Reserve Marine unit stocked with El Pasoans excels in Iraq
Chris Roberts
El Paso Times
Monday, November 28, 2005

On short notice, a reserve Marine artillery battery from El Paso learned a new specialty and then earlier this year headed to Iraq where its members worked in military prisons, guarded convoys and provided security for a major Marine operations base.

Despite the hazardous duty, the 150-member unit suffered no casualties and received only two Purple Heart Medals. About 80 percent of the battery, which returned in September and October, is from the El Paso area.

"Their performance across the board was outstanding," said Maj. Charles Ellis, commander of Delta Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment.

After an abbreviated military police training, the unit -- split into three platoons -- deployed in March. One platoon guarded the Military Expeditionary Force Headquarters in Fallujah, one ran a detention facility in Ramadi and the third, based in Taqaddum, traveled throughout Iraq protecting convoys and major transportation routes.

"They covered the full spectrum of what the MPs do in a hostile environment," Ellis said.

Staff Sgt. Paul Arteaga, from El Paso, served at Camp Al Fallujah guarding the Marine headquarters. He said some of their artillery training came in handy when they were asked to do mortar missions, which included sending up flares to shed light on suspicious activities at the camp's perimeter.

The platoon also protected the water supply for the town of Fallujah, Ellis said.

The regional detention facility was used to hold suspected insurgents for about two weeks before they were either released or sent to the Abu Ghraib prison, said Sgt. Michael Lawrence, from Alamogordo, who was based at Camp Ar Ramadi.

"They processed over 2,600 detainees in seven months and there were no escapes and no incidents of maltreatment," said Ellis, who was in charge of the prison. "They consistently treated the detainees with dignity in accordance with the (standard operating procedure) and the Geneva Convention."

Lawrence said working in the prison provided an opportunity to learn about the Iraqis.

"We were able to learn quite a bit about their culture through the interpreters," he said. "They would tell us a little bit about their customs and culture and we would tell them a little bit about ours."

Lawrence said guard duty was relatively quiet.

That was not the case for Lance Cpl. Michael Curliss, from Truth or Consequences, who was based at Camp Al Taqaddum and served as a gunner on armored Humvees providing security for convoys. He received a Purple Heart Medal for wounds he received in the line of duty.

Curliss said his unit had a few engagements with enemy forces early on, but as the insurgents discovered the Marines' presence, they relied more on roadside explosives. He said the improvised explosive device design evolved from detonation by wires, to remote control to trip wires. The trip wires allowed insurgents to set the bomb and leave the area.

"They used all kinds of explosives," Curliss said, adding that searches off the roads even yielded World War II-era ordnance made in Germany.

Curliss earned his Purple Heart on a mission guarding a convoy to the Jordanian border that was delivering basic supplies such as food and water. About six miles out of camp, his Humvee drove over an artillery shell buried in the road.

"It exploded about 5 feet in front of us and we ran into most of the shrapnel," Curliss said. He suffered wounds to his arms and stomach.

All four tires were flattened, but the driver managed to keep the Humvee on the road long enough to clear the site of the explosion. The Humvee, equipped with additional armor, was the type that was scarce in the early stages of the war.

"Without that," Curliss said, "everybody in that vehicle would probably be dead."

He said the vehicle was back on the road three days later. Curliss also was back on the road, with bandages covering what he described as minor injuries.

The reserve unit's gung-ho spirit was apparent even before the Marines left El Paso. Ellis, who is a deputy U.S. marshal in civilian life, said unit numbers grew when Marines in the area who had been associated with the battery learned of the pending deployment.

"We didn't have any trouble filling the ranks," he said. "Marines were coming out of the woodwork."

The unit maintains a 95 percent participation rate in its monthly training sessions, Ellis said, a dedication that made it a prime candidate for deployment.

"You trained the whole time for this moment," Curliss said of the deployment. "Every Marine is actually excited to go out there and use their training because otherwise they feel all this is pointless."

Now it's a matter of readjusting to life stateside.

"The first couple of days you automatically look on the side of the roads (for suspicious objects)," Curliss said. "Finally you get to the point you can feel safe again."

Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com; 546-6136.

Ellie