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By Tom Charlier
Published: May 31, 2014
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — That very first kill haunted him most. There were many others, to be sure, but long after he’d returned to Memphis from three deployments with the Marines, Paul Oliver voiced the greatest pain while recounting his lethal encounter with an Iraqi insurgent who ignored a command to disarm and raised his rifle.
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Photos by Lance Cpl. Vaniah Temple | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 04.29.2014
Date Posted: 05.30.2014 10:38
The Confidence Course is comprised of 15 obstacles designed to help Marine Corps recruits build self-confidence by overcoming physical and mental challenges. Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, is scheduled to graduate July 3, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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By Jolene Cleaver, [email protected],, @DispatchCleaver on Twitter
Posted: 05/30/14, 8:50 AM EDT
ONEIDA>>City resident Vicky Arnold is asking for the public’s help in finding a U.S. Marine Corps medal that is missing from son’s headstone in Oneida Castle cemetery.
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Posted 5/29/2014 Updated 5/30/2014
by Airman Zade C. Vadnais
18th Wing Public Affairs
5/29/2014 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- On June 1, Kadena will enter Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Four, the default condition of readiness during typhoon season, which begins June 1 and lasts until November 30.
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by Cpl Charles Santamaria
Date Posted:05.30.2014 10:20PM
3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 7th Marine Regiment hosts their deactivation ceremony at Lance Corporal Torrey L. Gray Field. (Footage by Lance Cpl. Hannah Carlson)(Footage by Lance Cpl. Dakim Rucker)(Footage by Cpl. Charles Santamaria).
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By Cpl. Joseph Scanlan | Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan | May 29, 2014
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- As Marines departed Sangin District, one of Afghanistan’s most dangerous areas, they were supported by British soldiers with Maneuver Battle Group who provided security to ensure a safe convoy to Camp Leatherneck.
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Story by Cpl. Michael Dye | Regional Command Southwest | Date: 05.28.2014
PATROL BASE BOLDAK, Afghanistan – Marines and sailors with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, completed the turnover with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, and took control over Patrol Base Boldak and its area of operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 20, 2014.
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By Lolita C. Baldor
May. 28, 2014 - 12:07PM
WASHINGTON — The State Department recommended Tuesday that Americans leave Libya immediately and warned U.S. citizens against any travel to the North African country.
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By The Associated Press
Posted: Wednesday, May 28th 2014 at 7:30pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cpl. Kyle Carpenter remembers lying on his back on a rooftop in Marjah, Afghanistan, crammed up against sandbags alongside his friend and fellow Marine, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio.
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Video by Cpl James Gulliver
Date Posted:05.28.2014 1:59AM
KANGAROO FLATS TRAINING AREA, Northern Territory, Australia – Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, and Soldiers with the Australian Army, participate in the fire team leaders course here.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/video/339707/mrf-d-conducts-fire-team-leaders-course#.U5Rv_Nq9KSO
Published May 27, 2014
FoxNews.com
President Obama announced Tuesday that he aims to keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the war formally ends later this year, while pledging a near-total withdrawal by the end of 2016.
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BY newsdesk May 26, 2014 at 10:33 AM EDT
President Obama, back in Washington after his surprise trip to visit troops in Afghanistan, appeared at Arlington National Cemetery this morning to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/watch-live-president-obama-lays-wreath-tomb-unknown-soldier/
by Sgt Frances Johnson
Date Posted:05.26.2014 2:12PM
Regional Command (Southwest) hold Memorial Day ceremony May 26, 2014, aboard Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.
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He feels proud to return to the fight
By Meghann Myers
Staff writer
May. 26, 2014 - 03:37PM
It’s not often you see a midshipman hustling down Stribling Walk to get to class with a Combat Action Ribbon and a Purple Heart pinned to his dress uniform, but that was the last four years for Marine 2nd Lt. Jefferson Talicuran.
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By JAKE PEARSON, Associated Press
Updated 11:00 am, Sunday, May 25, 2014
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps' chaplain, speaking Sunday to a congregation that has tied gold ribbons on the church's fence in honor of fallen soldiers since the Iraq War began, lauded the sacrifice of veterans around the world as President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan for Memorial Day.
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http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/USMC-chaplain-at-NYC-church-for-Memorial-Day-5503591.php
Jenn Rowell, [email protected]
8:48 a.m. MDT May 25, 2014
Over a decade on active duty in the Marine Corps, Seth Jordan squirreled away money and recently made a longtime dream come true when he opened Dog Tag Brewing in Belgrade.
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By Lance Cpl Krista James | 2nd Marine Division | May 22, 2014
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. --
Marines, sailors and distinguished guests with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, gathered together at the battalion headquarters aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for a memorial service, May 21, 2014.
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Stars and Stripes
Published: May 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department announced Saturday it had canceled ongoing military exercises with Thailand as a result of the military coup in the Southeast Asian country.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/us-cancels-military-exercises-with-thailand-1.285224
By Jennifer Hlad
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 24, 2014
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Veterans who served in 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company in Vietnam and Korea stood shoulder to shoulder Friday evening to shake the hands of 20 Marines deploying to Afghanistan this Memorial Day weekend.
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By Tom Wrobleski
May 23, 2014 at 4:00 PM, updated May 24, 2014 at 2:18 PM
ELTINGVILLE – James Capodanno, a World War II Marine Corps veteran who kept alive the memory of his hero brother, the Rev. Vincent R. Capodanno, has died at the age of 94, his family said.
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http://www.silive.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2014/05/james_capodanno_who_kept_alive.html
Q & A with Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo, southwest NATO commander
By Gretel C. Kovach
4 a.m.May 22, 2014
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Marine Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo is slated to be the last coalition commander in southwestern Afghanistan, an impoverished Taliban stronghold checkered with illicit poppy plots. The former head of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego took charge of Helmand and Nimruz provinces in February, at the helm of Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan and NATO’s regional command.
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http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/22/yoo-southwest-afghanistan-marine/?st
Story by Sgt Adam Miller
Date Taken:05.16.2014 | Date Posted:05.21.2014 02:44
CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan – Marines concluded a two-week Special Reaction Team certification course May16 in the Central Training Area.
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https://www.dvidshub.net/news/130594/marines-get-one-shot-elite-sniper-status#.VUmN1mK9KSP
Published May 21, 2014
Associated Press
NEW YORK – Well, hello, sailor!
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By Cpl. Kirstin Rodgers | U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve | May 20, 2014
NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas --
A Marine was awarded the nation’s second highest award Sunday for a life-threatening act of heroism, in a ceremony here.
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Stars and Stripes
Published: May 20, 2014
A Marine crisis-response team has deployed additional aircraft to Sicily as it awaits orders for a possible evacuation of American officials in Libya.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/aircraft-sent-to-italy-for-possible-libya-evacuation-1.284092
By Lance Cpl. Alissa P. Schuning | Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni | May 20, 2014
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- With the summer months fast approaching, residents of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, will want to begin preparing for typhoon season beginning on June 1 until November 30.
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Photo by Cpl. David Bessey | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 05.13.2014
Date Posted: 05.20.2014 09:12
Marines learn to rappel to prepare for deploying from helicopters in flight or navigating difficult terrain, and the training also helps instill courage in recruits to overcome any fear of heights. Fox Company is scheduled to graduate July 3, 2014. Approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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By James K. Sanborn | Staff writer
May. 19, 2014 - 05:24PM
Retired Marine Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, 24, will receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan in 2010, the White House announced today. He will become only the second living Marine to receive the award for actions during the Global War on Terrorism.
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Courtesy Video | Pentagon Channel | Date: 05.19.2014
Operations are returning to normal at Camp Pendleton, CA, after wildfires last week
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Date Taken: 05.13.2014
Date Posted: 05.19.2014 4:07PM
Location:PARRIS ISLAND, SC, US
Recruits of Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, endure the effects of tear gas after exiting a gas chamber May 13, on Parris Island, S.C.
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Story by Cpl Unique B. Roberts
Date Posted:05.15.2014 12:34
BOGUE, N.C. - Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 conducted their annual Communication Exercise, May 5 – 9 at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, N.C.
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https://www.dvidshub.net/news/129922/mwss-271-hones-communication-abilities#.VPkH52K9KSM
By Sgt. Timothy Lenzo | 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines | May 15, 2014
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- He stands noticeably smaller than the Marines to his right and left. Their frames fill out their camouflage utilities and flak jackets, while his looks a couple sizes too small.
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By John Vandiver
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 14, 2014
STUTTGART, Germany — A team of crisis response Marines has moved from Spain to a U.S. base in southern Italy in response to new security concerns in northern Africa, according to U.S. European Command.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/us-crisis-response-marines-mobilized-for-north-africa-threat-1.282966
By Hendrick Simoes
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 14, 2014
DJIBOUTI — The world may never see another amphibious landing like the ones that characterized the U.S. war effort in World War II.
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11:43 AM, May 14, 2014
Updated 2:50 PM
ARLSBAD - Multiple brush fires throughout San Diego County Wednesday have forced evacuations:
Camp Pendleton (Tomahawk Fire):
- Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook personnel
- Camp Pendleton personnel in the 14-Area have been ordered to evacuate to 33-Area parade deck.
- De Luz housing residents
- De Luz Child Development Center
- Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School
- O'Neill Heights Housing
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http://www.10news.com/news/carlsbad-camp-pendleton-fires-prompt-evacuations
Photos by Cpl. Caitlin Brink | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 05.12.2014
Date Posted: 05.14.2014 09:27
Each exercise simulates a water survival technique recruits may need if they become Marines. Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, is scheduled to graduate July 11, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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By Sgt. Jonathan G. Wright | 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit | May 14, 2014
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa, Japan – Each Marine Corps unit is defined by its people or its accomplishments - from famous Marines within the ranks to historic events that turned the tide of battle, the legacy of years past is carried with pride to this day. For two units in particular, those defining years were during the Korean War and the battle of Okinawa.
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Photos by Cpl. David Bessey | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 05.08.2014
Date Posted: 05.13.2014 16:59
All recruits who graduate training have received more than two weeks of marksmanship training, making them qualified Marine riflemen. Bravo Company is scheduled to graduate June 20, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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Photo by Lance Cpl. Vaniah Temple | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 05.01.2014
Date Posted: 05.13.2014 15:45
Recruits spend two weeks honing their shooting skills before qualifying. Rifle qualification is one of eight graduation requirements recruits must fulfill to become Marines. Oscar Company is scheduled to graduate June 6, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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May 13, 2014 6:21 PM
Written by | Staff Report
BRIDGEWATER — Students from Susan Roxbury’s first-grade class at Hamilton School have learned a bit more about current events and the efforts of Marines serving in Afghanistan.
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Published May 13, 2014
FoxNews.com
A key lawmaker on Monday called on the United States to suspend military aid to Mexico in light of the jailing of a Marine Corps sergeant who mistakenly entered the country with firearms.
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May 12
By RICK MONTGOMERY
The Kansas City Star
Army Sgt. 1st Class Terrence Hoard must reach potential recruits early to set them straight.
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http://newsinkansas.com/military-gets-picky-in-recruiting-only-20-of-applicants-qualify-21/
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 12, 2014
WASHINGTON — Troops who deploy by the end of this month to nine Middle Eastern countries recently removed from the imminent danger pay location list will still qualify for R & R, according to a recent Pentagon decision.
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http://www.stripes.com/pentagon-reauthorizes-r-r-for-9-countries-1.282672
By Hendrick Simoes
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 12, 2014
As the U.S. military concludes its mission in Afghanistan and the Marine Corps is in the midst of reducing its current active-duty strength, many Marines are wondering what their postwar role will be.
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http://www.stripes.com/marines-stretch-sea-legs-as-afghanistan-winds-down-1.282297
May 12th, 2014 | Afghanistan Embedded journalism Food | Posted by Hope Hodge Seck
As I prepared for my first embed with in Afghanistan, I figured I might spend some time sleeping under the stars and taking “health and comfort breaks” in the woods as the Marines shut down several of their remaining forward operating bases. I’ve done a bit of tent camping, and I figured I couldn’t be disappointed if I managed my expectations.
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by Sgt Jonathan Wright
Date Posted:05.12.2014 6:57AM
Marines on Okinawa participated in the Marine Corps Instructor of Water Survival course on Camp Hansen starting May 5. The weeklong period allows the Marines to hold swim qualifications for their respective units per annual training requirements...
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Posted: Sunday, May 11, 2014 10:00 pm
By Victoria Brito THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Gripping both sides of civilian and military life, that is what John Rothschild said his daughter Sarah Rothschild depicts in her award-winning painting, “What Happens There Doesn’t Stay There.”
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http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_59301aba-d97e-11e3-8ea1-001a4bcf6878.html
Base security beefed up at Marine headquarters after 2012 attack, drawdown
By Gretel C. Kovach
11:57 a.m.May 10, 2014
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — At night, the perimeter of the massive headquarters base for international forces in Helmand Province is ablaze with floodlights that could blind approaching enemy fighters.
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May 10th, 2014 | Posted by Hope Hodge Seck
Not all working dogs in Afghanistan sniff explosives or walk patrols.
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Photos by Cpl. Octavia Davis | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 05.05.2014
Date Posted: 05.09.2014 11:00
Recruits must swim 25 meters before moving on to jumping off a 10-foot tower, swimming with a gear pack and shedding combat gear underwater. The recruits must successfully complete each exercise to pass the overall qualification, a graduation requirement. If the recruits become Marines, they will be expected to requalify in water survival regularly. Fox and November Companies are scheduled to graduate July 3, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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Photos by Cpl. Octavia Davis | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 04.29.2014
Date Posted: 05.09.2014 09:32
Recruits of Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, rappel from a 47-foot tower April 29, 2014, on Parris Island, S.C. Recruits slide down ropes belayed by anchors at the tower’s peak and drill instructors on the ground. Rappel training mimics descending from a helicopter skid or the side of a building using a rope and harness. These skills are some the recruits may need if they become Marines. Bravo Company is scheduled to graduate June 20, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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Story by Sgt Jon Holmes
Date Posted:05.08.2014 13:08
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - As a young man, Charles Krulak respected the values of his father – selflessness, moral courage and integrity. His father, Marine Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, imparted in his son the same values introduced to him as a Marine.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/news/129187/values-marine#.U27_BNq9KSO
Story by Cpl Charles Santamaria
Date Posted:05.08.2014 19:24
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Mountain leaders from the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center conducted an Animal Packing Refresher Course at the MCMWTC’s stables, April 29.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/news/129242/mountain-leaders-sharpen-animal-packing-skills#.U27_Ktq9KSP
Story by LCpl Unique Roberts
Date Posted:05.08.2014 16:53
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Approximately 30 Marines with Marine Attack Squadron 223 returned to Cherry Point from Okinawa, Japan, and Korea after supporting the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, during a Unit Deployment Program April 30.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/news/129224/vma-223-marines-return-supporting-31st-meu#.U275nNq9KSO
Story by Cpl Cody Haas
Date Posted:05.08.2014 06:29
FORWARD OPERATING BASE NOLAY, Afghanistan – Units currently deployed to Afghanistan are conducting missions to decrease the amount of gear and personnel aboard forward operating bases and combat outposts. One of the units providing this type of support is Combat Logistics Battalion 7.
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Story by LCpl Andrea Cleopatra
Date Posted:05.08.2014 09:16
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - It is initiative that proved vital in the success of Sgt. Jason Connolly, an aviation ordnance systems technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14. He recently earned the Marine Corps Aviation Association’s Ordnance Marine of the Year Award.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/news/129153/mals-14-marine-crowned-ordnance-marine-year#.U3EKbtq9KSP
Final Exit: Afghanistan War Diary
By Gretel C. Kovach
8:32 a.m. May 8, 2014
SANGIN, Afghanistan — I climbed the basement stairs of the “drug lord palace” where we slept at Forward Operating Base Jackson/Sabit Qadam one morning and did a double-take. Maj. Mike Johannes was sitting out front sipping something from a travel mug.
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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/May/08/sangin-coffee-war-diary-afghanistan/?st#article-copy
Jeremy Bender
May 8, 2014, 4:38 PM
Anton Sattler says he could not have made his award-winning CHOSIN documentary or its spin-off graphic novels without what he learned in the Marine Corps.
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http://www.businessinsider.com/anton-sattler-brian-iglesias-chosin-2014-5
May 8th, 2014 | Battle Rattle | Posted by Hope Hodge Seck
Look at the two pictures below. One is a controller for your average Playstation 2 machine. One flies the $14 million K-Max drone, which the Marine Corps uses to transport up to 6,000 pounds of gear and equipment at a time. Can you tell which is which?
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Photos by Cpl. Octavia Davis | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 04.29.2014
Date Posted: 05.08.2014 11:52
Rct. Brittney Lindmeier, a 19-year-old Mountain Rest, S.C., native, is currently training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in hopes of earning the title of United States Marine. Approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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Story by Sgt Jacob Harrer
Date Posted:05.07.2014 20:00
CLOVIS, Calif. – Combat action in Iraq and Afghanistan prepared a Clovis resident and U.S. Marine to save a critically-injured crash victim after he witnessed a collision on Highway 41 May 6.
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By Carlos Bongioanni
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 7, 2014
WASHINGTON — Lined row upon row, the names etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s polished black granite slabs are a somber reminder that more than 58,000 U.S. troops died — or were listed as missing-in-action — as a result of their involvement in the Vietnam War.
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http://www.stripes.com/news/the-poignant-process-of-etching-new-names-into-the-vietnam-wall-1.281939
May 07, 2014 | by Bryant Jordan
While Pentagon leaders tell Congress it must cut pay and benefits to maintain readiness at a time of lean budgets, the commission with the actual task of recommending changes to compensation is preparing an interim report due in June.
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By TRAVIS M. WHITEHEAD Valley Morning Star
Posted: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 10:11 pm
When Staff Sgt. Troy Garza first arrived in Sangin Valley in Afghanistan, he and his fellow Marines faced daily firefights with insurgents.
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http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/article_7bdc2414-d65e-11e3-bf06-001a4bcf6878.html
Photos by Cpl. Octavia Davis | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 04.28.2014
Date Posted: 05.06.2014 13:59
The recruits' 13-week mission to become Marines had only just begun, but drill instructors ensure recruits are quickly immersed in the controlled chaos of boot camp. Regardless of their lifestyles before to boot camp, recruits must be loud, fast and intense at virtually all times during training. Oscar and Charlie Companies are scheduled to graduate July 25, 2014. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
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Afghans secure northern Helmand as NATO combat mission wanes
4:19 a.m. May 5, 2014
SANGIN, Afghanistan — The last U.S. Marines withdrew from northern Helmand early Monday morning, turning their two bases in the hard-fought Sangin district over to Afghan national security forces.
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http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/may/05/marines-withdraw-sangin-afghanistan/?st
Final Exit: Afghanistan War Diary
Gretel C. Kovach
1:05 a.m. May 4, 2014
QUANTICO, Va. — We stopped on our way to Afghanistan so I could accept the Gen. Oliver P. Smith award for local reporting from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Nel Cepeda, the photographer I work with in the war zone, was worried my head might swell too big for my Kevlar helmet. He reminded me that the medal I got for preserving Marine Corps history ranks just above Cracker Jack status, compared to the one on the pale blue ribbon worn by another guest at the annual awards gala last month at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, near Quantico, Va.
To continue reading:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/May/04/marine-heritage-awards-museum/?st#article-copy
Story by Cpl Austin Long
Date Posted:05.03.2014 22:11
FORT BLISS, Texas - When troops are in a grueling firefight while on patrol, the sound of an approaching attack helicopter can give hope for the Marines and sailors engaging the enemy. Attack helicopters provide troops with an advantage over ground forces when trying to accomplish a mission. It provides them with a better view point of the battlefield and superior fire power unmatched by enemy ground forces.
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http://www.dvidshub.net/news/128646/americas-battalion-takes-texas-destroy-enemy-air#.U2muc9q9KSM
Posted: Thursday, May 3, 2012 12:00 am
Lance Cpl. James Frazer 2nd Marine Division
The Marine Corps got its first chance, in December 2010, to test the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle developed by the Heckler & Koch firearm company. Marines with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, recently got their first chance to try out the newest weapon chosen to join the arsenal of the Marine infantry units.
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http://www.camplejeuneglobe.com/news/article_b28f9924-95e6-11e1-bfd0-001a4bcf887a.html
May 1st, 2014 | Afghanistan Battle Rattle Camp Bastion Camp Leatherneck | Posted by gpingersoll
By Hope Hodge Seck
Camp Leatherneck–Greetings from Camp Leatherneck, a once-bustling base in Afghanistan’s Helmand province that is rapidly becoming a ghost town.
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http://blogs.militarytimes.com/battle-rattle/2014/05/01/leatherneck-ghost-town/?sf25686416=1
By Sgt. Valerie C. Eppler | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton | May 01, 2014
West Coast Marines earned first place overall during the 43rd Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship hosted by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center held at Fort Chaffee, Ark., April 19-26.
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