thedrifter
10-10-09, 08:49 AM
Marines tour Tahoe Friday before heading to Afghanistan
By Adam Jensen
ajensen@tahoedailytribune.com,
HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT — Friday was a decidedly low-key day for the members of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Recon Battalion. There were no training exercises in the heat of the Nevada desert, and there was no gunfire. Even the mountain they were expected to summit had a gondola conveniently strung up its side.
Following seven weeks of rigorous training in the mountains around Hawthorne, Nev., members of the battalion kicked off two weeks of rest and relaxation in the Tahoe area on Friday.
The group of approximately 75 Marines from around the country started off with a breakfast in Minden Park and then headed to the South Shore aboard two older model school buses for a complimentary ride on the Heavenly Mountain Resort Gondola.
Several of the marines commented that the lake's scenery was a welcome change from the desert peaks surrounding Hawthorne. Only a few had ever been to Lake Tahoe before.
“Our first impression of Nevada wasn't this,” said Sgt. Brian Miller, chuckling as he looked out over Lake Tahoe from the Heavenly gondola mid-station observation deck.
But the outing did mark a return to familiar surroundings for at least one of the Marines in the group.
Gunnery Sgt. Steve Morris, a former Heavenly season passholder, lived in the Carson Valley for four years and said it was good to be back.
“I'm so happy to be here, this is definitely the lap of luxury for us,” Morris said.
Morris met his wife in Minden on a blind date three-and-a-half years ago. It was his wife's parents that got the ball rolling for Friday's excursion, Morris said.
Morris' in-laws attend church with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Senior Planner, Gary Weigel, who contacted Heavenly with hopes of getting a trip planned for the Marines, Morris said.
The resort was happy to help, said Andrew Strain, the resort's vice president of planning and governmental affairs.
“We're pleased that they asked, really,” Strain said.
Although the resort has hosted groups of Marines for ski trips in previous years, this is the first trip that Strain can remember where troops were brought up during the summer, Strain said.
While it doesn't take much imagination to picture the athletic group of mostly 20- to 24-year-olds in their military lives, the only ammunition expended on Friday was some rapid fire, good-natured trash-talking and some haphazard snowballs flung between one group of marines at the top of the gondola.
Following a couple of hours in the village the group was scheduled to head over to Zephyr Cove for a barbecue lunch and then on to Reno, where they'll fly to the disparate parts of the country the marines call home.
After two weeks with families and friends, the marines will return to Okinawa, Japan, where the 3rd Recon Battalion is stationed. They'll be deployed to Afghanistan in November, many of the troops for the first time, Morris said.
While in Afghanistan, they'll partake in reconnaissance missions and what the military describes as “atmospherics,” gathering intelligence on aspects of war like topography and assessing hostility toward troops in certain areas, Morris said.
Several soldiers said they felt a sense of anxious excitement about being deployed to Afghanistan for the first time. They also spoke about a sense of duty.
“This is what we signed up for,” said Sgt. Jason Parrick.
After living in military towns were being a solider is the norm, many of the Marines aren't used to receiving appreciation from perfect strangers, Morris said.
A couple people walked up and expressed gratitude to the crew on Friday and several Marines commented on how well they've been treated by people in the area since arriving from Hawthorne.
“I can't tell you how much that means to them,” Morris said.
Ellie
By Adam Jensen
ajensen@tahoedailytribune.com,
HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT — Friday was a decidedly low-key day for the members of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Recon Battalion. There were no training exercises in the heat of the Nevada desert, and there was no gunfire. Even the mountain they were expected to summit had a gondola conveniently strung up its side.
Following seven weeks of rigorous training in the mountains around Hawthorne, Nev., members of the battalion kicked off two weeks of rest and relaxation in the Tahoe area on Friday.
The group of approximately 75 Marines from around the country started off with a breakfast in Minden Park and then headed to the South Shore aboard two older model school buses for a complimentary ride on the Heavenly Mountain Resort Gondola.
Several of the marines commented that the lake's scenery was a welcome change from the desert peaks surrounding Hawthorne. Only a few had ever been to Lake Tahoe before.
“Our first impression of Nevada wasn't this,” said Sgt. Brian Miller, chuckling as he looked out over Lake Tahoe from the Heavenly gondola mid-station observation deck.
But the outing did mark a return to familiar surroundings for at least one of the Marines in the group.
Gunnery Sgt. Steve Morris, a former Heavenly season passholder, lived in the Carson Valley for four years and said it was good to be back.
“I'm so happy to be here, this is definitely the lap of luxury for us,” Morris said.
Morris met his wife in Minden on a blind date three-and-a-half years ago. It was his wife's parents that got the ball rolling for Friday's excursion, Morris said.
Morris' in-laws attend church with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Senior Planner, Gary Weigel, who contacted Heavenly with hopes of getting a trip planned for the Marines, Morris said.
The resort was happy to help, said Andrew Strain, the resort's vice president of planning and governmental affairs.
“We're pleased that they asked, really,” Strain said.
Although the resort has hosted groups of Marines for ski trips in previous years, this is the first trip that Strain can remember where troops were brought up during the summer, Strain said.
While it doesn't take much imagination to picture the athletic group of mostly 20- to 24-year-olds in their military lives, the only ammunition expended on Friday was some rapid fire, good-natured trash-talking and some haphazard snowballs flung between one group of marines at the top of the gondola.
Following a couple of hours in the village the group was scheduled to head over to Zephyr Cove for a barbecue lunch and then on to Reno, where they'll fly to the disparate parts of the country the marines call home.
After two weeks with families and friends, the marines will return to Okinawa, Japan, where the 3rd Recon Battalion is stationed. They'll be deployed to Afghanistan in November, many of the troops for the first time, Morris said.
While in Afghanistan, they'll partake in reconnaissance missions and what the military describes as “atmospherics,” gathering intelligence on aspects of war like topography and assessing hostility toward troops in certain areas, Morris said.
Several soldiers said they felt a sense of anxious excitement about being deployed to Afghanistan for the first time. They also spoke about a sense of duty.
“This is what we signed up for,” said Sgt. Jason Parrick.
After living in military towns were being a solider is the norm, many of the Marines aren't used to receiving appreciation from perfect strangers, Morris said.
A couple people walked up and expressed gratitude to the crew on Friday and several Marines commented on how well they've been treated by people in the area since arriving from Hawthorne.
“I can't tell you how much that means to them,” Morris said.
Ellie