One Marine's View (old site)

2006-12-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

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Do what the media did not

2006-06-04T22:56:00.000-04:00

Being a Lieutenant in Hawaii back in 1999 was great. I had just returned from one of many deployments to Japan, Australia and Korea. I had â€œdash oneâ€� (first born) eating and pooping like they are suppose to and I was looking for orders for back to the mainland of good ole US. It was early afternoon when I was at home getting some chow when I got a phone call. It was my mother and she had asked me if I have heard whatâ€™s going on? I asked with what and she said the shootings here. I said no as I turned on the Communist News Network (CNN) and saw the unfolding of the Columbine High school shootings. With all of the electricity and shock I couldnâ€™t believe it. Total chaos and confusion as I watched the TV. The sadness that we would experience again on Sept 11th ran through conversations at work and with friends. I couldnâ€™t believe my eyes, why you ask? Well mainly because I was talking to my mother on the phone and I could see her in the back yard as news helo circled the high school. It hit hard at home because I graduated from Columbine High School. Many of my buddies were teachers there. I could see where people were trapped and knew exactly where they were and knew they were truly trapped. I told my mother to get back inside as this thing could spill into the streets. I thought about my friends, teachers and a couple Marine recruiters I knew at the school at the time. I didnâ€™t want to go back to work and had terrible helpless feelings. I thought and watched to see if any of my buddies were out or if they had been hit. No news on any of them brought the worse thoughts. The kick in the gut feeling that followed as they advertised the wounded and dead after the two shooters were dead hit home for many. The principle, a friend and a mentor as a football coach for me through the years had recently been assigned as principle and he was served up a hell of a day that day and he handled it well. Columbine is a great school. It resides in you basic middle class neighbor hood, a great neighborhood. Many peoples life changed that June 20th, including mine. Semper Fi Capt B DARRELL SCOTT TESTIMONY Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript: " Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. "The f irst recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today: Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why?" You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need! "Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. "As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!" Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you can. In Iraq MemorialMarine who was student at Columbine High School during 1999 attack killed in Iraq ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:08 a.m. December 14, 2004 Associated PressLance Cpl. Greg Rund, 21LITTLETON, Colo. â€“ A Marine who was a freshman at Columbine High School when two students killed 13 people there was killed in action in Iraq, his family said. Lance Cpl. Greg Rund, 21, was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed Saturday, his family said in a statement released Monday. He had talked about joining the Marines throughout high school and enlisted shortly after graduating in 2002. The Marines confirmed Rund's death Wednesday, saying he died in combat in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Rund was a freshman when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shot 12 students, a teacher, and then themselves on April 20, 1999. "Greg made us so proud, but he never wanted to be recognized for his actions," said the statement from his family. "Neither Columbine nor Iraq was to define him." Rund was on the 2000 state championship football team, and his younger brother, Doug, now plays football at Columbine as a sophomore. "It seems so unfortunate that you get through some things, but it catches up with you," Ken Holden, Rund's former high school counselor, told the Denver Post. Rund's family described him as "reckless, smart, off-key and wonderful." "He never did anything like everyone else did," the statement said. "He did everything to the extreme and always knew that somehow with his humor and a little luck, he would make it through."

SAVED THE DAY

2006-06-03T13:35:00.000-04:00

OK gang, we are back in business solely because of the help of â€œAndoâ€� who sent me a code insert that assisted me in getting Blogger totally â€œunassedâ€�. Thank you my friend for whoever sent you to our aide, I thank you! Stop over at Andoâ€™s blog and say hey. He has some great posts! Capt B

Format snafu

2006-06-02T07:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry gang about the format, aparently Blogger is having a bandwidth issue. I'll give them a bit to get is unassed then perhaps I will have to go to plan "B" Capt B

Shared cigars bring Marines together in Fallujah

2006-06-02T06:53:00.000-04:00

CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq A thick billowy cloud of white smoke lingered in the air above the relaxed Marines. It was quitting time and Marines were enjoying a ritual of sortsMarines and sailors from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, take time at the end of their day to enjoy a good cigar at the chapel here.â€œItâ€™s great,â€� said Sgt. Russel R. Ellman, an administration chief at Headquarters and Service Company. â€œIt is kind of like having a barbecue back home with all of your buddies.â€�The men gather at the building one day a week to release some of the stress they encounter throughout the week.â€œItâ€™s just a great way to bring the guys together in a relaxed environment,â€� said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas S. Pratt, a religious programmer who helped to get the weekly event started. â€œIt can be very stressful for the guys out here, especially without their families. This allows them to come together and joke around to help ease all of that.â€�Pratt met with Navy Lt. Marc J. Bishop, the chaplain here, and discussed the idea to hold a cigar night. Before long he was on the internet looking for sponsors to donate cigars to the cause.â€œI saw a picture online of a bunch of Marines in Iraq smoking cigars and having a good time,â€� said Pratt, of Denver, Colo. â€œI started doing my research and found a place that would hopefully send us some cigars. Within a couple weeks, boxes and boxes of cigars started coming.â€�Flyers and word of the night quickly spread around the camp. After two of the nights, Marines here started showing up by the dozens.â€œWhen you put people in a social environment, they do not only talk about what they do, but who they really are,â€� explained Bishop, a Catholic priest. â€œIt allows me to interact with Marines in an informal, less stressful environment, rather than engage them while they are in their work settings.â€� Errah! I need one of those now! Capt B

Universal Warrior

2006-06-01T07:01:00.000-04:00

Some people just donâ€™t get it. When you hear the title Marines, people usually think or have the thoughts of the 200lb monsters ready to pull you appendages off who are locked in a glass cage that has a sign reading, break only in case of war. Wellâ€¦â€¦ok, the cages are really steel but that doesnâ€™t matter. In todayâ€™s battles and continuous threats against America, Marines and the other services have grown way past the traditional in your gut fighting. Donâ€™t get me wrong for a second, we Marines like to fight and are more than happy to do it when the call comes. Throughout the past few years when the light came on your Marines were ready. Not only to kick butt but to go way beyond of basic tactics. Todayâ€™s demands require Marines to be able to evolve from one mission to another in a blink of an eye. Terms like 3 block war use to be the foundation of Marine training. Now young Marines find themselves fighting head on one minute then conducting humanitarian missions the next only to roll back into head on fighting an hour later. â€œBy 2020, eighty-five percent of the world's inhabitants will be crowded into coastal cities -- cities generally lacking the infrastructure required to support their burgeoning populations. Under these conditions, long simmering ethnic, nationalist, and economic tensions will explode and increase the potential of crises requiring U.S. interventionâ€� As Marines operate in Iraq and Afghanistan it is more and more evident that things will get busier for us and other services. Busier and at times it may be very difficult or blurred at times. Regardless of training one cannot always tell the difference between combatants and noncombatants because sometimes one becomes the other in a flash. So as young Marines are making life and death decisions in a blink of an eye and continue to excel past the expectations of even senior leadership, before judging on â€œhow wellâ€� we are doing in Iraq know that there are thousands if not tens of thousands events that transpire and lead to the success of a major events, like the successful elections in Iraq but you may never here of them. These marines and their actions are the meat and potatoes that produce unsung heroes in our Corps and in our country. The Marine Corps is a young gun club. The majority of our front line fighters are from 17-26 years old. In many situations the determining factor in if a mission succeeds or not is if the young rifleman makes the right decision, at the right time. Life altering decisions made with his experience and reinforced with confidence and judgment. So while you may think there is nothing but fighter jets skreeetching down over in Iraq (sometimes but not much any more) remember that large groups of young Marines are accomplishing tough missions in the trenches and making the right call. Conducting operations that may have taken weeks before and completing them in days. Operating in remote regions with only their Staff Non Commissioned leadership or even alone with Corporalâ€™s running the squad. Itâ€™s a young man taking his orders, understanding what needs to get done and doing it right. Regardless if itâ€™s taking a building or handing out chow for starving citizens, your Marines are on the job and winning. Semper Fi Capt B CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 31, 2006) -- The sound of a cement mixer breaks up the darkness on a lone Iraqi road near the city of Fallujah. Marines are working in what is known as "black out" condition - no light other than the moon and the occasional glimmer of a flashlight. It's 6 a.m. on May 24, and the lazing Iraqi sun will soon be rising. This is the time many Americans get up for work, but for the combat engineers of Charlie Company, they've already put in an eight-hour day. The Marines of Charlie Company, commonly referred to as "Hell-Bent Charlie," of Combat Logistics Battalion 5, are hard at work repairing the roads that intersect the city and countryside of Fallujah.Repairing the streets of Iraq isn't quite like repaving a road in the United States. Instead of fluorescent orange vests and hardhats road workers wear in the States, Marine engineers carry rifles with optic sights, and wear combat gear consisting of a protective vest, helmet and ammunition for a combined weight of over 50 pounds. The roads these Marines work on are traveled by Iraqi citizens, along with coalition and Iraqi Security Forces and are constantly damaged by roadside bomb attacks. Fixing them is crucial to the movement of supplies and troops in the area, said Maj. Steven R. Svendsen, the executive officer of CLB-5 and 40-year-old native of Beaman, Iowa. The work done by the Marines is also helping rebuild the Iraqi infrastructure, he said.The night repair mission begins right after dusk with a quick meeting entailing the mission and latest intelligence findings. Last minute gear checks are conducted before they leave the security of Camp Fallujah where they're based. "Hell Bent Charlie" goes straight to work quickly filling two holes as soon as they leave the confines of the base.Not much longer afterwards they encounter the very threat they are trying to fight - an improvised explosive device, commonly called IEDs. The engineers set up security and call the explosive ordinance disposal team. The potentially deadly device is neutralized in minutes and the Marine road workers press on. These road-side bombs are a favored weapon used by the enemy to wreak havoc on coalition forces. The threat of IEDs is one of the main reasons these Marines are on the road. "A lot of (the roads) have fallen into disrepair over the years; (they are) a perfect place for an insurgent to put an IED," said 1st Lt. Edward J. Walsh, a 26-year-old native of Melrose, Mass.Sometimes craters from IEDs are used multiple times making the work to fill these dangerous potholes very important, explained Walsh.For the craters to be repaved efficiently, the Marines must work together while performing individual tasks. Different teams of engineers have specific jobs and responsibilities that fit into the overall route repair process. While conducting the repairs separate teams are tasked to provide security, survey the crater to make sure it is safe to repair, and conduct the actual repair, said Sgt. Shawn Peterson, a 27-year-old native of Missoula, Mont. The Marines have to work fast to avoid being a target of insurgents and still perform their job with precision. Many of these missions have been subject to deadly sniper and mortar attacks. Surveying is the first step to repairing the road. Many factors must be calculated to properly repair a crater."We have to account for the size of the hole, depth of the hole and how long we're going to be on site," said Peterson. For a crater to be filled properly, dirt is molded into a foundation, then cement is poured in, said SSgt. Jose R. Miranda, a 26-year-old from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.After smoothing off the top of the quick-drying road patch their off in search of more roads in need. Working with hundreds of pounds of concrete mix and dirt - in temperatures well above 100 degrees during the day - is a physically demanding job for these Marines. The results of their efforts are evident to the engineers every time a convoy rides a road made safer by their work.Riding in the back of a vehicle on a freshly repaired road in Iraq, his uniform splattered with dried concrete mix, Lance Cpl. Joshua I. Hamptonhanshaw, looked content."It's nice seeing the results of what I'm doing," said the 21-year-old native of Phoenix, Ariz

2006-05-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Milblogs

2006-05-31T17:08:00.000-04:00

If you havenâ€™t been there, done thatâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.get yer ass over to MILBLOGs and go there! A good mixture of stories, facts, antidotes regarding the military. Semper

Viper's gunships escort Marine patrol in Karma

2006-05-31T16:35:00.000-04:00

KARMA, Iraq - Under a baking Iraqi sun, beads of sweat roll down a Marine's face as his eyes slowly scan the surrounding fields of tall grass, looking for insurgent forces that could ambush him and his fellow Marines' dismounted patrol. Suddenly, the thumping sound of helicopters breaks through the noise of his beating pulse and a squawking radio in his ears. Air support has arrived.Like guardian angels, the sharp-eyed crews of a UH-1N Huey and AH-1W Super Cobra with Marine Light Attack Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, use their bird's eye perspective, flying just above treetops or thousands of feet in the air to provide reconnaissance on the convoy's route through the streets and fields of Karma, May 11."Our mission was to fly in the vicinity of Karma, Iraq, in support of the dismounted patrols that were throughout the city," said 1st Lt. Brian P. Brassieur, a Huey pilot. "We were looking for any improvised explosive devices on the roads or any military-aged males digging holes in the road and anything (insurgents) might be doing to disrupt our patrols."The squadron's ability to successfully support the Marine ground forces on patrol begins at the squadron's airfield in Al Taqaddum."Before every flight, and at the beginning of our training, we always do cockpit coordination and crew briefs, as well as a section brief," said Capt. Brian J. Crawford, a Huey pilot and Laurel, Md., native. "First, the crews from both aircraft get together and conduct a thorough brief on how we're going to conduct that flight. Then, myself, the other pilot and the two crew chiefs will sit down and talk about the conduct of operations for the day. It's everything from what we expect to see, what we expect to execute and all the communications associated with accomplishing that."Once in the air, the two helicopters sped toward Karma. The two pilots in the Super Cobra and the two pilots and two crew chiefs in the Huey kept their eyes open, alert to the threat posed by surface-to-air missiles and gunfire."Communication is the key for these kinds of missions, because without proper communication no one knows what's going on," said Lance Cpl. Justin W. Ahlers, a Huey crew chief and West Bend, Wis., native. "We all might see pieces of a whole, but we won't be able to put it all together without communication to make the picture complete. That allows us to accomplish the mission more effectively."The desert landscape surrounding their airbase quickly passed below Ahlers and the other Marines in the helicopters before turning into lush fields and canals, as they passed over the land surrounding the Euphrates River and approached Karma. "Once we got in the vicinity of where we were supposed to be, we contacted the forward air controller on the ground," said Brassieur, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native. "He is apprised of the whole situation because he is right in it. He tells us what's going on, what he needs us to do, where his position is and how we can support him."Through coordination, the ground and air Marines can form an accurate picture of what lies ahead down the streets of Karma. The information flow between the forward air controller on the ground and the two helicopters is the key to the success of the convoy escort and the safety of the Marines on the ground. "Marine aviation's overall role is to support ground troops, and in Karma, we were providing immediate, overhead close air support and reconnaissance to them," said 1st Lt. Kyle R. Vandegiesen, a Super Cobra pilot and North Allteboro, Mass., native. "The grunts can only see a couple hundred meters around themselves. We have the vantage point of 500 to 1,000 feet above the ground."According to Vandegiesen, the view from above is crucial to the success of their mission. "The key to any battle is situational awareness," he said. "Whoever has it is going to win. If you can see the enemy then you've got him, that's what we provide." The Vipers ability to provide an "eye in the sky" for the ground troops is a vital part of the Marine aviation mission here."When I go over a station, when I'm over Karma, I want to look out for those Marines, that's what I've been trained to do and that's what I'm going to do," said Brassieur. "The Marine Corps revolves around the grunts on the ground. We're just here to support them. That's what we're here to do."

2006-05-31T02:00:00.000-04:00

NEW FORMAT

2006-05-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

If you have been with us for awhile then you recognize the new format. If youâ€™re just joining us, hope you enjoy it! Semper Fidelis Capt B

NEWS ON MEMORIAL DAY

2006-05-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Memorial day has come and gone and the #1 biggest news event at least on CNN was that the â€œJolie-Pitt baby is the 'Peaceful Oneâ€� Vomit,cough,spit â€¦â€¦..In the world of Barry Barnes doped up and breaking records to The Hilton sisters being the worlds biggest mental disasters, it is a cruel day when those above topics are ran every thirty minutes and nothing is said about the great progress in Iraq and Afghani. Sure, they said many Americans are celebrating Memorial Day todayâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦hello missing the meaning of the day. I know you all did it right. Semper Fi â€œMore than dutyâ€� Capt B

2006-05-28T11:23:00.000-04:00

AMERICA DOESNT FORGET! This Memorial Day is the first one I have been home at since I deployed to Afghanistan for 8 mos, then Iraq for a year. A lot has happened in that time, to me, my family and my fellow Marines but I havenâ€™t forgotten. I think about the warriors from past battles Inchon, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and wonder if they felt the same as us during this Memorial holiday. A time you let the faces of the warriors past stay a little longer in your immediate memory and stare at them and remember them. Here one minute and then gone so quickly the next, its incredible that they are gone. They were just here. America doesnâ€™t forget. Your thoughts and grief follow through to their children and families who will be getting the word way to soon that their warrior has been killed in action. The knots in the stomach of the service members who are about to inform the families of their loss are no comparison to the pain the family is about to endure as their lives are changed forever. America does not forget. Our American warriors did not fight for glory, but to fulfill a duty. They did not want to be heroes, they wanted to see mom and dad again and to hold their sweethearts and to watch their sons and daughters grow. They desired the daily miracle of freedom in America, yet they gave all that up and gave life itself for the sake of others. You cannot ever let those warriors down by not continuing to raise their honor for what they have done for this country. Grieve if required but continue to honor them in a way that if they were here it would bring a smile to their face. Thatâ€™s all they would have wanted. To be appreciated for what they have done and for you to be proud of them. To thank their fellow warriors who might need to hear it now and then, to raise the flag if it isnâ€™t already posted on your porch and to tell their loved ones that they didnâ€™t get to meet because they were off fighting when they were born, what they were like and how brave they were. We owe this to them, America doesnâ€™t forget. For those that did go fight and are here now, be glad that you are home. Cherish it. Be glad you have someone thanking you and perhaps think of it this way, everything you do from now on, being fun, tuff or whatever the emotion, you do it for those that have paid the price in the past and cannot be here to feel it with you. That is one way to honor those who have fallen for us. America doesnâ€™t forget. From Debra Youngblood (mother of Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood) I just read a few entries in your blog and I am so very glad I did. Since my son's death in Iraq, on July 21, 2005, I have been trying to reconcile my hatred of this war with my son's strong belief that what the troops were doing was the right thing in Iraq. I know that many people don't realize how much the troops have helped the Iraqi people. My son was a field medic with the II Marine Expendiary Unit, Lima company. He was wounded in Hit, Iraq on July 15, and died 6 days later in Iraq. Your words give me comfort not only for his convictions, but for the care he received. Many blessings to you. Debra S. Youngblood Capt B response: Maâ€™am- I just finished watching A&Eâ€™s special on 3/25. I visited them often at Haditha Dam and they were always pumped and excited. Your last name stays with me as I knew a young Marine with the same name in Hawaii when I served there in 1996. The position I held in Ramadi Iraq, was the sort that I knew of fallen warriors as soon as they were injured. Your sons name sticks with me in my gut and I can remember when I heard about him being first wounded as it made me think about the young Marine I knew in Hawaii. The medical attention he received was the very best and additional medical personnel were on him providing additional attention within seconds. When I heard he had past away I sat down in our CP, put my hands in my lap and thought about you, his family and knew his death was not in vain. As an infantry officer all of my Marines are my kids. Loosing one is like loosing apart of myself. Marines conducting operations in Iraq have made such drastic accomplishments; it will be a long time before people actually realize what they are doing there and in Afghanistan. Serving in Afghanistan for 8 months then home for 3, then sent to Iraq for a year, I have seen the progress that warriors like your son are doing, with my own eyes and thatâ€™s why I try to educate and show others what we are doing through my Blog. Like Iraq and the progress made, your son has helped make great gains with the Iraqi people, the country and especially his Marines. The Corpsman in the unit is a cherished person we all hold close to us and although he didnâ€™t enlist to be a Marine, corpsmen are transformed and are one of us. Your son has made a difference and has helped change the world. My deepest gratitude and respect for the hero who has past and the one I write to. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Letter from Karen Mendoza (Wife of Marine Maj. Ramon J. Mendoza, Jr.) Family and Friends, I was honored to be in the presence of such fine Marines and Sailors last week. Ray's bronze star presentation was a time not grieve but reflect on the accomplishments made by the Echo Company Team. Yes, they were a team and Ray loved building that team. Ray believed that the most important leadership trait was LOYALTY. Echo Company performed to Ray's high standards and expectations because they were loyal to each other, their country and their Marine Corps. He was so proud to be their commander and I was so proud to share Ray's bronze star with all of Echo Company. A little blue box held the award, but it represented something bigger. Ray's LT's, 1st Sgt, Gunny and Plt Sgts stood with our family. Ray was the commander but the Marines made everything happen. He would have not received this award if it wasn't for their outstanding performance. I find great comfort knowing that his last days were with his "team". I ran across an article that was written about Ray in the 90's during his wrestling years at Ohio State. Ray mentioned one thing that stood out when he joined the OSU Wrestling team. It was how close the team was and he believed it was the catalyst to their successful season. What will always be true about Buckeyes.... they are always for the "team" and forever Loyal. The Echo Company team has earned the Bronze Star. The last line on Ray's headstone at Fort Rosecrans reads "Company E 2/1"... still loyal to his boys watching over them from heaven. Below is the link to an article that was in the base newspaper. Hope all is well with everyone... we're still pressing forward and adjusting to our new life. Blessings Always, karen To all of Americaâ€™s heroâ€™s HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY AMERICA DOESNâ€™T FORGET! Semper Fidelis â€œMore than dutyâ€� Capt B

2006-05-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

COMMANDANT TO REINFORCE STANDARDS AND CORE VALUES in Visits to Marine Bases Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. - (May 25) -- General Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps, left this morning to visit Marines at forward operating bases in Iraq to reinforce the ideals, values and standards for which Marines have been known for more than 200 years. Reflecting his personal concern over recent serious allegations about actions of Marines in combat, Hagee will address Marine officers and enlisted men and women in a series of events inside and outside the U.S. over the next several weeks. Hageeâ€™s remarks will focus on the value and meaning of honor, courage, and commitment and how these core values are epitomized by most Marines in their day-to-day actions - both in and out of combat. During these talks, Hagee will reemphasize the training all Marines receive in the Law of Armed Conflict, the Geneva Conventions, and Rules of Engagement. He will remind his Marines that each of them has a duty to obey and issue lawful orders and apply only the necessary force required to accomplish the mission. He will not address any specific incidents currently under investigation until any and all legal actions are complete. A full biography and high resolution image of General Michael W. Hagee can be found at: www.marines.mil/cmc/33cmc.nsf/cmcmain

â€œOn Marine Virtueâ€� By Gen. M. W. Hagee Recent serious allegations concerning actions of Marines in combat have caused me concern. They should cause you to be concerned as well. To ensure we continue to live up to General Lejeuneâ€™s description of a Marine as someone who demonstrates â€œall that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue,â€� I would like to review the importance of our core values. As Marines, you are taught from your earliest days in the Corps about our core values of honor, courage and commitment. These values are part of and belong to all Marines, regardless of MOS, grade, or gender. They guide us in all that we do; whether in combat, in garrison, or on leave or liberty. To a Marine, honor is more than just honesty; it means having uncompromising personal integrity and being accountable for all actions. To most Marines, the most difficult part of courage is not the raw physical courage that we have seen so often on todayâ€™s battlefield. It is rather the moral courage to do the â€œright thingâ€� in the face of danger or pressure from other Marines. Finally, commitment is that focus on caring for one another and upholding the great ideals of our Corps and Country. The nature of this war with its ruthless enemies, and its complex and dangerous battlefield will continue to challenge us in the commitment to our core values. We must be strong and help one another to measure up. The war will also test our commitment to our belief in the rule of law. We have all been educated in the Law of Armed Conflict. We continue to reinforce that training, even when deployed to combat zones. We do not employ force just for the sake of employing force. We use lethal force only when justified, proportional and, most importantly, lawful. We follow the laws and regulations, Geneva Convention and Rules of Engagement. This is the American way of war. We must regulate force and violence, we only damage property that must be damaged, and we protect the non-combatants we find on the battlefield. When engaged in combat, particularly in the kind of counterinsurgency operations weâ€™re involved in now, we have to be doubly on guard. Many of our Marines have been involved in life or death combat or have witnessed the loss of their fellow Marines, and the effects of these events can be numbing. There is the risk of becoming indifferent to the loss of a human life, as well as bringing dishonor upon ourselves. Leaders of all grades need to reinforce continually that Marines care for one another and do what is right. The large majority of Marines today perform magnificently on and off the battlefield. I am very proud of the bravery, dedication, honor, courage and commitment you clearly display every day. And America is proud as well. Americans, indeed most people around the world, recognize that Marines are men and women of the highest caliber - physically, mentally, and morally. Each one of you contributes in your own unique way to our important mission; I am proud of your dedication and accomplishments. Even after 38 years, I still stand with pride every time I hear the Marines Hymn. The words of that Hymn mean something special to me. Especially, â€œKeep our Honor Cleanâ€�. I know that means something to all of you as well. As Marines we have an obligation to past Marines, fellow Marines, future Marines and ourselves to do our very best to live up to these words. As your Commandant, I charge all Marines to carry on our proud legacy by demonstrating our values in everything you do - on duty and off; in combat or in garrison. Semper Fidelis.

2006-05-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

MEMORIAL DAY TRIFECTA Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country. This Memorial weekend you should be taking your kid to Vets hospital, visiting fallen warriors or if you stay inside at home educate them or yourselves on our nationâ€™s military and fallen warriors and what it has meant for them to serve. Recently, HBO aired â€œBaghdad ERâ€� where the majority of the feed back of those who pony up to watch it said it was typical HBO persuasive BS. Now CNN is going to air â€œCNN Honors American Troops on Multiple Platforms for Memorialâ€�. They advertise that they will be pushing, â€œComing Homeâ€� explores how the current war differs from previous conflicts, including the effects on social support systems for military familiesâ€� They are basing this of off primarily donated video footage, letters etc donated through their web site link http://turnerinfo.turner.com/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK1F/www.cnn.com/cominghome that didnâ€™t work when I clicked on it. Perhaps they had turned it off so close to airing of the show but my gut call is this is going to be a typical Communist News Network (CNN) broadcast and will, like the HBO debacle will try to persuade the viewer on how â€œbadâ€� this war is and how â€œbadâ€� he President is doing. I will eat crow if they come across as the President being the â€œshitâ€� and doing better as they could ever dream of, but something tells me there will be a underlining subject of Yak, spit spew coming from the CNN, ACT II Another televised event will be of Lima Company 3/25 and their action with in Iraq starting on Thursday, May 25th at 9pmC. Featuring candid interviews and never-before-seen video, we tell the story of the hardest hit combat unit of the Iraq war. Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, a reserve unit out of Columbus, Ohio was deployed to Iraq from February 28-September 30, 2005. http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_details.do?episodeid=163325 ACT III The third watch able show is 60 Minutes and the coverage of Cpl Fulkâ€™s and his funeral services. Unlike the first of our trifecta, 60 minutes is usually pretty good on not involving a political agenda. If youâ€™re going to watch TV donâ€™t be a self centered hooyaa. Get yer ass over to A&E, History Channel or the like and watch some warriors slug it out. Plusâ€¦.it will drive the women crazy!!! â€œMore than dutyâ€� Semper Fi Capt B

Could this be said about Iraq and Afghanistan as well?...........

Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) (The Civil War) created in this country what had never existed before a national consciousness. It was not the salvation of the Union; it was the rebirth of the Union.Memorial Day Address (1915]

HADITHA, Iraq When some Marines return from Iraq, they bring back memorabilia, such as tattered Iraqi flags or old photos of Saddam Hussein they found in cluttered streets. Some, like 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Jeremy Russell of Salem, Ore., will bring back memories of actions on the battlefield and scars from being wounded in action.Russell, an infantryman with Weapons Company of the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, was manning a machine gun turret in a Humvee struck by an improvised explosive, or IED, last month. The battalion arrived in Iraq two months ago, and has since had to deal with numerous IEDs while patrolling the streets in the Haditha â€œTriadâ€� region â€“ an area of about 75,000 people along the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province and renowned insurgent hotspot.The blast left him with a piece of shrapnel embedded in his right hand and a severely bruised leg, and left three other Marines dead: Sgt. Lea Mills, 21, from Brooksville, Fla.; Sgt. Edward G. Davis, 31, from Antioch, Ill.; and Cpl. Brandon M. Hardy, 25, from Cochranville, Pa.â€œI thought I was going to die,â€� said Russell.The IED struck Russellâ€™s vehicle during a three-hour mission to recover another U.S. military vehicle. With vehicle in tow, the Marine convoy was enroute to their base at the Haditha Dam. It was 2:30 a.m., and the night seemed quiet, said Russell. â€œI could hear the Marines below me talking about their families while I was in the turret,â€� said Russell. â€œI just kept my eyes on the road behind me to make sure there were no vehicles approaching.â€� Still, he kept alert to ensure no vehicles approached the U.S. convoy. Aside from IEDs, vehicle suicide bombers are also a threat in Al Anbar Province, said Russell. Russell said the Marinesâ€™ talking in the vehicle â€œdied down a littleâ€� just seconds before an earth-shattering explosion, which was followed by two fireballs on either side of the vehicle. Russell tucked his chin and closed his eyes, hoping to avoid the majority of the blast. He did. The blast destroyed the rear left side of the humvee and flipped the vehicle 180 degrees onto its left side. Russell was ejected from the vehicle onto the roadway and feared the vehicle would rollover on top of him. â€œIt felt like minutes had past and everything was in slow motion,â€� recalled Russell. â€œBut it really took only two seconds for the IED to detonate and throw the vehicle on its side.â€� As he laid in the street, disoriented from the blast, Russell, who is serving his first combat deployment since he joined the Marine Corps in 2004 to â€œsee the world,â€� remembers smelling fuel â€“ a leak from the vehicleâ€™s gas tank.He also saw the vehicles three other passengers lying motionless in the street. Two of the Marines were killed on impact and another died a short time later, according to medical records. Russell climbed back into the humvee to notify the other Marines in the convoy of his situation, but the radio was broken.Russell then notified Marines ahead of him in the convoy by using luminous flares he located in the vehicle. He also rearmed himself with his M16 rifle, ready to fight off a secondary attack. Believing he was the only Marine around, Russell saw Lance Cpl. Cheyenne Macintosh, an Assault Amphibian Vehicle crewman from Seaman, Ohio. Macintosh was traveling back to Haditha Dam in the same convoy as Russell. Macintosh, 20, was checking the mortally-wounded Marines when he noticed Russell had survived the blast and was completely covered in soot. Staff Sgt. Michael Woodridge, 28, a section leader assigned to Weapons Company, had several other Marines from other vehicles in the convoy secure the area and be watchful for a secondary attack. â€œIt was chaotic,â€� said Woodridge, a native of Augusta, Ga. â€œThe back end of the humvee was completely gone.â€�Shortly after, Russell was evacuated by helicopter to a near-by medical facility. As his adrenaline began to wear off, he began to feel the pain from his injuries on the helicopter, he said. Shrapnel was lodged in his hand, his right leg throbbed in pain after he was tossed around inside the turret, and eventually ejected onto the ground, he said. Russell, who is now fully recovered and back to daily patrols with his unit, says the incident has not deterred him from patrolling daily. Given the chance, heâ€™ll deploy again to Iraq after his battalion returns to the U.S. in the Fall, he said. â€œI never imagined I would be in a life-or-death situation,â€� said Russell. â€œWhen I joined the Marine Corps, the only thing I knew about combat was what I saw on TV shows like M.A.S.H.â€�As Russell recovers from his injuries to his hand and leg, his fellow Marines say he still has high spirits. â€œRussell has kept his head up high and still has his sense of humor,â€� said Macintosh. â€œIt helps everyone else in the platoon stay in high spirits until we can go home.â€�

A GREAT LINK TO MEMORIAL DAY STUFF

2006-05-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

FRAUDS This isnâ€™t the first time a dress wearing, twinkie eating, zit face bag of bones piece of crap decided to imitate one of our finest. Here is a heart punch into a wanna be that should have stayed in bed. But this isnâ€™t the first piece of monkey crap to wake up and decide â€œhey, Im going to play soldier todayâ€� or for that fact Marine! The latest was in April of this year where Colonel insignia: $5.50 Purple Heart: $38.95 Dress blues: $520 Punishment for impersonating a military officer: $2,500 Reaction from one former Marine: Less than gung-ho. In this nut jobs case, Albert T. McKelvey stated end result he needed to â€˜haveâ€� a title and be something heâ€™s not. â€œHe wore the uniform and played the role of colonel for years at veteran functions, holiday ceremonies and military funerals, giving speeches, celebrating the birthday of a Navy admiral and presenting folded flags to widowsâ€� What the hell are these people thinking?? If you want to wear the gear then get your ass downtown and enlist. There are a couple sandy resorts that would love to have you come play Marine in! Last year this old hoot played it out until he got so busted. â€œLawson had passed out coins â€” the kind of metal tokens generals and some senior enlisted give out in a long-followed military tradition. He even passed out coins at a recent post event to Marines from Bravo Company who just returned from a yearlong mobilization in Iraq.â€� Two years ago, Walter Carlson, 58, of Summit, New Jersey, was arrested Wednesday at services for Marine Lieutenant John Wroblewski, 25, of Jefferson Township, New Jersey. He was released after paying a $10,00 bond. These are just a few of the shit bags out there that want to taint the history, honor and respect paid for by our forefathers and warriors of today. This is actually good we are attacking this like blood in the water as many Bloggers have recently . If we donâ€™t another shit stain will go and order his Marine or Army uniform and reap the respect due for the fallen warriors that actually paid the ultimate price. I say firing squad FOR THEM ALL or flame throwerâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.their choice, Im in a good mood! Semper Fi Capt B HUSAYBAH, Iraq â€“ After three years without a police presence in this western Iraqi town of approximately 10,000, the community is beginning to see a fully-restored police force with the introduction of two new police stations. With a new force of fully-trained police officers, many of whom are seasoned veterans from the previous police force, Iraqis here hope the added security forces will curb insurgent activity in the area, according to tribal sheikhs. The Police Transition Team here, a team of Coalition service members responsible for training and mentoring Iraqi police officers, has worked in recent months to prepare these law enforcement officials for their duties of providing law and order here. Despite delays in the arrival of necessary police equipment, such as vehicles, the new police stations are providing an additional asset for Iraqi security forces by collecting tips and information from citizens and responding to criminal activity to combat insurgent operations in the region, according to the transition team. â€œThe police officers are eager to get out there in the towns and establish a presence,â€� said Staff Sgt. Robert Torres, an intelligence chief with a transition team serving in western Iraq. â€œThey are very organized, motivated, and they already have the respect from the community.â€�

2006-05-22T09:22:00.000-04:00

WHY AREN'T YOU LINKED TO ONE MARINE'S VIEW MAGGOT?? If you see a link you like,highlight it and then click â€œeditâ€� from the menue in your frame. If youâ€™re using Blogger.com you can load it like a photo and the switch to HTML to get the code for your template. Worst case email me and I will email you the code. Semper!...........see comments!!

2006-05-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

BAGHDAD ER On May 21st HBO will be airing â€œBaghdad ERâ€�. Itâ€™s an in your face look at the wounded receiving first rate medical care in Baghdad. HBO is probably going for shock value to gain viewers as they show amputation and massive trauma of our service members. They say the series isnâ€™t â€œProâ€� or Negativeâ€� warâ€¦â€¦â€¦..ok, right. There could be some education in it IF they describe what they are doing as in many already live medical shows. However, I bet that HBO wont be covering the â€œeducationalâ€� portion but the â€œshockâ€� value portion of it. Itâ€™s hard for me to want to support it because many of the guys shown could be someone I or many others out there know or served with. These are YOUR service members that volunteered to go to war and then are wounded and filmed. Did they ask they service members if it was ok before they started shooting the film? Doubt it. As I bet many beyond those initial stages of their wounds will want to watch that sort of thing now. Nor would fellow service members or their families. How would you feel if you were sent to a shit stain like Iraq for a year, wounded, then had your only privacy displayed for the world on TV? Give me a break! If its for anything other than â€œshockâ€� than why hasnâ€™t their been this kind of show for cops, firemen etc that were wounded in their service?? The many service members wounded already feel guilty for being wounded and having to depart from their buddies, why rub it in their face? Instead of showing gore and the loss of American life on TV (which the bad guy scumbags love to see by the way) why donâ€™t they spend the equal filming time on the large amounts of Iraqi hospitals and schools built? How about filming the past elections and the great results and showing that on HBO? Because they couldnâ€™t persuade your opinion as much about the campaigns thatâ€™s why. Because that would be GOOD news. You see the media doesnâ€™t want to show success in Iraq or Afghanistan. They are the spearhead of the American info demise. If the media was for President Bush and they did show the large accomplishments that were being done donâ€™t you think his rating would be higher? You see the media wants to show failure of our actions in Iraq & Afghani. Just like on your nightly news the only thing you hear about is wounded. Wouldnâ€™t it be something if the news broadcaster came across the nightly news and said â€œToday the Marines completed the 95th hospital or school in the Al Anbar regionâ€�??? It wont happen, just like HBO wouldnâ€™t do a special on the massive gain in either campaign. Instead they are going to show wounded service members in raw footage, tore up with massive trauma caused by an enemy IED or gunfight and in some cases they will show the heroâ€™s passing away. They will air service members saying negative things but wont air any of them saying positive things. I thought TV was supposed to be entertainingâ€¦â€¦. I could only hope that some good may come out of this show where perhaps people may feel sorry, guilty or angry for what is happening and decide to educate themselves on what we are doing there, decide to support they troops through many organizations like â€œAnyMarine.com or furthermore like after Sept 11th perhaps they will be compelled to enlist. Because quite frankly if its tore up young heroes, gore and blood you want to see than you should go down to your local recruiting office, sign up and get your butt over to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year. If you donâ€™t want to do that than you are wrong not to support your service member every way you can besides going there and laying in the dirt next to them. Its your callâ€¦â€¦one person can make a difference! For those that do choose to watch it, remember the below as you do............. By Col. Brett Wyrick USAF- The first rule of war is that young men and women die. The second rule of war is that surgeons cannot change the first rule.We had already done around a dozen surgical cases in the morning and the early afternoon. The entire medical staff had a professional meeting to discuss the business of the hospital and the care and treatment of burns.It is not boastful or arrogant when I tell you that some of the best surgeons in the world were present - I have been to many institutions, and I have been all around the world, and at this point in time, with this level of experience, the best in the world are assembled here at Balad.LTC Dave S., the Trauma Czar, and a real American hero is present. He has saved more people out here than anyone can imagine. The cast of characters includes two Air Force Academy graduates, Col (s) Joe W. and Maj. Max L. When you watch ER on television, the guys on the show are trying to be like Max - cool, methodical and professional. Max never misses anything on a trauma case because he sees everything on a patient and notes it the same way the great NFL running backs see the entire playing field when they are carrying the ball.Joe is an ENT surgeon who is tenacious, bright, and technically correct every single time - I mean every single time. The guy has a lower tolerance for variance than NASA. LTC (s) Chris C. was the Surgeon of the Day (SOD), and I was the back-up SOD. Everyone else was there and available - as I said the best in the world.As the meeting was breaking up, the call came in.An American soldier had been injured in an IED blast north of here, and he was in a bad way with head trauma. The specifics were fuzzy, but after three months here, what would need to be done was perfectly clear - the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group readied for battle. All the surgeons started to gravitate toward the PLX which is the surgeons' ready room and centrally located midway to the ER, OR and radiology.The lab personnel checked precious units of blood, and the pharmacy made ready all the medications and drugs we would need for the upcoming fight. An operating room was cleared, and surgical instruments were laid out, the anesthesia circuits were switched over, and the gasses were checked and rechecked. An anesthesiologist and two nurse anesthetists went over the plan of action as the OR supervisor made the personnel assignments.In the ER, bags of IV fluids were carefully hung, battery packs were checked, and the ER nursing supervisor looked over the equipment to make sure all was in working order and the back-ups were ready just in case the primaries failed. The radiology techs moved forward in their lead gowns bringing their portable machines like artillery men of old wheeling their cannon into place. Respiratory therapy set the mechanical ventilator, and double-checked the oxygen. Gowns, gloves, boots, and masks were donned by those who would be directly in the battle.America can bring to the war - were in place and ready along with the best skill and talent from techs to surgeons. The two neurosurgeons gathered by themselves to plan. LTC A. is a neurosurgeon who still wears his pilot wings proudly. He used to be a T-38 instructor pilot, and some of the guys he trained to fly are now flying F-16s right here at Balad. He is good with his hands and calm under pressure. The other neurosurgeon is Maj. W., a gem of a surgeon who could play the guitar professionally if he was not dedicated to saving lives. A long time ago, at a place on the other side of the world called Oklahoma, I operated on his little brother after a car accident and helped to save his life. The two neurosurgeons, Chris, and I joined for the briefing. Although I was the ranking officer of the group, Chris was the SOD and would be the flight lead. If this was a fighter sweep, all three of those guys would be Weapons School Patch wearers.The plan was for me and the ER folks to assess treat and stabilize the patient as rapidly as possible to get the guy into the hands of the neurosurgeons. The intel was that this was an IED blast, and those rarely come with a single, isolated injury. It makes no sense to save the guy's brain if you have not saved the heart pump that brings the oxygenated blood to the brain. With this kind of trauma, you must be deliberate and methodical, and you must be deliberate and methodical in a pretty damn big hurry.All was ready, and we did not have to wait very long. The approaching rotors of a Blackhawk were heard, and Chris and I moved forward to the ER followed by several sets of surgeons' eyes as we went. We have also learned not to clog up the ER with surgeons giving orders. One guy runs the code, and the rest follow his instructions or stay out the way until they are needed.They wheeled the soldier into the ER on a NATO gurney shortly after the chopper touched down. One look at the PJs' faces told me that the situation was grim. Their young faces were drawn and tight, and they moved with a sense of directed urgency. They did not even need to speak because the look in their eyes was pleading with us - hurry. And hurry we did.In a flurry of activity that would seem like chaos to the uninitiated, many things happened simultaneously. Max and I received the patient as Chris watched over the shoulder to pick out anything that might be missed. An initial survey indicated a young soldier with a wound to the head, and several other obvious lacerations on the extremities.Max called out the injuries as they were found, and one of the techs wrote them down. The C-collar was checked, the chest was auscultated as the ET tube was switched to the ventilator. Chris took the history from the PJs because the patient was not conscious. All the wounds were examined and the dressings were removed except for the one on the head.The patient was rolled on to his side while his neck was stabilized by my hands, and Max examined the backside from the toes to the head. When we rolled the patient back over, it was onto an X-ray plate that would allow us to take the chest X-Ray immediately. The first set of vitals revealed a low blood pressure; fluid would need to be given, and it appeared as though the peripheral vascular system was on the verge of collapse.I called the move as experienced hands rolled him again for the final survey of the back and flanks and the X-Ray plate was removed and sent for development. As we positioned him for the next part of the trauma examination, I noted that the hands that were laid on this young man were Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, Australian, Army, Air Force, Marine, Man, Woman, Young and Older: a true cross-section of our effort here in Iraq, but there was not much time to reflect.The patient needed fluid resuscitation fast, and there were other things yet to be done. Chris watched the initial survey and the secondary survey with a situational awareness that comes from competence and experience. Chris is never flustered, never out of ideas, and his pulse is never above fifty.With a steady, calm, and re-assuring voice, he directed the next steps to be taken. I moved down to the chest to start a central line, Max began an ultrasonic evaluation of the abdomen and pelvis. The X-rays and ultrasound examination were reviewed as I sewed the line in place, and it was clear to Chris that the young soldier's head was the only apparent life-threatening injury.The two neurosurgeons came forward, and removed the gauze covering the soldier's wounded head, and everyone's heart sank as we saw the blossom of red blood spreading out from shredded white and grey matter of the brain. Experience told all the surgeons present that there was no way to survive the injury, and this was one battle the Medical Group was going to lose. But he was American, and it was not time to quit, yet.Gentle pressure was applied over the wound, and the patient went directly to the CT scanner as drugs and fluids were pumped into the line to keep his heart and lungs functioning in a fading hope to restore the brain. The time elapsed from his arrival in the ER to the time he was in the CT scanner was five minutes.The CT scan confirmed what we had feared. The wounds to the brain were horrific and mortal, and there was no way on earth to replace the volume of tissue that had been blasted away by the explosion. The neurosurgeons looked at the scan, they looked at the scan a second time, and then they re-examined the patient to confirm once again.The OR crew waited anxiously outside the doors of radiology in the hope they would be utilized, but Chris, LTCs A and S., and Maj W. all agreed. There was no brain activity whatsoever. The chaplain came to pray, and reluctantly, the vent was turned from full mechanical ventilation to flow by. He had no hint of respiratory activity, his heart that had beat so strongly early in the day ceased to beat forever, and he was pronounced dead.The pumps were turned off; the machines were stopped, and the IVs were discontinued. Respectful quiet remained, and it was time to get ready for the next round of casualties. The techs and nurses gently moved the body over to the back of the ER to await mortuary services. And everyone agreed there was nothing more we could have done.When it was quiet, there was time to really look at the young soldier and see him as he was. Young, probably in his late teens, with not an ounce of fat anywhere. His muscles were powerful and well defined, and in death, his face was pleasant and calm.I am always surprised that anyone still has tears to shed here at Balad, but thank God they still do. The nurses and techs continued to care for him and do what they could. Not all the tubes and catheters can be removed because there is always a forensic investigation to be done at Dover AFB, but the nurses took out the lines they could. Fresh bandages were placed over the wounds, and the blood clots were washed from his hair as his wound was covered once more. His hands and feet were washed with care. A broken toenail was trimmed, and he was silently placed in the body bag when mortuary services arrived as gently as if they were tucking him into bed.Later that night was Patriot Detail - our last goodbye for an American hero. All the volunteers gathered at Base Ops after midnight under a three-quarter moon that was partially hidden by high, thin clouds. There was only silence as the chief master sergeant gave the Detail its instructions. Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines, colonels, privates and sergeants, pilots, gunners, mechanics, surgeons and clerks all marched out side-by-side to the back of the waiting transport, and presently, the flag-draped coffin was carried through the cordon as military salutes were rendered.The Detail marched back from the flight line, and slowly the doors of the big transport were secured. The chaplain offered prayers for anyone who wanted to participate, and then the group broke up as the people started to move away into the darkness. The big engines on the transport fired up, and the ground rumbled for miles as they took the runway. His duty was done - he had given the last full measure, and he was on his way home.The first rule of war is that young men and women die. The second rule of war is that surgeons cannot change the first rule. I think the third rule of war should be that those who have given their all for our freedom are never forgotten, and they are always honored.I wish there was not a war, and I wish our young people did not have to fight and die. But I cannot wish away evil men like Bin Laden and al-Zarqawi. These men are not wayward children who have gone astray; they are not great men who are simply misunderstood.These are cold-blooded killers and they will kill you, me, and everyone we love and hold dear if we do not kill them first. You cannot reason with these people, you cannot negotiate with these people, and this war will not be over until they are dead. That is the ugly, awful, and brutal truth.I wish the situation was different, but it is not. Americans have two choices. They can run from the threat, deny it exists, candy-coat it, debate it, and hope it goes away. And then, Americans will be fair game around the world and slaughtered by the thousands for the sheep they have become.Our second choice is to crush these evil men where they live and for us to have the political will and courage to finish what we came over here to do. The last thing we need here in Iraq is an exit strategy or some damn timetable for withdrawal. Thank God there was no timetable for withdrawal after the Battle of the Bulge or Iwo Jima. Thank God there was no exit strategy at Valley Forge. Freedom is not easy, and it comes with a terrible price - I saw the bill here yesterday.The third rule of war should be that we never forget the sacrifices made by our young men and women, and we always honor them. We honor them by finishing what they came to accomplish. We remember them by never quitting and having the backbone and the guts to never bend to the yoke of oppression.We honor them and remember them by having the courage to live free. For all of the wounded warriors out there, stay tuff and KEEP ATTACKING! Capt B Semper Fi ZAIDON, Iraq - Insurgents beware. That bump in the night might just be a Recon Marine aiming in.Marines of B Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 own the night here. When the rest of the world quiets down with the setting sun, these Marines are gearing up. This is their witching hour. They thrive in the darkness and keep insurgents on the run.â€œI feel very comfortable working at night,â€� said Sgt. Aaron C. Torian, a 28-year-old team leader from Paducah, Ky. â€œI feel safe because I have concealment.â€�Life is different under the night optical devices. Not only is everything in view bathed in a grainy-green hue, itâ€™s almost as if world turns on itâ€™s head. Marines said their senses become keener. Survival instincts kick in and they turn to primeval predators. They hunt under the darkness, aided by their night optic devices.â€œWeâ€™re used to working with the NODs,â€� Torian said. â€œSince your vision is limited, your hearing becomes enhanced.â€�Cpl. Michael J. Ruttenber said heâ€™s â€œjust as comfortable as the day timeâ€� working with night vision.

2006-05-18T07:07:00.000-04:00

Reveille Radio 1 features Cpl Pack, a US Marine wounded twice in Fallujah. He tells his story and how it happened and what he was against. Click the Play "arrow" on the left side of the audio bar below. Leave your questions & comments in the comments section for Cpl Pack to respond to! Semper Fi & enjoy! (7min 6 sec) MP3 File

2006-05-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

IT AINT EASY BEING GREEN Following up on the Mothers day post, there is due recognition for another group of people that pay a dear price along with mothers, military spouses and family members. My first deployment back in 1997 was an eye opener for me. Nervous, doing a million things at once, not getting any of them done, one addition made the fire burn hotter. My better half was expecting and expecting about the day I was scheduled to depart. Luck would have it I was able to see the birth only to deploy a couple days after. Man did I ever hear it about that. Spouses and family members take it for the team time and time again while their military half is off in glorious spaâ€™s and living large in far off placesâ€¦â€¦yea right. From enrolling the kids to school to registering the house with the post office, scheduling departure inspections with the housing dept and battling the unfamiliarityâ€™s that come with a new move, they continuously step up, and accomplish the mission. During deployments, spouses battle the broken sink, car, windows and all the other natural phenomenon that happen as soon as the warriors leaves for deployment. They become dependant and self sufficient where they fend for themselves. They are home front warriors and behind every good warrior are a great spouse and family. Not knowing what their spouse is doing or going through is almost better for their good. Hearing stories or rumors and watching the news always makes them uncomfortable because apart of them is what the news is about. Like the deployed warriors, they too develop their own routines and try not to think of the loved ones. They know their loved ones are out there but develop a livelihood that operates without thinking about them. Its always tougher thinking about them when they are so far away and when you do think about them, itâ€™s a special time, your time. As the same is for the deployed warriors, conducting a daily chaos in an uncertain environment their day could only be distracted if they continuously sat around and thought about home. There is a time and place for it. Best suggestion is for service members to try to be creative and remind their spouses they care about them while being deployed. Handwritten letters are the best in this electronic world where its so easy to send an email off. But to get a card in the mail is a powerful way to say â€œIm thinking about youâ€�. Best recommendation for the warriors at home, is to stay busy. Kids usually take care of that but those without little warriors should get involved with a community group, job or active event. Unfortunately, some dependants say good by to their loved ones the day they deploy and never get to say anything else again to them. There is always that thought of â€œI might not come back from thisâ€� out there when you leave. The percentage is so low; you never expect it would be you or your loved ones. These are the toughest ones. Seeing the small kids asking you the question, â€œDo you know where my daddy is?â€� Obviously speechless you hack your way through an explanation to an innocent Childs face. It aint easy being green, green in the states or abroad. Dress Blue Marines arriving at a door step is one of the first steps in notifying the family members of a Marine killed in action. A domino affect is about to transpire where a hundred peopleâ€™s life is about to change. The immediate spouse or family memeber being dealt the toughest blow and most immediate. Nothing said can really help, nothing but time. These are the true warriors with their life falling apart and with it never going to be the same again. Hate, sorrow and pain settling to pride and the ever-present lossâ€¦â€¦.over time. Yes, these are the true warriors of our service members. The deployed know what they volunteered for; they know what they are getting into as they have been trained for it. The family members, they deal with the repercussions of their loss. Not knowing the details but not sure they want to know all of them at least right away. For all family members of current, past and the fallen that have served our great country, know you also are never forgotten and that without your support, your servicemember would make it, but it would be a bumpy road. The American Airlines 757 couldnâ€™t have landedmuchfartherfromthe war. The plane arrived in Reno on a Friday evening, the beginning of the 2005 â€œHot August Nightsâ€� festival â€” one of the cityâ€™s biggestâ€”filled with flashing lights, fireworks,carefreemusicand plentyof gambling. When a young Marine in dress uniform had boardedthe planetoReno,thepassengerssmiledand nodded politely. None knew he had just come from the planeâ€™s cargo hold, after watching his best friendâ€™s casketloadedonboard. At 24 years old, Sgt. Gavin Conley was only seven days youngerthanthemanin the coffin.Thetwohad met as 17-year-olds on another plane â€” the one to boot camp in California. They had slept in adjoining topbunks,thetwoyoungestrecruitsin the barracks. All Marines call each other brother. Conley and Jim Cathey couldhave been.They finished each otherâ€™s sentences,had matchinginfantry tattoosetched on their shoulders, and cracked on each other as if they had grown up togetherâ€” which, in some ways, theyhad. When the airline crew found out about Conleyâ€™s mission, theybumpedhim to first-class.He had never flowntherebefore.Neitherhad Jim Cathey. On the flight, the woman sitting next to him nodded toward his uniform and asked if he was coming or going.Tothe war,she meant. He fell backon the wordsthe military had told him to say: â€œIâ€™mescortinga fallenMarinehometohis family from the situationin Iraq.â€� Thewomanquietlysaid shewassorry,Conleysaid. Thenshebeganto cry. When the plane landed in Nevada, the pilot asked the passengersto remainseatedwhile Conleydisembarkedalone. Thenthe pilottoldthemwhy. Thepassengerspressedtheir facesagainstthewindows. Outside, a procession walked toward the plane. Passengers in window seats leaned back to give others a better view. One held a child up to watch. From their seats in the plane, they saw a hearse and a Marine extending a white-gloved hand into a limousine,helpinga pregnantwomanoutof the car. READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE Al FURAT, Iraq -- In this small, mostly-Sunni region nestled along the Euphrates River in Al Anbar Province, Iraqi men say they are fed up with the insurgency in Iraq, and are doing something about it â€“ joining the Iraqi Army.More than 189 Iraqi men, most 30â€™ish in age, lined up to sign their name on the dotted line and enlist for service during a May 8 Iraqi Army recruiting/screening drive in this town located just 14 miles northwest of Ramadi.Despite insurgentsâ€™ threats and violence here, most seem quite eager just to serve, regardless of where Army life may lead them.One 30-year-old Iraqi man accepted for enlistment said his younger brother had his left leg amputated after infection set in from a gunshot wound from insurgents. Heâ€™s hoping his enlistment in the Army is the beginning of the end of the insurgency in Al Anbar Province, he said.â€œHe told me, my brother â€“ â€˜save our country,â€™â€� said the man through an interpreter. â€œâ€™Donâ€™t let another guy end up like me.â€™ I just do this for him.â€�Similar stories can be heard from just about all of those who showed up to the one-day enlistment screening. About 20 new Iraqi Army hopefuls were asked, through an interpreter, to raise their hand if they had not been personally affected by violence from the insurgency. HADITHA, Iraq -- A Marine sat on a collapsible metal chair with several other warriors seated around him and stared at four sets of dog tags, combat boots, rifles and Kevlar helmets. Tears welled up in his eyes as he slowly let his head drop into his hands. The tears fell, splashing the concrete floor. This Marine is one of hundreds from the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment who are still mourning the loss of Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, who was killed two weeks ago in an explosion from an improvised explosive device.IEDs â€“ roadside bombs used by insurgents in Iraq to target Coalition and Iraqi Forces â€“ are the number one killer of U.S. troops in Iraq, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count â€“ an organization which tallies U.S. and coalition casualties based off Department of Defense press releases. In a solemn ceremony at the Marines forward operating base here April 30, the Marines honored four more of their own killed recently during combat operations in Al Anbar Province. Among the deceased are: Sgt. Edward G. Davis, 31, of Waukegan, Ill.; Sgt Lea R. Mills, 21, of Brooksville, Fla.; and Cpl. Brandon M. Hardy, 25, of Cochranville, Pa.; who were killed April 28, 2006, when their vehicle struck and IED. Cpl. Eric R. Lueken, 23, of Jasper, Ind., was also killed by an IED April 22, 2006. Davis, Mills and Hardy were assigned to the Camp Pendleton, Calif. â€“ based 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion and were attached to 3/3 for duty. Lueken was assigned to 3/3. Individual eulogies were read for each of the fallen service members by Marines who served with them. Many of the Marines sat stone faced and tried to hide their emotions as they reflected on the fallenâ€™s lives. â€œThese Marines are not heroes because of how they died,â€� said 2nd Lt. Rajesh Mistry. â€œThey are heroes because of how they lived.â€�Some Marines could only offer a few words to describe their fallen comrades. â€œLueken was the kind of guy you could go to and tell how bad your day was and he would make it better,â€� said Cpl. William Harrison. â€œIt was still registering to me that he is no longer with us.â€� Sgt. Jim Coelho, 3rd Assault Amphibious Battalion, worked very closely with Davis, Mills and Hardy. â€œThe Marines are not laughing and joking with each other like they usually do,â€� said Coelho. â€œWe were all close; we were all brothers.â€� Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Duncan was the platoon sergeant for Davis, Mills and Hardy, and recalled characteristics of each one. â€œEach one of them had something different to offer the company,â€� said Duncan. â€œDavis we called â€˜Manimalâ€™ because he was always lifting weights. Mills could fix practically anything, and Hardy was a good leader who knew his job well.â€� Duncan said Davis, who would have been promoted May 1, will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant. During the memorial, Navy Lt. Paul Tremblay led the singing of a hymn called â€œEternal Father, Strong to Saveâ€� -â€œEternal Father strong to save,Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bids the mighty ocean deep,Its own appointed limits keep,O hear us when we cry to thee,For those in peril on the sea.â€œEternal Father grant we pray,To all Marines both night and day,The courage honor strength and skill,Their land to serve the law fulfill,Be thou the shield forevermore,From every Peril to the Corps.â€� After the playing of â€œTaps,â€� the Marines paid final respects to the fallen and left the makeshift chapel the same way they shuffled in â€“ with solemn faces. The battalion is scheduled to return to the United States later this Fall. BE LIKE MIKE........................OR HIS BROTHER! Meet Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan We yield to no one in our admiration of Michael Jordan, but I can't figure out why we haven't heard anything about his oldest brother James -- make that the Army's Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jordan. Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan is completing his thirtieth year of service with the Army's 35th Signal Brigade and reaching his mandatory retirement date. Because his unit is about to be deployed to Iraq for a year, however, he has asked for permission to extend his duty for the year. Separated in the height department from his baby brother by nearly a foot, Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan appears to have set the example for him in the heart department. He is retiring today after a successful year tour in Iraq.

2006-05-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

HEY, Ma Maâ€™s BOY! Its Christmas and youâ€™ve gotten your 3 year old son a new train. Itâ€™s his sixth birthday and now he learns to ride his bike without training wheels. You send him off to school with the lunch you packed. Heâ€™s 16, got a girlfriend but not a real serious one. He wants to serve and be different from the rest. Heâ€™s headed for boot camp in Parris Island or Sand Diego to be one of the best. Heâ€™s now kicking in doors and saving lives in some of the god forsaken places like Iraq, Afghanistan and every other hell holes out there that need a hero or someone to rescue them. Heâ€™s dedicated and maybe he even signed up to joint this gun club under age and needed his parents permissionâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.or maybe just his mothers permission. He is surrounded by friends that may not know him like a brother but are his brothers and some his dad. He faces a relentless enemy that would cut his head off rather than see him spread democracy, but he doesnâ€™t fear that enemy, its not like the fear his mother could bring. He is busy twenty four seven, three sixty five. He doesnâ€™t get a lot of down time but when he does he likes to think of how great home is and what he has to go back toâ€¦â€¦..and who he has to go back to. There are a few things inside him that keep him going when its tuff and he doesnâ€™t want to let his fellow Marines down or his loved ones at home either. His buddyâ€™s back home are working at the burger joint or the mall. He just secured a building that had sniper fire coming from it wounding two of his fellow Marines. He thought he would miss home when he left but now home is a memory and where he is today is his new home. Heâ€™s not six anymore and he doesnâ€™t need support from training wheels, heâ€™s a US Marine and he now gives support where its needed. Heâ€™s tuff as nails, calloused and smart. He attacks like a bit bull and believes in what heâ€™s doing with all his heart. Where he is at, his efforts are evident and gains are real for a people in need and an enemy to coward. Back home the news talks about movie stars and everyday events. None of their reports portray his daily events. People donâ€™t really know what he does in the Marines but they know heâ€™s tuff and a bit stubborn as they watched him grow up. Now today as he thinks about the one who brought him into this world on Mothers day and heâ€™s the one trying not to tear up. Thanks Mom. â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦yes Mom I know cigars are bad for me. Happy Mothers Day to all Moms out there. Without ya we wouldnâ€™t be here! Click on â€œcommentsâ€� below and leave a msg for your MOM! Quit reading this and go call your MOM and wish her Happy Mothers Day! Semper Fi Capt B CHECK OUT MORE PICTURES LIKE THE ONE ON TOP OF THIS BLOG AT LUCIAN READ PHOTOGRAPHY (Thanks & it was great to meet you. Keep up the good work!) MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (May 12, 2006) -- Conspicuous gallantry, valor and respect preceded the corporal as he proudly stepped forward to the front of the general; crisply his hand lifted for a salute as he awaited the generalâ€™s acknowledgement during the Morning Colors ceremony on the depot May 5.The Silver Star, the U.S. militaryâ€™s third highest honor for valor, was awarded to Corporal Kristopher D. Kane, marksmanship coach, Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, by Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr., commanding general, MCRD and of the Western Recruiting Region. â€œCorporal Kane has distinguished himself as a Marine leader, infantryman and a man of courage, conviction and valor in combat. He did brave things to accomplish the mission and save the lives of other Marines. He is part of the core of our institution of honor, courage and commitment,â€� said Brig. Gen. Paxton. â€œHe is the role model for the next generation of Marinesâ€� During the ceremony, Kaneâ€™s parents and brother, who is a staff sergeant in the Army, looked on with pride.â€œIt was really great to be awarded in front of the families and all of the Marines,â€� said Kane. â€œThe general was very kind and a great speaker. I know my family enjoyed it, which made it even better.â€�The citation for the Silver Star was originally going to be submitted by 1st Lt. Dustin M. Shumney, Kaneâ€™s lieutenant in Iraq. However, before Shumney put him in for the medal he passed away in a helicopter crash in Western Iraq along with other members of Kaneâ€™s platoon Jan. 26, 2005.The award was submitted by the command he was under in Iraq. He said that he accepted the award on the behalf of everyone who was in his platoon that had passed away. On the morning of the Marine Corpsâ€™ birthday Nov. 10, 2004, Kane and his company, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, were in operations retaking the city of Fallujah, Iraq. While en route to their objective they stopped for rest in a guarded building. The next morning they found the home adjacent to them was taking fire, so Shumney sent some of his Marines over a wall to intercept the insurgents.â€œOnce we got over the wall, gunfire erupted and a couple guys got hit,â€� said Kane. â€œA really good friend of mine, Lance Cpl. Aaron Pickering, couldnâ€™t be found. He was my protÃ©gÃ©, so I set out to find him.â€�Unable to find his deceased friend who was on the second deck, Kane found one of the platoonâ€™s Corpsman on the first deck at the end of the hallway attempting to help the wounded. Kane positioned himself between the Corpsman and the incoming fire of the insurgents. Maneuvering through the incoming fire inside the home, Kane attempted to throw a grenade into the room where the insurgents were. Missing with the first grenade he threw a second one, which neutralized them. Eliminating only a portion of the insurgents, Shumney called for a bulldozer to demolish half of the home to eliminate the rest.When the bulldozer brought the house down, rubble was pushed onto Kane breaking his right femur and left clavicle. Injured, he was evacuated to Bravo Surgical Fallujah where he was treated and evacuated to other hospitals, said Kane.Kane, who is proud to serve his country, looks forward to serving another tour in Iraq after finishing his present duties as a marksmanship instructor. AR RUTBAH, Iraq (May 11, 2006) -- In this urban city located in the center of miles of open desert in western Al Anbar province, Iraqi soldiers are taking the lead in operations to keep criminals and insurgents out of the region.The Iraqi soldiers are doing the majority of the work here â€“ checking IDs, searching cars and people at the cityâ€™s various checkpoints â€“ while Coalition Forces assist. â€œItâ€™s more us helping the Iraqis, than the other way around,â€� said Cpl. Victor M. Moreno, one of the Marine battalionâ€™s scout team leaders. â€œTheyâ€™ve been doing fantastic.â€� In recent months, U.S. Marines here say Iraqi soldiers have continually progressed towards operating independently, evidenced by their security operations here. Rutbah is the most populated city (about 25,000 people) in Anbarâ€™s southwestern region â€“ a mostly barren desert stretching from the Jordan/Iraq border to 120 miles east.Once known as a smugglersâ€™ town, Rutbah is the first major city along the supply routes from Jordan and Syria eventually leading to the Al Anbar Provinceâ€™s known hotspots- Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad, according to Col. Stephen W. Davis during a Pentagon press briefing several months ago. Davis was the commander of Marine forces in western Al Anbar province in 2005.â€œThis town had the unfortunate occurrence of being strategically placed there -- very convenient for smugglers, terrorists, insurgents to operate in and out of there,â€� said Davis.Coalition forces and Iraqi soldiers have been working together to root out the insurgents. In January, an eight-foot tall berm was built around the city to prevent insurgents from entering Rutbah, requiring all traffic entering and exiting the city to pass through the checkpoints manned by the Iraqi soldiers.So far, Iraqi soldiers have caught 64 insurgents since the coalition and Iraqi military forces beefed-up security measures here five months ago.The Marines who work here daily say the city used to be a base of operations for insurgents - from planning attacks to storing weapons.â€œWe assess that many criminal and insurgent activities are planned and financed from Rutbah,â€� said Maj. Ken Kassner, executive officer for the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, which arrived here nearly two months ago â€“ about a year after the unitâ€™s last deployment to this very area in Al Anbar province. â€œBy maintaining the security of Rutbah, we significantly affect the ability of the insurgents to operate,â€� said Kassner. And the plan is working â€“ a full gamut of terrorists have been caught by the Marines and Iraqi soldiers in and around Rutbah - from those who plant roadside bombs, to high-level officials in the insurgency, according to Moreno. â€œInsurgents have been fleeing [the city] and we have been catching them [at the checkpoints],â€� he said.â€œ[The berm and checkpoints have] been getting rave reviews from the population down there because for the first time in years now, the insurgents can't freely travel in and out of that city -- one more step in making western Al Anbar a prohibitive environment for the insurgents and terrorists to operate in,â€� said Davis during the press briefing.The smuggling trade through Al Anbar contributes to the insurgency by financing criminal operations, and supplying weapons and munitions, according to Kassner. But with Iraqi soldiers taking more of the operational workload to secure the city, Coalition and Iraqi forces have been able to curb insurgent activity here and ultimately block insurgentsâ€™ once-direct route from other countries to the heart of Al Anbar province, according to Kassner, a native of Couplan, Texas. â€œThe Iraqi soldiers are the key to our success,â€� he said. â€œUltimately, they will be the ones to fully determine the outcome of this war.â€� The Marines who operate in this region have taken the role of supervisors â€“ teaching the Iraqi soldiers in the functions of their duties â€” directing traffic, searching cars and personnel â€“ so they gain confidence and maintain a presence in the local community, according to Moreno, of Modesto, Calif. While the Iraqi soldiers are making progress in their abilities to operate without the support of the Marines here, there is still work to be done before the uniformed Iraqis are 100-percent ready to operate independently, according to Sgt. Dale Fenner, a 27-year-old from Indianapolis and one of the battalionâ€™s squad leaders. â€œWe donâ€™t want to prematurely leave before theyâ€™re ready,â€� said Fenner, who spends his days supervising the Iraqis and verifying the validity of the IDs of the men passing through the checkpoints and ensuring they are not known terrorists. â€œThis is a work in progress â€“ they are pretty good but have a long way to go.â€�While the Marines are pleased with the progress of their Iraqi counterparts, the soldiers need more time, training, and experience before they will be given the rubber stamp of approval by Coalition Forces as capable of operating fully independently. The Marines fully understand that the transition will not take place overnight.â€œIt took years of training for me as a Marine to get to where I am now, and it will take years for them as well,â€� said Fenner.But the Marines here say the Iraqisâ€™ progress has been more than just standing posts and checking identification. The Iraqi soldiers have learned the basics of command structure, and more importantly, the role of small-unit leadership and the value of ensuring the welfare of their subordinates - traits crucial to any military organizationâ€™s success and efficiency, according to Moreno, 21. The Iraqi soldiers have their own squad leaders in charge at each of the checkpoints around Rutbah, who ensure the soldiers have food, water, and time to rest, according to Moreno. They also â€œmake sure they wear all their [safety] gear,â€� said Moreno â€“ helmets and body armor.It may be a work in progress for the Marines, but the Iraqisâ€™ hard work is paying off â€“ the berm and checkpoints throughout the city seem to keep the bad guys from coming in, said Fenner.â€œThe insurgents canâ€™t get what they need [into the city] to get things started,â€� said Fenner. â€œI think that is whatâ€™s keeping things quiet.â€�Moreover, the Iraqi soldiers are the ones who communicate and interact with cityâ€™s residents, further putting the Iraqis in the driverâ€™s seat of security operations while coalition forces take a back-seat role, according to the Marines. Here, locals are more inclined to speak with Iraqi soldiers than the Marines since the Iraqi soldiers have a better understanding of their countryâ€™s culture and language than the Marines, according to Capt. Michael Nakonieczny, a 32-year-old Marine company commander from Buena Park, Calif.â€œThe Iraqi army is here to protect the people and each day we get closer and closer to complete Iraqi control of the city,â€� said Nakonieczny. â€œ[The Iraqi soldiers] are a tremendous (force) multiplier.â€�

2006-05-10T23:56:00.000-04:00

ANOTHER SMELLY CLOUD

FROM THE LEFTIST MEDIA The Presidents ratings were noted to be down 39 percent this week as noted in the USA/Today Gallup Poll, â€œThe lowest of his presidency and a warning sign for Republicans in the November elections.â€� The poll of just over 1,000 people resulted in the numbers due to a few pillar topics. Iraq, Gas prices, Immigration and Medicare. But looking at the first, Iraq what has really affected the presidentâ€™s future from Iraq? Beginning Sept 11th you had America being attacked. Taking action in Afghanistan then Iraq (yes, Iraq is related to the war on terror for those non believers still being stubborn) the president squashed the once developed Taliban and terrorists networks through the region. But looking at the first pillar, Iraq hasnâ€™t hurt the President! Im afraid those Americans that took part in the one sided USA Today poll arenâ€™t getting the full story. As of March 2003 in Iraq the American initiative, power and dollar has developed 11,600 construction efforts, 9,340, 9.3 Billion dollar completed projects, added over 1,400 mega watts of power to areas that have never had electricity, ALL children inoculated from serious deadly disease that were dieing in the past from and 47,000 teachers added to their education structure. Now overall attacks & fighting in the entire region dropping 51 percent in the last three months because the Iraqi services are now standing up and taking charge of their democratic Iraq. A recent example of this is Operation Lion Hunt. â€œThe operation was conceived as part pre-emptive strike against insurgents, part public relations campaign and part joint maneuver training with the Iraqi army. Since the operation kicked off April 30, insurgent attacks in the city have dropped markedly.â€� In addition to the vast improvements throughout Iraq, fighting dropping, insurgency on the run and operating on thin management, US troops numbers have been gradually decreasing in the region and will be reduced by 20,000 â€“ 25,000 by the end of 2006. We have the Iraqi people working with us instead against us, helping us find scumbags and oh yea has everyone forgot about the whole Iraqi constitution that was formed?? What took the American pioneers 5 years to establish in our own constitution, has taken the Iraqi people to do in two years. But the President is being blamed for this??? So when I read about the Presidents rating (sheesh Give me a break) dropping because of a couple issues, mainly the WAR on terrorism in Iraq (again for those who have forgotten 9-11, these are the bastards who attacked us) it leads me to think that these chosen Americans that took the poll arenâ€™t totally immune to what is going on around them, only they have been persuaded by the press and what they have been told. It would be interesting to see how many of those thousand poll takers have been to Iraq to see the differencesâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.I bet not one. The press and mainly news papers are in trouble. Both push unbiased reports of agendas on things they really donâ€™t know about. If the American people knew half the facts on the issues in Iraq the insignificant USA/Today poll on the Presidentâ€™s ratings wouldnâ€™t have resulted in 51 percent. The leftist media is trying to drive your thoughts on the President through their facts and polls. They are trying to persuade your thinking for their gains. Going back to Iraq and having imbeds with us and then seeing their stories printed were like day and night of what really happened. Taking what happened and molding it into a political sway for their leftist views. What a joke and you wonder why service members don like embeds. People say well how do we get the truth then? You get it from the guys who are there. They donâ€™t have anything to gain from not telling the truth. The truly sad thing, 68% of those polled actually believe that the US is worse off now than it was before the President took office. Just another smelly cloud from the leftist medial stench of CRAP. Unfortunately, many with bare bones education are too ignorant to really how good theyâ€™ve got it here in America and how the President has gotten us here. I know if you asked an Iraqi he would tell you that his life has changed because of the President and frankly he would tell us we in America donâ€™t have it to bad either.

Time for a cigar, the leftist stench is growing againâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.. Semper Fi & Support our troops! Capt B

KHANDARI, Iraq -- Iraqi motorists were held up by a line of tan and blue â€“ Marines and Iraqi police â€“ working side by side here recently.Marines with C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, combined with Iraqi police conducted anti-insurgent patrols in the Khandari Market May 6. The Marines are serving in Iraq with Regimental Combat Team 5.â€œWe are teaching them techniques and procedures on patrolling in the area,â€� said Gunnery Sgt. Joshua S. Smith, the 31-year-old platoon commander from Oxnard, Calif. â€œWe took baby steps â€“ simple things like snap vehicle check points.â€�Iraqi police took the lead in the operation by inspecting cars and questioning residents. They provided a general presence in the area to let the people of Khandari know they were there to help. â€œThis was the first combined patrol we have had with the IPs since the battalion moved in to support the U.S. Army,â€� Smith said.The experience level of the Iraqis ranged from senior policemen to recent graduates from the police academy. Even where experience lacked, though, eagerness filled the gaps. Overall the Iraqi police performed well, Smith said.â€œIt was good to see them in the area,â€� said Pfc. Nick Ransom, a 22-year-old infantryman from Long Beach, Calif. â€œIt really looks like they are moving forward.â€�The companyâ€™s Marines were impressed to see Iraqi initiative. Once the dayâ€™s plan of attack was laid out, Iraqis in blue moved into position to start the checkpoint. They wasted no time getting ready to stay for the long haul.â€œThey had furniture set out,â€� Ransom said. â€œThatâ€™s when it actually donned on me they are going to do what we do.â€�The people of Khandari expressed an interest in seeing their Iraqi police in the area. People came out of their homes and businesses to greet the policemen and to seemingly show support.â€œIt is good to see our police keeping our towns safe,â€� said one resident.Iraqi police greeted the residents with the same concern. They expressed interest in the welfare of the community and its residents. â€œWe are your brothers,â€� said Sgt. Maj. Bassam Izware Garede, the Iraqi police commissioner for the Khandari area. â€œWe have come to help.â€� â€œMost of the people we talked to today were pleased to see the IPs working with the Coalition Forces,â€� Smith said.Thatâ€™s a drastic change from what Marines found when they first arrived to assist Army forces less than two months ago. Then, insurgents maintained a tight grip of fear on the small city.The Khandari Market was notorious for insurgent activities. The battalion faced strong opposition initially in the area, but has seen a marked improvement in the past few weeks. Itâ€™s the result of not just Marine efforts, but also because of stepped up Iraqi police operations.The Iraqi police performed well and reached every objective set for the day.â€œWe had great success today,â€� Smith said. â€œAll of our goals were accomplished.â€�â€œI hope the feelings of the people will change once they see their countrymen stepping up to make their country safe,â€� said Pfc. Christopher A. Jackson, a 24-year-old infantryman from Paulding, Ohio. â€œI hope they can create a bond that will eventually allow the Iraqi Army and police to take over the area and do the job.â€�

FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 7, 2006) -- If anyone was proud to be labeled hard-headed, itâ€™s Pfc. Fred M. Linck. The 19-year-old from Westbrook, Conn., took an enemy shot to the head and walked away with little more than a sore noggin and a white bandage.Linck of 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, was struck by a single enemy bullet May 5. â€œIt seemed like just another day in the city of Fallujah,â€� Linck said, an infantryman assigned to C Company. â€œBut everything changed for me that day.â€�The young Marine just got off of a security post and was tasked to be part of a reaction force. The force was gearing up to respond to a call for help in the city. â€œWe got some intelligence stating that there was a possible improvised explosive device on the corner of the main street in Fallujah,â€� Linck said. â€œMy team of Marines reacted to the call and showed up to the site. We immediately dismounted our vehicles and set up a cordon of the area.â€�Some of the other men in the team didnâ€™t want to believe that it was a normal mission for them, in fact they had planned on it being much more than that.â€œSomething told me that this was going to be a set up, a pretty usual tactic for the insurgents to use against us,â€� said Lance Cpl. Randon O. Hogen, a fellow infantrymen and member of Linckâ€™s fire team.Hogenâ€™s gut instincts were right. Somewhere in the shadows of the concrete buildings, an insurgent was waiting for the Marines to come into his view. â€œI was running back across the street after we had confirmed that the IED we responded to was in fact not one, when I heard the shot,â€� said Lance Cpl . Kelvin J. Grisales, fire team leader and friend of Linck. A single shot cracked through the air. Everyone jolted and not even Linck, who was hit, knew what happened.â€œAfter the shot rang out, I remember hearing someone screaming â€˜Man down, Man down,â€� Linck said. â€œI realized a second later that man was me, I was on the ground.â€�It took a couple seconds for everything to appear clear to Linck. The sounds of Marines calling for help werenâ€™t for anyone but him, but he was ready to get up and fight. â€œI was pretty scared when I realized that I had just taken a round to the head, but the scariest part was that I was thinking about it and I felt fine,â€� Linck said, who has only served with the battalion for a few months. â€œIt felt as if I had fallen and hit my head, thatâ€™s it.â€�The rest of his team did not know his status. They didnâ€™t take chances and followed their training, evacuating him out of the area.â€œWhen we picked him up, he grabbed my hand and told me that he was pretty nervous,â€� said 22-year-old Grisales, from Hartford, Conn. â€œAll I could do was to try to reassure him that he would be alright, at the same time I was trying to do the same for myself.â€�Linck was transferred directly from the battlefield to the nearest hospital where he was treated and released without even a stitch in his head.The issued helmet he wore stopped the majority of the round from penetrating. A small piece of fragmentation from the round pierced through the headband inside of the helmet, causing a small laceration on his forehead. â€œIt was such a relief for us when we pulled up to the hospital and we found out that he was okay,â€� Grisales said.â€œI thank God that it happened the way that it did,â€� Hogen added.Linck doesnâ€™t discount Divine intervention or luck, but trusts his gear more now than ever. â€œI know for sure that if it wasnâ€™t for that helmet, I wouldnâ€™t be standing here right now,â€� Linck said. â€œIt pays to wear all the gear the way it is supposed to be worn.â€�â€œIt is one thing to hear about what our gear is capable of, but this just makes it a reality,â€� Hogen said. â€œIt did exactly what it was supposed to do.â€�Linckâ€™s since returned to duty with a new outlook on life.â€œIt is kind of like a second lease of life,â€� he said. â€œI want to make sure I do everything right.â€�

2006-05-07T01:58:00.000-04:00

Flt 93........So we headed to the movie theater following a nice dinner. Talking about the rare occasion, it was already in the air that we were going to see the movie, Flt 93. My better half mentioned Mission Impossible III and that it would be opening as well and showing earlier. I stated, were going to see Flt 93. No surprises in the movie. Yes, it ends like youâ€™re fearing and know itâ€™s going to. BUT, it does give a very good detailed description of what they have pieced together of the occurrences that transpired that day. As events unfold and footage from the attacks on the World Trade Center are shown, I began to get that nervous chest tightening feeling again as I experienced in theater before going out on convoys. I knew what was coming up in the movie and although not sure of the details I knew the tragic outcome. The story is straight forward of what they believe happened and could piece together. They are many thoughts of what happened. The flight was shot down, mid air break up etc. The bottom line is that even if the passengers never made into the cockpit, they are heroâ€™s as are the other passengers on the hijacked flights during 9-11. I left the theater with that pissed off I wanna go stomp some more Monkey Ass feeling in my gut!. Angry as the movie reminds people in the theater WHY we are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Angry because in the jumbo theater I was in, Flt 93 was only in one theater of 12 in the building. Angry because the theater I was in was only half full. Meanwhile little girlie man â€œTommy Cruiseâ€� is running around with his wireless mike trying to complete MI III. There should be a line outside of people wanting to see the movie Flt 93. Not ready for it? Scared? Not wanting to face the ending all over again because you know the result?? Bullshit. Get you ass out there and see it. Itâ€™s a damn good reminder of what the hell those bastards did to OUR country on that September day!!! If you think your going to drive home after the movie all glum and sad as â€œwooo as me I am sad because those poor people had to die and itâ€™s a sad movieâ€� NO, your going to feel a since of what the hell our country is made of, HEROS! This was Americaâ€™s first counter attack on the scumbags that attacked the WTC and Pentagon. Those great Americans made a decision to take a stand there and with all of the input the received from cell phones from loved ones, knew they were destined for a terrorist objective and would probably die as they called and wished love ones good bye. They decided to face fear and take over the plane. They were successful and they saved many, many lives. Maybe even yours. See info on the approved Flt 93 Memorial here. Donâ€™t ignore this movie because of what the public is saying and thinking about the ending. Donâ€™t ignore this movie because you know the ending. GO see it. Go watch how the heroâ€™s on that flight made a difference. Quit thinking about yourself and how you may feel after it and think of it as a way to thank the warriors on those four doomed flights that day. If you were a passenger on Flt 93 that perished, would you want you to go see the movie?? I bet the answer is yes. If youâ€™re going to catch a movie, the least you can do is see Flight 93 first. Mission Impossible III will be out on video soon enough! Here is to the hero's of all the flights that day..........(crisp salute) Time for a CeeGar! Semper Fi Capt B HADITHA, Iraq (May 5, 2006) -- Since their arrival in the Al Anbar Province nearly two months ago, Marines here say Iraqi Security Forces are progressing toward relieving Coalition Forces and stabilizing the region.In this rural region along the Euphrates River valley, the transition from U.S.-led to Iraqi-led military operations is well on its way, according to one U.S. Marine who has spent nearly two months mentoring Iraqi soldiers in this region.But the atmosphere in this portion of western Al Anbar Province has changed since Saddam Hussein was removed from office in 2003. Instead of daily fire fights against an armed, known enemy, similar to what Coalition Forces experienced during the push to Baghdad three years ago, U.S. Marines here are focusing on showing Iraqi soldiers and police how to spearhead security operations on their own. â€œThe progress I have seen the Iraqi Army make in the last few months makes me confident we can withdraw Coalition Forces from the area in the next six to eight months,â€� said Lt. Col. Owen Lovejoy, the senior advisor for the Military Transition Team, which supports and advises the Iraqi Army unit stationed here. One example of that progress came earlier this month, when a joint-Iraqi and U.S. military operation near Baghdadi â€“ a small town just south of Haditha â€“ resulted in three detained insurgents. Local police, Iraqi soldiers and a group of Marines from Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment spearheaded the joint operation â€“ a â€œcollaborative effort which led to results,â€� according to Maj. Eric W. Kelly, Weapons Companyâ€™s commanding officer. Moreover, the operation highlighted the proficiency and cooperation between local police, Iraqi soldiers and Coalition Forces, he said.â€œIraqi soldiers and Marines are on a mission to ensure that the people of this area remain safe and that the insurgency has no room to thrive here,â€� said Kelly in an email response to questions. â€œThe â€˜Sons of Iraqâ€™ take this goal quite seriously.â€�So far, progress seems steady in the region. Iraqi Security Forces have conducted four operations on their own, reconstruction efforts are in the works to rebuild war-torn towns and villages, and local Iraqi leaders are meeting regularly to discuss and plan future efforts with the Marines. Marine leaders say more than 30 insurgents have been captured, and three insurgent cells have been eliminated due to the combined efforts of Marines and Iraqi soldiers. More importantly, security conditions seem to be improving in the Haditha Triad area along the upper western Euphrates Valley, as evidenced by a regular meeting of local city and tribal officials â€“ a meeting which would not have been possible a year ago, according to Lt. Col. Norman Cooling, 3/3â€™s commanding officer.Thanks to improving security conditions, such a meeting is now possible, according to Cooling. Six months ago, local Iraqi leaders were targeted by insurgents for cooperating with Coalition Forces, said Cooling, who also attended the meeting, which included more than a dozen sheiks, mayors, and other prominent local Iraqi leadership, to discuss security and reconstruction efforts in the area. Now, local leaders can meet to discuss issues which impact the progress of their towns and villages. The councilmen had no qualms about walking to the meeting with Coalition Forces in broad daylight, said Cooling. â€œSince the councilmen agreed to meet with us, it proves they want to work with us and they believe we are interested in addressing their concerns,â€� said Cooling. â€œThe Marines have stabilized the security in the city,â€� said a local tribal leader after the meeting. â€œOne year ago, a meeting like this would never take place because the criminal acts of insurgents would have prevented it.â€�During the three-hour meeting, Iraqi councilmen expressed concerns such as potential reconstruction efforts of a footbridge destroyed during combat operations last year. The footbridge connects the cities of Barwana and Haqlaniyah, both part of the Haditha â€œTriad,â€� and was one of several concerns local leaders discussed during the meeting. They said a refurbished bridge would bring stability to the local economy by providing a way for locals to transport goods between the two cities. â€œThe reconstruction of the footbridge is paramount to the lives of many businesses here,â€� said a councilman during the meeting. â€œA better economy means more jobs and less citizens turning to the insurgency for a source of income.â€� Cooling also elicited support from the Haditha city council for the recruitment of Iraqi police in the area. He strongly stressed the importance of a police force being formed to continue the suppression of insurgency.â€œThe councilmen are considering supporting us in the police recruitment,â€� said Cooling. â€œRight now they want to see results from their requests and we are going to make sure they see them.â€�Last year, police recruitment was attempted in the Haditha â€œTriad,â€� but insurgents threatened and intimidated anyone willing to be recruited, according to several Iraqi leaders at the meeting. Cooling said the Iraqi leadersâ€™ concerns would be addressed and plans would be made to rebuild the footbridge, as long as these meetings continue and the city councilmen consider supporting a recruitment drive for potential Iraqi police officers. â€œWe know the Marines are here to help the citizens of Haditha,â€� said a councilman after the meeting. â€œWhen they address our concerns and support our requests, the local people are going to notice this and in turn support them as well.â€� The meeting also brought about talk of possible modifications to current security measures in the area. Both sides of the table agreed security measures were necessary to stop the flow of insurgents into the city, but the Iraqi said some of the measures, such as traffic control points, are an inconvenience to local residents. Cooling said the issue would be addressed, but made no promises. Modifying the security measures could allow for an increase in insurgent activity, he said. Though such meetings are a step in the right direction to improve security conditions in this volatile area of Al Anbar Province, both Iraqis and American leaders here say more work is needed before Coalition Forces can permanently leave the region, such as the recruitment, training and establishment of a local police force here and reconstruction of key components to local infrastructure.The Marines say they will continue to work with local leadership to improve both security and quality of life for the Iraqi people. â€œWe will we show them through our actions we care about their concerns,â€� said Cooling. REMEMBER THIS PHOTO?? READ BELOW HOW IS WAS AWARDED!! MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (May 4, 2006) -- Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal feels he did what any good Marine wouldâ€™ve done. That includes taking enemy rifle fire on Nov. 14, 2004, absorbing a grenade blast and refusing medical attention inside Fallujahâ€™s â€œHouse of Hellâ€� during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn).For his extraordinary heroism and leadership in Fallujah, Iraq, as the Weapons Company first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross during a ceremony here Monday.â€œThe word hero is tossed around pretty loosely these days,â€� said Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, Commanding General of Marine Corps Installations West, after awarding Kasal with the Naval serviceâ€™s second-highest decoration, in front of an audience that included the 1st Marine Divisionâ€™s past and present commanding generals, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis and Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, respectively.â€�Some may call a basketball player a hero for scoring the winning goal or a celebrity for donating a small portion of their earnings to a good cause, but Kasal is a true American hero.â€� When then-1st Sgt. Kasal assisted one of his platoons with an over watch inside Fallujah that day, intense gunfire broke out in an Iraqi home to his immediate front.Seconds later, Marines were rapidly exiting the building, known as the â€œHouse of Hell.â€� â€œThat house was a death trap,â€� said Maj. Gen. Lehnert.â€œIt was set up for one purpose: to kill United States Marines.â€� Kasal could have easily stayed out of the house.â€�When he found out that there were Marines still pinned down inside the infamous house, nothing the insurgents could put on the table would stop him from rescuing his Marines.â€œGoing in for them was the right thing to do,â€� said Kasal, 39, who hails from Afton, Iowa. â€œTheyâ€™re Marines, and Iâ€™m a Marine. We look out for each other.â€� Upon entry of the house, Kasal found himself face-to-face with an insurgent who he neutralized at extreme close range. Shortly afterwards, AK-47 gunfire was coming from all directions, and Kasal was hit from behind.â€œWhile I was in that house, I made three life or death decisions,â€� Kasal said. â€œI never thought I would live through any of them, but I did what I did to help the other Marines.â€� The first decision Kasal made was to expose himself to enemy fire in order to pull another wounded Marine out of the line of fire. Kasal took more enemy fire doing this.While both Marines were under cover, they assessed their wounds. Both had multiple injuries, but there were only enough bandages for one of them to live.Kasal made his second decision to forfeit his medical supplies to the other Marine.â€œIt made more sense to use all of the bandages on one of us then to split the supplies and have us both bleed to death,â€� Kasal said.The insurgents deployed a hand grenade to get the Marines out of cover, and it landed within a few feet of the two bleeding Marines.Kasal then decided to use his own severely wounded body to protect the Marine from shrapnel.By the time he was carried out of the house by Lance Cpl. Chris Marquez and Lance Cpl. Dan Shaffer as Lucian M. Reed, an Associated Press photographer snapped the iconic photo displayed at Marine Corps installations all over the globe, Kasal had lost approximately 60 percent of his blood from more than 40 shrapnel wounds and seven 7.62 mm AK-47 gunshots.One day prior to being awarded the Navy Cross Kasalâ€™s father passed away. However, a live video teleconference feed to Kasalâ€™s hometown provided his mother, family members and friends an opportunity to watch him receive the Navy Cross, be promoted to the rank of sergeant major and reenlist for three years. â€œItâ€™s been a very emotional week,â€� Kasal said. â€œI am blessed to recover from my injuries, which the doctors thought would never happen, and regain my place in the Marine Corps. I would take the pain of surgeries any day over the pain of being away from my Marines.â€�

2006-05-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

So you have a plan to attack and conduct a terrorism act against America. With full intent to kill and destroy as many people as you can. You help plan and conduct the plan against an organization with mischievous intent backed with evil. You committed your crimes in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner; and you committed your crimes knowing others besides the intended victims might die; and that you used substantial planning or premeditation. You conduct these acts and become convicted of several terrorism-related counts, including conspiring with Al Qaeda to commit acts of terrorism and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. Your mission is carried out and successful. You however have been thumbed and found guilty of being a participant or just dumb enough to get caught. Now, tried, because of special technicalities, you receive a lesser penalty. The appropriate charge would be death. You receive life in prison. A charge that is also shared with robbers and drug offenders. You will cost the American tax payers aprx $33,000 a year from now until your sorry excuse for a life is extinguished. As you leave the court room you claim you are triumphant and a winnerâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦ "America, you lost. I won," Moussaoui said, clapping his hands as he was led out of the courtroom after the verdict was read. Beginning back in Oct of 2001, America rounded up numerous possible suspects involved with the attacks of 9-11. One was Zacarias Moussaoui A burly, French-born Moroccan with a shaved head and a history of Muslim radicalism, Moussaoui, 33, entered the United States last February and immediately began trying to learn to fly. He washed out of flight school in Norman, Okla., and moved on to the Pan Am International Flying Academy in Eagan, Minn., where he paid $8,000 to use flight simulators designed to train commercial pilots. His instructors became suspicious, and the school called the FBI, which detained Moussaoui on Aug. 17 on immigration charges. Held as a material witness after Sept. 11, he has been in jail ever since. His phase is over and he will feel as a winner. Is he? Families expressed how he is a wanna be terrorist, not the real martyr, terrorists he portrays. He believes he is among the ranks of Osama and other scumbags but actually he isnâ€™t even on the same team. He is fortunate he isnâ€™t being tried in a different era. In a different time when criminals that commit such treason or terrorists acts against specific countrys, they are dismembered and hung throughout the streets. In other countryâ€™s as the one he represents, they hold beheadings as a normal ritual. Boy would the left wingers have a shit fit with that, but I bet it would make other wanna be scumbags think twice. Martyrism is only accurate if they are killed when doing a â€œgod like â€œaction as Allah sees it. Being sliced and diced for being found guilty in a court of law for terrorists acts doesnâ€™t fall under those parameters. (Court documents cane be found here) (Last transmission from flight 93 here) I think its a bunch of BS that we wasted the tax payers money on this wasted bag of bones. Would the same result have happened if it were joe public? Nope. He would have gotten the death penaltyâ€¦..or dismembered. Going to reevaluate penalties for persons committing terroristâ€™s acts against America. Iâ€™ll take along a cigar. Semper Fidelis Capt B The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal to Lance Corporal Anderson, Untied States Marine Corps for service as set forth in the following citation: For heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy as a Fire Team Leader, 1st Platoon, Kilo Company, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines, 2d Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 04-06 on 19 October 2005. On this day, Lance Corporal Anderson was serving as point man for a patrol in support of urban clearing operations. As the patrol approached its designated blocking position, a vehicle pulled out of an alley to the front and approached towards the patrol. As Lance Corporal Anderson stood his ground and fired into the windshield, causing the car to swerve away from the patrol and detonate prematurely. Shrapnel from the resulting explosion mortally wounded Lance Corporal Anderson and severely injured five others. Lance Corporal Andersonâ€™s immediate actions and willingness to sacrifice himself directly contributed to saving many lives and enabled his unit to continue its mission. By his zealous initiative, courageous actions, and exceptional dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Anderson reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Because of his decision and actions to act quickly and kill the driver of the Suicide Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device he without a doubt saved numerous lives with in his platoon and innocent bystanders. Itâ€™s a shame this type of event is never mentioned in the news, news papers, magazines etc. Why couldnâ€™t any media program offer a segment of heroâ€™s and print these brave Marines storys???? Because the chose not to. Lance Cpl. Dux A. Lopez, an Administrative Clerk for Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, watches closely at traffic for possible threats to the base. The battalion reppelled a large complex attack by insurgents on April 17 in Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province. The entire complex attack lasted approximately five hours and was the second largest attack on the battalion since April 8. No serious U.S. casualties were reported from the attack. Photo by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamoAR RAMADI, Iraq - Cpl. Erick L. Calkins was leading his fire team during a stormy day in Ramadi when he heard the blast."It was a huge explosion ... I knew it hit close by," said Calkins, from 1st Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.A dump truck full of explosives had rammed into one of the battalion"s observation posts in another part of the Anbar provincial capitol, touching off a complex attack the Marines described as something straight out of the movies."It was rainy, stormy and windy, and they still attacked us with everything they had," said Lance Cpl. Richard R. Ricketts, a mortarman with the interior guard force of the battalion"s Headquarters and Service Company.Just moments after the initial blast, multiple mortar rounds rained down on the Ramadi Government Center, and insurgents poured on heavy small-arms fire from several nearby buildings, including a mosque.Meanwhile, at several other sights throughout the city, insurgents attacked Marines" positions with car bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machineguns, mortars, and small arms fire.There was only one course of action for the Marines of 3/8 -- they responded."The Marines didn"t hesitate," said Corp. Michael F. Anziano, an infantryman attached to 3/8"s intelligence section at the Government Center. Anziano, a 28-year-old from Strafford, Conn., helped re-supply Marines with ammunition during the fight, and later took up position on the rooftop to return fire against the insurgents."Everyone on post used accurate fire and the right weapon system for the right situation," he said.As the fighting progressed, the Marines observed insurgents setting up a mortar position several hundred yards from the Government Center. They immediately concentrated fire on the enemy position, killing three insurgents before they could employ the mortars."We disrupted their coordinated attack," Anziano said. "We returned fire, preventing them from using accurate indirect fire and from maneuvering against us."Meanwhile, the interior guard force at Hurricane Point also had their hands full, as insurgents attacked their posts with small arms fire from nearby houses while mortar rounds impacted inside the base."We took up positions all over camp to fight the enemy," said Ricketts, a 21-year-old from Orlando, Fla. The fight at Hurricane Point lasted approximately 45 minutes, according to 1st Lt. John A. Dalby, company executive officer for Headquarters and Service Company."Our guys played a small role, but it was a vital role and they did a superb job," said Dalby, a 25-year-old from Arnold, Md.When all was said and done, the Marines had successfully repelled the complex attack, sustaining only minor injuries and destroying four insurgent car bombs before they could be used against their intended targets."It felt like the battle went on for hours," Anziano said. "It was pretty hectic, but everything was well organized and the communication among the Marines was great."It was a hard-learned lesson for the insurgents that rainy April day in Ramadi: even their best laid plans won"t survive contact with the Marines of 3/8.

2006-05-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK, NEWWWWWWWW YORK! We just returned from NY where we had a great time on the Amberjack cruise boat and celebrated all of the warriors returning and building support for all the ones still there. First class treatment for all of the participants as AnySoldier.com Marty Horn showed up in a classy Army uniform and looking better than he did they day he got it. Many supporters arrived on the â€œboatâ€� early evening as the area weather was great and as the sun began to set, the ship began the cruise. Music, drinks, appetizers and the such were a plenty as all of the â€œJunkiesâ€� got to meet all of their warriors that they one time supported. Meeting the supporters and putting a face with a name was the best part. Although boating through many of the cityâ€™s famous places was outstanding at night. Lit up bridges and Statue of Liberty really made the evening. This was the firs time Iâ€™ve seen the Statue of Liberty or even been to NY. The view of her from the water was great. Detailed and proud. The crew of the Amberjack was awesome. All very professional and helpful made the evening a hit with both service members and â€œjunkiesâ€�. Marty and Nancy from AnySoldier were the back bone of the event. The Horn family was in full force for the event and looking great! It was great to sit down, listen to folks and hear their reasons why they supported the troops. Share funny stories about the melting of chocolate Easter bunnies, and how some joker out there would send me an occasional box of half eaten Twinkies, dog chew toys and the likeâ€¦..(Im still looking for that guy). Being in NY there was one attraction that I had to see while being there. Ground Zero. We went the next day via the train (the only way to go) and then the subway to â€œdowntownâ€�. Arriving there was surreal. Although time has passed the anger was still in my gut. Fighting in Afghani & Iraq made it only fit that we see where it all started. They have a picture board of whats to come with the site and progression over the years and shows what will be built on the site. You can see the progression of the â€œFreedom Towersâ€� here and get real time camera footage. The small church across from Ground Zero holds many artifacts from that day in September and has many stories of what happened that day as well. (great place to see). Following Ground Zero, visiting NY just wouldnâ€™t be the same without going to Time Square in the heart of the city. We plan to attend a New Years bash there some year but not sure when. Its one of those things we would like to do. Following the square, we headed to a couple churches. What a great place of history and beauty. To close out the day we had to visit the Empire State Building. Seeing the view from atop the building is awesome. I couldnâ€™t imagine being there on Sept 11th and witnessing the events unfold from that close up seat. While walking through central NY, a Fire Engine was on its way to a call as I watched it on the corner. I was in uniform and as the truck passed they gave me a wave and I returned it. Kinda of our way of saying thanks to one another. Great guys! We must never forget 9-11!! We were attacked, were were down but now, even today we continue to take the fight to the scumbags who did this to America. I wanted to puke at the Ground Zero site but knew we have delt a severe blow to the enemy and they have done nothing but make America stronger. They are finding that out the hard way! The premire of flight 93 is coming outâ€¦â€¦..get out and see it. All in the all the AnySoldier cruise was a hit. I feel bad for those that missed but I bet Marty will hold another event next yearâ€¦â€¦â€¦Vegas maybe???? SEE MORE PICS FROM THE CRUISE HERE Thank you for all of you that came out. You made a difference for us whiole we were deployed.....and you continue to support us here at home! God Bless and Thank you all! SEMPER FI Capt B WHAT CAN I DO?? OK all you girlie men out there!!! Get of yer butts, walk over to your check books and break it out. Bottom line up front. AnySoldier is a charity organization and hey there brainiacks, they need your finical support. Let your mutt eat mediocre dog food next week, toss your cat out the window, ease up on the beer intake, put in regular unleaded gas and use that money for helping out some serious studs currently deployed and AnySoldier!! Why do they need your donations?? Because without you helping AnySoldier continue to pay their employees, build their website and grow, the warriors deployed wont get things they need. Got a car your going to sell? Donate it through AnySoldier. Got some shopping to do? Check the stores here who support AnySoldier!! Got a large inheritance from that smelly uncle you never liked? Click HERE and see how YOU can make a difference!!! Give until it hurts gents!! CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO ANYSOLDIER.COM!!! COMBAT UPDATE CAMP HABBINYAH, Iraq (April 30, 2006) -- Nearly 1,000 Iraqi Army soldiers graduated boot camp today, beginning the first step toward an integrated army in Al Anbar Province.â€œThe movement of an integrated army in Al Anbar is the only future,â€� said Col. Larry D. Nicholson, commander of Regimental Combat Team 5, based in Fallujah. â€œWhen people look out their window and see the army, they need to be able to say, â€˜Itâ€™s my army.â€™ Today, we took a very positive step in that direction.â€�A total of 973 Iraqi soldiers graduated a nearly five-week training regimen that turned civilians into uniformed Iraqi soldiers. They were recruited from across Al Anbar Province, with 813 coming from Fallujah.â€œThatâ€™s a very positive sign,â€� Nicholson said. â€œWhen I left here in March â€™05, local authorities refused to recruit for a national army. They wanted a Sunni army. This is a huge sign for significant change.â€�

2006-04-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

ATTACKING THE ENEMY & REMEMBERING THE WARRIORS To follow the milblog conference, Ive been pretty busy and almost couldnâ€™t attend the conference itself. Its all good as Im already back in DC and taking care of business once again. Recently Abu Musab al-Zarqawi released a video where he dismissed Iraqâ€™s new government as an American "stooge" and called it a "poisoned dagger" in the heart of the Muslim world. He continued to tell about how he has been beating the coalition forces there from his directed attacks and such. Granted there are attacks going against us, but not all are directed from him. Some are chance encounters others are planned deliberate attacks. The fact of the matter is that he is feeling the pressure about what is going on in his homeland and what little support he is receiving. The Iraqi people are growing and discovering what their new democracy is and how it changes their lives. Pathetic portrayals of â€œhisâ€� men drawing in the dirt explaining how they attacked our forces is a sign that thatâ€™s the best they have to put on their video that they are sending to the world? No video of what the are preaching? I think it would have had a much better punch if they had footage of their attacksâ€¦â€¦but wait you have to attack US forces to film it. They have their propaganda films which are set up cameras at ambush points to catch the attacks on American forces but usually they donâ€™t work or get captured by us. The films that get out are doctored to benefit them and their goals, i.e. propaganda. This is yet another timid attempt to get all of our panties in a wad and worry about â€œfuture attacksâ€�. These losers are so on the run the last thing they want to do is attack Coalition forces and especially within the US. Speaking of losers thoughâ€¦â€¦..Osamaâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.havenâ€™t heard from him in awhile aye? Guess its hard to video yourself with every blond 6 foot Coalition member looking for your sorry butt. No worries he will slip up soon enough. The best part of all of this is Iran. Yea, Iran. Because they are now beginning to see what democracy is doing in Iraq and they are beginning to say, if they have that, we want that too! So no doubt here soon another Iraq nuclear flex will appear in the press trying to stifle the sway of their citizens and down play what the US is accomplishing in Iraq and believe it or not in their country to. Iraq and its country men are getting stronger every day. They have received guidance, training, supplies and help from the US and now the time has come for them to step up and take over. Below in the â€œCombat Updateâ€� it describes exactly that. Iraqiâ€™s doing the work and taking charge and US forces beginning to ease up their efforts until needed to kick the crap outs someone once again. The dirtbags are on the run! Semper Fi Capt B, sendsâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.. HEROâ€™S CALL Just before I departed for the Milblog conference I attended the 2d Marine Division Memorial service for its fallen Marines, Soldiers, Sailors while fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was a nice morning and the bad weather held off as families began to arrive in the grassed amphitheater. I stood almost in the very back to give all the seats possible to any family members that arrived. VIPâ€™s and the like began to sit as the chaplain began to read and eventually every service member of the 265 that were killed name was read one at a time. Family members sat and cried and you could almost watch the families be identified as a name was read, their parents, wife or kids would begin to weep even more only to be comforted by friends and in some cases fellow widows. I was holding it together pretty well I thought as the names were like ghosts coming back because I could remember what I was doing when I recognized a read name in Iraq. Death is terrible but if you read here before you know my thoughts are when its your time it your time. I thought I was holding it together at least until a young Marines name was read and his wife and two boys (5-6 yrs old) were standing in front of me. The wife began to cry harder and her two boys felt the fear of mom being upset and that fact of another reminder that dad wasnâ€™t ever coming home and they to began to cry as well. The younger of the two boys knew what was going on and began to try to console the older brother by hugging him. All crying harder although the names continued to be read. Total strangers tried their best to comfort them but the void in their life was permanent. Thatâ€™s was the toughest for me. To witness the part of the family members soul yanked out from their service members loss. All 265 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers answered the call. They wont be forgotten and they are all heroâ€™s! COMBAT UPDATE Iraqi soldiers capture four insurgents, steady in progress toward relieving Coalition Forces by yearâ€™s endBANI DA HAR, Iraq (April 26, 2006) -- It was pitch dark when four insurgents were captured in this town of 3,000 nestled along the Euphrates River in Iraqâ€™s Al Anbar Province. With the prisoners secured and on their way to a detention facility; Iraqi soldiers celebrated the achievement with stoic professionalism. Theyâ€™re proud of the fact more insurgents are off the streets of this small town, and that they captured the bandits without the assistance of the U.S. Marines â€“ which has been an uncommon occurrence in the few years since the end of Saddam Husseinâ€™s regime in 2003. â€œWe are sending a message to the insurgents,â€� said â€œAhmed,â€� one of the Iraqi soldiers involved in the capture of the four insurgents. â€œThere is a new sheriff in town.â€� In recent months, the soldiers â€“ all from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division â€“ have demonstrated their ability to operate without the assistance of Coalition Forces, said Staff Sgt. Mike Wear, intelligence chief assigned to the Military Transition Team here. Moreover, Coalition Forces here say the Iraqisâ€™ latest successful counterinsurgency operation is indicative of their overall progress in recent months.They have independently raided insurgent hideouts, located weapons caches and set up traffic control points to catch insurgents transporting weapons in the past few months. â€œI believe that with the progress they are making with us and the (Marines) in the province, these soldiers will be ready to take over their battle space in six to eight months,â€� said Lt. Col. Owen Lovejoy, senior advisor for 2/2/7â€™s military transition team. Most importantly, the soldiers have given a sense of security to local residents, according to â€œMohamed,â€� who enlisted in the Iraqi Army just recently. Moreover, residents feel the Iraqi soldiers from â€œ2/2/7â€� are providing that security, instead of relying solely on Coalition Forces for such protection, said Mohamed. The recent successful counterinsurgency operation by the Iraqi soldiers, dubbed Operation Bani Da Har, was the fourth fully independent operation Iraqi soldiers have conducted since February, according to the Military Transition Team responsible for mentoring the fledgling Iraqi Army unit. The soldiersâ€™ recent accomplishments has led Lt. Col. Owen Lovejoy, 42, the senior advisor assigned on the Transition Team, to believe the Iraqi soldiers here will be capable of independent operations in western Al Anbar province on schedule. While all of the Iraqi soldiers here say they are glad they are keeping the peace here, some have a more personal interest of ensuring insurgents are kept off the streets, and unable to intimidate residents. Some, like Ahmed, grew up amid violence stemmed from Saddamâ€™s dictatorship, he said. The young Iraqi soldier said he looks forward to any chance he gets to fight insurgents like those who terrorized his family when he was growing up. Before Coalition Forces ousted Saddam Hussein from power, theft and vandalism was commonplace, said Ahmed. Growing up, gun fights were a regular occurrence in his neighborhood, and would often keep him awake at night, he said.â€œThere are a lot of children that will not have to grow up in fear of insurgents and criminals who have no respect for others and human rights,â€� said Ahmed, through an interpreter. â€œWhen the Marines leave here we are going to be the ones responsible for protecting the innocent people.â€� At the Iraqi soldiersâ€™ camp here, Ahmed said he will never forget the day Hussein was captured by Coalition Forces. â€œI will take pride in assuring no child ever has to go through what I did when I was a kid,â€� said Ahmed.But now, Iraqi Security Forces are beginning to take the lead in operations such as the one Ahmed and other soldiers from 2/2/7 conducted to find and detain insurgents hiding among the local populace, according to Lovejoy.During the raid, the Iraqi soldiers demonstrated not only their ability to conduct a successful counterinsurgency mission, but also to plan and support such an operation. Prior to the raid, Iraqi soldiers established a central command and control structure â€“ an essential piece of the puzzle to effect military operations here, according to Wear, 28.In less than 30 minutes, the soldiers established a combat operations center, complete with communications equipment, supplies and maps. Moreover, they completed the task in near-total darkness, using minimal light to prevent attracting enemy attention, said Wear. The feat impressed Wear, who added that such a task would be difficult even for a well-seasoned U.S. Marine unit due to the limited visibility at night. The soldiers also planned for any emergency situations which may have arisen, said Wear. They formed a quick reaction force â€“ a team of soldiers designated to respond to emergencies, such as medical evacuations and providing extra firepower in the even of an enemy attack. Just six months ago, the Marines were in the driverâ€™s seat of such operations, while Iraqi soldiers simply â€œshadowedâ€� them to learn tactics and procedures for conducting security operations in Al Anbar Province, said Wear, a native of Port St. Joe, Fla. Now, they are doing it themselves, said Wear. â€œA few months ago, the Marines were running the operations and we were their just to watch and learn,â€� said â€œHasim,â€� another 2/2/7 soldier. â€œNow, we are running the show and the Marines are just observing our progress.â€� The soldiersâ€™ steady progress has laid the ground work for future multi-company-level Iraqi Army operations in the region, according to the Marines. â€œWe have learned not just how to conduct operations, but how to conduct them with limited resources, such as sunlight,â€� boasted Hasim. Since the Transition Team arrived in Iraq three months ago, the Iraqi soldiers have also demonstrated an improvement in their ability to collect their own intelligence, a key factor to counterinsurgency operations, according to 1st. Lt. Jesse Cope, the Transition Teamâ€™s logistics officer. â€œOne key success the soldiers had this mission is they developed the intelligence and it led to the capture of a highly sought after insurgent,â€� said Cope. Another factor contributing to the Iraqi soldiersâ€™ steady progress is the experience theyâ€™ve gained while working hand-in-hand with the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment â€“ the U.S. military unit assigned to provide security here until Iraqi Security Forces are ready to take over operations later this year. The Marine battalion arrived here more than a month ago, and has worked side-by-side with their Iraqi counterparts nearly daily to quell insurgent activity in the region. â€œAll the rifle companies continue to give capabilities to the Iraqi soldiers when they train with them daily,â€� said Lovejoy, a 23-year Marine Corps veteran and Brookville, Fla., native. â€œThe rifle companies are ultimately building them for success.â€�

2006-04-23T23:00:00.000-04:00

THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY (pic of Capt B, Marty from AnySoldier and â€œTacoâ€� from Sandgram) The first annual MilBlog convention is over. What a pleasure it was to meet everyone and put a face to a name. Thank you all that got to attend for those that couldnâ€™t you got to come out next year! I departed for the convention at 1400 (2pm) on sunnyfriday afternoon which would put me in the Walter Reed area in plenty of time to go bash some pinkos! Entering Va, the skyâ€™s opened up and everyone decided to get on their cell phones and drive 45 mph in front of me. So if you were on I-95 around then, I was they guy shouting at you to move it or loose it sister!!! Arrghh!! By the time I got in to the area it was 2000 (8pm) and I headed over to Mr & â€œMa Bellsâ€� (Tacoâ€™s mom & dads house) where I stayed for the weekend. What great folks, great hospitality and care. Thanks again guys!! We went out the night before to meet everyone at â€œFrans Oâ€™Briensâ€� and share some storyâ€™s. It was a great time for all to meet and recognize our like minds. The next day, we headed for the convention while yes, it continued to rain. The conference was divided up into the three panels where all of the panelist spoke and shared their experiences and techniques. Lunch was sponsored by Military.com which provided great chow and educated us on the improvements of their site and where its headed. A very professional event through and through put on by â€œAndiâ€� and served great for the first event. An overview of the conference was that the â€œwordâ€� wasnâ€™t getting out to the American people and Milblogs and Blogs in general filled that gap and continued to overflow and may take over the entire information requirement one day. In general the information flow that blogs fill is described by me in three ways. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. The Good What we are seeing today and whatâ€™s to come in the future. Technology continues to expand and in conjunction with that so will blogs and ways people need to get the information. Giving accurate information from a source is worth its weight in gold. A good rule for any blogger is to stay in your box. Talk about what you know and talk about it well. Thatâ€™s a solid guide for any blogger, novice or experienced. You can help the machine grow by educating friends and people you care about so they too can know the truth. How tuff is to send a friend a link in an email?? In the future, we will see Podcasts, live feeds and instant information which will require the media sources to rise to the competition or be left behind. Currently, they are slipping in my opinion and will be left behind as a new era of information sources appear. The Bad Inaccurate information or no information at all. Look back 10 years where email and the internet was an infant and where its at today. What will it be like in another 10 years? Letters from soldiers and infrequent phone calls as recent as Desert Storm help demonstrate the strives that have been built from bloggers and other sources. In the past, â€œother sourcesâ€� have told the story and havenâ€™t done a respectable job in doing it or told the story with their spin on it. This is why blogs can be so powerful. The Ugly Summed up, the media. Many â€œsourcesâ€� take a basic topic, read into it, add their two cents then fire hose it out to the masses. The worse part is that everyone listens and believes it for gospel. Hello sanity check, here come blogs in your face. Some say I want the info from the Government. OK, that could be done but then all those bed wetterâ€™s out there would scream like little girls because â€œit would be taintedâ€� by the Government in their favor. Then you have some say they want info from the â€œonlyâ€� source, the current media stations. Holy bat shit! Yea great idea. That would work if we fired most of the current media freaks and replaced them with bloggers WHO get the info they talk about from the source (usually themselves) who are making the news. Do bloggers put their spin on what they write about? Yip, they do but they are also human and keep things original and donâ€™t get paid for persuading the public in one way or another. Bloggers donâ€™t tell a story about Iraqiâ€™s in Ramadi rioting then show footage of Iraqiâ€™s in Baghdad running around and selling it as Iraqiâ€™s rioting. What would they gain by doing that?? From the conference, blogs have become a sanity check, a source of information, entertainment and even therapy for some. If you can take a Milblog, generate support for service members and increase the education of the average joe about what really is going on with the warrior, family member or average joeâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦then I say blog away until your fingers bleed, then tape them and blog some moreâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.within your box. One Marineâ€™s View is adapting. I say adapting because Im not in Iraq anymore and we Maries always adapt and overcome. So a few additions that you will see on the site in the near future in conjunction with posts, in no particular order are below: WHAT ARE THE BAD GUYS SAYING? Here I will get you the info on what the bad guys are saying about a topic. How they perceive things and how they use the information COMBAT UPDATES If you have been to the site before youâ€™ve probably seen these at the end of the posts informing you of what the hell is really going on the battle field. WHAT CAN I DO?? In the past Ive been reluctant to post donation, charity etc events. I truly felt if I did one then I should do all. So in the future when you see this title you can expect some information on something where someone needs your help. Come on folks, give til it hurtsâ€¦â€¦â€¦.or enlist and go to Iraq, your choice! Last but not leastâ€¦â€¦ HEROâ€™S CALL Here I will bring the attention to a warrior, citizen, American that has done the good deed and perhaps paid the ultimate price. Its not a mourners board but a place where you can find out about warriors like Sergeant First Class Smith (Fist Medal of Honor recipient of the Iraq war)â€¦â€¦â€¦this will be good! While I drove back another 6 hours todayâ€¦â€¦â€¦in the rain today I thought about the conference and where we are today and where we are headed. The center of it all is you. You, me everyone needs the truth and as much info as possible to support, affect and to make a difference. If you want sit aside and let others tell you whatâ€™s going on around you then donâ€™t bitch when you donâ€™t get the real deal. You can make a difference! Returning to base, Capt B sends â€œSemper Fiâ€�

2006-04-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

TCB (Taking Care of Business) Got back from Norfolk, hid some Easter eggs, smoked some Easter Maduro Cigars and washed the car to only have it downpour on it. (Note to all third world countryâ€™s, if you have a shortage of rain and need an invasion, call the Marines and ask for me because it is a guarantee to have it rain shortly after I wash my car!) Easter was great with a sunrise service with Marine Corps Band, and to the point message. Followed up with a Cracker barrel breakfast the holiday was a hit. Not to fully enjoy Monday off we departed again on the road to Washington, DC. We got there late afternoon and decided to go for a run to the monuments downtown. Not have seen the WWII memorial, that was our target (3 mi each way). Great run and a lot of scenery so my fat butt was happy as the run went quick) We got to the memorial and although somewhat crowded we checked it out and must of stood out as a few people asked if we were Marines and then about the memorial. Running back we blew through the Lincoln memorial (very cool) and then back to the key bridge area. Staying at the Key Bridge area (nice area) there was plenty of restaurants to enjoy. Before we went to eat we stopped by the Iowa Memorial. Regardless of how many times I see it it is pretty cool. I picked a nice place called Orleans steak house to eat at (kick butt prime rib & recommended by Taco so how could I go wrong?). We began the day at the Pentagon taking care of business (Note: Pentagon is the biggest building in the US by square footage). We began our trek through DC dressed in our â€œService Charlieâ€� uniforms (tan shirt & green trousers) and got some stares although there are a lot of â€œjoesâ€� (Army Soldiers in their uniforms/camies in the area. I couldnâ€™t help but to remember Sept 11th and what must have been going on here in this building during the terroristâ€™s attacks. The picture at the top of this post is of the entry point of the aircraft into the pentagon and where a Marine flag still stands. I swore I heard the Darth Vader sound track playing as three of us motored through the Air Force section of the Pentagon. Completing our business there I happen to look upon the walls of the section we were in and low and behold there were some of my Marines from 1st Bn 6th Marines which I commanded in Afghani. They had some great shots of them on display with other forces on that wings wall. I started naming the knuckleheads in the pictures to my buddy there and could remember the exact day, temp, and smell they were taken. Now back in Lejeune, we went and visited the wounded Marines Barracks here on base. There are a couple dozen warriors that are here with the gauntlet of injuries. These guys are studs though and donâ€™t complain. Many nag the Commanders there to get back to their units. One needed his jaw re-broke to begin his recuperation. He told the docs and his Commanders, I can chew, and breathe and can wait on the â€œre-brakingâ€� process. As the docs agreed he was sent back with his Marines in Iraq. This actually is one of the biggest mental contributors to wounded service members. They just want to be with their men and feel guilty sitting on their butts. Just like these studs I met many Marines that were amputees and returned to active duty in country. Its part of the healing process in a way. Some of the best news though â€¦.. â€¦.the events that were requiring my attendance during the MilBlog conference were moved and NOW I will be attending the event. I plan to be in the area Friday night, hit the Key Bridge Marriot then head over to la la land. So stand by you nasty twelve sandwich eating, pinto driving, pot smoking, flower child, Kerry lovin PINKOâ€™s. Ima on my way to your neighborhood and Im bringing hell with me!!! Iâ€™ll be the one with the â€œSee me, if you have a compliantâ€� sign, cigar and in a kilt!!! Swords are optional! Buhahaha! Keep attacking!!! Capt B COMBAT UPDATE CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq (April 16, 2006) -- Half a world away from families and friends back in the United States, thousands of U.S. Marines, sailors and other service members spent Easter Sunday in a combat zone here. At this airbase in Iraqâ€™s western Al Anbar Province, church services on the holiday which celebrates Christâ€™s resurrection served as a small break from daily operations and seven-day work weeks for U.S. servicemembers here. Easter Sunday is a chance for Christians to â€œrenew baptismal promises,â€� said Lt. Cmdr. John T. Hannigan, a Catholic Priest and military chaplain for Regimental Combat Team 7 here. Though liturgy is celebrated the same here as it is back in the States, worship in Iraq for Americaâ€™s military men and women allows for a more â€œfocusedâ€� experience, said Hannigan.â€œSince many times we donâ€™t have the religious supplies here that we are used to having for religious services back in the States, we make do with what we have and the symbolism seems to come out ,â€� said Hannigan, a native of Chicago. â€œIt all seems holier because I am a couple hundred miles away from where Jesus walked the earth,â€� said Cpl. David M. Jeske, a 21-year-old from Auburndale, Wis. Jeske, an ammunition chief for 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, RCT-7, attended Easter Sunday services at his unitâ€™s remote base in the middle of Al Anbarâ€™s barren desert â€“ Camp Korean Village. While some forward operating bases offered Easter Sunday services for U.S. servicemembers today, those stationed in more remote locations in western Al Anbar Province will have full Easter services throughout the week, said Hannigan. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Christopher M. Jack, a medical officer for the Forward Resuscitative Surgical Suite at the Marinesâ€™ base in Al Qaâ€™im near the Syrian border, is missing out on two special days with his family back in California â€“ Easter Sunday, and his sonâ€™s fourth birthday, which is tomorrow. â€œI've been thinking about my wife and son the entire time,â€� said Jack, a 34-year-old from Joplin, Mo. â€œMy thoughts are with them now."More than 23,000 Marines, sailors and soldiers of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force are currently deployed in Al Anbar Province. RCT-7 â€“ a Marine infantry regiment based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. â€“ is responsible for providing security to and mentoring Iraqi Security Forces in the roughly 30,000 square miles of western Al Anbar, stretching from just west of the Euphrates River to the Jordanian and Syrian borders.

2006-04-14T06:25:00.000-04:00

EASTER WITHOUT THEIR WARRIORS Leave was great and now its back to the gridiron. Things have been going fast and Ive pretty much snapped into the routine here in the states now. There hasnâ€™t been any PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in my experience or really in many other Marines I know. We all experience being shot at and blown up but I guess the combination of getting old and the training we receive you just adapt to it. â€œOK Im not going to flip out or anythingâ€� (said from the Jerry McGuire Movie as you imitate the body spaz) My billet (job) recently took me to Norfolk, Va and the Norfolk Naval Base over the past few days. Good ole Navy guys, god bless em. Always around to take us Jarheads to war. During the butt flattening drive I began to think of the 228 Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors that were lost over the year I was in Iraq. Their families and how they must not be forgotten, ever. I did think about them recently again as I came back home. Standing on US soil just before meeting my family as I returned from Iraq. I thought to myself there are some families not here today and have nothing good to look forward to coming from Iraq. You think of all the what ifâ€™s and close calls we had. The times you left the base to head into a dangerous convoy, stressed about the IEDs etc and only to hear of injuries from indirect fire on the base you just departed from. Im a firm believer that when itâ€™s your time, its your time and you might as well not worry about it. Be prepared to meet your maker and then get on with your life and make the best of it. Its too damn short! I thought about each and every name that I read, heard or saw regarding being injured or killed. Its not like they woke up that morning and said well today is it. Nope they pressed on and whatever was their fate they were ready to take it on, head on every day. As much as it rips my guts to see the young knuckle heads here (dependants of fallen warriors) that donâ€™t have a daddy anymore, I know their daddy or mother died doing what they wanted to be doing and they died warriors. Itâ€™s not another number of some scumbag news agencyâ€™s Iraqi war tally. Itâ€™s not another shot to our leaders to drive a point home to get out of Iraq or Afghanistan. Its about men and women doing their job across the pond in harms way and kicking the crap out of anyone who gets in their way. Summed up, their Americans. Its easy for some to shake their head and spout disbelief and criticism about our involvement in Iraq. Its easy for them to push blame and disagreement towards our leaders. I think it cowardly for them to do it but if they choose to react this way they must know that without our leaders, the ones for them to blame, thousands of Iraqis would simply be dead now and even possible thousands of Americans as well. I havenâ€™t been to still since Ive been back and had a quick two day trip to DC where I elbowed my way through neighborhoods to look for a possible house to live in. Low and behold from one hook up to another I get in contact with this real-estate agent. He was a vet like many are in that are and he decided to wear his â€œDonâ€™t blame me, I voted for Kerry shirtâ€� when he met me. â€¦â€¦â€¦..First impressions are a lot in my book. His, wellâ€¦â€¦..not so much. I put up with his antics and listened as he tried to sell me a house way to big and expensive for what I need. My better half told me while he was out of the car, â€œlook past his T-shirtâ€� as I just mumbled something (nice of course) under my breath. I didnâ€™t buy a house from the guy because he had that shirt on or his views. Hell, its what I love about this country. We have and allow everyone to have their own opinion and beliefs. But when â€œJACKOâ€� starts slamming my fellow leaders and fallen warriors in front of me, stand the hell by. Regardless of what your beliefs are, never slam the fallen warriors or make their death miniscule. They rate much more than that and during this holiday season, take a couple seconds and remember the little ones and other family members who will wake up on Easter without their warriors. Semper Fi from the states! Yes, Im going to go get a cigarâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦. COMBAT UPDATE AL ASAD, Iraq -- In the early hours April 3, Marines and sailors with the Incident Response Platoon prepared for an operation that would take them outside the wire and into the local town of Baghdadi, Iraq.The IRP is attached to Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and is responsible for providing security in support of response and pre-planned missions throughout the Al Anbar Province.Their scheduled task was to escort members of a Civil Affairs Group and Police Transition Team to a housing complex where they would carry out their mission.Once the convoy arrived safely at the small outpost, the Marines were able to give a much needed break to infantry Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment who had spent three days in the area with little sleep.The same day, multiple roadside bombs were discovered and a seven-ton truck rolled over in a flash flood in the Western area of Iraq. Although this was a dangerous mission, the group of Marines returned to Al Asad Air Base later in the day without incident. **NOTE** It is with my deepest regret that I will not be able to attend the Milblog Conference this year as expected due to a situation that has arose that requires me and my position in the Marine Corps to attend during the dates of the conference. Unfortunately, although I just returned from Iraq, we are Marines 24-7 and we are never â€œoffâ€�. I am truly disappointed that I have to withdrawal and appreciate being invited. I apologize for any inconvenience that it may bring to you and the conference. Milblog Conference (April 22nd)The 2006 Milblog Conference will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 22, 2006. The conference is designed to bring milbloggers together for one full day of interesting discussion on topics associated with milblogging. We will explore the history of milblogs, as well as what the future may hold for this medium which the military community is using to tell their stories. Dinner Cruise aboard the Amberjack V Saturday, April 29 7pm-11pmEnjoy a wonderful buffet dinner with DJ and dancing to follow as we cruise around the Hudson River. Take in the beautiful views while passing the Manhattan Skyline and Statue of Liberty!

2006-04-04T23:39:00.000-04:00

MISSING WITHOUT ACTION One week back in the states. My hair began to grow out, I wore green camies instead of tan and I continued to get back to the civilized way of life. Not dropping â€œFâ€� bombs at everything, not getting shelled as I sat in the head for about 45 for no real reason, getting use to driving again, other people and the many many colors and things to look at. The Mrs and I decided to â€œGet awayâ€� and head to a small Island called St Lucia. Sandals Resort has three properties there. For around $5,000 you get a nice trip for two all inclusive. Flying through Barbados you jump on a smaller plane to land at even the smaller run way. Clean beaches and plenty of stoags and free chow you begin to relax and relax I did. No email, blog phones notta, just disappeared. Surprisingly, not many people knew or said anything regarding military as I wore a hat most of the time with my stoag of course. This place is for couples only and I highly recommend it for you guys out there in the dog house. Waking up to the surf vise the shells and eating breakfast on the beach was a sure delight. Never needing to look far for a cold drink with their 12 bars and almost as many restaurants we had a nice time. Its not a spring break drunk fest as many cruise ships dock on the other side of the island. I met with many non Americans, British, French, Canucks and even Americans the same. Few mentioned the military, Iraq or anything regarding and when they did, I could have described things to them all day and I wouldnâ€™t have done any justice to the events I had been through the past 2 years in Afghanistan and Iraq. We just had to get away. I havenâ€™t taken a day off in the past 3-4 years and hell I forgot what it was like. So the hot sun, clear water and friendly atmosphere was very healing. I did meet a young couple and after kicking his butt in Texas hold em, he disclosed his sorrow for his brother who was killed in Iraq (Army). Coincidently, in Ramadi. Hell I was probably in the area when it happened. He wasnâ€™t bitter and was proud that his burial was done right. I was glad for that as sometimes things can get ugly. I felt like I owed the guy something but what?? Things have been pretty smooth back here. No Post Traumatic Stress or Jumpiness although some things still â€œgetâ€� my attention. I am so very grateful even after seeing the poverty on near by islands near St Lucia, how lucky we are as Americans. Seeing things here after being gone so long is sobering. We are so very lucky and if you are taking them for granted as I did before deploying you need to kick yourself in the ass and refresh your memory. Oddly, the only person that said thanks forâ€� Iraqâ€� was a security lady in Barbados when she saw on my ID that I was a Marine. They know about Marines (Grenada) and appreciate us. In a way I thought there would be more â€œThank yousâ€�, etc, etc but really there wasnâ€™t. I wasnâ€™t looking for that but the one thing any service member wants is a â€œThank youâ€�. By the way the comments on my â€œIm Homeâ€� post blew me away and served as one of the best returns presents I could ask for! Now with every day and changes it looks like I may be moving to the Washington DC areqa with a new job. Doing two campaigns back to back they are telling me to chill out awhile and move to a job outside of infantry to teach others. More on that later. There is one thing you all need to remember. NONE of this would be possible if it werenâ€™t for AnySoldier! You need to continue to help deployed service members and AnySoldier. If you send things to service members perhaps take a break and make a donation to AnySoldier.com. Without your support they cant help us. Without their help we are truly on our own!! Friends, Supporters, and Support Junkies In 2Â½ years AnySoldier.com has had over 5 million visitors and almost 75 million hits. Through us you have supported over 15,000 contacts who have helped about 430,000 troops. Well done! But, now this web site needs YOUR help.We don't charge for addresses, we operate strictly on a donation basis.Donations have been far below what is needed for AnySoldier.com to continue.Without the needed donations this web site stops. Soon. Ways you can help: 1. DONATE using a credit card or mail. Click HERE.(Suggestion: See if your employer will do a matching donation!)2. Shop online HERE.3. Donate that vehicle you don't use or get your neighbor to HERE.4. Live in Texas or Louisiana? Shop at Kroger. Click HERE .5. Buy some of our cool stuff HERE.6. Join us on the cruise! See THIS .7. Contact folks you know and get them involved. Thank you!! Capt B Sends.................(from back in the States)

2006-03-07T07:02:00.000-05:00

IM HOME! America, this place is awesome and now I see fist hand what we have been fighting for. The trek home was a beast. It took about 4 days to get home with a fun 14 hour flight going through Ireland. It began with a helo ride out of Fallujah to another air station which we linked up with a C-130. We took off and flew about 200 feet off the ground until we were out of enemy threat. We even were in the fight up to the last day where sniper fire hit our posts. The last couple days were the worse as I then actually saw what all we do in a days work because the last day or so we didnâ€™t have much to do and along with anticipation the day drug. 24 hours felt like a week. I tried to sleep most of the flight as my days and night were swapped and all I could think about is getting back on US soil. Eating the airline chow and watching a few movies seem to make you feel guilty for sitting on your butt for so long doing squat. The airplane landed on the east coast as the pilot stated â€œWelcome back to the United States Marinesâ€� and the plane erupted in cheers. The air smelled fresher and so many colors. Seeing other people in clothes that werenâ€™t desert color. Many people asked what have I noticed the most. Chow, beer etc and I guess the most is family and friends and the threat of someone trying to kill you. It allows you to let your guard down and rest. It is still hard to believe Im here back in the states. Sure we had a bit apprehension when we drove from the air field home and had other cars right next to us. But we got use to it over time. My stomach is getting use to the chow here as it did back when I first got to Iraq. I went to watch a soccer game and felt kinda out of place. This man was chasing a soccer ball behind me and ran up on me as we watched a game. Not a good idea for him as I turned quickly and began to grab him thinking he was a threat. Hey, give me a break he surprised me ya know?? Good for him I didnâ€™t have a weapon. After a little explaining he understood and all was good. No problems sleeping as somehow we adjusted and I snapped right in to the daily routine here. I devoured my first quarter ponder with cheese without tasting it and look forward to the next. I watched some TV for the first time last night for about 15 min before falling asleep and laughed at the commercials. I told the Mrs that I bet that commercial was a Super Bowel commercial, she just looked at me like I was a weirdo. I cant drive for shit and Im terrible with directions around town now. Curbs? Red lightâ€¦â€¦.what red light? I need a 50 cal mounted on my suburban!! I wasnâ€™t able to check any of my email for the past couple weeks so Im sure its good and clogged up. We have it so good here in the states and its even more evident as I return. Patienceâ€¦â€¦..Im working on it. Coming from having things done by well oiled professionals to well,..... kidsâ€¦â€¦.skreeeeeach! Nothing really has stressed me out as everything here isnâ€™t a life or death situation. Today I got to see many of the Marines who returned with me. I missed them the few days I hadnâ€™t seen them. We laughed as we shared the same stories about being back home, being a bit jumpy and trying to explain our experiences to family and friends who wont really get it because only the ones there will know what we mean even if I tell about every detail. Having a nice toilet, shower and many other luxuries around the house are great but I do think of the 289 killed and over 2100 wounded we left behind. How their families felt as we returned and they didnâ€™t. I have unplugged the phone, stocked the fridge with beer and killed some chow at the Cracker Barrel restaurant for breakfast the other day. Iâ€™ll be off line for a bit as I remember what the states are like, what money is, how not to drop "F" bombs all over and try to adjust. Probably take some leave and disappear to some island somewhere. If you know any good resorts that allows cigar smoking and loungingâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.let me know, Im looking. I had a lot of family and friends to meet me and that really made the difference as to see them and get hugs allowed me to take a deep breathe and say to myselfâ€¦â€¦â€¦Im home. COMBAT UPDATE Marines in Iraq are kicking ass! From a grateful Marineâ€¦â€¦â€¦ Semper Fidelis. Im going to get a cigar!

2006-02-23T03:06:00.000-05:00

YES, IM STILL HERE IEDâ€™s , mortar attacks and the ever so crappy SVBIEDs are continuous throughout the area. I say that not to say things arenâ€™t getting better because they are but I say it because the American public needs to be aware that although our trusty news service doesnâ€™t report it we still are fighting our asses off here and Marines are still dieing. Not to take away form Afghanistan or Africa where most recent two CH53s crashed in maneuvers killing 10. I happen to know one of the pilots who survived and was able to swim to safety. Hardly any scratches then the others past on. Proof that when its your time its your time. I caught a news blip last night as a burned a nice stoag and a guy used the analogy that Iraq is like a classroom that has 3 gangs in it and they have been fighting for the past 30 years. This guy made the point of what would then happen if the teacher called in sick or a substitute showed up one day?? This isnâ€™t too far off and could be expanded that now the student can read and do math and all the bullyâ€™s are now gone or moved to another part of the school that wont affect the class. However, much of the outcome depends on the student attitude and will. Many ask what will this place be like when we pull out?? Will there be a civil war? Who knows but the country has a lot to work out still. Is the Iraqi Army ready to fight without the Coalition? Not all of them but a lot of the Iraqi units are. Yes, Im still here in this glorious country as we have stayed busy to the last day as if it were our first. The number of attacks have dropped in the area in the past few months around here and so has the IDF (indirect fire aka mortar, rocket fire). IEDs continue to the ring of about 10-12 a day in some areas and twice that that we find before they detonate. Still the preferred coward tactic used by the local insurgency groups. Suicide attacks are sporadic but evidence that they are getting desperate. There isnâ€™t a lot of kinetic (dropping bombs, artillery missions etc) fighting because the major insurgency cells have been eliminated. Are there still fights? Yes, without a doubt just not like 6 months ago and your service members here in Afghanistan and around the world need your support! This is important because Ive notice especially since about the time frame of the Super Bowl, the Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa operations, have fallen off the radar as far as reporting. We have minimal embedded reporters in theater and thus little news gets out. Its almost as once the elections were done back in Dec, Iraq was no longer a problem in the MSM eyes. Well I got another NSNF (No Shit News Flash) for ya, there is a shit ton of work to be done still here and our main focus is to give the Iraqi Army the final shove to get on their feet and take care of things. Marines are great at fighting and taking objectives. Its our bread and butter. We have that down. Now what the hard part that lies ahead is for the schools, electricity and additional civil additions to continue to grow. They will and we will continue to train and build the Iraqi military and government. Just because all of the in your face fighting has been reduced donâ€™t think all is peachy here. Its not but we have a tight two handed grip on it and its not going anywhere. Your service members still need your support! A couple events I would like to bring to your attention: Milblog Conference (April 22nd) The 2006 Milblog Conference will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 22, 2006. The conference is designed to bring milbloggers together for one full day of interesting discussion on topics associated with milblogging. We will explore the history of milblogs, as well as what the future may hold for this medium which the military community is using to tell their stories. Dinner Cruise aboard the Amberjack V Saturday, April 29 7pm-11pm Enjoy a wonderful buffet dinner with DJ and dancing to follow as we cruise around the Hudson River. Take in the beautiful views while passing the Manhattan Skyline and Statue of Liberty! Get yer butt out here to these events so I can thank you in person and share a stoag with ya! It would be my honor!! COMBAT UPDATE (Press Release) More than 3,000 pieces of various types of munitions were discovered yesterday by U.S. Army soldiers conducting a reconnaissance patrol near Al Quratiyah, approximately 350 km northwest of Baghdad. This cache is among the largest discovered to date in western Al Anbar province. The soldiers, from the Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based 4th Squadron, 14th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, assigned to Regimental Combat Team-7, were actively seeking out weapons caches. Local citizens provided information regarding the site, where the soldiers discovered two displaced piles of dirt and rocks near a vehicle trail. Upon further investigation, the displaced areas were identified as weapons caches and they were excavated. The vehicle path and shallow depth of the rock piles where the caches were discovered indicated that the munitions were easily accessible to terrorists. â€œThis find means a serious reduction in the IEDs (improvised explosive devices) available for anti-Iraqi forces to use in cowardly attacks,â€� said Army Maj. Doug W. Merritt, operations officer, 4th Squadron, 14th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. The cache of munitions ranged from 60 to 125 mm mortars and included various other projectile-type munitions. The munitions discovered in this cache site are typically used to make roadside bombs that injure and kill Iraqi civilians, coalition forces and Iraqi Army soldiers. This latest cache is the 118th found by soldiers from 4th Squadron, 14th U.S. Cavalry Regiment. In a similar find last October, soldiers here discovered about 1,000 122 mm artillery rounds, 40,000 armor piercing bullets, 1,000 .50 caliber rounds, detonation cord and various bomb-making materials. Itâ€™s a shame that this as all my other â€œCombat Updatesâ€� are released world wide the same time I get them and how few appear in any news, simply tragic! The most decisive actions of our life â€“ I mean those that are most likely to decide the whole course of our future are, more often than not, unconsidered. (Andre Gide) Keep kicking butt & taking names!! Semper Fi Capt B

2006-02-19T08:11:00.000-05:00

THE NEWS ILLUSION AROUND THE WARRIOR We travel a lot around the country of Iraq we we see alot of great things being done by the Coalition & Iraqi forces. Im sorry, but to hear nothing but how the VP shot a fellow hunter, a four legged show mutt bailed at the air port and has ran away, or any other sorry filler for â€œnewsâ€� is a dang disgrace. Lets talk about the recent news articles regarding operations of the coalition forces, or how about the latest school openings in Iraq or better yet about how many Iraqi civilians didnâ€™t get blown up because we foiled numerous SVBIED attacks because of the continuous aggressiveness of coalition and Iraqi forces. But oh we cant because those arnt in the news. In fact I havenâ€™t seen anything in the news regarding Iraq for almost two weeks now. Yes, you have the â€œcartoonâ€� affect that the MSM tries to spread all over like a bad rash but look out - - - This is a No Shit News Breaking Story- - - Itâ€™s not a big deal IN Iraq!!!! Nope, their isnâ€™t any burning, rioting etc etc. Are their demonstrations? Very limited and hold on to your seat cape crusaders, theyâ€™re peaceful!!!!! Yip thatâ€™s right BUT they donâ€™t talk about those do they??? The MSM are too busy evaluating the VP and his hunting accident so much they are missing what THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT. I SEE THAT AS A MAJOR FAILURE. In fact a failure in their responsibilities as a news agency and a failure of their leadership! Iran? Nukes? Ladies & Gents, donâ€™t pull the fire alarm over Iran please. They are simply bowing up. We have them under control. Donâ€™t be distracted as the news rolls â€œNuclear Standoffâ€� on their screen. Hell, you would think there is another Cuban missile crisis on the brink. Desperate? The news is so desperate they no have gone and began running â€œnewâ€� 2 year old pictures of Abu Gurab prison. Oh for the love of god move on!! We have and or will punish those idiots who did wrong. Thatâ€™s a good barometer America of how desperate and incompetent the news agency is for actual news! BTW, I just came back from Baghdad and tried to find some reporters â€œreportingâ€�, going on convoys ANYTHING. None were to be found. You do the math. How about all the reporting about the reporter and camera man Martha Raddatz and Bob Woodruff??? I couldnâ€™t believe all the shows and updates on these two. Tragic? Yip, but hello your going into a war zone, your making a shit ton more money than me and youâ€™ve been warned repeatedly. Haji wants to kill you and he doesnâ€™t care that you carry a microphone or camera. The truth? WHY isnâ€™t there the same coverage on EVERY single Soldier & Marine getting injured by the same weapon? If they are going to do it for one guy than ya got to do it for all. Is it because the reporters are special? Famous? BETTER?? You do the math America. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck HEELO itâ€™s a freaking DUCK! Your Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen are kicking major butt here still! The fighting hasnâ€™t lessoned. The obstacles havenâ€™t gone away. We are making ground with the implication of the Iraqi Army and to have a force that doesnâ€™t sign a contract to serve for a determined amount of time but simply has men who are tired of the insurgency and have had enough to fight back come and volunteer to fight. Every day the Iraqi Army becomes stronger and stronger and the insurgents become weaker and weaker. The Iraqi citizens as well are becoming stronger as they to have increased their information process to the Coalition forces to rat out bad guys. Itâ€™s a good sign that although the Iraqi people want us out they will help us in the process. Iraqi service members helping wounded coalition and vise versa. The team has developed nicely and soon it will be time for the Iraqi Army to take things on themselves and Coalition forces to reinforce them and back off. We are still busy and we have a lot to still do although some warriors may leave here. They job isnâ€™t over and the Fat Lady hasnâ€™t arrived at the theater yet so we keep full throttle and keep on keeping on until she sings. Then we will do the high five and let those fresh ones come in to advance the ball even further in Iraq and Afghanistan and continue the fight. Through the past 8 mos in Afghanistan and a year in Iraq, the biggest down fall without a doubt hasnâ€™t been the service members completing the mission or a lack in body armor, tanks or battle equipment, its been the media support back in the states. Without fail the media has done its best to downplay the elections, create doubt and instability. Sure they covered the battle of Fallujah but that was easy for them. Now, when the rubber meets the road, where are they? Where are the stories? I there are othe very important things happening in the world that should be reported on to inform America, Instead they are busy reporting about show dogs escaping!!! Time for a Cee GAR! Capt B Semper Fi

2006-02-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

THE UNBREAKABLE CHAIN (From the picture) Pear Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraced Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas yesterday. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and an eye when he defused a bomb in Iraq last year. This weeks image of U.S. troops in combat in Fallujah deepened the dayâ€™s significance for many who attended tributes held in San Diego and across the nation (Last years Veterans Day) I have been out and about a lot lately across Iraq. The destination names change but the Marines there are the same wherever you go. They have been trained with the same foundation of warrior ethos and know what is expected and demanded of them as Marines. We police our own and fix it if discipline strays or leadership weakens well before others get the chance to do it for us. As an officer if you see something wrong and you donâ€™t correct it, your just as guilty and youâ€™ve let that Marine down if you donâ€™t â€œfixâ€� it on the spot. We maintain our corps standards regardless if we are at Camp Pendleton in the states or in the middle of the desert in Iraq because in this business if you begin to stray, people can get killed when you screw up. But why do we do it?? Is it the Money, yea right, is it the fame? Nope were not apart of the NFL. Then why do young men joint the Marine Corps, get physically demolished at boot camp, travel to the crappiest places in the world, face the toughest enemyâ€™s and win?? Because they want to be different. They want to be challenged and they want to be a US Marine. Marine Corps boot camp breaks down recruits from how they did things as a civilian and makes them time efficient, physically top notch warriors. They learn to do more with less and be the first ones to take the tuff jobs head on. Overhear in Iraq they do it for one another. Each Marine knows that he must do his part or the Green Machine will become weaker. He doesnâ€™t want to let his fellow Marine down. In day to day operations, combat operations, wounded situations and in the attack. Marines may come across as cocky, arrogant and mean. However, when you look at it, its one Marine taking care of business for another. Thatâ€™s why you see a Marine run out in the open to grab his fellow wounded Marine. He might get hit as well but heâ€™s not going to sit there and let some bag nasty low life hurt one of our own. This why you might see Marines traveling around in squads or fire teams back in the states in your near a USMC base. They have lived, eaten slept, worked and died together. That bond continues when they return to the states. Ever seen two Marines meet for the first time? Usually they ask what the other does and then begin to swap stories. One time a buddy and I were out and ran into this guy who said he was a Marine. Ok, when we began to ask him about duty stations or what he does, all the wrong answers came out. He obviously used this â€œactâ€� to pick up chicks. Wow was he embarrassed when we exposed him for the truth. Here in a foreign country your fellow Marines are what you have. They are your family. A place where you make sure they are fed before yourself. You make sure they get the gear they need to do the job you ask. You make sure you take care of your Marines. Regardless of what others think of you, you know you Marines know you and you know them Marines stick together. Sure there are Marines who donâ€™t get along, who donâ€™t agree but all that goes out the window when its them against us. When you are facing the enemy, nervous our out numbered you and your Marines have a common bond, a chain and neither of you will break it, its unbreakable. Regardless of rank or age, Once a Marine Always a Marine. We take care of our own. My tour in Afghanistan is over and now my tour in Iraq will end soon too. There are thousands of Americans out there who have helped us in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Sending packages and letters love and support. It would seem impossible to put the thanks into words and express the gratitude and the appreciation. One of the best ways for us to express our appreciation is through a few simple words. Thank you for your support!! One organization has made a lot of this possible and has helped me back when all of this started in Afghanistan. ANYSOLDIER.COM started the â€œon line support your troopsâ€� and still offers thousands of service members who need your support. Itâ€™s the simple things like letters letting them know your out there and that you care that matters. Knowing they have your support makes a difference. On April 29th, Any Soldier.com will be hosting a Dinner Cruise aboard theAmberjack V. Its on a weekend in NY city where this all started near the Statue of Liberty. I owe it to Marty and you all to be there. Please if you can make it, join us and allow me to thank you in person, where meeting you and thanking all of you it would be my pleasure. SEMPER FIDELIS Capt B â€œKeep Attackingâ€� COMBAT UPDATE Late yesterday afternoon, three Iraqi citizens and two Iraqi soldiers were killed by a suicide car bomber at a vehicle checkpoint near New Ubaydi in western Al Anbar. Additionally, two Iraqi soldiers and a U.S. Marine were injured by the blast and were transported to a military medical facility nearby. New Ubaydi is 20 km from the Iraq-Syria border along the Euphrates River and was cleared of Al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists by Iraqi and U.S. Forces last November during Operation Steel Curtain. Vehicle checkpoints are established to deny AQI terrorists the freedom to re-establish a presence in cities once cleared. Since the combined Iraqi-U.S. presence was established in the area, New Ubaydi has seen few signs of insurgent activity. During the Dec. 15 National Election citizens of the area voted in considerable numbers.The nationality of the bomber is unknown.

2006-02-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THIS PLACE?? Hey Gang. Weve been on the road a lot these past few days and all is going well. Blogger is giving me hell and doesnâ€™t allow me to sign on but I have my ways but still cant add a photo or the post I had for today so it will be posted next time. The Marines are doing very well along with the Iraqiâ€™s who are gradually coming up to speed and taking things on themselves. Throughout our travels and as a light at the end of the tunnel begins to appear you come to forget some of the basic things you might take for granted back in the states. Besides the obvious, running water, cars and economic structure that allow you to buy anything you want just about anytime of the day, you forget about whatâ€™s it like to do the basic things that use to be common practice. Hot water in the shower is a nice thing. Radio stations, TV other than DVDs and FOX news and some crazy Haji station. Having not to decide what youâ€™re going to wear because youâ€™ve worn the exact same color all year, something out of an Einstein story as he would always wear the same clothes so he could eliminate that problem of his day. Yes wearing blue jeans and shoes other than the slipper formed combat boot may be a shocker. Traffic lights, adjacent traffic, cars besides armored hummers, crowded places and all with out a gun or two or close air support clearing your way?? Going out to dinner with the family and friends. Not being at work 24/7 from 0600 to whenever and working weekends and holidays. Holidays? What are those when youâ€™re in a combat zone?? Interaction with people who arenâ€™t readily trying to kill you and no immediate threat of indirect fire or trash on the road covering IEDs. No more â€œsituationsâ€� as the major situations back home might be a flat tire or a car wreckâ€¦â€¦â€¦..but not an impeding sniper picking off warriors downtown or the small arms fighting just off base. No I anticipate what it will be like to go out for dinner and sit among people not in body armor, with weapons and couple day sweat worn camies on. To eat with metal utensils and have real glass of real milk. To not have constant dirt, dust, pollution, burning shitters or the otherwise in the air as your daily fragrance. To live in a house, not a semi trailer and acquaintance myself with a real bathroom and not a shoe box disguised as a port a john. Try climbing in a port a john with combat gear on. For the love of god donâ€™t drop any gear down that hole and donâ€™t mind the shrapnel holes in the side of the cozy crapper either. Doing my laundry in a house and learning how to use money and its denominations again. To see my family and have a BBQ with American meat. To watch TV on the same time frame as the rest of America and not have to stay up to 0200 to watch a Sunday morning football game. How I will miss the ever constant low fly over of helo gunships, aerial reconnaissance aircraft, jets and occasional mortar, RPG and small arms rounds. Tracers through the sky and warning sirens. The many flys trying to get youâ€™re your mouth and the rat that thinks my sleeping bag is a good place to give birth. Our melted and burnt TV and mattress ( we will miss it so), walking to the head in shower shoes and having Haji attack. Of course how will we adjust without having sand everywhere, under and atop everything and in all cracks? The need to use boxes sent to you to send out your own packages and filling out the hundred lined customs form. The many uses of an ammo can from cigar humidor to useful furniture. Hitting golf balls over the Euphrates river and seeing the FOX news reporters (ladies) and thinking â€œthatâ€™s what American women look likeâ€� I think. Donning the ever loving body armor in the 120 degree weather, sweating until salt forms on your clothes and you see Elvis streaking across the Iraqi road as you are crammed into a reinforced hummer. Drinking the tasty bottled water out of the UAE shipped through several Arab countryâ€™s to us in another Arab countryâ€¦â€¦â€¦.does that make sense?? Being in Iraq is like being in Hawaii. You are stuck on a base (an island) and if you go into the waters you might get attacked. But here everything is crap brown and Hawaii, well itâ€™s the totally opposite of crap brown. Yes, the frequent shock wave created by incoming and out going that you feel in your chest will never be replaced back home but at least the Iraqiâ€™s are gradually coming up to speed and taking things on themselves. Burning a stoag for all of you Semper Fi Capt B COMBAT UPDATE Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division spearheaded their second independent operation yesterday. Iraqi soldiers led a security presence and sweeping operation today in the village of Subiyhat to clear the area of insurgents and interact with the populace. Subiyhat is a small village located in rural, eastern Al Anbar Province, home to more than 2,000 citizens in the vicinity of Fallujah. Operation Tawakalna Ala Allah, (Trust in God) was the unitâ€™s second battalion-sized operation in the Al Anbar Province planned and conducted by the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade leadership. Marines from 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team - 8 assisted in the operation by providing security on the outer perimeter. The operation resulted in the detention of four suspected insurgents and enhanced relations between the citizens of Subiyhat and the Iraqi Army. â€œI want the people in this area to understand that we are here for their protection and we are here to stay,â€� said Col. Najim Abdullah Menahi Salmon, commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade. â€œI am very proud of the way my soldiers operated todayâ€¦our mission was a success.â€� The operation involved three Iraqi army companies from the 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade which patrolled the village. Two additional Marine companies from 1st Battalion manned the outer security cordon. The primary goals for the Iraqi soldiers were to meet with locals and search for illegal weapons. They also distributed leaflets with the battalionâ€™s tips line phone number so residents can report insurgent activity. In addition, the soldiers passed out several dozen Iraqi national flags while interacting with the villagers. â€œThe national flags are popular because it gives the people pride to receive the Iraqi flag from the soldiers of the Iraqi army,â€� Najim said. â€œI plan to build on our success today and increase these types of operations in the future.â€� The Marine commander supporting the operation also considered the dayâ€™s efforts a success. â€œMy number one priority during this deployment is to facilitate the development of the Iraqi army capabilities,â€� said Lt. Col. David J. Furness, commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. â€œThe more [the Iraqi Army] operates, the more confident they become in their abilities, and the more eager they become to assume responsibility for security.â€� Iraqâ€™s 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade assumed their current battle space from the U.S Marineâ€™s 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment Feb. 1. This operation was the next step in the progression of this unit gaining complete operational independence in this area of operations, Furness said.The 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division is partnered with Regimental Combat Team 8, under the II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2006-02-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN So, Im in my sleep coma and life is good. Then the alarm clock from hell part two sounds off at 0130 Monday morning. The Super Bowl pre game is starting and I asked myself, self why am I getting up?? The Cowboys arenâ€™t playing, the Broncos arenâ€™t playing (the two greatest teams that exist-in that order I might add) so why get up? Knowing I could watch the game and enjoy a cold haji Pepsi and cigar was a good enough excuse to get up and check it out. Detroit or also pronounced Detwa, The land of the automobile, Motor City, Motown with its 900,198 residents. What a place to have a Super Bowl and what a great theme for the Super Bowl. But as I watched the beginning I waited and anticipated the National Anthem. I still get chills when it is sung and so I tend to enjoy that part of the Super Bowl or any other major event that showcases the anthem. As it approached, the crowed and millions of viewers were informed of the Katrina victims etc as they were recognized on the the jumbo tron screen. Understandably. The Marine Corps Color Guard was introduced and I thought ok here we go fellas, get some. Then I blinked and that was all I saw of them. OK no big deal they will do good Im sure and Aaron Neville & Aretha Franklin began to let er rip. They sang it and seeing them made me feel even older than beforeâ€¦â€¦.and seeing The Stones at half time really made me feel oldâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..but not as old as them (No offense Mick). But wait a second the anthem ended and as I got to enjoy a great commercial that followed from the US Army about Hummer safety, I thought WTF??? No mention of the hundreds of thousands of service members deployed kicking holy bat shit out of guys that want to chop the heads off of reporters and anyone else that looks like a westerner?? The discipline safety commercials ended (joy) and the sports announcers did mention â€œWe would like to welcome all of the service members watching on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Stations (aka A-Fartsâ€¦..donâ€™t get me started) across the oceans and on board ships and foreign land joining us todayâ€�. Youâ€™ve got to be shitting me? OK, itâ€™s the Super Bowl, its not about us, its about football and we know that but for the love of god throw us a bone, will ya?? Lets take a quick look back at Super Bowl XXV when Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem. Remember that one? That one was shit hot! The crowed had the â€œSupport Our Troopsâ€� signs in the crowed and the halftime show at least had an American flag in it. But now with hundred of thousands of troops deployed keeping the wolf at bay, squashing the insurgency and freeing and establishing democracy in two countryâ€™s you would have thought you would see a couple seconds of the usual shot of troops deployed warriors watching the game in shitville or something, right??? Nope. Did you even know they had a jet fly by the stadium?? Although a covered stadium they did a fly by at the end of the National Anthem. Didnâ€™t get to see that one either. What happened? What did we change? Why have we changed? We still need your support like we did back in Super Bowl XXV. I understand there was suppose to be a scheduled â€œService member Acknowledgementâ€� commercial shown, (ohhh lets not go crazy now and run a commercial supporting the troops ohh we might make some one madâ€¦..) but since I didnâ€™t get to see the commercials I donâ€™t know if it was shown or not. BUT I have to give it to AFARTS as they showed families saying thanks and come home soon taped messages on our commercials and political leaders thanking us for our service. Cool. With the 133.7 million viewers and it being one of the 10 most-watched programs in TV history why wouldnâ€™t you want to run a â€œThat a boyâ€� for your fellow warriors out getting some?? Money?? Na, the government sponsors www.Americasupportsyou.com and they could have made crazy support by running a spot but didnâ€™t. Theyâ€™re were even wounded veterans in the crowed, did they get a pat on the back or recognition! So I ask WTF over? Is it because there wasnâ€™t any negative news?? Maybe if hundreds of Marines were killed or lost comparable to the losses of Katrina we would have gotten some recognition? If thatâ€™s what it takes I never want recognition. Monday morning Fox news did show some Army Joes watching the game in Baghdad just after they did the follow up story on that pinko punk ass from the LA Times that says we shouldnâ€™t recognize the service members for what they are doing. Maybe he was on the Super Bowl committee?? I donâ€™t have to tell you gang that if it werenâ€™t for that 18 year old out on patrol while many over paid fat butts were watching the game in the big dollar press boxes, they would have been complaining big time about security searches and everything else that would have been installed because of the threat at the game. But they didnâ€™t moan about cavity searches because it didnâ€™t happen because Haji is on the run from that pissed off 18 year old and not worried about melting a stadium down and killing thousands. I think that deserves a â€œthat a boyâ€� at least, especially since itâ€™s his third freaking tour over here. I donâ€™t know maybe Im off the mark here and have had too many close calls with explosives and two pots of coffee to many, but my gut call is this could have been done a lot better, especially if the Cowboys were playing. Now I know why I woke up to watch the game, its because down deep I knew this was going to happen and I guess I just thought I might be wrong. Has the media convinced you that what we are doing is wrong or not significant since Marines arnt dying at the cyclic rate? No big deal, its come and gone and we continue to carry out operations against these scum bags and open cans of whoop ass on them, regardless of what was shown during the Super Bowl, its our job and we are glad to do it regardless of the â€œThanksâ€�. We wish you could have seen some of the real Super Bowl out here, or at least let that 18 year old Marine watching the game and all the other Americans out there know you were thinking about him, but the Super Bowl didnâ€™t run that play. With or without Super Bowl recognition, SEMPER FIDELIS Capt B â€œKeep attacking, we areâ€� COMBAT UPDATE (Press Release) Approximately 250 Iraqi Police candidates left Al Anbar last night to begin their 10-week police training course. Approximately 100 were recruited from the provincial capital of Ar Ramadi. This is the second group of Iraqi police recruits to volunteer and ship out for training in the last three weeks. The previous group of candidates left Ramadi for the Baghdad Police Academy on Jan. 12. Ninety candidates are from the western Iraqi city of Husaybah and the remaining 60 are from Fallujah. After graduating from the training, the police officers will return to Al Anbar and assume their policing duties. On Jan. 5 a suicide bomber attacked a police recruitment center in Ramadi killing approximately 30 and wounding many more. Four insurgents were killed after they opened fire on an Iraqi Army and U.S. Marine patrol operating along the Euphrates River south of Hit yesterday. The combined patrol was conducting a cache sweep when the insurgents attacked with small arms fire. Iraqi soldiers and U.S. patrol returned fire killing four insurgents and detaining three others for questioning. In addition to their weapons, one killed was found to be wearing a suicide vest of the bodies of the attackers. Operation Cart Aldachan (Smokewagon) began Feb. 2 and is a 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) operation along the Euphrates in the vicinity of Hit. No Iraqi Army or U.S casualties were sustained during the raid.

2006-02-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY (words in picture follow) For all the free people that still protest, youâ€™re welcome, We protect you and you are protected by the best. Your voice is strong and loud, but who will fight for you? No one standing in your crowd. We are your fathers, brothers, and sons, wearing the boots and carrying the guns. We are the ones that leave all we own, to make sure your future is carved in stone. We are the ones who fight and die. We might not be able to save the world , well at least we try. We walked the paths to where we are at and we want no choice other than that. So when you rally your group to complain, take a look in the back of your brain. In order for that flag you love to fly, wars must be fought and young men must die. We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear, if thatâ€™s not respected we would rather stay here. So please stop yelling and put down your signs, and pray for those behind enemy lines. When the conflict is over and all is well, be thankful that we chose to go through hell. Itâ€™s an early Sunday morning. The anticipation builds along with excitement. Nerves twinge and fears and worries race through your head this morning. Itâ€™s the big event, the Super Bowl. Iâ€™m not talking the football game Iâ€™m talking about your next convoy. But wait everyday is the Super Bowl here. Thatâ€™s the mind set. You get your â€œgearâ€� on, have a pre game (order & rehearsal) and youâ€™re always practicing. Sure there are some big time pressures in a Super Bowl football game and Iâ€™m sure they seem grand with high stakes. A lot at stake, trophy, money, fame, victory but itâ€™s still a game and not your life at stake. If it comes down to the last few seconds of the game and you begin to see teammates holding hands like they did in their college days on a knee as the kicker lines up to kick the winning field goal and the kicker misses, you arenâ€™t going to have to begin first aid treatment for a sucking chest woundâ€¦â€¦.well usually you wont have to but the fans may wish otherwise. If they donâ€™t get to the first down hash mark on third down during the fourth quarter, youâ€™re not going to have to go to physical therapy for six months to learn how to use your prosthetic. But if you catch a glimpse of a Marine taking a knee, do us a favor and keep your pie hole shut and respect em while they do it. Sure the coaches and players on Sunday will have plans and plays for their strategy. But will they be reading the surrounding citizens in the stands to see if they are pulling their kids off the streets because of an immanent attack? Will they see a piece of press trash blow towards them on the side lines and flinch because of a past IED experience? Will the game be interrupted by incoming mortars??â€¦â€¦..not while were at work. It may not be fair to compare the Super Bowl with combat action in Iraq and Afghanistan but if you want to talk about the â€œBig Showâ€�, all the marbles, what youâ€™ve been training for your entire life then, yes you can compare the two. You can compare the stresses, fear, anxieties, joy and sadness. However, we are 10,000 miles from anyone who really likes us and do it everyday not just on one particular Sunday. No autographs, few positive interviews, no contracts for endorsements or rolling around in expensive cars or nice houses. But I do have a sweet cot they can borrowâ€¦â€¦.when I donâ€™t need it and Iâ€™ll take my scratched armed to the teeth hummer over their new Mercedes here any day. The game comes on around 0300 for us, not that it will be any different from any other day heck, Christmas wasnâ€™t different why would the Super Bowl create a special day? We wonâ€™t see the two million dollar commercials as the government station that shows the game will only produce safety commercials and weather reports for the region instead. The standard dayâ€™s events will take place and we will have our own game to fight. As you watch the game this Sunday, having a cold one with your cigar, chips and dip and family and friends, take a couple seconds and remember we are out here for you and proud to do it. Some on their third tour, some here for a year, some just getting here. As you watch the game, know that that somewhere a young Marine is walking the streets of a foreign land, driving the armored hummer on their billionth convoy or standing a post to keep the wolf at bay while the game is on. When they play and sing the National Anthem, listen to the words carefully because we are making those words actions here taking care of business during our Super Bowl. The super stars on the field will play their game but regardless donâ€™t believe the rumors, your Marines are human. This Super Bowl Sunday the players will don their battle gear, conduct their press days, living with excitement and fame. Enjoy their moment to shine and they will do everything in their power conquer and seize the moment for when they will make a difference. Your Marines, well we will be doing the same thing here. Semper Fidelis â€œGet Someâ€� Capt B COMBAT UPDATE This raid was conducted by Iraqi soldiers not any of the tribal groups that have been stated in the press. There were American soldiers in support but this was an Iraqi Army raid. PRESS RELEASE- Soldiers with 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division conducted a targeted raid in Ar Ramadi against a foreign insurgent cell suspected of operating in the provincial capital. The intelligence attained by the Iraqi soldiers led to the capture of 15 suspected insurgents, 11 of which are identified as Syrian nationals and the remaining four as Iraqis. The raid took place at a factory in the Tameem district of Ramadi at about 1 p.m. today. The foreign insurgents surrendered to the Iraqi soldiers and were taken for further questioning; 36 AK-47 assault rifles were also taken in the raid. No casualties were sustained during the raid.

2006-02-01T09:39:00.000-05:00

ACE IN THE HOLE Have you ever had to do something that was complex, crazy but required. Something that if it went astray the domino affect would be catastrophic? When you experience these type of events and you are hit with a size 12 shoe from Murphy (Murphyâ€™s law) you had better have a plan B set up. Well My plan B was shot to hell and we were loosing altitude and airspeed quick as we were headed towards a very bad area. To say shit was hitting the fan is an understatement. Everyone going 50,000 directions and dealing with one of those events where if you forget the smallest detail you would be swallowing a big spoon of trouble. This is the perfect time for your one â€œAce in the holeâ€� to shine. You know the guy that gives you what you need just as you go to ask for it. The guy that comes up with a nice cold glass of ice water in hell. Thatâ€™s this guy. I know one of â€œthoseâ€� guys. Heâ€™s worth his weight in gold and he is hard to replace. Were not talking reliable. Were talking how in the hell did you pull that off reliable. This guy could have been Wylie Coyote (Canis latrans,) pulling rocket launchers out of the ACME box as he always comes up with what he needs just in the right time. Although he has a lot better luck than Wylie with his results. This guy doesnâ€™t work for me here but thatâ€™s all the better. Here in Iraq, itâ€™s the land of â€œhook upsâ€� and this guy is the man for hook ups. He tells me you can get anything in Iraq, you just have to know where to find it. Nothing criminal of course, as we donâ€™t keep what we are borrowing. Its just that back in the states if you need something you go to the store if you donâ€™t already have it and get one. Here, if you didnâ€™t bring it in your pack, you got to go a searching and bargaining and that is time demanding and time is our worse enemy sometimes. Its almost a game and a challenge for him because we hit him with some crazy stuff sometimes and during those â€œtuff requestsâ€� we will get the response of, â€œIâ€™ll get you one, it might take be a couple hours but Iâ€™ll get you oneâ€� We are currently looking into cloning this guy and I must say we have a good start. The coffee can has a solid buck twenty five in the coffee mess. â€œSo your saying thereâ€™s a chanceâ€�â€¦â€¦... We were almost successful last time, we went to clone him but we didnâ€™t tell him we were doing it and his pockets were full metallic stuff and everything got cloned but himâ€¦â€¦â€¦..minor set backâ€¦donâ€™t stare at the lump on the side of his neck if you see himâ€¦..the machine kicks out some serious radioactive material. The best is when you need â€œXâ€� and you need it in an hour. You make your usual calls and then after you canâ€™t find one you â€œmake the callâ€�. Its like out of a movies, â€œMr President, its time to make the callâ€�. By combining ingenuity thinking, time management and savvyness this guy can be a deadly weapon in this area. I guess this guy gets his creativity from being part Marine, Canis latrans, magician, MacGyver, part server. He just wonâ€™t be beat and takes on the challenge to help. Wanting to help and giving a crap to get off his butt to do it is what sets this â€œgo toâ€� guy aside from others. He also doesnâ€™t let distraction get in his way â€œkeep the drama for your mama!!! This guys resume could read like the intro from the A team. In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped the maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles Underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-team. Are their guys out there like this that you know? Semper Fi Capt B COMBAT UPDATE Press release-Approximately 1,000 Iraqi soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) completed Operation Al Dharba Al Nihaaâ€™ya (Final Strike) in the Jazerra area northwest of Habbaniyah, 75 km west of Baghdad yesterday. The eastern Jazerra is a known insurgent staging area for attacks against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. Operation Final Strike is a counter insurgency operation aimed at neutralizing the insurgency activity and providing a secure area for the citizens of the Jazerra. The Iraqi soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device and a small weapons cache during the course of the daylong operation.Third Brigade controls their own battle space within the 2nd BCTâ€™s area of operation. Since the end of August, 3rd Brigade has been conducting independent counter insurgency operations in this area. The morale of the Iraqi Soldiers of this brigade is very high; the work that they are doing shows their ability to properly execute missions. The Iraqi Army is earning the trust of the Iraqi citizens by protecting them from the insurgents and their terrorist operations,â€� said 3rd Brigade Commander, General Abdul Amir. Third Brigade is composed of three Iraqi Army battalions, a commando company and the brigade headquarters unit.

2006-01-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

JUST ANOTHER DAY What was your day like? Yea, so was mineâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦well, I bet ours was a bit different. I take for granted that you donâ€™t know what our day is like. This is our way of life here and sometimes you think thatâ€™s all there is. You back in the statesâ€¦â€¦..your in another world entirely. Here in Iraq you have your routine and you donâ€™t think about the states or at least you try not to. Over the past year here its almost like the states is make believe. In Afghani, it was all mud huts and generator power. Few cars and all the other healthy stuff that comes with a third world country. Bacteria that eats the flesh, things that grow in the dirt I wouldnâ€™t mention at a biker bar and its not if you get sick but just how bad you get sick. HA!! I laugh at you Montezumaâ€™s revenge! You little girlie man virus! Your day may have entailed getting up, going eating breakfast (probably not for what ever reason) hurrying off to work, dealing with delusional idiots on the road who ate one too many stupid pills or are still asleep. Or perhaps you had a special day where your car didnâ€™t operate correctly and the shit storm began there. Once getting to work you put in an honest day (had to listen to that damn big mouth down from you, who you might want to drop kick into a four lane highway) and for you female gender out there he probably has hit on you time again and wont get the hint when you call him Eric Estradaâ€¦you say â€œidiotâ€� as you have mental thoughts of charging a Browning Urban Assault black tint shot gun and aiming in on himâ€¦.snap out of it woman! You boss is an idiot and you clinch your fists together and say in a mumbled stuttered voiceâ€¦..give me another report and Iâ€™ll, Iâ€™ll burn building downâ€¦â€¦.. An overpriced lunch that some 18 year old threw together for youâ€¦â€¦.I cant describe where that could go or what is really in it. Back to work to finish up the day to only deal with even more idiots, dodge the bus driver who doesnâ€™t see you or swerve to prevent a side swipe by the driver changing lanes without looking (no more pills idiot! ) . Get home, ponder whats for dinner and try to salvage some family time before you pass out. Man you guys are screwed, Im not coming back, end of postâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦ Our day or I should say routine is a bit different. Yea I know we are in a war zone. But going back to what you are doing there in the states may be scary as hell. At least here when I hear an explosion, I know its either incoming, outgoing, IED, SVBIED, etc etc. We get up, now in this time of year its still dark and you get moving. Some days you are the windshield and sometimes youâ€™re the bug. Sleeping in, forgetaboutit! But wait, before we go any further let me tell you about 0100 when the IEDs went off or the incoming hit and you use to get up and get your business suit on and now your likeâ€¦â€¦uh..oh it was and IED and far enough away and go back to sleep. Days are different out here. Sometimes your off base and Taking Care of Business (TCB) but while your off base the paperwork beast awaits for your return. Yes, there is always a chance of having a rocket come out of no where and turn you into a stain on the wall but hey thatâ€™s why we say when it your time its your time. Your aware of it but you donâ€™t let it drive your actions. So no shit there we wereâ€¦â€¦â€¦.hehe, the day had been going good. Nice quiet, a time that we are back on base and not out and about. Cleaning up a few things and was able burn a stoag or twoâ€¦â€¦..maybe three as we field day the area (cleaned up). I can hear my mother NOW, those are bad for youâ€¦â€¦â€¦..yes, but so are RPGs!! Everything is freaking GRAND when a launch is heard (rocket launch) and the subsonic flight of the rocket cutting through the air is very distinctive. Its not headed directly for us but it still makes you run for your shelter. Impact is about 200-300 yrds away and itâ€™s a good one. Shortly after the impact our counter battery is all over them dumping â€œjusticeâ€� on top of them. Eat that shit birds!!!! A bit later I think then as things cool off, I should go PT and go for a run. Im telling you there must be a Haji appointed to watch me for when I go to the head and tell his buddies to launch the mortars as soon as I go in. I fooled them for awhile with my doubleâ€¦â€¦â€¦..not! No sooner do I get one foot outa the shower after my run. Crump, Crumpâ€¦â€¦â€¦.Crump. I think to myself, those little mother Ffffff (sorry kids) scratches as I hug the shitter floor. Nothing to be excited about as the head floor is pretty nasty. Floor scum or shrapnel, scum or shrapnelâ€¦â€¦.tuff one. I take the floor scum. Small arms and RPG fire breaks out following the incoming. Well there isnâ€™t that specialâ€¦â€¦they decided to conduct a nice coordinated attack just off base (said in the church lady voice). So I finish toweling off and figure Iâ€™ll stay put for a minute as the couple min small arms fight subsides and the facility Im in is bunkered protected. There begins a lull so I figure, ok Im gonna make a run for my hooch. One step outside and just as I do a RPG impacts off base and the small arms begins again (Im so going to get that guy watching me) and as I begin my sprint for the hooch, two small arms rounds are distinctly heard going right over my head. OK, this looks like a good place to seek cover as I duck behind some sand barriers. Ho hum life is grand as all hell breaks loose across the way. One of our guards waved to me from his bunker in full gear. I wave back with a sarcastic â€œHelloâ€� Smart Ass as he has a big shit eating grin on his face as he watches me do the â€œoh shit sprintâ€� behind cover. Once things go into a lull I begin my shower shoe shuffle back to my hooch once again I think, man that would suck to buy the farm in the head. REAL great. Tomb stone reads â€œdied in Iraq fighting soap scumâ€� GRAND, Fierce!! The funny thing is that â€œTacoâ€� was supposed to be here the day this was going down. We would have been looking at each other laughing at each other like little school girls I bet as shit hit the fan. This reminded me of the time about 7-8 months ago when I got back on base late and went for a run at night. It was the summer time and my mother continued to ask me if I had been going to church. I said nope, I donâ€™t like going to gatherings of large amounts of people cause itâ€™s a mortar magnet. I still got a lecture. So as I ran I passed the church with her words in my head. No sooner do I get 100 yrds past it a bad sand storm develops quickly and its hard to see and dark. Then I heard lightening, or I thought but it was yet another rocket attack and guess where it hit? Yip,the church. Bad Hajiâ€™s very baaaaaaad. Evenings are usually pretty mellow. Many finish up work around 1900-2000 as almost a way for the time to pass quicker if your busy. Then maybe a nice stoag while the constant prayers wale about, sending their propaganda through the cityâ€¦.Americans are badâ€¦â€¦bla bla blaâ€¦.or â€¦â€¦stay inside so you donâ€™t get hurt during upcoming attacks against the infidels. The summer time it was still in the 90s around 2000 and we would be outside in PT gear but now with an occasional rain and it dropping into the 30â€™s we be loading up on the snivel gear to hang out at night. However its amazing how pretty the sunsets can be but know on the other end of that there is so much of a lack for life here as well. We work seven days a week with a partial day on Sunday and you may not do anything in the morning but work until the late hours of the night. Youâ€™re a Marine 24/7. Here the days are exciting and the nights, if quiet, then they can get exciting. Your days although crazy will get quiet. What was your day like? Yea, so was mineâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦ Keep Attacking! Semper Fi Capt B....moving towards a CeeGar!

2006-01-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

THE YOUNG MARINE BREAKS THE CODE Type type type, ="<$BlogURLTyPingSuCks#@$>">â€¦..HTML code is FUN! I try to tell myself as I continue to get severely beasted on entering some good HTML upgrades for the Blog. So as I continue to hack away at the computer with a dull hatchet and say nasty things about its mother, I seek help from one of our computer Jediâ€™s. After pulling a standard mind trick on meâ€¦â€¦â€¦.Sir, you will not figure it out, got to bed as he waves his hand. We continue our conversation and he mentions how he is trying to get into school and increase his education. Like many young Marines heâ€™s a sharp guy, not just because of his computer skills but as his overall character makes him well balanced. So instead of putting the post I had ready, it can wait as below is Sgt Mâ€™s essay. After you read it you too will agree America is lucky to have these young warriors on our side and so eager to serve, â€¦â€¦..Sir, you are taking too much time and babbling.(hand wave)â€¦â€¦â€¦..Knock off the hand waving already MR jedi, your making me tired. When I joined the Marine Corps in February of 2002, I was really looking for a way to pay for college. The college I attended for just one semester went bankrupt, causing me to lose my full scholarship. I signed the enlistment papers never thinking about going to war, even though the United States was attacked by terrorists just a few months earlier. I drifted through the first year of my military career unmoved by what was happening around me. Units were deploying, there was a war in Afghanistan, and tensions were mounting in Iraq. I went through recruit training, combat training, and my military occupational specialty school, each putting more and more emphasis on being prepared to deploy. My first duty station was at the 2d Marine Division, a Marine Corps infantry division. For the first six months after my arrival on Camp Lejeune, I watched the wars on the evening news. Nothing about the either war, Afghanistan or Iraq, had affected me personally yet. One day in the summertime, shortly after the invasion of Iraq, I was told to assist in the preparation of a memorial service that was for Marines who died in the first wave invasion of Iraq. I figured I would be setting up chairs and tents for the ceremony. That day, however, changed my life; my duty was much different from what I pictured in my mind. As we ushered the families of the fallen heroes, I realized how much had been given by these Marines. I was selected to accompany a young woman, who was approximately 20 years old, carrying two children. I took one of the children, and she wrapped her arm inside mine as we walked forward to the memorial service. We were seated side by side with the rest of the mourning families. The death of her husband was being represented in true military fashion: a kevlar helmet, wearing a set of goggles, perched on top of a rifle that was standing at attention muzzle down at the heals of the boots that the young man wore in Iraq. A set of dog-tags dangled from the hand grip of the rifle. This was one of twenty-six displays in front of the families and the formation of over two thousand Marines in attendance. They play taps on a trumpet when a three-man detail of Marines lowers a flag at sunset. I have since heard it several times, but that day marked the first time that I heard taps being played when Marines, not our nationâ€™s colors, were being laid to rest. The young woman found temporary comfort in crying on my shoulder, though I knew it could never take the place of the husband she was laying to rest. I cried with her, for I felt I had lost a brother. It was then that I realized what the Marine Corps was all about. There had been talk about our division deploying to the war in Iraq, but the dates just kept being pushed back further and further. After two years on station, I could have requested to be moved to a different unit or a different base. Just before I made the decision to change units, our date was set: our division was finally deploying for Operation Iraqi Freedom. We were going to war. No matter what kind of danger I just put myself in, I could not coax myself out of being faithful, especially to those who had made the ultimate sacrifice. My decision to stay in the division a little longer was rewarded with the opportunity to go to war in Iraq with my fellow Marines, my best friends. At first, there was nervousness throughout the platoon from not knowing what to expect, but we were there for each other. We talked about what our jobs were going to be and we focused on doing those jobs perfectly. By the time we got on the bus in late February of 2005, we were ready. Eleven months later, we are nearing the end of our tour and I am still here past the end of my four year contract. Not because I was forced; rather, I am here because I volunteered to stay so that I could be with my friends. Today we said goodbye to a couple of guys from my section, the first of many. Unlike some goodbyes in the past, these ones are cheerful because these men are going home to be with their families, not to be buried. In the last year, we learned to live comfortably together, work seamlessly together, fight fights together, celebrate happy times together, and mourn the loss of our friends together. We became a family, however we are going home with one less member than we came here with. But like any family, that one member will always be with us in our hearts. I joined the Marine Corps over four years ago for the college money. Now that I am about to finish my tour, I am reflecting on what I got out of it. Yes, I will get the college money, but what I was given is much deeper than the materialistic values. I have the advantage of knowing that I served faithfully with the greatest fighting force in the world. I have the benefit of knowing that I was part of the strongest brotherhood known to man, a brotherhood whose members would gladly go to war with you and lay their lives on the line for you. I have the profit of knowing that I retain some of the strongest friendships that could ever exist, friendships that most people will never be lucky enough to experience in their entire lives. I have the honor of knowing that I am a United States Marine. Thanks Sgt M for sending me your essay, itâ€™s a pleasure to serve here in Iraq with you and the many other outstanding Marines like you. Semper Fi Capt B Time for a CeeGar!! (TCB)

2006-01-23T03:14:00.000-05:00

BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE Iraq, like America continues through its growing pains and tribulations to become a new nation. Great strives have been accomplished throughout the country at the expense of Iraqi, Coalition and International forces over the past year. Like America it has become a new nation conceived through liberty and freedom. Its amazing how solid history tends to hold true throughout time. Like America, Iraq is growing as a country and we can see the same growing pains in Iraq that we experienced here in America. Your service members continue to make sacrifice, reinforce dedication to what they believe in and continue to make valuable gains for the people of Iraq. Their efforts here in Iraq and Afghanistan will not be forgotten and will forever be placed in our history as selfishness acts of freedom and gratitude and it will never be forgotten what we accomplished here, for the people. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg AddressLike the Iraqi people, we in America need to always remember what we have and not to take it for granted. It is easy to take your way of life for granted. Your means of travel, your house, your job and the simple things in life you have never appreciated unless youâ€™ve done without. Imagine what it would be like without them. Imagine what it would be like without freedom. With your continued support your service members have been the military force to help Iraq, but you the people of America people have been the spirit to help a nation grow, both their and ours. Keep Attacking! Capt B

2006-01-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

THE MARINE Heâ€™s Billy from down the street, your friends kid, your old student. He might have cut your grass you might have watched him as a kid. He left home to the unknown, was taught and tested until he earned the title. He has learned the meaning of Semper Fi. He doesnâ€™t see black, white or brown, just green and we never leave green behind. He became comfortable being miserable and welcomes fear and knows how to deal with it. Sent around the world to do a manâ€™s job and became a man in the process. He puts up with a shit ton of crap, bitches and moans but gets it done and better than most adults. Adapts to change easily like a chameleon and uses flexibility as a foundation. Smart, cunning and loyal. Will listen to what he is afraid to hear and acts on it. Will walk to hell and back with the ones he respects. Razor sharp, smart and shinned. A bit cocky, and mean as hell. Full of fight because thatâ€™s all some have. Single, orphaned; only son, outcasted he has joined the Marine family and for some thatâ€™s all there is. Proud disciplined, cleans up well and short haired. Keeps his body and mind tuned and improves both constantly. Follows direction even when he is too tired to know why. Proud enough to give his life for others but takes others if he has to. Returns home in the middle of the night, no welcoming bands, no flags, just his fellow Marines and gets ready to start all over the next day. Heâ€™s pushed his body to failure then continued and went further. Measures twice and cuts once. He can sleep on a rock, in the mud or out to sea. Walks in the footsteps of warriors past and isnâ€™t afraid to stand and protect the weak. Because of warriors like him we are free. Heâ€™s a son, a daddy, an assault man, a tanker, a brother, a daughter. A feeder to the hungry and a killer of evil. He wants to be different and make a difference. Heâ€™s the one you didnâ€™t think would amount to much but has become one of the few. He wears his uniform proudly when itâ€™s not popular; he stands watch while others rest. The mention of his name puts the fear of god into his enemyâ€™s hearts. We send fewer men like him to do the work of many and expect greater results in a shorter time. He welcomes the impossible. He thrives on challenge and loves it when they say he canâ€™t do it. Polite but a bit rough around the edges and crude. Smells like oil, grease, dirt and sweat. Likes his team logo on his arm and everywhere else. He does all of this with honor courage and commitment. Heâ€™s the kid down the street, the little brother, the new born father, the uncle you met once. Heâ€™s the man your mother tells you about in all of the pictures that you would have liked to have met when he was alive. Heâ€™s your dad. He volunteered to do all of this for you and me; heâ€™s the best youâ€™ve seen because heâ€™s a US Marine. To all the Marines out there. Thank you & Semper Fi. Capt B, Taking Care of Business (TCB) COMBAT UPDATE FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq â€“ Iraqi Army soldiers and approximately 1,000 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), are conducting counterinsurgency operations in the Al Anbar province. Operation Wadi Aljundi (Koa Canyon) began Jan. 15 in an effort to capture or kill insurgents and to locate and destroy their weapons caches in the Western Euphrates River Valley between the Jubbah/Baghdadi region and the city of Hit. This combined operation involves 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division, and the 22nd MEUâ€™s ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. The majority of the forces are conducting cordon and knock operations and searching areas of interest for weapons and insurgent activity along the Euphrates River, approximately 80 miles northwest of Baghdad. In addition to the Iraqi Army, Marines are also working with Iraqi Police in the Baghdadi region. More information on the operation will be released as it becomes available. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is operating under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division. For more information on the 22nd MEU (SOC) visit www.22meu.usmc.mil.

2006-01-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

SAVING THE WORLD There are many things we do to assist the Iraqi people both visible and sometimes not very visible. Many smaller events get accomplished so that larger ones can continue to move on and form the countryâ€™s independence. The event themselves I wont discuss but you can get a feeling at least of how we felt traveling around the area saving the world or so it seemed. Our convoy began in the dark. It was a good one and longer than most. All was good as I peered through my ballistic orange glasses for low light use. Not many Hajiâ€™s out and the travel was fast. The sun began to come up and we had to move to another base. Our mission would help many other Iraqis in the long run down the road. It was imperative to get there as we would be going through a lot of shady parts of town (Regular freaking carnival ride!). We moved through a farley large city and it looked like ruins of some Roman Empire with black smoke throughout. (no kilts) Our gunners fire a few warning shotgun shots at a car that doesnâ€™t want to stop. The whole time your doing the continuous IED scanning from hell, here there everywhere, where is the next one going off going to come from? The black burnt craters from past SVBIEDs are always reassuring and a deadly reminder along the highway. Truck one relays to watch the black bag on the right shoulder (characteristic of IEDs). We adjust. Flash bangs detonate near another truck who isnâ€™t stopping. (9 out of 10 times they just donâ€™t see us until we are upon them but the one time is the one that will kill you) This is why we use an escalation of force instead of gunning them down right off the bat. The sun is coming up and its an huge yellow sun rising with clouds above it and looks like something out of the holiday season tv version of the Ten Commandments. We get closer to our destination and more traffic is appearing but the Marines handle it well. Adjusting and clearing traffic we reach our destination without any problems. The credit goes to the young Marines being vigilant and proactive. What great leaders our county has to look forward to as they young Men continue to grow. We complete the first phase of our mission which takes the majority of the day. Many key personnel are involved and Iraqâ€™s future begins to become visible and Americas exit begins to become even more apparent. We are finished here and now have to move to yet another location for more business to conduct. We began our helo departure as it was dark, wind blowing and cold. The low illume turquoise lights from inside the helo showed our small group onto the aircraft. Crew chiefs manning the guns with their green glow around their eyes from their Night Vision Devices (NVGs) sat ready manning their 50 cals as we began to take off. Engines whining, fluid dripping (itâ€™s a good thing when they leak, its when they quit leaking is when you worry) The aircraft noses down as we lifted off for some reason the song â€œBorn to be wildâ€� by Steppenwolf began to play in my head and my toes began to tap. The low illume lights went out inside the helo and the ever present smell of JP8 aircraft fuel ran through the cabin. The shake of the helo is perfect to put you to sleep. Itâ€™s a short hop so I fight the sleep and look out the back ramp of the helo and see lit up clouds by a full moon. Its pitch black in the cabin. As we travel I catch the dark yellow moons reflection on the Euphrates as we fly over a section of the river. As we continue the moon disappears because of darker lower clouds we fly into and they begin to surround us. Its completely dark in the cabin minus the green eyes behind the 50 cals and a couple instrument lights in the cockpit. Then, a big flash and I fight my gear to twist to scan out a window and begin to clean the crap out of shorts. Its never good to see a big flash in the sky with helos. There is no more moon out and the flash was very bright. Were not hit I thought as we are still flying. As I always sit in the same place on the bird I know how to get out if we go into the drink (water) and as I reach for a well known handle to turn just in time to see spider webs of lightening go through the black cloudy sky just above us. Great! Grand! Wonderful! Were heading into a thunderstorm. The kind or lightening you see out on the prairie in the movies. Its actually pretty neat to see, just not at a few thousand feet. The aircraft drops down nice and a lot lower than usual as I can easily see the halogen lights that light up the houses in Haji land as we fly over them. For some reason I think about the last cigar I burnt about a half hour ago, it still tastes good. More lightening bolts off in the distance as the flight is pretty smooth surprisingly and there is a diamond shape cut out of the clouds as the full moon briefly shines through then goes behind black clouds. We approach our landing site banking hard left and I can make out a black helo silhouette behind us as the â€œDash 2â€� helo approaches in our adjacent path. We are low over the city and anti missile chaff begins to deploy off the aircraft to misdirect surface to air missile (basically it seems someone is locking on to us ) CRAPTFREAKINGASTIC!! Just what I need. I have had a long butt crack day, been up since yesterday, sitting in crap (not really) and now surface to air threat. We land however without any problems (ok the flyboys did a good job) and we are on the ground. Its dark, soaked ground from hours of past rain and our night begins to wind down but before we rack we go over the next days plan. It was a short night (stooopid alarm clock) and its still dark as I enjoy a nice pop tart and coffeeâ€¦â€¦â€¦..cigar to follow of course. We have yet another mission and its going to be a white knuckle ride. Im not humming Born to be wild anymore more like shitting diamonds cause we are so puckered. Helo support is above us and nice and low where I can see the pilots. I like it that way! We begin out the route weave through the many barriers to only be met by the many IED pot holes in the road right off the bat. My driver hits a pot hole (never good) and I say do you think we can go AROUND the potholes; I really donâ€™t want to hit any mines today! He is trying but he still hits a couple. We canâ€™t afford to get dead. Not today. We continue to motor down and have the air support about 50 yrds ahead of us at a couple hundred feet just looking for ass to beat. Our Forward Air Controller (FAC) vectors them to recon our path and watch our flanks as the city is bare and empty. We have a million moving parts to todayâ€™s op and for some reason things are just not going as planed. They say the best laid plan changes as soon as you step off. We ours went into another millennium. Adapt, overcome feel like shooting something, its all good we adjust and overcome. We get to our destination in downtown. First class craphole. Its like if you ever asked yourself, hmmmmmmmw here is the worse place I could think about being. BINGO, your there. The buildings shot up from previous gun fights, collapsed building floors, nasty standing water and a nice stench lead your way. We conduct our business with the Hajisâ€™s who we are working with. Its pretty interesting and they are doing their damnedest to build their country. You got to give it to them when they know Americaâ€™s history and George Washington better than some Americans. We talk and they tell us, yes like George Washington this and GW that, our country will be great soon. Good on emâ€¦â€¦â€¦time to go, see ya. We load up our Marines and do the smashed pedal race back to base. The Army works well with us as they cover our flanks as we move through the city. Im always scanning and all of a sudden I see a black silhouette on a roof top and so does the gunner as he swings the turret around and the split second that goes by I make out a burkah and not a black hooded RPG shooter. The gunner and I comment on that later and agree it got our attention as she was just hanging laundry, the young Marine says with a shit eating grin on his face. We continue to haul ass back home and arrive without incident. Another couple fun packed days in Iraq. I figured I would try to give you an idea of what itâ€™s like here a couple days at a whack. For those Marines who are on post consecutively and cant email you and explain what they see and do, the above is for them and for the Iraqi we are helping. The Ones who are working with us and the ones who cant do it for themselves. Semper FI Capt B COMBAT UPDATE Approximately 400 Iraqi Police candidates arrived in Baghdad early this morning from the Al Anbar Province to begin a ten week Iraqi Police training course. Half of the men were recruited from the Al Qaâ€™im region in western Al Anbar and the other half from the provincial capital, Ar Ramadi. On Jan. 5 a suicide bomber attacked the recruitment center in Ramadi killing more than 30 applicants. Despite that attack, the recruits returned en masse today. There are approximately 1,200 Iraqi Police Officers patrolling the streets of Fallujah with 400 more attending the Baghdad Police Academy. This is the first large group of Iraqi Police candidates from Ramadi and the Western Euphrates River Valley to attend the Ministry of Interiorâ€™s police training. U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) assisted in providing security for the convoy to Baghdad. Subsequent groups of candidates will attend this training course in the near future.

2006-01-11T11:19:00.000-05:00

SACRIFICE While in this country of Iraq, I have seen a lot of great things transpire, people stand up and a country become proud and strong. I could tell you how your Marines brave small arms attacks; tracers in the cold night, IEDs exploding just feet from them, sometimes underneath them, nightly Islamic prayers played on loud speakers during sundown and intermingled with a low base IED explosions off in the distance. The smell of trash and tires burning continuously throughout the day. I could explain how during a cold brisk morning we went out and about through the city escorting a few more â€œpassengersâ€�. Life is good, things are just freaking chipper. The schedule is on track and we pause and stop to observe some new Marine Corps equipment and as we begin to get briefed from the Soldiers who run the gear, two enemy sniper rounds fired from at least a mile away hit in close proximity. The Marines know what they heard and move to protect our passengers when a 60mm round hits about 30 yrds in front of us. We had a good berm to cover us and we continued to move into our hummers to evacuate the area before they can bracket us and lock onto our position and do some real damage. But what I will tell you about is the smell inside an envelope from home. Where you can actually smell some of the things that where there when the letter was written. You can close your eyes and recognize the smell of the familiar little one who wrote you the letter. You can pick up on familiar surroundingâ€™s like the pledge cleaner that was used on the table where the letter was written on or remember where the flowers are in your home that are neatly placed and accompany your letter. The smell of the room where the letter was written in cuts through the familiar burning tire trash smell youâ€™re currently surrounded in. Itâ€™s a nice treat to get mail regardless who it is from. You get the letter here in a country that doesnâ€™t even have a mail system. It might have been a week old which is better than past wars where it could have been months before you received a piece of mail, itâ€™s a special piece of home. I can tell you about the sacrifices your service members have made in this war alike the ones in the past. The birthdays you miss, the graduations that are complete minus dad, the dad that has to be both a mom and dad. The feeling a young Marine father has who stands guard on a post during a national holiday while his kids open presents back home. Having to deal with monsters in closets and taking off training wheels at home while their warrior is away helping a country take their training wheels off as well. The simple words from a youngster saying â€œI just want my daddy homeâ€� can carry a ton of weight just as much as a warrior says, we will prevail and we are here to help. Both know the meaning of sacrifice, both smell the envelopes from their loved ones. Your service members and families know sacrifice because they not only feel it, they live it. Not just from Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, but as long as this country has had to make war, we have made sacrifice. Sacrifice as a country at home and a far. Its not easy, its not always fun but when we make a sacrifice it is for the good and a good cause. We help others who have no hope, we dedicate our loved ones to complete the mission. We donâ€™t take it lightly and we play to win. We know the sacrifice and we are proud of what we do. The next time you write your service member a letter, know what is going into it and what they will get out of it. While in the country of America, I have seen a lot of great things transpire, people stand up and a country become proud and strong. COMBAT UPDATE Things continue to keep you on your toes. IEDs a plenty and the sporadic small arms fire are continuous. Marines continue to take the fight to the enemy and continue to show the enemy the definition of sacrifice and we allow them to experience it. Iraqi Army soldiers and U.S. Marines uncovered hundreds of mortars, artillery rounds, rockets and other warheads during the 3-day sweep near the ancient town of Hit in Al Anbar province. â€œThis was our biggest find to date,â€� said 1st Lt. Antonio Agnone, the combat engineer platoon leader for Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. â€œWeâ€™ve uncovered numerous, and significant caches the insurgents have hidden in Hit in places where they thought they would have easy access to them.â€� In just a few days, Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and Marines under 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), 2nd Marine Division unearthed nearly 500 rockets and artillery and mortar rounds, along with approximately 100 tank rounds and large quantities of rocket propellant, fuses, and blasting caps. These supplies are the components insurgents commonly use to make improvised explosive devices. A stockpile of assault rifles, ammunition and two IEDs were also discovered. The weapons and ordnance were destroyed. Iraqi soldiers patrolled the perimeter of the cache sites to keep residents away from the insurgentsâ€™ unexploded ordnance and answer their questions concerning the operation. According to Agnone, what amazed many of his Marines, who are new to the theatre, was the lengths the insurgents would go to hide the caches. In one instance, the insurgents defiled a local cemetery to place their stash. Acting on a tip, Iraqi Army soldiers and Coalition Forces carefully searched the cemetery and found caches in grave spots adorned with both head and foot markers. â€œWe went over the area very carefully with mine detectors,â€� explained Agnone, â€œand that led us to the sites. We were very careful and didnâ€™t disturb any civilian graves in the process.â€� In addition to BLT 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, the 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of its command element, MEU Service Support Group 22, and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (Reinforced). The 22nd MEU is in the Western Euphrates River Valley area conducting counterinsurgency operations under the 2nd Marine Division. Keep Attacking! Time for a CeeGar! Capt B

2006-01-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

GLADIATORS! Modern day warriors. So we arenâ€™t beating the crap out of criminals or fighting lions on Saturday afternoons in coliseums and eating chicken drumsticks in the streets (ok Im not sure about that last one) but todayâ€™s warriors are as tuff and have the same fight in them as the old Roman tuff guys did. Covered with armor, multiple weapons hanging on them and traveling in packs, todayâ€™s Marines bring victory in multiple size cans of whoop ass and flexibility to respond anywhere in the world. Tuff, young full of tenacity and spirit, we defend a country and help the little guy all in the same set of armor. We wear the white hat and do whatâ€™s right even when its not popular. Selfless sacrifice, it isnâ€™t uncommon to here of Marines giving their all to aide others and paying the ultimate price in doing it. The recent book â€œJarheadâ€� storyâ€™s and other neanderthal style inaccurate view of us are in mostly error, in the minority and are derived from an one viewed originator with little experience or future. Todayâ€™s Marines are smart as a whip, dedicated, healthy and strong. They have goals and are determined to make a difference in the world and are a good example of how one person can make a difference and did I mentioned they volunteered for this stuff?. Brave, tuff as nails and confident, todayâ€™s Gladiators demonstrate how they can be your worse nightmare one second and care for children the next. Young Marines make life threatening decisions in a blink of an eye, leading squads of Marines in way that large corporations could only dream about having in their management team function and doing it in the worse conditions. In fact many corporations do pursue Marines to employ as they know they have the leadership, organizational skills and maturity demanded in upper management businesses. The young Marines are the ones getting things done on the streets. The Gladiators in the arena of todayâ€™s battles. For extraordinary heroism while serving as a Scout Sniper, Scout Sniper Platoon, in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the battle for Baghdad, Sergeant M's sniper team arrived within Company F's position as they came under heavy small arms fire from a determined enemy force. He immediately encouraged Marines to deploy and return fire. Noticing a disabled civilian vehicle on the road in the line of fire and with complete disregard for his own life, he rushed forward amidst a hail of gunfire and dragged a wounded Iraqi civilian to safety. Returning to the front, he spotted a wounded Marine struggling to get off the same fire swept street, he risked his life to lead the Marine to safety. Returning to the front, he spotted a wounded Marine lying in the street. Ignoring the hailstorm of bullets, Sergeant M rushed into the street for a third time to carry the injured Marine to safety. Sergeant M returned a fourth time to evacuate an unconscious Marine. Returning to the front again, he dashed into the contested street and assisted a Marine to safety who had been dazed by an explosion. Sergeant M ensured medical attention was administered and verified that evacuations were ongoing. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Sergeant M reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. THEODORE ROOSEVELT(Paris Sorbonne,1910) For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Automatic Rifleman, 1st Plt, Company L, 2d Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06. O 8 May 2005, during an assault in New Ubaydi, Iraq an enemy ambush seriously wounded four members of Lance Corporal Câ€™s squad and trapped two of them in a courtyard. Leaving his covered position, he engaged the enemy at point blank range with his M249 machinegun thereby allowing one injured Marine to be pulled to cover. He then joined a Marine in a frontal assault of the ambush site forcing two insurgents from the rear of the house and into friendly fire and permitting the recovery of the wounded injured Marine. As the assault to clear the house continued, armor piercing rounds were fired from a hidden bunker beneath the floor boards, mortally wounding another Marine. Lance Corporal C refused to leave the building without the fallen Marine, and twice brave intense machinegun fire while attempting to recover the fallen Marineâ€™s remains. On 11 May, an improvised explosive device destroyed Lance Corporal C amphibious assault vehicle, killing or wounding all 17 passengers. Ignoring his wounds, he attempted to recover wounded Marines trapped inside the vehicle to only be thrown out of the vehicle from a secondary explosion. Receiving additional shrapnel wounds, yet undeterred, Lance Corporal C returned to the burning vehicle and pulled a Marine to safety. By his bold leadership, wise judgment and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal C reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. Honoring SSGT Daniel Clay, USMC SPEECH OFHON. JEFF MILLEROF FLORIDAIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2005 Mr. MILLER of Florida.: Mr. Speaker, this week I attended the funeral of SSgt Daniel Clay. Sergeant Clay was from my district and one of ten Marines killed by an IED in Fallujah, Iraq on December 1, 2005. Dan's father, Bud Clay, shared with me a letter his son wrote to his loved ones before he was killed. Accompanying his son's letter was a letter Bud had written to President Bush. Mr. Clay asked me to take this to Congress and share with you so that we could all see Dan's final thoughts and wishes. May God Bless SSgt Daniel Clay, his family, our veterans, our troops, and the United States of America. MOM, DAD, KRISTIE, JODIE, KIMBERLY, ROBERT, KATY, RICHARD, AND MY LISA: Boy do I love each and every one of you. This letter being read means that I have been deemed worthy of being with Christ. With MaMa Jo, MaMa Clay, Jennifer ..... all those we have been without for our time during the race. This is not a bad thing. It is what we hope for. The secret is out. He lives and His promises are real! It is not faith that supports this .... But fact and I now am a part of the promise. Here is notice! Wake up! All that we hope for is Real. Not a hope. But Real. But here is something tangible. What we have done in Iraq is worth any sacrifice. Why? Because it was our duty. That sounds simple. But all of us have a duty. Duty is defined as a God given task.! Without duty life is worthless. It holds no type of fulfillment. The simple fact that our bodies are built for work has to lead us to the conclusion that God (who made us) put us together to do His work. His work is different for each of us. Mom, yours was to be the glue of our family, to be a pillar for those women (all women around you), Dad, yours was to train and build us (like a Platoon Sgt) to better serve Him. Kristie, Kim, Katy you are the five team leaders who support your Squad ldrs, Jodie, Robert and Richard. Lisa you too. You are my XO and you did a hell of a job. You all have your duties. Be thankful that God in His wisdom gives us work. Mine was to ensure that you did not have to experience what it takes to protect what we have as a family. This I am so thankful for. I know what honor is. It is not a word to be thrown around. It has been an Honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to. This is as close! to Christ-like I can be. That emulation is where all honor lies. I thank you for making it worthwhile. As a Marine this is not the last Chapter. I have the privilege of being one who has finished the race. I have been in the company of heroes. I now am counted among them. Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting. Now here are my final wishes. Do not cry! To do so is to not realize what we have placed all our hope and faith in. We should not fear. We should not be sad. Be thankful. Be so thankful. All we hoped for is true. Celebrate! My race is over, my time in war zone is over. My trials are done. A short time separates all of us from His reality. So laugh. Enjoy the moments and your duty. God is wonderful. I love each and every one of you. Spread the word .... Christ lives and He is Real. Semper Fidelis, December 7, 2005. President George Bush, The White House, Washington, DC. DEAR PRESIDENT BUSH: My name is Bud Clay. My son, SSgt Daniel Clay--USMC was killed last week, 12/01/05, in Iraq. He was one of the ten Marines killed by the IED in Fallujah. Dan was a Christian--he knew Jesus as Lord and Savior--so we know where he is. In his final letter (one left with me for the family--to be read in case of his death) he says ``if you are reading this, it means my race is over.'' He's home now--his and our real home. I am writing to you--to tell you how proud and thankful we (his parents and family) are of you and what you are trying to do to protect us all. This was Dan's second tour in Iraq--he knew and said that his being there was to protect us. I want to encour! age you. I hear in your speeches about ``staying the course''. I also know that many are against you in this ``war on Terror'' and that you must get weary in the fight to do what is right. We and many others are praying for you to see this through--as Lincoln said, ``that these might not have died in vain''. You have a heavy load--we are praying for you. God bless you, BUD CLAYPensacola, FL The above two award citations and last letter home are good examples of countless events that happen to Marines every day here in Iraq. These examples display selfless actions on the battlefield, acts of bravery and show the core Gladiator spirit which is still alive in your Marines. This spirit has been in Marines throughout the years to include WWI & WWII and even back then they had the same warrior mentality. Donâ€™t fret America, our nation will prosper and grow because we have young men and women in our armed forces who will be tomorrowâ€™s leaders, who knows what the word commitment means, who donâ€™t cut and run, who know we canâ€™t let mad dictators eliminate innocent people and completely understand the cost of these actions but still have the guts to do something about it. We protect life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Nobodyâ€™s going to come to our shores and tell our children what we can and canâ€™t do, I will be dead before that happens. Yes we are in good shape America because we have modern day Gladiators amongst us! Semper Fidelis, time for a CeeeGar! Capt B COMBAT UPDATE IEDs are ever present in the area (big surprise) although them enemy tries intimidation tactics of suicide bombers in Iraqi Police recruiting areas and fails to deter the Iraqiâ€™s from making a difference. These tactics show how desperate the insurgents have come in their attempts to discourage the Iraqi people. Because of Gladiators like the above, they are failing.

2006-01-05T08:46:00.000-05:00

SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS SUPPORT YOUR PRESIDENT Itâ€™s a nice day today a bit brisk but nice after I have my Pop Tart and Cigar breakfast I read about how some article is boasting about how the support for President Bush and the fight in Iraq is dropping from troops. This is a pretty good articleâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..a good article to poop ON! Give me a break, the democrat that wrote this article that based it off a Military Times Poll is another example how desperate the Dumboscabs are and how weak their attempts are to bruise the Boss. The article even disproves itself when it states, the survey was conducted through the mail, which affects the sample and margin of error. (Obviously they have never shipped anything to support the troops overseas) â€œMoreover, as the Military Times noted, respondents to the poll tend to be "older, more experienced, more likely to be officers and more career-oriented than the military population." For all those future article writers out there, know that there are almost three times the amount of enlisted service members in all branches than officers, you do the math. Another point, they are saying troops back in the states are stating that â€œThe poll also found diminished optimism that U.S. goals in Iraq can be accomplishedâ€™ Well another note to future article writersâ€¦â€¦â€¦..get your facts from the ones doing the work on the ground, actually seeing the resultsâ€¦â€¦.bright one! If youâ€™re going to say we support the troops but not the war, Donâ€™t do it! If your going to say the war is going to hell in a handbag and quote people that arenâ€™t there fighting,,,,Donâ€™t do it. If youâ€™re going to blab an article out there without getting accurate facts and give us your two cents, Donâ€™t do it! The only facts this article has to back its gargle up is more BS from CNNâ€¦â€¦..donâ€™t get me started on them. (good choice on facts baseâ€¦â€¦not) Lets just pretend this article is remotely accurate, then why has the Marine Corps retention personnel goals been exceeded and continuously met, recruitment goals met (destroyed) and promotion throughout the ranks at a all time high? Or how about where the article states that our goals cant be achieved here in Iraq? Well, numerous insurgent terrorists killed in combat fights, destroyed approximately hundred of thousands mortar rounds, thousands of grenades, rockets, mines, and millions small arms (RPGs, AK-47s, machine guns, rifles, pistols etc),increasing Iraqi Army that grew from a platoon to two full divisions of 18,000 plus soldiers. To date, 3 Iraqi Army Brigades and 8 Iraqi Battalions conduct independent operations and control their own battle space. But I know thatâ€™s not accomplishing our goal here in Iraq, ohhh yea did we mention that we ultimately made possible the largest Iraqi voter participation in history for the national elections and established democracy??? Achieving our goals?? Sheeshâ€¦â€¦â€¦.I know you tree huggers out there want hurled peas but lets let your infamous Green Peace fight that war, we are fighting a bigger one at the time, get in line. The Military forces fighting here are majority in support of President Bush and without a doubt what we are doing here in Iraq. Are there some that arenâ€™t in support of what the President is doing? Sure, its called a free country and we demonstrate our opinions at the polls. Thatâ€™s what makes America great. If you look closely you will see where Iraq is heading the same way. The troops are fighting hard here and in Afghani because we believe in what we are doing. You donâ€™t spend a year in another country, get promoted, stay out of trouble and kick butt because you donâ€™t believe in what youâ€™re doing. Thatâ€™s what your Marines are doing. Your Marines are taking the fight to the insurgents because we want to! We fight hard because we know the American people are behind us. Theyâ€™re not you say?? Well just go take a look at numerous websites like AnySoldier.com where thousands of service members receive support from twice as many supporters. Ive said it before and Iâ€™ll keep saying it, Haji cant beat us here, they cant beat us in the military field. They will try to beat us on the home front though. They will commit their every asset to convince you at home that we are loosing the war on terrorism. A perfect example is the â€œpoll also found diminished optimism that U.S. goals in Iraq can be accomplishedâ€� or continuous negative press from stations like CNN. This is where YOU come in and make a huge difference for us. You can dispel negative articles, stories and lies about what you know the troops are doing in the war. Write your newspapers and show them you are watching them and watching for accuracy. Donâ€™t let them drive the news to you, you tell them what you want to hear about. They are supposed to be a public service, and not a piece of paper for catching dog crap. Semper Fi-Keep Attacking! "Hook em Horns" COMBAT REPORT (Press release # 6-004) Despite a suicide bomber attack at 10:55 a.m. on a crowd of Ramadi citizens at an Iraqi police recruitment center near the Ramadi Glass and Ceramics Works, the applicants returned and continued the screening process. Approximately 30 Iraqi males were killed when the bomber detonated his suicide vest. Military physicians immediately began treating the wounded until the injured could be transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment. The four-day Iraqi Police recruitment and screening drive in Ramadi started Jan. 2 and has produced 600 qualified applicants during the first three days of screening.Those candidates selected will attend 10 weeks of Basic Iraqi Police Training in Baghdad before returning to patrol Ramadiâ€™s streets. The applicants must be between the ages of 20 to 35 and successfully complete the screening requirements established by the Minister of the Interior, who governs the Iraqi Police Force.

2006-01-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

SIX MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES CAN GET ALONGâ€¦â€¦IF 5 ARE NUKED. Red is a color often characterized by violence and bloodshed, shock and awe in real life as well as in art and literature. It often suggests the meaning of courage and sacrifice. Traditionally, officers and noncommissioned officers of the Marine Corps wear a scarlet red stripe on their dress blue trousers to commemorate the courage and tenacious fighting of the men who battled in places like Chapultapec in the Mexican War. In the Corps, this stripe is more commonly known as the â€œBlood Stripe.â€� Along with many other items on the Marine Corps uniform the blood strip on the trousers has a significant meaning. The significance of the Blood Stripe carries on through from previous campaigns to the Marines who have been fighting here in Iraq. Many have been hit by IEDs, shot at and in some cases wounded and killed. They donâ€™t sit on the sidelines, they donâ€™t ponder of â€œwhat they should have doneâ€� they act and they make things happen. Many people may wonder what of if they made a difference to somebody. But the young Marines out and about donâ€™t have to worry about that because they know they have made a difference. Not on paper, but in person and sometimes in blood. The Marines â€�out thereâ€� â€œyour Marinesâ€�, are â€œgit nâ€� some! Last Sunday it was a quiet day, weather was nice and then friendly counter artillery began to pound Haji into submission. (this time I wasnâ€™t in the head) Then four enemy mortars impacted just off base with no injuries to anyone. We delivered another barrage of artillery fire to the points of origin of the mortars. Almost simultaneously a small arms attack began off base between a check point and insurgents. It only lasted about 45 seconds but to those fighting it seems like a lifetime. After a lull in the small arms, our counter battery radar identified incoming rounds to our position. The recorded â€œIncomingâ€� â€œIncomingâ€�, â€�Incomingâ€� voice began to sound off on the loud speaker and those of us outside didnâ€™t hang around to see if it was accurate or not (usually its on the money) and made a sprint for a hardened structure. The familiar sound of â€œCrumpâ€�, â€œCrump,â€� â€œCrump,â€� â€œCrump,â€� increased again off base. Haji is getting brave again and even though the elections were a success the threat is ever present. Like those in the past who have earned their â€œBlood Stripesâ€�, Marines out in Al Qaim, Haditha and HIT continue to stay on the attack and in Hajiâ€™s face. I recently traveled to these areas and saw the Marines who are taking the fight to the enemy our west. They are defiantly putting a pile driver into Hajiâ€™s vacation plans and continue to really ruin their day. Continuous and permanents presence by Marines in villages continues to reassure the Iraqi people we are here for them and are making a difference, and they see it. I shot the shit with a few young Marines who had rotated back from an out post back to a major camp. They were your basic 17-19 year old American kids (man Im getting old) and they were pumped up, motivated and professional. I asked how they were doing and they said they had a lot of care packages and were good to go, had a good Christmas and really liked the Hooters calendars I left them (errrah!). Typical, find a really crappy place put up some plywood and put the Marines there. Yea, we like it too, I know we are sick! I want to thank everyone out there who voted for all of the Blogs, especially mine during the Milblogs of the year awards. One Marineâ€™s View won the Marine Corps section of best Marine Blog. All the recognition goes to you all. The blog is for you and actually about you and me. I am humbled and very appreciative, Thank everyone out there who voted and Milblogging.com for the competition. Time for a Cigar! Semper Fi, Capt B COMBAT UPDATE To give these cache finds some perspective; the weight of these caches is approximately equivalent to five full-size Ford Explorer sports utility vehicles. A separate operation, Red Bull which took place in the Haditha Triad (Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barwana) discovered 82 caches. U.S. Marines discovered more than ten metric tons of munitions hidden at 72 cache sites 39 km south of Fallujah during the weeklong Operation Green Trident. First Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 8 began the operation last week near the village of Al Latifiyah to search suspected locations for hidden weapon caches. More than 1,000 artillery and mortar rounds were unearthed along with scores of rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades. Most of the caches were hallowly buried along the banks of the Euphrates River and surrounding area. The weight of the explosives contained within these munitions is approximately one metric ton (2,200 lbs). The artillery and mortar rounds are commonly used by insurgents to make improvised explosive devices.

2005-12-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS FROM IRAQ! BANGâ€¦..BANG BANG BANG!!...........Its 0001 Jan 1st 2006!!!! (eastern standadrd time + 8hrs) Plan â€œBâ€� - Things have been very busy here as we have been continuing to take the fight to Haji. You canâ€™t stop the clock not even on New Years and so time continues to tick away at our fun filled adventure here in Iraq. 0530, alarm clock from HELL goes off, I use my panther like reflexes (not) to find the snooze button as wish I could sleep for another eight hours. Dash two alarm clock goes off and Im voicing some very colorful verbiage about this time and right out of a wake up scene from Bruce Almighty Im kicking, flipping trying to go back to sleep and ignore the clock. Morning chow is a nice cup of joe and a strawberry pop tart (not only wrapped in foil but good for you too!), a couple vitamins and viola the day is under way. Alarm clock number one returns for a second butt kicking but Im ready and mash the Chinese made plastic. Scratch one alarm clockâ€¦toast! Mission for the day is to take some VIPs to another base to show them some great things Coalition forces are doing. No problemo. We roll out to an undisclosed landing zone (LZ) where they will land at. We make our way through the city and its smells ok but here comes that dang short of breath again but I see a lot of little Iraqi ankle bitters (kids) out and about which is always a great sign and they are waving vise doing the IED detonator motion with their handsâ€¦also another good sign. We motor down the major highway past a couple M1 Tanks (checkpoints) that have black soot all over them from previous IEDs, RPGs and gas bombsâ€¦.not so much a good sign Watching out in the distance and gutters for threats things look good and we seem to motoring well. We get to our LZ and are all set up but where we are the sniper threat is moderate to high so we want to keep our VIPs protected and get them in the truck as soon as possible. The aircraft come in and drop off our passengers (PAX) and we load them up to take them to another location for their visit. Things are great and going smoothly and now we have to transport them to yet another location for more information and now we are going to go through the FUN part of town. We begin to load up and one of the civilian passengers turns to me and says, this isnâ€™t like a downtown city in the states; you guys are pretty serious here. I said, Yes Sir these Assholes are trying to kill us so we kill them first. Oh man he wasnâ€™t ready for that answer as I helped him put on his body armor. He was then briefed to stay put in the hummer as the crew got out of the hummers to go to condition one and load all of our weapons. Here are these civilians sitting there in a beat up, shrapnel spotted hummer watching a crap load of Marine loading multiple weapons like we were about to fight it out at OK coralâ€¦â€¦..wait a second thatâ€™s exactly what we were getting prepared to do. We headed down our prescribed route and black smoke began to rise off the road a ways. Usually nothing, sometimes a signal to let scumbags know good guys are on the road near by We approached a bridge and the scout vehicle called back that â€œthe bridge is blockedâ€� as I saw a sheep truck crossways in the road with no driver which meant we would go to plan â€œBâ€�. One of the PAX that heard the conversation over the cab speaker asked what that all meant. I looked back at them and said â€œnothing good, hang onâ€� and we turned to another street. We approached another trouble spot and new something was not right with the blocked bridge and lead truck spotted an IED. We were headed into a freaking ambush bigger than monkey shit and the three Hajis scrunched down in their Mercedes confirmed it as they were probably the maneuver element of the IED ambush. With some good training and quick actions we called an audible and turned yet again almost back tracking. An Army patrol was on the scumbags and had them cuffed on the road as we passed. Our PAXâ€™s werenâ€™t to sure and werenâ€™t saying a whole lot when they saw the detainees in the dirt. The best compliment Ive heard since Ive been here I think was when all was calm when we got on the next base. When we walked in and one PAX stopped me and said, Im really impressed, Im not sure what all happened on our way over here in the convoy but thanks, that was awesome. Holding back a smile of being proud of the guys, I said, youâ€™re welcome the men did good today and left to check on our trucks status. As we hear a small arms attack unfolding in the distance, tracers in the sky and New Years approaches here in Iraq, I only hope they very best for you and yours this New Year. A new start a new beginning, and time to move on and a time to remember the past year and to plan for the next year approaching. Be smart, be safe and have a plan â€œBâ€�. FOR OUR FALLEN: (you may recognize the words to this bagpipe backed song as its taken from the movie â€œWe were Soldiers Once and Youngâ€� ) Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone When they come I will stand my ground Stand my ground I'll not be afraid Thoughts of home take away my fear Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears Once a year say a prayer for me Close your eyes and remember me Never more shall I see the sun For I fell to a Germans gun Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Lay me down in the cold cold ground Where before many more have gone Where before many more have gone In memory of Sgt. Charles Stuart MacKenzie Seaforth Highlanders Who along with many others gave up his life So that we can live free We will remember them all. Some of you may also read some posts from a buddy of mine. Major B aka â€œTacoâ€�. (click here to read some of his stuff) Well you see he is over here with me but not at the same base. We both have been getting a lot of encouragement to write a book. Well were gonna do it. We are going to combine our stuff and let er loose! HERE is where you can help. We need a name for the book. Got an idea?? Email me with it. If we use it youâ€™ll probably get mentioned in the book. The book will be one of many ways for us to give back to all of you who have supported us and help other service members to get the same support that we got. Get of yer butts and shoot us a title! Capt B sendsâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦I gotta go blow something up and bring in the New Year right!!!! Semper Fidelis

2005-12-29T05:04:00.000-05:00

WE DO WINDOWS I hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas and you should drink lots of water to prepare for your New Year celebrations coming up and stay hydrated! Im glad you all are back safely. Things have been constant here in Iraq. Christmas came and went as the other holidays while deployed here, no biggie. The phones did work pretty well and after about an hour I got through back to the states. We havenâ€™t let up on momentum in the region and I just returned from being out and about in our Area of Operations. Your Marines out west near places like Al Asad, continue to keep the enemy off balance and conduct operations to disrupt insurgency forces. By maintaining permanent presence in outlying villages enemy forces are now forced to leave their safe havens and flee. Before we would attack insurgents in villages, eliminate them and then return to our base. Now we do the same but include Iraqi forces and leave both Iraqi and American forces behind in the village to maintain security and safety. Unlike before this has totally disrupted the insurgency plan of action and now they cannot hide and torture Iraqis and force their way of life onto innocent people. In Fallujah, Marines are continuing to keep the enemy off balance within the city and surrounding areas. By training Iraqi Special Forces, Iraqi Police and additional forces, Iraqâ€™s military force is gaining strength. Beginning with the basics and having them go through Marine style tactics and procedures they build their foundation a respectable force and will be able to defend their region when American forces depart. They will never be up to the standards of Marines and Soldiers but thatâ€™s ok. We are training them to be competent fighters and maintain the capabilities to defend what is theirs. From talking to Marines that have fought with the Iraqiâ€™s they say they are a proud and courageous Army that doesnâ€™t run because they have learned new things and have gained confidence in their abilities. They are tired of the insurgency and although are ready for the Americans to leave they know they need our training so they can do what they desire and fight off the insurgency. All of the Coalition forces in Iraq are constantly training the Iraqi forces. Many Americans back in the states watch the news and would correspondingly think that anytime we do anything it is an airplane bombing, 50 cal shooting door kicking in operation. Although we are more than willing to do this type of a â€œKineticâ€� operation we also do many additional building operations that help the country of Iraq. Combat Engineerâ€™s continue to build schools and patch buildings that fall apart or otherwise donâ€™t get repaired because of constant enemy sniper fire. So with security the engineers move in to reconstruct neighborhoods with electricity and plumbing. US Forces that move into villages take up residence during the operations. They then leave the area better than they found it. Clean the place up, leave the family money, make some repairs and apply some manual labor from the Marine unit. This has developed a relationship of Iraqi people telling our unit commanders â€œcome back to my house when you visit here againâ€� because they know they will get something in return instead of back a few years ago where Marines were taking residency and then leaving because of other operational commitments and additional fighting. This type of relations has been one of many building blocks that have assisted in strengthening the country and allowing the country to conduct successful elections. The elections were successful in Oct and Dec because of all ofg the unseen work done by your service members. The Coalition forces have retaken over 14 cities throughout Iraq. Freeing captive tribes held by insurgents, established peace in areas of danger and murder. We are now in full motion training the Iraqi Army to new levels and help them to protect their country. Before you even ask, let me answer, Yes, I think the Iraqi Army, Police and Special Forces will be able to protect their country. Why? Because they have the desire to. This doesnâ€™t mean there wonâ€™t be all out civil war here but lets look at our own history before we judge. The country does have democracy, businesses are thriving and people are much safer and freer than they were 3 yrs ago. They are getting to a level of self sufficiency and before we know it will be time for us to depart and let them have it. Corpsmen and doctors are establishing a medical foundation to help fight some of the many diseases and injuries in the area. Civil Affairs groups are building the bond between different tribes to help them help one another instead of continuous fighting one another. We have no problem eliminating an evil dictator, fighting in the streets of Iraq, building schools and houses, repairing and bringing electricity to places that never had it before, helping a village who is dying live and yes, â€¦â€¦â€¦we do windows. Time for a stoagâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦Semper Fi COMBAT UPDATE Iraqi Army soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Division working alongside of 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) are clearing the streets of known insurgents in western Ramadi. In the past two days, 1-1-7 IA forces have detained five targeted insurgents, to include Jassim Mohammed Fayadh, a high value insurgent leader, allegedly responsible for financing terrorism in the Tammim neighborhood and known to have supplied arms and munitions to Al Qaeda in Iraq. The four additional detainees are under investigation for coordinating insurgent attacks and activities, including the storage and transportation of weapon systems and munitions. â€œOur battalion has been working in western Ramadi with the Coalition Forces for the last eight months. During that time, we have fought and captured many insurgents. Yesterday was a big step to bringing safety and security to this area for our local citizens and their families. We will continue to work with our coalition partners to bring security to western Ramadi,â€� said Lt. Col. Mustafa, Commanding Officer, 1-1-7 IA. The insurgents have been placed under custody of Coalition Forces and will be tried in the Iraqi Criminal Court system. There were no injuries to local Iraqi citizens, Iraqi Army soldiers or Coalition Forces. Additionally, there were no damages to equipment during the capture of these high level insurgent leaders. Dec 26th An insurgent was killed today by U.S. Marines at an entry control point in central Fallujah today at approximately 11:30 a.m. The insurgent, armed with an explosive vest filled with ball bearings, detonated the bomb as he approached the checkpoint; however, the vest only partially exploded. As the bomber attempted to detonate the rest of the explosives, he was killed by Marine gunfire. No Iraqi or U.S. military personnel were injured but one civilian was reported wounded in this suicide attack.

2005-12-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

HO HO, Ho Ho Ho Christmas Eve. We chilled out by trying to watch a movie and enjoy a stoag as it was a quiet day. The movie began and so did the excitement. One post calls out that they have aggressors moving towards the parameter wall. A single pop up goes out to the north east then all the shooting began. AK 47 and M16 rang close with more illume going up into the sky. We were use to such probs and attacks and we continued to watch the movie. Quiet again. Another illume and then more shooting but this time a close 240G medium machine gun opened up and began to mow down the would be attackers. Easily going through 100 rounds the M16s continued to pick off dark shadows as the 240â€™s released hell. More illume and the shadows stopped. Nothing moved anymore and the night was quiet again. The weather last night and all today (Dec 25th) was like back in the states. A nip of cold, a light rain which is very strange. The burning trash just off the base made you think of fire places burning, except is was rubber and other nasty crap. We were a bit wound up and decided to perhaps watch some TV but when we turned it on it blew out. Not so good. Being the Marines we are we figured, adapt over come adjust and hell, we can fix this thing no problem, out comes the screw driver, out come the screws, pieces fall out and I send a Marine for the duct tape. A couple IEDs detonate off base, its about 2200 now and football it starting in the states, Operation TV patch up was underway. It was a Panasonic 24 inch and has a couple fuses in it-go figure. Replace the fuses plug in, put on ballistic glasses and stand back. As we plugged it in the devil shot out he back, small animals scurried away and a mattress caught on fireâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.situation under control! The Lt and I debated what we need to pull out and tear off that wasnâ€™t needed, we began with the burnt pieces. We called a time out and had some â€œWhoopersâ€� that were sent to usâ€¦â€¦â€¦.man they are GOOD! So the Lt was feeding his pie hole and I told him Iâ€™ll give you $50 to eat all of those and the box and you can use some all the grapefruit juice you want to wash it down! He did pretty good and then realized the cardboard box wasnâ€™t going to go down as easily as first thought and we bailed the idea. Christmas day morning began with me sleeping in. Quiet, peaceful. It was a bit nippley out but all in all good. We took care of some morning items that needed to take of and then lit up a nice stoag for breakfast. We hit some golf balls into the Euphrates river and everyone enjoyed more stoagsâ€¦â€¦â€¦it was great and the sentries took cover from our slices! Went and delivered some Christmas presents to some younger Marines. Young Marines enjoyed their special gifts (things they need) and said a simple â€œThank youâ€�. Although I heard it, the words were meant for all of you back home. There isnâ€™t anything that can replace the smile on a young Marines face when you give him a gift that he wasnâ€™t expecting. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to do that. I owe it all to you. We have some good chow today and I will take my place behind the serving line to dish out some good chow to the Marines today. Its not home cooked but its not MREâ€™s. I took my place and added a bit of â€œElvisâ€� to the chow line. Its ok mom, everybody that went through got plenty of vegetables, I made sure of it. We had a couple of Santaâ€™s that conducted a frontal attack on one location as their fighting spirit rang through like the holidays as they kicked in doors and delivered their gifts, what a country! They opened up the BIG can of whoop ass on one terrorist but then of course we gave them a medal, some more ammo and claymore mines and fired our support by fire positions to let them continue their attacks. Im going to watch Madagasgar the movie now as a couple little warriors back home thought I would like it and if I watch it, it will somehow connect us and we too will be together this holiday. We hope you all back home have the very happiest of holidays and know we are honored to be on the front lines for you. Sleep well tonight the Marines are on watch! Merry Christmas & Semper Fi from Iraq! Capt B COMBAT UPDATE We are still kicking their Haji Ass! ((ANOTHER STORY!)) Seven-year-old Katherine Downing cries "I want my daddy back" during a happy and sad video call to her father Marine Staff Sgt. Robert Downing serving in Iraq by the Syrian boarder Friday morning at the Vista Boys and Girls Club. Barbara Downing, her son Bobby. 8, daughter Katherine, and baby Karla. 10 months, talk to husband and father via the internet for about 15 minutes during Operation Connect Global Event. Jamie Scott Lytle Order a copy of this photo Additional Links -->Visit our Photo Gallery (nctimes.com) When Sarah Cylkowski got the call, she hopped in her car at 1 a.m. Friday and drove through the night, from Tempe, Ariz. to Vista, Calif.She was going to see her husband for the holidays, if only for a few minutes. In two private rooms at the Boys & Girls Club, dozens of wives, mothers, fathers and children used Internet video-conferencing software Friday to interact with Marines stationed in Iraq. Reunited using tiny cameras, microphones and digital screens, the families laughed, waved and often cried.The project, dubbed Operation Connect, was hosted by Next Generation Business Resources, an Irvine-based telecommunications company; America Supporting Americans, a nonprofit military support group; the Boys & Girls Club of Vista and the Rotary Club of Vista.Participating Marines were from the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Pendleton, stationed near the Syrian border. There are more than 600 troops in the battalion, said Chief Warrant Officer Jason Scroggs, the family liaison. Many relatives didn't know if their Marine would be available to chat until the last minute.The project suffered some early kinks. Sound was spotty and a volunteer had to run out and buy headsets to reduce the echoes.But for Cylkowski, 20, nothing could spoil the mood."I understood maybe three things he said," she said after seeing her husband for the first time in four months. "But I could see him smile, and that's what matters."With tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, she walked back toward her car. "I would make this trip every day if I could," she said.Camp Pendleton resident Barbara Downing, 29, waited an hour to give her three children a chance to see their father, Staff Sgt. Robert Downing. The foursome crowded together to get into the camera's field of vision."Honey, you need to eat, you look so skinny," she told her husband."Yeah, you need to be strong!" added Bobby, the couple's 8-year-old son.The oldest daughter Katherine, 7, tried to maintain her composure, but when her father reached into his pocket and pulled out a crayon drawing she had made, her tears started flowing."They asked Santa for something I don't think he'll be able to bring," the mother said to her husband. "They want you to come home."She paused to listen to his reply in the headset, then laughed and said, "yeah, and an Xbox."Operation Connect came together in less than two weeks, said Gerald Kostecka, marketing director for Next Generation Business Resources, which provided the equipment. So many families showed up the hours had to be extended.Rotarian volunteer and former Marine Jack Dausman, 78, said the instant communication was a sharp contrast with the two weeks it would take to get a letter when he was serving in Korea and Vietnam."It makes a big difference," Dausman said. "Look at the expressions on these people's faces. It makes your Christmas."

2005-12-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS LIFE A couple minutes turn into an hour, a few hours turn into a day, weeks to months and before you know it, the year is over. Another turning point another fork in the road leads you down new paths. Its always unpredictable but you have to have the time of your life. Itâ€™s a great run and we all have to enjoy life and live every second. Not just because we are in Iraq but that does make things a lot clearer to live life through this stuff. Sure you could get whacked back in the states by some drunk driver but you havenâ€™t, not yet. Marines dodge bullets, cheat death, spared by modern technology Kevlar and reinforced hardened steel. Taken a shot in the Kevlar vest trauma plate, getting knocked down but getting up and scratching off one of the nine lifeâ€™s from the list. Having the entire Hummer engulfed from multiple shelled IEDs and gasoline detonating on you where other wise you would have been Swiss cheese and goo. It wasnâ€™t your time, not yet. Arenâ€™t you afraid of getting hurt / killed in Iraq? A young kid wrote in a letter to me. Yes. But you accept that it could happen and if its going to happen its going to happen. Why worry about it? When itâ€™s your time itâ€™s your time. The explosives here are so big you wonâ€™t know what hit you and it will be over in a flash. This place and Afghanistan are ugly places. No care for life as I remember manning a check point. A van pulled up and when the family got out a baby girl (maybe a year old) fell out of the van to the ground head first and began to cry. I reacted to go pick it up as the several adults continued to step over it and while getting out they continued wrapping themselves in their traditional dress. Dirt kicked on her, tears streaming down her ear pierced face as she bellowed her heart out on her stomach. No one was helping her, no one cared as they got out of the car. Arms not even long enough to extend past her sleeves as she lay helplessly on the deck, gasping for air. I moved pretty quick and as I headed for the van my Marines knew something was up and reacted to a possible threat and things got real exciting as my men drew in on the people getting out. As I began to pick up the little thing, knowing the many customs I was about to violate by handling females, I really wasnâ€™t concerned about some custom that states that men, especially foreign men arenâ€™t suppose to have contact with their women, whatever. Just before I picked her up I was distracted by a man that began beating a woman and shouting at her. Not because she dropped her kid but because they allowed me to get close to her. Beating me to the baby, another female barged in to pick the tiny thing up. Crying louder, just wanting the pain to stop, I felt like I could help but then I knew things had to go on like they were for a reason. It was their customs not mine. There I sat on a knee shaking my head at the lack of care for life here. They will kill one another especially their own family in a blink of an eye. We are away from home this holiday season to complete our mission and to eliminate terrorists and defend our nation. It is unfortunate for us to be away from loved ones on earth and in heaven however, its probably the best Christmas gift Ive ever given. No family gatherings, snow drifts or missile toe. Just always on watch ready to go. Scumbags are scared and are on the run, regardless of wherever they go they will find us with lots of guns. While you are in the states celebrating the season know that we are on the front lines for a reason. As this war continues you may not always hear it, but we are full of American and Christmas spirit. As you celebrate Christmas, be thankful for what you have and where you are. Know its better to give than receive and be thankful you are with someone who cares enough about you to pick you up when needed. You donâ€™t need a lot of money and fame to have a great Christmas just the Christmas spirit is enough. Enjoy your health and enjoy life. In the states, on a rocky Afghani mountain or Iraqi desert, have a Very Merry Christmas and this holiday, have the time of your life. From your Marines, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Iraq. Captain B COMBAT UPDATE Numerous small fights still continue. IEDs and Indirect mortar and rocket fire are ever present. Counter battery rung out numerous times today and your service members continue to win the fight.

2005-12-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

LEAVE, WE JUST GOT HERE! Pull the troops out? We were loosing? We cant win?? Did these people eat a bowel of frosted dumbass for breakfast? I just got back from seeing Marines, Soldiers and Sailors in bases like Korean Village and Al Asad in western Iraq. These warriors are going strong, fighting hard and full of motivation eager to fight and kill terrorists, taking the fight to the enemy. Why would we even mention pulling out of here until the job is done? It would be like forfeiting a baseball game in the ninth inning and quitting with a two run lead. We are winning this war and for anyone who says different, get your facts together (yea right) and come play ball, Im waiting. For all you â€œI didnâ€™t get enough attention from daddy when I was young, left wingnutsâ€� out there, we are AT WAR and we defiantly are winning! To be more specific itâ€™s a counter insurgency war. Well, why isnâ€™t it wrapped up and finished then like Desert Storm?? Well my little cup cake it takes approximately 10 years to extinguish a counter insurgency. We began the war on terror hard core about three years ago so by the left wingnut book of all answers, we should have about seven more years to fight this evil regime before its defeated, right? Nope! We have overthrown their insane dictator, stomped a mud hole in the insurgents ass, established a government, restored economics and set the tone for the surrounding countryâ€™s that if they donâ€™t play nice, they too can have a Marine Infantry Battalion sitting off their coast just as easy in only three years. Holy haji stain Batman, if we stayed here seven more years I could have a Walmart Super Store chain established and smoking cigars in my downtown Iraqi bar! (donâ€™t steal my idea!) Have we had to pay a price? Hell yes, at the tune of over 200 Heroes since March of 2005 alone.That doesnâ€™t count the battle of Fallujah, OIF 1 or Desert Storm. Are their service members who disagree with what were doing here? Probably. Are their workers where you work who donâ€™t like what they are doing at work or disagree with it? Yes. However, we volunteered and yes, we will go and stomp holy monkey meat out of the insurgency in (Insert country name here). Why? Because we are Americans! Attention, Attention all terrorists world wide if you attack, no think about attacking America, when we find out, you will get one of many things. 1) Get to hear what a 2,000 pound guided missile sounds like vaporizing you and fellow scumbags, 2) The roar of turbine driven tanks driven by very angry people or â€œJohnny tell us whats behind door number threeâ€¦..Thats right bob, A close and personal introduction to several thousand short fused, short hair angry Marines! Whoa, decisions, decisions! What my little Haji friend doesnâ€™t understand is that we are committed to fight terrorists and people who want to kill us and destroy our way of life. Whats that you say, America is fed up with terrorists? Thatâ€™s right, there isnâ€™t anywhere safe for you to run anymore. Saudi Arabia doesnâ€™t want anything to do with you, Iran is trying their best not to get us fired up and in case you didnâ€™t realize everyone else is a weeeee bit smarter to screw with us. Operation Iraqi Freedom is a small example what is in store for terrorist wherever they show themselves. We will not bargain or give in to terrorists, period. They will not threaten my homeland, they canâ€™t change what America is and they will never, ever take Americaâ€™s freedom. NEVER! You see America there are some that think we should just simply employ sanctions, sing coombiyah,have peace talks and ask terrorists nicely over a cup of tea not to reduce Americaâ€™s large buildings filled with loved ones in our metropolitan citys to dust. They want you in the states to think that OIF & OEF and the fight on terrorism â€œ was a mistakeâ€� or â€œThe President made a mistake by overthrowing Sadamâ€� or one of my favorites, we are loosing the warâ€¦â€¦. Hack, snort, chuck vomit! Give me a break! The warriors I saw recently arnt loosing anything. Nor are their leaders all the way to the President. We, like many other Americans still feel the anger and fire in our guts when we saw Americans jumping to their deaths on Sept 11th. You think you can come to my country punch me in the nose and walk of to allah? Silly Haji. Every time we go into the attack we remember 9/11 and the Americans you made suffer. Know, that when you see the Stars and Bars flying free in the wind, we arnt loosing and we are more than ready to go into extra innings! So the next time you here someone state we should pull out, we are loosing or any other crack head statement that wastes perfectly good air, let them know how you feel. Your service members need to know you support them as does your president! Keep Attacking and enjoy a cigar! Capt B COMBAT UPDATE Operation Alkamra Almaner (Moonlight) concluded yesterday evening. Moonlight was the first brigade-level operation conducted by Iraqi Army soldiers in the Al Anbar province. Five Iraqi Army companies from 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division led the operation and were supported by a company of U.S. Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2. The operation netted a weapons cache; additionally, Operation Moonlight demonstrated the Iraqi Army soldiersâ€™ ability to gather intelligence, plan, execute and exercise command and control during a large-scale operation. The Iraqi soldiers, with the Marines following in trace, cleared an area east of Ubaydi along the northern and southern banks of the Euphrates River. The area directly to the west was cleared last month during Operation Steel Curtain. No insurgents were encountered during the operation; however, one Iraqi soldier received minor injuries resulting from a roadside bomb attack. The soldier was treated at the scene and returned to duty. No Iraqi civilian casualties were reported. No air strikes were conducted during the course of the operation.

2005-12-19T05:09:00.000-05:00

THE PRESIDENT The Honorable Mr Bush gave his Address the Nation speech Sunday night. You can read the entire transcript by clicking here. It was a great speech and said what many of you are saying with one voice. In past blogs I mentioned â€œone person can make a differenceâ€� and many of YOU are doing that. The President apologized and took responsibility (democrats look that up itâ€™s a new word for you) and stated â€œIt was the right thing to doâ€� and he is right that it defiantly was the right thing to do. However I donâ€™t think he had to apologize. Lets help the left sided thumb suckers remember Sadam killing those hundreds of Kurds in his own land with a variant of mustard gas and cyanide. (Note: Mustard gas, yea its WMD.) A truly horrific, painful, slow technique used to kill people. They may not have had it when we went into Iraq but they defiantly had it before we went in as they stalled the UN inspectors to move the stuff. No the President is right on the money with what he said Sunday night. All of the thumb suckers would be complaining right now if Sadam was still in power and had orchestrated several attacks similar to the 9/11 attack on the US. All we would be hearing is why didnâ€™t we take care of him earlier?? How could this have happened? Thatâ€™s the way the thumb suckers are. We do the right thing and they want the left thing. Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan have included many service members who were honorably in the military and deployed to these region to carry out the presidentâ€™s order. What gets me are the naysayers who went to Iraq or Afghanistan or perhaps only Kuwait and are now out of the service and bad mouthing the president and out for their gain. One for example is Tammy Duckworth, who launches her Democratic campaign for Congress today, said she would have not voted to authorize the war that cost her both of her legs and mangled her arm. Though President Bush's decision was a "bad one," the Army helicopter pilot said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times she was "proud to serve." Duckworth, 37, a political rookie, faces a three-way March Democratic primary battle for the 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.). She is quoted saying "I think the war was a mistake," she said. "I don't think that I would have voted to go to war. I still went. I don't agree with the decision to go. But, you know, I thought it was my duty as a soldier to serve my country, and I actually volunteered to go. I was proud to serve. But, you know, I think that that decision was not a good, was a bad one." Your duty? Ahhh here is a thought; if you donâ€™t go you are susceptible to criminal charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. You didnâ€™t volunteer as a National Guard helo pilot to go to Iraq when your unit is deployed. The government spent billions of dollars to train you as a pilot, your freaking going sweetheart regardless of what you â€œthoughtâ€�. I canâ€™t believe this lady and others who are crawling out of the wood work to run for diplomatic seats and other offices and bad mouth the President. So much for their professionalism. Duckworth and many others down talk their President while they are out of the service. You didnâ€™t hear them bitching and complaining when they were making that tax free money or living in government housing or getting all those paid holidays. â€œI volunteeredâ€� excuse me while I yak up my lunch. She makes it sound like she did extra curricular work for a school project and now should be elected because sheâ€™s an â€œAâ€� student. Your dedicated service members here believe in what they are doing. They know what they are doing and they didnâ€™t decide to get an â€œAâ€� in Social Studies and make it sound like they were seeking extra credit. Most these boys became men here being something they believe in and for something they believed in. Fighting on the ground in one capacity or another everyday while people run around and bad mouth their commander in chief and say things like "I think the war was a mistake,". Lets look at the mistake Mrs Duckworth. A dictator leader who slaughters his own removed. The use of WMD extinguished. Thousands liberated from the communism style leadership. A government who was fronting major terrorism activities throughout the world i.e. Bin Laden. New lives established for the thousands, schools, economic improvements and the end of torture for the weak. Oh and did we mention the whole freedom & democracy thing?? OK Mrs. Duckworth youâ€™re right it was a mistake. We still have a lot to do here in Iraq. Although the elections are over, unrest and insurgency attacks still exist. Marines and Soldiers are fighting everyday and continuing to eliminate pockets of insurgents throughout Iraq. We have made a huge gain by the recent elections where over 70% Iraqis voted. When was the last time the US had 70% of Americans vote in our own election??? Its been a long time. So I donâ€™t see this campaign a mistake. No I see America taking the fight to the enemy before they come to our shores again and murder thousands and we need your support to finish the job. â€œNext week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home â€” in Iraq, Afghanistan or other dangerous places. Our nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth. And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: "God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on Earth, good will to men." â€“ The President We are here doing what is right, just and true. We are making big gains in a shorter time than expected and we have reduced terrorists groups around the world. This may be One Marines View, but it is no mistake. Semper Fi, time for a cigar. COMBAT UPDATE Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division began Operation Alkamra Almaner (Moonlight) early this morning in western Al Anbar. Iraqi Army soldiers from three Iraqi battalions are conducting a cordon and knock operation east of Ubaydi. The Iraqi soldiers are being supported by 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, Regimental Combat Team-2 and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). This is the first large-scale operation planned and executed by Iraqi soldiers of the 1st Brigade. The operation objective of Moonlight is to disrupt insurgent activity along the northern and southern banks of the Euphrates River near Ubaydi.The eastern Al Qaâ€™im region, to include the cities of Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi were cleared of al Qaeda in Iraq-led insurgents during Operation Steel Curtain last month which enabled residents to vote in the Dec. 15 Iraqi National Elections.

2005-12-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

THE HOLIDAY SEASON I finally get a break from the shopping! We have been running around every mall crowded people everywhere trying to find that particular gift. This place is really crowded. Now we are finished, can we relax now? Are we done shopping for the day? If I have to play lead blocker through the mall anymore or sit outside another dressing room Im gonna die. No puke, no puke then die. We will probably go out to dinner tonight get some chow maybe go for a walk. I sit here and can smell the new Christmas tree, so fresh and nice, with white lights and all kinds of cherished ornaments on it which we have been keeping for sometime. Tada the tree is done, another master piece! Ok not by me but I supplied plenty of support and encouragement. The weather is nice and holiday spirit is everywhere. These bowls of candy around the house are going to turn me into a big fat a$$, its ok Iâ€™ll go a little further next time I run. We head out for dinner, to the local steak house. The chow is awesome, holiday music on the radio, friends and conversations are better and its so good to see everyone and they all look great. We get done with a great dinner and head for the house and its suggested we go check out the Christmas lights around the neighborhood. We all pack in a couple cars and head out in the December chill. They are lights everywhere. Are we driving through the International Christmas Light Contest neighborhood? That deer made out of sticks just turned its head and winked at me. These guys arenâ€™t messing around. Flashing houses, bright trees and perfect Christmas trees showing through house windows. Its getting late and we decide to head home. We get a nice pot of coffee on and the house is filled with smells of the holiday as music echoes through the house. There is that dang bowl of candy againâ€¦â€¦â€¦I trouble shoot a string of lights on the tree that has been kicking my butt and on then off then they come back on. Itâ€™s the end of another fine day and I think how lucky I am to be here with friends and family. I take a walk outside to check out the weather as it starts to rain, this is the first rain Ive seen for a year here as it turns to hail. Im not at home anymore Im here still in Iraq, with a different family, the Marine family. Another milestone has been achieved and the elections are a success. A country is in motion with democracy and freedom and the last years work is paying off although we have paid a price. There are no lights here except for the few strings Marines have put up from care packages, and the occasional illume artillery round fired in the night sky. I guess there is a special glow from the chemlights that line the walkway but they definitely arenâ€™t the holiday type. There are no crowds except for the locals on the street in the city and they arenâ€™t shopping. The IEDs and other explosions echo though the area now days. Im not sure if itâ€™s the cloud cover or what but now when there is an explosion it echoes through the area for a few seconds unlike before. Counter battery rings out and dang that first one always gets ya, at least I wasnâ€™t in the head this time. Sporadic fighting continues around the area but nothing crazy. Marineâ€™s morale is high and everyone has accepted the fact that this is the only family they will be sharing the holiday with and actually thatâ€™s not a bad thing. You could say it doesnâ€™t bother you to be away from home on the holidaysâ€¦â€¦. you could say youâ€™re a liar too. However, we are a disciplined force and know we have an important job to do. That job requires discipline, commitment and sacrifice. Sacrifice in the hundreds to those who wonâ€™t ever go home, ever. Where ever there is injustice in the world we will go there. Wherever there is an evil dictator killing his own people, we will go there. Why? Because as US Marines thatâ€™s our job and thatâ€™s what Marines have been doing for over two hundred years. We will fight our nationâ€™s battles in any climb and place and anytime of the year. That young Marine standing post in the chilly desert night knows itâ€™s the holiday season as does that young Marine who is on his second dozen convoy mission through the worse area in Iraq. The Soldier on a lonely checkpoint out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but his team and gun truck, they know itâ€™s the holiday season too. The tanker, the pilot the warrior. They all know itâ€™s better to give than to receive. A simple concept that they and their buddyâ€™s have proven with blood and sweat. A simple concept that many â€œDonâ€™t getâ€�. We are a proud military, a volunteer military who take pride in what we do for a nation that is great. This holiday season, cherish what is yours, smell the trees, have fun with family, take walks, have some egg nog and a stoag for us and enjoy your holidays. Although we had rather be home, know that we will finish what needs to be done and you can rest in peace, your Marines are on guard this holiday season. Merry Christmas & Semper Fidelis Capt B COMBAT UPDATE There are still small skirmishes around the area and IEDs continue to threaten US forces throughout the night. The area is in a small lull from the elections however the insurgency isnâ€™t going to pack up and go away just because the elections went off flawlessly. You Marines continue the fight.

2005-12-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

THE PROUD IRAQI PEOPLE Iraqis have begun going to the polls to vote for the first permanent Iraqi parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein. As many as 10 million people are expected to cast ballots in the historic election. Violence was reported almost as soon as the polls opened -- a roadside bomb went off in Ramadi, and another blast was reported in Baghdad. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.-CNN Despite CNNâ€™s Anderson Cooper reporting from â€œRamadiâ€� (BORRRING) and additional reporting from CNN above, voting here and around Iraq has been conducted flawlessly. In the insert above they report all the negative they can possibly muster with â€œa road side bomb went off in Ramadiâ€� Yea, no kidding rocket scientist, it was one of many IEDs in Ramadi that went off today which is a daily event that happens in this area. They should move around in the streets and they will probably hear sniper fire as well. What else they didnâ€™t report as that when those IEDs went off the Iraqi people in line waiting to vote didnâ€™t budge or flee. Itâ€™s very sad that they have to try to highlight any miniscule possible negative activity about the work your Marines and Soldiers are doing while your service members continue to risk their lives to make things happen for Iraq. Anderson Cooper was in a voting facility in Ramadi interviewing Iraqi citizens and appeared to be in the way, blocking the voters from trying to submit their votes while he did his report. CNN reporter says: Well bob it looks like this thing is going to happen pretty smoothly, Yes it does Anderson but lets sabotage this polling site and we can be the first on the scene to report the deficiencies in the American forcesâ€¦â€¦sounds goodâ€¦â€¦...praise Allah! The villages and polling areas were basically locked down and denied and vehicular travel to eliminate and chance of SVBIEDs (Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device), aka 20 arty shells in a car trunk). In many locations medal detectors outlined entry ways to voting sites and Iraqi soldiers provided security with US forces reinforcing them. As the picture shows in this post taken in Husaybah, the Iraqi people are voting! This is a major slap in the face for the insurgency. Although it didnâ€™t start today it actually began back in with the successful elections in Oct. This is where a major blow was dealt to the insurgency and their overall demise began to show. Like back in Oct, today proved that although still scared, the Iraqi people were fed up with the insurgent intimidation and wanted a change. Now, in Dec the Iraqi Army successfully voted yesterday and today the entire country was able to vote freely and without intimidation. From the insurgency view, America has not only won the fight in the street but now it has pretty much won the Iraqi people over as well. Insurgents canâ€™t stand to see Iraq become independent and grow. The mere fact that men, women and Iraqi soldiers are voting means the insurgency is on its way out, it reinforces the beginning of their end for the insurgency. We see people coming freely to the voting sites, we see a different Iraqi, one who wants a change and is doing their part to make it happen. Today was a huge turning point for Iraq as a free country and rightfully proves that the democrats back in the states missed the mark and are dead wrong. They defiantly donâ€™t â€œGet itâ€�. To follow their plan and pull out US forces when they initially wanted to would have prevented today from happening like it did quiet, without injury and successful. Iraq is becoming free and independent through democracy! Along with the Iraqi people, I would dedicate the success of today to all of the fallen servicemembers. For their service & sacrifice has made today possible. They will never be forgotten! NO SHIT NEWS Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces helped pave the way for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens in Al Anbar Province to vote in todayâ€™s National Parliamentary Elections. Voter turnout was robust throughout the province, with preliminary reports indicating that a far higher percentage of the predominantly Sunni population participated in todayâ€™s elections than did in Octoberâ€™s Constitutional Referendum. Overall, there were few security incidents reported in the Province, and the murder and intimidation campaign that kept many people from the polls during previous votes never materialized. â€œTodayâ€™s vote exceeded all expectations,â€� said Assistant Division Commander, Brig. Gen. James L. Williams. â€œWhat we saw today was the result of months of hard work by the Iraqi government, the US Ambassador and his staff, the international community, particularly the IECI and Iraqi and Coalition Forces. Most of all, it clearly demonstrates the resolve of the local Iraqi people to take their rightful place in the democratic process.â€� In the provincial capital of Ramadi, where only several thousand citizens took part in the Referendum, tens of thousands of voters lined the streets to vote today. Residents were observed dancing, singing and waving the Iraqi flag in a rare display of national pride. Members of both the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police provided security throughout the city while Coalition Forces remained largely on the outskirts in the event they were needed for an emergency. It is still too early to tell what percentage of voters in the city actually voted, but the numbers are expected to be much higher than they were during the Referendum. In Fallujah, where an estimated 90% of voters participated in Octoberâ€™s Referendum, voter turnout in todayâ€™s elections was similarly high. As in Ramadi, Coalition Forces turned over much of the responsibilities for securing the vote to Iraqi Security Forces. In Karmah, on the outskirts of Fallujah, a polling site that was bombed by insurgents yesterday was quickly repaired and operational by the time the polls opened today. There were no casualties reported in the incident. Elsewhere in the province, in cities like Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi, voter turnout was steady throughout the day. Until a few weeks ago, this area near the Syrian border was largely under the influence of al Qaeda in Iraq-led insurgents. Recent Iraqi and Coalition operations such as Steel Curtain and Iron Fist were instrumental in clearing these cities of insurgent fighters. The permanent security presence left behind in this region is seen as a crucial step towards preventing insurgents from establishing a stronghold in the area again. â€œNo one can look at what happened in Al Anbar today and still deny progress is being made,â€� said Williams. â€œOverall, attacks against local citizens and Iraqi and Coalition Forces are down, voter turnout is much higher than before and the people are finally beginning to see the fruitlessness of supporting the insurgency. Credit has to also be given to the bravery of Governor Maâ€™moun, Governor of Al-Anbar Province, to encourage his Sunni population to vote through their tribal leadersâ€™ encouragement. While we still have a long way to go, we have made remarkable strides since last Januaryâ€™s elections, and now have the potential to establish a real measure of order and security in the Province.â€�

2005-12-12T16:52:00.000-05:00

YOU BETTER PRAY I hit the weights this morning before another â€œwhite knuckleâ€� express trip to downtown hell. I feel good, strong today as I superset the workout of back and chest. â€¦â€¦â€¦â€œye have suffered, awhileâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle youâ€¦â€¦I remember a scripture in my head as I do the last rep. Our gym is outside and itâ€™s a nice peaceful morning. You hear the surrounding city traffic and movement, birds, fresh air and distant 50 cal opening up off base. Im finished working out now and I will enjoy the remaining peaceful morning and a cigar. Fifty cal rings out again off base at a local check point. I eyeball our humble 4ft Christmas tree which is a representation of this place. Lacking ornaments for the most part, we used bullets, cigars, Marlboro packs and other things we like and hung them on the tree. (There goes a large explosion detonates off base/IED most likely). The tree looks like a freaking train wreck but its our train wreck. Above it a piece of paper size cardboard box flap that reads â€œMerry Christmas-USMC-Iraq 2005â€� in permanent marker duct taped to a cami net pole. Now multiple deep thump explosions off base characteristic of a MK19 grenade launcherâ€¦.friendly. Today feels like when your about to take a test you have been dreading and are nervous about but you know your ready, youâ€™ve done other tests just like it and youâ€™ve done all you can for this one however, you will be relieved when its over. More MK 19 impacts. Marines must have some enemy off site and engaging them. â€œSurrealâ€� Thatâ€™s the word for this place. As I smoke the nice stoag I scratch my head and listen to the impacts getting closer and think, I need to reshave my head. As my peach fuz hair is growing on my grape. The sound of snipers firing on a makeshift range nearby continues as they dial in their weapons. They are practicing long range shots as you can hear the shot then a full second later hear the impact. Dozens of carefully aimed shots perfectly executed as they hone and use their weapons like surgical tools. The MK 19 gunner is talking to us. Not with words but with rounds. Initially fast furious rounds were fired telling us he has the enemy in sight and is engaging to kill. Then a couple sporadic rounds telling us here is some icing for their cake to finish them off and I think I got them all. I draw a few more puffs of the even burning stoag, itâ€™s a good one a (PUNCH) Gran Puro 48 ring. Big beastly cigar. Like many things, size matters. As you get on your business suit (armor) your Initial thought is that you donâ€™t pray because you are getting use to the high pressure threats, its becoming second nature. Then you slap the hell outa yourself and begin to say a short prayer as its your foundation to pray. Then you buckle your chin strap and head for the truck. The hummer engine is whaling as you fly down the barbed wire lined road with concrete barrier liners and fallen buildings as the backdrop. The men are working as a perfect machine, all together all in sync. Truck one calls â€œDonkey in the roadâ€� Donkeys are all over the place in this country and this thing is confused and trapped as big hummers fly past it. â€œOne dismount, all black, right sideâ€� truck one calls out on the radio. Your doing your systematic checklist, curb, rooftop, alley, curb, mirror, rooftop continuous scanning the area. Looking at trash in the road, looking for a guy in all black. â€œMan with wires in his hand right side 40 yardsâ€� Truck two calls out. â€œCant see himâ€� Truck three says over the radio. â€œGunner of truck four, â€œI own emâ€� meaning hes got a beed on him with his machine gun in case he triggers an IED, that guy will die first. Nothing explodes as we speed by. It could have been nothing; it could have been a daisy chained multiple arty shell IED. Shot gun rounds ring out from my turret as the gunner warns off moving cars. They are too close to use a multiple layered escalation of force procedures and the gunner goes immediately for his shot gun. SBVIEDs happen in a flash and the gunner never hesitates as he fires warning shots Truck one yells over the radioâ€¦.skeshhhhhhhh hole in the skshhhhhhh look out for skshhhhh. We are hauling at this point. You decipher what the hell he was saying through the static in an nano second as I look to the driver and shout â€œrightâ€� and he knows to take evasive action as Iâ€™ve seen something and he should go right immediately. He doesnâ€™t ask, just swerves to the right, immediately (immediate response to orders). We miss one of many previous 2 ft deep IED craters in the road. The pavement is thick and you couldnâ€™t see the hole until right on it. Usually Haji puts multiple tank mines stacked or IEDs in previous craters. It will spell disaster if you hit one. I see young children staring at us, dirty poor things on the side street as we fly by. My chest relaxes a bit as â€œusuallyâ€� its ok if they are out, but Haji will try to kill you and kill some poor kid just as well as long as he gets you. It looks like the beginning of a Grand Pre race where drivers swerve back and forth on the track to warm up their tires almost like a serpentine sliming down the road as the hummers swerve around previous IED craters. I have a section of Marine F-18s circling like great white sharks above us ready to dive down and tear a holy shit ass into someone if needed. Im thankful they are Marines up there, they will know how we fight and that could be the difference in tenths of seconds and again yes Im very glad their fellow Marines. We get to our destination through a narrow empty alley. Its quiet and we quickly move past bullet ridden walls to our determined location. While conducting our business inside some of the men are outside establishing security and talking with Col Oliver North. Its weird seeing him in this shit hole but he is cool as hell and shoots the shit with they guys. Heâ€™s still a Marine and the men know it. You cant bullshit the men they will smell a turd a mile away like the stench of other Marines who have strayedâ€¦â€¦â€¦He hasnt let is fame get the best of him as a young Marine asks him to sign one of the Colonels books that the young Marine knucklehed keeps in his truck to read when its slow. Itâ€™s a good bone for the men and they donâ€™t let it interfere with business. While inside conducting business, AKs open up at us outside the compound. Our actions inside donâ€™t miss a beat and continue. I look to an Army joe who is with us thatâ€™s never been here before and is a bit nervous with open palmed ands I motion downward for him to relax and chill so we donâ€™t disrupt the business at hand. No rounds are actually hitting our building and the warriors outside have it well under control. Hope the Col is in a hummer with his gear on I think to myself. I monitor the radio and its just a short enemy burst and two sniper shots. No injuries. Its time to roll. We deploy smoke in a couple locations as we move to obscure our movement from the now present snipers. This is just freaking grand, I think to myself as we move. Again the race is on â€œtwo dismounts left in alleyâ€� truck six calls out. Thatâ€™s never good when truck one sees no one and the back trucks do. We lower the hammer and speed through the city as my Lt calls out on the radio with some forward thinking messages for all to hear. Heâ€™s a smart Lt and he wants to get out to be a doctor. Ive tried to convince him but heâ€™s hell bent set to get out. So every time I see him I ride his ass and ask him what steps he has finished to accomplish his goal to be a doctor. Its opened his eyes to reality and what he has to do yet. He would be a great doctor but a better Captain in the Marines. There is that stoooooooopid donkey again, heâ€™s been hit by Iraqi traffic and I think to myself we should shoot him and put him out of his misery but that would expose Marines to sniper fire, sorry donkey. This mission comes to an end. Adrenalin is a flowing and everyone is ok. Thatâ€™s whats important, we did a good mission and everyoneâ€™s ok. â€¦â€¦â€¦â€œye have suffered, awhileâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle youâ€¦I Peter Ch5 ver10 Semper Fi- COMBAT UPDATE A local convoy was attacked today by a suicide car bomber on a street in Fallujah. The bomber was parked on the side of the street in a yellow taxi cab and detonated the bomb as the convoy passed. The attack wounded one Marine and killed the bomber. The injured Marine was taken to a nearby military hospital for follow on treatment. There were no reports of Iraqi civilians injured in the attack. The night is quiet and we havenâ€™t had many mortar/rocket attacks todayâ€¦â€¦â€¦.there is always tomorrow.

2005-12-10T15:46:00.000-05:00

THE FEW THE PROUD What the heck is up with you Marines a man asked me once. I asked what do you mean? He continued and said you guys have this indescribable bond that even though you may not even know each other personally you automatically are great friends and start talking like you havenâ€™t seen each other in awhile regardless of age, rank or gender and take care of each other as if you were brothers. I laughed and told him yes, itâ€™s a respect thing I guess. We recognize each other as Marines and know the training the other has gone through and earned. When I was enlisted (Corporal) I stayed far away from Officers as possible. They are the â€œdark sideâ€� and will crush you for something or another. But since I had been an enlisted Marine and now Officer I would never ask them to do anything I havenâ€™t done already or wouldnâ€™t do with them. As an Officer you do everything with and for your Marines. As the same goes for any senior rank you take care of the young Marines first, its our â€œlawâ€�. Young Marines always eat first before Staff Sergeants and junior officers eat before senior officers. Not all branches do this but Marines do and when I was enlisted I had the goal to be an officer and promised myself that I would always take care of the enlisted Marine. We were out in Afghani once and had hot chow arranged special air deliver to us that night . Thinking they would get hot chow a few of the men ate their single ration MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) at about lunch time. We were positioned on a 10,000 foot hill and when the time came for the aircraft to arrive the helos called and notified us of the inability to reach us because we were positioned too high for them to reach and the altitude was to thin for them to fly in. So knowing the men have to eat, the Staff Sergeants and Officers gave up their chow for the Marines. We put the junior Marines first. In combat, wars are won by the young Marines in the mud in the alleys fighting head to head with the enemy. Granted Officers are in sync with their senior enlisted Marines and formulate the plan but itâ€™s the team leaders who execute and determine if the plan will be a success or failure. As an officer you are responsible for whatever your men do or fail to do. With training, respect and love like they are your own kids you sharpen them to razor sharp non stop so when the time comes that they are deployed to Iraq to enforce the nations policy, you know their capabilities, and they know yours and you are successful at defeating the enemy regardless of the situation. Our bond is a brotherhood, a gun club and some even go to the extent of it being like a mafia. It will always be that way because Once a Marine Always a Marine. There are no former Marines, only dead Marines. We were in a small village were we knew their were enemy soldiers hiding waiting for us. As we began to move towards the village the enemy small arms fire began with the distinct soundd of the Russian AK47, the Marines began to maneuver spread out and attack moving toward the reinforced enemy and into the oncoming gunfire. One squad moved and began suppression as another unit moved to kill the insurgents. An advancing Marine exposeshimself and gets hit in the leg and is down in the open. His is bleeding badly and is in the the middle of the street. His First Sergeant (senior enlisted in a rifle company) sees the Marine and without hesitation exposes himself to enemy fire runs down the middle of the street to retrieve the downed Marine. He tries picks the Marine up over his shoulder but he is too heavy with all of the gear and he has no time to ponder as bullets continue to be fire at them He drags him back behind a rock where the corpsman begin treating him for his wound. A tourniquet is applied and he will be ok but perhaps not if the 1stSgt didnâ€™t act quickly without care of himself and retrieve the Marine before another round could have mortally wounded him. There are hundreds of stories as this but we as Marines never leave a man behind, never despite the danger. We as Marines care for one another, police our own and hold each other accountable for our actions. We are Marines by choice, we donâ€™t make policy we enforce it and we do it together as one team, one voice. Apparently this is something Senator Murtha has forgotten. He isnâ€™t caring for your Marines or America. He isnâ€™t speaking with one voice and by pulling out of Iraq or Afghanistan before we are done is treason. He continues with his damage control techniques but it to late Senator. As I sat next to him in Haditha Iraq during his visit and he pounded on the table with his closed fist and stated we are behind you and we want to finish this. Well Sir you finished this alright although Im not talking about Iraq, Im talking about your career and your respect. You have lost the respect of the brotherhood. You have failed to take care of your junior Marines Sir! You have to live with that on your conscious. I would rather be dead than disrespect all of the fallen Marines as you have. I guess what that guy in the beginning witnessed was the American spirit and the brotherhood of the Marines. Someone who has earned the title of The Few and The Proud and kept it. May God continue to Bless America. Captain of Marines. COMBAT UPDATE Iraqi Army Soldiers, U.S. Marines and Army Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) concluded Operation Gashshaar (Skinner) in central Ramadi today. The operation began on the evening of Dec. 7 and was the seventh disruption operation conducted in Ramadi since Nov. 16 to set conditions in the city for successful elections December 15. The operation netted four weapons caches and several detainees and also two command initiated rocket systems designed to ambush passing convoys in central Ramadi. The combined forces also discovered a roadside bomb that the insurgents planned to use in the rocket attack.Iraqi and U.S. forces also disrupted terrorist plans when they discovered an insurgent bomb making factory in the center of the Ramadi Shopping district. Artillery and mortar rounds, timers and remote detonators were found in the bomb making facility. The previous operations conducted by the Iraqi Army and U.S. Forces in Ramadi recently were: Operation Panthers, Bruins, Lions, Tigers, Shank and Rams. Details concerning Operation Skinner were not provided earlier due to operational security.

2005-12-08T05:22:00.000-05:00

GRAY AREA The scumbags on defiantly on their heels, IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and IDF (indirect fire) are picking up. I know what your saying if the bad guys on their heels how come attacks are picking up? Well because we are in their heads and every where else and they are being forced to fight. Much like, fish in a barrel. They canâ€™t turn around without bumping into to an Army â€œjoâ€� or Marine. What a world! I find Iraq very surreal. Take yesterday for example. The day began as I was awakened at 0400 by the artillery pieces firing 12 sporadic rounds in support of troops in contact and counter artillery. As the day went on I had to PT (physical train) (yes, we stay in shape even in combat) and began just as our mortars opened up and fired 8 rounds right over my head to impact just 300 meters off the base to destroy a few wanna be terrorists. Then just when you have shook your head in disbelief of this place and continue your day a good size gunfight erupts near the base and we call in cobra helos and Harrier jets to do multiple gun runs onto a building with a half dozen terrorists inside who just attacked an observation post and want to meet their virgins. The distinct loud blurb of the 20mm gatlin gun on the nose of the attack helo got everyoneâ€™s attention. Ahhh finally time to relax and have a stoag, NOPE small arms and RPG attack on the other side of the base. The smell of explosives in the eveningâ€¦â€¦ahhh almost as good as a stoag!. Many people leave comments (thank you very much by the way) and send emails about what they can send us, what do we need. What do we need? Really? Its more armor rightâ€¦..nope. Its more troops right?..........nope. Its gotta be the stooper idea of pulling us out of here, right?..........mention that again and someoneâ€™s getting hurt, NO. We simply need your support. Think back during past holidays. How many American flags have you seen flying? Cmon think!!!! Oh I know you see the usual holiday decorations and flags at the post office and bank but how about your work place, neighborâ€™s house or even your house? Im not trying to drive up my stock in American flags but the fact that they arnt that expensive and cost about as much as a lunch at McDonalds why donâ€™t you have one flying??? Well??? By flying your flag you show your support for your warriors past, present and future. The American flag is feared in many places and still stood strong after many of Americaâ€™s battles to include WWI, the Beirut bombings on the US Embassy, Iwo Jima and at the Pentagon after it was attacked on Sept 11th. It is a powerful symbol that you and your fellow Americans have believed in and died for what it represents. In Afghanistan we did one mission where we flew in and established blocking positions and check points to disrupt, capture and kill insurgents and Al Qaeda forces in the area. When we inserted in Marine Corps CH-53 large Helos, the locals and even former Muj ran into the mountains like a bad reenactment of a Monty Python show. While witnessing this we thought it was because there was enemy in the area and they knew there was a gun fight a coming! But only after talking to some of the local tribesman we found out that they thought we were Russians invading again and were running for their lives. Once we learned this we positioned an American flag over our position and the locals came out of the wood work. Once they saw the American flag they knew things were going to be ok. My old neighbor that lived next to me was from Saudia Arabia (sleeper cell) and had a small flag pole on his porch with a faded torn American flag. Big freaking negative and I tried the typical approach by brining it to their attention that their flag was torn and faded and perhaps they should replace it. Not knowing English I got the normal smile and head nodd from the woman in the Burka. So I bumped it up a notch and being the â€œfriendlyâ€� neighbor, I gratefully installed a new stitched beautiful American flag on their pole, saluted it and posted. Thinking they would get the hint. The next day her â€œhusbandâ€� took it down and we never saw it again. Hey, itâ€™s a free country and if you donâ€™t want to show your appreciation ok, but to reject the offer and deny the respect of the stars and barsâ€¦â€¦â€¦ I better not hear a single bitch from you on any other topic about this country or you can stand the hell by. The American flag, a simple symbol that says â€œLand of the free home of the braveâ€�. A representation of what we believe in and a simple way for YOU to show that you support us and the country. What would potential terrorist think if they went past a street with the stars and bars flying on everyoneâ€™s porch? You should make your neighbor feel like major donkey crap for NOT having one displayed. Do you remember after Sept 11th how every news paper put a full page as the flag in the following days paper? Why did they stop that?? So here you go Mr Newspaper companies, Im calling you out, you want to talk the talk and have your reporters do so called â€œsupport the troopsâ€� stories? Well then lets walk the walk, and start printing US Flags in the paper. If not everyday, then how about Fridays OR for my ACLU readers how about every SUNDAY? Yes, I like that every Sunday toss out those worthless crapy advertisements that paperboys all over the world are cussing you out over and replace it with a full page color American flag What, are you skeeered? Afraid of the repercussion?? Well tell your complaining bed wetters to pound sand if they donâ€™t like it or if they think it infringes on their â€œrightsâ€� (see previous Blog entry, window licker if your that slow) and tell them perhaps they should go to either coast and jump really far into the ocean and leave this great country. Itâ€™s very simple, youâ€™re either with us or against us, there isnâ€™t any gray area here. Time for a C-Gar! Semper Fidelis from Iraq!

2005-12-06T06:53:00.000-05:00

WALK TALL AMERICA At 0753 Dec 7th, six Japanese carriers launched 181 of torpedo, bomber planes and fighters towards the island of Oahu. Airfields on the lee ward side of the island were attacked first as the large number of planes which were mistaken by operators of the new device called the radar as a flock of birds and a transport plane scheduled to arrive at that time. The Japanese plans swooped though a cut in the mountains to attack the unsuspected military bases. The fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor was nearly destroyed as miniature submarines initiated the attack within the harbor. Overall twenty-one ships of the US Pacific fleet were destroyed. The attack was the main act that brought the United States into World War II. Like Nov 10th, Sept 11th,Dec 7th is a significant day while here in Iraq. Ive been stationed in Hawaii and have seen the damage still visible from the attacks and perhaps I might have had some relatives that were fighting there. But thatâ€™s not why itâ€™s important. Itâ€™s important because it is a significant date that all Americans need to remember what happened to America on that day and how we all pulled together to take the fight to evil and win. Like back then, today we still are fighting the enemy although on a different front. If you look back then you would see a hard core dedicated America. All with one voice. Men fighting away from home and women pulling up the slack at home. A day like Dec 7th, sums up what we have been talking about in the past blogs. Remembering our countryâ€™s veterans, being thankful, taking the fight to the enemy, remembering those who suffer at home from war, the role of a positive or negative press and how this country has been built on the foundation of God and the country as one. During our entrance into WWII America had all of these working for her and speaking the same language. We arenâ€™t to far off today; but we have some fine tuning to do but America, the greatest country in the world has grown so much since 1941. Although grown we havenâ€™t changed in the years. Americans have always taken on the bad guys face to face, took care of the little guys and lead this world with liberty and freedom as its foundation. We will fight and we will win, bottom line. If you attack America get ready for the biggest can of whoop ass to be opened on your sorry little butt. No, no we havenâ€™t changed America because down deep all of us have what the fighting Americans had in their gut back in 1941, the will to take on and destroy evil. Being in Pearl Harbor, Europe, or NY, Americans take on evil face to face whether its on foreign soil or in our home town. We know the price of fighting evil and we are willing to pay it to defend what we believe in. So walk tall America, not only on Dec 7th but all the time! You are the difference between good and evil and it is fought on many levels and in many locations. Your Marines continue to choke out evil here in Iraq. We will continue to do that because we know, like back in 1941 YOU stand tough, ready and as one against evil in support of us. We are a proud military because we have proud Americans supporting us! Semper Fidelis and May God continue to bless the United States. Capt B

2005-12-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

ONE TEAM ONE FIGHT I face combat operations. Its dangerous but so is crossing the street in any downtown city. Its all how you look at it. You back home are facing combat operations as well. Look at what is happening in our home. I hear of Merry Holidays? What the hell is that???? In my short life I thought it was Merry Christmas. When did the slap on the table happen for that one to change? I didnâ€™t slap the table but maybe its time we do slap some things around. I donâ€™t get it who (ACLU) told everyone that its ok to change history anddelete the words on a recent monument dedicated in DC that removed the word â€œGodâ€� from the presidents words? Who was the one who said â€œlets stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance in schoolsâ€�? Who is the one that is taking your freedom away through the court systems? Me and my Marines are over here kicking the living dogshit out of scumbags who want to see us demoralize from within so that THEY can run America and it be one nation under Allah! Sorry scumbags its not gonna happen while Im here and YOU donâ€™t let it happen back there while Im here either! Here is a â€œNo shit Breaking News storyâ€� ITS Christmas because it is Jesusâ€™s Birthday, celebrated different by different religions and thatâ€™s fine but itâ€™s a religious holiday. If you donâ€™t believe in it, donâ€™t celebrate it, get coal, I donâ€™t care! However, we arnt going to change it nor other holidays because we are afraid of offending you. If your offendedâ€¦â€¦..pound sand I donâ€™t care. I respect other religions even Muslim but you donâ€™t see me telling them not to play their loud 5 times a day Muslim prayer over their loud speakers forcing it down my neck do you? Next thing youll here is that I cant take the American flag into battle with me because it would offend the enemyâ€¦â€¦â€¦or better yet we wont be able to sing the National Anthem at baseball games. I tell my Marines when we are back in the states and they do something that might not seem like a big deal, â€œThatâ€™s how it all begins, you wear the wrong color t shirt and they next thing you know you are putting in live rounds when you should have blanks in your weapons during training exercises.â€� It may seem small but it roots and gets very serious quick! Its like loading your pack with gear. I like to say ounces are pounds meaning the little ounces build up quickly to add on pounds. This is the same thing, Merry Holidays, no pledge to allegiance, no National Anthem, what are we coming to? Your Marines are fighting for what you and they believe in here and around the world. We have core values of our country that we donâ€™t want changed. One person can make a difference â€œounces make poundsâ€� and by telling your congressman CLICK HERE you can show them it matters to you to by voicing your opinion. THEY work for you and donâ€™t ever forget that. Weare a United team. Are you on the team? The lady who wrote this letter is Pam Foster who lives in Atlanta, GA. It was written to a family member serving in Iraq. Are we fighting a war on terror or arent we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on 9/11/2001? Were people from all, over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nations capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didnt they? And Im supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was desecrated when an overworked American soldier kicked it and got it wet? Well, I dont.I dont care at all. Ill start caring when Osama Bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all the innocent people on 9/11. Ill care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia. Ill care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking off Nick Bergs head while Berg screamed through his gurgling, slashed throat. Ill care when the cowardly so called insurgents in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. Ill care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs. Ill care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Bill of Rights. In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave Marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I DONT CARE. When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college hazing incident, rest assured that I dont care. When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I dont care. When I hear that a prisoner , who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed special food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being mishandled you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I dont care. And OH, by the way, Ive noticed that sometimes its spelled Koran and other times Quran. Well, Jimmy! Crack Corn and you guessed itâ€”-I DONT CARE. COMBAT UPDATE Your Marines are concluding numerous operations. However, this doesnt mean fighting ends as a SBVIED exploded just miles from us today without injuries except for the one looking around for vigins who arnt there now. Small arms fighting continues and low amounts of IDF. Business is good.