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5/15/2012 By Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polom , Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point


MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — The E28 Emergency Arresting Gear system is a cable system used to bring fast moving jets to a stop in the event of an emergency landing or need for a short landing space. For Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Station Recovery Marines their job and focus is to maintain and operate these systems on the flight line to save the lives of pilots and keep the aircraft safe.

If a pilot, whose aircraft has a tail hook, i.e. EA-6B Prowler, needs to make an arrested landing for any emergency, station recovery comes out to the designated flight line gear where they prepare to catch the aircraft.

Sgt. Christopher D. Bentley, the maintenance chief for station recovery said the design of these arrest points are to produce the same stopping abilities as the landing cable on an aircraft carrier and the operational procedures of these gears, takes a lot of dedication and time from the Station Recovery Marines.

They have to keep these gears well maintained, the gears use an engine to operate, and just like a car, they have a lot of moving parts that need continuous maintenance.

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5/15/2012 By Cpl. Katherine M. Solano , 2nd Marine Logistics Group

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Enthusiastic, respectful, mentor, intuitive, role model and friend are words that cannot begin to describe one combat engineer who retired from the Marine Corps at the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, N.C., May 11.

His peers, supervisors and subordinates found no shortage of qualities to list and positive characteristics to highlight when speaking about Master Sgt. Paul Vanek, an engineer with 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, before, during and after his retirement ceremony.

The seats were filled, a standing-room only crowd had formed, the band played on, and flags flapped, at times unrestrained, in the strong winds, as if too excited to be still. The air itself held an electric feel, ripe with more than 20 years of love, support, memories and hardships.

Marines, sailors, veterans, civilians, strangers and family alike congregated at the respected memorial site to congratulate Vanek on a career well-served. The tears flowed and there was no shortage of hugs.

Everyone present had a story or a joke to share, each one more unique than the last.

Sgt. Timothy Adamovage, an engineer with 8th ESB, said Vanek always put his own interesting spin on stories himself.

“He always added a grunt at the end, or some off-the-wall noise,” Adamovage said with a laugh as he tried, but admittedly failed, to replicate the nasal sound Vanek is known for among peers.

Getting serious, Adamovage described Vanek in a hushed, almost reverent tone.

“You look at him and just know, that’s a Marine right there,” he began. “That’s a real guy that’s done some things. You could tell even without talking to him; you can just look at him and know that’s a guy you want to be like in the Marine Corps.”

Words like ‘natural leader’ and ‘always honest’ are often used to describe retirees at their respective ceremonies. Phrases like ‘true patriot,’ ‘completely selfless’ and ‘war hero with a heart of gold’ are a little less common, unless you are at Vanek’s ceremony, where all three of those were used by multiple Marines to describe him. There was an influx of unique descriptions of the enthusiastic, unwavering optimist.

“I don’t know many people who have given so many years of their life, and are still willing to give even more for their country and friends and family, and even people he didn’t know,” stated Adamovage.

Subordinates and superiors alike agreed, Vanek is not one to put himself first.

“Marines are known for their toughness, but what makes him different is his unselfishness and his caring for others,” said Capt. Seth Dewey, the operations officer with 8th ESB. “He really does have a heart of gold. Before he’s anything else, before he’s a Marine or a warrior, he’s an outstanding human being. He’s willing to do anything for anybody.”

Dewey described Vanek as a true optimist who always put a positive spin on everything.

“Today is a sad day for the Marine Corps because we are losing a quality individual, but at the same time he’s touched a lot of people so there should be a lot of little Vanek’s running around in the Corps with just a little less rank on their collars,” said Dewey.

Adamovage seems to be one of those ‘little Vaneks,’ even by his own admittance.

“He’s a good role model,” he concluded, as the band began its song and the throngs of people moved to fill the ceremonial area to capacity. “If I was to be anyone in the Marine Corps, I’d be him.”

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5/15/2012 By Cpl. Andrew D. Johnston , 2nd Marine Division

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — More than 45 Marines with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, participated in a Tactical Small-Unit Leadership Course May 2-18.

The main focus of the event was to take potential fire team leaders out of their comfort zone and into simulated combat situations where decisions normally made by others were now up to them.

“Right now, these are the guys that were the new Marines last year before our deployment, so they’ve pretty much been living in the shadows of their leaders up to this point,” Sgt. Taylor L. Limes, from Crestview, Fla., 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines, TSULC squad mentor, said. “This is our chance to pull these guys and mentor them before they’re filling in the positions of outbound Marines.

We’re building their confidence so they’re ready to step up and take charge.”

The unit returned from a deployment as a Battalion Landing Team with the squad mentorMarine Expeditionary Unit in February and is in the process of a personnel rotation. The majority of Marines currently holding billets as fire team leaders are either transitioning out of the Corps or the unit, 1st Lt. Stephen T. Desmond, a Scituate, Mass., native and officer in charge of the battalion’s TSULC.

“For the past two years, a lot of these guys have spent their time as riflemen,” Desmond said. “The biggest jump in anybody’s career, when you are a Marine, is when you transition from follower to leader. So, we’re trying to teach that over a two-and-a half-week period.”

The training operation was broken up into five phases where prospective fire team leaders participated in the implementation of various weapons systems, tactical movements, communications and land navigation. The exercises were geared toward critical thinking, putting Marines in position to call the shots.

“Since day one of (the School of Infantry) and up to the end of this last deployment, they we’re all riflemen, so they we’re focused on individual actions,” Limes said. “Their main focus then was, ‘what can I do to support my team?’ We’re here to rebuild their muscle memory and build them as a team leader and let them know their primary weapon is their team.”

Squad mentors and primary instructors coached fire team leaders as they maneuvered their teams through trenches and over berms in simulated assaults.

“There (are) two simulated enemy machine gun bunkers as well as fire team-sized elements that will pop up,” Desmond explained, as he pointed toward the range. “They could get caught with their pants down. It’s all about decision making, decision making, decision making.

“We’re trying to evaluate and enforce making a decision because a Marine who can’t make a decision or shies away, ultimately is never going to be successful as a fire team leader – not everyone will get a slot or make the cut,” he later added.

The TSULC is one of the battalion’s first major training events since returning with the 22nd MEU and just a small step in their overall training matrix. With a potential 2013 deployment to Afghanistan, Limes said now is the time for the Marines to find their weaknesses and prove they have what it takes to lead.

“While you’re in training, go ahead and step up, make the mistakes so that you can build from it,” Limes said. “If you’re going to be the guy (who’s) always sitting back on the sidelines not making those mistakes, you’re not going to grow as a leader. The more mistakes you make here, the fewer mistakes you’re going to make in country.”

According to Desmond, the TSULC gave the battalion an opportunity to mold its future leaders and maintain its standards of excellence. He believes the course has better prepared Marines to make tactical decisions under pressure and lead others with confidence.

“Small unit leaders have to make split-second decisions,” Desmond said. “In training, a split-second decision can mean pass or fail. On the battlefield, a split-second decision can mean life or death. We’re going to force them to make tough decisions here so they won’t make the wrong decisions over there.”

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The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Wade D. Wilson, 22, of Normangee, Texas, died May 11 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.

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