thedrifter
05-18-08, 09:02 AM
VMAQ-2 Marine makes mark in Iraq
5/15/2008 By Cpl. Charles E. McKelvey , Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. —
As an administrative clerk, Cpl. Jennifer D. Uriostegui’s daily duties in Iraq consisted of correcting pay problems, processing awards and searching Iraqi women for weapons and contraband.
Uriostegui was stationed at Al Asad Air Base, and accepted an offer to participate in the lioness program, which allows female Marines to operate outside the wire and at the forefront of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“I chose Cpl. Uriostegui to put up for the lioness program because she was one of the most motivated Marines I had,” said Sgt. Maj. John F. Hawkins, sergeant major of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2. “She also really wanted to know what it was like to operate on the ground side of the Marine Corps.”
Uriostegui joined the Marine Corps in August 2005 looking to travel and gain experience.
She accepted the sergeant major’s offer immediately and began to prepare for her month-long duty as a member of the program.
“There were 10 days of training to participate in the program,” said Uriostegui. “We had to do MCMAP. We had classes on how to search Iraqis and how to take down uncooperative people. We even got to fire weapons like the [M240G], [M249 SAW], shotguns, pistols, and rifles.”
The lioness team consisted of three Marines and two Sailors.
They directly supported infantry battalions by searching Iraqi females, a task the all-male battalions could not perform.
“Every morning we would convoy to the traffic control point,” said Uriostegui. “They would open the traffic control point and the Iraqi police would search the male motorists and we would search the females. Once we searched them, they went to the Biometric Automated Toolset System (BAT) cave, and would be free to go.”
Uriostegui’s month with the lioness program was spent doing everything from working aside infantry Marines constructing checkpoints to manning the checkpoints herself.
During her time with the program, she worked at a checkpoint in Haqlaniyah and on a newly constructed checkpoint that crossed the Euphrates River.
“Working the TCP on the bridge was the best part of the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “We did the same type of work as the Haqlaniyah TCP, but you got to see a lot more of the culture. They would walk across the bridge so you got to see a lot of the families interacting with each other.”
“This was exactly what I pictured myself doing when I joined the Marine Corps,” she added.
The ‘Q-2 Marine said what surprised her most about the Iraqis was their willingness to come up and interact with the Marines.
“The women would come right up to us and communicate with us through their language,” said Uriostegui.
Uriostegui’s willingness to accept and complete tasks, no matter what they were, was noticed by her peers, and superiors alike.
“Her courage to accept a role as a lioness with Regimental Combat Team 2 with no questions asked was well beyond any maturity level I’ve seen in a long time,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Phipps, the administrative chief for VMAQ-2. “Most Marines would balk immediately after hearing such a proposal.”
Uriostegui, a native of Salisbury, N.C., won a combat meritorious promotion board two months after her time spent with the lioness program.
“I definitely feel that the time I spent on the program helped me win the promotion,” Uriostegui said.
Phipps said the lioness arrived at VMAQ-2 already with many traits to make her worthy of a meritorious promotion, but the command climate and leadership, coupled with her time spent on the lioness program, enhanced those traits and helped her achieve success.
“I got to meet a lot of new people working with the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “I still keep in touch with most of the people that I met while with the program.”
The lioness program currently plays an extremely important role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Opportunities for deployed female Marines to participate in the program are still in demand.
“I would tell any female Marine in Iraq or going there to definitely participate in the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “It’s a great experience.”
Ellie
5/15/2008 By Cpl. Charles E. McKelvey , Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. —
As an administrative clerk, Cpl. Jennifer D. Uriostegui’s daily duties in Iraq consisted of correcting pay problems, processing awards and searching Iraqi women for weapons and contraband.
Uriostegui was stationed at Al Asad Air Base, and accepted an offer to participate in the lioness program, which allows female Marines to operate outside the wire and at the forefront of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“I chose Cpl. Uriostegui to put up for the lioness program because she was one of the most motivated Marines I had,” said Sgt. Maj. John F. Hawkins, sergeant major of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2. “She also really wanted to know what it was like to operate on the ground side of the Marine Corps.”
Uriostegui joined the Marine Corps in August 2005 looking to travel and gain experience.
She accepted the sergeant major’s offer immediately and began to prepare for her month-long duty as a member of the program.
“There were 10 days of training to participate in the program,” said Uriostegui. “We had to do MCMAP. We had classes on how to search Iraqis and how to take down uncooperative people. We even got to fire weapons like the [M240G], [M249 SAW], shotguns, pistols, and rifles.”
The lioness team consisted of three Marines and two Sailors.
They directly supported infantry battalions by searching Iraqi females, a task the all-male battalions could not perform.
“Every morning we would convoy to the traffic control point,” said Uriostegui. “They would open the traffic control point and the Iraqi police would search the male motorists and we would search the females. Once we searched them, they went to the Biometric Automated Toolset System (BAT) cave, and would be free to go.”
Uriostegui’s month with the lioness program was spent doing everything from working aside infantry Marines constructing checkpoints to manning the checkpoints herself.
During her time with the program, she worked at a checkpoint in Haqlaniyah and on a newly constructed checkpoint that crossed the Euphrates River.
“Working the TCP on the bridge was the best part of the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “We did the same type of work as the Haqlaniyah TCP, but you got to see a lot more of the culture. They would walk across the bridge so you got to see a lot of the families interacting with each other.”
“This was exactly what I pictured myself doing when I joined the Marine Corps,” she added.
The ‘Q-2 Marine said what surprised her most about the Iraqis was their willingness to come up and interact with the Marines.
“The women would come right up to us and communicate with us through their language,” said Uriostegui.
Uriostegui’s willingness to accept and complete tasks, no matter what they were, was noticed by her peers, and superiors alike.
“Her courage to accept a role as a lioness with Regimental Combat Team 2 with no questions asked was well beyond any maturity level I’ve seen in a long time,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Phipps, the administrative chief for VMAQ-2. “Most Marines would balk immediately after hearing such a proposal.”
Uriostegui, a native of Salisbury, N.C., won a combat meritorious promotion board two months after her time spent with the lioness program.
“I definitely feel that the time I spent on the program helped me win the promotion,” Uriostegui said.
Phipps said the lioness arrived at VMAQ-2 already with many traits to make her worthy of a meritorious promotion, but the command climate and leadership, coupled with her time spent on the lioness program, enhanced those traits and helped her achieve success.
“I got to meet a lot of new people working with the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “I still keep in touch with most of the people that I met while with the program.”
The lioness program currently plays an extremely important role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Opportunities for deployed female Marines to participate in the program are still in demand.
“I would tell any female Marine in Iraq or going there to definitely participate in the lioness program,” said Uriostegui. “It’s a great experience.”
Ellie