
Somdahl said the Marines and sailors he’s encountered recently are feeling unhappy about longer and more frequent deployments.
“It’s rough on them when they are gone two or three times in a row,” he said.
Contact staff writer Chrissy
Vick at cvick@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 239
Ellie
January 11,2007
CHRISSY VICK
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When President Bush formally announced Wednesday night that more troops would likely be headed to Iraq soon, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Marc Chismar said he would be ready soon.
After all, it’s the job he joined the Marine Corps to do, he said.
“Whatever our commander in chief says to do to get this thing over with, a successful mission is what we’ve got to do,” Chismar said. “It’s what we signed up for.”
Even before the president announced his new plan for Iraq, which calls for 20,000 more forces, it was already drawing mixed reviews from an American public increasingly critical of the war.
But not in Jacksonville where Marines and sailors from Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station have deployed for the war on terror several times since 2003..
Around 4,500 Marines and sailors of 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force are gearing up to deploy to Iraq soon to “relieve forces currently in the Al Anbar province of Iraq as part of a schedule rotation,”
according to a press release. Approximately 2,200 troops deployed last week with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The number of Lejeune-based troops that might be sent to Iraq under the new expansion was not immediately known.
Chismar, now with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, would currently be deployed if it wasn’t for a sports injury, he said. The Marine, who has served for 13 years and been deployed to Iraq twice, knows he will head out again when his injury heals.
“I don’t want to leave my family but I’m OK with it because I have a very stable family — a faithful wife and a son and daughter who understand,” Chismar said. “We’ll get through it.
”
Ruthie Ruppert, who is married to a Marine, expressed similar sentiments.
“My husband volunteered to do this, he signed the paperwork,” she said. “That is what our life consists of and if our commander in chief wants to send more troops, that’s what we go with.”
Ruppert’s husband, 1st Lt. Heath Ruppert of II Marine Expeditionary Force, is also facing future deployments.
“My husband came home wounded from Africa (last year) and while he was in the hospital in Germany he went up and down the hallways talking to other Marines coming in wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ruppert said. “These young men wanted nothing more than to get back in the fight with their buddies.”
Ruppert says staying the course is something she believes in.
“This might sound cliché, but the feeling that my husband and I have amongst many of our friends is that we’d rather have our troops fighting on foreign ground rather than fighting on our own ground,” she said.
Lance Cpl. Chris Turner said he is prepared to leave on Monday to go to Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division.
“If (sending more troops) betters the troops, then it’s a good thing,” Turner said while buying gear before his first deployment. “I’m excited to go. Joining the Marine Corps is something I always wanted to do.”
When Marines like Turner deploy, it does affect Onslow County businesses. Keith Chasten, part-owner of New Legends Barber Shop on N.C. 24, says it’s hard when the troops leave.
“I don’t like it that more troops are going,” he said. “This is basically how I feed my family. A big chunk of my income is through them. The numbers slow down significantly when they go.”
To make up for the loss, Chasten says his family has to cut back and buy only the “necessities.”
“We do a lot of sacrificing,” said Chasten, who has given high and tights since 1992 in Jacksonville. “We have to do without the extras. The military takes care of a lot of people in Jacksonville.”
And Project Care is one way that Jacksonville is trying to take care of the military. The Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce-run organization was formed after the first Gulf War in 1991, when a large number of troops deployed — and many families left the area.
Project Care stood down two of its modules — helping military families and local businesses during mass deployments — last year. The organization’s third module, meeting the needs of military families as they come forward, remains in place.
“We can always, and will if need arises, activate the first two modules if needed,” said Mona Padrick, president of the chamber. “But we always have somebody deployed here, so the task is ongoing.”
Dane Somdahl, owner of Alien Art Tattoo, said his business has done well despite the constant deployments.
“Usually with deployments you’ve got guys coming back and it never really hurts us that bad,” said Somdahl, adding that 75 percent of his customers are military. “We get less walk-in business in general, but it has a lot to do with the rotations.”
Somdahl said the Marines and sailors he’s encountered recently are feeling unhappy about longer and more frequent deployments.
“It’s rough on them when they are gone two or three times in a row,” he said.
Contact staff writer Chrissy
Vick at cvick@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 239
Ellie