Sailors with the Preventive Medicine Unit, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, place traps along a tree line aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., May 8, 2012. Throughout the year, PMU performs many tasks to keep the living conditions on base at a high standard. The unit is now working hard as the summer months approach to catch and test mosquitoes from across the base for malaria. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Franklin E. Mercado

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Franklin Mercado

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2010 an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 655,000 people died from the disease.

Sailors with Preventative Medicine Unit, 2nd Marine Logistics Group are working diligently to ensure diseases, such as malaria, do not threaten Marines and sailors aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Throughout the year, PMU performs many tasks to keep the living conditions on base at a high standard. They inspect chow halls, barracks and working facilities for health hazards.

Complaints about pests are constant with the warm weather and rising number of insects. The heavily wooded and wet areas aboard the base are also conducive to a thriving mosquito population.

On May 8, Sailors with PMU ventured across the base to plant traps and conduct their research of the installation’s mosquito population.

There haven’t been many outbreaks of malaria in the U.S. compared to other stricken places, but it doesn’t stop the unit from doing all they can to keep it that way.

“We don’t have any cases in the area,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Charles A. Hill, a preventive medicine technician with PMU. “We still do regular trapping and testing of mosquitoes from around the base.”

Camp Lejeune has a large quantity of grassy and moist areas, which is why it is important for traps to be spread out across the vast installation, explained Hill.

Sailors with the Preventive Medicine Unit, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, place traps along a tree line aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., May 8, 2012. Throughout the year, PMU performs many tasks to keep the living conditions on base at a high standard. The unit is now working hard as the summer months approach to catch and test mosquitoes from across the base for malaria. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Franklin E. Mercado

“We spread the traps out as far as we can,” he said. “We put them on Midway Park, Onslow Beach, around the Naval Hospital, and a lot more places on the base, so we can get a wide variety of mosquitoes.”

There are many types of mosquitoes – with the most common breeds being Culex and Aedes mosquitoes – and the trapping process gives PMU a chance to test a large number of them. In the peak mosquito season, traps are regularly found with 300 to 400 mosquitoes each, said Hill.

“When we get the traps back, we get a good idea of which mosquitoes are in the area,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Munger, a preventive medicine specialist with PMU. “We can better identify the ones that are harmful to people, and conduct population control.”

The traps are collected 24 hours after they are set out. They set the traps with carbon dioxide and lights, which attract approximately 80 percent more mosquitoes, said Hill.

“We don’t only rely on how many traps we lay out, we rely on the carbon dioxide and lights to help almost double the amount of bugs,” Hill said. “Malaria is a serious disease, so we need to do the best we can to keep it away from the people on base.”

The traps are rarely seen by personnel on base; sailors with the PMU do their best at hiding them in the tree line. If a person happens to run into the mosquito trap, the PMU strongly encourages people to leave them alone.

Staff Sgt. Oliver Salder earned his place as a Marine well before he stepped on the famed yellow foot prints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Paris Island. So when recruit Salder piled off that bus in 2000 amidst terrified peers, this salty, rugby-playing Brit was probably more entertained than scared. Or maybe he was just glad it was only going to take him 13 weeks to graduate this time.

Salder, born in Bath, England, enlisted as a British Royal Marine at 16 – his parents agreed to sign his age waiver because they believed he would fail out of boot camp. Of 50 recruits, Salder was one of 28 to graduate the 8-month cycle, earning his title as a Royal Marine commando.

Salder took a train to Lympstone, Devon, for basic training and spent his first two weeks learning to wear and maintain his uniform, fold his clothes and shave like a Royal Marine. He spent the next 15 weeks learning basic infantry tactics. Salder also learned close quarters battle, how to swim like a Royal Marine and endured three-, four- and five-mile runs wearing about 30 pounds of gear.

“I think [Royal Marine training] was a little more physical than when I went to boot camp in the United States,” he said. “The only time we walked was uphill. Everywhere else we were running.”

U.S. Marine recruits speed walk while hiking with gear. Speed walking instead of running reduces the chance of injuries, teaches them to open their strides and helps reduce noise. When not on hikes, Marine drill instructors are marching recruits everywhere to teach close-order drill, emphasizing discipline and immediate obedience to orders.

After acclimatizing to military lifestyle and establishing some basic infantry skills, Salder and his crew moved on to the advanced portion of their basic training, which included night inserts and movements, larger-scale raids, urban combat training, crew-served weapons training, communications training, and survival and evasion training. Sleep deprivation and intense physical activity were, of course, part of all these exercises.

One of the things Salder remembers most was a three-day survival exercise that pitted him and his classmates against nature. To survive, Salder had to catch wildlife with snares and build shelters for protection. The only time he was given food was at the completion of the exercise.

“We were given a rabbit, a chicken and a fish, and then taught how to skin and use all three of them,” said Salder.

Killing, skinning and preparing live game is definitely outside the box of what happens in boot camp in the United States, explained Salder. Opening a meal ready to eat is the most work a U.S. recruit puts into getting a meal during basic training.

Survival skills for U.S. Marines are often reserved for advanced follow on training, such as Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion training, in the U.S military. Very few Marines get the chance to attend SERE training.

To graduate, every Royal Marine must complete the famed commando test, which is a four-day series of grueling exercises. The test includes a nine-mile speed march in 90 minutes, an endurance test, the Tarzan Assault Course and a 30-mile forced march carrying a full combat load. But the Royal Marine recruits are so well-conditioned by that point that the four-day test, although extremely demanding, is not impossible, explained Salder.

The test is comparable to the Crucible, a 54-hour test U.S. Marines endure at the end of basic training. Recruits face sleep and food deprivation while completing day and night marches, night infiltration exercises, resupply and casualty evacuation scenarios, several team-negotiation exercises and a 12-mile hike at the conclusion of the event.

After graduating Royal Marine training, Salder was sent to northern Scotland where he served in security forces. Later, he retrained as an anti-tank man and moved to Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean heavily populated by the U.S. military, where he served as a military customs officer. It was there Salder met his first wife and turned in his 18-month notice to the British government to leave duty as a Royal Marine. Royal Marines sign an open contract that obligates them to 22 years of service. However, they can submit an 18-month resignation notice after completing four years of service.

After leaving the Royal Marines, Salder and his wife moved to the states to be closer to his wife’s family. Salder found various jobs to support his family, often at restaurants, but hated them; his true passion was serving in the armed forces. With encouragement from his wife, Salder was ready to join the U.S. military.

“Of course there was no other choice than becoming a Marine again,” said Salder.

In April 1999, Salder began an arduous process of applying for permanent residency status. After months of waiting, he was able to start boot camp in January 2000. Salder says his boot camp experience was interesting because “every time something went wrong, it was ‘get on the quarter deck, and you can join them too, Brit’.”

Marine Corps drill instructors are famous for their ferocity and attention to detail. They are also often known by the Marines they train for their creativity and humor.

“There were a few different times that they actually made me take the guidon and run back and forth through the squad bay yelling the British national anthem, but it was all in good fun,” said Salder.

Although he had endured one of the toughest training regimes in the world in commando training, Salder said he encountered some challenges with the training at Parris Island.

“I hadn’t done anything that physical in years,” said Salder. “After I moved to the states I just enjoyed life.”

After graduating boot camp, Salder went to school to learn to serve as aircrew aboard KC-130 cargo aircraft; a surprising job choice for a man with an extensive infantry background. Presented with the choice of being a cook, admin, tank crew or finding a job in the wing, Salder decided to fly.

“My wife didn’t want me to be a grunt and there were only certain jobs open to me because of my status,” said Salder.

Salder quickly saw action after completing training. He deployed to Pakistan in 2002, to Iraq in 2003 and participated in disaster relief efforts during 2004 and 2005.

It was after these deployments that Salder turned in a reenlistment package late and had to lateral move to stay in the Marine Corps. He decided to move to the Osprey community. When asked why he didn’t move to the infantry, Salder just laughed with a wistful look in his eyes.

“My body is old and too broken now,” he said.

But it is easy to see that he misses his days on the ground. He lights up every time he talks about his infantry training and the time he spent serving as an infantryman. However, he also enjoys his time in the air, especially when he gets to spend time with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward)’s U.K. counter parts here.

“They never believe me when I tell them I am British and I always have to pull out my driver license to prove it,” said Salder. “Then they start making the same jokes calling me a traitor.”

Since 3rd MAW partnered with the United Kingdom’s Joint Aviation Group in June, Salder says his roots have been useful for more than just making fast friends.

“I have to translate what the guys in the tower are saying for our pilots sometimes,” he said. “And at the coffee shops the Marines are always asking me ‘what the hell did that guy just say’.”

Salder, although admittedly biased, thinks the partnership is a good fit for both countries and is glad that we are working together to aid the Afghan people.

Salder’s service has spanned continents and more than half of his life time – but he says his trials and tribulations have been worth it. Royal Marine or U.S. Marine, Salder is just happy to serve.

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Ryan Rholes

Cpl. Jesse J. Hurtado, speaking through an Afghan interpreter, buys some produce from the local bazaar near Combat Outpost Castle, March 31. Photo by Sgt. Shawn Coolman

The U.S. dollar is a powerful ally in improving the local Afghan economy and the Marines quality of life.

The 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines manning the COP frequent the bazaar (local market) to buy produce, livestock and commodities that normally wouldn’t be available to them.

The Marines here established a good rapport between themselves and the locals who allowed them to purchase goods at economic prices.

“It’s a good relationship that we have with the Marines here. They buy most of the things we sell here which helps us a lot,” said Nyaamatula, a local bazaar shopkeeper. “When the Marines come in here they have a great relationship between the locals and the shopkeepers,” said Nyaamatula, through an interpreter.

It hasn’t always been that way. When 4th LAR arrived here the bazaars’ shops were not regularly open or had nothing to sell to the Marines.

“When we got here in November, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines told us about the bazaar,” said Cpl. Jesse J. Hurtado, 23, a food service specialist with 4th LAR. “There wasn’t much out there when we got here. Not a lot of the shops were open, but we still could buy a few personal items from the shops.”

Now with more Marines coming from the COP the shops are open to more Afghans and Marines with a wide selection of goods to be bought.

“There’s a lot of variety now. We can go out to the bazaar and buy fresh produce, lambs and chickens which are much more available,” said Hurtado, from Los Angeles.

“It’s gotten a lot better now that the Marines are here, because we can buy things cheaper using money we got from the Marines, and that means we have more variety of things to sell the Marines for cheaper,” said Abdeljamil, another local shopkeeper.

Now that there is abundance of produce at the bazaar, more Marines are buying and cooking their own food and spending money to help the local Afghan economy.

“I think a good 60 percent of the Marines here don’t eat at the chow hall. They buy all their food from the bazaar,” said Hurtado, father of one.

“The Marines buying from the bazaar helps the local economy out a lot,” said Hurtado. “The produce is more in demand now, and the farmers will actually bring in more produce for the Marines which both helps the Marines and themselves by making more money.”

During the holidays, 4th LAR Marines were able to get a large amount of lamb and produce which allowed them to have a big Christmas dinner.

“During Christmas, Marines with Bravo Company, (4th LAR) bought three lambs and some produce from the market, and that’s what we made for Christmas dinner,” recounted Hurtado.

Even with prices going up at the bazaar, as the interpreters say, everything still seems cheap to us, and the Afghans are making more profit so in the end it still helps all of us, said Hurtado.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Shawn Coolman

An Afghan boy hurls the ball toward the opposing team during the student's first-ever game of dodgeball March 31. Photo by Sgt. Brian Tuthill

“You’re out!” Nine Afghan children shouted at Bayhodulla in Pashto March 31 after a soccer ball flew through the air and tagged him on his shoulder.

The 9-year-old student trotted off toward the sand barrier walls lining the basketball court-sized sand lot and waited for the game to end under the shade of canopy until his teammates earned a victory and started the game anew.

The 10 children, many of whom attend school twice a week at the Afghan national army compound adjacent to Forward Operating Base Geronimo, were taught the game of dodgeball by Marines of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during a break in their Pashto numbers lesson.

The Marines here also celebrated an unexpected victory at the school that day, when the first Afghan girl came to class to join in the lesson after the dodgeball game finished.

For Warrant Officer Troy D. Anstine, Headquarters and Service Company’s executive officer, teaching a new game to children from another country was made even more difficult when his Pashto interpreter was called away before he could explain the rules of the game.

“Dodgeball was one of my favorite games growing up and I thought it would be fun and easy for them to pick up on,” said Anstine. “Not having our linguist there was an obvious obstacle. The kids knew how to get in a line from attending school, and we broke them down into two teams. We drew a line in the sand and Jerome and I demonstrated everything and they got it and started playing. They didn’t like the concept of getting hit and being out, and some were frustrated with that and wanted to leave at first.”

Although Jerome Joseph, the tactical safety specialist deployed with1/3, had never played an actual game of dodgeball growing up, that fact did not stop him from joining in to demonstrate and pantomime the rules to the children once he learned them.

“It was a challenge teaching them the game,” said Joseph, who grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and visited the school as a guest instructor. “It was even more challenging for me because growing up I’ve never actually played an organized game of dodgeball. We threw balls at each other, but not with any kind of rules like this. Working with the kids today has been a very unique experience for me.

“I realized how much we take simple things for granted in the U.S.,” said Joseph, a retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant. “Once we were able to explain it, their faces really lit up when they played.”

An Afghan girl stares at Warrant Officer Troy D. Anstine, executive officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, as he explains her coloring assignment at the school near Forward Operating Base Geronimo March 31. She cautiously entered the school compound after the dodgeball game and is the first girl to attend class at the school. Marines said they hope to encourage more girls from the area to attend class in the future. Photo by Sgt. Brian Tuthill

Just before the game had finished, an 8-year-old girl arrived to the school with three other young boys, who quickly joined the group of students while she kept her distance outside the compound.

After the game, the school’s Pashto interpreter returned and students went back to their studies. They recited and wrote Pashto numbers and then took on coloring assignments requiring them to pair the numbers to colors and color in the appropriate areas. The girl slowly and cautiously made her way into the compound and joined the class already in session.

“We were so excited to have our first female student,” said Anstine. “She was scared at first, but I think she had a good time. I hope we will see more girls come to school and start their education.”

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Brian Tuthill

Lance Cpl. Mark Trent, a scout sniper with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, provides security inside a compound in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2010. The Marines took shelter inside the compound after clearing it for insurgents and improvised explosive devices. The 3/6 Marines and soldiers from the Afghan national army have been conducting counter-insurgency operations in Helmand province since January. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

Canada

B-roll of Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan conducting an air assault mission in support of Operation Moshtarak. Scenes include Canadian forces boarding a helicopter, views from inside the helicopter while it is in the air, Canadian forces exiting off the back on the helicopter and Canadian forces being briefed on the mission. Produced by Lance Cpl. A.J. Lugo.

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B-roll of French Soldiers being trained on how to mentor the Afghan National Army at Hohenfels Training Area in Southern Germany. Scenes include the soldiers receiving directives, a French armored vehicle entering the area, the commander calling in air support, various soldiers standing guard, a French soldier in a guard tower on the lookout, role playing as a civilian approaches their checkpoint and a simulated attack on the base.

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B-roll of Estonian and Afghan soldiers preparing for and launching Operation Moshtarak. Scenes include the training and preparation for a helicopter landing and nighttime launch and joint patrols in Nadi Ali, Helmand province, Afghanistan.

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Package made from the B-Roll “Training the Trainers” about Polish soldiers being trained on how to mentor the Afghan Army at a special training area in southern Germany. Produced by David Heathfield.

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The II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), U.S. Force - West color guard stands at parade rest just prior to the beginning of the transfer of authority ceremony in which II MEF yielded command of Al Anbar province to 1st Armored Division, U.S. Division-Center at Camp Ramadi Jan. 23. The ceremony marks the end of nearly six years of Marine command of coalition forces in Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Kayleigh J. Cannon)

The first major indicator of the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq occurred in Ramadi Jan. 23 when II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) transferred authority of Iraq’s largest province to 1st Armored Division.

Before the ceremony, 1st Armored Division’s area of operations, as U.S. Division-Center, encompassed Baghdad and its surrounded communities. The historic transfer of authority ceremony, held at Camp Ramadi, extends the division’s reach throughout Al Anbar Province; a vast western landscape spanning more than 53,000 square miles.

The ceremony also marks the closure of a nearly six-year U.S. Marines Corps command presence in Iraq and comes at a pivotal time when U.S. forces are transferring from combat operations to stability operations.

Since its activation as II MEF (Forward) on July 2, 2008, the Marine division worked with the people of Al Anbar and tribal sheiks to help secure peace and stability for the province and all of Iraq. The efforts of II MEF (Forward) built upon the developments made during two previous Marine Expeditionary Force rotations.

“This is a pivotal moment in the history of Iraq,” said Maj. Gen. R.T. Tryon, II MEF (Forward), commanding general of U.S. Force-West.

Marines have been at the heart of almost every major Iraq campaign period since February 2004, from the early battles in an-Najaf and Fallujah, along the western Euphrates River Valley which extends from Al Qa’im to Rawah; and continuing with the pivotal Awakening Movement which many historians and diplomatic experts credit as the turning of the tide against al Qaeda in Iraq.

“Since early 2004, the U.S. Marines serving in Al Anbar have consistently exemplified their motto, Semper Fi – Always Faithful,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, deputy commanding general for operations and I Corps commanding general, U.S. Forces-Iraq. “They have been especially faithful to the people of Al Anbar; the focal point of their mission in Iraq. Anbaris are resilient people who have sacrificed dearly but now emerge as stronger people.”

As the Marines say their goodbyes to the citizens and tribal leaders of Al Anbar, Iraqi soldiers and police officers in the region will begin working closely with 1st Armored Division, under the continued leadership of 1st Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade) who have been operating there for about six months. Army leaders with 1st Armd. Div., said they are eager to build on II MEF’s reputation; Tryon expressed confidence in their ability to do so.

“Today’s ceremony is certainly an example of continued positive change as we transition and consolidate U.S. forces under the flag of USD-C,” said Tryon. “Over the last several years, we have seen a logical and a desired progression in Anbar, moving from combat operations to counter insurgency operations, and now to stability operations.”

Tryon praised the efforts of the Iraqis and tribal sheiks in Al Anbar for their courage in standing against tyranny and violence in their streets.

“These things have not been accomplished over the course of the past several years because of what U.S. forces have done alone,” said Tryon. “Rather, these achievements are a result of what we have done together in partnership with one another and with the leadership of the Iraqi civil sector.

“We see over and again that we are at our best when we partner together to achieve our mutual objectives and goals working side-by-side, hand-in-hand,” he said,” “learning from one another in accomplishing our mutual mission.”

The casing of the II MEF colors signified completion of the Marine Corps mission in Iraq. As the Marine color guard marched their colors off the stage, the Army color guard replaced them. Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, 1st Armored Division, U.S. Division-Center commanding general, said the accomplishments of the Marines in the region will not be in vain.

“For many of us who have served with you on multiple tours across Iraq, we’ll never forget your sacrifices and all that you have given on our behalf,” Woolf said.

He emphasized that his division will match Al Anbar’s changing environment by assisting the region’s tribal sheiks and Iraqi security forces to ensure all Iraqis in the region enjoy the security and peace they deserve.

“Today is one of those transition points in the evolution of military operations as the 1st AD and USD-C takes over responsibility for partnering with Iraqi security forces and the provincial government of Al Anbar,” said Wolff. “As we move forward, we understand the importance of this year in Iraq, and the USD-C team has dedicated ourselves to that mission and the tasks ahead.”

DVIDS
By Spc. Kayleigh Cannon

Sailors deliver an injured American citizen to USS Carl Vinson's (CVN 70) Health Services department for medical care. USS Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing 17 are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations in Haiti in response to the recent earthquake disaster. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adrian White)

Vinson Helicopters Perform Medical Evacuations

U.S. Navy helicopters operating from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) rescued two American citizens in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 15.

An SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter, from the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 responded to a MEDEVAC call from the Air Force 23rd Special Tactics Squadron. An Air Force pararescueman (PR) on the scene had just freed a man from the rubble of the Hotel Montana, but his legs below the knee were lost. The helicopter’s aircrew airlifted the man to USS Carl Vinson for emergency medical care. Vinson doctors treated his injuries. The man is in stable condition in the ship’s medical ward.

Carl Vinson responded to a second distress call a couple of hours later, sending an MH-60 Knighthawk from the “Chargers” of HSC-26 to evacuate an American woman. The woman, a 55-year old Christian missionary, said a wall collapsed on top of her when the earthquake struck. She is also in stable condition, undergoing further evaluation by Navy doctors aboard the carrier.

“It looks as though our aircrews may have saved lives,” said Rear. Adm. Ted Branch, Commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and Task Force 41, the U.S. Navy’s sea-based humanitarian support mission of Haiti.

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will bring a multi-mission capability to Haiti to provide disaster relief and, if necessary, security assistance, a spokesman for the unit said during a telephone news conference Jan. 15 from Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Marines expect to provide direct support for the ongoing relief efforts there, although they haven’t been given a specific mission yet. But they’re well prepared for any number of challenges, said Marine Corps Capt. Clark Carpenter.

“We foresee this mission as however our assets can best be applied to the situation,” said Carpenter. “We will be able to support any number of things that will be asked of us. I think the key is to get down there and figure out how our assets are going to best support the mission.”

B-roll of 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit amphibious assault vehicles being driven across Onslow Beach aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The AAVs have embarked aboard the USS Gunston Hall to go to Haiti for disaster relief. Produced by Staff Sgt. Jayson Price. Haiti relief

Carpenter said the 22nd MEU is well suited for this type of operation because of its amphibious capability – supplies, aid, equipment and manpower can be moved by sea and air. And while the infrastructure in Haiti already is under stress, the Marines can base their operations from the sea, getting their food, water and shelter from ships rather than tapping into the limited supplies ashore, he added.

“We don’t know if we’re going to sea-base or not, [but it] reduces the strain on an already strained infrastructure,” he explained. “We have a great flexibility from those ships. We can sea-base, push people to shore and run operations.”

The force is deploying aboard three Navy ships – USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) and USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) – with CH-35 Chinook and UH-1 Huey helicopters. They’re leaving their tanks and artillery equipment at home for this deployment, but will bring additional trucks and earth-moving equipment, the captain said.

Also, the 22nd MEU will deploy with additional French- and Creole-speaking interpreters, public affairs specialists and possibly more medical personnel and engineers from other Marine units. Carpenter praised the support the 22nd MEU has been given from fellow Marine units at Camp Lejeune and throughout the Marine Corps.

Long before the sun crested the horizon over the Atlantic Ocean, Marines from the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, were plowing through the surf toward waiting amphibious assault ships to join the Marine contingent heading to Haiti, Jan. 16.

An assault amphibian vehicle splashes through the surf of Onslow Beach on Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 16. A platoon of AAVs left Camp Lejeune in the pre-dawn hours to join the 22nd Marine Expeditionary embarked aboard the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as it prepares to deploy to the Caribbean island nation of Haiti to provide sea-based disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in the wake of an earthquake that devestated the country on Jan. 12. Photo by Master Sgt. Keith Milks

The platoon of vehicles crossed Onslow Beach in pairs to embark aboard the USS Gunston Hall, a recent addition to the amphibious ready group carrying the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to Haiti. In addition to the Gunston Hall, the USS Bataan, Carter Hall and Fort McHenry spent two days embarking the personnel, vehicles and equipment of the 22nd MEU at the port in Morehead City, N.C.

The amphibious assault ships and the embarked MEU were ordered to deploy to Haiti to support ongoing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance efforts in Haiti, which was ravaged by a massive earthquake, Jan. 12. The AAVs give the MEU commander the option of delivering supplies and personnel ashore from offshore shipping, and enhances the unit’s ability to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people.

The 22nd MEU consists of its Command Element; Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment; Combat Logistics Battalion 22; and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (Reinforced).

The embarkation of the AAVs is among the final steps before the ships and embarked MEU can set sail for Haiti for a humanitarian mission expected to last at least 30 days.

B-roll of U.S. citizens boarding a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to return to the United States. Scenes include passengers walking to the aircraft and boarding. Produced by Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Mariana O’Leary, Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs – Miami. Haiti relief

B-roll of a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft crew transporting U.S. citizens from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Scenes include passengers walking through the cargo bay of the aircraft after boarding. Produced by Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Mariana O’Leary, Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs – Miami. Haiti relief

Maj. Danny Strelkauskas, currently the commanding officer of Force Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, pins the Navy Cross on Gunnery Sgt. John S. Mosser, during a ceremony at Recon Point in Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 18. Mosser was awarded the Navy Cross by Strelkauskas, who was Mosser's team leader at the time, for actions in Afghanistan on June 2008. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Cordero)

Gunnery Sgt. John S. Mosser, a native of Dripping Springs, TX, was awarded the Navy Cross, the nation’s second-highest award given for valor in combat, in a ceremony here Dec. 18. Maj. Danny Strelkauskas presented the award to Mosser on behalf of the President of the United States.

According the citation, Mosser, currently assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, received the award for “extraordinary heroism while serving as Team Sergeant for Marine Special Operations Company H, 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Special Operations Command, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on June 26, 2008.”

Then-SSgt. Mosser’s patrol came under heavy fire while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol under the cover of darkness to apprehend a high value target and an enemy security element. The terrain was restrictive and mountainous with large boulders and rugged terrain along the route.

The team came upon a white sport utility vehicle off to the side of the road and a red pick up truck blocking the path. Mosser’s team dismounted from their ground mobility vehicles, and immediately came under heavy machine gun fire from elevated positions cutting off forward and rear movement.

Mosser began to fire back at the enemy targets while directing his team to cover and safety. The team returned fire with machine guns, however, could not identify the enemy’s position. Mosser left his cover and ran back into the kill zone to direct the machine-gunners back on enemy positions then back to cover.

Two Marines soon were injured with gun shots through the legs and fell back into the kill zone. Mosser and another Marine, under heavy enemy sniper fire, ran back into the kill zone returning fire on the enemy positions and provided first aid to the Marines before dragging them to safety.

Mosser then left cover again to distract the enemy’s fire on the remaining team members that were pinned downed behind their vehicles. One team member was shot in the chest and Mosser remained in the line of fire until the individuals behind their vehicles could move the wounded to a better position of cover and continue medical attention.

After an hour of returning fire and maneuvering to better firing positions, close attack support from friendly aircraft began to drop ordnance on the enemy’s position. Seeing the rounds not on target, Mosser left cover again and positioned himself in the kill zone to gain accurate map coordinates for on-target airstrikes.

Two more Marines were soon wounded and Mosser again exposed himself to enemy machine gun and sniper fire for a fifth time to provide covering fire for the movement of the casualties.

Mosser then ordered the extraction of the remaining team members trapped in the ambush to safety while coordinating the movement of vehicles. An estimated 40 enemy combatants were killed in action.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP S.D. BUTLER, OKINAWA, Japan

“I had been in firefights before but not like that,” Mosser said Friday. “It was unique. The enemy was well entrenched and firing at us from a high angle above. We were just reacting. There wasn’t much thinking — just return fire and take cover.” [snip]

“I wasn’t the only one doing things that day,” Mosser said. “The other Marines and sailors that were with me are some of the bravest people I have had the honor of serving with.”

Strelkauskas said the gunny was humble.

“There should have been a lot more of us that died that day,” Strelkauskas said, “but because of his heroic actions, we made it out of there.”

Stars & Stripes

See also: Major Daniel Strelkauskas – Silver Star

Students stretch their bodies with the instructor during warm-up as part of a yoga class at 21 Area Fitness Center, Sept. 1. Yoga is one of many classes offered to service members and their family members by Semper Fit, Marine Corps Community Services. A schedule of these classes can be found at any fitness center and on Marine Corps Community Services Camp Pendleton website. Photo by Pfc. Khoa Pelczar

To spice up a Marine’s physical training routine, classes are available at many of the fitness centers on base. Marines can take everything from aqua aerobics to Gut Cut and Step Drills – and even yoga.

Semper Fit Health Promotion, an organization sponsored by Marine Corps Community Services, is in charge of providing service members alternative ways to train their bodies. One of which is the yoga class, a popular form of exercise for many Marines, sailors and family members.

“The class consists of various exercises which primarily focus on strength, flexibility and mindfulness,” said Sunrise Rickard, a yoga instructor of Semper Fit, MCCS, from San Diego.

The exercises help physically strengthen and mentally relax the students, she explained.

“The class is about as good as it can get,” said Patty Richenberger, a wife of a service member and a student of the class. “Some of these exercises enhance your readiness and your overall well being.”

If the exercises are performed correctly, they could prevent future injuries as the body is more flexible and the muscles are relaxed, said Richenberger, from Mountain Pleasant, Iowa.

“We usually fill up the whole room each class,” said Richenberger.

According to Rickard, the morning and afternoon classes attract more service members because that’s usually the time they’re out doing PT. The evening classes tend to have more family member participation.

“It’s a good way to cross train,” said Barbie Buran, the Semper Fit Group Exercise coordinator, MCCS. “It’s a nice break from doing the normal PT.”

Since it doesn’t involve cardiovascular exercises, and is no-impact, it helps the students learn to quiet their minds and bodies and bring in the inner peace, Buran added.

“When the class first started, there used to be a fee to join,” said Buran, from Oceanside, Calif. “But due to the demand and the benefit of the class, the fee was taken off shortly after.”

But yoga isn’t the only class that is offered by Semper Fit at the base fitness centers. There are also aqua aerobics, kickboxing, strength training, Survival Cycle, Boot Camp, Gut Cut, Forever Fit and Zumba classes available weekly.

Fitness centers also conduct unit PT once a month for any unit that desires to do so. This involves a variety of exercises that are also offered individually.

“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the Marines, sailors and family members,” said Buran. “We’re a non-profit organization and our services are here for them.”

For those who can’t decide on what to do for PT next time around, check out the classes that are available to all Marines, sailors and family members at their local fitness center.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Khoa Pelczar