Marines Take Care of One Another in Fierce Afghan Firefight

[thedrifter]

Marines Take Care of One Another in Fierce Afghan Firefight
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 20046801655
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 8, 2004 ) -- Lance Cpl. James Gould says the 7.62mm round that punched through his right calf felt like a sledgehammer blow.

Several meters away, Gould's fire team leader, Cpl. Randy Wood, watched in horror as Gould fell to the ground as additional rounds impacted around the fallen Marine, pinging off rocks and kicking up small geysers of dirt. Unmindful of the enemy fire, Wood raced to his Marine's side and together, the two took cover behind a rock both described later as looking a lot bigger than it actually was.

"It didn't really hurt that much at first," said Gould, a 20-year-old native of Tampa, Florida. "I thought I'd been hit by a piece of rock or something and the next thing I knew Corporal Wood was right there with me."

As Wood began tearing at Gould's trousers to get at the wound, he felt warm liquid pouring down his face and at first discounted it as sweat until he saw drops of blood plunking to the ground.

"That's when I first felt it," said Wood, who until then was unaware a ricochet had sliced through his cheek below his left eye. "As soon as I saw the blood it started to burn."

The two Marines, riflemen in Charlie Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines had just earned the dubious distinction of being their company's first wounded in action since the unit's arrival in Afghanistan as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

Advancing along a steep, rocky hillside in pursuit of anti-coalition militia (ACM) fighters during the latest offensive against enemy fighters in south-central Afghanistan, the two had been shot by an enemy sniper hidden in a cave on the hillside opposite a small valley.

"All the other Marines started returning fire to cover us," said Wood, who hails from Cowpens, S.C., "and we started looking around for doc [Navy corpsman attached to their platoon."

"I raised my head one time and the guy [ACM fighter] hit the rock right in front of us so we were pinned down pretty good."

Further up the hill, Hospitalman Brian Imber braved the incoming fire to reach the two Marines, but it was slow going.

"I knew I had to take care of my Marine," said Wood.

While Wood was digging bandages out of Gould's first aid kit, Imber reached the two wounded Marines.

"There wasn't enough room for all three of us behind the rock so we ordered Doc to stay where he was," said Gould.

With Imber shouting instructions, Wood hastily treated Gould's wounded leg as rounds continued to impact around them. Checking to ensure there was both an entrance and exit wound, thus verifying the round had passed through the leg, Wood wrapped a bandage around Gould's leg.

Meanwhile, other Marines from 2nd Platoon poured rifle fire at the ACM sniper's cave until the matter was finally settled with a hand grenade. A closer examination of the cave later revealed there were in fact three ACM fighters in the cave. A fourth ACM fighter was discovered killed by rifle fire approximately 50 meters up the valley and another was found badly wounded. A third Marine was also slightly wounded in the fight.

With the enemy dispatched, the full focus of the platoon turned to the wounded Marines. While the third injured Marine, Sgt. Anthony Viggiani of Strongsville, Ohio, was allowed to remain in the fight with his platoon, both Wood and Gould were ordered back to the operation's mobile command post for further treatment.

The subsequent evacuation of the pair became perhaps the most difficult part of the day.

In their pursuit of the enemy, Charlie Co. had pushed far up and into a rugged mountain pass and with Gould unable to bear weight on his wounded leg, the area inaccessible to helicopters, and the use of a stretcher down the steep and rocky slopes out of the question, the solution lay on the shoulders of Charlie Co.'s senior enlisted Marine.

Pukalani, Hawaii native First Sgt. Ernest Hoopii, without hesitation, dropped his flak jacket, handed off his rifle, and picked up the wounded Gould. With elements of Sgt. Ryan West's rifle squad providing security and escorting two battlefield detainees, Hoopii carried Gould down the mountain on his back, stopping only once or twice for small breaks.

"That was the hardest hump of my life," said the 42-year-old Hoopii.

For nearly two hours in the sweltering Afghanistan afternoon sun, Hoopii carried Gould down the mountain, until he passed the duty off to 2nd Lt. Michael Keller and a pair of Afghan Militia Force (AMF) soldiers. Eventually, Marines would hire a local farmer's donkey to carry Gould on the final leg of his journey.

"Hey, you do want you gotta do to take care your boys," Hoopii said humbly as he chugged water from a proffered canteen.

In time, Wood returned to 2nd Platoon while Gould was evacuated to Forward Operating Base Ripley and then Kandahar Air Field where he is well on his way to a full recovery.

In addition to BLT 1/6, the 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of its Command Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, and MEU Service Support Group 22. The MEU is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...oopii2_low.jpg

First Sgt. Ernest Hoopii, Charlie Co.'s First Sgt, carries Lance Cpl. James Gould after he was wounded during a firefight with Taliban fighters in central Afghanistan June 3, 2004, while another Marine provides security. Charlie Co. is deployed with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn, 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...4?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

22nd MEU'S Airfield Flourishes in Central Afghanistan
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 2004682545
Story by Capt. Eric Dent



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 8, 2004 ) -- The once dusty strip of land now is a bustling 24-hour airfield supporting thousands of Marines and hosting hundreds of aircraft from different services and countries.

Army and Marine engineers attached to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) turned a stone-laden patch of terrain into a major military hub in less than a month. Nearly every night Marine KC-130Rs make dusty landings under night vision goggles to bring supplies to the former heartland of the Taliban. The transformation of the airfield is almost as amazing as the small group of Marines and Sailors who keep it open. They are the keepers of the field.

There are three groups of Marines who keep FOB Ripley's airstrip operational; air traffic controllers, expeditionary airfield Marines, and the rescue crew.

The Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team, or MMT consists of five Marines responsible for assisting pilots coming and going into FOB Ripley.

"We have been real busy," said Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Roppo. The native of North Olmstead, Ohio, is the assistant team leader for the MMT and he has two air traffic controllers and a navigational aides technician that work with him and a lieutenant that oversees the team.

"With all of the combat missions going on lately, there is a lot to coordinate," said Cpl. Juan Aponte, an air traffic controller from Camden, New Jersey.

Roppo cited a recent day as an example. "The other day we had 14 aircraft on the field at the same time," said Roppo. Among the aircraft were Marine CH-46 Sea Knights, UH-1N Hueys and AH-1W Super Cobras; Army CH-47 Chinooks, AH-64 Apaches, and OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. Later that night Marine KC-130Rs made additional landings at Ripley according to Roppo.

Navy personnel from Expeditionary Strike Group 2, from which the MEU forward deployed, also augmented the MMT for a significant period of time. The WASP Strike Group and the 22nd MEU set sail in mid-February and the MEU pushed inland from the ships to south-central Afghanistan in late March. Getting the airfield operational was key to moving a large force into the region and keeping them supplied.

"We don't bring a lot of gear. Basically, we bring what we carry," said Roppo. The MMT bring brightly colored panels and lights to mark the field. The majority of field lights belong to the Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) Marines.

These Marines are responsible for the lighting, refueling, and maintaining the helicopter parking spots. Gunnery Sgt. William Winand supervises the EAF Marines and says they have performed well in the austere conditions. "In the last three days, our refuelers have dispensed approximately 25,000 gallons of fuel to 45 aircraft," said Winands.

Because FOB Ripley's airstrip is open throughout the night, Winands Marines must also mark unlighted areas by hand using chem lights. Nighttime typically means Marine KC-130Rs are arriving carrying fuel to fill Ripley's huge bladders or supplies to the force.

Watching all of this, Marines with Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting are poised to help at a moment's notice. When these hard-working men are not on watch they are drilling to keep their skills sharp and their reaction times under three minutes to any place near the airstrip.

"Bunker drill!" yells Gunnery Sgt. Charles Beattie, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the rescue crews. Immediately five of the Marines augmenting the 22nd MEU (SOC) from Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, don their heavy flame retardant suits and oxygen tanks. Within two minutes all are dressed and ready for inspection by the senior enlisted Marine. He checks each snap and buckle, ensuring each has completed a dress-out in the allotted time. No shortcuts are taken.

Each Marine knows that each second counts when there is an emergency. They stage their gear in small piles so they can literally step into their boots and pull the remainder of gear on without moving their feet.

"These guys are a really young crew, but they are motivated," said Beattie. He supervised the cleaning and operational testing of the special rescue tools, such as the Jaws of Life and high-powered saws. With all the tools tested, cleaned and staged, Beattie has the Marines get some water and rest next to their vehicles.

"We pretty much live on the vehicles," said Beattie, pointing out the sleeping mats across the hood of their firefighting equipped HMMV. "We have a small crew and a lot of flights, so there is pretty much no down time for us."

The 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of its Command Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), and MEU Service Support Group 22. The unit is Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation Enduring Freedom, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...7S-023_low.jpg

Cpl. Brian Quinn changes the battery of a field marker light on the runway of the airstrip at Forward Operating Base Ripley in Afghanistan. The Queens, New York native is a Lighting Technician attached to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Cpl. Robert A. Sturkie

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...1?opendocument

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Warplanes Pound Afghan Caves


KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. warplanes pounded dozens of insurgents hiding in caves in southern Afghanistan, the military said Monday, after a gunbattle between the militants and U.S. troops.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants riding in pickup trucks killed two policemen in a raid south of the capital, an Afghan official said, the latest signal of spreading violence ahead of crucial national elections in September.

The American planes struck early Sunday near Tirin Kot, a town 250 miles southwest of Kabul where U.S. Marines recently set up a base, military spokesman Lt. Col. Tucker Mansager said.

The militants sought refuge in the caves, and coalition forces called in "air support that dealt with those caves," Mansager said.

He said no U.S. soldiers were hurt and had no information on any casualties among the militant who numbered between 10 and 30.

More than 400 people have died in violence across Afghanistan this year, most in the south and east where U.S. forces and Taliban militants have clashed repeatedly in recent weeks.

The U.S. military has assembled 20,000 troops, its largest-ever force in Afghanistan, in an attempt to keep militants on the defensive in the run-up to the vote.

But there are signs that the insurgency is expanding.

The policemen died when Taliban attacked the government office in Kharwar, a remote district of Logar province just 50 miles south of Kabul, said Gen. Atiqullah Ludin, a local military commander.

He said about two dozen assailants rode into town in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and opened fire with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, setting fire to one office.

Ludin said two police officers were killed and another injured before the Taliban withdrew into the mountains. An Interior Ministry spokesman in Kabul said only one policeman had died.

The Logar attack comes less than a week after five medical relief workers, including three foreigners, died in northwestern Badghis province in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

Aid groups worry that relatively secure provinces such as Badghis and Logar will join the south and east in being too dangerous for badly needed reconstruction work.

The violence is also a threat to plans to hold elections in September.

Militants ambushed a U.N. convoy of election workers in southeastern Paktia province on Sunday. Guards and the assailants fought a pitched battle, but no one was hurt.

Karzai insisted last week that the vote should go ahead, though the United Nations, which is scrambling to register millions of voters around the country, says security must improve.

In another incident further south, militants opened fire on U.S.-led forces Friday with small arms and machine-guns north of Spin Boldak, a town on the Pakistani border, Mansager said.

There were no reports of injuries, but five militants were detained.

http://www.11alive.com/news/usnews_a...?storyid=47829


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marine ignores battlefield wound to continue pursuing Taliban insurgents
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 20046935046
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 9, 2004) -- To many of his fellow Marines in Charlie Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, Sgt. Anthony Viggiani is the ideal Marine.

In the eyes of subordinates and seniors alike, the Strongsville, Ohio native embodies those qualities that make Marines special; dedicated, professional, strong, committed, moral, and brave. Now they have additional quality to add to that list -- tough-as-nails.

During a recent firefight with anti-coalition militia (ACM) in south-central Afghanistan, Viggiani's actions further elevated himself in the eyes of the rest of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

When a pair of Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters spotted approximately 20 heavily-armed ACM fighters fleeing into the hills during a cordon and knock operation of a nearby village, Charlie Company immediately pursued on foot. Leading his squad over a steep, rock-strewn mountain, Viggiani was in the lead of the advance when they came under heavy enemy rifle fire.

"The rounds just started pouring in," he said later that day, "and we weren't really sure where they were coming from."

On the slope opposite the valley below him, approximately a hundred meters away, Viggiani and his Marines watched as two Marines, Cpl. Randy Wood and Lance Cpl. James Gould were wounded by enemy rifle fire.

Aware that the fire was coming from the slope in front of him, Viggiani pressed forward cautiously when he and First Sgt. Ernest Hoopii came under concentrated fire themselves.

The 24-year-old Viggiani then found he was mere feet from the cave housing the enemy sniper still firing at Wood and Gould, who had since taken cover behind a too-small rock.

"I was able to look down a break in the rocks and saw bit of cloth move so I got off three or four shots, and then dropped the frag [fragmentation grenade]," said Viggiani.

Combined with rifle and machine gun fire from Wood and Gould's squad, the grenade explosion silenced the enemy position which was later found to have housed three ACM fighters.

Sometime during the fight, Viggiani was struck in the lower left leg by an enemy bullet fired by ACM fighters further up the valley that painfully sliced through his leg. Seemingly unmindful of the wound, Viggiani continued to engage the enemy with rifle fire until the area was cleared and a total of four dead and one wounded enemy fighters were found.

Mere minutes after the fighter, with typical Marine élan, Viggiani dismissed the wound that stained the front of his trouser leg a deep crimson.

"It stings a bit, but it's nothing," he said as he paused for a photograph in front of the cave he helped clear mere minutes after the fight.

Despite recommendations from his fellow Marines, Viggiani refused to leave his platoon and seek aid at BLT 1/6's mobile command post. With a small dressing and a few aspirin, Viggiani shouldered his rifle and trudged further into the rugged mountains in pursuit of Taliban and ACM fighters.

In addition to BLT 1/6, the 22d MEU (SOC) consists of its Command Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, and MEU Service Support Group 22. The MEU is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22d MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...ggiani_Low.jpg

With bloodstains visible on the lower portion of his left trouser leg, Sgt. Anthony Viggiani of Strongsville, Ohio, pauses to look at the camera moments after a fierce firefight with anti-coalition militia in central Afghanistan. Viggiani, a squad leader in Charlie Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), ignored the bullet wound to remain in the fight against the enemy. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...9?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Motor transport mechanics keep 22nd MEU's vehicle's rolling
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 20046933528
Story by Sgt. Matt C. Preston



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 9, 2004) -- Grunts have been piling onto and out of trucks for a century. The ground mobility that trucks provide gets troops to their destinations quickly and allows them to retrograde just as fast.

However, like any mechanical device, they require constant attention to maintain performance. To keep its convoys rolling, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) relies on its mechanics, particularly while on the road.

Preventive maintenance is the key to preventing breakdowns. Drivers perform inspections on their vehicles prior to heading out and mechanics investigate anything that may look questionable.

However, given the rocky, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, contact trucks are an invaluable asset to any convoy, and usually are a must.

Contact trucks take with them any tool that can be used to make a repair on the road. If the repair can't be made in a timely matter, they also carry tow bars that allow a working vehicle to tow the malfunctioning one.

Repairing vehicles quickly can be a matter of survival. Convoys that aren't moving are large targets.

"We've got to do a quick fix, whatever keeps them rolling," said Cpl. Jeremy Leopold, of Argyle, Wisconsin, a motor transport mechanic with MEU Service Support Group 22. "You never know when you're going to be ambushed. You try to keep it to a 15 minute time limit."

Repairs on the road can range from simple flat tires to complete engine failure. Overheating is one of the more common problems. The steep inclines that the vehicles are called upon to traverse put a harder strain on the engines. If there is a coolant leak or if a thermometer breaks, higher temperatures could cause a rod to break or the engine block to crack.

Regardless of what may happen on the road, the Marines aren't alone in Afghanistan. Use of the contact trucks is also a joint venture. Mechanics from the Army's 528th Engineers have been supporting the MEU's operations. The relationship has been one of cooperation.

"They're good-to-go guys," said Army Sgt. Scott Dennis, an Oak Grove, La., native and heavy equipment mechanic with the 528th Engineers. "If I need help with anything, they're there. We've been helping each other."

There's enough work to go around on the convoys for both services.

"Every time you go out, you're going to have something [break]," said Dennis.

The spirit of cooperation also exists within the MSSG-22 Motor Transport section. One Marine extended his enlistment just to remain with his comrades, even though he knew the destination was Afghanistan.

"I wanted to come over here with them," said Justin Loper, a Gulf Port, Miss., native and motor transport mechanic with MSSG-22. "This Motor T section is pretty tight. We stick with each other."

The team focused attitude of the Motor Transport mechanics is part of how they are able to keep the motors running and the wheel turning. As long as the mechanics are performing their job, so will the vehicles of the 22nd MEU (SOC).

In addition to MSSG-22, the 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of its Command Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced). The MEU is designated Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...-Truck_Low.jpg

Gunnery Sgt. Sean McDonough, motor transport maintenance chief for MEU Service Support Group 22, the combat service support element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), stands watch at his contact truck during a temporary halt during a motorized reconnaissance patrol in Afghanistan. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...2?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

June 08, 2004

Five Marines wounded in Afghan ambush; 21 Taliban reported killed

By Noor Khan
Associated Press


KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of Marines in the mountains of southern Afghanistan Tuesday, sparking a fierce battle that an Afghan official said left 21 rebels dead.
The U.S. military said five Marines and two Afghans were wounded in the clash, which an Afghan governor placed in Daychopan district of Zabul province, some 190 miles southwest of Kabul.

“The battle occurred as the Marines and Afghan fighting forces approached a site identified as a likely ambush site. As Marines advanced an intense firefight ensued,” said Capt. Eric Dent, a Marine Corps spokesman.

Dent said in an e-mailed statement that four enemy fighters were captured — two of them wounded in the battle — and several killed, but gave no exact death toll.

The five wounded Marines were in stable condition, he said. The injured Afghans were a soldier and an interpreter.

Jan Mohammed Khan, the governor of neighboring Uruzgan province said the convoy was ambushed by a group of more than 100 Taliban in a mountainous area called Sharaboz Kothal.

He said U.S. jets and warplanes joined the fray, scattering the insurgents.


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/stor...25-2989916.php


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Female searchers vital to 22nd MEU (SOC) combat operations
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 200461051514
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks



FORWARD OPERATING BASE PAYNE, Afghanistan (June 10, 2004) -- Capt. Maria Marte ignores regulations for female hair regulations. What's more, she orders the female Marines in her charge to do the same.

However, their actions aren't a flagrant disregard of Marine Corps policy, but rather an operational necessity.

During a recent sweep of villages suspected of harboring and supporting Taliban and anti-coalition militia, Marte and other female Marines and Sailors from throughout the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) were assigned to combat patrols.

"We keep our hair down so when we get to a house or compound we're instantly recognizable under the helmets and flaks as women," said Marte, an engineering officer who augmented the MEU's operations section prior to the unit's deployment into Afghanistan. "The people here are very guarded about women and their contact with men outside the family. By having us here the locals are more at ease with us around their children and wives, and we can conduct a thorough search of everyone, not just the men."

During Operation RIO BRAVO in mid-May and also during prior and subsequent missions, teams of female searchers were assigned to Alpha and Charlie Companies of Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22d MEU (SOC).

"It's a first as far as I know," said Marte, referring to the teams' prolonged assignment to the rifle companies. "We've been out here with the grunts [infantry] for nearly three weeks straight. We've climbed the same hills as the men, searched the same compounds, and gone through everything they have."

While Marte headed up the team with Alpha Company, 2nd Lt. Melanie Stock, adjutant for MEU Service Support Group 22, took her team with Charlie Company.

"Our searchers have been phenomenal," said Capt. Paul Merida, Charlie Co.'s commanding officer, referring to Stock and Sgt. Maylene Rivera, a radio operator with the MEU Command Element. ""They've done everything we've asked of them, and more."

Petty Officer 3d Class Lori Butierries, a corpsman normally assigned to MEU Service Support Group 22, expressed apprehension when she first learned about the assignment.

"I was nervous when I first heard I was going to a rifle company," said the 22-year-old Florida native. "Of course they don't normally have women so I wasn't sure how I'd be received or supported. Turns out they've treated me great and given me all the support I needed."

During 'cordon and knock' operations where villages are surrounded and search teams go from house to house looking for enemy insurgents and caches of weapons and ammunition, the females accompany each search element. Since women are normally segregated from the males in Afghan society, the female Marines or Sailors would immediately seek out the women, usually clustered in corners or back rooms, and make their presence known.

"When they saw us they would usually relax a bit," said Marte. "This eased the tensions of the women and also the men, and allowed the engineers and grunts to go ahead with the search."

On the occasions where caches were found and women had to be searched, the task fell to the female Marines and Sailors. Demonstrating the U.S. has respect for local customs and traditions - and committed not to interfering with the Afghans' way of life - was the motivating factor behind assigning the women to the search teams.

In addition to helping conduct search operations, the attachments have carried their share of platoon-distributed ammunition and supplies, helped with working parties, and stood nighttime security watch.

"I couldn't accomplish my mission without the female Marines and Sailors," said Lt. Col. Asad A. Khan, commanding officer of BLT 1/6. "They're integral to our success here in Afghanistan."

According to Marte, she, Butierries, Stock, and the other female searchers intend to leave the field when the grunts do, and not a day sooner.

The 22nd MEU (SOC) also consists of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced) and is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker for Combined Joint Task Force 76.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...rchers_Low.jpg

Petty Officer 3d Class Lori Butierries, a corpsman with MEU Service Support Group 22, smiles at a group of Afghan women and children she is guarding as infantrymen from Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines search their home for weapons and anti-coalition militia. Butierries, a Florida native, is one of nearly a dozen women drawn from throughout the MEU to accompany elements of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) on combat missions. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...A?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Army infantry battalion joins 22nd MEU (SOC) in Afghanistan fight
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 200462544440
Story by Capt. Eric Dent



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 25, 2004) -- Army infantrymen recently joined the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in its continuing combat operations in central Afghanistan.

The 22nd MEU (SOC) is operating under the moniker Task Force Linebacker, and its mission is to disrupt Taliban and anti-coalition militia networks in southern and central Afghanistan. There they have operated for nearly three months, recently gaining notoriety for their tremendous success in what is considered the traditional heartland of the Taliban.

Lieutenant Col. Terry L. Sellers, the battalion commander of the 2nd Bn., 5th Infantry Regiment (2-5), said his soldiers are ready to join the fight.

"Our guys have been wanting a piece of the action," said Sellers, referring to the recent weeks of fighting in which the 22nd MEU (SOC), along with Afghan National Army and provincial Afghan Militia Forces, have killed or captured nearly one hundred enemy fighters. "I think they'll do a good job for the 22nd MEU."

Sellers' battalion is part of the 25th Infantry Division (Light), which deployed from Hawaii and has worked extensively in the Ghazni province prior to joining the MEU. While in Ghazni, the battalion worked with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to help bring legitimacy to the coalition and central government. The PRTs implement civil-military operations critical to rebuild the war-torn nation.

"We are excited about joining Linebacker and it's been an easy fit so far," said Sellers.

With the addition of the Army battalion, Task Force Linebacker has more combat power and will be able to operate deeper into regions where coalition forces have not had a substantial and lasting impact.

Task Force Linebacker, under the command of Marine Col. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., has operated extensively in Oruzgan and northern Kandahar Provinces since late April.

McKenzie welcomed the additional rifle battalion stressing that while election efforts are growing exponentially in Linebacker's area of operations, there is much work remaining in both the combat and the civil-military arenas.

"I believe conditions are ripe for NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to come in and help the people of the Tarin Kowt bowl," said McKenzie. Tarin Kowt is the provincial capital of Oruzgan. He also stressed that it will take continued aggressive efforts to keep the region safe.

That sounds good to Sellers. According to him, "We have several great missions and look forward to executing them to a high standard."

In addition to the Army's 2nd Bn., 5th Regiment, Task Force Linebacker consists of the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s command element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced) and MEU Service Support Group 22.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC) and Task Force Linebacker, visit the unit's web site www.22meu.usmc.mil.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...Drills_Low.jpg

Infantrymen with the Army's 2nd Bn., 5th Infantry Regiment practice immediate action drills at Forward Operating Base Ripley, Afghanistan. 2-5 is assigned to Task Force Linebacker and working alongside the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Cpl. Robert A. Sturkie

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...C?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

22nd MEU (SOC) fights to save lives of Afghan allies
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 2004625223440
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 26, 2004) -- At 9:30 p.m. local time on May 25, 2004, elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) participating in a joint Marine-Afghan Militia Force (AMF) sweep of a suspected Taliban sanctuary in south-central Afghanistan were settling into their nighttime defensive positions when all Hell broke loose.

Without warning, Maj. Brian Christmas, operations officer for Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, began calling out in the darkness for Marines to pull their vehicles out of position, converge on his position, and turn their headlights. The expected grumbling of tired drivers and infantrymen came to an abrupt halt when the white lights revealed bloody and dazed AMF troops being unloaded from trucks and laid gingerly upon the ground.

Approximately a kilometer from the task force's position, a Toyota Hi-Lux four-door pick-up, loaded with AMF troops, had careened off a narrow, broken road and plunged thirty feet down a steep embankment, tossing aside its human cargo before crashing to a halt upside down in a swollen stream bed. Other trucks in the AMF convoy had picked up the truck's injured occupants and immediately brought them to the Marine's position.

Navy Lt. Brendon Drew, medical officer for BLT 1/6, and a small group of BLT 1/6 corpsmen immediately began tending the wounded. While Drew and Petty Officer 2nd Class Clayton Argall established triage to evaluate the wounded and assign them priority of medical care, Petty Officer 3rd Class George Ladd collected their vital signs while Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Linder scrounged supplies to treat the injured Afghans.

"These were some pretty serious injuries," said Drew. "Several were life-threatening, and I had doubts some of these guys were going to make it."

Among the injuries were three cases of severe head trauma, possible internal injuries, broken ribs, a broken wrist, and bloody lacerations.

Plugging IVs, stapling or suturing open wounds, splinting broken limbs, and clearing airways, the medical specialists moved from man to man treating their injuries as best they could considering the austere conditions and pitch-black night. Making the situation more difficult was the language barrier that could only be overcome through interpreters who did their best to convey the injured men's complaints and who in turn relayed the Sailors' instructors and questions.

Realizing the gravity of the men's injuries, Lt. Col. Asad Khan, commanding officer of BLT 1/6, requested medical air evacuation of the most severely injured through the MEU headquarters who immediately dispatched two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters, on alert at Forward Operating Base Ripley, to the scene.

"It was true varsity flying," said Lt. Col. Joel Powers, commanding officer of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), commenting on the flying prowess of the casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) crews that night.

Flying toward the hastily-found helicopter landing zone in darkness broken only by a sliver of moon, relying completely on night vision goggles, the two Sea Knight flight crews flew over the area several times to orient themselves before the first aircraft touched down in a sea of dust and pebbles.

As soon as the aircraft landed, litter teams scraped together from BLT 1/6's reconnaissance platoon and Combined Anti-Armor Team, the MEU Command Element, and MEU Service Support Group 22 raced toward the helicopters carrying the injured Afghans. Onto the first aircraft went the most seriously wounded for transportation back to Kandahar Air Field, while the second aircraft was earmarked to fly the less dire cases to FOB Ripley.

Usually, the dust kicked up by a helicopter settles after a few minutes, but this night the dust lingered, shrouding the landing zone in a thick, visually-impenetrable cloud into which the second aircraft had to fly.

"I was the lead aircraft, but because Capt. [Jennifer] Goddard had the corpsman on her helicopter, I moved aside so she could land first.," said Maj. Roger Meade, the aircraft section leader that night. "That was one of the most difficult landings I've ever made
and my crew chief did a great job talking me down through the cloud."

"That was some of the most impressive flying I've ever seen," said Christmas, later commenting on the evacuation.

Once at Kandahar and FOB Ripley, the AMF troops were treated, and over the next few days, released with much-improved bills of health and good prognosis.

"This is what the job is all about," said Drew as he and the corpsmen cleaned up the treatment site. "Conducting field medicine is so much more rewarding than working at a hospital because you can make an immediate impact on someone's life."

For their efforts that night and role in saving the life of the AMF fighters, Petty Officers Argall, Ladd, and Linder were later awarded Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

The 22nd MEU (SOC) is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22d MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...turing_Low.jpg

Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Lindner holds a light steady as fellow corpsman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Clayton Argall sutures a deep gash on the head of an Afghan Militia Force (AMF) soldier who was injured when the vehicle he and nine of his comrades were riding in slid down a steep embankment and rolled over several times. Both Sailors are assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...9?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Issue Date: June 28, 2004

Leathernecks aim to take back a province
Marines battle enemy fighters as Afghanistan election nears

By Christian Lowe
Times staff writer

Duty in Afghanistan isn’t turning out to be the low-key operation many expected.
Rather than mopping up a few Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts and concentrating on reconstruction and aid, leathernecks with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit operating in central Afghanistan have battled anti-coalition fighters for several weeks.

Their assaults netted more than 80 enemy fighters killed and are breaking the back of enemy forces in a key part of a nation that’s struggling to its feet, the MEU’s commander said.

“I did not think they’d choose to stand and fight to the extent that they did,” Col. Kenneth McKenzie said in a June 16 telephone interview.

“It’s really good for us when they choose to do that because it allows us to apply combined arms and do the things we’re good at,” he said. “So I think they’ve played our game a little bit, and we were able to punish them pretty significantly for doing so.”

One Marine — Cpl. Ronald R. Payne, 23, with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion — was killed and five have been wounded since the MEU landed in mid-March.

The MEU moved ashore this spring from ships of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group, sailing in the Persian Gulf, to Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan. Soon after, the unit moved to Forward Operating Base Ripley in Tarin Kowt.

The capital of Oruzgan province, Tarin Kowt saw little U.S. military presence before the MEU arrived.

The Marines’ fight comes at a time when the United Nations and the fledgling Afghan government try to register an estimated 10 million voters for planned September elections — the country’s first in decades.

Their efforts have been stymied in some areas by anti-coalition forces, including former Taliban, al-Qaida, local warlords and foreign fighters who want to see coalition efforts fail.

In an interview at his headquarters in Kandahar before the unit moved to Tarin Kowt, McKenzie predicted the unit would help “break the Taliban” using guns and butter.

“Fighting is less than half the issue,” McKenzie said in an April 20 interview before deploying to the forward operating base. “We’ve got to be more broad-minded than just combat.

“We will hunt targets while we’re there, but it’s much more than that. We can do a lot of things at the same time.”

While the MEU has helped provide security for U.N. officials working on voter registration — so far signing up more than 35,000 local voters, the Marines’ presence has stirred up a hornet’s nest.

The grunts of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, have been in the field constantly, probing enemy strongholds with local allied Afghan forces led by Oruzgan’s governor, Jan Mohammed.

In early June, for example, Charlie Company 1/6 was locked in fierce firefights over two days with Taliban forces in which an estimated 25 enemy fighters were killed.

The MEU’s AV-8B Harrier jets, AH-1W Super Cobra gunships and coalition A-10 Thunderbolt and AH-64 Apache aircraft pounded enemy fighters from the air.

It is unclear how long the MEU will remain in country. At first, the mission was to last 90 days, but it looks as though the MEU will be extended about a month.

While McKenzie wouldn’t say when his deployment to Afghanistan would end, a message on the unit’s Web site said the assignment was extended until mid-July.

The message, dated June 16, also notes that the MEU is due to return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., in mid-September.

“We’ve had great success, and I think we’re going to have great success here for awhile yet,” McKenzie said.

The unit’s cooperation with Mohammed and his militia — in addition to soldiers from the Afghan National Army — has netted the MEU an intelligence bonanza, allowing the Marines to focus their firepower where it’s most needed.

But McKenzie is realistic about the enemy his Marines face.

“I think [the enemy] is back on their heels a bit. It’s not fun for them right now,” he said.

“But this is a very intelligent, smart, adaptive enemy, and they’re going to come up with some ways to hurt us, I’m sure of that. But we’re going to adapt, too.”


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/stor...ER-3018244.php


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Coalition teamwork in Afghanistan saves young girl's life
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 200462801834
Story by Sgt. Matt Preston



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan(June 28, 2004 ) -- At a small village in central Afghanistan recently, a joint team of American and Jordanian medical specialists conducting a medical civil affairs project were working their way through a long line of patients when a particularly dire case caught their attention.

Jordanian army Lt. Jan Mohammed was the first to notice the seven-year-old girl laying motionless in her father's arms with shallow breathing and her skin turning an alarmingly shade of blue.

"She was in very bad shape," said Mohammed. "She was almost unconscious."

Mohammed and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gary Martin, of Lewiston, Maine, senior medical officer for MEU Service Support Group 22, the combat service support element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), immediately rushed to the girl.

"She was lifeless," said Martin. "I didn't think she was going to make it. If she did make it, she'd be brain dead."

As the doctors began evaluating the girl, through a translator her father offered an explanation for her condition. Apparently, the girl, named Miraja, had wandered into an opium field near her home and ate a large poppy.

Martin and Mohammed began administering counter-narcotics to Miraja while the rest of the MEDCAP team closed up shop to focus attention on the young girl. Loading their supplies, personnel, and eventually Miraja and her father onto their vehicles, the Americans and Jordanians sped back to Forward Operating Base Ripley, the MEU's base of operations near the town of Tarin Kowt.

At FOB Ripley, corpsmen and doctors from the MEU Command Element, MSSG-22, and the MEU's Shock/Trauma Platoon (STP) received word of the inbound patient and began prepping for her arrival. The officer-in-charge of the STP, Lt. Cmdr. Alan Bautista, was among those who met the MEDCAP team.

Bautista knew that it was going to be bad. The rules governing which local nationals they could treat precluded any minor cases.

"The ones who get to us from the town are usually very sick, usually very critical," he said.

Miraja's case was this serious. The opium had all but completely block her airway and she was quickly losing her grip on life.

"It sounded like she was gargling underwater," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew See, of Clearwater, Fla., a MSSG-22 corpsman, referring to Miraja's labored breathing.

Meanwhile, another corpsman, Petty Officer Third Class Eric Stanton, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., inserted an endotracheal tube into the girl's throat to force open her airway.

"I was determined to get that airway open," he said, a reservist who works as an emergency medical technician in civilian life.

Eventually, a valve mask, a device with a breathing bulb attached, was placed over Miraja's mouth and Stanton began manually pumping the bulb to mimic the girl's natural breathing.

With her airway clear and the MSSG-22 and STP docs working hard to manage the girl's rising fever, the MEU surgeon, Lt. Cmdr. George Semple, of Erie, Penn., arrived to evaluate the situation.

"It was important to me to find out what her condition was," said Semple. As the senior medical officer, he acts as the liaison between the Marines and higher headquarters in medical matters and determines if evacuation to other medical facilities is warranted.

"We aren't set up as a narcotic intervention unit," said Semple. "It was beyond the scope of our care."

Semple quickly relayed the seriousness of the girl's condition to his medical counterparts at Combined Joint Task Force 76 who authorized the girl's evacuation to advanced medical facilities at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Field.

An Air Force C-130 was dispatched to FOB Ripley to pick up Miraja, and STP member Lt. (j.g.) Brian Allen escorted the young girl on the flight to provide uninterrupted medical care. Alongside Allen was Miraja's father.

"The father in me is seeing this could be anybody's kid," said Allen. "The nurse in me is saying I'm not going to loose this child on this airplane."

During the flight, Allen continually monitored the girl's blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation both by eye and by machine. Miraja's condition remained stable, and after an hour's flight, the aircraft arrived at Bagram where an Army ambulance whisked her away to the nearby 328th Army Field Hospital.

Once there, her condition was further stabilized and her journey toward wellness continued with stays at an Egyptian military hospital and at Army medical facilities at Kandahar Air Field. Eventually, Miraja and her father, who never left her side during her long ordeal, returned to their village after her recovery was complete.

Though the doctors, corpsmen and medics may have saved Miraja's life, her story has touched their lives almost as much.

"Anytime you have a positive influence on someone's health outcome it feels good," said Allen, "but having a positive influence on a child's health goes back to the father and nurse in me. We all helped give this girl a second chance at life."

In addition to its Command Element and MSSG-22, the 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced). The unit is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...irlift_Low.jpg

Navy corpsmen and Air Force rescue parajumpers load seven-year-old Miraja, a young Afghani girl who had swallowed an opium poppy bulb, onto an aircraft at Forward Operating Base Ripley, Afghanistan. Miraja was brought to a medical civil affairs project undertaken by the 22nd MEU and was subsequently taken to FOB Ripley and other medical facilities in Afghanistan where her life was saved. Photo by: Lt. Cmdr. Alan Bautista

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...B?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

FACs bring fire from above to support 22nd MEU infantry
Submitted by: 22nd MEU
Story Identification #: 200462401529
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks



KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 24, 2004) -- Capt. Jimmy Brown understands perhaps more than anyone the importance of close air support.

As a forward air controller with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance battalion during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Brown was responsible for calling in fixed and rotary wing air support as the unit pushed north toward Baghdad with Regimental Combat Team 1.

Now, little over a year later, the 32-year-old Brown is back where he belongs, sitting in the cockpit of an AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter flying strike missions against Taliban insurgents in south-central Afghanistan with the aviation combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

"Our only job is to support the troops on the ground," said Brown, a San Jose, Calif. native.

Brown credits his service in OIF with giving him a unique perspective on supporting the grunts.

"I've been on the ground with the infantry and now know the ground scheme," he said. "I have a better picture of what's going on, the size of maneuver units, what they can and can't see from the ground, and all that helps me deliver support more effectively."

Beginning June 2 and during the following week, as elements of Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the MEU's ground combat element, participated in a series of fierce firefights with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, Brown and his fellow Cobra pilots flew sorties against the enemy nearly every day.

The Cobras weren't alone in this effort. Also pouring fire onto the enemy were the MEU's UH-1N Huey helicopters and AV-8B Harrier II attack jets, Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, and Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, B-1B Lancer strategic bombers, and AC-130 Spectre gun ships.

Controlling these crowded skies were forward air controllers assigned to BLT 1/6. One of these men was Mooresville, N.C. native Capt. James Hunt. An F/A-18 Hornet fighter weapons systems officer by trade, Hunt was assigned to the headquarters element of Charlie Co., who saw much of the heavy fighting.

"My job is to advise the company commander on the use of air delivered weapons, and ensure the ordnance hits the right target at the right time."

According to Hunt, the mechanics of controlling the aircraft from the various services remains the same across the board, but there are differences.

"There are basic differences in controlling fixed wing or rotary aircraft," Hunt said. "It's easier to control rotary wing aircraft [helicopters] because they're closer to the fighting and see the battlefield similar to the way the guys on the ground do. Usually jets are higher, faster, and farther away so it makes it a little harder to guide them onto target, but they carry heavier ordnance so it's a trade-off."

Hunt went on to say that the most difficult part of his job is keeping essay on the location of friendly forces.

"We had so many people going in so many directions. We had Charlie Co., three forces of AMF [Afghan Militia Forces], and CAAT [Combined Anti-Armor Team], it's hard to keep track of them all and make sure we don't hurt friendlies or innocents."

To coordinate close air support in the midst of a battle requires nerves of steel. During one particularly well-laid ambush, Capt. James McBride, another BLT 1/6 FAC, ran a 70-meter-long gauntlet of enemy rifle, machinegun, and rocket-propelled grenade fire clutching maps and radio handsets and never stopped guiding aircraft onto target.

"Providing CAS to the grunts is the most rewarding thing a pilot can do," said Capt. Andrew Miller, an AV-8B Harrier II pilot who flew combat missions over Iraq last year.

"During OIF, most of our missions were deep strike missions and far ahead of the troops on the ground," said Miller. "But here everything we've done has been in direct support of our TICs [troops in contact], so it's good to know we're having a tangible effect on these engagements."

Whether they're dropping bombs or firing rockets, machine guns, or cannons, the common thread through the pilots and the FACs who guide them onto target is their unwavering support of the young Marines digging the enemy out of Afghanistan's rugged hills and mountains.

"Everything we do is for that 19-year-old lance corporal on the ground with an M-16," said Brown, "and making sure the enemy don't mess with our Marines."

In addition to BLT 1/6 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced), the 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of its Command Element and MEU Service Support Group 22. The MEU is in Afghanistan conducting combat and civil military operations as Task Force Linebacker alongside elements of the Army's 25th Infantry Division.

For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC)'s role in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, visit the unit's web site at www.22meu.usmc.mil.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image...S_Hunt_Low.jpg

Map in one hand and radio handset in the other, Capt. James Hunt looks skyward as attack helicopters bore in on Taliban fighters who have taken refuge on a nearby mountain in central Afghanistan. Hunt is an FA-18 Hornet weapons systems operator currently serving as a forward air controller with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...1?opendocument


Ellie