The Marine Corps has deployed an experimental forward operating base to Afghanistan to assess how it stands up to rugged operational conditions while relying solely on renewable technology and energy-saving techniques.

The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment’s Company I is moving into position in Helmand province, where it will sustain itself almost entirely using renewable energy, Marine Corps Col. Bob “Brutus” Charette said during a panel discussion this week.

Charette, the Marine Corps’ “energy czar,” cited this milestone as the Defense Department observed a week of energy security events.

The project began with an experiment to determine baseline requirements for company-size and smaller FOBs that typically have to provide their own fuel, electricity, water and food.

From there, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Combat Development Command, acquisition community and others evaluated existing commercial, off-the-shelf technology able to meet those needs. The result is Ex-FOB, a tent complex that runs on solar-powered generators and other “green” energy to power its systems.

Marines field testing the system at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., operated 190 hours straight with almost no fossil fuel usage, Charette reported. Only their observation equipment required generator power. “We’re working on that right now,” he said.

In this next phase of the Ex-FOB development, deployed Marines will evaluate how it fares in a combat environment.

“We took the 80-percent solution,” Charette said. “We trained Marines up on it and we deployed them.”

The jury is still out on how it will perform, Charette said.

“But I like to say we are cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We will see how things go.”

A fighter pilot appointed as the first director of the Corps’ new Expeditionary Energy Office, Charette has taken on the improbable role of “Green Baron” without losing his “Red Baron” mindset.

Technology has made the Marine Corps increasingly lethal, he said, noting that a company of about 150 Marines on the battlefield today has about the same combat effectiveness of 1,000 Marines 10 years ago.

But those advancements in information and communication technology, intelligence assets and computer servers, Charette said, have come at a cost in weight, bulk and energy dependence.

“In the Marine Corps, we think of ‘expeditionary’ as lethal, austere and fast,” he said. “We’ve become extremely lethal, but today, we are a little less fast and a little less austere.”

In fact, if the Marine Corps took its 80,000 generators to sea, “we would sink a nuclear aircraft carrier,” Charette joked.

“We are in real danger of not fitting on Navy shipping right now,” he said, turning serious. “That’s a huge concern for us. So we need to get back to our naval roots, we need to get back to the sea and we need to go back with all the lethality of the systems we have today.”

Gen. James T. Conway, the Marine Corps commandant, has led the charge in promoting renewable energy sources to reduce the Corps’s reliance on fuel and electric generators.

Conway has set ambitious goals of cutting energy and water consumption not just at Marine bases but also in the expeditionary force. For deployed Marines, his goal is to reduce fuel usage by one-half by 2025. That means reducing current fuel usage — about eight gallons per day for every Marine in Helmand province — to four gallons, Charette said.

Increased reliance on solar and other renewable energy sources, as demonstrated by the Ex-FOB and other ground-renewable, expeditionary energy systems, or GREENS, are expected to go a long way in helping the Corps reach that goal, Charette said.

But he’s banking on about 25 percent of the energy savings coming from a cultural shift — what the Marine Corps calls its “ethos.”

“We want to equate combat effectiveness with resource effectiveness,” Charette said. “We don’t like to talk about demand reduction. We don’t want to talk about taking anything away.

“We want to talk about… mentally thinking about your resources — your liquid logistics,” he continued. “Your water, your fuel is as much a part of your combat effectiveness as combined arms are. It is part of your ethos.”

Less dependence on fuel and other logistical support saves money and energy. But Charette said it also means fewer vehicles on the road and fewer Marines putting their lives at risk maintaining the supply train.

He noted that four Marines with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment — the ones testing the Ex-FOB — died earlier this week driving the roads in Afghanistan.

“This is a real issue. Youngsters out there are risking their lives every day,” Charette said. “So we are going to keep after this. We are not going to quit. And I don’t see it ever changing.”

DoD
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

MORE:
Marines test alt energy in Morocco

Marine Green means solar power

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Daniel A. Strelkauskas, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Mission Commander, Marine Special Operations Company H, Second Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 26 June 2008.

While conducting a time-sensitive mission, the dismounted patrol Captain Strelkauskas was leading came under heavy machine gun and sniper fire from entrenched positions. He began immediate actions to move his team to cover as the patrol began taking casualties. With complete disregard for his own life, and under heavy fire from more than a dozen positions, Captain Strelkauskas ran deeper into the kill zone to drag a wounded Marine across open terrain to a covered position.

With multiple fragmentation wounds to his hands and rounds ricocheting near his position, and with the enemy machine guns delivering devastating fire and preventing the movement of casualties, he ordered a critical Close Air Support deployment of 2,000-pound bombs well within danger close parameters. This provided enough suppression of the enemy force to allow the relocation of the wounded to a consolidation point where five friendly Wounded-in-Action and one friendly Killed-in-Action were evacuated.

Upon completion of the evacuation, Captain Strelkauskas coordinated follow on air strikes resulting in an estimated 40 enemy killed in action, including several mid-level Taliban leaders. Through his tremendous courage and extraordinary battlefield leadership, he guided his team out of a complex and well-orchestrated ambush executed by an entrenched enemy.

By his bold initiative, undaunted courage, and complete dedication to duty, Captain Strelkauskas reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: Captain

Military Times

In practice, the July 2008 mission in western Afghanistan was a deadly, grueling, four-hour firefight as a large number of Taliban fighters rained automatic weapons fire onto a group of U.S. Marine and Army Special Forces troops.

When it was over, an estimated 40 anti-government fighters were dead, including the primary target. But so was one American. And an additional nine U.S. Marines and soldiers were wounded, five seriously.

In the intervening 240 minutes from the start of the firefight, then-Capt. Daniel Strelkauskas suffered shrapnel wounds to his hands and ran through the “kill zone” to drag a critically injured staff sergeant to safety.

Strelkauskas continued to rally his troops. He also directed a 2,000-pound bomb strike that allowed the Americans to maneuver to safety.

For those actions, the 32-year-old Marine major was awarded the Silver Star on Wednesday, the third-highest award a Marine can receive for bravery in battle.

“It’s a very humbling day,” the unassuming Strelkauskas said before the ceremony at Camp Pendleton. “There were a very small amount of us who found ourselves in a very bad place that day. It was how the men on the team responded, which was unbelievable.”

Strelkauskas’ award is the first of several being awarded to troops who displayed extreme courage and valor that day. One is receiving a Navy Cross, another will receive a Silver Star, and several are being awarded a Bronze Star.

North Country Times

NARRATIVE:

Captain Daniel A. Strelkauskas is enthusiastically recommended for the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in connection with combat operations involving an opposing force while serving as Team Leader, Marine Special Operations Team 1 (MSOT 1), Marine Special Operations Company Hotel (MSOC H), 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion (2d MSOB), U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command (MARSOC) on 26 June 2008 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM XII. Captain Strelkauskas was in receipt of imminent danger pay during this period.

On 25 June 2008, MSOC H was tasked by the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A) to execute a Time Sensitive Target (TST) mission in order to clear a known High Value Individual (HVI) location followed by an Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) mission of a suspected enemy weapons cache in the mountains north of Khusf, Herat Province, Afghanistan. Upon receipt of the mission from CJSOTF-A, Captain Strelkauskas, with the assistance of his Team Chief, Staff Sergeant Mosser, quickly developed and briefed a course of action and prepared MSOT 1, MSOT 2, and an element of 24 Afghan National Army (ANA) Soldiers to depart at 2000L.

On 26 June 2008, after an overnight movement of 12 hours, the patrol arrived at the target area. After conducting final inspections and back briefs, Captain Strelkauskas lead the clearing element as they pushed into the objective area in order to clear and conduct SSE of the suspected weapons cache, while MSOT 2 provided over watch security.

The weapons cache was located deep inside a canyon with a one lane un-improved road providing the only entrance. Maneuver in the canyon was very restrictive, leaving little to no room for vehicles to turn around. Once observation of the site was complete and no threat appeared present, MSOT 1, led by Captain Strelkauskas, dismounted and maneuvered into the canyon floor to exploit the suspected weapons cache site. Upon reaching the target area, two vehicles were found, one parked to the side of the road and another parked in the middle of the road, impeding the movement of the team. Captain Strelkauskas ordered the team to search, render safe, and push the impeding vehicle out of the way with a Ground Mobility Vehicle while the rest of the team began to search the target area.

As the search and movement of the inoperable vehicle began, an unknown number of Taliban forces initiated a coordinated and determined ambush utilizing accurate sniper and machine gun fire on MSOT 1 and MSOT 2 from approximately 200 to 300 meters away. Captain Strelkauskas immediately began exchanging fire and orchestrated an immediate action drill to move the search team, who were completely exposed in the kill zone, back to the GMVs as other members provided covering fire. One GMV became stuck in the harsh terrain of the canyon as the team began to back their vehicles out of the kill zone. Almost immediately, accurate sniper fire zeroed in on several key locations and resulted in two team members, Staff Sergeant Heredia and Staff Sergeant Guendner, sustaining severe gun shot wounds. Because of the extremely accurate sniper and machine gun fire, the foot mobile team maneuvered to a position that provided cover from the barrage of incoming fire. Once in their new position, they found themselves completely pinned down and unable to assist the Marines wounded from initial contact. Captain Strelkauskas continued to engage the enemy, providing accurate covering and suppressive fires for his Marines from his defensive location, despite receiving painful wounds to both hands as bullet fragments sprayed all around him. Staff Sergeant Heredia, an Element Leader, had initially received a gunshot wound to the leg and lay exposed to enemy fire. While applying his own tourniquet, Staff Sergeant Heredia received a catastrophic gun shot wound to the chest, above his body armor, and was now in desperate need of medical attention. It was clearly evident by the enemy sniper’s actions that his intention was to lure first responders into the kill zone and engage them as they attempted to help the wounded Marines. With complete disregard for his own life, Captain Strelkauskas ran across 20 meters of open terrain under heavy sniper and machine gun fire, grabbed Staff Sergeant Heredia and dragged him to safety. This heroic and selfless act immediately motivated and inspired Staff Sergeant Mosser to rescue the other wounded men who were still fully exposed to enemy fire. Captain Strelkauskas immediately began administering first aid to Staff Sergeant Heredia’s wounds while a U. S. Army Special Forces Medic began to maneuver into position in order to assist him. Due to the severe nature of the gunshot wound to his chest, Staff Sergeant Heredia succumbed to his wounds within minutes. After ensuring he had done all he could for his fallen comrade, Captain Strelkauskas began providing cover fire for the Army medic so he could cross the kill zone to care for the mounting casualties.

For the next four hours, Captain Strelkauskas continued to direct his men with the assistance of his Team Chief, provided guidance to MSOT 2 for Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) and directed adjustments for the much needed Close Air Support (CAS) that had arrived on station. Unfortunately, all CAS efforts proved ineffective as the insurgents were deep within caves where the CAS ordnance had little to no effect. By this time, casualties had mounted to four urgent surgical; Staff Sergeant Guendner who had been shot in the upper thigh, Chief Petty Officer Shattuck who had received a gun shot wound though the chest, Sergeant Cagney who had been shot in the shoulder, and Sergeant Schoenhiet who received a gunshot wound to the head. Sergeants Cagney and Shoenheit had been CASEVAC’d to the Casualty Collection Point (CCP) located out of the kill zone with MSOT 2. At this point, the CASEVAC Aircraft, which had been loitering in the area and could not land due to the landing zone being unsecure, reported they were running low on fuel and could only remain on station for an additional 10 minutes. With another two critically wounded men still pinned down in the kill zone, the U. S. Special Forces medic advised Captain Strelkauskas that the wounded could only survive 10 more minutes without further medical aid and MEDEVAC. Captain Strelkauskas then issued the order for everyone to prepare to move the remaining two critically wounded casualties in the kill zone, despite the very active fire fight. These ultimately life-saving actions were carried out by Staff Sergeant Mosser, the MSOT 1 Team Chief. Captain Strelkauskas then directed the MSOT 2 Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC), through Staff Sergeant Mosser, who is also a certified JTAC, to employ CAS assets to drop a series of 500lb and 2000lb bombs within danger close as a last ditch effort to suppress the insurgents so the remaining two casualties and the body of Staff Sergeant Heredia could be retrieved from the kill zone. This tactical decision was the turning point of the fire fight and allowed the team to execute this plan of action. With ordnance at danger close distances and still under heavy fire, Captain Strelkauskas and Staff Sergeant Mosser coordinated teams of personnel to extract the remaining two casualties to vehicles and then move them to safety. While directing the rescue of the last two casualties, Captain Strelkauskas remained in position with Staff Sergeant Heredia’s body, despite a constant hail of rounds impacting all around his position. His “No Marine Left Behind” sense of dedication was contagious and would continue to inspire all those in the Task Force. The heavy barrage of CAS was finally effective enough to provide a slight lull in the enemy fire, which allowed all casualties and Staff Sergeant Heredia’s body to be removed to safety.

Once all personnel had been successfully extracted, Captain Strelkauskas ordered all forces to push outside of small arms range. He again directed the JTAC to resume surgical bombing onto enemy positions. At conclusion of the battle, there were estimates of 40 enemy killed in action (7 confirmed), including several mid-level targets. His heroic actions and continuous dedication to duty both inspired and guided his team out of a complex, well orchestrated, and determined ambush by a well entrenched enemy. His selfless courage saved the lives of the men he led and turned the engagement into a Coalition victory, rendering him exceptionally well-deserving of recognition with the Silver Star Medal.

San Diego Tribune

Sgt. Justin D. Toren, a driver and operator for the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) commanding general's personal security detail, poses in full personal protective equipment aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Aug. 14, 2009. Toren, who was deployed to Iraq during the invasion, joined the Marine Corps following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Photo by Lance Cpl. Melissa Latty

Prior to enlisting in the Marine Corps, every potential Marine sits down with a recruiter and picks out the reasons they want to join from a stack of colorful cards with the words travel, education and discipline, among others that describe most of the reasons someone would make the decision to commit.

For Sgt. Justin D. Toren, a driver and operator for the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) commanding general’s personal security detail, his reason was not in the cards. Toren joined during his junior year of high school after the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11, 2001.

“I remember listening to the news on the radio on my way to school. They said we had been attacked, but they didn’t have a lot of details,” Toren said, reflecting back to his high school years. “I got to school and we watched the news in class. That’s when I knew I was going to join the Marine Corps.”

Toren, along with three friends from his class, enlisted shortly after the tragedy occurred.

Toren joined the Corps to become an infantryman. He said he wanted to be a machine gunner like his great uncle, who served in the Marine Corps from 1949 to 1953 and was a Korean War veteran.

Toren started his military career off successfully. At boot camp he was meritoriously promoted to the rank of private first class after breaking the overall record on the rifle range. Toren accredits his excellent marksmanship skills to his country-boy roots where he would take part in common shooting sports.

Immediately following his graduation from the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he received specialized training as a machine gunner, Toren was sent to Movement Company 4, 1st Marine Division. Four days after reporting to the unit in January 2003, he deployed to Iraq for the first time.

After setting foot in the desert, Toren was attached to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, where he assisted with building enemy prisoner of war camps throughout Iraq for two months.

Shortly after, he was reassigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, to be a combat replacement for fallen Marines. His experiences with the unit would later become a big part of Toren’s life.

During his time with Alpha Company, Toren worked his way through the ranks, initially as an ammunition man, then to a gunner, and finally as a team leader.

Although combat engagements were not as common at that time in the war, the living conditions were not exactly what many U.S. service members are accustomed to today.

“It was rough living then; nothing like we have it now,” he said. “We didn’t have a base to come back to. We would take over an area that seemed secure and that’s where we would sleep.”

After 11 long months of being deployed, a special relationship had formed between the Marines.

“When I was first assigned to the company, we were known as just Alpha Company,” Toren said. “After the invasion we had a name, we were known as the Alpha Company Raiders.

“We shared a bond unlike anything else,” he continued. “From the inside looking out you can’t explain it, and from the outside looking in, you will never know.”

Sgt. Maj. Robert Young, the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, sergeant major and Toren’s former company first sergeant while with the Alpha Company Raiders, spoke of Toren’s brave actions that helped save the lives of his comrades.

“While serving as a gunner for Company A, Toren did something that I have never seen before,” Young said. “While receiving enemy fire, grenades were being thrown to the roof of the building where Toren and other fellow gunners had set up an overwatch position.

“He just kept throwing them back and firing at the enemy,” Young continued. “Realizing the enemy was standing directly below him and outside of his field of fire, Toren inverted his M-240G medium machine gun, annihilating the enemy and securing the section’s location.”

Toren’s heroic actions during this deployment made him stand out in the eyes of Young, as well as those of his peers.

“Toren is the machine gunner of machine gunners that I have ever known,” Young said. “He is probably one of the toughest Marines I have ever encountered, and I would put him in my battalion any day.”

It wasn’t long after returning from his first deployment that Toren was packing up for his second.

In May 2004, Toren deployed with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment,attached to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He participated in Operation Danger Fortitude, an operation designed to establish and occupy Forward Operating Base Duke, and Operation Ripper Sweep, an operation intended to clear and secure the roads leading into the city of Fallujah.

“My second deployment was definitely more eventful than my first,” Toren said. Toren’s actions during his second deployment earned him a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device.

He deployed once more with the Alpha Company Raiders before reporting to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group to be a Battle Skills Training School instructor, where he shared his knowledge with young Marines preparing for deployment.

Toren, who has a unit tattoo on his left forearm that reflects his pride of being an Alpha Company Raider, was once approached by one of the students in his class.

“This young Marine, fresh out of boot camp, came up to me asking if I used to be Lance Cpl. Toren,” he said. “Looking at him pretty dumbfounded, he continued saying his company first sergeant in boot camp told him a story about a Lance Cpl. Toren who was with Alpha Raiders.”

After sharing his story with the class, Toren noticed the Marines hung on to his every word as he finished the day’s lesson.

“Anything I said, and everything I taught that day, I guarantee they will never forget it,” he said.

The sergeant is now on his fourth deployment serving as a member of the PSD for the 2nd MLG (Fwd) commanding general. Toren, along with the 13 other PSD Marines and one Sailor, was chosen to guard the general because of his previous combat experience.

“Learning the job of being personal security was pretty difficult,” Toren said. “After six years of being a grunt, your instinct is to push forward and gain ground in any combat situation. Now, it’s all about one guy. You do whatever it takes to ensure his safety and then you get away from the threat. It’s not an easy mission.”

Toren’s dedication to the job, however, ensures mission accomplishment, as shown through his actions during past deployments.

“Toren constantly demonstrates ingenuity when dealing with unconventional tasks,” said Sgt. Harry Johnson, a fellow PSD Marine. “Often times you think you are about to be involved with a near impossible project, but with Toren you know that the job will be done.”

Toren was recently combat meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant. His success in the Marine Corps has been a never-ending streak since recruit training.

Toren, a former farm hand and bull rider, said he has never once regretted his decision to join the Marine Corps.

“Up until September 11, the military wasn’t even in the cards for me,” he said. “That day changed my life, and I’m glad it did.”

DVIDS
Story by Lance Cpl. Melissa Latty

Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) and Officer Candidate School (OCS) have joined forces to provide America with an inside look at the making of a Marine officer.

In an unprecedented initiative, the Corps has opened its doors to offer the public direct insight into the transformation men and women undergo to become Marine officers and learn what they go through to earn the right to lead Marines. This is the first time candidates, the term used for men and women attending OCS, have been engaged in an official effort to share their experiences with the public in a social networking forum.

Six candidates will provide blogs at http://our.marines.com/ocsblog to present the American people with a unique look at their journey. The candidates are attending OCS through the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC), a program that breaks up training into two, six-week sessions for college students to attend in the summer.

In addition, staff members at OCS will blog each week to provide insight from a command perspective on how training is going for the candidates.

The candidates providing the blogs come from areas all over the country.

Lawrence Miller describes himself as motivated, though others call it cocky or vain. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, “Zuko,” as his friends call him, is at Chattanooga State University (Tenn.) and is now following in his Marine father’s footsteps. His parents have mixed feelings about his decision to go to OCS, but he is determined.

Shannon Terrian is a New Hampshire girl who graduated from Saint Johns College in Maryland and began her journey at OCS last October. She is back for the second session to finish her training and see if she really has what it takes to lead Marines. Her parents didn’t like the idea of her trying to join the Marine Corps at first, but “Shannon the Cannon” was able to change their minds.

Andy Gomez’ real name is Andres, but he doesn’t tell anyone. He hails from the Dominican Republic, though his family moved all over the world following his father’s Navy career. The Liberty University (Va.) student wants to be an astronaut in the future, but for now, he is working to earn a commission as a pilot.

Friends call Joseph Michael Polakovic “Joe Po,” for which he considers himself lucky because it is only one letter away from “Joe Poo.” This former rugby player is a Colorado native attending the University of Colorado in Boulder. His family supports his decision to attend OCS, but he is nervous to see how he stacks up.

Jeff Neese is a farm boy from New Canton, Ill. – a very small town of about 300 people. Apparently, he was destined to try his hand at the Marine Corps, as he attends Western Illinois University, whose mascot is the Fighting Leathernecks (Marines are also called Leatherneck). He is also returning for the second session of his training and is excited about being back at OCS to finish the challenge.

Ulysses “OJ” Sosa is our final candidate. He is from San Diego and attends Cal State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. He hails from a military family that is supportive of his decision to go to OCS; in fact, his father just retired from the Marine Corps last October. Although he has been preparing for several months, he is anxious, nervous and excited about what awaits him at OCS.

To follow these candidates and share their journey to see if they have what it takes to lead Marines, visit http://our.marines.com/ocsblog.

Marine Corps

The Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday that an investigator is reviewing a valor case that, if approved, would yield the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor in the war on terrorism.

“We have a case that I sent an investigating officer out to take a look at on the West Coast that, if proven, I think will prompt me to recommend the Medal of Honor for a living Marine,” Gen. James T. Conway said.

Marine Times

As a general rule, the Silver Star is faster and requires less paperwork to award. The Medal of Honor is often an upgraded award from the Silver Star. Keeping that in mind, here are a few Marine Corps Silver Star winners who might be the “Marine to be named later”.

• Lance Cpl. Moses Cardenas
• Cpl. Ian M. Dollard
• Staff Sgt. Charles M. Evers
• Sgt. Chad Cassady

This is just a small sample of the Marines that may be being considered for our nation’s highest award for valor in combat.

Marine Corps Cpl. Kimberly Crawford, a combat correspondent stationed at Camp Lejuene, N.C., reviews the day’s top news stories prior to a newscast at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb. 14, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Thompson

It’s not unusual for servicemembers to find themselves in new jobs during deployments. But what sets each one apart is how they handle those transitions.

Those who work with Marine Corps Cpl. Kimberly Crawford say she is an example of how to make the most of changing situations – and impress those around her.

“Not many people can walk into a job and hit the ground running, and do what she has done,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeff St. Sauveur, an American Forces Network producer who works with Crawford here. “She takes everything you throw at her and makes it awesome.”

When Crawford arrived in Afghanistan five months ago, she discovered that a Marine Corps combat correspondent is a multitasking career. After reporting to the American Forces Network detachment here, the print journalist from Camp Lejeune, N.C., discovered that the skills she knew were not the only skills she would need.

Crawford said the job description cited a need for a combat correspondent, which she took to mean a print journalist. But about a week before she got here, she said, she realized the need was for a broadcaster.

“They almost pulled me off the deployment,” Crawford said. “But the Marine Corps’ chief of public affairs said that I had been training for this, so I got to deploy here.” Just as any other servicemember would be expected to do, the 24-year-old Oswego, N.Y. native quickly learned to adapt to her new surroundings.

Crawford demonstrated her commitment to becoming a solid broadcaster while covering her first solo project, the Super Bowl telecast at Bagram. That one story, according to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Deidre Hines, AFN Afghanistan’s station manager, was seen by millions of viewers worldwide and demonstrated how far Crawford had come as a broadcast journalist.

“She’s shown drastic improvement from what she was doing when she first started,” St. Sauveur said.

When Crawford became a Marine, she wasn’t interested in being a broadcaster.

Marine Corps Cpl. Kimberly Crawford, a combat correspondent stationed at Camp Lejuene, N.C., prepares to read the news for the Pentagon Channel news report at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Feb. 14, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Thompson

“I avoided broadcasting when I was at the Defense Information School,” Crawford said. “I didn’t think I would like it, [and] didn’t see the artistic view. But [then] I saw that the video camera wasn’t much different from a still camera.”

Crawford not only had to learn how to use a video camera and broadcast-editing equipment, she also had to lose her accent, something she describes as a cross between southern and upstate New York.

Crawford remains humble despite the praise she has been given by her co-workers.

“They have all helped me out. They were nice and patient and made it fun to learn,” she said.

“We count on her, depend on her and we know she will get the job done,” Air Force Senior Airman Thomas Kennedy, another producer who works with Crawford, said. “It’s been remarkable working with her.”

DoD
By Army Spc. Matthew Thompson

Please note that the star of this story is not named. I wonder what medal he’s been nominated for.

In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it.

Shewan has historically been a safe haven for insurgents, who used to plan and stage attacks against Coalition Forces in the Bala Baluk district.

The city is home to several major insurgent leaders. Reports indicate that more than 250 full time fighters reside in the city and in the surrounding villages.

Shewan had been a thorn in the side of Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan throughout the Marines’ deployment here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, because it controls an important supply route into the Bala Baluk district. Opening the route was key to continuing combat operations in the area.

“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”

The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.

“The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said. “A small group of Marines met a numerically superior force and embarrassed them in their own backyard. The insurgents told the townspeople that they were stronger than the Americans, and that day we showed them they were wrong.”

During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.

“I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.”

After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.

“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”

Marine Corps News
By Cpl. James Mercure, 2nd Battalion (2/7)

Lance Cpl. Jennifer Shell, a military policewoman who is currently serving as the chow hall manager at a combat outpost near the Port of Trebil on the Iraq-Syrian border, enjoys a visit with children at an Iranian Kurd refugee camp in the region on May 15. Shell is with Military Police Company B, 4th Marine Logistics Group, based in North Versailles, Pa. The Marines at the combat outpost routinely bring food and other items to the camp’€™s residents to augment the supplies they receive from the United Nations. Shell formed close bonds with some of the camp’€™s residents and even helped cook dinner on one of her visits. Photo ByLine: Dhurgham Takleef Abdulzahra

When you step into the chow hall here, the first thing you notice is the smell of gourmet coffee. Next, you notice an orderly array of shelf-stable meals displayed in cubbies along the plywood walls, available to the post’s Marines 24-hours a day.

If you come during morning or evening chow hours, you will find home-cooked meals, made mostly from scratch.

These amenities were made possible, in large part, by the knowledge, skills and experience of one of the post’s most junior Marines, Lance Cpl. Jennifer Shell, who is currently serving as the chow hall manager.

Shell, a 31-year-old military police officer and reserve Marine from Uniontown, Pa., joined the Corps at the age of 27 after graduating from culinary school in New York in 2003 and from Pennsylvania State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management.

According to Shell, she enlisted in the Marine Corps “because of the pride associated with it, and more importantly because of my dad, who served on MSG [Marine Security Guard] detail in Singapore during the Vietnam War.”

Although she was well qualified, Shell was not interested in Marine Corps Officer’s Candidate School.

“I love the camaraderie of being an enlisted Marine,” said Shell. “You can’t find this anywhere else. Sitting on post, staring out into the desert for hours on end, you learn a lot about each others’ lives.”

The first five months of Shell’s tour here were spent serving in the role of military police officer, responsible for the outpost’s security and supporting the various U.S. military advisor training teams and convoy escort personnel that the base houses when they aren’t out on missions in this remote and barren region on the Iraqi-Jordanian border.

The military police officers describe their seven-month tour here as “one long Groundhog Day.” The standard routine is six hours on guard post, followed by six hours on patrol. After returning from foot or vehicle patrols, the MPs have six hours on stand-by as a quick reactionary force. They then have six hours to sleep, awake and begin the schedule all over again.

A member of Military Police Company B, 4th Marine Logistics Group, based in North Versailles, Pa., Shell and four other reserve Marines from her unit deployed as individual augments to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment’s Task Force MP.

Five months into her unit’s tour, Shell’s squad leader, Cpl. Kristyn Stewart, from Pittsburgh, recommended that Shell be appointed to take over management of the chow hall from a more senior Marine.

“She’s a restaurant manager and graduate of culinary school,” said Stewart, 26, who is on her third mobilization and tour in Iraq. “I identified a need, and (Shell) was a perfect fit for the job.”

Cpl. Nathan Dahlheimer, 28, is a military policeman and squad leader from Monticello, Minn, attached to 3rd Bn., 10th Marines. “The menu became really monotonous after five months and everything was boiled, usually in a bag,” said Dahlheimer. “Lance Corporal Shell prepared real meals from scratch. She helped improve morale, as her meals gave us something to look forward to every night.”

Not only did Shell’s experience create better meals, her work has enhanced the overall service of the chow hall in a number of ways.

“The difference in the organization of the chow hall was amazing,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jason Stephens of San Diego. Stephens, 35, arrived here in mid-August and is serving as team chief for the Port of Entry Transition Team.

“She’s kept the shelves restocked every day,” said Stephens. “The overall cleanliness of the chow hall is excellent. People actually want to sit down and eat there now, as it is a nice place to hang out. I think she brought here everything she learned in the civilian community and applied it to the chow hall. Her experience in managing restaurants in the civilian world was key to this success.”

Stephens explained that because of the aesthetic transformation in the atmosphere of the chow hall, it became the outpost’s social hub, where Marines congregate in the evening to play cards and watch satellite TV.

“I thought it was outstanding,” added Stephens. “I was very impressed with Shell, as a junior Marine, taking over the job and running with it.”

Shell is scheduled to return to her home town in late October. After demobilization, she will go back to her career as a restaurant manager in western Pennsylvania.

Although she will arrive in time for her favorite time of the year, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ hockey season, she will miss the camaraderie she feels with her fellow Marines here in Iraq.

“Cooking for people here is much more fulfilling than cooking in the civilian world,” said Shell with an ear-to-ear smile. “The Marines simply appreciate it more.”

US Marines
By Capt. Paul Greenberg
Regimental Combat Team 5

SAN FRANSISCO, Guatemala (May 13, 2008) Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Vanessa Feliscian, embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), paints the interior walls of San Fransisco De Assisi’s Church in Guatemala during Continuing Promise (CP) 2008. Boxer is deployed supporting the Pacific phase of Continuing Promise 2008, an equal partnership mission between the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru. U.S. Army photo by Specialist Brian R. Williams

DVIDS
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

“The commandant wore it during a trip over there for Thanksgiving, and he absolutely did not like it,” Johnson said. “He made the call to not buy more until perhaps they find a way to mitigate the issues the troops are raising. That’s typical of our commandant. He listens to the Marines, and where it makes sense, he executes based on their feedback.”

“The feedback on the vests is that the Marines don’t like the pullover design,” said Lt. Col. T.V. Johnson, the commandant’s spokesman. “A lot of the guys get scraped about the ears and face when they put them on.”

Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway halted purchases of the Marine Corps’ new modular tactical vest after Marines complained about the equipment’s design.

Marines said the new vests are heavier and more impractical than the outer tactical vests they had been wearing.

The tactical vests have saved many lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are stories of Marines getting struck by 7.62 mm rounds and walking away with just bruises. Johnson said most of the casualties in Iraq are Marines struck in the extremities.

Both the old and new vests are built around small-arms protective inserts, ceramic plates that fit in pockets in the vests.

“I would trust my life to either one of these pieces of gear,” Johnson said. “Safety has never been an issue. If anything, the MTV is a refined edition of the OTV. It doesn’t open in the front, but it provides refined protection around the shoulders.

“The ceramic plates are integrated into the vest,” he continued. “You don’t have to strap those on and adjust them like you do in the OTV.”

Weight, however, is a problem. The basic load of a Marine is anywhere between 40 and 60 pounds, and that doesn’t include crew gear.

The Marine Corps ordered 84,000 of the new vests in 2006. The service has received 76,000. All Marines deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan are wearing the new vests, Johnson said. “Some very senior discussions are going to take place on what the way ahead is going to be,” the colonel said.

Among options are adding features to the MTV to mitigate the annoying features or for the Corps to jump to the next-generation vest, Johnson said. Marine Corps Systems Command continually looks at and suggests ways to improve gear.