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National oral history group in San Diego June 3-22
By Jeanette Steele 5:17 P.M. MAY 30, 2013
Starting next week, San Diego veterans and their families will have a chance to record their memories of military service through StoryCorps, a national nonprofit oral history organization.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/30/storycorps-veterans-san-diego/?st
Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine
By Gretel C. Kovach
6:45 p.m.May 30, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/30/paralyzed-marine-special-operations/?st
Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine
By Gretel C. Kovach
6:45 p.m.May 30, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/30/paralyzed-marine-special-operations/?st
Insurgents probing defenses of national forces, locals
By Gretel C. Kovach
4:33 p.m.May 29, 2013Updated10:07 a.m.May 30, 2013
Afghan national security forces have effectively taken the lead for combat operations in the southwest of the country, where they have been battling insurgents for several days in a former enemy stronghold of Helmand Province, according to the Marine general in command of U.S. and international forces in the region.
To continue reading about the 3/4:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/29/marine-update-southwest-afghanistan/
Story by Lance Cpl. James Gulliver | 1st Marine Division | Date: 05.28.2013
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – As the sun rose over the hills of San Juan Capistrano, Marines serving with 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, were already up and hard at work here, May 23.
To continue reading about the 1/11:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/107667/artillerymen-give-back-san-juan-capistrano#.UaVXM5zIfK4
May 28, 2013
Marine Corps News| by Sgt. Ned Johnson
COMBAT OUTPOST NOW ZAD, Afghanistan -- A Marine climbs to the top of an Afghan National Police tower to provide security, more than three years since the last time he was in Afghanistan.
To continue reading:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/05/28/marine-afghan-police-officer-reunite.html
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY
The Associated Press
Published: May 27, 2013
NEW ORLEANS — Before Cpl. Thomas "Cotton" Jones was killed by a Japanese sniper in the Central Pacific in 1944, he wrote what he called his "last life request" to anyone who might find his diary: Please give it to Laura Mae Davis, the girl he loved.
To continue reading this very touching story:
http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/wwii-marine-s-diary-a-brief-look-at-a-brief-life-1.223031
By Sgt. Tatum Vayavananda | Marine Corps Forces Europe | May 27, 2013
BELLEAU, France --
To commemorate Memorial Day, and to mark the 95th anniversary of the historic Battle of Belleau Wood, U.S. Marines with their French brothers and sisters in arms, locals of the town of Belleau, and visitors from around the world, gathered at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery May 26, to remember and honor the fallen heroes of World War I, as well as celebrate the long-standing partnership between U.S. and French militaries that is still alive today.
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The Associated Press
Published: May 27, 2013
Americans gathered at cemeteries, memorials and monuments nationwide to honor fallen military service members on Memorial Day, at a time when combat in Afghanistan approaches 12 years and the ranks of World War II veterans dwindles.
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Wounds from loss of husband and father who was killed in Iraq nearly a decade ago hard to heal for his wife and four children
By Gretel C. Kovach
May 25, 2013
A couple of years after Maj. Richard Gannon II was killed in Iraq, his youngest son — the one with his father’s dark looks — asked, “So, when is dad coming home?”
To continue reading about Fallen Hero, Major Richard Gannon II, of the 3/7:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/25/each-milestone-is-a-reminder/?st
Story by Sgt. Ned Johnson | Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs | Date: 05.25.2013
COMBAT OUTPOST NOW ZAD, Afghanistan— As Afghan forces continue to take the lead security role in Helmand province, the Marines are quietly helping them build their confidence.
To continue reading about the 3/4:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/107586/afghan-forces-build-confidence-set-up-checkpoints#.UaFV7pzIfK4
By Niraj Warikoo
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
May 25, 2013
When Logan Stark first set foot in Afghanistan in the fall of 2010 as a U.S. Marine, he wasn’t too worried.
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By Lance Cpl. Brandon C. Suhr | Marine Corps Installations Pacific | May 24, 2013
CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan -- Many Marines have served valiantly during combat operations in Afghanistan. The lessons learned are continuously passed from one generation of Marines to the next, laying the foundation for less experienced Marines to deploy to Afghanistan, complete the mission, and return home safely.
Marines with Company F, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, completed a field training exercise May 15-17 on Camps Hansen and Schwab, and the Central Training Area in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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By Cpl. Michael S. Lockett
May 24, 2013
USS CARTER HALL, At sea -- Ship life is a triumph of design by efficiency. Each minute of the day is designed to help contribute to the smooth running of the vessel. That means the day to day routine aboard a naval vessel, especially for the Marines it conveys from one shore to the next, can be precisely that: routine. Many Marines need something else in their day-to-day with a bit of variety -- a bit of zest -- to keep things interesting.
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By Terri Moon Cronk, American Forces Press Service | Headquarters Marine Corps | May 22, 2013
WASHINGTON --
During the busy season of military transfers, adjusting to new communities and registering children for school, more than 2,000 museums across the nation will open their doors, free of charge, to service members and their families as a break from the summer challenges, a Defense Department official said today.
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Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Story and photo by Melissa Buckley
Fort Leonard Wood’s Advanced Law Enforcement Training Division is responsible for the military law enforcement Special Reaction Teams responding to threats on installations around the world.
To continue reading:
http://www.myguidon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task;=view&id;=16016
By Logan Jenkins6 a.m.May 22, 2013
Memorial Day, we’re reminded this time of year, was originally called Decoration Day, a day in late May set aside for the adornment of the fallen’s resting places with flowers, flags, endearments.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/22/memorial-day-alpine-cemetery/?st
By MOLLY BLAKE
May 21, 2013, 3:37 pm
When I graduated from college, I planned on being the next Diane Sawyer. My hubris took me to a small television station down south where I was a general assignment reporter until one day when the military reporter, Mark Dent, up and quit. I volunteered to fill in. That was 1997, long before The Longest War began.
To continue reading:
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/married-to-the-marines/
By Cpl. Sarah Wolff-Diaz | Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch | May 21, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Blue chemical lights illuminated the Pacific under a early morning sky as 41 dark figures approached the black waters off San Onofre beach at 4 a.m. and patiently waited in the brisk air for the countdown to honor their fallen comrades to begin May 17.
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Story by 2nd Lt. Gerard Farao | 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit | Date: 05.21.2013
USS San Antonio, At Sea – U.S. Marines have been at sea since 1775 and the U.S. Navy has been landing Marine forces ashore since the Battle of Nassau when a battalion of Marines led by Capt. Samuel Nicholas landed on the shores of New Providence in the Bahamas, March 3, 1776, during the Revolutionary War.
To continue reading:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/107359/us-marines-aboard-uss-san-antonio#.UZzM-0qB6yM
Courtesy Story | 2nd Marine Division | Date: 05.20.2013
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - More than 300 local residents attended a memorial dedication at Veterans Memorial Park May 20, 2013, honoring seven Marines from 1st Battalion, 9th Marines who died while training nearby.
To continue reading:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/107312/fallen-1-9-marines-legacy-set-stone#.UZv1ucrIfK4
Granite 7-ton wall delivered after 10-day trip
Joe Little
Posted: 05/20/2013
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - A new memorial honoring Marines killed in Afghanistan arrived Monday at Camp Pendleton following a lengthy journey.
To continue reading:
http://www.10news.com/news/new-memorial-honors-camp-pendleton-marines-killed-in-afghanistan-052013
By Sgt. Christopher O'Quin | 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit | May 20, 2013
NAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO, Calif. -- The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit will be first MEU to bring GATR’s with them on their Western Pacific Deployment in 2013. No, not the fearsome jagged toothed reptilians and apex predators, but a state-of-the-art communication tool able to rapidly transmit and receive data. Though actual gators would be an epic mascot for the MEU deployment
To continue reading:
http://www.13thmeu.marines.mil/News/NewsArticleDisplay/tabid/1982/Article/143325/13th-meu-tests-new-communication-game-changer-for-approaching-deployment.aspx
James K. Sanborn
Staff writer
May. 20, 2013 - 06:00AM
The commingled remains of 13 fallen service members — mostly Marines — killed in the last armed action of the Vietnam War were laid to rest May 15 at Arlington National Cemetery, Va. The men died in a raid known today as the Mayaguez Incident, which was mounted to save the crew of a civilian container ship highjacked in 1975 by communist Khmer Rouge forces near Cambodia.
To continue reading about our Fallen Heroes:
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20130520/NEWS/305200004/The-Mayaguez-incident-farewell
by Romney Smith
Posted: 05.19.2013 at 12:00 PM
Brigadier General Lori Reynolds is in charge of the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island South Carolina. She says her job in a nutshell is to produce marines, and to do it right. “I think there's a lot of misperceptions out there about what happens at recruit training. Everything that we do has a purpose and at the end of the day we turn regular American citizens into basically trained marines through a transformative process that is going to carry them through their whole enlistment” says Reynolds.
To continue reading
target="_blank"http://www.mysouthwestga.com/news/story.aspx?id=899227#.UZt5zMwo7SF
By Allison M. Roberts
Danville Register & Bee, Va.
Published: May 19, 2013
Sara Bryant knew going into the military was something she wanted to do, but what she did not know was the impact she would have on the role of females in the Marine Corps.
To continue reading:
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/marine-helps-develop-female-engagement-team-in-afghanistan-1.221592
By Lance Cpl. Orrin G. Farmer | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton | May 19, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. --
Fighters, big and small, from all over Southern California’s military installations joined together in the 5th annual U.S. Military Pankration Championships at the 52-area fitness center here May 18.
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By Erik Lacitis
The Seattle Times/MCT
Published: May 18, 2013
SEATTLE — The two had known each other less than three weeks when they found themselves inside helicopters about to land off a Cambodian island, and were easy targets for a firestorm of Khmer Rouge bullets and rocket-propelled grenades.
To continue reading:
http://www.stripes.com/news/marine-corps/38-years-later-closure-for-a-marine-1.221446
Story by Cpl. Timothy Lenzo | 1st Marine Division | Date: 05.18.2013
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines serving with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and 7th Engineer Support Battalion set up an Improved Ribbon Bridge with Bridge Erection Boats and an Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge as part of the battalion’s continued effort to crosstrain their Marines.
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Athletic competition for wounded troops taps competitive drive for rehab
By Gretel C. Kovach
3:19 p.m .May 17, 2013
The Marines fought off a near upset from the Army this week in the 2013 Warrior Games, claiming a fourth Chairman’s Cup and another year of bragging rights as undefeated champion of the athletic competition for troops injured by combat, illness or accidents.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/17/warrior-games-end/?st
Col. Scott Campbell of the 15th MEU talks about the amphib future.
By Gretel C. Kovach
5:59 p.m .May 17, 2013
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned to Camp Pendleton this week after an eight-month deployment aboard the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group. The Corps kept its infantry afloat while most Marines fought in the deserts of Iraq or Afghanistan.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/17/marine-amphibious-future/?st
By Allison Barrie
War Games
Published May 16, 2013
FoxNews.com
A search and rescue of chemical-weapons casualties aboard a U.S. Navy vessel, a helicopter assault on Fort Irwin and an antenna that looks like an inflatable beach ball. What do they have in common?
To continue reading:
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/05/16/urban-combat-hits-three-states-over-nine-days/
By Sgt. Tyler Hlavac | 4th Marine Corps District | May 14, 2013
Beaufort, S.C. --
Thirty five educators from West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio endured the rigors of Marine Corps boot camp during the 2013 Educator Workshop, April 30 to May 3, to gain a better understanding of the Marine Corps.
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Story by Sgt. Bobby Yarbrough | Regional Command Southwest | Date: 05.13.2013
EDITOR'S NOTE: The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq influenced most Marines before they could even comprehend it. Many of them are the progeny of conflict and survival, inflicted with the physical and psychological wounds of war. The realities of combat controlled and directed their growth, combining aptitude, instinct, and courage equally. As the war in Afghanistan comes to an end, Marine leaders reflect on their service over the last decade and how combat has shaped them as leaders and as men. This is part one of a three part series.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - The violence in Iraq was reaching its pinnacle in 2004 when Chris Taylor received his deployment orders to Al-Anbar province. Marines had just bloodied their way through the first Battle of Fallujah and insurgency within the country was beginning to expand as sectarian clashes divided the nation.
To continue reading:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/106831/generation-war#.UZGqH8rIfK4
By Nathan Max
4:21 p.m. May 13, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON — Lt. Col. John Field said he has been flying CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters since 1993.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/13/15th-Marine-Expeditionary-Unit-comes-home/?st
An Army of Biologists Are on Nature Patrol at Military Bases; 'Walking Ravioli'
By BEN KESLING
Updated May 13, 2013, 10:33 p.m. ET
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.—U.S. Marines are taught to overcome obstacles with a minimum of help. But when some Marines prepared to charge a hill in a training exercise here a few months ago, they were forced to halt and radio the one man who could help them advance: Brian Henen, turtle expert.
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Drone K-MAX helicopters in Afghanistan aren't spying — they're delivering supplies.
By: Jay Price McClatchy Foreign Staff, Published on Sun May 12 2013
CAMP BASTION, AFGHANISTAN—The small group of U.S. marines at a remote base in northern Helmand province was running low on ammunition after days of fierce fighting.
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It's the beginning of the end of an era for U.S. Marines stationed in Afghanistan.
By Jim Maceda, Correspondent, NBC News
May 11, 2013
It was the summer of 2012 and the most dangerous part of the mission – when soldiers get complacent and make mistakes. So, even in 130-degree heat, Cpl. Randy Derstine and his men of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, patrolled hard in the mountainous, heavily disputed Kajaki Dam area of Helmand province
To continue reading:
The Herald Bulletin/AP
Published: May 11, 2013
ANDERSON, Ind. -- Family and friends of a U.S. Marine from Indiana who died in a 2003 Humvee crash in Kuwait marked the 10th anniversary of his death by gathering for a somber memorial at his gravesite
To continue reading about Fallen Hero, Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith, of the 4th FSSG:
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/ind-marine-s-family-mark-decade-since-his-death-1.220618
Story by Sgt. Bryan Peterson | Regional Command Southwest | Date: 05.10.2013
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Chief Warrant Officer 5 Brice Thomas thought once the war in Iraq came to an end, combat deployments would be a thing of the past for him given his 25 years in the Marine Corps, three combat tours and the drawdown in Afghanistan. But fate had a different plan.
To continue reading:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/106711/marine-father-deploys-afghanistan-closer-his-son#.UY2mTsrIfK4
By DREW C. WILSON - Havelock News
Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:30 PM.
Improvised explosive devices have killed and maimed thousands of U.S. service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the number is decreasing today thanks to the use of robots to detect and diffuse the bombs.
To continue reading:
http://www.jdnews.com/news/military/technology-aids-ordnance-marines-1.140002?tc=cr
Courtesy Story | Regional Command Southwest | Date: 05.08.2013
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - In 2009, Camp Dwyer was a sprawling base which housed thousands of service members ready to fight. Most of them were the result of a 30,000 troop surge in Afghanistan introduced by President Barack Obama.
To continue reading:
By Shaun Waterman
The Washington Times
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The K-MAX unmanned drone helicopter is proving invaluable to U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, according to a report from McClatchy News on Tuesday.
To continue reading:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/7/us-marines-employ-drone-copters-afghan-war/
The 39-year-old Marine will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, family friends say
By Jessica Mazzola
Email the author
May 6, 2013
A 1993 Ramsey High School graduate serving overseas in Afghanistan was killed Saturday, according to a friend of the soldier’s family.
To continue reading about Fallen Hero, Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian, of the 2nd MSOB:
http://ramsey-nj.patch.com/articles/report-ramsey-graduate-killed-in-afghanistan
By Ryan Parker
The Denver Post
Posted: 05/06/2013 05:10:45 PM MDT
Updated: 05/06/2013 11:52:59 PM MDT
A 23-year-old Marine from Parker — and the Military Working Dog that was trying to save him — were killed during a combat operation in Afghanistan's Farah province Saturday, Major Jeff Landis of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command told The Denver Post on Monday.
To continue reading about Fallen Hero, Cpl. David M. Sonka, of the 2nd MSOB:
Story by Cpl. Kyle N. Runnels | 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit | Date: 05.04.2013
AT SEA - With the help of sailors assigned to the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (Reinforced), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducted maintenance on MV-22B Ospreys on the flight deck of the Kearsarge’s flight deck, at sea, May 4, 2013.
To continue reading about the 26th MEU:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/106357/vmm-266-rein-conducts-mv-22b-maintenance#.UYclosrIfK4
Hospital corpsman ignored his own wounds, gunfire
By Gretel C. Kovach
5:57 p.m.May 3, 2013
When the bomb blasted his truck into the air and insurgents started shooting, “Doc Flores” went to work. The Navy hospital corpsman was deafened by the explosion. He couldn’t hear the bullets whizzing by, but he saw his Marines lying in the street.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/03/navy-corpsman-silver-star/?st
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Michael Duran, USS Peleliu Public Affairs
5/3/2013
PEARL HARBOR – The Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam May 3, after an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility.
To continue reading about the 15th MEU:
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cpr3/Pages/PeleliuARGArrivesinPearlHarbor.aspx#.UYR7CcrIc3w
By Lance Cpl. Glen E. Santy | Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point | May 03, 2013
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
Kneeling behind the golf ball, Kevin Lagrutta plans his next putt. His friends comedically commentate as if he were making the putt of his career. Lagrutta stands and addresses the ball. A light tap sends it rolling slowly toward the hole. Time nearly stops as it slows to a snail’s pace before dropping into the hole. “It’s hard being this awesome,” said Lagrutta, dropping his club and slowly turning and walking away.
To continue reading:
Master Sgt. Mark E. Bradley Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Posted: Thursday, May 2, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 10:00 am, Thu May 2, 2013.
It was a live-fire range unlike most April 18 as approximately 90 Marines and sailors bore down on silhouette targets with AK-47 rifles in preparation for a specialized deployment to Africa this summer.
To continue reading:
http://www.camplejeuneglobe.com/news/top_stories/article_97416684-b282-11e2-af87-0019bb2963f4.html
Commercial-News
May 2, 2013
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Todd Allen Hawk, 27, of North Las Vegas and formerly of Cayuga, Ind., passed away at 8:35 p.m. PDT Saturday, April 27, 2013, at his residence.
To continue reading:
http://commercial-news.com/obituaries/x508490328/Todd-Allen-Hawk
Story by Cpl Joseph Karwick
Date Taken:05.02.2013 | Date Posted:05.08.2013 19:41
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan - Station military police with the Provost Marshall’s Office put themselves through a day of rigorous training May 2, 2013, in hopes of becoming part of the station's Special Reaction Team. An SRT is a specialized team or element within a military law enforcement unit.
To continue reading:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/106574/pmo-marines-endure-srt-indoctrination#.U6g_Mdq9KSN
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 1, 2013
WASHINGTON — Ammunition was running low on a base in Afghanistan’s Helmand province that had come under sustained attack in January, and the Marine Corps sent in a robot to help.
To continue reading:
http://www.stripes.com/news/marines-in-afghanistan-tout-unmanned-supply-helicopter-1.219102
Brian Slattery
May 1, 2013 at 10:29 am
Asked about the attack last fall on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, President Obama asserted, “our job with respect to Benghazi has been to find out exactly what happened, to make sure that U.S. embassies not just in the Middle East but around the world are safe and secure and to bring those who carried it out to justice.” While the Administration has been opaque about what happened in Benghazi, the U.S. military is taking measures to station forces closer to North Africa where tensions remain high.
To continue reading:
http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/01/marines-ready-to-respond-in-northern-africa/