AT WAR WITH A NEW GENERATION OF HEROES • INCLUDES PULLOUT POSTER

PORTRAITS OFPATRIOTISM

PORTRAITS OFPATRIOTISMHH

SUROBI, Afghanistan – Marines from I Co., 3rd Bn., 6th Marines,conduct a security patrol here May 23, 2004.The Surobi District is about 28 miles east of Kabul.The battalion is in the region to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

Photo by Lance Corporal Justin M. Mason

OnPointAR RAMADI, Iraq – Cpl. Michael P. Calhoun patrols a parking lotoutside of a bank here with other Marines of the headquarters ele-ment June 28, 2004.The Marines provided security for the regiment'sCivil Affairs Group in anticipation of an attack while picking up moneyto pay Iraqi Security Forces for the month of June. Calhoun is a native of Canon City, Colo., with Regimental Combat Team 7.Photo by Cpl. Macario P. Mora Jr.

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CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq –Lance Cpl. Joshua G. Zervakos, a truck driverwith Combat Service Support Company 117,

keeps an eye on the perimeter while stoppedduring a convoy May 13, 2004. With the risk

of enemy attack present, members of the convoy must stay alert.The company, which

is part of Combat Service Support Battalion 7,1st Force Service Support Group, runs regular

convoys to camps throughout western Iraq.Zervakos, 19, is from Selbyville, Del.

Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright

ForwardDeployed

4 |Back in IraqIn Operation Iraqi Freedom II,Marines perform security and stabili-ty operations to help the Iraqi people reclaim their country.

16 | Other Hot SpotsIraq dominates the headlines,but is not the only place Marines have landed in the past year.In Afghanistan and other countries,Marines continue the mission of Operation Enduring Freedom and help preserve democracy.

22 | Exercises Aroundthe World

From right next door in Canada to distant places like Bangledash,Marines train to improve their skills and increase their abilities to work with the armed forces of other nations.

30 | Unit BreakdownMarines are organized into Marine Air Ground Task Forces comprised of ground, aviation, combat service support and command elements.MAGTFs are tailored for specific missions and can be restructured as situations change.

T h e C o r p s ’ O f f i c i a l M a g a z i n e

S p e c i a l I s s u e • S u m m e r 2 0 0 4w w w . u s m c . m i l / m a r i n e s m a g a z i n e

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee

Sgt. Maj. of the Marine CorpsSgt. Maj. John L. Estrada

M A R I N E C O R P S N E W S

Editor-in-Chief Lt. Col. Greg Reeder

Managing Editor Gunnery Sgt. Glenn Holloway

Associate Editor Staff Sgt. Cindy Fisher

Associate Editor Staff Sgt. David L. Crockett

P U B L I C A T I O N D E S I G N

Bates Creative Group, LLC

Marines (USPS 013-867) is published seven timesannually (quarterly, plus three special editions) bythe Division of Public Affairs, Marine Corps News Branch, HQMC, U.S. Marine Corps (PA)3000 Marine Corps Pentagon, Washington D.C.20350-3000. Periodicals-class postage paid atWashington, D.C., and additional mailing stations.The Secretary of the Navy has determined that thispublication is necessary in the transaction of busi-ness, required by law, of the Department of theNavy. Funds for printing this publication have beenapproved by the Navy Publications and PrintingPolicy Committee. All photos not credited are official USMC photos.

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In Town | 48Marines make their mark at home

as well as abroad. At ball games andcommunity events, through individual

volunteering and unit efforts,Marines maintain a tradition of

involvement in local communities.

52 | Fallen Brothers-In-ArmsFrom Jan. 9, 2002 to Sept. 20, 2004,267 Marines made the ultimate sacrificein Operations Enduring Freedom and IraqiFreedom I and II. Marines honors thesefallen brothers-in-arms.

Base Life | 34While Marine units are deployed

abroad, life continues at the bases,camps and stations Marines and

their families call home.

42 | Home TrainingIt’s the continuous training at home that prepares Marines for thesituations they face when deployed.

“There’s no one who doesn’t get a little nervous and scared when out there clearing a minefield. But if you take your time

and do it right, then you’ll be OK.”— Lance Cpl. Jason J. Gibbs,

Combat Engineer,Combat Service Support Bn. 7,

1st Force Service Support Group,Sept. 4, 2004Gouge

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SoundOffThe Mission Continues –At Home and Abroad

AN NAJAF, FALLUJAH, AL ASAD, AD DIWANIYAH, ABU GHRAIB,An Nasiriyah, Kandahar, Khas Uruzgan, Bagram, Kabul-mostMarines had never heard of these cities and towns in Iraq and

Afghanistan before Sept. 11, 2001. But now thousands of Marines are intimately familiar with these places. They have patrolled the dusty,sand-swept streets in the towns of Iraq and searched through the rocky caverns around the villages of Afghanistan. They have shed blood and lost brothers-in-arms in these once unknown places.

Though major combat operations ended more than a year ago,Marines are still engaged in battle in Iraq. They made headlines in An Najaf and Fallujah. Marines skirmish with insurgents throughout the Al Anbar province. They wage quiet battles in forgotten corners such as Qaim and Ar Ramadi.

The goal of Operation Iraqi Freedom II is the security and stabilizationof Iraq. But it has been a costly goal for the Marine Corps-more Marineshave died in this operation than in the first OIF.

The goal does remain clear, to help this war-torn country rebuild andbecome self-governing. Marines continue to offer humanitarian aid,

rebuild schools and train the Iraqi peopleto defend themselves. Despite continuedinsurgent resistance, Marines are workingwith the newly formed Iraqi government

to determine the best courses of action in Iraq.The Marine presence is also felt in Afghanistan. The 22nd Marine

Expeditionary Unit conducted numerous operations in south-centralAfghanistan aimed at disrupting Taliban and anti-coalition faction activityin the region. The North Carolina-based 6th Marine Regiment continuesto root out the Taliban threat in this country.

And Marines have been in other countries defending democracy.When trouble arose in hot spots such as Liberia and Haiti, Marinesanswered the call and journeyed to Monrovia and Port Au Prince.In Lungi, Lemonier, Arta and Djibouti City, Marines work as part of Task Force–Horn of Africa.

In exercises around the world, Marines continue to hone their skills so that we remain most ready when the nation is least ready. From thejungles of Cobra Gold in Thailand to the snowy climate of Clean Hunter

in Denmark, Marines train in every clime and place.As Marines deploy around the globe, life must go on for those left

behind in garrison. Those at stateside bases and air stations and those inJapan train at home in preparation for deployment and support of those

already deployed. Kids go to school and spouses care for the homefront. Marines and family members mourn those lost in combat andrejoice when units return home.

This “Portraits of Patriotism” issue of Marines focuses on Marine Corps operations during the last year and the new generation of heroes–at home and abroad–who helped make those operations successful.

Semper Fi,Marines

MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – An M-1A1 Abramstank crew settles in for the evening during a patrolJune 27, 2004.The crew, with B Co., 1st Tank Bn.,1st Marine Division, is attached to 2nd Bn., 2ndMarines, to provide security on a supply route.The tanks have been keeping the supply routesnear Camp Mahmudiyah open allowing supplies to make their way into major cities like Baghdadand Fallujah.The tanks are key tools to the successof that mission because of their presence, their firepower and the punishment they can take.Photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

From the Editor

On the CoverFALLUJAH, Iraq — Pfc. James Cardenas

provides security over a berm hereApril 12, 2004. Marines assaulted the city April

6 to oust terrorists hold up inside. Cardenas’twin brother Pfc. Aaron Cardenas is also

serving in Fallujah. Both, 20-year-olds fromMonterrey Park, Calif., are infantrymen

assigned to A. Co., 1st Bn., 5th Marines,1st Marine Division. James is an assistant

machine gunner with 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, and Aaron has the same duty for 2nd Squad.

Photo by Cpl. Matthew J. Apprendi

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May 1, 2003President Bush, aboard the aircraft carrierUSS Abraham Lincoln, proclaims major combatoperations over in Iraq. The search for massweapons in Iraq begins.

May 2, 2003 Basra International Airport in Iraq hosts its firstcivilian flight since the war in Iraq began.

May 1, 2003 The Navy leaves its bases on Vieques, Puerto Rico, where it has trained for the past 60 years.

5May 6, 2003 President Bush appoints former U.S. State Departmentofficial Paul Bremer as chief administrator in Iraq.

May 6, 2003 The 10 postal Marines at Camp Edson in Ad Diwaniyahhave delivered more than 145 20-foot containers full ofmail in the last three weeks to the nearly 25,000 Marinesof the 1st Marine Division and 1st Force Service SupportGroup in Iraq.

May 4, 2003 Marines from Truck Co., Headquarters Bn.,4th Marine Division, arrive in Kuwait to join others from their unit to help withrebuilding operations in Iraq.

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq –Sgt. Phillip G. Zacher, 31, from Fenton,

Mo., designed and welded the turretshield of this humvee. Zacher, a vehicle

maintenance chief for 3rd Bn.,24th Marines, drew on his welding

experience to create shields that protectMarines manning vehicle-mountedmachine guns from enemy fire and

explosives. His impressed commandersasked him to perform the seven-hour

procedure on 20 other humvees.The Marine Corps is currently fieldingofficially tested versions of the turret

shield to outfit its vehicles in Iraq.Photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere

Marine Profile: Sgt. Phillip G. Zacher

CAMP MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – Thanks to a detachment ofrolling steel from B Co., 1st Tank Bn., from Camp Lejeune, N.C.,the roads near Mahmudiyah are safer for 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines.

The 70-ton M-1A1 Abrams tanks and their crews were attached tothe regiment to protect roads and bridges and secure supply lines.

This allows supplies to make their way into major cities likeBaghdad and Fallujah.The tanks’ firepower and ability to

withstand punishment make them key to the mission’s success.Photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

P RESIDENT BUSH DECLARED ANend to major combat opera-tions May 1, 2003, but by

no means was the Corps’ job done.The 70,000 Marines deployed to the region now had to help rebuildthis oppressed country with theeventual goal of returning its gover-nance to its people.

Now came the overwhelming taskof cleaning up the debris of war.Marines began deactivating thethousands of tons of mines, rocketsand ammunition that littered thelandscape of southern Iraq. Theyhelped restore the power and water.They rebuilt schools and police sta-

tions. Marines patrolled streets,rounding up suspected Ba’ath Partymembers and illegal munitions. Theyprovided humanitarian aid, passingout water and other needed items.They helped provide needed medicaland dental care.

In June 2003, Marine units beganretrograding back to camps inKuwait in preparation to return tothe United States. Throughout thesummer, Marines turned over theirareas of responsibility to variousCoalition Forces and the U.S. Army.The last Marine battalion in south-ern Iraq, 1st Bn., 7th Marines, trans-ferred authority to the Plus Ultra

Spanish Brigade in An Najaf Sept. 23, 2003, and prepared to head home.

Even then, the job was not done.All the equipment, vehicles and gear used during Operation IraqiFreedom had to be inspected andrepaired. The gear offloaded fromMaritime Pre-positioning Forceships in Kuwait for use in Iraq had to be refurbished and reloadedonto MPF ships.

Less than a month after theCorps’ departure, Marines wereagain told to prepare to return toIraq. Hundreds of Marines receivedArabic language training. Marineslearned more about the Arabic cul-ture and the Islamic religion inpreparation for their new roles insecurity and stability operations.

By January 2004, Marines wereheading back to the sands and heatof Operation Iraqi Freedom II andin March, Marines accepted respon-sibility for Al Anbar Province fromthe Army. But this new mission has not been easy. In Fallujah andNajaf Marines are engaged in theheaviest and most deadly fightingthey have seen since the beginningof Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Despite fighting with insurgents,the approximately 30,000 Marines in country are back to work with the mission of security and stability.They are training Iraqis as police officers and helping to rebuild theIraqi National Guard. They areclearing pockets of insurgent resist-ance. They are handing out schoolsupplies, water, food, clothing andperforming myriad other tasks asso-ciated with rebuilding the countryand its government.

They are getting the job done.

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May 8, 2003Kut Cemetery, believed to be the final resting placefor soldiers who fought in World War I, is restoredand rededicated by Marines from Service Plt., 2ndMarine Expeditionary Brigade Headquarters Group,in Al Kut, Iraq.

May 9, 2003 The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, in Kuwaitsince Feb. 10, 2003, is the first Marine band toplay in the newly liberated Iraq with an hour-longconcert for troops on Saddam Hussein’s formerpalace grounds in An Hillah.

May 13, 2003 1st Force Service Support Group heads a constructionproject to repair looter-damaged Al Qadisiyah Universityin Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

KARBALA, Iraq – Sgt. Maj. Richard Lamelin, 41, from Desert Hot Springs,Calif., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines sergeant major, and Lt. Col. Matthew A. Lopez, 39,

from Naperville, Ill., battalion commanding officer, lead Marines,sailors, and soldiers on a two-mile motivational run July 4, 2003. Iraqis

lined the streets, cheered and even joined in as the service members ran through the city to kick off their Independence Day celebrations.

Photo by Lance Cpl Nathan Alan Heusdens

BackinIraq By Staff Sgt. Cindy FisherHEADQUARTERS MARINE

CORPS, Washington

7May 14, 2003 Seventeen Iraqis and two Jordanians file a suit in aBelgian court charging Gen. Tommy Franks, the com-mander of U.S. troops in Iraq, with war crimes.

May 16, 2003Conan O’Brien visits the Marines of 1st Force ServiceSupport Group at Camp Matilda, Kuwait.

May 15, 2003 Iraq’s southern port of Umm Qasr, which the Britishhands over to a temporary 12-member Iraqi council,becomes the first city to be governed by Iraqis sincethe war ended.

PAK THONG CHAI,Thailand – Lance Cpl. Abdul Salaam Muhammad, L Co.,3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, takes a break from the 240G machine

gun live-fire training at the Combined Arms Range here. Muhammad is deployed insupport of Cobra Gold 2004. More than 13,500 U.S. service members participated in

the exercise alongside 5,000 members of the Royal Thai Army, Navy, Marine Corpsand Air Force.This is the first time that Mongolia and the Philippines have participatedin a Cobra Gold exercise. Cobra Gold 2004 is a combined-joint exercise designed to

improve the combat readiness and interoperability of U.S.,Thai, Singaporean,Mongolian and Philippine militaries.The exercise also enhances security relationships

and demonstrates U.S. resolve to support the security and humanitarianinterests of friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. James E. Lotz

KHALDIYA, Iraq – Military police fromMarine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine WingSupport Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, take

cover as explosive ordnance disposal techniciansdetonate an improvised explosive device here

May 29, 2004.The Marines worked with Iraqi policeto safely detonate the device without causing

harm to personnel, equipment or civilians.Photo by Cpl. Chance W. Haworth

Marine Profile: Lance Cpl. Abdul Salaam Muhammad

May 19, 2003 The Marines of 1st Force Service Support Group Explosive OrdnanceDisposal Platoon, a 30-person unit, begin the overwhelming job ofdeactivating the thousands of tons of mines, rockets, and ammunitionthat are part of the battle debris inundating every neighborhood andcommunity in southern Iraq.

May 27, 2003 In Toronto, 12 days after the World Health Organization removed the city from the list of areaswith a danger of infection, new cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome are reported.

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CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Sailors poised on the outskirts of the restive town of Fallujah are providing “good medicine in

a bad place” during Operation Vigilant Resolve, April 5, 2004.After caring for eight wounded Marines, the doctors, nurses

and corpsmen of Bravo Surgical Co., 1st Medical Bn., 1st ForceService Support Group, were interrupted in the middle of a debrief

with news that more wounded were arriving. Despite the persistent distraction of indirect fire, the surgical company

remained at their task tending wounded Marines.Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Claudia LaMantia

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq — Petty Officer 3rd ClassStanley M. Duing, a corpsman with 3rd Bn., 24th Marines, fromCadet, Mo., checks an Iraqi child’s sore throat during a visit to a

village west of Fallujah, April 22, 2004. Members of the battalionvisited the village to provide children shoes and school supplies,as well as basic medical check-ups. Friends and family members

of the battalion’s Marines and sailors donated the shoes and school supplies.The battalion provides security for 1st Force

Service Support Group at Camp Taqaddum, and has conducted several visits to surrounding communities in hopes of building

a positive rapport with the local population.Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright

BackinIraq

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June 5, 2003 1st Force Service Support Group Marines at CampBobo, Kuwait, begin retrograding all gear andaccounting for all equipment used to support thewar effort and I Marine Expeditionary Force’smovement toward Baghdad, Iraq.

June 3, 2003 Marines and other U.S. troops share a night oflaughter at a stand-up comedy show in Kuwait,courtesy of the United Service Organizationsand Marine Aircraft Group 39.

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq – Pfc. Quinton D. Graves, a 19-year-old from Salt Lake City, assignedto G Co., 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, is the first in the 1st Marine Division to be awarded the Purple Hearttwice during this deployment to Iraq. Graves waswounded first on March 13, 2004, after being struckby an improvised explosive device and was woundedagain April 7, 2004, by shrapnel from a grenade. In all,554 Purple Hearts have been awarded throughout the1st Marine Division, with six Marines earning theaward twice.Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva

June 7, 2003 Marines and Sailors help rehabilitate the NebuchadnezzarMuseum located near the ruins of Babylon in Iraq.

KARBALA, Iraq – Marines, sailors,soldiers and Karbala firefighters battle a fire

along the crude oil pipeline west of here fromlate afternoon into the night Aug. 1, 2003.Terrorists started the fire by shooting two rocket-propelled grenades at the pipeline.

After five hours working around and within theinferno, the fire was mostly contained.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Nathan Alan Heusden

Marine Profile: Pfc. Quinton D. Graves

CAMP TAQQADAM, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Joshua Potter, a UH-1N Huey crew chief with Marine Light AttackHelicopter Squadron 775, Marine Aircraft Group 16, and a

native of Placerville, Calif., reads a book inside his Hueybetween missions here April 28, 2004.The activated reservesquadron has been conducting security escort and close air

support missions since arriving in Iraq earlier this year.Photo by Cpl. Matthew J. Apprendi

June 8, 2003 An Iraqi student rings a new bell, presented by 1stMarine Division to mark the completion of three newlyrenovated public school buildings. Army, Marine andNavy forces renovated the three schools, which serve1,200 school children in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

June 10, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Spirit blasts off fromCape Canaveral, Fla. It should reach Mars in2004 and will explore the planet’s surface.

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FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan –Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Dessel, a hospital corpsmanassigned to Bn. Landing Team, 1st Bn., 6th Marines, shows where a Taliban bullet grazed his helmet while he was treating a wounded Marine June 8, 2004. Deployed to Afghanistan with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special OperationsCapable), the Pennsylvania native was with BLT 1/6’s Combined Anti-Armor Team during several fierce firefights.Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

June 9, 2003 Marines from Weapons Co., 2nd Bn., 25th Marines, work torebuild three schools for children in An Nasiriyah, Iraq.

BackinIraq

Marine Profile: Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Dessel

CAMP HURRICANE POINT, Iraq –Sgt. Michael M. Williams, a squad leader with 3rdMobile Assault Plt., Mobile Assault Co., 2nd Bn.,4th Marines, listens to words about his friend Sgt.Kenneth K. Conde Jr., at a memorial service July 7,2004. Conde, a 23-year-old from Orlando, Fla., waskilled after an improvised explosive device attackduring a patrol through the heart of Ar Ramadi.Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

AL KABANE, Iraq – Maj. Rollin F. Jackson, commandingofficer of Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 24th Marines, delivers shoes to children here April 22, 2004, during a civil militaryoperation. More than 3,000 reserve Marines support I MarineExpeditionary Force's mission of conducting security and stabilization operations.The largest unit representing thereserves, 3rd Bn., 24th Marines, from Bridgeton, Mo.,spearheaded force protection at four bases for I MEF;Camp Fallujah, Al Asad,Taqaddam and Abu Ghraib prison.Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright

June 17, 2003 Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee addresses Marines, sailorsand soldiers assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Babylon, Iraq.

June 21, 2003 1st Bn., 4th Marines and Army civil affairs officialscoordinate a job fair that draws thousands of residentsto an Al Hillah, Iraq, soccer field in search of work.

June 21, 2003 Marines of F Co., 2nd Bn., 25th Marines, lead a raid onSaraj Market, a suspected arms market in AnNasiriyah, Iraq, netting one unregistered AK-47 rifle andhundreds of rounds of illegal munitions.

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FALLUJAH, Iraq – Capt. Doug Zembiec,the commanding officer of E Co., 2nd Bn., 1st Marines,

1st Marine Division, gives orders to his men over a radioprior to leaving their compound for a short patrol here April 8, 2004.The company entered the city April 6, to begin the effort of destroying enemy holds in the city.

Photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen

June 22, 2003 The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade returns toCamp Lejuene, N.C., after a six-month deployment toIraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SANDIEGO – Staff Sgt. John B. Noel, a drill instructorwith Plt. 2079, H Co., credits his ability to take onand overcome challenges to his success in life andon the drill field. Noel’s mother died when he wasfive and he went to live with his godparents on theCaribbean Island of St. Lucia. It was an experiencethat taught him nothing should be taken for granted and there are no second chances in life,said Noel.The driving force behind Noel’s passion

of transforming young men into Marines is his desire to be a positive influence in thelives of others. “It’s the best job to have, if you want to influence people to change for the better,” he said. Photo by Cpl. Shawn M. Toussaint

FALLUJAH, Iraq – Heat has been a critical issue for the military working dogs deployed with Marines to Iraq.

Dogs have sweat glands only in the pads of their feet and rid themselves of heat by panting. Overheating can happen

quickly if their human partners are not vigilant. At an outpostnear here, Cpl. Donald R. Paldino, a military policeman

assigned to 2nd Bn., 1st Marines, keeps a close eye on hispartner, Santo, a 4-year-old Czechoslovakian Shepherd,

to ensure he doesn’t fall victim to the extreme heat.The dog handler uses ice vests and soaks his dog’s belly,

legs and head with cool water to help keep its body temperature down.

Photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen

HADITHAH DAM, Iraq – Afterspending several hours in the cold waters of the Euphrates River, Marinesfrom Small Craft Co., assigned to 1stMarine Division, take a Zodiac boat out of the water May 20, 2004.The Marines are sharpening their riverine skills and conducting water-borne raids, a tactic not widely used since Vietnam.The com-pany, comprised of infantrymen, normallyspecializes in boat operations. However,during the fighting in Fallujah theyassumed a more traditional role as a rifle company. Now, with much of fighting settled, the Marines are getting their feet wet again.Photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

June 28, 2003 Polish Multi-National Division, made up of 17 countries, prepares to take over five of the sevengovernances currently under control of the I Marine Expeditionary Force by September.

BackinIraq

Marine Profile: Staff Sgt. John B. Noel

June 27, 2003 South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, who was elected to the senateeight times and was the longest serving senator, dies at the age of 100.

June 28, 2003 Navy, Marine, and Army engineers complete a new floating steel bridge inZubaydiyah, Iraq—the biggest project of its kind in the country to date.

July 7, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity launches fromCape Canaveral, Fla. It should reach Mars in 2004 andwill explore the planet’s surface.

July 7, 2003 Reporters and TV crews from ABC, Associated Press,Reuters, Newsweek, Stars and Stripes and Iraqi MediaNetwork travel on a four-day media blitz of the I MarineExpeditionary Force area of responsibility in Iraq.

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AL TASH REFUGEE CAMP, Iraq – Lt. Col. Joseph P.Lisiecki, 1st Marine Division civil affairs officer, talks with

some of the children here during a visit May 11, 2004.Remnants of the past still linger as a mural of Saddam

Hussein watches over the camp.The people here are Kurdish refugees who left their Iranian border-town

home during the Iran-Iraq War in 1980. Hussein would not allow the refugees to return home after war.

Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

CAMP AR RAMADI, Iraq –A newly-graduated Iraqi policeman

receives a handshake and a certificatefrom Lt. Col. Daniel J. Racca, commandant

of the Ar Ramadi Police Academy.A graduation ceremony was held here

for 88 Iraqi policemen April 22, 2004.This was the first class instructed by

Racca and his team of reserve Marinesattached to 3rd Bn., 11th Marines.

Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

July 7, 2003 The military governor of An Najaf, Iraq, welcomes anew government council of 29 representatives thatwere selected by local political parties.

July 8, 2003 Actor and retired Marine R. Lee Ermey visits the Marines of Camp Babylon, Iraq.

July 13, 2003 A new Iraqi governing council, to represent the will of the Iraqi people, holds itfirst meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, taking the first steps towards self-government.

AL KABANI, Iraq – Cpl. Maria C.Diaz, from the 1st Force Service Support

Group disbursing office, holds an Iraqi babyduring a visit here June 26, 2004. Diaz

accompanied Marines from 3rd Bn., 24thMarines, who visited the village to check

on the progress of a $175,000 water purification complex the unit contracted to

have built.The complex will bring cleandrinking water to nearly 3,000 Iraqis from

Al Kabani and another nearby community.The battalion made regular visits to deliverdonated shoes, school supplies and toys tothe children of the village. Elements of thebattalion provide security for nearby Camp

Taqaddum. Diaz, 23, is from Los Angeles.Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright

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CAMP MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq – The one injury every infantryman riskswhen on patrol has nothing to do with bullets or mortars—it has to do with hisfeet.This rifleman’s feet put him out of action.The conditions the Marines live in

while in the field—long hours in wet, dirty socks—contribute to problems withtheir feet. Marines experienced everything from athlete’s foot to trench foot dur-ing their deployment. “We've given out enough foot medication to treat half thebattalion at one time.Trouble with feet is always a problem, you just can’t avoid

it,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Barry C. Gibson, the independent duty hospital corpsman and triage officer for 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines.

Photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

CAMP COMBAT OUTPOST,Iraq – While on guard duty at the government center of Ramadi, Lance Cpl.Richard C. Guillenavila, an infantrymanwith G Co., 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, wasshot in the abdomen by an enemy sniper.Guillenavila, 19, from Jacksonville, Fla.,was wearing a Small Arms ProtectiveInsert plate in his protective vest.Theceramic plate is capable of stoppingsmall-arms fire and fragmentation fromweapons such as improvised explosivedevices and mortar rounds. Guillenavila issaving the bullet as his new lucky charm.Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

July 13, 2003 Marines from 1st Bn., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, set up a security guard academy to train residents of An Najaf, Iraq, as professional security officers.

July 14, 2003 Marines from 1st Bn., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, raid a Ba’athParty hideout in Ash Shamiyah, Iraq, which intelligence sources saidwas being used to plan future attacks against coalition forces. They detained more than six suspected Ba’ath Party members andsecured a small cache of weapons and Ba’ath Party documents.

July 19, 2003 In Karbala, Iraq, the Marines of K Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, reach out to the Iraqi people with goats,chickens, humanitarian rations, and soccer balls.

Marine Profile: Capt. Brian R. Chontosh

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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER,TwentyninePalms, Calif. – Capt. Brian R. Chontosh, 29, from Rochester, N.Y.,

receives the Navy Cross from Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen.Michael W. Hagee here May 6, 2004. Chontosh, a combined anti-armor

platoon commander, was awarded the medal for the heroism he exhibitedMarch 25, 2003, while leading his platoon north on Highway 1 toward

Ad Diwaniyah in Iraq. His platoon moved into the kill zone of a coordinatedambush of mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire.Chontosh directed his driver through a breach in the enemy trench, left his

vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M-16A2 service rifle and 9mmpistol. He twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his attack.

The attack described in the citation as “audacious,” cleared 200 meters of enemy trench and killed more than 20 enemy soldiers while wounding

several others. “I was just doing my job. I did the same thing every other Marine would have done,” Chontosh said.

Photo by Cpl. Jeremy M. Vought

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Country music star TobyKeith and rock legend Ted Nugent perform for hundreds of I Marine Expeditionary Force Marines and sailors at CampFallujah June 4, 2004.The two musicians circulated throughIraq and Afghanistan to show their support for U.S. troops.Photo by Cpl. Matthew J. Apprendi

OtherHotSpots

July 19, 2003 During a tour of Iraq, Deputy Secretary ofDefense Paul D. Wolfowitz takes time to visitwith Karbala’s mayor to discuss the successesand challenges facing the city.

July 21, 2003 1st Marine Division rehabilitates two more schoolsin An Najaf, Iraq, making a total of nine schoolssponsored by the Marines in the province sincethe end of major combat operations in May.

July 22, 2003 Saddam Hussein’s sons, Qusay and Uday, are killed during a gunfight with coalition forces.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Marines from L Co.,3rd Bn., 8th Marines, return to the Haitian presidential

palace after a patrol during which they visited a Haitianschool April 15, 2004.The Marines donated classroom

supplies to the school as part of OperationHomework.Photo by Lance Cpl. Kevin McCall

July 31, 2003 Local officials and representatives of 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, attend the official reopening of the main police station in Karbala.

July 23, 2003 Broadening the coalition presence in southern Iraq,K Co., 3rd Bn., 23rd Marines, relocates to Aziziyah.The Marine infantry company from Memphis, Tenn.,has the job of helping the police maintain order andestablish a stronger local government.

Aug. 1, 2003 The United States signs a free trade agreement with Singapore and Chile.

Aug. 1, 2003 Adnan Nassin Alwan, the highest ranking Ba’athParty member in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, surrenders to the Marines of 3rd Bn., 5th Marines, followingraids by the Marines on suspected hideouts.

Aug. 1, 2003 Marines and sailors put out a fire on a fuel pipeline that runswest of Karbala, Iraq, after saboteurs fired two rocket-pro-pelled grenades at an exposed valve on the crude oil pipeline.

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OtherHotSpots

T HE CONSTANT STREAM OFnews and commentary onworld events often focuses on

the negative aspects of the war in Iraqand casually glazes over the goodthings Marines and other servicemembers are doing around the world.

In fact, Marines working with otherU.S. and international forces havemade a tremendous impact on the waron terror in Afghanistan and the Hornof Africa, and have helped improvelives and preserve democracy innations like Liberia and Haiti.

In Afghanistan they hunt down anddestroy terrorist cells whose main goalin life is to inflict casualties on

America and its allies. Simultaneousoperations conducted by theCombined Joint Task Force - Horn ofAfrica, based in Djibouti, reduce thenumber of bad guys in that region,while tending to the ailments andphysical needs of the populace.

In Haiti and Liberia, Marines landedand helped restore order after the presi-dents of both nations stepped downunder pressure from their citizens andthe United Nations. They helped preserve order, delivered goods andprovided services to people in need.

Marines have always answered thecall of our nation and today’s Marinesare no different. Though actions inAfghanistan and Iraq make the bulk of the headlines, Marines are deployedacross the globe sharing a little ofAmerica and helping those in need in other hot spots.

By Gunnery Sgt. Glenn Holloway

HEADQUARTERS MARINECORPS, Washington

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FORWARD OPERATING BASERIPLEY, Afghanistan – 1st Sgt.Ernest Hoopii, a 42-year-old native ofPukalani, Hawaii, carries wounded LanceCpl. James Wood, of Tampa, Fla., overrough Afghan terrain June 3, 2004.TheMarines, with C Co., Battalion LandingTeam 1st Bn., 6th Marines, had advancedalong a steep, rocky hillside in pursuit ofanti-coalition militia fighters during thelatest offensive against enemy fighters insouth-central Afghanistan. Moments ear-lier, Wood was shot in the leg, becomingone of the company’s first wounded inaction since the unit’s arrival in country.Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

19Aug. 7, 2003 A truck-bomb explosion at the Jordanian embassy inIraq’s capital, Baghdad, kills several, causes manyinjuries, and destroys the building.

Aug. 9, 2003 The United States partially lifts the ban on beef importsfrom Canada, which was instituted because of cases ofMad Cow Disease were discovered there.

Aug. 15, 2003 A lack of transmission capacity results in a massivepower failure in the northeastern part of the UnitedStates and southeastern part of Canada, which affects about 50 million people.

AFGHANISTAN – As anArmy AH-64 Apache attack helicopter flies protectively

overhead, Humvees from Bn. Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th

Marines, the ground combatelement of the 22nd MarineExpeditionary Unit (Special

Operations Capable), cross awide, fast-moving river in

south-central Afghanistan June27, 2004. On the near bank, BLT

1/6’s adjutant, 1st Lt. JoshuaCavan, directs drivers on the

best route to ford the river.Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

Marine Profile: Staff Sgt. Timothy C. La Sage

CAMP PENDELTON, Calif. – Staff Sgt.Timothy C. La Sage,28, a native of Milwaukee, is a scout sniper platoon sergeant withScout Sniper Plt., Weapons Co., 2nd Bn., 5th Marines. Snipers mustbe mentally sound and physically fit expert shooters from theinfantry Military Occupational Specialties, who are able to operateindependently and have clean records.They must also pass a two-day screening that includes a physical fitness test, swim qualifica-tion, land navigation, ruck run and night observation exercise.Photo by Cpl. Robert M. Storm

FOND VERRETTES, Haiti – Marines with the Multinational Interim Force-Haiti deliver bottlesof fresh water to villagers here May 25, 2004, as part of an initial aid response for the flood-ravagedcommunity in Haiti's mountainous southeastern region. Military helicopters with MIF-Haiti flew in

18,000 liters of fresh water and 10 pallets each of bread and fruit to the village.The military providedthe first supplies and non-governmental organizations provided the majority of follow-on aid.

Photo by Cpl. Mike Escobar

ARLINGTON, Va. – Cpl. James E. Wright, 28, fromSeattle, salutes after receiving the Bronze Star with valordevice from Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz June 1, 2004 at the Marine Corps War Memorial for hisactions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Wright's patrol wasin the Anbar province of Iraq when it was attacked. Wright,an assistant team leader with B Co., 1st Reconnaissance

Bn., 1st Marine Division, lostboth his hands and sustainedsevere damage to his leg whena rocket-propelled grenadestruck his vehicle. He remainedcalm and continued to giveorders to his Marines to call for support and on how to render first aid, according tohis citation. He also pointedout enemy machine gunemplacements, helping kill 26 enemy soldiers.Photo by Cpl. Richard Stephens

AFGHANISTAN – Sgt. Ryan West, of Lafayette, Ind., a squad leaderwith the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable),

screams for his Marines to take cover as sniper fire impacts around them during a fight with anti-coalition militia in central Afghanistan

June 2, 2004. During two days of heavy fighting, three Marines received minor wounds and at least 25 enemy were killed.

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

Aug. 20, 2003 A bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Senate andHouse of Representatives visits Marines and sol-diers supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom at CampBabylon, Iraq.

Aug. 21, 2003 “Chemical Ali” Hassan al-Majid, one of SaddamHussein’s top generals, is captured.

Aug. 22, 2003 Bn. Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit,departs from San Diego on deployment.

Marine Profile: Cpl. James E. Wright

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21Aug. 23, 2003 Marines from 1st Bn., 7th Marines, establish the First Legal Aid Society inIraq, designed to employ underused lawyers while providing economicallydisadvantaged Iraqis free legal advice.

Aug. 26, 2003 The Ukrainian Army officially takes over for 3rd Bn.,23rd Marines, as the military authority in WasitProvince, Iraq.

Aug. 26, 2003 In Karbala, Iraq, Marines of 3rd Bn., 7th Marines,prepare to return to home after handing oversecurity of the city to the Bulgarian Army.

ARTA, Djibouti – Cpl. Matthew Sposato, with Weapons Plt.,TaskForce Betio, the force protection element for Combined Joint TaskForce-Horn of Africa, clips a concertina wire obstacle after a path

is made using a mine-clearing hook.The troops of the CJTF-HOA areconducting training and civil assistance projects in the region.

Photo by Cpl. G. Lane Miley

LIBERIA – Marines with a Fleet Antiterrorism SecurityTeam deployed from Rota, Spain, provide security for a HH-60G Pavehawk helicopter from the 56th RescueSquadron, Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, as it lands at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia July 28, 2003.The team of 21 Marines arrived in Monrovia July 21, to help secure to the U.S. Embassy in Liberia’s capital.They join a 35-memberHumanitarian Assistance Support Team that U.S. EuropeanCommand deployed July 7.Photo by Tech. Sgt. Justin D. Pyle

AFGHANISTAN – Staff Sgt. JeremyCoppola from the Combined Anti-ArmorTeam of Bn. Landing Team, 1st Bn.,6th Marines, climbs onto a “jingle” truck at a vehicle checkpoint in central AfghanistanJune 29, 2004. BLT 1/6 is the ground combatelement of the 22nd Marine ExpeditionaryUnit (Special Operations Capable).Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

ExercisesWorldAround the

Aug. 28, 2003 Marines of Bulk Fuel Co., Combat ServiceSupport Group 11, take their skills to the localrailway station and fuel depot unloading up to200,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day for the citizens of Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

Aug. 28, 2003 With the arrival of the soldiers of the Spanish Plus-Ultra Brigade in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, 3rd Bn.,5th Marines, prepares to head home.

Sept. 3, 2003Great Britain closes its embassy inIran’s capital, Tehran.

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Sept. 5, 2003 Marines from different companies within the 2nd Bn.,3rd Marines, aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, deployfrom Oahu headed for Exercise Crocodile ‘03 inAustralia.

Sept. 18, 2003 New York Stock Exchange chairman, Richard Grasso,resigns amidst outcry over his acceptance of a benefitsand incentives package worth $140 million.

Sept. 3, 2003 In a ceremony at Camp Babylon, Iraq, I MarineExpeditionary Force transferred authority for fiveprovinces in southern Iraq to the Polish-ledMultinational Division Central-South.

CLARK AIR BASE, Republic of the Philippines – Gunnery Sgt.Wesley A. Schaffer, with 3rd Reconnaissance Bn., 3rd Marine Division,

free-falls from 10,000 feet during the friendship jump in Exercise Balikatan in March 2004.This exercise is only one of a number of on-going activities under the framework of U.S. and Philippine military security cooperation.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan Walker

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO – Nearly 60years after Marines fought for more than 30 days to take control of

the Palauan Islands from the Japanese military, three young men fromPalau join the Corps’ ranks. Pfcs. Arlee P.Tellei, Kyle T. Ngiratregd and

Sherlock J. Madlutk were the first Palauan citizens sworn into the MarineCorps on Palau.The three graduated recruit training June 11, 2004.

Photo by Cpl. Shawn M. Toussaint

Marine Profile: Palau Recruits

M ARINES OPERATE UNDERthe maxim, “The moreyou sweat in training,

the less you bleed in war.” AndMarines have sweated in justabout every corner of the globe.Operating in foreign environsenhances Marines combat readiness and ability to react in any situation.

These exercises in foreignlands do more than just providebetter training opportunities forMarines though. Many of theexercises are conducted withother U.S. Armed Forces andhost nation’s forces. Theyimprove Marines’ combined andjoint interoperability. In manyexercises, this type of combinedtraining also betters U.S. relationswith host nations by strengtheningties between the United Statesand its allies.

These are just a few of thenumerous training exercises inwhich Marines participated thisyear and last:

Exercise Jungle Shield inGuam • Exercise Tartan Eagle inthe United Kingdom • UNITAS45-04 in Peru • Exercise SeaSaber 2004 in the Arabian Sea •

Clean Hunter 2004 in Denmark• Baltic Operations 2004 inPoland • Operation Maple Flagin Canada • Exercise KhaanQuest ’04 in Mongolia • CobraGold ’04 in Thailand • NewHorizons in Guatemala •

Combined Endeavor 2004 inBulgaria • Exercise Foal Eagle inKorea • Exercise Freedom-Bannerin the Republic of Korea • ExerciseTradewinds 2004 in the DominicanRepublic • Exercise Edged Malletin Kenya • Exercise Balikatan 2004in the Republic of the Pilippines •

Crocodile Exercise 2003 inAustralia • Ulchi Focus Lens in the Republic of Korea • ExerciseTalon Vision in the Republic of

the Philippines • Exercise SouthernFrontier in Australia • ExerciseCope Tiger in Thailand • DutchBilat I in Netherlands Antilles •

Exercise Cope North in Guam •

West Africa Training Cruise 2004throughout West Africa • ExerciseForest Light in Japan • CourageousBat 03 in Denmark • ExerciseTafakula 03 in the Kingdom of

Tonga • Exercise Commando Sling in Singapore • Exercise Sumo Tiger 2003 in Bangladesh •

Landing Force Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in Southeast Asia.

Sept. 20, 2003 Marines with B and C Cos., 1st Light Armored ReconnaissanceBn., Bn. Landing Team 1/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, polishtheir combat skills in training sites across Singapore.

Sept. 21, 2003 After traveling almost three billion miles and spending 14-years on the job, the U.S. spacecraft Galileo ends its mission by plunging into the atmosphere of Jupiter.

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Sept. 23, 2003 1st Bn., 7th Marines, transfers authority to thePlus Ultra Spanish Brigade in An Najaf, Iraq,in preparation for its return to TwentyninePalms, Calif. The unit is the last Marine Corpsbattalion in southern Iraq.

ExercisesWorldAround the

FIVE HILLS, Mongolia — Staff Sgt. Robert Otero,a nonlethal weapons instructor with 3rd Force Service Support Group,

demonstrates the brachial plexus pressure point technique on field military policeman Pfc. Jacob Koenan for soldiers

from the Mongolian Armed Forces May 20, 2004.This nonlethal techniques training was

part of Exercise Khaan Quest 04.Photo by Pfc. T. J. Kaemmerer

By Staff Sgt. Cindy Fisher, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

25Sept. 30, 2003 The United States begins pullingpeacekeeping troops out of Liberia.

Oct. 1, 2003 Combat Service Support Group 11, the last remainingelement of 1st Force Service Support Group that partic-ipated in the liberation of the Iraqi people, prepares toreturn to the United States.

Oct. 1, 2003 Gordon R. England is sworn in as the 73rd secretary ofthe Navy, becoming only the second person in historyto serve twice as the leader of the Navy-Marine Corpsteam and the first to serve in back-to-back terms.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Sgt. K. L. Cairns is on hisfirst deployment to Iraq.The 23-year-old native of Foley, Minn.,

is a topographic specialist with Combat Service SupportBattalion 1. His battalion provided support to Regimental

Combat Team 1 during Operation Vigilant Resolve to re-estab-lish order in Fallujah and to account for the March 31 murders

of four U.S. citizens who were dragged through the streetsand mutilated.The battalion is with 1st Force Service Support

Group, based in Camp Pendleton, Calif.Photo by Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon

Marine Profile: Sgt. K. L. Cairns

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – Lance Cpl. Esteban Campos, assignedto 7th Plt., 1st Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, drags a full ammunition

box through the surf during a Tarawa Day landing reenactment June 23, 2004.The exercise had Marines and sailors perform tasks similar to

those carried out during the Marine assault of the Tarawa Atolls Nov. 20, 1943, during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Terry W. Matlock

Oct. 31, 2003 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar personnel work with San Diego Countyfirefighters and thousands of personnel from across the west coast tocontain and control fires that broke out in Southern California countiesscorching more than 250,000 acres. The “Cedar Fire” raked across 19 ofthe 23,000 acres that make up the air station. No aircraft, buildings or lives were lost aboard the air station.

AR RAMADI, Iraq – Lance Cpl. George D. Lindsay,an infantryman with E Co., 2nd Bn., 4th Marines,1st Marine Division, was injured during fighting here April 6, 2004. Lindsay, 21, from Forest City, Iowa, was hit by shrapnel after an improvised explosive devise detonated near his 7-ton vehicle.Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

Marine Profile: Lance Cpl. Geoffrey D. Lindsay

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OJOJIBARA MANEUVERAREA, Sendai, Japan – Sgt. JaePark, section leader, machine gun section,Weapons Plt., F Co., 2nd Bn., 6th Marines,2nd Marine Division, trudges uphill whiletraining with cross country skis Feb. 6,2004, as a part of Exercise Forest Light2004, a bilateral training exercisebetween the Marine Corps and theJapanese Ground Self Defense Force.Photo by Lance Cpl. James J. Vooris

Oct. 31, 2003 U.S. sanctions against Sudan are extended for anotheryear despite the peace deal between the Sudan gov-ernment and the rebels expected to be in place by theend of the year.

Oct. 8, 2003 In a recall election, Arnold Schwarzeneggeris elected governor of California.

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ALBANIA – An Albanian child herds hissheep past Light Armored Vehicle 25 from Bn.

Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, stoppedalongside a road in an Albanian village. BLT 1/6

is the ground combat element of the 22d MarineExpeditionary (Special Operations Capable),

which participated in an amphibious landingexercise here, March 8-12, 2004.

Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

27Nov. 4, 2003 The Senate approves President Bush’s $87 billion emer-gency fund for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nov. 6, 2003 Reserve Marines and Sailors with K Co., 3rd Bn., 25thMarines, 4th Marine Division, train for the West AfricanTraining Cruise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,N.C., before departing to Ghana Nov. 10.

Nov. 10, 2003 For the first time since the Vietnam War, a high-levelofficial, Vietnam’s defense minister Pham Van Tra, visitsthe United States. While here he talks with Secretary ofDefense Donald Rumsfeld.

CAMP SAMUEL HILL, Queensland, Australia – Several CH46sland at Sam Hill air field Sept. 18, 2003. Australian Army soldiers battled U.S.Marines in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area overnight as part of ExerciseCrocodile 2003, which is the most significant activity for Australian Defensepersonnel outside of operational commitments. Designed to test almost7,000 ADF members and nearly 3,000 U.S. personnel, Exercise Crocodile 2003has a wide range of military operations at sea, in the air and ashore.Photo by Lance Cpl Neil Ruskin

THE INDIAN OCEAN – Marine Corps helicopters assigned tothe Air Combat Element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary

Unit (Special Operations Capable) depart the flight deck of theamphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) April 11, 2004.The 22nd

MEU (SOC) and the Wasp were deployed as part of Expeditionary Strike Group Two in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Teresa J. Ellison

SHOALWATER BAY TRAINING AREA, Queensland,Australia – Reserve Marines from 4th Light Armored ReconnaissanceBn., based out of Salt Lake City, on deployment from Okinawa, Japan,

light up the night skies here during a night-fire exercise sending massive amounts of firepower down range and destroying numerous

targets Oct. 2, 2003. The Marines tactically employed their MealsReady-to-Eat by heating the MREs' water packets near the target sothe Marines could use their thermal scopes.The unit was part of the

ground combat element for 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade inAustralia for Exercise Crocodile 2003. Photo by Lance Cpl. Monroe F. Seigle

Dec. 1, 2003 The Marine recruiters of Marine Corps RecruitingCommand successfully meet their assignedrecruiting goals for 100 consecutive months.

Dec. 13, 2003 U.S. troops capture Saddam Hussein in aspider-hole in a town near Tikrit, Iraq.

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LAMU, Kenya – A Marine withEngineer Det., MEU Service SupportGroup 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit(Special Operations Capable), gets a little“PT” time in with the help of local chil-dren here Jan. 11, 2004. Marine engineersand Kenyan Army engineers of the 12thEngineer Bn. worked together to refurbishthree school buildings at Lamu Boys’Secondary School. The project was partof Exercise Edged Mallet, an annual bi-lateral exercise that encompasses basicinfantry skills training, a humanitarianassistance project, and medical and dentalassistance clinics in several locationsthroughout the coastal region of Kenya.Photo by Sgt. Adrian Pascual

PACIFIC OCEAN – An amphibious assault vehicle

assigned to the 3rd AmphibiousAssault Bn., based out of Camp

Pendleton, Calif., departs the welldeck aboard the Wasp-class

amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)

April 26, 2004. Bonhomme Richardwas at sea conducting AmphibiousSpecialty Training while undergoing

a Tailored Ship’s TrainingAssessment, in preparation for an

upcoming deployment.Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jennifer Rivera

Nov. 27, 2003 President Bush spends Thanksgivingwith U.S. troops in Baghdad, Iraq.

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PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan, Philippines –Lance Cpl. Kim Winn, of Tallahassee Fla., a member of the GuardForce at Western Command, prepares to enter a room during CloseQuarter Tactic drills while participating in Exercise Balikatan 2004Feb. 21, 2004. Exercise Balikatan 2004, an annual bilateral com-bined exercise, is designed to improve combined planning, combat readiness and interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine military forces.The exercise demonstrates U.S. resolve and commitment to train, advise and assist the government of the Philippines.Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Felix Garza Jr.

SUEZ CANAL – Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit(Special Operations Capable) view the

Mubarak-Peace Bridge, while transiting theSuez Canal aboard the amphibious assaultship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) June 27, 2004.

The 24th MEU (SOC) was headed for theCentral Command Area of Responsibility

in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terrorism.

Photo by Seaman Kenny Swartout

Jan. 3, 2004 Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landsin Gusey Crater on Mars.

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Marine Profile: Capt. Jason Frei

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Capt. Jason Frei sits with the humvee door that was hit by a rocket-propelledgrenade in Iraq. Frei lost his hand north of An Nasiriya March 25, 2003, while serving as the commanding officer of A Co., 1st Bn., 11th Marines, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Frei, a 31-year-old native of Hazen, N.D.,recieved the Purple Heart for his wounds.Photo by Cpl. Matthew S. Richards

Dec. 13, 2003 Marine Air Control Squadron 2 departs Manas Air Base,Kyrgyz Republic, after a 19-month mission providing airtraffic control services to the international coalition effortin Operation Enduring Freedom.

Dec. 24, 2003 Russia bans American beef imports when the UnitedStates announces its first case of mad cow disease.

UnitBreakdown

Jan. 4, 2004 North Korea invites an American team — to include a nuclear expert,congressional aides, and a former state department member — to visit its nuclear site at Yongbyon.

Jan. 9, 2004 The largest movement of U.S. forces since World War IIbegins. About 125,000 service members deployed to Iraq leave the country, replaced with fewer armed forces, including more National Guard and Reserve units. Troops are also being rotated in Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Jan. 14, 2004 USS Boxer departs San Diego for the Central Command area ofresponsibility in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II force rotation.More than 200 Marines and 900 sailors embarked aboard Boxer are providing amphibious lift for a portion of the equipment and personnel from the I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Jan. 5, 2004 Marines and sailors of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) aboard USS Germantown arrive at Manda Bay Naval Base, Kenya, to kick off Exercise Edged Mallet.

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T HE MARINE CORPS ORGANIZESexpeditionary units for military missionsinto Marine Air-Ground Task Forces.

A MAGTF is tailored to meet the specific needs of a given mission, but there are always four principleelements to its structure — the command element,ground combat element, aviation combat element and a combat service support element.

The Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special OperationsCapable), the smallest MAGTF, is the quick reactionforce forward deployed as part of an ExpeditionaryStrike Group. MEUs operate continuously in assignedareas of responsibility throughout the world. They provide a variety of sea-based, crisis response options in either conventional amphibious/expeditionary roles

or in the execution of maritime special operations. TheMEU deploys with 15 days of accompanying supplies.

To become “Special Operations Capable,” a MEUundergoes an intensive six-month training program.The SOC certification allows a MEU's Marines to conduct missions like humanitarian assistance opera-tions and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel.

The next step up from the MEU is the mid-sizedMarine Expeditionary Brigade. It provides transitionalcapabilities between the forward-deployed MEU andthe larger Marine Expeditionary Force.

As the need for a stronger military presence increas-es, a MEB can integrate with a MEU to build upon its established pre-positioned elements. The MEBwould then take command of the operation with the

By Staff Sgt. David Crockett, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

Major Installations:West Coast• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. • Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif. • Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. • Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif. • Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center

Twentynine Palms, Calif.• Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.Outside CONUS• Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Reserve HQMarine Forces Reserve,

New Orleans

MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif.

MCB Hawaii, Island of Oahu

MCB Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Major Installations:East Coast• Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga.• Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. • Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.• Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C.• Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.• Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.• Headquarters Marine Corps, Wash.• Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

Liberia – See Page 33

Haiti – See Page 32

Denotes locations of Marine CorpsBases and Major Installations. For more about Marine Corps Bases, see “Base Life” on page 34 and“Home Training” on page 42.

Denotes countries where the Marine Corps has conducted operations in support of the GlobalWar on Terror and other missions. Formore about Marine Corps operationsabroad, see “Back in Iraq” on page 4and “Other Hot Spots” on page 16.

Denotes countries that participatedin training operations with theMarine Corps. For more about Marine Corps training exercisesabroad, see “Exercises Around the World” on page 22.

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MARINE DEPLOYMENTS WORLDWIDE –America’s ‘911 force’ travels the globe,

training for any mission, fighting for freedom and answering the nation’s call.

Jan. 17, 2004 Marines from 2nd Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company, 7th Platoon, visit Iwo Jima to commemorate the anniversary of the battle that played a pivotal role in the Corps’ history.

Jan. 18, 2004 President Bush details the goals of a new space exploration program, which includes a permanent lunar station and a manned mission to Mars.

MCB Okinawa, Japan

Major Installations:Far East• Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan• Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan• Marine Corps Bases Okinawa, Japan

Iraq – See Page 33

Djibouti – See Page 32

Afghanistan – See Page 32

MEU under its umbrellaof control. Equipped with 30 days of supplies,

a MEB can conductamphibious assaults and

sustained operations ashore in any geographic environment.

The Marine Expeditionary Force is theCorps’ largest MAGTF. There are MEFs in place

during peacetime and wartime, based on the West and Eastcoasts and in the Far East. It is from the MEF that the smaller MAGTF is drawn, however, the MEF too deploys during larger crises or contingencies. A MEF is equipped with 60 days of supplies for sustained operationsand can penetrate far inland.

The Maritime Prepositioning Forcefurther extends the sustained operationscapabilities of the MAGTF.The MPF consists of 16 shipssplit into three squadrons,based in the Mediterranean,Diego Garcia and the Guam-Saipan areas. The MPFships, patrolling theirassigned areas, transport and offload their equipment and supplies to where the MAGTF most needs it, extending operations another 30 days.

MAGTFs provide the flexibility that allows a rapidresponse to any situation when the nation calls.

Jan. 20, 2004 In the Democratic Party’s Iowa caucuses for the DemocraticParty’s nominations for the presidential election, John Kerryplaces first, winning 37.7 percent of votes, followed by JohnEdwards with 31.8 percent and Howard Dean, with 18 percent.

Jan. 22, 2004 Richard Causey, the former top accountant of the energy corporation Enron charged with fraud and conspiracy, is arrested. Enron went bankrupt two years ago.

Jan. 24, 2004 Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landsin Meridiani Planum on Mars.

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Afghanistan

Communism was introduced to Afghanistan in 1979 when

the Soviet Union invaded. Anti-Communist mujahidin forcespushed the Soviet Union out 10 years later but communismremained, until its collapse in Kabul in 1992.

Subsequent fighting broke out among the variousmujahidin factions, which gave rise to the Taliban ultimatelyseizing power in 1996.

United States, Allied, and Northern Alliance military actiontoppled the Taliban in December 2001. Hamid Karzai was elected president by secret ballot of the Transitional IslamicState of Afghanistan in June 2002 and a constitution for thecountry was signed Jan. 16, 2004.

In addition to occasionally violent political jockeying andongoing military action to root out remaining terrorists andTaliban elements, the country suffers from enormous poverty,a lack of skilled and educated workers, a crumbling infrastruc-ture, and widespread land mines.

U.S. troops remain to help rebuild the country's infrastruc-ture and seek out any remaining terrorist elements. The 22ndMarine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), reinforced with some Army units and designated as Task ForceLinebacker was in country from March to July 2004 in theOruzgan province, birthplace of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and a long-time stronghold of anti-coalition militia activity. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment,are currently in Afghanistan as part of Combined Joint TaskForce Thunder.

A reinforced CH-53 squadron, with additional AH-1WCobras and UH-1N Hueys, is operating out of Bagram as well.

Afghanistan Statistics:• Slightly smaller than Texas• Population of 28,513,677 (July 2004 est.)• No coastline• Climate arid to semiarid • Terrain mostly rugged mountains with plains

in the north and southwest

22nd MEU (SOC) in Afghanistan:• Conducted 12 named combat and civil military

operations in the Oruzgan and Zabol provinces• Killed 101 enemy fighters• About 100 enemy fighters taken into coalition custody• Confiscated 2,500 weapons• Confiscated 80,000 pieces of ammunition or ordinance• Treated more than 2,000 medical and dental patients• Registered about 58,000 Afghan citizens to vote in

the historic upcoming elections• Completed or began 108 civil affairs projects

Djibouti

D jibouti is strategically impor-tant because of its location

at the entrance to the Bab alMandeb, a strait between the RedSea and the Gulf of Aden, and as atransshipment location for goodsentering and leaving the east Africanhighlands. The country’s close ties withFrance and pro-Western orientation affordedthe United States access to Djibouti’s support facilities during Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa operatesfrom Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. There are more than 1,800CJTF-HOA personnel in country, representing all branches of the U.S. armed services, coalition military members andcivilian personnel.

Djibouti Statistics:• Slightly smaller than Massachusetts• Population of 466,900 (July 2004 est.)• 195 miles of coastline• Desert climate, torrid and dry • Terrain coastal plain and plateau separated

by central mountains

Marines currently in Djibouti:• Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa commanding

general is Marine Brig. Gen. Samuel T. Helland• Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa sergeant major

is Marine Sgt. Maj. Bruce J. Poland • Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 Det. B (Reinforced)• K Co., 3rd Bn., 2nd Marines

Haiti

Columbus discovered Hispaniolain 1492 and the original inhab-

itants were virtually annihilatedby Spanish settlers within 25years. The French established apresence there in the 17th century,and Spain ceded Haiti, the westernthird of the island, to the French in 1697,who imported large numbers of African slavesto support its commerce. Toussaint L’Ouverture led Haiti’s nearlyhalf million slaves to revolt in the late 18th century, and Haitibecame the first black republic to declare its independencein1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haitihas been plagued by political violence for most of its history.

Early in 2004 three forces, the government headed byPresident Jean-Bertrand Aristide, an opposition who wantAristide to resign, and rebels forces not allied with the opposi-tion who also seek Aristide’s removal, continue to disrupt thecountry with political unrest. In February 2004, rebel leaderscaptured Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s second-largest city. Within a day,the first Marines were in country to protect the U.S. Embassy.When Aristide left the country in late April, Marines were sent

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Jan. 30, 2004 Reserve Marines of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron49 in Newburgh, N.Y., are part of the more than 20,000Marines heading back to Iraq and Afghanistan over the next several weeks.

Jan. 25, 2004 More than 170 Marines and Sailors from III MarineExpeditionary Force arrive at Camp Asaka, Japan, aJapanese Ground Self Defense Force camp on the out-skirts of Tokyo, to participate in Exercise Yama Sakura,the largest bilateral exercise conducted in Japan.

Feb 10, 2004 The United States appoints a permanent envoy to Libya.

Liberia

Freed U.S. slaves foundedLiberia, which means “land

of the free,” in 1820.A coup in 1980 overset the

government of the Republic ofLiberia, eventually leading to the1989-1996 civil war, which killed morethan 200,000 Liberians. The war-torncountry’s continued unrest has slowed the process of rebuilding. Charles Taylor won the 1997 presidential electionsbut was never able to eliminate rebel groups. He abdicated in August 2003, after rebel attacks on Monrovia, and a two-year UN-imposed sanction for his involvement in neighboring Sierra Leone’s civil war.

A transitional government, composed of rebel, govern-ment, and civil society groups, assumed control in October2003. Chairman Gyude Bryant heads the new government.Marines went into Liberia in July 2003 after fighting betweengovernment and rebel forces reached the capitol’s diplomaticsection, which includes the U.S. Embassy.

Liberia Statistics:• Slightly larger than Tennessee• Population of 3,390,635 (July 2004 est.)• 359 miles of coastline• Climate tropical, hot, humid. Dry winters with frequent

heavy showers in summer • Terrain mostly flat to rolling coastal plains, rising to rolling

plateaus and low mountains in northeast

Marines in Liberia:• Aug. 6, 2003, a team of roughly 7 Marines inserts into

Monrovia, Liberia to provide logistical support to Nigerian peacekeepers

• Aug. 14, 2003, elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit began to land in Monrovia.These are the first of some 200 Marines that are to operate in Liberia

• About 150 Marines from the 26th MEU depart Liberia Aug. 24, 2003

• About 50 Marines, based out of U.S. Naval Station Rota,Spain, are to remain at the embassy in Monrovia as security

Information for all countries pulled from the CIA WorldFactbook at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/.

Iraq

Occupied by Great Britain duringWorld War I, Iraq became an

independent country in 1932. Itwas proclaimed a republic in 1958,but has been ruled by a series ofmilitary strongmen, ending withSaddam Hussein.

The country’s invasion of Kuwait inAugust 1990 led to Desert Shield/Desert Storm, ending in Iraq’s expulsion from Kuwait in early 1991. In March 2003, a United States-led invasion of Iraq ousted the Husseinregime. Sovereignty was returned to the Iraqi people in June 2004, although Coalition forces remain in the countryhelping to rebuild the infrastructure. For more about Marineoperations in Iraq, see “Back in Iraq” on page 4.

Iraq Statistics:• More than twice the size of Idaho• Population of 25,374,691 (July 2004 est.)• 36 miles of coastline• Mostly desert climate• Terrain mostly broad plains with reedy marshes

along the Iran border and mountains along the Iran and Turkey borders

Marines currently in Iraq:• 30,000 Marines are in the Iraq/Kuwait region • Two-thirds of 1st Marine Division troops currently in

as first phase of an interim international force to help stabilizeHaiti after the weeks of fighting.

Haiti Statistics:• Slightly smaller than Maryland• Population of 7,656,166 (July 2004 est.)• 1,065 miles of coastline• Climate tropical but semiarid where eastern

mountains cut off trade winds • Terrain mostly rough and mountainous

Marines in Haiti:• 50 Marines of a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Support Team

arrive at Port-au-Prince Feb. 23, 2004, to protect the U.S. Embassy and its staff

• 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., deploy to Haiti in early March 2004

• Combined Joint Task Force – Haiti officially activated March 15, Marine Brig. Gen. Ronald S. Coleman assumes command of the Multi-national Interim Force

• Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-269, based in New River, N.C., deployed to Haiti March 3, 2004

• 3rd Bn., 8th Marines, begins returning to the United StatesJune 14, 2004

• Marines and sailors from Combat Service Support Det. 20 depart Haiti for the United States June 20, 2004

• Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264 returns to New River from Haiti June 19-20, 2004

• Most of the Marines of the task force leave by the end of June 2004

Iraq took part in OIF in 2003• 1st Force Service Support Group handled more than

8 million pounds of mail from March 15 to July 31, 2004,for I Marine Expeditionary Force Marines in Iraq

BaseLife

Feb. 12, 2004 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Marinesdeploy from Marine Corps AirStation Miramar, Calif., bound for Iraq.

Feb. 16, 2004 Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 332 headsback to Marine Corps Station Iwakuni, Japan, after a four-week deployment in Australia for Operation SouthernFrontier. The unit is based in Beaufort, S.C., but deployed to Iwakuni as a part of the Unit Deployment Program.

Feb. 23, 2004 Ralph Nader announces his intention to run as an independent

candidate in the November 2004 presidential election.

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MARINE CORPS AIR STATIONMIRAMAR, Calif. – A young girl finds abetter view during President Bush’s visit toMarine Corps Air Station, Miramar Aug. 14,

2003.The president spoke to a crowd ofabout 10,000 people. He spoke on a numberof issues related to the military, thanked the

Marines and sailors for their service to thenation and vowed to remain focused on the

war against terror.Photo by Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke

Feb. 28, 2004 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 begins its firstflight operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

March 3, 2004 Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 departs Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., for Haiti in support of a contingency operation as part of the Alert Contingency Marine Air Ground TaskForce. The unit teams with 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

March 5, 2004Marines and sailors from 1st Bn., 5th Marines, departOkinawa for a six-month deployment to Iraq in supportof Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

March 6, 2004 Martha Stewart is found guilty of conspiracy, making false statements, and obstruction of justicein connection with insider trading.

March 8, 2004 The Iraqi Governing Council signs an interim constitution in Baghdad, Iraq.

March 8, 2004 About 25,000 Marines and sailors are expected to deploy towestern Iraq to conduct security and stability operations.

W HETHER ON AN ISLANDin the Pacific Ocean,the high desert or

woodland expanse, our MarineCorps bases provide a place forreplenishment and recharging.Where else can you go from train-ing with deadly weapons systems tojaunt at the beach all in one day?

Our bases, stations and campsmark each day with the raising ofthe flag. Children dismount theirbikes, commissary shoppers stoptheir carts and cars come to a haltto honor those that serve and thosethat have gone before. A flurry ofactivities follows. There are schoolsto attend, waves to surf, movies tosee, amphibious landings to watchand the sounds of freedom—liketanks and jets—to hear.

Woven into the fabric of serviceto Corps and country are thethreads of life aboard our MarineCorps bases. A mixture of cultureand community where joys areshared, bonds rekindled, tears shedand life renewed—base life offers a foundation for the Marines andfamilies that serve our Corps.

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CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa, Japan – Pfc. Michael Constantinoff and Cpl. Erik Sherlund push Lance Cpl. Craig Walker as he blindly navigates a “krazy kart”through the Recycle Wars course during the Camp Foster October Fest Oct. 12, 2003.Four teams ran the course twice in celebration of America Recycles Day and to raise money for their Marine Corps birthday ball.The four teams, limited to eightmembers—two scroungers, two runners and four constructors, scrounged throughjunk piles to gather the materials for their karts and they had about two and a halfhours to build them. Photo by Cpl. Cindy L. Pray

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. –Lance Cpl. Michael Inscho works on a wall mural April 23,

2004.The Bath, N.Y., native is a motor transportation operator holding a dispatching billet with Service Co.,

8th Communication Bn., II Marine Expeditionary Force.He spends most of his free time drawing and prefers

landscapes and cars but is honored to exhibit his talent onthe walls of his shop. Inscho has painted several murals

throughout the motor pool and continues to do so whenever he has spare time. “I just love drawing,”

he said. “It relaxes me and allows me to express my individuality, even while in the Marine Corps.”

Photo by Pfc. Matthew K. Hacker

BaseLifeBy Lt. Col. Greg Reeder, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

March 9, 2004 John Allen Muhammad, the Washington sniper, is sen-tenced to death for the October 2002 killings.

March 11, 2004Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 returns to Iraqto provide the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing with logisticalsupport and force protection.

March 21, 2004Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 24, based atMarine Corps Base Hawaii, begin arriving on theKorean peninsula in support of Exercise Foal Eagle ‘04.

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. –Sgt. Michael A. Simmons, a bronze star recipient, received the AT&T Defense of Freedom Award at the AmericanVeterans Awards ceremony Nov. 21, 2003, for actions he performed while under fire in Iraq.The 24-year-old vehicle commander with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn.,and native of Union, Mo., stands with his former crew,Lance Cpls. Mark A. Rodriguez, of Del Rio,Texas, andDe H. Pham, of San Diego.Photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON –Sgt. Maj. Alfred McMichael faces Commandant

of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee after relinquishing his post as Sgt. Maj. of the

Marine Corps June 26, 2003. Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada relieved McMichael, becoming the 15th Marine

to hold the post of highest enlisted Marine.McMichael reported to the European Command

to work for former Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen James L. Jones.

Photo by Cpl. Travis W. Shiflett

Marine Profile: Sgt. Michael A. Simmons

March 24, 2004 The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review the constitutionality of the words “under God” in thePledge of Allegiance to determine if the phrase violates the separation between church and state.

March 24, 2004 I Marine Expeditionary Force officially acceptsauthority for Al Anbar province, Iraq, from theArmy’s 82nd Airborne Division.

March 26, 2004 Another 2,000 Marines join the 12,000 troops inAfghanistan intensifying the hunt for Osama bin Ladenand other al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

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CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa,Japan – Heather Hyson climbs a ropeon the obstacle course here during family day May 15, 2004. Hyson is a sixth grader at ZukeranElementary School. Familyday gave family mem-bers the opportunity tosee and participate in someof the activities that servicemembers support during a typical work day.Photo by Cpl. Ryan Walker

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMPPENDLETON, Calif. – Col. Robert P.Wagner III, commanding officer, Weaponsand Field Training Bn., cuts the traditionalbirthday cake on the parade deck atEdson Range Nov. 11, 2003, commemo-rating the 228th birthday of the Corps.The guest of honor for the ceremony was Brig. Gen. John M. Paxton Jr.,commanding general, Marine RecruitDepot San Diego and the WesternRecruiting Region.Photo by Master Sgt. Janice M. Hagar

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO – The Marine Corps Mounted Color

Guard from Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow presents the colors at the Headquarters and Service

Battalion sergeants major relief and appointment ceremony April 2, 2004. During the ceremony,

Sgt. Maj. Armando Escobedo took over as H&S Bn.’s senior enlisted Marine, relieving Sgt. Maj. Annanias Rose,

who retired from the Marine Corps during the same ceremony after 30 years of service. Barstow’s color guard

is the only mounted color guard in the Marine Corps.Photo by Sgt. Ryan Smith

BaseLife

March 31, 2004 Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice testifies in public and under oath to the 9/11 commission.

March 31, 2004 Four civilian contractors are killed by insurgents in Iraq.

April 5, 2004 Marines and Coalition forces begin Operation VigilantResolve in Al Anbar province, Iraq. The operation isdesigned to pacify violent elements in the area.

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CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq – Lance Cpl. Nicholas R.Bruce waits to roll out of Camp Taqaddum as a passenger

on a convoy delivering critical supplies to Fallujah in support of Operation Vigilant Resolve April 6, 2004.Later that night, insurgents ambushed the convoy,

wounding eight and crippling several vehicles.The convoy was stopped for more than 12 hours before

it could continue to Camp Fallujah. Vigilant Resolve waslaunched to re-establish order in Fallujahand to account for the March 31 murders

of four U.S. citizens who were draggedthrough the streets and murdered there.

Bruce is a 20-year-old native of Blythewood, S.C.Photo by Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon

Marine Profile: Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Bruce

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – The 9thAnnual Combat Service Support Group 3 Swamp

Romp made a muddy splash here July 26, 2003, asmore than 1,200 thrill-seekers from around the island

raced to get down and dirty.The six-person teamstrudged through deep sand, mud pits, man-madeobstacles and ocean surf for more than five miles

and nearly an hour to reach the finish.Photo by Cpl. Jason E. Miller

April 15, 2004 Marine Corps and Army engineers finish constructionof a barrier around much of Fallujah, Iraq, blocking off the majority of pathways leading into or out of the city, and deterring insurgents from bringing inweapons and gear.

April 10, 2004 Coalition forces unilaterally suspended offensive military operations in Fallujah, Iraq.

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MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO – Staff Sgt. Arnold J.Towle, from Farmington, N.H., is the senior drill instructor for Plt. 1063, B Co.He adjusted his work habits to care for his daughter, Julia, who was born fiveweeks early with holes in her heart. She spent the first five weeks of her life in an incubator and was on medication for the first six months to prevent her bodyfrom overworking to breathe.Towle’s command supported him and gave himtime off when they could. Julia is now doing well and visits a heart specialistevery three months to monitor the holes. “During core values time with therecruits, I tell them how the Marine Corps is one huge family with one big

support system,” said Towle. “By becoming a Marine you just add onto your family.”Photo by Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.Marine Profile: Staff Sgt. Arnold J. Towle

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. –Lance Cpl. Andrew Cole of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit

gets buried in sand by fellow Marines at Onslow Beach during the24th MEU Family Day June 18, 2004. Cole is a combat engineer

with Engineer Detachment, MEU Service Support Group 24.The family day was the last opportunity for the families to get

together before the unit departed for deployment to Iraq.Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah A. Beavers

BaseLife

SAN DIEGO – Lance Cpl. Mario Reyes, of Chicago,says a final goodbye to his family on his cellular phone priorto boarding the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer Jan.14,2004.The ship departed on a deployment to the CentralCommand area of responsibility in support of Operation IraqiFreedom II force rotation. More than 200 Marines and 900sailors embarked aboard the Wasp-class ship.Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark J. Rebilas

April 7, 2004 Marines in Fallujah, Iraq, use air support to break through the wall of a mosque complex that insurgents were using to fire on them.

April 19, 2004 John Negroponte, the current American ambassador to the UnitedNations, is announced to be the U.S. ambassador to Iraq after the scheduled June 30 transfer of sovereignty to Iraq.

April 19, 2004 United States, coalition and Iraqi officials agree “to implement a full and unbroken cease-fire” in the city of Fallujah, Iraq.

April 24, 2004 Spec. Pat Tillman, who gave up a promising footballcareer after Sept. 11, 2001, to join the Army, is killed in Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan.

41

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SANDIEGO – Lance Cpl. Aaron Card, military police

officer, Provost Marshal’s Office, stands watch at Gate 2,the Barnett Ave. entrance here Oct. 31, 2003. Card,

along with many other Marines, wore a surgical maskto protect against the thick smoke polluting the air

across the San Diego area after three major fires ragedout of control in late October.The fires destroyed nearly

1,200 homes and burned more than 315,000 acres.Photo by Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMPPENDLETON, Calif. –

Arnold Swarzenegger visits the crowd packedinto the base theater for a sneak preview

of his new movie “Terminator 3: Rise of theMachines” June 26, 2004. “It (was) my token of

appreciation to say thank you to all of you,”Schwarzenneger, who decided to give

Pendleton service members first crack at hisfirst Terminator movie in 12 years. “The Marines

are the real terminators. Whenever they see aproblem, they terminate it,” the actor said.

Photo by Cpl. Matthew S. Richards

HomeTraining

April 24, 2004 The Marines of Combat Service Support Co. 113repair rough roads around an infantry outpost on the edge of Fallujah, Iraq, that will soon be home to a battalion of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

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April 28, 2004 Joint Marine and Iraqi patrolsbegin in Fallujah, Iraq.

April 28, 2004 Personnel from Combined Joint Task Force-Haiti and Marine Air Ground Task Force 8 have deliveredmore than $23,000 worth of medical supplies to alocal hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRISISLAND, S.C. – A recruit struggles through the final phase

of basic training, the combat resupply course known as the Crucible, Sept. 23, 2003. The final three-day field exercise tests recruits’ endurance during day and night

operations with food and sleep deprivation.Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jennie Ivey

May 8, 2004 Marines from 2nd Bn., 7th Marines, in western Al Anbar province help open a new Iraqi Civil Defense Corps training center. The center’s openingmarks the Iraqi force’s strides to taking more responsibility for security in their own cities.

May 4, 2004 Maj. Gen. James F. Amos, commanding general, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, gives an 11-week-old Iraqi puppy named Melissa to the “Rhinos” of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37.

May 4, 2004 Marines reposition forces in Fallujah, Iraq, pullingback to the outskirts of the city. The move coincidedwith the formation of the 1st Bn. of the FallujahBrigade, a new Iraqi force expected to be composed of former elements of the Iraqi army.

AL ASAD, Iraq – Luci, once a Baghdad stray, settles into herrole as the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing mascot here.The dog fol-lowed Army Special Forces during their patrols on the streetsof Baghdad.They credited her with saving their lives a couple

of times when she sniffed out ambushes and barked to alertthem.The Army unit departed Baghdad and 3rd MAW adopted

Luci and one of her pups, taking them to Al Asad.The pup,Melissa, became the new mascot for Marine Wing Support

Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd MAW.Photo by Sgt. David M. Walsh

Marine Profile: Luci

HomeTraining

May 11, 2004 Members of the 1st Marine Division civil affairsteam visit Al Tash Refugee Camp, Iraq, to repair thecamp’s substandard infrastructure. Marines, sailorsand soldiers deliver assorted medical supplies and two 30,000-gallon water storage units.

May 11, 2004 Marines from L Co., 3rd Bn., 8th Marines, deliverapproximately 30 desks, 100 chairs and severaltables to Escole Eu Venezuela (Venezuela School),a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

May 13-27, 2004 The armed forces of Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, Philippinesand the United States conduct exercise Cobra Gold ‘04 in Thailand.

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BY THE TIME A MARINE’S NEW BOOTS—combat, hot-climate, rough-side-out—sinkinto the sizzling sands of Iraq, they’ve

already been tested under conditions that couldmake all-star athletes stumble and fall.

They’ve trudged the ranges of Camps Lejeuneand Pendleton and soaked in the surf off Onslowand Red beaches. They’ve dragged through the grit-ty sands of Twentynine Palms and pounded the tar-macs of Cherry Point and Miramar. The feet theyprotect have endured long hours bearing enormousweights, and fallen asleep while the Marines they’reattached to spent endless sleepless hours in listeningposts waiting for unseen enemies. They have beenrudely stamped awake in the predawn frosts ofVirginia winters and have smoked on dust-chokedtrails of Southern California.

They’re no boots, these boots. They’re ready for the tasks at hand and have the experiences of a realistic Marine Corps education to rely on whenthe commander calls. These boots were made for walking—and running and humping and jump-ing and crawling—yeah, Marines call it training.Get some!

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan –Marines with 3rd Materiel Readiness Bn.,

3rd Force Service Support Group, sit aboard a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter duringembarkation and landing zone defense training here June 7, 2004. Building on

training and tactics forged in the jungles of Vietnam,the 3rd MRB Marines were supported in their endeavor by two

Sea Knight helicopters and crews from Marine MediumHelicopter Squadron 262.The training is part of MRB’s effort

to prepare their Marines for combat missions.The drills also help build the confidence and leadership abilities of

individual noncommissioned officers. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. Teslevich

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan – Cpl. ChrisR. Rodriguez, a reconnaissance Marine, provides rearsecurity for fellow Marines during assault training at

Camp Hanson June 22, 2004.Twenty Marines, with 3rdReconnaissance Bn., 3rd Marine Division, participated

in the Dynamic Assault Course taught by close quarterbattle experts with the III Marine Expeditionary Force

Special Operations Training Group.The training is part ofa series of courses the Marines must complete before the

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit qualifies as special operations capable. Special operations capability

allows Marines to conduct high-risk missions requiringstealth and surprise.The 31st MEU re-qualifies as

special operations capable every six months.Photo by Cpl. Ryan Walker

By Gunnery Sgt. Glenn Holloway, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

45May 18, 2004 Marine Attack Squadrons 542 and 214, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, arrive in Al Asad, Iraq, to augment the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force missions throughout western Iraq.

May 20, 2004 The 1st Force Service Support Group’s Air Delivery Plt.delivers a load of supplies, 22,000 pounds of food and bottled water, by parachute to a location in Iraq.This mission is the Marine Corps’ second combat supply drop since the Vietnam War.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Supply Marineswith Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 and their ground support

equipment counterparts hike through Camp Elliot April 2, 2004.The march prepares the Marines for deployment, increases the units’ physical

readiness and honors currently deployed Marines, according to Staff Sgt. Robert Williams, a Pensacola, Fla., native, and Supply Response

Division staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge. Photo by Cpl. Jeff Zaccaro

Marine Profile: Maj. Thomas Gore

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRYPOINT, N.C. – Maj.Thomas Gore, a pilot with Attack

Squadron 223, received the Gen. Holland M. SmithAward for Operational Competence at a Navy League

award ceremony Oct. 9, 2003.The award denotes Gore’s extraordinary effectiveness in achieving and maintaining the highest state of combat readiness

throughout 2002 while serving as training officer,director of safety and standardization,

and weapons and tactics instructor.Photo by Cpl. Nathaniel C. LeBlanc

May 14, 2004 The Department of Defense launches The PentagonChannel, a news and information television service,with a live broadcast from the Armed Forces Day opening ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

May 29, 2004 Marines from 2nd Bn., 7th Marines, and soldiers with the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps establish a new Joint Coordination Center at Camp Hit, Iraq.

May 27, 2004 The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) departs San Diego nearly a month earlier than scheduled in response to a request from U.S. Central Command for more forces in Iraq.

May 20, 2004 Marines based at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, haveunearthed some of the largest stockpiles of weaponsfound this year. More than 1,000 mortars, artillery shells and rockets—discovered by Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 24th Marines—have been either captured or destroyed.

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLE-TON, Calif. – Marines perform side-straddle hopsin the gas chamber at Camp Las Flores Jan. 7, 2004.

Marines were also required to shake their headsvigorously to demonstrate their M40A1 Field

Protective Masks’ ability to remain sealed.The gas, a mild chemical irritant also known as CS, isnot lethal, but if Marines fail to properly fit their

masks before they enter the training chamber,they will immediately know.The CS gas is

used during training to bolster Marines’ confidence in their protective masks.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere

CAMP DAWSON, W.Va. – Marines from the24th Marine Expeditionary Unit load a simulatedcasualty onto a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter whileconducting convoy operations training May 13,2004.The training was part of the MEU’s Training in an Urban Environment Exercise, giving theMarines experience in dealing with urban combatsituations they may face on their upcoming deploy-ment. During the training the Marines simulatedbeing ambushed by persons using improvisedexplosive devices on the side of the road.TRUEXallowed the Marines of the MEU to train in urbancombat scenarios. Photo by Sgt. Zachary A. Bathon

May 28, 2004 U.S. forces in Iraq average about 2,000 patrols in a 24-hourperiod, with an average of 300 being joint patrols with Iraqicoalition partners; Iraqi security forces are conducting anadditional 150 independent patrols, according to Maj. Gen.John F. Sattler, the U.S. Central Command operations director.

HomeTraining

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. – Lance Cpl. FranciscoJ. Conroy, a mortarman with Weapons Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines,stands guard by a door and provides security for other Marines whosearch for mock insurgents, weapons and explosives.The Marineswere the first of several battalions with the 1st Marine Division practicing security and stabilization operations at the village ofMatilda, a simulated Iraqi village on the air base, before redeploymentto Iraq. Some of the nearly 400 vacant homes on March Air ReserveBase were turned into mosques, cafes, police stations and many otherbuildings to add a bit more believability to the scenario.The traininggave Marines an idea of what life will be like in the upcoming months.Photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

May 29, 2004 The Marines of Combat Service Support Bn. 7 havelogged more than 140,000 miles on the roads of Iraq todeliver more than 6.5 million pounds of repair parts,supplies and equipment to the 1st Marine Division and3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

May 30, 2004 The World War II memorial on the National Mallin Washington is officially dedicated.

47

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. –Lance Cpl. Charles C. Shipman, 20, a Corinth, Miss., native and machine gunner from 3rd Bn.,5th Marines, aims his machine gun downrange for a practice run at Range 400 May 13, 2004.

The 11-day live-fire training exercise is a for dress rehearsal for the regiment which is preparing for operations in another desert half a world away. With more than 950 square

miles of desert, the center offers large training areas and challenging terrain. After this the regiment will gear up for Combined Arms Exercise, which encompasses all the skills

a Marine Air Ground Task Force is required to perform in a real-world operation.Photo by Cpl. Robert M. Storm

June 1, 2004 Marines from 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines, screen more than 30 Iraqi

men for potential recruits for the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

Marine Profile: Cpl. Charles A. Brown

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq –While on guard duty each morning,

Cpl. Charles A. Brown, a 1st Marine Divisiontopographic analyst, greets everybody whoenters and leaves the command operations

center. Brown, 22, of Victorville, Calif.,joined the Marine Corps in May 2000,

after graduating a year early from Victor Valley High School.

Photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

June 3, 2004 The Belleau Wood Expeditionary Strike Group, with 4,000Marines and sailors commanded by Brig. Gen. Joseph V.Medina, are underway from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, andheaded to the Western Pacific in support of the war onterrorism. Brig. Gen. Medina is the first Marine general to ever be assigned as a commander of naval ships.

June 5, 2004 After a six-month deployment in support ofOperations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom,more than 335 sailors from Patrol Squadron 47return to Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

June 6, 2004 Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, dies at the age of 93.

June 4, 2004 Country music star Toby Keith and rock legend TedNugent, perform for a crowd of I Marine ExpeditionaryForce Marines and sailors at Camp Fallujah, Iraq.

InTown

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June 11, 2004 Nearly 500 Marines attend first the Friday NightFights boxing event in Camp Al Asad, Iraq.

June 7, 2004 Marine Attack Squadron 214, MarineAircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, along with its sister squadron Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542, MAG-14, 2nd MAW, arrive to Al Asad, Iraq, to augment MAG-16, 3rd MAW.

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LOS ANGELES – Capt. Brian Manifor, operations officer,Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San

Diego, pays his final respects to Staff Sgt. Allan Walker at Los Angeles National Cemetery April 23, 2004. Walker, 28,

a Lancaster native, who served with B Co., 1st Recruit Training Bn., prior to his deployment, was killed by hostile fire April 6, 2004, in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

Photo by Sgt. Ethan E. Rocke

June 14, 2004 Marines from the ground combat element of Marine Air-Ground Task Force 8 begin returning to the United States after completing more than three months of stability and security operations in Haiti.

July 24, 2004 A 900-page 9/11 Commission Report, releasedby U.S. Congress, analyzes the events leadingup to Sept. 11, 2001, and points to internalproblems within the FBI, CIA and the NationalSecurity Agency.

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SAN DIEGO – The color guard from Headquarters andService Bn., Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, joined color guards from the Navy and Coast Guard Aug. 29, 2003, atQualcomm Stadium to kick off the festivities at the San DiegoChargers’ 15th annual Salute to the Military. “It was a real honorto represent the Marine Corps in front of all those people,”said Lance Cpl.Yuri Schneider, a member of the color guard.“It was an awesomefeeling to be down on the field whileeveryone in thestands chanted ‘USA’over and over. It mademe even more proudto be a Marine.”Photo by Cpl. Ethan E. Rocke

June 21, 2004 Space Ship One, built by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, wentover space’s 62-mile boundary to become the first privatemanned spacecraft to fly to the edge of space and back.

June 19, 2004 Marines from L Co., 3rd Bn., 1st Marines, leave Camp Pendleton,Calif., for Iraq.

June 20, 2004 Marines and sailors fromCombat Service SupportDetachment 20 leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to returnto Camp Lejeune, N.C.

InTownI T HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE MARINE CORPS

continues to exist because “the American public wants a Marine Corps.” The Corps

gives back in return. Marines give their service inthe global war on terror, operations around theworld, humanitarian aid to those in need, assistanceto nations on the verge of civil war, and countlessother locations to help protect freedom. Marinesgive equally at home—intertwined in America.Off base, “in town” and throughout American communities, Marines and the Corps’ supportersdevote themselves to service.

Baseball games, community events, retirementhomes and local schools are only a few of the locations we have grown accustomed to findingMarines. They present flags to honor our nation,provide Marine bands to entertain, visit the elderlyto remind them we care, and assist schools to support our teachers building a solid foundation for our children.

Motivation, as they say, is contagious. Beyond the front gates of the base, others join in the paradeof community involvement. The Young Marinesprogram devotes itself to helping children build character, teamwork and live a healthy lifestyle.The Marine Moms organization provides a way for others to connect so they can help inform andsupport their community. And the Toys for Tots program unites community members and Marines in a common cause to bring a message of hope and happiness to needy children.

No matter whether they are coordinating theMarine Corps marathon for thousands of runners or paying silent tribute to a fallen comrade, Marinesunderstand their call to serve their town, communityand nation.

By Lt. Col. Greg Reeder, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN – Sgt. Anthony Viggiani, 24, of Strongsville, Ohio, pauses after a fierce firefight with anti-coalition militia

in central Afghanistan. Sometime during the fight, an enemy bullet fired by ACM fighters further up the valley, sliced through Viggiani’s lower left leg.

Despite the wound, Viggiani continued to engage the enemy with rifle fire until the area was cleared and a total of one wounded and four dead enemy

fighters were found. Viggiani is a squad leader in C Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd

Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

Marine Profile: Sgt. Anthony Viggiani

51

June 30, 2004 Marines raised the American flag at thenew U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq,marking the first time an American flaghas flown there in 13 years.

June 28, 2004 Two days early, the United States turnsover sovereign control of Iraq to aninterim Iraqi government.

July 2, 2004 The Marines from 3rd Bn., 1st Marines, known as the “Thundering Third,” conducts a battalion-sized raid in Al Anbar province, cordoning As Serifah, a village east of Kharma. The Marines detain high-value targets and uncover stores of weapons and improvised explosive devices.

July 7, 2004 Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron273 and soldiers from the Army’s 767th EngineerTeam fight a fire that swept through Camp Al Asad, Iraq, burning the belongings of more than 100 Marines.

ARLINGTON, Va. – More than 21,000runners surged across the starting line atthe 28th Annual Marine Corps MarathonOct. 26, 2003.The 26.2-mile course beganand ended near the Marine Corps WarMemorial across the Potomac River fromWashington and passed near several land-marks of the Washington area, including thePentagon, the Lincoln Memorial and theWashington Monument.Photo by Lance Cpl. J. Agg

MARSHALL, N.C. –Marines and future Marines fromRecruiting Substation Ashevilleand Recruiting Station, Columbia,S.C., get together for a celebra-tion with sparklers July 4, 2004.The team spent part of theirweekend here participating in a rodeo to celebrateIndependence Day.Photo by Sgt. Eric Lucero

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FallenBrothers-In-ArmsMarines who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terror from Jan. 9, 2002-Sept. 20, 2004.

• Capt. Matthew W. Bancroft,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Bertrand,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Gunnery Sgt. Stephen L. Bryson,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Staff Sgt. Scott N. Germosen,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Sgt. Nathan P. Hays,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Capt. Daniel G. McCollum,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Sgt. Jeannette L. Winters,Jan. 9, 2002, Pakistan

• Staff Sgt. Walter F. Cohee III,Jan. 20, 2002, Afghanistan

• Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan,Jan. 20, 2002, Afghanistan

• Lance Cpl. Antonio J. Sledd,Oct. 8, 2002, Kuwait

• Pfc. James R. Dillon Jr.,March 13, 2003, Kuwait

• Maj. Jay Thomas Aubin,March 21, 2003, Kuwait

• Capt. Ryan Anthony Beaupre,March 21, 2003, Kuwait

• 2nd Lt. Therrel S. Childers,March 21, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez,March 21, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Brian Matthew Kennedy,March 21, 2003, Kuwait

• Staff Sgt. Kendall Damon Waters-Bey,March 21, 2003, Kuwait

• Sgt. Nicholas M. Hodson,March 22, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Eric James Orlowski,March 22, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Michael E. Bitz,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Brian Rory Buesing,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline, Jr.,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. David K. Fribley,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Jose A. Garibay,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Jorge A. Gonzalez,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Jordan,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Brendon C. Reiss,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Thomas J. Slocum,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair,March 24, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Evan T. James,March 24, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Patrick R. Nixon,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Frederick E. Pokorney Jr.,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Randal Kent Rosacker,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams,March 23, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess,March 25, Iraq

• Pfc. Francisco A. Martinez-Flores,March 25, 2003, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr.,March 25, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Patrick T. O’Day,March 25, 2003, Iraq

• Major Kevin G. Nave,March 26, 2003, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa,March 27, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar,March 27, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez,March 28, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Robert M. Rodriguez,March 28, 2003, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. James W. Cawley,March 29, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. William W. White,March 29, 2003, Iraq

• Capt. Aaron J. Contreras,March 30, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Michael V. Lalush,March 30, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Brian D. McGinnis,March 30, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Maglione,April 1, 2003, Kuwait

• Lance Cpl. Brian E. Anderson,April 2, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Christian D. Gurtner,April 2, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Chad E. Bales,April 3, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Mark A. Evnin,April 3, 2003, Iraq

• Capt. Travis A. Ford,April 4, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Bernard G. Gooden,April 4, 2003, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Brian M. McPhillips,April 4, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Duane R. Rios,April 4, 2003, Iraq

• Capt. Benjamin W. Sammis,April 4, 2003, Iraq

• 1st Sgt. Edward Smith,April 5, 2003, Qatar

• Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles,April 7, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin,April 7, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Juan Guadalupe Garza Jr.,April 8, 2003, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Jeffrey E. Bohr, Jr.,April 10, 2003, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Riayan A. Tejeda,April 11, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Jesus A. Gonzalez,April 12, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. David Edward Owens Jr.,April 12, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez,April 14, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Jason David Mileo,April 14, 2003, Iraq

• CWO2 Andrew Todd Arnold,April 22, 2003, Iraq

• CWO2 Robert William Channell Jr.,April 22, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Alan Dinh Lam,April 22, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Cedric E. Bruns,May 9, 2003, Kuwait

• Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith,May 10, 2003, Kuwait

• Lance Cpl. Jakub Henryk Kowalik,May 12, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Jose Franci Gonzalez Rodriguez,May 12, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Douglas Jose Marencoreyes,May 18, 2003, Iraq

• Capt. Andrew David LaMont,May 19, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jason William Moore,May 19, 2003, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Timothy Louis Ryan,May 19, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Kirk Allen Straseskie,May 19, 2003, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Aaron Dean White,May 19, 2003, Iraq

• Sgt. Jonathan W. Lambert,June 1, 2003, Germany (from injuries in Iraq)

• Capt. Seth R. Michaud,June 6, 2003, Djibouti

• Pfc. Ryan R. Cox,June 15, 2003

• Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald,June 25, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jason Andrew Tetrault,July 9, 2003, Kuwait

• Lance Cpl. Cory Ryan Geurin,July 15, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Matthew G. Milczark,March 8, 2004, Kuwait

• Pfc. Ricky A. Morris Jr.,March 18, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Brandon C. Smith,March 18, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. David M. Vicente,March 19, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Andrew S. Dang,March 22, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Bradley S. Korthaus,March 24, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. James A. Casper,March 25, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Leroy Sandoval Jr.,March 26, 2004, Iraq

• Master Sgt. Timothy Toney,March 27, 2004, Kuwait

• Lance Cpl. William J. Wiscowiche,March 30, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Dustin M. Sekula,April 1, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Aric J. Barr,April 3, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Erik H. Silva,April 3, 2003, Iraq

• Cpl. Tyler R. Fey,April 4, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Geoffery S. Morris,April 4, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Shane L. Goldman,April 5, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Moises A. Langhorst,April 5, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Christopher Ramos,April 5, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Matthew K. Serio,April 5, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Jesse L. Thiry,April 5, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Benjamin R. Carman,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Marcus M. Cherry,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Christopher R. Cobb,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Kyle D. Crowley,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Deryk L. Hallal,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Ryan M. Jerabek,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Anthony P. Roberts,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Travis J. Layfield,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Allan K. Walker,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• 2nd Lt. John T. Wroblewski,April 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Christopher D. Mabry,April 7, 2004, Iraq

• Capt. Brent L. Morel,April 7, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Levi T Angell,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Nicholas J. Dieruf,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Phillip E. Frank,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. William M. Harrell,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Joshua M. Palmer,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael B. Wafford,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Christopher B Wasser,April 8, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Eric A. Ayon,April 9, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Matthew E. Matula,April 9, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Chance R. Phelps,April 9, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Michael R. Speer,April 9, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Elias Torrez III,April 9, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. John T. Sims Jr.,April 10, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Daniel R. Amaya,April 11, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray,April 11, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Brad S. Shuder,April 12, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Robert P. Zurheide Jr.,April 12, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Kevin T. Kolm,April 13, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Jimmy J. Arroyave,April 15, 2004, Iraq

• Capt. Richard J. Gannon II,April 17, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael J. Smith Jr.,April 17, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Ruben Valdez Jr.,April 17, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Gary F. VanLeuven,April 17, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Christopher A. Gibson,April 18, 2004

• Cpl. Jason L. Dunham,April 22, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Aaron C. Austin,April 26, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Scott M. Vincent,April 30, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Joshua S. Wilfong,April 30, 2004, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Ronald E. Baum,May 3, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Jeffrey G. Green,May 5, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Dustin H. Schrage,May 6, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Ronald R. Payne Jr.,May 8, 2004, Afghanistan

• Lance Cpl. Jeremiah E. Savage,May 12, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Brian K. Cutter,May 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Nicholas B. Kleiboeker,May 13, 2003, Iraq

• Pfc. Brandon C. Sturdy,May 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Bob W. Roberts,May 17, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Michael M. Carey,May 18, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Rudy Salas,May 20, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Zabierek,May 21, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Jorge A. Molina Bautista,May 23, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Codner,May 26, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Matthew C. Henderson,May 26, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Dominique J. Nicolas,May 26, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Cody S. Calavan,May 29, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Benjamin R. Gonzalez,May 29, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Rafael Reynosasuarez,May 29, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Sides,May 31, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Bum R. Lee,June 2, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Todd J. Bolding,June 3, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jeremy L. Bohlman,June 7, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Sean Horn,June 19, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Marvin Best,June 20, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Russell P. White,June 20, 2004, Afghanistan

• Lance Cpl. Pedro Contreras,June 21, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez,June 21, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Deshon E. Otey,June 21, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Tommy L. Parker Jr.,June 21, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Daniel B. McClenney,June 24, 2004, Afghanistan

• Lance Cpl. Juston T. Thacker,June 24, 2004, Afghanistan

• Lance Cpl. Manuel A. Ceniceros,June 26, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Adle,June 29, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Alan D. Sherman,June 29, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. John H. Todd III,June 29, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Kenneth Conde Jr.,July 1, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Timothy R. Creager,July 1, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Travis J. Bradachnall,July 2, 2003, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. James B. Huston Jr.,July 2, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Dallas L. Kerns,July 5, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael S. Torres,July 5, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. John J. Vangyzen IV,July 5, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Rodricka A. Youmans,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Scott E. Dougherty,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Justin T. Hunt,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Jeffrey D. Lawrence,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Scott E. Dougherty,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Rodricka A. Youmans,July 6, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Terry Holmes,July 10, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Krisna Nachampassak,July 10, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Christopher J. Reed,July 10, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Trevor Spink,July 10, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Kelly,July 16, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. Michael J. Clark,July 20, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Todd J. Godwin,July 20, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Mark E. Engel,July 21, 2004, Texas(from injuries in Iraq)

• Lance Cpl. Vincent M. Sullivan,July 23, 2004, Iraq

• Lt. Col. David S. Greene,July 28, 2004, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Shawn A. Lane,July 28, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Dean P. Pratt,Aug. 2, 2004, Iraq

• Capt. Gregory A Ratzlaff,Aug. 3, 2004, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Elia P. Fontecchio,Aug. 4, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Joseph L. Nice,Aug. 4, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Yadir G. Reynoso,Aug. 5, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Moses D. Rocha,Aug. 5, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Roberto Abad,Aug. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Larry L. Wells,Aug. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jonathan W. Collins,Aug. 8, 2004, Iraq

• Staff Sgt. John R. Howard,Aug. 11, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Tavon L. Hubbard,Aug. 11, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Kane M. Funke,Aug. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Nicholas B. Morrison,Aug. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Fernando B. Hannon,Aug. 15, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Geoffrey Perez,Aug. 15, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Caleb J. Powers,Aug 17, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Richard M. Lord,Aug. 18, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Harvey E. Parkerson III,Aug 18, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Dustin R. Fitzgerald,Aug 18, 2004, Iraq

• Gunnery Sgt. Edward T. Reeder,Aug. 21, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Jason Cook,Aug. 21, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Nicanor Alvarez,Aug. 21, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Seth Huston,Aug. 21, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Nachez Washalanta,Aug. 21, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Christopher Belchik,Aug. 22, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Jacob R. Lugo,Aug. 24, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Alexander S. Arredondo,Aug. 25, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Nicholas M. Skinner,Aug. 26, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Nickalous N. Aldrich,Aug. 27, 2004, Iraq

• Sgt. Edgar E. Lopez,Aug. 28, 2004, Iraq

• Capt. Alan Rowe,Sept. 3, 2004, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester,Sept. 3, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Nicholas Perez,Sept. 3, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt,Sept. 3, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Mick R. Nygardbekowsky,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael J. Allred,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Derek L. Gardner,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Quinn A. Keith,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Joseph C. McCarthy,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Lamont N. Wilson,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. David P. Burridge,Sept. 6, 2004, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Alexander E. Wetherbee,Sept. 12, 2004, Iraq

• Pfc. Jason T. Poindexter,Sept. 12, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Jaygee Meluat,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Adrian V. Soltau,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Dominic C. Brown,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Michael J. Halal,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Cesar F. Machado-Olmos,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Mathew D. Puckett,Sept. 13, 2004, Iraq

• Maj. Kevin M. Shea,Sept. 14, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Gregory C. Howman,Sept. 15, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Drew M. Uhles,Sept. 15, 2004, Iraq

• 1st Lt. Andrew K. Stern,Sept. 16, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Steven A. Rintamaki,Sept 16, 2004, Iraq

• Cpl. Christopher S. Ebert,Sept. 17, 2004, Iraq

• Lance Cpl. Steven C. T. Cates,Sept. 20, 2004, Iraq

SEMPER FIDELIS