Deploying to Iraq brings brothers together

[thedrifter]

Deploying to Iraq brings brothers together
Submitted by: 2nd Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 2005337519
Story by Cpl. C.J. Yard



CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (March 2, 2005) -- Playful fighting, taking care of each other and the warrior spirit run deep in the Becker family, according to the eldest and youngest of three brothers.

The trio of boys joined the Marine Corps, following in the footsteps of their grandfather, a retired colonel.

Gunnery Sgt. Mathew C. Becker, the 35-year-old company gunnery sergeant for A Co., 2d Military Police Battalion, augmenting 1st Force Service Support Group (Forward) and his youngest brother, Lance Cpl. Kyle Becker, a heavy equipment operator with 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2d Force Service Support Group (Fwd.), met up in the barren desert landscape of Iraq after two years of not seeing each other.

Kyle is just beginning a career in the Marine Corps while his oldest brother has been in the ranks for 15 years. Kyle said that he always looked up to his brothers for guidance when he was growing up. Joining the Marine Corps as they did seemed like a natural decision for him.

Their other brother, Cpl. Andy Becker, who was recently deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, for Operation Enduring Freedom, is part of the Security and Stability Operations training staff at March Air Reserve Base in California.

Even though Kyle and Mathew’s home base is Camp Lejeune, N.C., they have missed each other due to deployments and various duty assignments. However, Mathew’s absence has given Kyle the opportunity to assist his brother’s family.

Kyle, who claims McCurdysville, W. Va., for a hometown, spent time with Mathew’s wife, Kim, their boys, Seth and Shane, and daughter, Olivia, before his recent deployment.

Right now, it’s Mathew’s turn to take care of his little brother for the short time they’ll be together here. Kyle has just arrived for duty in Iraq, while his brother is packing up to go home and be reunited with his family. Military policemen from B Co., 2d MP Bn., will replace the elder Becker’s unit as the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I Marine Expeditionary Force turns over command and control of western Iraq to the Camp Lejeune-based II MEF as part of the scheduled rotation of troops.

Today, they are together. Standing outside the older Becker brother’s building, they reminisce of years past, growing up together, serving in Iraq and of their family.
Kyle said they have always had a strong relationship, but he did catch a lot of grief from his older brother.

“Yeah, it was more like he was picking on me and beating me up when I was younger,” said Kyle.

“He was a punk when he was younger, but he’s turned into a great Marine and an even better brother. Besides, we’re happy when we’re punching and beating each other,” commented Mathew with a playful jab to Kyle’s ribs.

The two were engaged in some brotherly hand-to-hand combat, much like what would occur even if they had not been separated for two years, when one was injured.

“He split my eye open here the other day in front of my Marines. I was bleeding all over the place,” said Mathew, as he explained the warrior spirit of his little brother.

Mathew said he felt no apprehension about his brother being deployed to a combat zone.

“He’s a warrior; it runs in the family,” said Mathew, a native of Portland, Ore. “I’ve been here three times now and Andy was in Afghanistan; now it’s [Kyle’s] turn to step up to the plate.”

Becker’s Military Police Company has spent the past seven months providing security for military supply convoys on Iraq’s dangerous roads. His unit also supported last November’s combat operations in Fallujah, helping reclaim the city from heavy insurgency during Operation Al Fajr.

“I’ve been giving him advice about how to be successful out here,” said Mathew. “I told him to keep his eyes open for [Improvised Explosive Devices] and take care of his Marines. He’s a good Marine and I know that he will do awesome things out here. He can think outside of the box and attack a problem from the side, top, bottom or go right through it.”

Mathew’s time here has come to an end and he is returning to Camp Lejeune soon. He said he is looking forward to seeing his family again.

“I heard those guys had a family reunion while I was out here,” said Mathew, who works on the opposite end of Camp Taqaddum, a former Iraqi military airbase now occupied by U.S. forces, from his brother.

“We did get together, but we were thinking of you the entire time,” said Kyle to his brother in a reassuring tone about the reunion he missed.

According to Mathew, Kyle did a good job helping his wife take care of his kids. “He was out there turning wrenches with my boys who race motocross; they’re already asking about him. They miss him.”

With Mathew’s deployment knowledge being passed to Kyle, they said they are thankful for their time together and their commands have been very helpful, allowing the brothers to be together as much as possible before they go their separate directions again.

“I’m just happy that I can pass on the knowledge that I have about being out here to my brother before I go home,” said Mathew.



CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (March 2, 2005) – Lance Cpl. Kyle Becker puts his older brother, Gunnery Sgt. Mathew C. Becker in a headlock as the two wrestle. The brothers have not seen each other in two years due to different duty assignments and deployments until they crossed paths here recently. Their time spent together in Iraq will be short - Mathew prepares to return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., with A Company, 2d Military Police Battalion, which augmented the 1st Force Service Support Group for the past seven months in Iraq. The Camp Lejeune-based II Marine Expeditionary Force is replacing the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based I MEF during the scheduled rotation of troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Cpl. C.J. Yard

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines honor colors properly
Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story Identification #: 20053375836
Story by Cpl. J. Agg



MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (March 3, 2005) -- The Marine Corps has addressed a major oversight in the way it trains recruits to render honors to colors while in civilian attire.

For years, drill instructors at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., and MCRD San Diego, guided by an errant drill manual, have taught new recruits to stand at the position of attention during the national anthem and morning and evening colors when not in uniform. Both U.S. Navy and Marine Corps regulations require service members in civilian attire to stand at attention with the right hand placed over the heart. Gentlemen who are covered must also remove their headdress and hold it at the left shoulder so that the right hand is over the heart.

Sergeant Maj. Ralph H. Drake, Training and Education Command sergeant major, said the Corps is moving quickly to correct its mistake with an amended drill manual.
"For years our method of rendering honors to colors while in civilian attire has not been in accordance with the U.S. Code, Title 36, the U.S. Navy Regulations or our Marine Corps Flag Manual," said Drake. "These all called for placing the right hand over the heart vice just standing at attention. Our new Drill and Ceremonies Order P5060.1 is now in compliance. (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) Parris Island has already modified their lesson plans on this and [MCRD] San Diego is following suit. (Drill Instructor) schools will also make the appropriate change."

Additionally, U.S. Navy Regulations 1990, paragraph 1207.3, provides guidance for sea service members in civilian attire when passing colors.
"Each person in the naval service in uniform, upon being passed by or passing a military formation carrying the national ensign uncased shall render a hand salute. A member not in uniform being passed by or passing such a formation shall face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. If covered, men shall remove the headdress and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart."




Lance Cpl. Colin Johnston, Officer Candidates School Headquarters and Service Company personnel clerk, properly renders honors in civilian attire during evening colors Tuesday at OCS as Lance Cpl. Brandon Lewis, Charlie Company clerk, salutes in uniform. Although for years Marine recruits have been taught to stand at attention while rendering honors to colors while in civilian attire, Navy and Marine Corps regulations call for service members to place the right hand over the heart when not in uniform. Photo by: Cpl. J. Agg

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Iraq Deaths Expected To Fall
Associated Press
March 4, 2005

FORT STEWART, Ga. - With U.S. deaths in Iraq topping 1,500, the commanding General of allied troops in Baghdad said Thursday he expects casualties will soon decline because of bomb-detecting technology and emboldened Iraqi informants.

"My expectation, not just a hope, is that over the coming months we'll see the number of casualties go down," Maj. Gen. William G. Webster said in a teleconference from Baghdad. "Now, I'm knocking on wood at the same time, because the enemy gets a vote in this."

As commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Webster took command Sunday of Task Force Baghdad - the allied military force of 30,000 troops responsible for securing Iraq's capital city.

As of Thursday, at least 1,502 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

The greatest threat has been homemade bombs detonated from roadsides, in cars and by suicide attackers. Webster said a main focus for his troops will be untangling and hunting down complex networks of insurgents - financiers, suppliers and attackers - behind the bombings.




U.S. soldiers are also studying how insurgent bombs are built - using alarm clocks, washing machine timers, cell phones and garage-door openers - to devise ways of finding the explosives before they kill.

"We're training our soldiers every night on what are the latest trends and techniques being used by the enemy so they can find these devices," Webster said. "We're finding 30 to 45 percent of them on a given day."

In some cases, troops use electronic gadgets that can jam remote detonation signals or explode bombs harmlessly from a distance.

They're also beginning to use armored vehicles that can scan roads for potential bombs and inspect them with mechanical arms. Webster said the vehicles can inspect 500 miles of road each day, and have discovered more than 60 insurgent bombs in the past month.

U.S. forces also have established hot lines where Iraqis can phone in anonymous tips about hidden bombs or plotting attackers. Webster said the success of the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq has also emboldened many Iraqis who may have been previously wary of sharing information. "The confidence of the Iraqi people has increased and it has caused our tips to increase," he said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Navy To Sink Retired Carrier USS America
Associated Press
March 4, 2005

WASHINGTON - The Navy plans to send the retired carrier USS America to the bottom of the Atlantic in explosive tests this spring, an end that is difficult to swallow for some who served on board.

The Navy says the effort, which will cost $22 million, will provide valuable data for the next generation of aircraft carriers, which are now in development. No warship this size or larger has ever been sunk, so there is a dearth of hard information on how well a supercarrier can survive battle damage, said Pat Dolan, a spokeswoman for Naval Sea Systems Command.

The Navy's plan raises mixed emotions in Ed Pelletier, who served on the America as a helicopter crewman when the ship cruised the Mediterranean shortly after its commissioning in 1965.

He said he was "unhappy that a ship with that name is going to meet that fate, but happy she'll be going down still serving the country." Pelletier, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is a trustee of an association of veterans who served on the America.

Issues surrounding a vessel bearing the name of its country are often more sensitive than for other ships. In 1939, Adolf Hitler, fearful of a loss of morale among his people should Germany's namesake ship be sunk, ordered the pocket battleship Deutschland renamed for a long-dead Prussian commander.




Since its decommissioning in 1996, the America has been moored with dozens of other inactive warships at a Navy yard in Philadelphia. The Navy's plan is to tow it to sea on April 11 - possibly stopping at Norfolk, Va. - before heading to the deep ocean, 300 miles off the Atlantic coast, for the tests, Dolan said.

There, in experiments that will last from four to six weeks, the Navy will batter the America with explosives, both underwater and above the surface, watching from afar and through monitoring devices placed on the vessel.

These explosions would presumably simulate attacks by torpedoes, cruise missiles and perhaps a small boat suicide attack like the one that damaged the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen in 2000.

At the end, explosive scuttling charges placed to flood the ship will be detonated, and the America will begin its descent to the sea floor, more than 6,000 feet below.

The Navy has already removed some materials from the ship that could cause environmental damage after it sinks, Dolan said.

Certain aspects of the tests are classified, and neither America's former crew nor the news media will be allowed to view them in person, Dolan said. The Navy does not want to give away too much information on how a carrier could be sunk, she said.

Why the America? No other retired supercarriers were available on the East Coast when the test was planned, Dolan said. The others - the Forrestal and the Saratoga - were designated as potential museums, she said.

In a letter to Pelletier's group, Adm. John Nathman, the Navy's second-in-command, called America's destruction "one vital and final contribution to our national defense."

"Ex-America's legacy will serve as a footprint in the design of future aircraft carriers," he wrote.

Although no larger warship has ever been sunk, bigger civilian vessels have gone down. The largest ship in the world, the supertanker Seawise Giant, was sunk by Iraqi warplanes in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Fully loaded, it displaced more than half a million tons. It was later refloated and renamed.

The America, which is more than 1,000 feet long and displaces about 80,000 tons, exceeds the size of the Japanese World War II battleships Yamato and Musashi, and the carrier Shinano, which all displaced close to 70,000 tons. The Yamato and Musashi fell to American warplanes, the Shinano to a U.S. submarine.

The America was the third carrier of the non-nuclear Kitty Hawk class, and the first to be retired, a victim of post-Cold War budget cuts after 31 years at sea. It launched warplanes during the Vietnam War, the 1986 conflict with Libya, the first Gulf War, and over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the mid-1990s.

Pelletier and other veterans who served on the America said their farewells in a Feb. 25 ceremony at the ship in Philadelphia. Some artifacts have been removed for museums and veterans' groups; in addition, Pelletier's association will place a time capsule on board.

The Navy has several other carriers awaiting their fates. Environmental regulations make breaking warships up for scrap metal largely unprofitable, though some still are dismantled. The Oriskany, a smaller carrier that was commissioned in 1950, is scheduled to be sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., late this year.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bombs Kill 6 Iraqi Policemen, Wound 15
Associated Press
March 4, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Car bombs killed six policemen and wounded 15 in new attacks on Iraq's security services Thursday as political factions wrangled over putting together a government.

The Shiite Muslim-dominated United Iraqi Alliance and a Kurdish coalition, which emerged from the Jan. 30 elections with the two biggest blocks of seats in the National Assembly, made little headway in their talks on combining forces to select the leaders of the new government.

Meanwhile, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose party finished third, denied rumors he had given up his effort to stitch together support from other groups, including the Kurds, that would allow him to remain prime minister.

Forming Iraq's first democratically elected government is a key step in the U.S. plan for stabilizing the country, and insurgents have been striking at Iraqi police and military forces seeking to undermine the effort.

Two suicide car bombs exploded outside the Interior Ministry in eastern Baghdad and killed at least five policemen and wounded nine, the defense ministry reported.




Another car bomb targeted a police convoy in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of the capital, and killed one Iraqi policeman and a civilian, the U.S. military said. Six officers and 10 civilians were injured.

In the north, insurgents blew up a natural gas pipeline between Kirkuk and Dibis, about 20 miles away. Officials said the blast would reduce gas production, but could not immediately say by how much.

Violence that has killed hundreds of people the past three weeks led Allawi to extend a state of emergency until the end of March. First announced nearly four months ago, the order affects all of Iraq except Kurdish-run areas in the north.

The emergency decree includes a nighttime curfew and gives the government extra powers to make arrests without warrants and launch police and military operations when it deems necessary.

The U.S. military reported that three American soldiers were killed in action Wednesday, pushing the number of U.S. military deaths since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to 1,502, according to an Associated Press count.

The military said two soldiers were mortally wounded when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in Baghdad. Another soldier was killed in Babil province.

At least 1,140 Americans, including four civilians working for the military, have died from hostile action, according to the Defense Department. The other deaths are from non-combat causes.

More than a month after the elections, negotiations between the cleric-supported United Iraqi Alliance and the coalition of Kurdish parties are struggling and plans for convening the 275-member National Assembly this week have been suspended.

The United Iraqi Alliance won 140-seats and wants the leader of its Islamic Dawa party, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, to be the next prime minister. But it needs the support of 42 other deputies to elect a president - the first step in selecting a prime minister.

"Everyone's bewildered. It's hard to reach a solution. There should be compromises for a solution to be reached," said Ali Faisal of the Shiite Political Council, a member of the alliance.

The Kurdish coalition, an alliance between Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Masoud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party, has 75 seats and thus is a key player in negotiations over potential governing coalitions.

Talabani and Barzani told reporters in Irbil on Thursday that they will ally with whichever groups support their demands to expand the autonomous Kurdish region and to retain control over their Peshmerga militias, which they do not want to disband.

Barzani said talks were continuing with other parties but refused to comment on their substance, describing the task of forming a government as a "laborious operation that takes time and effort."

"We deal with a program, not with people. We support having a national coalition government. If this is not possible, we will agree with the list that will fulfill our demands," Barzani said.

Allawi, whose party won 40 seats, also has been courting the Kurds as well as other political parties, including the communists, in an effort to remain head of the government.

There were rumors Thursday that Allawi was dropping his bid, but his spokesman, Thaer al-Naqib, denied that. He said Allawi was "still a strong candidate" for the premiership.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Video Game Used To Lure New Recruits
Charlotte Observer
March 4, 2005

This is scary and maddening. Unable to get the necessary recruits for the military the old-fashioned way, the U.S. Army has sunk $16 million into a government-sponsored video game that blurs the line between fantasy and the reality of war.

The taxpayer-financed "America's Army" is so clever a mind game that even the military folks behind it get a little confused when talking it up. Time magazine said Major Chris Chambers, deputy director of the video's development team, had to stop and correct himself when he called the violence, combat and "death animation" in the game "real." "It's not real; it's simulated. But we're simulating reality," he said.

Got that?

The computer-based video game was rolled out as a recruitment and training tool -- primarily recruitment -- on July 4, 2002. And players can click a button in the game menu and go directly to an Army recruiting Web site, Time reports.

The military thinks there's nothing wrong with this. After all, Chambers says, "We treat it openly and honestly ... we don't sugarcoat it." But is it really "honest" when the game focuses on the adrenaline rush of the fight, and doesn't or can't convey the true human costs of war?




Sure, the game shows soldiers die in war -- thus the "death animation." But it doesn't show the thousands more who live forever maimed, with one arm, one leg or no limbs. It doesn't show the agonizing rehabilitation that often follows. It doesn't show the mental anguish of seeing a buddy killed in front of you, or having to shoot the enemy when you can look into his eyes. It doesn't show the hundreds of soldiers who battle post traumatic stress, or as a recent PBS documentary showed, the pressure to hide such injuries from the military superiors and comrades who call you a wimp for asking for help. "Suck it up," one soldier said he was told.

Military officials say the game is designed so these possible recruits understand the Army doesn't want them to be Rambos. There are game penalties for players who hurt noncombatants. And if you're wounded or killed, the game's over for you. But it sounded real Rambo-like when one military official said -- perhaps jokingly -- to a Time reporter playing the game, "isn't killing Afghans fun?"

Video games are supposed to be fun. There's no denying that. But war is not. "America's Army" is only helping confuse the issue for the young men and women who must fight these wars.

It doesn't take much to confuse some in the 13-to-24-year-old demographic that's the prime audience for the video. Many are consumed with playing video games -- the more violent, the better. They equate the virtual thrill they get from the video game to real-life situations. Some tragically play them out in real life. For too many, the game gives an illusion of competence and control over their circumstances that kids who lack self-esteem or live in challenging situations badly need.

"America's Army" preys on such vulnerabilities. The game is a hit on the Army's Web site, with up to 4.6 million registered players and 100,000 new ones signing up each month. According to Time, this summer the Army will roll out the game to gaming consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation 2 to reach a broader audience.

All's fair in love and war, right? Military recruiters are having problems. Most have failed to meet their monthly recruiting quotas. Even the Marines, accustomed to rejecting prospects because they got so many, recently missed their monthly goals. So it comes as no surprise recruiters are looking for innovative ways to catch recruits' eyes.

But this kind of "innovation" is troubling and borders on trickery. Critics already call the military deceptive in some recruiting practices. Posters and recruiters play up the positives and over-promise benefits, including the amount of money available for college tuition. They egg on recruits to sign up with provocative claims like this: "Where else can you get paid to jump out of airplanes, shoot cool guns, blow stuff up and travel, seeing all kinds of different countries?"

I'm not anti-military. The military is an admirable endeavor and joining has many legitimate benefits. Army officials are right to promote it as such.

But they are wrong to use video games to hoodwink naive youngsters into thinking of soldiering as a game. When the adrenaline rush is over from the video battles, you can put the game aside. In real life, the scars of war stay with soldiers forever.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

VMGR-452 "Yankees" return home from Iraq
Submitted by: New York City Public Affairs
Story Identification #: 200532133947
Story by Sgt. Beth Zimmerman



NEW YORK (March 2, 2005) -- When Lance Cpl. Joel Pasqualino, Marine Aeriel Refueler Squadron 452, Newburgh, left for Iraq last year, his family waved him farewell under the hot sun on a steamy morning in August. When he returned, his family welcomed him home in the midst of hugs, kisses, and a snow flurry.

The Marines of VMGR-452 returned from Iraq Feb. 25. For many of them, it was their second homecoming during the war on terror.

"Now that the day is here and we're looking back, it doesn't seem like that long," said Elise Pasqualino on her son's return from war. "But a couple of months ago, looking forward, [his return date] seemed like forever."

"For about seventy percent of [the Marines who returned], this was their second time deploying," said Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Dixon, Marine Aircraft Group 49, B Detachment sergeant major. "They were more focused," he said. "Things were more intense this go-round."

VMGR-452 maintains and flies KC-130T Hercules aircraft, which the Corps uses for aerial refueling and transportation. In addition to refueling, the Marines also played a role in Iraqi history.

"During the Iraqi elections, we ferried [more than 3,000] Iraqi nationals back and forth to vote," said Sgt. John Sabarese, a powerlines and flight mechanic with VMGR-452 who returned from his second deployment. "You heard about the blue ink on the finger," he said. "Well, we saw all of that. They were so happy to be voting," said Sabarese. "We hung a sign inside the aircraft that said 'congratulations to the world's newest democracy' in Arabic."

Because the Marines kept busy, the deployment was over before they knew it.

"It went by really fast," said Cpl. Thomas Dorozynski, a reservist from Frankfort and an electrician for the squadron. "...Especially after New Year's. We knew we were going home soon."

Friends and families traveled from all over New York to welcome the Marines home.

"We were the first ones in the hangar at like 9 o'clock this morning," said Dorozynski's father, Stan Dorozynski. "They told us we were a bit early," he said with a chuckle. "We said, 'we know,' we were just excited."

The excitement increased throughout the day as the families waited for the Marines' highly anticipated arrival. As the four KC-130s landed and taxied down the runway, emotions ran high for returning Marines and their families.

"It was a very emotional moment," said Peter Pasqualino. "There was such a real feeling of pride," said his wife Elise.

"As soon as I came around the plane, I could see my wife and daughter," said Sabarese. "It was great," he said. Sabarese's 3-year-old daughter, Faith, ran to him with outstretched arms as he walked from the plane to the hangar.

"Last time, she was two, and she kind of huddled around her mother," said Sabarese. "This time she knew who I was and ran straight toward me."

"They've done such a great job," said Elise. "We're all part of these historic events."

New York Governor George Pataki welcomed the squadron home with a letter. "The people of New York salute the Marines of [VMGR-452]," Pataki wrote. "Your courage and sacrifice not only helped secure this historic triumph of freedom, but helped make the world a safer place."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Recruiting Command launches offensive
Submitted by: Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Story Identification #: 200531161949
Story by Sgt. Jimmie Perkins



MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND< QUANTICO, Va. (March 1, 2005) -- Today, the Marine Corps Recruiting Command launched Operation Warlord, a national recruiting offensive aimed at motivating and rewarding successful recruiters and station commanders.

Marine recruiters are working through one of the most challenging recruiting times in the past decade. However, this offensive is designed to increase productivity, assist the command in meeting near-term goals and to reward Marines for mission accomplishment.

“This is a great way to recognize our best recruiters who remain dedicated and focused day in and day out, seeking out young Americans to earn the title Marine,” said Col. Angie Salinas, chief of staff, MCRC. “Recruiting duty is the toughest duty in the Marine Corps outside of combat and these Marines deserve to be recognized for their efforts.”

From March 1 to April 30, all recruiters nationwide will receive points for the contracts they write and the applicants they ship to recruit training. However, points will also be deducted for delayed entry program and recruit training discharges. At the end of the operation the points will be totaled and the top performers will be rewarded for their efforts.

Recruiters will be recognized with impact awards such as the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal or the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

In addition, station commanders will be recognized at the unit level. From the smallest recruiting substation to the two recruiting regions, the top units will be recognized and will have bragging rights as the best amongst their peers.

“The initiative is designed to foster aggressive competition between recruiters, recruiting stations, districts and regions,” said Capt. Edward McDonough, program officer, MCRC. “We hope to increase production, lower attrition in our contracting and shipping efforts, and will present awards to our top performers.”

The award for the top recruiter nationally will be presented at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the annual MCRC-hosted Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., this summer.

“The program is a win-win situation for us -- it cost very little to do yet has a big payoff in giving Marines something that means the most to them, official recognition for their hard work,” said McDonough.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

The last call - Marine honors fallen warriors
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005339198
Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP JOHNSON, N.C. (March 2, 2004) -- It’s a dreary day at the veteran’s cemetery on Camp Johnson. Water drips from the trees as the sound of a lone bugle playing Taps cuts through the humid air. The tune ceases and the ceremony in progress continues. The bugler, unseen by the crowd gathered around a casket, sharply folds his instrument under his arm and marches away.

“There’s one thing I’ll say about this weather,” Lance Cpl. Jason A. Martin, the bugler, said as he wiped raindrops away from his glasses. “It’s a perfect day for a funeral.”

Martin has a job many would not envy but one he perceives a great honor. Whenever 2d Marine Division needs a bugler to play at a funeral or memorial ceremony, he’s the man they call.

“I grew up with music all around me. My father was a music teacher at a public school and some of my earliest memories are of him playing his trumpet,” the Moline, Ill. native said. He held his military-issued trumpet in his hands and added, “One of my childhood dreams was to play professionally in an orchestra.”

Martin started playing in his school band when he was nine years old. He graduated from Moline High School in 2000 when he realized that the life of an orchestra musician was not an easy one.

“I found out I’d have to go to school for eight years to be considered for an orchestra. People are at each other’s throats even for a third chair position. I knew I didn’t want that.”

He found his compromise in the Marine Corps band. Because of his past musical experience, he could perform in the marching band during ceremonies and on his own during memorials.

“The military gave me the opportunity to play professionally and I’ve always liked to play with guns so it was a good match,” the 5-feet-8-inch Marine said with a smile. “Now that I’m the only trumpet player left in 2d Marine Division I’m the guy that gets called to all these events.”

Most of Martin’s comrades in the 2d Marine Division band deployed recently in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This leaves him with the responsibility of playing the 143-year-old tune for the fallen warriors who are laid to rest with military honors in the area.

The 22-year old stands out of view during the funeral or memorial ceremony while words are spoken and the flag draping over the casket is folded. He plays the bars of the song with one thing in mind:

“I’ve done this over a hundred times and it never gets monotonous. I always remember I’m paying my last respects to someone who’s earned it,” Martin said.

Because he is a needed commodity in an area populated by retired service members, Martin rarely gets much rest.

“I can’t remember the last time I had two days off in a row. It’s not hard work but the days get long sometimes when you’re traveling and then waiting for the ceremony to happen.”

Even though he spends all day preparing for a thirty-second performance, Martin finds inspiration in the people who hear him play.

“My main goal is to play this song and not have people cry. If Taps made them happy, it’d be great, but I know it’s a sad song,” he said.

Martin looks back on the times when families have gone out of their way to thank him for lending his talent to their loved ones’ funerals.

“There was a time when a whole family came up to me after a ceremony and said ‘You played that so well’.” Martin said. He added, “It was kind of uncomfortable but it meant they heard it the way I wanted to play it.”

Attending funerals for Marines and sailors killed in their prime is something no one likes to do and fortunately for Martin, doesn’t occur that often.

“When I play it’s mostly for older people who lived a long time and then passed away,” Martin said. He looked down as he added, “I like to imagine it’s an old retired salty sergeant major in the casket, and I’m sending him off the way he’d want to go.”

Martin plans on attending Southern Illinios University when he leaves the Marine Corps later this year for their flight program.

“I got my single-engine pilot’s license when I was 21,” he said. Adding he hopes to someday further his flight career, he said, “I’m hoping to fly brush planes into places like Alaska, maybe help the National Forest Service in their work.”

Until he leaves the Corps, though, he’ll be playing for families and friends of fallen warriors. Until he can get in a plane and fly professionally, his notes will be cutting through the air at cemeteries here.



Lance Cpl. Jason A. Martin, the sole bugler for Camp Lejeune's 2d Marine Division, plays Taps during a military ceremony recently. The 22-year-old Moline, Ill. native plays the ceremonial tune during military honors here to honor fallen warriors. Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Soldier Survives 19 Bombs, Mortar Attacks in Iraq
By Spc. Erin Robicheaux, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service


BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 2, 2005 – Thirteen improvised explosive devices, five mortar attacks, and one car bomb -- that’s the scorecard of Army Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Sandel’s tour in Iraq.

This DeRidder, La., native has faced those kinds of encounters more times than any other soldier in the 256th Brigade Combat Team. He counts his blessings every day that he is still here.

Sandel said his inaugural mission “outside the wire” was a prophetic vision into what lay ahead for him and his soldiers, when they were met with a mortar attack. A few days later, he said, he hit the first IED, and only now has it begun to slow down.

“November and December were busy for us,” said the 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, now serving in Iraq with the combat team’s 1st Battalion, 156th Regiment. “Right now, it’s been three weeks since I’ve been hit, and that’s the longest I’ve gone without (being hit) in a while.”

According to Sandel, his platoon’s reaction to an attack has improved with each incident, and actually has become second nature. If something happens, they immediately begin sweeping the area for threats. Along with incorporating the training they received at Fort Hood, Texas, he said, they have a strategy that works best for them, and within two seconds of getting hit the platoon members are out and scanning their sector.

“It’s just like brushing your teeth now,” he said. “We have this process down to an art.”

The platoon recently lost Sgt. Seth Trahan, from Crowley, La., to an IED attack. Sandel said that until this happened, getting hit seemed normal -- just part of the job. The soldiers were clearing an intersection, and as Trahan rounded the corner, the device went off, instantly killing him and wounding two others.

“We weren’t complacent on the patrols, by any means,” said Sandel, “but until it killed somebody, getting hit was a routine thing.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Stuckey from Shreveport, La., is the command sergeant major for 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment. He said Sandel’s spirit and enthusiasm for his job have not diminished over time, even in the face of such adversity.

“A lot of the guys who get hit by IEDs get scared and start to wear down, but Sandel has not,” said Stuckey. The leadership that Sandel has shown is exemplary and shines through in his own attitude for his job, and also in the attitude of his soldiers toward him.

“He never stops, and he’s always high-spirited,” said Stuckey, “his soldiers like to go out with Sandel, and I think they’d do anything for him.”

(Army Spc. Erin Robicheaux is assigned to 256th Brigade Combat Team public affairs.)


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Vets Centers Offer Grief Counseling to Military Families


By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2005 – In an unprecedented expansion of its traditional client base, the Department of Veterans Affairs is offering grief counseling to families of servicemembers who die while on active duty.

VA’s Office of Readjustment Counseling offers the counseling services at its 206 community-based Vet Centers throughout the United States, including Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Greg Harms, program analyst for the counseling program, said 412 military family members — from spouses to children to siblings, parents and even grandparents — have taken advantage of the program as they struggle to cope with the loss of their 276 servicemembers. Most were killed during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Expanding its services to serve veterans’ families represents “quite a leap and a real innovation” for VA, acknowledged Charles Flora, associate program director. But he calls the offering of bereavement counseling to family members “a natural extension of what we already do for veterans.”

Who, Flora asked, is more deserving of VA assistance than families who have sacrificed their husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters or grandchildren in support of their country?

The program also serves families of reservists and National Guardsmen who die while activated for federal duty.

Some families seek the VA’s counseling services immediately after learning of their loved ones’ loss, while others wait until later, often after an important milestone such as a birthday, holiday or the one-year anniversary of the death has passed, Harms said.

“Everyone grieves differently. It runs the full gamut,” he said. “There are no standard operating procedures for grief.”

As a result, services offered run the full range, from one- or two-time visits to weekly sessions, depending on the family member’s needs.

Regardless of the level of help needed, the VA service offers all its clients a common variable: a safe, caring environment where a professional bereavement counselor helps them work through the emotional and psychological issues associated with their loss.

“They’re looking for support, looking for someone they can talk to who will listen and understand,” Harms said. “A lot of what people need,” added Flora, “is a place where they can sit down, take a breath and tell their story in a calm place where they can put things into perspective.”

While all grief counselors are able to provide that service, the Vet Centers provide something many clients call a big plus: More than half the staff at the Vet Centers are veterans themselves who understand the military lifestyle as well as the tremendous sacrifice the families have made.

Counselors go out of their way to respond to families’ needs, often meeting with them the same day they’re contacted. They keep clinics open late to accommodate families’ schedules and network with other service organizations to reach families in need. And in some cases, they even make home visits for families who might otherwise not be able to tap into their services.

“We’ve made a science of overcoming every obstacle to care,” Flora said.

No medical diagnosis is required to seek help, and services are completely confidential. The only way a counselor can share information on a case is with written permission of the family member. “There’s guaranteed clinical confidentiality,” Harms said.

Flora said he considers the services the Vet Centers provides grieving military families “a sacred trust” that reflects the VA’s commitment to veterans and their families. “We’re meeting these families at one of the most traumatic points in their lives and helping to assist the family as it rebuilds itself,” he said. “This is sacred business.”

Referrals for grief counseling come through military casualty assistance offices, the VA and veterans service organizations. The largest number of referrals comes from TAPS, the nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, which offers what Harms calls “incredible peer-to-peer support” but no professional bereavement counseling services.

Families requesting more information or services can also contact the VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service directly at (202) 273-9116 or by email at vet.center@hq.med.va.gov.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Posted: 03.04.2005
Daniel Underwood
From the North Carolina State University Website, TechnicianOnline.com

Imagine yourself as a U.S. Marine in the insurgent-infested city of Fallujah or in the Sunni-triangle. Every muscle in your body is tense and pumping with adrenaline; your eyes dart frantically from one spot to the next, aware that at any moment an insurgent could unload AK-47 rounds at your position. Or a bomb in any nearby object could explode, leaving your wife husbandless and your children fatherless. You depend on two things: your fellow marines and your rifle.

As you creep around the corner of a building, you notice a few enemies approaching. Do you take advantage of the element of surprise and attack them? Or do you remain in position and wait?

These are the types of questions confronting our soldiers -- men without the luxury of calm deliberation.

Over the last year or so, our soldiers have been forced to deal with a new set of questions. Is there a photographer safely positioned at some nearby cove or rooftop ready to snap a photo as soon as I react? Would there be enough tangible evidence to uphold my split-second decision in court?

Recently, 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano needed to confront his own split-second decision. Pantano and others were raiding houses for weapons. Upon finding a stash of bomb-making equipment, two Iraqi men tried to flee the scene in an SUV. The marines shot out the tires and detained the men. The troops forced the detainees to search through their SUV. Soon after, the detainees started approaching Pantano, giving the impression they were trying to rush him. After repeatedly telling the men to "stop" in Arabic, Pantano had no choice but to shoot and kill them both.

Weeks later, a complaint was filed and an investigation ensued. Out of fear for how the media might portray the "higher-ups" if they dismissed this incident, the Marine Corps filed two premeditated murder charges against Pantano.

Pantano signed up to fight for our country. When the heat was on, he made a quick, wise decision. After repeatedly telling two Iraqi detainees who fled the scene of a weapons raid to "stop," in Arabic, he chose to shoot them before they were able to get their hands around his neck.

Soldiers used to count on their home country to send them flowers, cookies, letters and heart-warming crayoned drawings from little kids. Amid the fury of whizzing bullets and blinding, disorienting flashes of bombs and concussion grenades, soldiers found solace and strength in knowing their compatriots were behind them.

But nowadays, soldiers cannot only look forward to seeing their families when they return home. Many of our soldiers face the possibility of being blown-up by the media hounds and made to look like cold, heartless murderers. If a marine happens to kill an unarmed insurgent, and the media gets wind of it, the marine may be facing life in prison.

This, of course, makes for an extremely effective recruiting slogan: "Join the army, fight for your country, spend the rest of your life in prison! Be all that you can be!"

This insanity all started with Abu Ghraib. A few marines decorated the heads of Islamic militants with panties and forced them to pose in front of the camera for a bunch of lewd and unnerving photos. Some marines even, allegedly, went so far as to torture them in various unconventional manners.

The American press was dancing a dirge like I have never seen before. For weeks, the front page of The New York Times ran articles on the prison abuse scandal; the editors at The New York Times seemed almost giddy, having this opportunity to make the Bush administration appear wrecked and incompetent.

The press demanded heads to roll over this incident. Ironically, the press was not nearly as vociferous when "heads rolled" at the hands of Al-Qaeda members wielding 14-inch saw blades and covered in black from head to toe. But when American soldiers are caught bullying terrorists and homicidal insurgents, watch out!

Apparently, countless Americans gulping martinis atop swanky New York penthouses discovered, for the very first time, war often entails such things as "fighting," "guns" and "death." People like this are the ones largely responsible for the over-hyped political correctness now pervading every area of our armed forces. They enjoy their freedom but are ignorant of its price.

There are also many like the protesters at N.C. State who hold a "Honk for Peace" meeting in front of the NCSU Bell Tower every Friday afternoon. In addition to looking like a bunch of swarthy individuals who did a tad too much LSD during the '70s, these guys simply do not understand how the world works.

We enjoy so much freedom in this country. Why is that? Because brave men and women gave their lives for our nation's liberty. But the aforementioned protesters stand around chanting "No More War" and "Peace" like a coven of Jim Jones followers ignorant of the fact that peace comes with a hefty price tag. When I hear them yell, "Peace!" I think to myself, "Ah, if it were that easy."

As students, society often feeds us the idea that freedom is free and war is never necessary. Nothing could be farther from the truth. War is never desirable, but when tyranny and oppression are on the march, justice is called to meet in battle.

If we are going to send our troops into battle, we must give them the license they need to make hurried decisions and the assurance that we support them, despite political clout. Next time you pass a soldier or a student in ROTC, shake his hand and tell him, "Thank you."


Ellie

[thedrifter]

This Month in Marine Corps History
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Selected March Dates of Marine Corps Historical Significance

2 March 1867: Jacob Zeilin, Colonel Commandant of the Marine Corps from 30 June 1864, was this date promoted to the rank of Brigadier General Commandant, the first time Congress authorized this rank for the Marine Corps. The statute, however, was repealed in June 1874 so that the rank of Commandant would again revert to colonel upon Zeilin's retirement.

8 March 1965: The 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed at DaNang, Republic of Vietnam as the first U.S. ground combat troops to be committed to that conflict. The 3,500 men arrived both across the beach with Battalion Landing Team 3/9, and at DaNang Airfield with Battalion Landing Team 1/3.

11 March 1778: Marines participated the action when the Continental Navy frigate BOSTON, enroute to France, sighted, engaged, and captured the British merchant ship MARTHA. As the drum of the BOSTON beat to arms, John Adams seized a musket and joined the Marines on deck until the frigate's captain, Samuel Tucker, sent him below for safety.

13 March 1943: The first group of71 Women Marine officer candidates arrived at the U.S. Midshipmen School (Women's Reserve) at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The Navy's willingness to share training facilities enabled the Marine Corps to begin training Marine Corps Women's Reserve officers just one month after the creation of the MCWR was announced.

17 March 1967: The first woman Marine to report to Vietnam for duty, Master Sergeant Barbara J. Dulinsky, began her 18-hour flight to Bien Hoa, 30 miles north of Saigon. MSgt Dulinsky and the other officer and enlisted Women Marines that followed were assigned to the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) based in Saigon. Most worked with the Marine Corps Personnel Section providing administrative support to Marines assigned as far north as the DMZ, but two Lieutenant Colonels, Ruth Reinholz and Ruth O'Holleran, served as historians with the Military History Branch, Secretary Joint Staff, MACV.

25 March 1945: After 35 days of bitter fighting, the amphibious assault on the rocky fortress of Iwo Jima finally appeared over. On the night of 25 March, however, a 300-man Japanese force launched a vicious final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the fanatical Japanese force till morning but suffered heavy casualties --more than l00 killed and another 200 American wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese force was killed in the battle.

27 March 1953: The 5th Marines, supported by the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, in the first full day of fighting after the Chinese assault the previous evening of Outpost Vegas on Korea's western front, counterattacked to regain enemy-held positions. Companies E and F of 2/7 , down to only three platoons between them, managed to regain partial control of Outpost Vegas that day.

31 March 1801: On this date, LtCol Commandant William W. Burrows rode with president Thomas Jefferson to look for "a proper place to fix the Marine Barracks on." President Jefferson was a personal friend of the Commandant, and deeply interested in the welfare of the Corps and accompanied Burrows on horseback on the morning of 31 March. They chose a square in Southeast Washington, bounded by 8th and 9th streets, and a & I streets, because it lay near the Navy Yard and was within easy marching distance of the Capitol.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Chow down, military-style
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By MOLLY PARKER
of the Peoria Journal Star
March, 4, 2005

PEORIA - Connie Caterbury is the mother of a Marine, but Thursday was the first time she had sampled the food military men and women eat while in the field.

She was one of about 600 people who gathered at the Hotel Pere Marquette for a $50-a-plate fund-raiser in support of Company C, 6th Engineering Support Battalion based in Peoria County.

While she thought the food wasn't too bad, and there were a few leftover Meals Ready to Eat on the table, Caterbury joked there's no way she would bring one home for her son, Lance Cpl. Jeff Courtright, who's coming home today after a 7-month tour in Iraq with the Marine Corps Reserve unit.

"Those are the last things he wants," the Washington woman said laughing. "I told him that we were going (Thursday) to eat MREs and he says, 'don't go.'"

A local group called Friends of the Marine Corps sponsored the luncheon to pay tribute to Charlie Company and provide funding for some of the families with financial needs. About $70,000 was raised, even though the original goal was less than $25,000, said Amy Bearce, who helped coordinate the lunch.

The money will go to the families and for other events, though for most of the people in attendance with loved ones in Iraq, the best gift arrives today.

About 120 Marines are expected to land about 2 p.m. at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.

"I'm so excited I just can't sit still," said Caterbury, adding that she plans to fix her son's favorite meal and desert, shepherd's pie and a triple-layer chocolate cake.

Gunnery Sgt. James Howard said there are about 22 different varieties of MREs served up to military personnel in the field, ranging from beef stew to burritos to chicken or roast beef, all of which were on the tables for Peorians to try.

"Normally, in the Marine Corps, we don't get a choice. We get what they bring us," Howard explained to the crowd. "But, since I'm a nice guy, I'm going to give you about 30 seconds to trade with your partner if you want."

The group was then given a lesson on how to warm the food with the included heat pack that is activated by water, and chow down military-style.

Bill Whalen, 86, said it was better than the C-rations he was given while serving in the South Pacific with the Marines during World War II.

"But you'll eat any damn thing if you're hungry; snakes, whatever you can find," he said.

Before the lunch, the group watched a slide show of the unit on the large screens in the room, and an American flag that had been flown in Iraq was auctioned off for $1,600. Also, Liz Carey, a junior at Washington Community High School, read a paper she had written for school about the war.

Her brother, Cpl. Peter Carey, was injured by a car bomb on Dec. 22 and is now home. Her other brother, Lance Cpl. Aaron Carey, arrives home today.

"Even though the negative side of this war has touched my family particularly close, I still have the opinion that we should remain in Iraq," she read. "Between the pain that the Iraqis are going through, the obligation we now have to finish a course of action we began and the financial security that hopefully will result from our efforts is more than enough reason to stay in Iraq."

Mother Sharon Carey said she's happy her family will be back in the states.

"It's going to be a great day," she said.


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Home from Iraq, Life's Luxuries Rule
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By Lindsey Jones
Angelo State University Web Site
March 04, 2005

Jessica Stroud said her boyfriend, Austin Cammack, is always on a mission.

"He's always got something to do or somewhere to go, and he can't rest until it's done," the junior said.

In a way, Cammack said, it's true.

For more than six months, the freshman marketing major was stationed in Iraq as an antitank demolitionist for the United States Marines.

"We were constantly taking orders, going on missions and trying to find out what was going on," Cammack said. "So now, I'm just used to thinking that way. I'm constantly thinking of what needs to get done and the best way to do it."

Cammack, along with freshmen Ryan Elliott and Aaron Woods, enlisted with the Marines shortly after graduating from Lake View High School in 1999.

During their four years in the military, all three served in Iraq as some of the first units to cross into and secure Baghdad.

"When we got there, it was a mess," Cammack said. "Now things are much more stable and I'm proud to think I was a part of that."

During his time there, Cammack said he had to do without many of the luxuries Americans take for granted on a daily basis.

"I wasn't able to shower for the first 26 days," he said. "We had to just use baby wipes because the water wasn't clean enough."

Today, Cammack said, he drinks a Dr Pepper every day to make sure he still remembers how it tastes and vowed never again to touch a bag of Skittles.

"All we had to drink was water … day in and day out," he said. "It was amazing how a package of Kool-Aid or some Gatorade could make your day seem so much more bearable. Plus, the only hard candy we got was Skittles. All I ate was Skittles. Now I won't touch them."

Elliott said the luxury he missed the most while in Iraq was time alone.

"We were constantly around people ... I missed not being able to sit by myself and think."

Cammack said he, Elliott and Woods have known each other since their freshman year in high school. Woods and Cammack, now a 24-year-old, were even stationed in the same unit.

"It's weird to walk around now and see them in T-shirts and jeans," he said.

"I'm so used to us being Marines, giving and taking orders. I half expect (Woods) to start yelling at his Marines, telling them to go run or something."

The three friends signed four-year contracts when they enlisted together and were initially stationed in California. They went to Iraq in 2003 and all returned home within a month of each other.

"The reason I got out is it was the end of my contract and I wanted to go to school," Cammack said. "We knew how to be Marines, but didn't have any real job skills so we wanted to make this opportunity for ourselves."

But the decision didn't come easily to Cammack.

"I had to leave my boys over there," he said. "You really develop a bond like brothers. When you're half way around the world, they're your family. You are without a doubt willing to lay your life down for the man standing next to you and you know he's willing to do the same. That's a tough emotion."

Once back in San Angelo, however, Cammack said he had a difficult time adjusting to a normal schedule.

"It was real hard to relax," he said. "I had trouble sleeping. I was constantly waking up to check that all the doors were locked and everything was turned off. That's what I did in Iraq - I had to make sure my boys were OK no matter what time it was."

Elliott said the biggest lesson he learned from the Marines was to not sweat the small stuff.

"People take life in general for granted," he said. "Meals, clean water, showers ... it's hard not to take them for granted when you're so used to having them, but I try to keep it in the back of my mind and never to forget completely."

Cammack said he has never looked at his time in the military as anything but a positive experience in the long run.

"The Marines made me the man I am today," he said. "I look at the little things that I have problems with and tell myself not to worry. There are worse things out there than whether or not my rent is going to be late and I think it's important to remind people of that every now and then.

"I gave a part of myself to my country. A lot of people can't do that or don't have the ability to do that or are not willing to do that. I'm extremely proud I was able and that I did do it."


Ellie