Embedded with The Marines

[thedrifter]

Exclusive: Embedded with The Marines Responding to an invitation to local media, Reminder Publications staff members Natasha Clark and Sarah M. Corigliano spent two days embedded with New England Marines in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Their photos and stories will run in a series, so please visit again to read and see their next installment covering local Marines at Mojave Viper training at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.


Local Marines prepare for war

Updated Editor's Note, May 3: Reminder Publications recently learned that Westfield resident, Marine Corporal Timothy Douglas, is also a member of Charlie Company and the 1/25 Marines who are currently deployed to Iraq.



Editor's Note: This story is the first in a series highlighting the training of New England Marine Reservists before their deployment to Iraq in April.

Staff members Natasha Clark and Sarah M. Corigliano embedded with the 1/25 Marines at their Mojave Viper training in Twentynine Palms, CA, March 9 and 10, to photograph and report on the new training program and local Marines there.

This story, along with photos, will be available here and in our weekly newspapers, The Reminder, The Chicopee Herald, The MetroWest Reminder and The Springfield Reminder.



By Sarah M. Corigliano

Assistant Managing Editor



TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA At 5:20 a.m. on March 8, a grungy cab with its heat cranked to 90 degrees drops Natasha Clark and me at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, Calif. The sun is just beginning to turn the black sky a deep blue over the ridges of sandy desert mountains. Traffic of Marine Corps personnel pours into the front gate of the base as the rest of the immediate world sleeps.

This is the beginning of our two-day trip to embed with the 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, based in New England. Here, they have been conducting their Mojave Viper training -- an intensive 24-day encampment in the isolation of the Mojave Desert perfecting their skills in urban warfare and increasing their cultural awareness of the Iraqi people.

The men of the 1/25 Marines will depart for Iraq in April, prepared to serve seven months on the front line of the three-year-old war, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A short trip from the front gate of the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), escorted by Staff Sergeant Fredy Tellocastillo and First Sergeant Garry Wilson, brings visitors to an isolated area of the Mojave Desert, which serves as the training grounds for Marines being deployed to Iraq.

Clearing one of the lower-lying mountains on a dirt/sand "road," we can see that the landscape is punctuated by a mock-Iraqi city. The tops of two model mosques, a shiny gold and a Mediterranean blue, provide the only color on a monochromatic scene of tan structures, sand and mountains. Iraqi flags fly from a few buildings.

It's after 6 a.m. now and an unmarked white bus brings Iraqi-Americans, who have accepted jobs to help train the Marines in cultural awareness, to the mock city. Gunnery Sergeant Pete Walz, Public Affairs chief for the 1/25 Marines, welcomes us to Mojave Viper training and gives us a few pointers about being out "on the range," including tips on keeping scorpions out of one's shoes, staying hydrated, and ground rules for our stay with the Marines.

Twentynine Palms' MCAGCC is the largest Marine Corps base in the world, he explains. Through the training, Marines will learn tactics that will help them work better with Iraqi civilians, and fight better against insurgents. Many of the Marines, who range in age from 18 to their mid-20s, are corporals and lance corporals.

"These guys are the worker bees -- the muscle," Walz says.

We also learn that several of these men are Navy Medical Corpsmen, who serve in a medic capacity during the training and while at war in Iraq. If anyone gets hurt, they need only shout "corpsmen up," to get some help. I'm sure to write this part in my notes as we have two long days ahead of us trying to keep up with a group of highly trained, exceptionally sturdy men.

Shortly after our brief, companies of Marines arrive by vehicle and on foot to continue their Mojave Viper training. Hum-Vees, "Amtrack" vehicles and 7-ton trucks roll in from the distance, shrouded by clouds of dust and dirt.

As a company of walking Marines passes our SUV, we can see that their faces are dirty. They carry equipment such as M-4 guns, knives, small pistols, "Camelback" hydration systems, and a day pack with essentials for the field. They wear flack vests and helmets. But despite their rough appearance, they smile or nod when they realize the presence of two more visitors.

We have been embedded with C, or Charlie Company, a group of about 200 men, many of whom are originally from Massachusetts, several of whom are from the Pioneer Valley. They are based in Plainfield, Conn.



March 9, 2006




A class in "cordon and knock" searches explains to Marines the different techniques they can employ when searching the houses of Iraqi civilians and suspected insurgents, or those who are helping insurgents.

Captain Chris DeAntoni, whose classroom is the urban desert range where Marines will be in action later, instructs the Marines to, "treat everyone with respect and dignity until they don't deserve it anymore."

That statement is part of the overall cultural awareness that has become an integral part of their training: a cultural faux pas may be the difference between a friendly meeting, resulting in shared information about insurgent activity or needs of the town or city, and a hostile or potentially deadly encounter.

The Marines are trained to employ different tactics for different situations, instead of rushing in and conducting an intrusive raid for every household of interest.

For a friendly situation, Marines are instructed to knock and, with the help of an interpreter, ask to speak with the head of household. For a less friendly situation, such as a house with people suspected of cooperating with insurgents, they can enter by surprise, breaking down a door to interview the occupants.

Or, if a known insurgent is in the house or they are taking fire from that house, they can simply blow the door off and detain, or kill if needed, in self-defense, the occupants inside. The trainers, however, emphasize "collecting" such individuals rather than simply killing them, as they may have valuable information. Deadly force is authorized in self-defense.

DeAntoni adds that some Iraqi families are more comfortable dealing with Marines than the Iraqi National Guard, but that, nonetheless, there are insurgents who want only to kill American troops in Iraq.

"When you leave the FOB [Forward Operating Base], the enemy is watching you," he advises the Marines in his class. "They are plotting -- they are watching you as individuals. The longer you are out there, the longer you are a target."

The cordon search exercises are designed to allow the Marines to collect information and root out insurgents in an urban Iraq environment. On several occasions Marines tell me that they basically serve as a police force in places like Fallujah, as the local government and Iraqi National Guard have been in control of the city for some time now.

Included in the cordon exercises are encounters with Iraqi-American and Marine role players taking the parts of villagers and insurgents. Trainers vary the exercises to present realistic scenarios for the Marines.

From the trainer's point of view

When the class is through, I get the chance to talk with DeAntoni about his training and about the war in which the Marines are about to take part.

He says, among the skills he deems most important and that he hopes the Marines practice in-country are: "thinking, preparation, and sturdy professionalism."

He notes the importance of these skills in every circumstance.

"We had some Marines die in Al Qaim [recently]," he notes. "That same day, those Marines were back on the street, interacting [with civilians] the same way they always have when things are going well and happy."

Such professional behavior, he says, helps to preserve the accomplishments made in that area; even though, as friends and fellow Marines, they may feel the need to retaliate.

DeAntoni explains he enlisted as a Marine in order to serve something greater than himself. He also points out that most Marines, including himself, are serving their country regardless of any political beliefs.

"If you think we should leave, or if you think we shouldn't be there, you haven't been there," he says. He cites the uncovering of mass graves and other atrocities as reasons for Americans to fight the war in Iraq and to help the Iraqi people establish democracy, replacing the rule of Saddam Hussein.

"Marines do this because this is who they are," he adds.



An act of patriotism



Nadil, an Iraqi-American who is working as an interpreter and role-player in the Mojave Viper training, approaches Natasha and me after our talk with DeAntoni. He is one of several Iraqi-Americans who is willing to be quoted in the newspaper because his immediate family is all safe here with him (in Waterbury, Conn.). His parents still live in Iraq, though.

He says he took the job at Twentynine Palms because the Marines asked for help.

"I want to help the Marines and help America," he says. "I'm still Iraqi, but now I'm American."

His colleague, Duraed Gabriel, explains that his family is safe in New Zealand and also feels safe sharing his name and being photographed for the paper. He has volunteered to accompany the 1/25 Marines to Iraq in April to serve as an interpreter. His assignment is also for one year.

"I want to save civilians and save Marines," he says of why he is willing to go into the war zone with them. "They are really short on interpreters."



Role players



Rounding the corner of one of the "buildings" on the training range, in an attempt to get a better shot of the Marines' exercise, we encounter Staff Sergeant McComber and Marines who are not part of the 1/25.

McComber, who at one time was in infantry, now works in the civil affairs portion of the Marine Corps. He was last was deployed from 2004-2005 as a liaison officer in Jordan and in Fallujah, Iraq.

Compared with training he has had in the past, he says this is better.

"For anyone going into harm's way, this is a long time in coming," he explains. "The realism of the training here is saving lives when they go in-country. It's a beneficial tool to mission accomplishment."

McComber is standing with a group of Marines who are playing the part of insurgents in mock village training.

"The bulk of people [here] as role players have two or three tours [of deployment]," he adds.



Local faces



Sergeant Julio Feliciano is one of several Springfield-area Marines who are participating in this training. He explains that, when he's not serving his country in the Marine Reserves, he serves the people of Framingham as a fire fighter. He had been working as a fire fighter in Springfield, and still lives in the city, but was laid off and sought work further east in the state. His wife, Marangelyn, works for Maureen Bellucci & Associates salon in Springfield.

As a squad leader, he talks about the training the 1/25 Marines are currently receiving. He notes that, unlike training he has received in the past, which focused on jungle or wooded terrains, this training is specific to the situation they will be entering in a matter of weeks.

"[We have a] really patient enemy," he says. "They might be sitting in an apartment, looking out the window watching us -- there's always that danger. So we're always on the move, always ready to go."

He adds, "I notice a lot of worries that we are not properly trained. The Marines get the gear, leadership and training we need -- we are getting trained well."

Lance Corporal Craig Washington is also a Springfield resident and a 2001 graduate of Springfield Central High School. This month, he marks his third year as a Marine.

"This is my first time deploying," he tells me. He says he played football at American International College for a year and a half before joining the Marines. At the time he signed up, he says he knew Feliciano. But he also made good friends fellow Marine Reservist, Lance CorporalRyan Togneri, and the pair is now referred to as "Bacardi and Coke," a quote from the movie "Money Train." The two will serve alongside each other when they leave for Iraq in April.

Washington notes that "just about my whole family is in Springfield." His daughter will turn 5 next month, and he was able to visit her during a break in February.

He says he wants people back home to know that "we're gonna be safe ... fine ... this is the best training we've gotten."

Togneri, the "Bacardi" to Washington's "Coke," is originally from Turner's Falls but now calls Westfield home. He has been in the Marine Reserves for 2.5 years.

"It's something I wanted to do," he explains. "I joined when the war started."

He also plays college football, at Westfield State College, and says he will complete his program about a year and a half after he returns from the war in September. He says he's majoring in Criminal Justice and History and that he would like to work towards becoming a U.S. Marshal.



A town meeting

A meeting of senior staff members begins at noon to prep for a mock "town meeting" with local Iraqi officials from the Iraqi National Guard, local government, and religious leaders.

Emphasis is placed on the subtleties of conversations that might take place when military and local officials meet. The officers present at the briefing are informed that the best way to win a negotiation, is to never get involved in one.

"Be keen to the indirect," the presenting officer notes. "An indirect approach helps them [local Iraqi officials] save face."

The officer notes that, in the three categories of supportive, non-hostile and hostile, most Iraqis and local officials fall in the middle category. Very few are in the hostile category, he adds.

He tells the officers assembled in one of the "buildings," which is designed to serve as a mock school, that they may be asked for infrastructure improvements, money or other resources in exchange for the local officials' cooperation. They are told to "undersell and over-deliver," and to not make any promises they can not keep.

They are also cautioned not to set specific future meetings, as such dates may become known to insurgents and be used to ambush the Marines who attend.

Upon exiting the briefing, we are introduced to one member of the command staff, Major Bennet Walsh. We learn that he, too, is a Springfield native and a 1988 graduate of Cathedral High School.

As a participant in the "town meeting," he says the goal is to "establish a rapport with local leaders to better help their people with everything."

Much of his family, including his mother, City Councilor Kateri Walsh, reside in Springfield. He is currently stationed in Maine.

He says he wants people back home to know that "we love our country, and we miss our families."

The first stop made by the command staff is at the headquarters of the Iraqi National Guard a few minutes' walk from the school house. Surrounded by gates and razor wire, a sign at the entrance says, "If you proceed you will be shot" in Arabic and English. The officers proceed to a tent in the back of the property where they meet an Iraqi-American who is playing the role of colonel of the Iraqi National Guard.

After introductions and small talk, the meeting is underway, with Marines seeking information from the colonel and his staff regarding insurgents and whether they are local or from outside of the country. They, in turn, are seeking services from the U.S., such as the building of new roads.

After establishing that Marines do not build roads, but that they understand where the Iraqi officials are coming from, the meeting meanders to a positive conclusion for both sides.

Next stop for the command staff is the local mayor's office, but Natasha and I discover that just up the road with Bravo company is Sgt. Kiendzior, a machinist from Westfield who serves as a platoon sergeant within Bravo company.

He has been a Marine for six years and recently signed up to continue his service. He says he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for two years, but "I didn't really like it."

"It was college or the Marines," he explains. "So I tried out the Reserves."

This will be his second tour of duty with the Marines, as he was deployed to Iraq with the 2/25 Marines in 2003.

His family in Westfield includes his mother, Kathleen. And, he says he wants people back home to know that the Marines and other U.S. military units are going to Iraq "for a good cause."

"The first time [I was there], at times it was a little gray ... but I saw a change in people's lives and it was nice to see their quality of life changing. Most people [there] are grateful," he reflects.

He would like Americans to "support your troops. Keep them in mind."

He also says Marines are always thankful for the care packages sent to them in-country, but that they don't need any more hygiene gear.

"Send food and news," he emphasizes. During his last tour of duty, he recounts that Marines in his unit heard a rumor that both Jennifer Lopez and Brittney Spears had died, and they weren't sure whether or not to believe it and were devastated at such a thought. As a result, entertainment news and other magazines would be welcomed by the Marines.



Media briefing

A short time later, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Kline, an Albany, N.Y. native, gives the media some of his time to explain the relatively-short history of the Mojave Viper training program.

Kline is one of the creators of the urban warfare training program and serves as its director.

"The purpose [of the training] is to get Marines familiar, proficient and confident among an urban population," he explains, making them "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy."

In addition to cultural awareness, which Kline says will help the Marines sway more Iraqi civilians to a neutral or friendly status, rather than combative, they also become aware of what is normal and abnormal in that environment, making them more aware of their surroundings and more able to respond to danger quickly.

One new idea behind the Mojave Viper training, Kline explains, is for Marines to "be kinetic."

"You don't blow up the building just because there's a sniper in it," he explains. If Marines are able to capture that person, they are more valuable alive, he says. The sniper may have information that can help to break the insurgency and save more Iraqi and American lives.

Kline says his program is designed to "train Marines to fight the current fight." He says he receives constant feedback "in-theater," and that the Mojave Viper training is adjustable to reflect that feedback.

"Three months ago [the war] was different," he explains. "Next month will probably be different." He calls the training, "interactive, flexible and adaptive."

As of March 9, 10 battalions have gone through the Mojave Viper training, which began in January 2004. About eight of those battalions were Reserves, Kline explains. By this summer, some of them will be coming home.

In response to questions about success in Iraq, Kline reflects, "how do you measure success?" He points out that there is more cooperation among civilians now, using an example of children turning in IEDs (improvised explosive devices) to Marines and other U.S. personnel.

He adds that the population of Iraq is not the enemy, but that the insurgents are.

"They are placing themselves among the population," he explains. "They are paying poor people to do a lot of their dirty work."



Inside the Wire



At 1700, or 5 p.m., it's time for the Marines to head back to their encampments. Natasha and I are treated to a ride with Gunny Walz and two other journalists who are embedded with Charlie Company. I feel a bit guilty taking a ride as Charlie Company marches back to the camp.

About 15 minutes later we are searching for local Marines in the chow line, and we meet Lance Corporal Lowin Cruz, who is looking a bit worn out from the day's training. He is happy to meet someone from Massachusetts, and explains that he is from Worcester.

This will be his first time at war, and says this is "the most intense training" he has had in his three years as a Marine. Our conversation is interrupted as Marines, despite the fact that they are in line to get their first hot meal of the day, are ordered to gather for an announcement.

Major Jeffery Haines announces that First Sergeant Ben Grainger (who resides in Enfield, Conn.) has been assigned as their Company's First Sergeant. A loud oo-rah and smiles on their tired faces greet their new leader.

The officers talk to the Marines about the rest of their training.

"You have a few more days to knock this [stuff] out," Haines says. "Get it working here."

He tells the Marines of Charlie Company about another unit of Marines who recently completed the Mojave Viper training. Because of complacency, he says, they lost four men shortly after arriving in Iraq.

"I want to bring every one of you ... back to this country," he says.

The First Sergeant also speaks to the group, reminding them that they wear the same gear, and that they can all drink from the same coffee cup -- the mug from his thermos which he passes among his Marines.

"IEDs do not stop going off at 16:30," he says. "We have to hold ourselves accountable."

Don't forget to read Reminder Publications community newspapers and reminderpublications.com next week for the next installment of this story.

Slideshow: Mojave Viper training photos

http://www.thereminder.com/features/reminderpublicatio/localmarinesprepar/localmarinesprepar/

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Observations from behind the lensEditor's note: As the photographer assigned to embed with the 1st Battalion 25th Marines, most of my reporting was from behind the lens of a camera. Though I used photography as a tool of capturing the story of these Marines, here are just a few of the thoughts that crossed my mind during those days.



By Natasha Clark

Reminder Assistant Editor



Only a few hours into my stay at Twentynine Palms, I realize my idea of civilization has changed. There are no frills and comforts here. Everything that I thought was a necessity fits neatly in a backpack. Later I find out that the real necessities a helmet, flack vest, water, my MREs (Meals ready-to-eat), film and cameras can be stuffed in my pockets and strapped to my body.

As my colleague Sarah and I ride along in a blood-red Durango, Staff Sergeant Fredy Tellocastillo and First Sergeant Garry Wilson introduce us to our surroundings and what lies ahead for the day. We are heading further and further away from the main base and deeper into the desert. Soon a mock Iraq city, complete with Mosques, police stations and role-playing civilians, comes into view.

I am faced with the stone-cold reality of the extremes some people must endure for freedom. Marines, mostly between the ages of 19-25, are putting their lives on the line for a greater cause. My personal reasons for being a journalist suddenly feel mediocre in comparison.

When I open the door and the new hiking boots on my feet touch the desert sand (Tellocastillo and Wilson laugh about Sarah's and my cleanliness. They're right, it doesn't last long), they hand us our helmets and flack vests.

We're now embedded with the 1st Battalion 25th (1/25) Marines, an activated reserve unit from the Northeastern and East coasts.

There are five companies to the Battalion each with about 200 Marines. There is H & S (Headquarters and Service) which conducts all the service and support operations for the battalion. It consists of command staff, administration, intelligence, operations, logistics and supply, motor transport, communications and Scout Sniper Team. There are three Line Companies "A" (Alpha), "B" (Bravo), and "C" (Charlie). These consist of infantrymen who do the principle mission of counter insurgency operations and general infantry missions. Sarah and I are embedded with "C". There is also a Weapons Company Marines who specialize in the heavy hitting fire power for the battalion.

Each company is broken down further and has the same five-level structure but called Platoons (about 30-40 men). For two days Sarah and I alternate between the 2nd and 3rd Platoon.



***

I follow a squad in the 2nd Platoon as they approach insurgents (role-playing Marines these Marines are not currently being deployed) exchanging fire.

There seems to be a switch inside them.

The Marine in front of me lays down on his belly and looks through the scope on his weapon. His fellow squad members are strategically placed around the mock village. Another weapon, shooting blanks, fires and Marines yell about a visual on its origin. I get down on one knee, crouching to his level and pull my own trigger, firing off a series of camera shots.

With all the tension, noise, yelling and clouds of dust you almost forget this thing is simulation. That is until I catch out of the corner of my eye the Marines' instructors watching them. I turn around and see Sarah leisurely walking and chatting with a freelance reporter. They're not even six feet away, but it seems like a different world.

Not even 20 minutes later Marines are sitting in the dirt, some in the tiniest amount of shade created by the houses, smoking a cigarette, eating or talking. It is as if a switch has been flipped, again. The hard focused eyes, the tight fingers gripping aimed weapons, the husky raised voices; they are all replaced by kind eyes, at ease fingers cleaning weapons, and laughter. I hold the camera back up to my eye, focus the lens on a face, tanned by weeks in the desert sun, and shoot. This is someone's son, brother, friend.

***

That evening we are called out of our tent. It's chow time and Major Jeffery Haines is making an announcement. It is amazing to see the entire company formed into a semi-circle. Some are sitting, some standing, but all at attention. Haines informs everyone that First Sergeant Ben Grainger is now officially the First Sergeant of Charlie. This announcement is followed by a "Oo-rah." Haines tells the Marines that he wants to bring everyone here back with him from Iraq. He does not want one casualty. Behind my camera lens I am suddenly filled with emotion and I fight not to cry in front of everyone. I look to Sarah who is also emotional and we go back inside the tent.

***

Following these conditioned Marines is not an easy task. They glide across the sand as if it were concrete, and me? My plus-sized body seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into the sand as I walk. The Marines just completed a search of a home where they dealt with the family respectfully which sometimes is the difference between a calm confrontation and a hostile situation.

Their instructors are yelling for them to move and the guys are high-tailing it back to the truck. I'm holding on to my cameras. Sarah long ago dropped my MRE when there was sniper gunfire, so now I'm running with one less item.

"Help the reporters!" someone hollers, and a young man up on the truck extends his hand and helps me climb up the ladder. I plop down on the shaky wooden bench next to Sarah and get off a few shutters before the truck behind us carrying the rest of the platoon is hit with a fake IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Our truck comes to a halt and some Marines jump off and back into the field. It's not even 9:30 a.m. yet.

***

Twenty years from now these Marines will have children. They'll tell them about Operation: Iraqi Freedom, the part they played, the brothers who fought beside them and the families that waited at home for their return. They'll be veterans with memories and emotions only those who were there with them will be able to understand.

The men I met will embark on that journey to Iraq any day now. But today, tomorrow, next month, 50 years from now in these photos they will always be young 20-somethings on the brink of greatness. Oo-rah!

Thank you to everyone who helped me to cover this remarkable event. The following people were my sponsors:

Mary Allen

Sabrina Allen

Noreen Brennan

Joan Clark

Christine Doyle

Eva Kealey

Jerome and Laurie Williams

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Part II: Marines prepare for war

Editor's Note: This is the second installment of Reminder Publications' series covering local Marines' training at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Reminder Publications staff members Natasha Clark and Sarah M. Corigliano embedded with the 1/25 Marines March 9 and 10 as they reached the culmination of their Mojave Viper training, preparing them for deployment to the war in Iraq this April.



By Sarah M. Corigliano

Assistant Managing Editor



TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA It's about 1730 on our first day in the field with Charlie Company and as they finish their chow, which features some kind of meat and pink noodles, the sun begins to set. We retire to the medical tent, which is where press members who are embedded with Charlie Company sleep.

Inside the tent, which has front and back openings, and the desert as a floor, we are issued the same cots the Marines use to elevate their sleeping bags off the ground.

Our tent is situated at the entrance to the FOB (Forward Operating Base) and is pretty close to a couple of the latrines, one of which has been designated "Ladies," even though there are only three of us out of more than 250 men.

Other journalists in our tent represent The Hartford Courant and The New London Day. We also share quarters with "Doc," Navy Hospital Medic Second Class Paul Errico of Groveland, Mass. His is the only tent with power and lights, which are connected to a generator. It's a popular place for people to stop in.

I go over my notes from our first day as the reporter from the New London Day, Kyn Tolson, and Staff Sergeant Fredy Tellocastillo marvel at how Doc can listen to his "iPod," read a book, and shave his head at the same time. He has a very Zen approach to the way he does it, and to the way he cleans his gun, like it's a long-established routine.

Hospital Medic Josh Balter, a corpsman with Charlie Company, stops in the tent and introduces us to the M-4 gun, the successor to the M-16, which is issued to every Marine. He makes sure it is empty of any ammunition and allows us to hold it and look through the scope. It's got to weigh about 10 pounds.

Marines, he says, are trained to look through the scope with one eye and still use the other eye for surveillance.

Our next visitor is First Sergeant Ben Grainger, who we recently learned has been assigned Company First Sergeant. He sits at the end of Tolson's cot and talks about the training, some of his travels, and about Charlie Company's mission for the next day.

Once he wishes us good night and warns he'll be back before dawn to be sure everyone is awake, we all eventually turn in to our bags for the night. On a personal note, I am thankful that the weather has been too cold for any bugs and put to rest any fears of waking up with a tarantula on my face or a rattlesnake in my boot.

Halfway through the night the winds start up, and they sound like they're going to carry us all away. When I wake up in the morning, I'm surprised to see that the tent is still in place.



March 10




By 0530 we are up and getting ready to start our second and last day with the Marines of Charlie Company. The training begins officially at 0700, but there is much preparation for the Marines before they leave the FOB.

At about 0600 we leave the medical tent and look for local Marines near their quarters about 100 feet away. They are gathering ammunition, planning for the day, and grabbing whatever breakfast they can. One Marine eats a "Pop-Tart" while he listens to his platoon sergeant.

One of the other journalists says he met someone from Chicopee in 2nd Platoon, so we head over to see if he'll talk to us.

Corporal Sean Livingstone of Chicopee is with the 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, preparing for the day out in the field. He tells us he has been a Marine for six years.

"I wanted more of a challenge in life," he explains of why he became a Marine. "I wanted more than 13th grade."

He explains that, while this is his first time being deployed to Iraq, he has also served in Okinawa, Japan and Bahrain.

Second Squad has learned that their mission for the morning is to take down a house suspected of bomb-making.

Grainger explains the goal is to capture the suspect(s) alive and find out who is helping him, or who he is helping. In addition to capturing the suspect(s) alive and gaining intelligence, they have to focus on securing the building and the area around it so they can do all this without getting hit by any insurgents in the area.

"We'll go in kind of soft," Grainger says. "We can escalate [the situation] a lot better than we can de-escalate it."

He meets up with different platoons, offering Marines a cup of coffee, encouraging them in ways only a Marine first sergeant can. He sees me shiver and says, "Cold is a state of mind." I smile and try to believe him. He's a perpetually positive guy. One line I hear him say at least twice: "There is nothing but happiness in my house."

We observe the Marines as they plan their approach. Sgt. Jason Hermenau tells Natasha and me that we can ride along in the truck, and to stay "on his hip" during the exercise.

Thankfully, Marines in the 7-ton truck we are boarding give us a hand up -- the truck's bed is about six or seven feet from the ground and the ladder hanging off of it is a joke. Someone yells to "let the reporters get in the back of the truck," before the Marines load in for the ride to the village.

Marines load in to the truck and take their positions, rifles pointing out the sides and at the ready for any hostility that may await them on the way to or while in the village.

Reporters and photographers have already been instructed that they must wear flack vests at all times, and that helmets must be worn in the vehicles and when following Marines on a mission in the village -- once the truck begins to roll, and bounce, I understand why.

Nadil Easa, who we met yesterday, sits across from me in the truck. He will serve as a translator on this mission.



Entering and searching the house



Following Hermenau and his men as they leap off the truck and move into the section of the village where they suspect a bomb-maker lives, we observe as they put into action the cordon and search skills they have been practicing. Once they gain access to the interior of the house of interest, Hermenau tells the two teams of reporters-photographers: "One of each of you follow me."

Despite his orders, the other team goes in together. Natasha follows alone as she is the photographer. I remain outside and, except for the presence of the orange-vested trainers, called Coyotes, I feel really exposed. The village is quiet except for the activity inside the house.

Marines are posted at the corners of the building, providing cover for the Marines inside. I can hear them and Nadil Easa, the interpreter, working with the Iraqi family inside, then I hear louder voices: "Marines coming up."

I assume they make these announcements so Marines in other parts of the house know where their comrades are going and to avoid friendly fire. I see a Marine inspect the balcony above, then look over the edge to check if there is anyone on the ground.

After returning to the inside of the house, someone yells "Shut the door!" in an attempt to keep the premises secure during their interview with the family.

As I wait outside and listen to what's going on inside the house, one of the Coyotes communicates with others via radio. He orders a sniper to add to the mix.

From somewhere in the village a blank round is shot and one of the Marines providing cover about five feet from me receives a red card from a Coyote, stating his injuries. The Marines must respond to this by keeping the area secure, quickly providing transport for the victim and returning to their vehicles before they take more fire.

The first thing they do is grab the "wounded" Marine and bring him into the house. Then a humvee is backed up to the door of the house and the "wounded" Marine is put in the back. Another Marine gets in to ride along with him.

Hermenau and his men return quickly to the truck and we begin the ride back to the FOB. As we reach the outskirts of the village, the second truck (behind ours) is hit by a fake IED (Improvised Explosive Device) and the Marines in our truck stop and back up to them. A few Marines get out and provide cover for the area as others run back to the second truck to assess the damage. I recall that, earlier, a Marine said there must always be room in the trucks to take on more men in this type of situation. They can't leave Marines stranded if they lose their vehicle to an IED or other attack.



A break "Inside the Wire"



Back at the FOB senior staff members discuss the exercise and platoon sergeants debrief the Marines. Then it's time to grab some chow in the form of MREs, or meals ready to eat, and relax for a little while before moving on to the next exercise.

We meet Staff Sergeant Davis, one of the platoon sergeants, who has to move to Connecticut soon and has a limited amount of time to find a house for his family.

He's not very excited about moving -- he's from Texas and is accustomed to riding his motorcycle throughout the year. The farthest north he's ever been? South Carolina, he says.

He recently returned from Iraq and is not expected to return yet but he volunteered to go with the 1/25. During his last deployment, he explains, he lost five of his good friends. They all lived on the same street and he says his wife doesn't understand why he wants to return.

I comment that it must have been a complicated decision to decide to leave his family again and go back to Iraq.

"No, it wasn't," he says.

He returns to the tent and we grab a snack and sit on a bench some Marines have constructed of wooden pallets, trying to soak up some warm rays from the sun in between strong gusts of wind. We meet up with Private First Class Ryan Czepiel, who we met briefly this morning.

He grew up in Holyoke and South Hadley, graduating from South Hadley High School. He joined the Marines in July.

"I didn't know everything would happen so quickly," he reflects. Since joining in July, he has been in constant training with only a few days off. He's not sure if his family will be able to get a flight to come visit him before he leaves, either. Their break will only last 2-3 days, and the Marines are discouraged from returning home at that time. They will be deployed shortly thereafter.

Natasha and I talk with Czepiel for about 25 minutes. We shiver in the wind while he stands with his back to it. His mother just bought a house in Holyoke and he won't see it until he gets back in September. At that time, he says, he told his mother he's going to buy a "Tempurpedic" mattress, no matter the cost.

He explains that, prior to Mojave Viper, he slept in his sleeping bag on the ground. The Marines now have cots, but he looks forward to sleeping in a comfortable bed again.

We ask what he's thinking about as he prepares to leave for Iraq -- what he wants people back home to know.

"I think people don't realize how lonely you get out here," he says. He hasn't seen friends, family, or his girlfriend, in months.

He invites us to come into his sqaud's tent to get out of the wind, but we retreat to the medical tent to make sure our things are together for our departure later today. Another reporter returns and says he was just talking to some Marines in third platoon and, when they heard there were reporters from Massachusetts, they said to send them over.

We meet Lance Corporal Justin Torrey, of Belchertown, and Gene Roux, of Springfield, in their quarters.

Cots are lined up tightly along the length of the tent on both sides. Marines relax on their cots or sit on the side and clean their weapons.

Torrey explains he has been a Marine for just over a year.

"I always wanted to be in the military," he explains. "It's a good opportunity."

This will be his first time deploying with The Marines. He's been in training since January, and says it takes a long time to learn all the skills at Mojave Viper. The Marines will begin a three-day intensive end to their training after our departure tomorrow. Media were not invited to stay on for that.

Before we can finish the interview, someone calls "company formation" and all the Marines rush to assemble in a central area of the FOB.

They line up and begin a march out of the FOB, practicing their Arabic with prompts from their platoon sergeants as they go.

Natasha and I trail a little behind with Nadil Easa, who offers us some crackers as we walk. We decline, as we are focused on keeping up with the Marines.



VCPs and car searches



Back in a different part of the village, Charlie Company Marines attend classes in vehicle check point (VCP) protocol and car searches. They also will learn how to deal with and search the people inside the cars.

There's a little time before the class begins, and Gunnery Sergeant Pete Walz checks in with us. He finds Lance Corporal Justin Torrey, who I lost in the company formation, and I resume our interview, only to be interrupted again. We follow his squad to their class, planning to finish the interview once it's over, but one of his superiors shouts, "Hey, Torrey, will you get over here and talk to this freakin' reporter!"

I learn that Torrey's brother, James Torrey, is already in Iraq with the Marines. He says they will probably see each other while there, but that James will return home before him.

With both of them being deployed, he says, "It's real hard on my sister."

He says he misses his family a lot, and his nieces are having a hard time with both of them away.

"They miss their uncles," he says. "So, that's hard."

He also leaves his job as a martial arts teacher at Jeremy's School of Defense in Wilbraham, which he says he'll miss.

He adds that he wants people to know that Marines are going to Iraq "to help, not hurt."

"We have good training, and we're going to come home safe," he says.

As they sit or stand for the hour-long class, the wind is relentless. It's beginning to feel personal. Nonetheless, Marines take notes, respond to questions, grab a snack, smoke or spit the same as they did in the pleasant weather yesterday.

The class in VCPs lasts about an hour. The coyote covers the pertinent details of where and how to set up the VCP, how to give proper warnings to drivers so they do not proceed to a restricted area, how to read drivers' behavior, and so on.

Once this class is through, they attend another on searching vehicles, then they move on to put their recently acquired knowledge to work.

On the way to practicing vehicle searches we get to talk with Springfield native, Lance Corporal Gene Roux, for a minute. He has time to share with us that he's been a Marine for 3.5 years, is a Cathedral High School graduate and a Criminal Justice student at Westfield State College. When he returns from Iraq, he'll have one semester left to finish his program. This will be his first deployment.

He talks about the knowledge he is gaining about the Iraqi culture and about his training.

"We're doin' just great," he says.

The cars on the range are beat up, but we hear someone say that this is what most cars in Iraq look like. Parts might be attached with a bent wire hanger, pieces may be missing or replaced with pieces of wood or other material.

Marines then must go through the entire vehicle, looking for materials that could be used to make a bomb or other weapons. It seems like a tedious exercise, but it's vital to their safety to thoroughly check the vehicle.

Marines learn they must approach the driver, ask him to step out of the vehicle, and maintain "positive control" of him physically while doing an initial search to be sure he does not have a weapon.

Next, they learn how to search people. They have a special lesson just on how to search Iraqi women without touching them, because to do that would be very insulting or threatening. The Marines are instructed that, unless the car's occupants pose a threat, there is no reason to treat them with hostility.

Nonetheless, they also must proceed with caution and their search lessons highlight many methods that will keep the Marines in control of the situation, friendly or otherwise.



Going home



All day the clouds have been moving in, but seem to stop at the edge of the desert and re-organize miles away. The wind never stops. Someone talks about snow, which has been forecast for the overnight or next day. It's probably just the desert and the cold, and the sore muscles after a long day of following these guys around, but things feel bleak to me.

Back at the FOB, Staff Sgt. Tellocastillo has already loaded our gear into the back of his SUV and is ready to bring Natasha and I back to the civilian world.

We drive out of the FOB and we see two Marines "bringing out the trash," so to speak, at the end of their long day. Sgt. Tello comments, as someone who has been there before, "Poor guys, they have to leave soon. Doesn't it make you want to cry for them?"

I think about how I would have liked to stay longer and get an even more in-depth glimpse of these Marines, especially the local guys.

And about the fact that Natasha and I are heading off base and will be on a plane heading home tomorrow, while the Marines begin the most intense three days of their training.

I hope Pfc. Czepiel's family gets the chance to come see him.

I hope Sgt. Kiendzior gets some decent snack food in the mail.

I hope Sgt. Davis can find a house for his family before he leaves.

I hope they all come back home safely.

Slideshow: Mojave Viper training, part II

http://www.thereminder.com/features/reminderpublicatio/partiimarinesprepa/slideshowmojavevip/

Ellie