Military news

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Nonhostile death of Okinawa-based Marine in Iraq being investigated

Corporal with III MEF died in Anbar province

By David Allen, Stars and Stripes

Pacific edition, Thursday, June 5, 2008

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — An investigation was continuing Tuesday into the death of an Okinawa-based Marine in Iraq on Friday.

Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in what Department of Defense officials are calling a "nonhostile incident" in the Anbar province of Iraq, where his unit is deployed.

No details regarding the incident have been released.

His death pushed the number of Americans killed in Iraq in May to 19, the lowest number since 20 troops died in February 2004, according to an Associated Press tally based on military reports.

Cotner, a field radio operator, entered the Marine Corps on Aug. 7, 2006, according to a Marine Corps news release from Okinawa. He arrived on Okinawa April 12, 2007, and was promoted to the rank of corporal on April 1.

His personal awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Meritorious Mast.

A memorial service was planned for Wednesday on Okinawa, but Marine spokesman Master Sgt. Charles Albrecht declined to release details.

Cotner’s home was in Waterbury, Conn., where Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff until his burial.

"By all accounts, Corporal Cotner was a remarkable young man who was doing what he loved the most: serving his country," Rell said in a statement released by her office.

"The news of his loss is heart-breaking for all Connecticut residents," she said. "Corporal Cotner was proud to serve as a U.S. Marine, and he courageously put on the uniform to protect our freedom. On behalf of all state residents, I extend our deepest sympathies to his friends and family."

The III MEF has nearly 2,900 servicemembers deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cotner is the 18th Okinawa-based Marine to die in Iraq in the past five years.

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Marine gets discharge, time in brig in drug case

By David Allen, Stars and Stripes

Pacific edition, Wednesday, June 4, 2008

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A Marine was handed a bad conduct discharge and 300 days in the brig Monday for distributing cocaine in a Camp Courtney barracks.

Lance Cpl. Christopher Griffin, 24, assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, also was reduced in rank to E-1 and forfeited $890 pay for 10 months.

Griffin pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31 and two counts of delivering the drugs from the supplier, another Marine, to an acquaintance who lived down the hall.

Griffin told the judge, Maj. Charles Hale, that he delivered a gram of cocaine to the Marine as a way to reduce his debt to the dealer. An investigation into the alleged drug ring is continuing, said prosecutor Capt. Paul Ervasti. Griffin, from Alabama, wiped tears from his eyes as his attorney, Marine Capt. Clinton Crosser, argued he be allowed to remain in the Marine Corps.

"There was a network going," he said of the dealer’s operation. "They were distributing drugs from outside to the barracks. But not Lance Corporal Griffin. He was just a mule who walked a little plastic bag down the hallway of the barracks, that’s all."

In a statement, Griffin begged to remain a Marine.

"I know I messed up, but I’m taking responsibility for my act," he said. "I just want to be a Marine and see combat."

Ervasti argued that no one knows how long Griffin would have worked for the dealer, another lance corporal, had he not been arrested.

"He got caught right away, that’s why he only did it twice," the prosecutor said.

"He chose to peddle this poison to a fellow Marine. We’ve got to ask ourselves if this is the type of person we want covering our back in combat."

Under the terms of a pretrial agreement, jail time in excess of nine months will be suspended.

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Reporter's Notebook:
Troops find lively livestock in Iraq

By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, June 3, 2008

MUSHARIFFA, IRAQ — Well, life on the farm is kinda laid-back, John Denver once sang.

Unfortunately, that isn’t so true when the farms are in Iraq and those on the farms are American soldiers not quite familiar with Iraqi country living.

Soldiers got up close and personal with Mesopotamian livestock Thursday during a search of Mushariffa, a village with a handful of homes just north of Mosul. The Americans have ventured there before, but the resulting clash of cultures discomfited both man and beast.

The soldiers arrived in the village with Iraqi army troops just after sunrise to find green acres and swaggering roosters shuffling their hens away from the interlopers. Their chicks — half feathers, half down — flitted from one niche to another.

Soldiers from Red Platoon, Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment sent a panicked flock of sheep clomping away when they walked into a building that turned out to be a sheep pen.

The two dozen sheep, heads painted yellow for identification, fled to corners of the courtyard opposite the Americans as the soldiers methodically searched the surrounding rooms. As soon as the soldiers opened the gate to leave, though, the frightened flock bolted for greener pastures, indifferently knocking against a couple of soldiers as if they were giants at the running of the bulls.

"Somebody’s not going to be happy," medic Spc. Jesse Hirschmann said.

The Iraqis took the searches in stride. A neighbor — who, like all the villagers, is a member of the Balawi tribe, — expertly herded the escaped flock into her courtyard for safekeeping. The village chief even invited the soldiers in for breakfast. The livestock didn’t disquiet all the soldiers. Looking at the swollen udders of a brown heifer reminded Hirschmann of the rich milk he drank during the five years he spent in Germany as a kid. Others moved easily among the squawking chickens and bleating sheep.

Yet some soldiers who moved so effortlessly in Mosul’s hairy urban zones never quite felt comfortable with farm living. Toward the end of the searches, Sgt. Justin Horvath walked into a dark building the size of a walk-in closet, only to jump back outside at the sound of an equally startled calf.

"Man, I (expletive) hate farm animals," he said.
Summer delayed for Iraqi kids, thanks to curfews

MOSUL, Iraq — American children are well familiar with the Catch-22 of snow days: Get a break from school one snowy winter day but postpone that longed-for summer break.

Iraqi schoolchildren may not get all that many snow days, but they are facing the same logic with a situation unfamiliar to American students: citywide curfews.

Iraqi National Police moved in to Mosul to beef up security for Operation Lion’s Roar, an action launched May 10 that was designed to break al- Qaida in Iraq’s back in its last major stronghold. When they came, the Iraqi government imposed a 24-hour curfew to control movement in the city, said 1st Lt. Peter Cacossa, a platoon leader in Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Like everyone else in Mosul, schoolchildren had to stay put while the curfew was in effect. This gave them time off, but even students in war-ravaged countries like Iraq can’t skip out on tests.

So headmasters pushed back the school schedule, Cacossa said. Students who were supposed to take their finals in the middle of May just started their exams Sunday, which is not a weekend in Iraq.

The curfew imposed difficulties on other Mosul residents as well, he said. The difficulty in moving around the city made prices triple and even quadruple on products such as fresh vegetables and fuel.

American troops picked up on these hardships while assessing how the community was doing. After only a week or so, officials dropped the 24-hour curfew in favor of one that only lasts through the night, Cacossa said.

Life in Mosul has mostly returned to normal. But for Iraqi schoolchildren, that means there’s still another week-and-a-half until they can at last begin their summer break.

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Ex-Marine faces jail for finger pointing
Gesture at meeting leads to legal troubles
June 4, 2008

BY KENDRICK MARSHALL kmarshall@scn1.com

Greg Kachka never thought that asking a question during a village board meeting could have him arrested and thrown in jail.

Kachka, 60, of Island Lake, pleaded not guilty Monday to disorderly conduct charges in Lake County Circuit Court.

Kachka was arrested at his home after attending a March 13 Island Lake board meeting, where he was accused of making threatening gestures toward board members.

"I don't know what I did," Kachka told The News-Sun on Monday following his arraignment hearing. "I think it is somewhat wrong that I could be in court for something I said at a meeting. I was just talking with my hands."

If convicted, Kachka faces 30 days in jail and $1,500 in fines.

Trustee Debbie Herrmann and Village Clerk Christy Kaczmarek filed a complaint with the Island Lake Police Department claiming Kachka pointed his finger at them as if he was fashioning a handgun.

Kachka, a Vietnam War veteran, was wearing a shirt with the image of a Marine Corps sniper on the front and the words: "Don't move. If You Run, You Will Only Die Tired."

Kachka said he only pointed his finger after Herrmann made a face at him following a question he asked about village finances.

Angered by the events that led to Kachka's arrest, concerned residents protested in front of Lake County Building Monday morning saying the former Marines' First Amendment rights were violated.

Citizens for Better Government in Island Lake representative Tom Martin said he was displeased that the village would pursue charges against a person who did not pose a serious threat.

In an effort to assist with legal fees, replicas of the shirt Kachka wore at the board meeting are being sold and the actual shirt he wore will be auctioned on eBay.

A Fifth Third Bank account is also set up in Kachka's name to help with the pending expenses.

"It feels great that so many people have supported me through this," Kachka said. "This has been unexpected.

Kachka is scheduled to appear in court next month.

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Petting zoo’ trains troops to spot IEDs
Range shows bombs in a natural habitat

By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, June 4, 2008

HOHENFELS, Germany — There are pressure plates made out of hacksaw blades, lumps of foam painted to look like rocks and all manner of wires, electronics and ammunition at Hohenfels’ IED "petting zoo."

The improvised explosive device petting zoo is where individuals headed to Iraq or Afghanistan — usually individual replacements or personnel from rear detachments of deployed units — get hands-on experience with deadly bombs.

Staff Sgt. Robert Cornett, 38, a Joint Multinational Readiness Center trainer, talked about IEDs on Tuesday with a group of Iraq– and Afghanistan–bound personnel. He was standing in a building full of "victim-operated" IEDs that are set off by pressure plates, old cell phones and wires that might indicate an IED laboratory — a device able to jam radio signals that insurgents might use to set off an IED — artillery rounds often incorporated in the bombs and deadly explosively formed penetrators.

"They (the EFPs) are coming out of Iran," Cornett said. "They are being commercially produced. They can punch a hole in four inches of armor at 100 meters. The only way to defeat them is to see them first."

Insurgents camouflage EFPs as rocks, using foam similar to the special effects used on a Hollywood movie set. The way to spot them is to look for the hole in the rock where a sensor is placed, he said.

"Ninety percent of IEDs are being found by people looking," he told the trainees. "Everybody in the vehicle is supposed to be looking. Nobody is supposed to be playing Nintendo or reading Tom Clancy."

The petting zoo included a "Rhino," a device mounted on the front of vehicles that detonates EFPs before they can injure or kill troops. However, insurgents have countered Rhinos using a pair of bombs placed at different angles in an effort to hit their intended target, he said.

"They (insurgents) have measures to counter our countermeasures. For example, we started defeating their transmitters (with jammers), so they went back to hard-wired," he said.

After checking out the IED petting zoo, the personnel headed into the wild to observe IEDs in their natural environment, by the side of the road.

Donning full battle rattle, they marched up a road looking for signs of IEDs. It wasn’t long before somebody stepped on a pressure plate hidden beneath the gravel setting off a loud simulated blast.

One of those doing the training was Staff Sgt. Edward Rosales, a V Corps soldier, who’s headed to Afghanistan as an individual replacement.

The 34-year-old Rowland Heights, Calif., native has deployed to Iraq twice but thought things would have changed a lot since he was last there, in 2005.

"It (the counter-IED training) is a refresher for me, but every time you go down, if you don’t go down with the mindset that you have something to learn, you are setting yourself up for failure," he said.

The petting zoo was the first place Rosales had seen EFPs, he added.

"I hadn’t seen that stuff before and it’s crazy. It is something we need to be aware of," he said.

Several personnel in the training were civilians whose jobs don’t normally take them outside the wire.

Robin Floyd, 48, who works for Tobyhanna Army Deport supporting the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, said he moves from base to base only in helicopters when he’s in Iraq. However, he rated the training highly and added that it might prove useful one day.

Cornett said the counter-IED classes have run every two weeks since November with class sizes ranging from 60 to 270 personnel.

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Marine heads to court in death of unarmed detainee

By CHELSEA J. CARTER, The Associated Press
2008-06-04 11:17:00.0
Current rank: # 165 of 6,368
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -

A Marine accused of killing an unarmed detainee in Iraq is heading to court to answer charges of unpremeditated murder and dereliction of duty.

Sgt. Jermaine A. Nelson faced arraignment Wednesday in a case centering on allegations that a Marine squad shot a group of detainees in Fallujah during some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

It's the second time an arraignment has been scheduled for Nelson, who failed to show the first time because he was jailed by a federal judge for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating a former comrade.

Nelson, 26, of New York, is one of three charged in the case. He faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

Jose Nazario, 27, of Riverside, Calif., has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of two captives and is scheduled to be tried in July. The former sergeant faces charges in federal court because he has completed his military service.

Prosecutors say that on Nov. 9, 2004, the Marines captured and killed men they believed had been shooting at them.

The investigation began after Ryan Weemer, a former corporal from the squad, took a lie-detector test for a Secret Service job. He described the killings when he was asked whether he had participated in a wrongful death. Weemer of Hindsboro, Ill., is charged with murder and dereliction of duty.

The Marines were part of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

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Marine to be arraigned today in Fallujah death
By Chelsea J. Carter - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 4, 2008 7:57:24 EDT

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A Marine accused of killing an unarmed detainee in Iraq heads to court to answer charges of unpremeditated murder and dereliction of duty.

Sgt. Jermaine A. Nelson faces arraignment Wednesday in a case that centers on allegations that a Marine squad shot a group of detainees in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

It’s the second time an arraignment has been scheduled for Nelson, who failed to show the first time because he was jailed by a federal judge for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating a former comrade.

Nelson, 26, of New York, is one of three charged in the case.

The charges allege Nelson “did murder an unknown detained person by means of shooting him with a loaded firearm.” Nelson faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

He also is accused of being derelict in his duty for failing to follow the rules of engagement, how to treat enemy prisoners of war and how to care for detainees in a combat zone.

Former Sgt. Jose L. Nazario, 28, of Riverside, Calif., has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of two captives. Because he completed his military service, he faces charges in federal court. He is scheduled to be tried in July.

Prosecutors say that on Nov. 9, 2004, the Marines captured and killed men they believed had been shooting at them.

The investigation began after former Cpl. Ryan Weemer took a lie-detector test for a Secret Service job. He described the killings when he was asked whether he had participated in a wrongful death. Weemer, of Hindsboro, Ill., is charged with murder and dereliction of duty.

The Marines were part of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

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A taste of life as a Marine
Keene High staffers visit Parris Island


David P. Greisman
Sentinel Staff


On an April day in South Carolina, Jay M. Punt picked up an infantry rifle and sent out a salvo of ammunition.

The next week he was back teaching in a Keene classroom.

Punt traveled alongside four other Keene High School employees - including hall monitors, teachers and an assistant principal - to Parris Island, the installation set up for training U.S. Marine recruits.

Their journey south was part of a Marine effort intended to give educators answers to questions from students interested in entering the military. And for four days, they and dozens of other educators observed - and occasionally tried firsthand - the life awaiting aspiring Marines.

A taste of life as a Marine
Keene High staffers visit Parris Island


David P. Greisman
Sentinel Staff


On an April day in South Carolina, Jay M. Punt picked up an infantry rifle and sent out a salvo of ammunition.

The next week he was back teaching in a Keene classroom.

Punt traveled alongside four other Keene High School employees - including hall monitors, teachers and an assistant principal - to Parris Island, the installation set up for training U.S. Marine recruits.

Their journey south was part of a Marine effort intended to give educators answers to questions from students interested in entering the military. And for four days, they and dozens of other educators observed - and occasionally tried firsthand - the life awaiting aspiring Marines.

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Coon Rapids Marine recovering from injuries
Tuesday, 03 June 2008
by Peter Bodley
Managing editor
ABC Newspapers

Gabriel Morse worked this Memorial Day, but he still remembered fallen veterans from past and present wars in which the United States has been involved.

Morse, a Coon Rapids resident, is a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, currently based at Fort Snelling.

But that’s only because Morse is a casualty of the war in Iraq and he expects to return to that country once he is fully recovered.

“Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women who have given their lives for us to be able to live our lives today,” Morse said.

The 2005 Coon Rapids High School graduate joined the Marines right after high school following several family members into the military.

“Different people did not think I could do it and I wanted to prove them wrong,” Morse said.

And he had no qualms about going into the Marines, even though he knew it would be likely that he would be sent to the war zone in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“I was looking forward to it,” Morse said.

Morse did his basic training at the Marine base in San Diego, Calif., then trained as an infantry machine gunner at the School of Infantry, also in California.

Early in February 2006, Morse knew that his battalion would be sent to Iraq that summer and the Marines underwent training, including live fire situations, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., he said.

Morse and the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines arrived in Iraq for their tour of duty in July 2006 and were based in Saqlawiyah, near Fallujah.

“We went on all sorts of missions, including raids, patrols and convoys,” Morse said.

While Fallujah was no longer the hot spot it was earlier in the Iraq war, there were still plenty of insurgents in the area and he and his unit came under fire many times, according to Morse.

There were also IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) that the convoys had to deal with, Morse said.

“I suffered some minor concussions from those,” he said.

But in February 2007, soon after he had been promoted from private first class to lance corporal, Morse and his unit, acting as a forward observation post on a bridge, were ambushed, coming under extremely heavy gun fire and hand grenades.

“There were five of us in the unit and all of us were injured, but we all survived,” Morse said.

Morse, himself, was struck by shrapnel from hand grenades on the back of his body from the waist down to his shin.

He was first evacuated to a hospital near Baghdad, then to a hospital on a U.S. base in Germany.

Morse has had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair the shrapnel wounds, including a half-dollar size, six-inch deep hole in his backside, he said.

In addition, he also had to have exploratory operations to determine if any of his internal organs had been affected.

None were, but he did have to have a loop colostomy for six months, Morse said.

Morse has been back in the United States for more than a year and is working in the armory at Fort Snelling.

But Morse is still on what is called a medical hold and even though he has recovered from his physical injuries, he is being treated for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis.

“It happens to a lot of soldiers,” he said.

Morse suffers from nightmares, flashbacks, hyper vigilance and is very cautious, he said.

“It’s like being stressed all the time,” Morse said.

Morse expects to continue to have nightmares and other PTSD symptoms the rest of his life, but hopes that it can be controlled.

But Morse, who signed up for the Marines for four years, has no regrets, he said.

“It’s part of the job and I am proud of what I am doing for my country and the people of this nation,” Morse said.

And he said he is looking forward to the opportunity to return to the war zone when that time arrives.

Morse has received the Purple Heart, which is awarded to military personnel who have been killed or injured in battle.

The fact that Morse was able to be awarded the Purple Heart personally means that “they missed,” he said.

Earlier this month, Morse received a $2,000 Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund grant.

Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund is a statewide fund-raising initiative by the citizens of Minnesota for Minnesota military personnel and their families.

The organization raises money to provide cash grants as a “thank you” to all Minnesota military personnel who have served in a combat zone since September 2001.

Since it was launched in August 2005, MMAF has raised $6 million, making it the largest organization of its kind in the nation (and the only state in the nation to have a statewide fund-raising initiative of this type).

To date, it has distributed 6,500 grants totaling $4 million.

With a goal of more than 90 percent of collected funds going directly to eligible Minnesota armed forces, MMAF seeks to show troops how much Minnesotans appreciate and respect their service to our country.

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Fatal bus wreck at Fort Rucker remains in probe
Coffee grand jury to get the case
Friday, June 20, 2008
TOM GORDON
News staff writer

Evidence from a March 9 bus wreck at Fort Rucker that took the life of a Marine Reservist and partially paralyzed another eventually will be presented to a Coffee County grand jury.

Dwight Holley, chief investigator for Gary McAliley, the Coffee and Pike counties district attorney, said an investigation into the wreck was ongoing and that the case would go before a grand jury in Enterprise in November.

Holley said that although the bus wreck happened on Fort Rucker property, the district attorney's office had concurrent jurisdiction with federal authorities.

The bus, owned by Adventure Bus Charter & Tours Inc. in Sumiton, wrecked about 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Aboard were 23 members of the Anti-Terrorism Battalion, a Bessemer-based Marine Reserve unit, who were returning from weekend training.

The wreck fatally injured Lance Cpl. David Miles, 19, of Madison.

Lance Cpl. William J. Lafitte of Laurel, Miss., suffered fractured vertebrae in the wreck and is paralyzed from the waist down. Master Gunnery Sgt. David Holladay, a battalion spokesman, said Lafitte is now at Shepherd Center, a specialized rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta.

In addition to Lafitte, 17 other Reservists on the bus suffered non-fatal injuries. Holladay said four are still undergoing rehabilitation. One of the four is Lance Cpl. William C. Kuehner of Helena, who suffered a fractured pelvis.

"His rehab is progressing very well," Holladay said. "He's doing ... as well or better than can be expected."

Another of the four, Lance Cpl. Bennett Yuro of Tuscaloosa, is recovering from "two breaks in the right leg," Holladay said.

Holladay said Thursday afternoon that he could not release the names of the other two still-recovering Marines because he had not been able to contact them.

After the accident, the bus driver was charged with reckless driving. In mid-May, in a written response to Freedom of Information requests for more information on the wreck, including its cause and the name of the bus driver, Col. Eugene Smith, chief of the Army's Military Police Policy Division, said the request could not granted.

E-mail: tgordon@bhamnews.com

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IRAQ: Bomb disposal in big demand

One job specialty has been in particularly high demand among Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan: explosive ordnance disposal.

EOD specialists are assigned to find and destroy roadside bombs and other ordnance. The roadside bomb continues to be the top killer of American troops.

The demand for Marines skilled in EOD has outstripped the supply.

The Marine Corps Times reports that to fill vacancies in EOD the Marine Corps has been offering promotions and reenlistment bonuses of $52,000 to $80,000. If the Marine reenlists while in Iraq, the bonus is tax-exempt. But to get the money, he has to complete EOD training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

By the end of October, the Marines, at long last, expect to have all vacancies filled, the paper reports.

-- Tony Perry, in San Diego

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III MHG trains on streets of Combat Town
Lance Cpl. Joseph A. Cabrera

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa (June 20, 2008) -- Thirty-five Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group honed their urban combat skills June 11-13 during a field exercise in Combat Town.

The purpose of the three-day training exercise was to refresh and build on the skills taught to all Marines during recruit training and Marine Combat Training, said Sgt. Peter A. Suguitan, III MEF operations noncommissioned officer.

Since MHG Marines primarily serve in administrative and technical occupational fields, they typically do not get the chance to go out and participate in combat training, Suguitan said.

But the Marines put their primary duties aside during the exercise and focused on close-quarters battle techniques, patrolling, improvised explosive devices, casualty evacuation, first aid and room clearing, according to Cpl. John M. Gabbard, with the III MHG operations section.

After the classes, the Marines put their combat skills to the test in several different scenarios designed to simulate situations they might encounter if deployed to a combat zone.

During the scenarios, the students maneuvered and attacked a small force of mock insurgents played by other Marines from the unit.

To add realism to the exercise, the Marines used blank ammunition during some scenarios and special effects small arms marking system for others.

SESAMS rounds, as they are commonly called, are 9mm projectiles containing paint that are fired from a modified M16A2 service rifle. The rounds work similar to recreational paint ball rounds by creating a distinct paint splat on impact, making it easier for opposing forces to determine who came out on top after a simulated firefight.

The training scenarios also included the use of IED simulators that make a distinctive pop sound and released white powder when triggered. Students who found themselves covered in the powder could not argue the point that they were able to identify and avoid the IED.

Students also practiced casualty evacuation and first aid techniques. The techniques taught during the course were more advanced than what was taught in recruit training and MCT, Suguitan said.

Of all the topics covered during the training, however, it was the infantry patrolling that was most beneficial, Suguitan said.

"If these Marines are ever attached to an infantry unit in a combat zone, they may be called upon to patrol with the unit. Their regular jobs are not to patrol, but now they will know how to do it when the time comes."

Many of the Marines of III MHG appreciated the course and felt the experience was something they could take with them to the field.

"We learned about patrols and working together as a unit - overall we learned to be better Marines," said Cpl. Jesus A. Garcia, a heavy equipment mechanic with III MHG. "Our shop doesn't normally get the chance to do this, and it is good for the Marines."

Aside from the educational value of the training, Marines also enjoyed the break from their normal duties.

"Another reason we do this training is to get them out of their normal work environment," Gabbard said. "They're Marines, and they want to train."

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Rules snub grad who joined the Marines
By Tara Kadium
Friday, June 20, 2008

Recently, I attended my son's graduation at Conejo Valley High School in Thousand Oaks. It was a happy time, with family and friends to cheer him on.

During the ceremony, retiring principal James Martin made an announcement that one young man was graduating — Raymond Peter Paladino. Though the young man was not participating in the ceremony, the principal said he wanted to acknowledge him, as he had chosen to serve his country.

Heads turned, and a handsome young man standing off to the side in the audience was noticed. In full military dress, he had been watching gowned class speakers, listening to their speeches. An air of quiet dignity and a touch of wistfulness were in his manner as he acknowledged a few murmurs and hand claps, before the event continued.

Sensing something amiss, I immediately went over to congratulate him. He thanked me and I shook his hand and wished him the best in the future. I asked if I could get a picture of him, and his mother took a picture of both of us standing together. His mother was very proud, explaining how hard he had to work to graduate, due to his commitment to serve in the U.S. Marines. I was struck with his patriotism and self-effacing demeanor.

"But why are you not up there with the others, getting your diploma?" I asked. He told me he had not been allowed to because he had been unable to attend the rehearsal the day before. "Why couldn't you attend?" I asked, hardly able to believe it. "I could not get leave," he answered sadly.

After the ceremony, I went to Mr. Martin, and told him how shocked I was that the Marine would be denied the privilege of participating in the ceremony.

I told him that I would have preferred to let him graduate with the rest of the class.

Mr. Martin told me attending the rehearsal is the rule.

A young man was denied participation in his own graduation, a dream crushed because he could not obtain leave for the rehearsal. I wondered what kind of message is being sent to our serving countrymen when their achievements are dishonored in such a rigid and inflexible structure?

What type of leadership is leading our younger generation that casts aside humanity under the guise of "rules"? What kind of thanks was extended to one who is defending this nation, and in doing so was trampled upon?

I urge our school, city and state leaders to honor those graduating while in military service, and to appreciate their sacrifices, and especially bestow all due recognition to Raymond Paladino.

— Tara Kadium lives in Thousand Oaks.

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T. Convery: Another turn of the shrapnel
By Tom Convery/When I Was A Kid
Wed Jun 25, 2008, 03:13 PM EDT

Medford -

James M. Flynn III was born on Oct. 20, 1983 to James II and Debra Flynn. He joined his sisters Kristen and Michele.

His formative education was at the St. Francis of Assisi School in Medford and he matriculated at Pope John in Everett for his secondary education. While at Pope John, he played hockey and football.

In his junior year in high school, he visited recruiting offices of all the military branches, but it was the Marine Corps who spoke the clearest to him. At 17 years of age, he became a Marine when his father signed his enlistment paper. He became a member of the First Marine Division and he remembered when his grandfather was a Marine at Guadalcanal in WWII and his trigger finger was shot off.
Basic training of 13 weeks took place at Paris Island.

He went to Jump School (paratroop training), where he earned his Gold Wings for high and low jumps, which were called HALOS.

At Fort Leonard Woods, he spent 94 days where he was a Marine specialist as a combat engineer. He made Private First Class during his schooling period.
He was next assigned to Camp Pendleton as his duty station.

In July 2003, he was sent with others to Egypt for counter terrorism duty and was limited in his discussion with anyone about their function.

In February 2004, he was sent to Fallujah in Iraq where the temperature was 100 degrees and on Memorial Day, the heat reached 132 degrees. The U.S. Navy brought in a shower unit, which was good for 60 seconds.

During July and August, when they came in after a day in the field, corpsmen gave them IV’s because they were dehydrated. When his uniform was taken off, you could see the salt from his body on the fabric. Each Marine was issued three uniforms, a bulletproof vest and a Kevlar helmet, which added another 75 pounds to his frame.

He was promoted to Corporal and he received additional training in a wide variety of machine guns, hand held weapons, grenade launches and utilization of night goggles.

MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) rations were consumed 90 percent of the time and once every two weeks he was given a hot meal.

In April 2004, four Americans working for a civilian company were hanged and burned. The Marines went to the area and found 75 insurgents who were taken prisoners. The area where the Americans were killed was divided into four sectors in remembrance to those killed at the Twin Towers in New York City.

Jim met a Father Devine, a Marine Chaplin in one of his strolls. During an intense battle, Father Devine was urged time and time again to move back to a safer area. He refused, got out of the Humvee, took off his vest and helmet and said, “When it is my time to go, a higher power will make that decision.”

While riding in a Humvee with members of his unit, Jim served as the machine gunner with the upper part of his body exposed. His Humvee hit an IED (roadside bomb) and Jim was half in and half out of the vehicle. One of his men pulled him inside and he learned that one of his comrades lost a foot and another could not see.

He was taken to a Cash Hospital (called M.A.S.H. in the Korean Conflict), where 220 pieces of shrapnel were taken from his body after numerous surgeries. When he woke up, after one of his episodes under the knife, he found his Kevlar helmet with a hole in one side sitting on his chest.

The surgeon told him that another turn of the shrapnel and he would not be alive.

After 14 days under the best medical care in the world, he was asked if he wanted to go home or go back to his unit. Jim said, “I came with my unit and I will go home with them.”

While thinking back, Jim spoke highly of his Commanding Marine Officer, Lt. General Mattis and reported that he was loved by the men. Lt General Mattis was single. When asked why he never married, he said, “If the Marines wanted me to be married, they would have issued me a wife.”

Men who suffered from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) were well hidden and their problems were resolved among themselves.

Three hundred Marines in Jim’s unit went to Iraq. Thirty nine of those Marines died from roadside bombs.

“I learned a lot about life and myself and what a great country we live in. I was lucky to have grown up in Medford,” he said. “The people in Medford helped to make the transition from the Marine Corps to civilian life easier. I now work in construction and I realize that family is everything and everything else is just details.”
Semper Fi.

— Medford resident Tom Convery is the author of “When I Was a Kid,” “I Remember When” and “That’s The Way It Was,” collections of past columns reminiscing about life Medford.

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Stephen Cochran Performs for ThanksUSA

6/25/2008
Amber Garner
Country Hound, TN

Stephen Cochran joins with ThankUSA for a benefit concert in Washington to benefit military families. ThanksUSA is a non-partisan group that can be summed up by their name. The members of the organization want to thank the men and women who serve in the armed forces, particularly through education. ThanksUSA provides need-based scholarships to children and spouses of active duty status personnel for post secondary education.

Cochran joined the Marines after 9/11 and served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his second tour Cochran was injured and had to return home. While recovering he began songwriting again and released his first country album in 2007.

“I love the Marine Corps—everything they did for me gave me the drive to know that I can do anything I want to do. I’m proud to be able to give back with this benefit concert and with this organization that is doing so much for all the men women serving in the military,” said Cochran.

ThanksUSA has awarded almost $4 million in scholarships in the past two years. The organization is currently in a campaign to raise $1 million by July 4, anyone interested can visit ThanksUSA.org.

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Back from Iraq: Learning life’s lessons on the line

By MetroWest Staff
06/26/2008

By Candace Gutherie

MetroWest Intern


One would think carrying 85 pounds of equipment would be a job in itself, but not for 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Robert Gildea. A United States Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, he has a little vacation at home after being in Iraq for seven months.

“I joined the Marines Feb. 5, 2007,” Gildea said. “I’ve always wanted to be a Marine, from seeing the Marine Corps commercials.”

According to Gildea, after joining the Marines, boot camp was all right and he expected it to be a little harder. Just out of high school and with no plans, Gildea decide this was the place for him.

“After graduation, I wasn’t really going anywhere,” said Gildea. “Living with my parents, I wanted to do something with my life.”

Unlike many young individuals today, braving 100-degree temperatures along with heavy equipment, camel spiders and being in constant danger, is not a regular choice to do with one’s life, but not for Gildea.

After being deployed to Iraq Oct. 30, Gildea has seen what most Americans are not even allowed to know about. This must be a hard thing to hold in but to Gildea, this is the line of duty.

Gildea is a combat engineer and deals with demolitions security. He also does construction and concrete work, as well.

But one instance, his crew was fired at by a man shooting out of a nearby window, according to Gildea. He said he was the one holding the gun and had to fire back.

“I had the main job of firing back; I just tried to stay down,” he said.

Fortunately for Gildea and his family, he is safe and is happy to be home, even if it is only for a short time.

“I sometimes have nightmares about it,” he said. “But it doesn’t really bother me any more.”

His family is terrified when they hear of a big bombing. His mother, Kim, said she is afraid to watch television.

He enjoys meeting people from around the world, traveling and making new friends, he said.

“I know some Arabic, but it’s always hard to communicate,” he said. “Young kids are starting to learn English. They like us and they are starting to fight back with us.”

On one occasion, Gildea gave a young boy named Mohammad a dollar. But he said he was afraid the boy would get jumped afterward. The boy’s home was bombed and he had burns all over his face, said Gildea.

“I know we should stay there and finish it,” he said, when asked if the government should extract soldiers.

He’s a graduate of Brighton High School, and Gildea still calls Brighton his home. After his service as a Marine, he plans to come back and go to college to become a police officer.

“I’ve learned discipline and structure,” Gildea said. “It is a great experience if people want to do something like that.”

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Family Remembers Marine Killed in Afghanistan

Story Published: Jun 26, 2008 at 6:58 AM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 26, 2008 at 6:58 AM EDT
By Peter Ambrose
BRYANT, Ind. (AP) - Burial is scheduled for Friday for a 21-year-old Marine from the town of Bryant in eastern Indiana's Jay County who was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan.

Many flags in the small town of about 300 have been flying at
half-staff to mark the death of Lance Corporal Andrew Francis Whitacre.

His funeral will be held Friday morning, 10 A.M. at Jay County High School.

Ernie Whitacre says his son wanted to be a Marine since the age
of 14.

Whitacre was among two Marines reported killed last week during
the operations in Farah Province. He was assigned to the Marine
Expeditionary Force based at Twentynine Palms, California.

His fiancee, 18-year-old Casey McGuire, says she last spoke to
her finance by phone from Afghanistan on June 16th.

Whitacre joined the Marines soon after graduating from Jay
County High School in 2005.