Sgt. Steven Basham, a native of Hawesville, Ky., gathers with approximately 20 dog-handlers and improvised explosive device detection dogs throughout the RCT-1 battalions to conduct training at Camp Dwyer, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April. 13. Basham is the kennel supervisor with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. Photo by Sgt. Jesse Stence

The Marine Corps believes it has found the right dog for the counter-IED fight, but it’s not the traditional military working dog.

It’s a Labrador Retriever, and it resembles Lassie more closely than Rin Tin Tin.

Unlike the German Shepherd, which was carefully bred to herd sheep and fend off predators, the Labrador Retriever was bred to go fetch.

Originally created to help Canadian hunters catch game, today’s typical Labrador is catching Frisbees. The energetic yet even-tempered canine has become arguably the most common household pet in the world.

Yet the Labrador remains an able hunter, and therefore a competent aid to Marines conducting the delicate search for makeshift explosives, say those familiar with the Marine Corps’ counter IED efforts.

Sgt. Steven Basham, the kennel supervisor with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, said the Marine Corps began taking more interest in Labradors after an Auburn University study highlighted the breed’s hunting instinct, disposition and controllability, or “how you could control the dogs with whistles and arm signals.”

Although some German shepherds have been converted to “bomb dogs,” they’re more difficult to remotely control than the Labradors – a disadvantage in the current counterinsurgency environment.

“Bomb dogs were mainly created for the urban terrain, whereas the [Labradors] were meant to work off leash,” explained Basham, from Hawesville, Kentucky.

Typically, Marines push the Labradors out front during patrols, Basham said. Labradors can smell 17 different odors associated with homemade explosives, and the dogs’ noses can sometimes detect what the Marines’ combat metal detectors can’t, he explained.

With its unique abilities, the Labrador has created a tactical niche for itself within the Corps’ counter-IED strategy. The trained Labradors are officially called IED Detection Dogs, and Marine Corps Systems Command has designated a program manager to further incorporate the IDDs into counterinsurgency operations.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Burger, the program manager, said the IDD force is already slated to increase from 315 to 647 dogs.

“The first handler course that reflects the increase in IDDs started April 9, 2011, but will not be realized in-theater until September 2011, when the first unit will deploy with an increased number of dogs,” said Burger, from Tacoma, Wash. “The number of IDDs deployed will go for some 130 to approximately 285. A typical infantry battalion that used to get 13 dogs will now get 34.”

Not only is the program increasing in size, it’s increasing in sophistication.

Burger said the Marine Corps is signing on more Field Service Representatives to provide ongoing training to the IDDs and their handlers.

“In conjunction with the increase in IDDs,” Burger said, “each unit receiving IDDs will also be given a FSR who will not only train in the [U.S.] with the unit, but will deploy with them as well.”

The FSRs are necessary because IDD handlers receive limited training, Burger said. Traditional dog handlers attend a formalized Department of Defense school to earn a secondary military occupational specialty, whereas IDD handlers receive about five weeks of basic instruction and four weeks of integration training with their unit. The IDD training is simply designed to give the handlers basic skills without interfering with their predeployment training, he said.

“Due to the limited training the IDD handlers receive,” Burger said, “FSRs become very important, as they provide oversight on in-theater training and can conduct in-theater homemade explosive imprinting.”

“Our FSR requirement has increased dramatically,” added Burger. “Where we once had three FSRs in theater supporting the IDD program, we’ll now grow to 12: one per unit with IDDs, and two at [each Regimental Combat Team]. This increase in FSRs will not go into effect until Sept. 11, on par with the increase of IDDs in theater.”

Currently, two private contracting companies conduct the IDD training: American K-9 Interdiction, based out of Carrsville, Va.; and K2 Solutions, Inc., Southern Pines, N.C.

“The IDDs undergo 14 weeks of training prior to being presented for certification; however, even upon certification, IDDs must continually undergo sustainment training to maintain proficiency and conditioning,” Burger said.

The training for the handlers is also continuous, he said.

“Full unit integration training occurs during the unit’s participation at Enhanced Mojave Viper, [Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.],” Burger said. “Prior to deployment, handlers will also participate in one week of refresher training.”

According to Burger, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to show the program is helping in the counter-IED fight; however, because the program is new, progress is difficult to quantify.

“We have just recently begun to receive qualitative data on a monthly basis that provides a correlation between the number of patrols with IDDs and the number of IED finds,” he said. “We continue to try to improve the reporting process and how to adequately determine IDD success.”

Basham said Marines should remember that there is no perfect solution to IEDs. Just as metal detectors can’t detect non-metallic bomb parts, dogs may not be able to smell trouble every time.

However, as the counter-IED fight evolves, the Corps has yet another weapon to unleash.

Story by Sgt. Jesse Stence
DVIDS

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — Sgt. Kimberly Nalepka, a Coral Springs, Fla., native, speaks to a teacher about the day’s lesson plan at a local school April 30. Nalepka is the team leader of the Female Engagement Team in Garmsir, where 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment operates. Nalepka and her team regularly visit medical clinics and schools on the area. The FET’s purpose is to interact with the female population in the local community and help identify the needs of the women in the area. The FET supports Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which is heading the ground combat element in Helmand province. Photo by Cpl. Colby Brown

She has long brown hair, but it’s coiled into a tight bun. Her glare burns through tactical sunglasses but somehow doesn’t betray the femininity in her mahogany colored eyes. Her M-4 rifle is slung loosely over her shoulder, and an M-9 pistol hangs from her hip.

Sergeant Kimberly Nalepka and the rest of her Female Engagement Team squad play an integral role in counterinsurgency operations here.

Nalepka, a Coral Springs, Fla., native, is a squad leader with the FET in Garmsir, the district where 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, operates.

“I have a passion for what I am doing,” Nalepka said. “We’re here to help the people, and it’s exciting because being able to have a deeper impact on the Marine Corps’ mission is something I have always wanted to do. Interacting with the people is an amazing opportunity, and being able to see the smiles on their faces makes everything worthwhile, because a smile is universal no matter what language you speak.”

In some of the local communities, a woman can’t interact with men outside her family. This is where Nalepka and her squad come into the equation.

“We’re here to build up the local community and improve the people’s trust in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” the 28-year-old sergeant said. “The Female Engagement Team is able to reach the part of the population that male Marines (can’t). In order to build a community, you have to build both the male and female side.”

Throughout Afghanistan, FET squads like this assist infantry battalions by supporting the counterinsurgency mission, but this is the first time 1/3 has worked with a FET.

The advantage of reaching out to Middle Eastern women was first realized in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2009, the first team was established with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, during their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Now, the FET is a necessary asset to every Marine battalion.

“It makes me (proud) as a female and a Marine to be able to work alongside an infantry battalion,” Nalepka said. “I think it is great women are being employed in this kind of role in Afghanistan, and [it] gives me a positive feeling about how far a female’s role has come in the U.S. military and the Marine Corps.”

Each FET member volunteered for the duty and received the same pre-deployment training as the 1/3 infantrymen. They received Pashtu language and cultural training so they can be confident when interacting with the Afghan people.

When Lance Cpl. Victoria Rogers patrolled to a local school with her team leader, Cpl. Julie Buskirk, April 26, children stopped in the middle of the street and whispered to each other, and the men glanced blankly at the team. The children’s curiosity soon took control and they swarmed the team, asking about their gear or for a piece of candy.

For some of the local residents, this was the first time interacting with a woman from the United States. For others, it was the first time seeing a woman of different ethnic descent.

Rogers, a native of Splendora, Texas, said these engagements motivate her.

“Getting to know the local residents and gaining their trust helps the battalion with their mission,” Rogers said, “because (we find more friends) to tell us when to be more watchful in an area if they know something bad might happen. It’s a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the Female Engagement Team.”

Although their primary mission is to engage females in Garmsir, the FET finds many other ways to help the local people. Currently in Garmsir, the squad regularly visits medical clinics and schools. These visits help the FET gain acceptance from the local community, which increases the likelihood of meeting more women.

The cultural difference is a challenge, said Rogers, but being able to help the Afghans is rewarding.

“The mission is going smoother in Afghanistan, and maybe employing females is the key,” the 22-year-old lance corporal said. “It’s obviously a combination of learning from our experience in Iraq and applying new ideas, but having the Female Engagement Team provides a different perspective of what can be done to help the local people of Afghanistan.”

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Colby Brown

Lance Cpl. Adam Kabrick, Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, guides a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement onto the Westpac Express High Speed Vessel at Naha Port, Naha, Japan, March 13. The HSV departed at 9 a.m. March 14 to deliver a Forward Arming and Refueling Point for use in the assistance operations. The FARP and supplies will arrive at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni for further transportation to the identified FARP location to provide support to aircraft of Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III MEF, and other military and civilian aircraft in support of Operation Tomodachi. Photo by Cpl. Justin Wheeler

Marines and sailors from III Marine Expeditionary Force continue to provide support for foreign humanitarian assistance operations from Okinawa to mainland Japan. The operation, known as Tomodachi, means “friends” in Japanese, and was chosen by Japan.

Today, III MEF personnel and gear departed the Naha Military Port at 9 a.m. on the High Speed Vessel in route to mainland Japan. The HSV will deliver a Forward Arming and Refueling Point for use in the assistance operations. A FARP is a temporary facility normally located close to the area of operations that allows aircraft to conduct continuous operations without having to return to an established airport to obtain fuel. This capability enables helicopters to fly rescue and transport missions almost non-stop.

The HSV is also transporting additional supplies, communications equipment and personnel that will be used in the relief operations. The FARP and other supplies will arrive at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni for further transportion to the identified FARP location.

Two KC-130J cargo aircraft returned from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to MCAS Futenma at 1:30 p.m. to pick up a Deployable Joint Command and Control system and transport it to Naval Air Station Atsugi. The DJC2 system provides an integrated, rapidly deployable, modular Joint Command and Control system to support Joint Task Force command and control operations.

A third KC-130J cargo aircraft is scheduled to depart MCAS Futenma this evening with personnel from the maintenance detachment of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III MEF to MCAS Iwakuni to support the aircraft flying on mainland Japan during the assistance operations. The location of MCAS Futenma and its close proximity to Marine units and supplies supporting the relief mission has proved critical to the III MEF disaster response effort.

Eight CH-46E transport helicopters of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, MAG-36, 1st MAW, III MEF normally located at MCAS Futenma are now positioned at NAS Atsugi and available to conduct relief operations. The mission of the Marine Corps rotary wing aircraft in support of relief operations is survey, recovery and humanitarian assistance support.

Humanitarian assistance survey teams are in place and ready to begin assessing the damaged area and assisting the government of Japan with providing accurate information to disaster relief planners, both military and civilian. The HASTs are capable of distributing supplies and providing basic medical care for those in immediate need of aid.

In addition, Marines and sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked aboard ships, continue to move towards Japan. The 2,200 Marines and sailors are expected to be off the coast of mainland Japan within the next several days.

Story by Lindsay Pirek
US Marine Corps

Sergeant William W. Rollins -right- is congratulated by a Marine from his unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, during a ceremony in which Rollins was awarded the Silver Star, the Nation's third-highest award in a ceremony at the Combat Center's Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010. Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson

A former Combat Center Marine was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Afghanistan during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010.

Sergeant William W. Rollins earned the nation’s third-highest award for demonstrating courage under fire in action against the enemy June 19, 2008, while serving as 1st Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During a patrol to the village of Dowlatabad, in Balkh province Afghanistan, Rollins squad was ambushed. His squad was pinned down and could not find a way out. Rollins’ found himself on the far left of the squad and furthest from the fire. After a quick assessment, he seemed to be the only one mobile enough to create a distraction, his only hope to free his Marines from the enemy’s fire and get them to safety. With machine guns and rocket propelled grenades flying at the Marines, Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, leveled his machine gun and provided suppressive fire, allowing his men to escape the immediate ambush area, according to the award citation.

Once his Marines withdrew, Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the squad enemy while the squad’s wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Rollins observed a Marine hit, rushed to his aid and dragged him to safety. Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety, according to the award citation.

Marines and those closest to him aboard the Combat Center attended the ceremony to honor their brother for his bravery.

“Sergeant Rollins is truly a hero, his actions are incredible and selfless,” said Lt. Col. John M. Reed, battalion commander, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. His actions on the battlefield place him in the company of many other notable Marines in history.

Reed also noted that Rollins’ actions were taken solely to ensure the safety of his brothers on the battlefield. “The silver star is awarded to anyone who distinguishes himself in extraordinary heroism and gallantry,” Reed added.

Several of his fellow Marines said the medal was well-deserved, that Rollins bravery epitomized the values every Marine, past and present, lives by.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he got it,” said Edgar Figueroa, a former active duty Marine and friend of Rollins. “He’s a very humble guy. He would give you the shirt off his back. He is a normal guy, who got put in an extraordinary situation, did what any Marine or squad leader would do; protect his squad, even if it means his own life. I’m proud of him.”

After the ceremony, Rollins stood proud and humbled as the Silver Star hung from his chest and old friends greeted him with smiles and congratulations.

“I feel extremely honored,” Rollins said. “The only thing going through my head at the time was how can we move to cover safely. This [award] was the last thing on my mind. It is quite an honor, and it’s nice to be back.”

Rollins and his wife, Alexandra, expect a baby girl in February. He plans to enroll in a fire fighter academy in Houston.

Marine Corps
By Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant William W. Rollins, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as 1st Squad Leader, Second Platoon, Company G, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, United States Marine Corps Forces, Central Command in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 19 June 2008.

Enemy fighters ambushed Sergeant Rollins squad with a high volume of machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple prepared positions. With the majority of his squad pinned down by the accurate enemy fires, Sergeant Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, in the face of almost certain death, and provided suppressive fire which allowed his men to escape the immediate ambush area.

Once his Marines withdrew, Sergeant Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the enemy while the wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Sergeant Rollins dragged a Marine casualty to safety.

Sergeant Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety. Sergeant Rollins bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Cpl. Jon P. Anderson (left) and Lance Cpl. Edward V. Miuccio (right), both with Regional Combat Team 2, motor transport, detachment 1, help decorate a christmas tree at their workplace, Dec. 21 at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. The Marines are planning a secret Santa gift giving during Christmas day as they spend time with their family away from home, each other. Photo by Cpl. Megan Sindelar

In a combat zone it is hard for Marines to spend Christmas away from their families, but this year Marines at Camp Leatherneck are celebrating Christmas with their second family: each other.

Regional Combat Team 2, motor transport, detachment 1, have planned different things to do while spending their Christmas holiday away from home. The detachment recently received a Christmas tree which is now lit up inside their workplace.

“I have a friend in I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), she hooked it up and got us a Christmas tree, lights and some ornaments,” said Lance Cpl. Edward V. Miuccio, line noncommissioned officer with RCT 2, motor transport, detachment 1. “Everybody likes the tree; it’s very festive and keeps our morale up.”

Along with the Christmas tree, the Marines drew names for a secret Santa gift exchange on Christmas day.

“We are going to get each other something small just to show our appreciation for each other,” said Miuccio, from Wayne, N.J.

Staff Sgt. Freeman J. Lowe, maintenance chief with RCT 2, motor transport, detachment 1, said that he is going to give all of his Marines the opportunity to call home to talk to their families and loved ones.

“Wishing their loved ones a merry Christmas is the most important thing,” said Lowe, a husband and father of three girls.

Lowe said he has a couple surprises for Christmas day for the Marines besides providing the opportunity to call home. He is having dinner catered and plans to sit around with all the Marines and share experiences from the 10 months they have spent in Afghanistan.

“The family of Marines around you keep you motivated and focused on the mission at hand,” Freeman said. “We celebrate in our own way here in Afghanistan.”

Miuccio said it’s hard here during Christmas. He misses his family and friends, but the Marines are here to complete the mission.

“It’s what we do,” said Miuccio.

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Megan Sindelar