Two LAR and CAAT 1&2

2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, and Combined Anti-Aircraft Teams 1 and 2, conduct a combined arms live fire weapons training Djibouti March 13, 2010 . photo Lance Cpl. David J. Beall

Survive in the Desert

U.S. Marines and Sailors attached to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) spent 24 hours with French army instructors with the 5th Regiment March 9, 2010, in Djibouti learning what it takes to survive in the desert without rations or water. The Marines will be operating in Djibouti for approximately one month. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David J. Beall/

2LAR Sgt. Frank J. World KIA AFG

DOD Announcement:

The following Marines died April 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Lance Cpl. Tyler O. Griffin, 19, of Voluntown, Conn.

Sgt. Frank J. World, 25, of Buffalo, N.Y.

Griffin was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

World was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Buffalo News...

When the remains of Marine Sgt. Frank J. A. World return home today, it will be with full honors.

The plane bearing Sgt. World, who was killed a week ago in Afghanistan, is scheduled to land at noon at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and then his flag-draped coffin will be escorted by state police and a Buffalo Fire Department truck to Amigone Funeral Home, 2600 Sheridan Drive, Town of Tonawanda.

His older brother, Larry, is a Buffalo firefighter.

An honor guard will be on hand at the funeral home, where a wake is set from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p. m. Saturday and Sunday.

Services will be at 10 a. m. Monday in the funeral home, followed by a procession to Forest Lawn, where the 25-year-old serviceman will be laid to rest.

“I’m happy that my hero is finally going to be home. The support from everybody has been unbelievable, and I’m glad my husband is getting the recognition he deserves,” Beth World said.

Sgt. World was killed last week by an improvised explosive device while he was traveling in a light-armored vehicle in Marjah, the site of a major offensive by Marines against the Taliban more than a month ago.

In addition to being a member of the Marine Corps, which he joined after graduating from Riverside Institute of Technology in 2003, he had achieved a black belt in tae kwon do, learned how to play the guitar on his own and enjoyed rock climbing, writing poetry and songs, and pencil drawing.

In the Marines, he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

Surviving, in addition to Sgt. World’s wife, the former Beth Zielinski, and brother, are a 3- year-old son, Jacob; a 3-month-old daughter, Lilly; his mother, Susan World-Missana; and a sister, Candy Rodriguez.

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/09/1013808/sgt-frank-j-a-world-marine-who.html

Lou Michel

Buffalo News Family, friends and fellow soldiers greeted the body of Sgt. Frank J. A. World when it arrived by jet at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station today. World, who was raised on Buffalo's West Side, was killed April 1 in Afghanistan.

The remains of United States Marine Corps Sgt. Frank World is transferred at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Friday, April 9, 2010. Family members say they were told the father of two died when his light armored vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device during a combat mission in Afghanistan.

TOWS on LIne

TOW platoon, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion evening patrol Camp Montieth 06/22/1999 Operation JOINT GUARDIAN Kosovo. "Camp Monteith- military base near Gnjilane, Kosovo^[a] located 20 miles (32 km) east of Camp Bondsteel. A former Serb artillery outpost and 79 parcels of private land, the area was taken over by U.S. Marines and used as a base of operation during the Kosovo War of 1999. The camp was named after Jimmie W. Monteith, MOH"/Wikipedia USMC Photo SGT CRAIG J. SHELL.

Blankenship

Sgt. Chad Blankenship, radio operator 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, cleaning his "War Pig" aka LAV-25 light armored vehicle on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 17, 2008. USMC photo Lance Cpl. Kelly R. Chase

Two LAR

Marines with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
stand outside an LAV-25 armored personnel carrier at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, April 24, 2005, during a break from a building-clearing mission. The mission target was a suspected source of improvised explosive devices. USMC photo Lance Cpl. Kevin N. McCall

Bascom

Sgt Bascom , 2nd LAR, Cap Haitien airport Operation Uphold Democracy. 10/1/1994.
USMC photo LCpl Olguin

War Pig On Point

Two LAR war pig on checkpoint -Fallujah, Al Anbar Province, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2004.
photo USAF Senior Airmen Christopher A. Marasky

ISO Downed Pilot:Officer Dude! This way...

September: Two LAR War Pigs are in the Camp Lejune, NC week long drill course on tactical recovery of aircraft personnel. The line "Officer Dude! This way..." is from another hotly contested recovery of a downed US pilot caught between Saddam forces and US Army. The confused pilot, trapped in the middle, couldn't figure out who the friendlies were-both were firing and both yelling at him in English until finally he heard one side yell: "Officer Dude! This way..." USMC photo Lance Cpl. David J. Beall

Two LAR Chaplin Navy Lt. Raymond Rivers

Navy Chaplin Lt. Raymond Rivers is on his second tour with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and today is the subject of a WAPO feature story: A Man of the Cloth and Uniform
gallery of Nikki Kahn photos Faith in the Desert with the men of Charlie Company, Two LAR

In July 2008 Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson Regimental Combat Team -wrote about the chaplin and also took the pictures for his story on the widows of Rutbah:

By Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson
Regimental Combat Team -5


RUTBAH, Iraq – A man of faith gave blessings to more than 10 families without fathers recently.

Navy Lt. Raymond Rivers, a chaplain with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, and Marines with Security Platoon, 2nd LAR packed up and delivered food and supplies to widows, July 16.

"I'm very happy with this project and helping the widows of this city," said Rivers, 43, from Anderson, S.C. "It's an outstanding opportunity to help them establish themselves."

During the mission, the Marines loaded a group of Iraqi police trucks with supplies for transportation to the city council building here. Upon arrival at the building, Iraqi policemen and the members of the Security Platoon emptied the supplies for future distribution to more than 10 families that have been raised by widows.

"I would like to say thanks for helping them," said Imam Mahmud Ahmid Modhen, 65, Islam leader of Rutbah. "Family is very important to these women, and it's hard to raise them without a husband."

The event brought hope and happiness to the city council because of the selfless promise and execution by Rivers. It served as another bonding element between the people of Rutbah and coalition forces.

"My logic is to treat people the way you want to be treated," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg S. Bennett, 29, religious program specialist, 2nd LAR, from Decatur, Ga. "If I was on the other side of the fence, I would want somebody to help me."

Rivers and the imam met after the event to schedule more operations to benefit the families.

According to Rivers, it has been a breakthrough to combine minds with a region's leader of a different religion

"This has been one of the highlights for me and (Petty Officer 2nd Class) Bennett's time out here," said Rivers. "We want the best for the people and it's great to help them."
.

Two LAR Sgt. Ryan H. Lane died of wounds

Sgt. Ryan H. Lane

The Department of Defense announced today the death of Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Sgt. Lane died July 23 of wounds suffered during incoming mortar fire against his company compound.

Marine Sgt. Ryan H. Lane is the son of retired Castle Shannon, PA. police Chief Harold Lane and leaves behind a wife of nearly three years. Two LAR has been in sustained combat operations in the Helmand Province for the past month. On July 11, Master Sgt. Jerome Hatfield and Lance Cpl. Pedro Barbozaflores were killed during an IED attack while moving from their company position to battalion HQ.