MPs in Garmsir

Cpl. Thomas Couch, right, MP Co., Five/Ten with one of his Marines during a joint security patrol with Afghan National Police (ANP) officers in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 12, 2009.USMC Photo Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

Bravo One Five

Lance Cpl. Randell Norman, Bravo, One Five, crosses a stream during a security patrol Sept 3,2009 USMC photo Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg



Marine with Bravo Company, One Five exits a compound during a security patrol Sept 3 in the Nawa district, Helmand province. USMC photo LCpl. Jeremy Harris

How to Hoist Your Howitzer Class at India Battery 3/11 photos Christopher Rye

Marines with Gun Three, India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment fasten ropes and chains to an M777A2 Lightweight Howitzer during training for helicopter transport
Cpl. Matthew Esquivel, left, and Lance Cpl. Edgar Carachure fasten chains to an M777A2 Lightweight Howitzer for training on helicopter transport at Fire Base Fiddler's Green
Lance Cpl. William McClellan fastens ropes for training on helicopter transport of an M777A2 Lightweight Howitzer at Fire Base Fiddler's Green in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2009.

Staff Sgt. Stephen Lapek, India Battery, 3/11th, teaches a class for fellow Marines on the proper procedure for rigging an M777A2 lightweight howitzer for helicopter transport at Fire Base Fiddler's Green, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2009.USMCphoto Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Teach

Lance Cpl. Kristopher Marku and Lance Cpl. Andres Luna, with Bravo, One Five, teach English words to an Afghan boy. USMC photo Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg,

Death of a US Marine

Lance Cpl. John J. Malone, 24, of Yonkers, N.Y., died Sept. 24 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Fore, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. DOD news release

Late Night At FOB Geronimo with One Five

A Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion prepares to unload a heavy equipment CAT in support of One Five, at Forward Operatiing Base Geronimo Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 9, 2009. The bobcat will build a new road. USMC Photo SSgt William Greeson

3/11 Sweep

Sgt. Cody Bourdeau, left, scans the area as Cpl. Matthew Walters sweeps for improvised explosive devices during a patrol in the Three Eleven area in Helmand province Sept. 8, 2009.
USMC photo Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

On Your Six, America-Cpl. Rebecca Stinsky

Cpl. Rebecca Stinsky, airframe and hydraulic mechanic, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron(HMH) 772, receives air crew wings from Gunnery Sgt. Everett Cooke, crew chief with HMH-772, during a ceremony at Camp Bastion Airfield, Helmand province, Sept. 10, 2009.
USMC photo Sgt Timothy Brumley

On Your Six, America:LCpl. Tim Myers, Charlie One Five

Lance Cpl. Tim Myers, Charlie One Five, on security watch at an outpost in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Sept. 17, 2009. USMC photo LCpl. Jeremy Harris

Rare Moment of Truth in The UN Cesspool of Lies

Exit Entry Control Point at Fire Base Fiddler's Green

Off on another patrol around Fire Base Fiddler's Green, Staff Sgt. William Eddy leaves the "gate" but in USMC parlance is the entry control point (ECP) . Outside the ECP is lock and load country otherwise known as Helmand province on Sept. 8, 2009. USMC photo shot by
Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Helmand from the Air

Sgt. Woods J. Pepperman, crew chief Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169, scans a field in the Helmand province for anything suspicious during an aerial reconnaissance mission Sept. 2, 2009. USMC photo shot by Lance Cpl. Samuel A. Nasso

Awards and Return Home for Echo/4th LAR

Story/photos Cpl. Robert MorganCAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq - Lt. Col. Kenneth R. Kassner, the commanding officer of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, officially relieved the Marines of Company E of their duties during a ceremony held aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2009.

The company, a reserve unit based out of Syracuse, N.Y., was augmented to 3rd LAR Bn from 4th LAR Bn to serve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2008 to October 2009. For more than 150 days they lived and operated out of their armored vehicles as they conducted continuous combat operations in Ninewa province, Iraq.

Although the company is an organic element of a reserve unit, Kassner attributed their success throughout the deployment to their ability to seamlessly blend with the active components of 3rd LAR Bn.

"Your integration into 3rd LAR Bn allowed the unit to become a stronger, more capable war fighting team," Kassner said to the Marines.

Kassner also recognized five Marines within Company E with Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals for the superior performance of their duties which significantly contributed to the battalion's overall mission accomplishment.

One of the award recipients, Sgt. Nicholas J. Castaneda, a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical specialist by trade, served as a Joint Coordination Center operator during the battalion's fifth deployment and his second. He was credited withleading eight combat missions to interdict smugglers along the Syrian border while exposing himself to a high level of risk, which
resulted in the seizure of millions of illegally smuggled tobacco products and several weapons systems.

His award citation also recognized his work to improve the partnership between U.S. and Iraqi security forces. But it is the camaraderie and strong bond that he developed with the rest of the battalion's leathernecks that he will mostly remember and cherish.

"I met some of the best Marines and some of the greatest friends I will ever know," he said of his fellow Marines. "I am going to take the camaraderie we built with each other and cherish it forever."

Before Castaneda and the rest of the Marines in Company E were able to build that mutual bond of trust and camaraderie, they first had to show their active duty comrades that they were just as hard core and dedicated to accomplishing the mission as the rest of the 'Wolfpack' - the nickname and call sign of the battalion since its activation in the 1990s.

"We have had more to prove and had to raise the bar because of the stereotypes that come with being reservists," Castaneda explained. "But we proved to the battalion and to ourselves that we can accomplish any mission given to us."

Now that the company will return home and demobilize, the men of the "Grappler" company, as they are affectionately known, will go back to the United States to pick up where they left off as firefighters, police officers, engineers, plumbers and college students, among other occupations.
Regardless of their civilian jobs, the battalion CO was impressed with the Marines' performance in light of the fact that they operated for so long in such brutal conditions.

"The nature of our mission can truly be considered expeditionary and it's a testament to the caliber of our Marines that they were able to conduct operations with their Iraqi counterparts of the 11th [Iraqi Army] Brigade in one of the most austere and geopolitically dynamic regions in Iraq." He said.

As Kassner went on to say in his speech to his men, the Marines of Company E have earned their place in Wolfpack history because they exemplified the motto of 3rd LAR Bn - 'the strength of the wolf is the pack and the strength of the pack is the wolf.'

Nicholas Zamoos Signals

What a great name-Nicholas Zamoos. The name sounds like the owner would be a close friend and confident of Sherlock Holmes. Nicholas Zamoos(background) signals Lance Cpl. Timothy Meyers to position the aiming stake while conducting line of sight for a 120 mm mortar system at Forward Operating Base Cherokee. Zamoos and Meyers belong to Weapons Platoon, Charlie One Five.
photo Sgt. Freddy G. Cantu

India 3/11 C.O.

Capt. Chad Althiser, left, inspects damages to an Afghan man's home in the Helmand province of Afghanistan Sept. 5, 2009, as 1st Lt. Julio Aguilera, far right, prepares a claims form for the owner. Capt. Althiser is the commanding officer of India Battery, 3/11. Aguilera is an intelligence officer attached to HQ. Battery.USMC photo Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Its Fall. It's LAR Football. At 29 Stumps

4th LAR and 2nd LAR Marines play a friendly game of touch football with 3rd Force Recon. one early Sept. 16, morning. The prevailing theory is that the cool morning temperature allows the Marines to have a good short cardiovascular workout before the start of the day's enhanced Mojave Viper training. Ok. USMC Photo shot by CWO2 Keith A. Stevenson

September War Pig

First Day of Fall-September War Pig Photo:HQ. USMC

Alpha 4th LAR Action Drills

Second Platoon, Alpha , 4th LAR, Marines in an immediate action drill at Twenty Nine Stumps.
photo CWO2 Keith A. Stevenson

Shot Out

Marines with Alpha,One Five, fire 81 mm illumination mortar rounds Sept. 2, 2009. The rounds are fired in response to small arms fire from a nearby field. photo Lance Cpl. Phillip Elgie

The Den Beste Amendment To The U.S. Constitution

Den Beste Admendment to the Constitution
Cross posted from Hot Air and Chizumatic

1. An Interstate Commercial Transaction as referred to in Article I, Section 8, only exists when the buyer and seller are residents of different states, and the buyer gives money to the seller in exchange for products and/or services which are delivered from one state to another. Congress has no power to regulate commercial transactions which take place within a state between residents of that state, and the Commerce Clause of Article I, Section 8, shall not be construed to grant Congress power to regulate anything which is not commerce.
2. Because it is important for America citizens who are not members of the Armed Forces to be able to protect themselves, their families, their property, their fellow citizens, and the nation as a whole, the right of private citizens over 18 years of age who are not convicted felons to purchase, possess, and carry firearms and ammunition shall not be infringed by federal, state, or local law.
3. Hanging as a form of capital punishment is permitted under the Constitution of the United States, provisions of Amendment Eight notwithstanding.
4. No court in the United States shall be guided by precedents established by courts in other nations or by international tribunals. The United States Constitution and the laws and treaties created under its authority shall be the sole source for all legal decisions within the sovereign territory of the United States.
5. No person shall serve more than 8 years as a US Representative or 12 years as a US Senator.
6. No provision of any treaty shall be enforceable within the United States if it infringes the rights of citizens as recognized by this Constitution.
7. Neither Congress nor any state or local government shall make any law infringing the right of the people to produce and release carbon dioxide. No taxes or fees may be charged for such release.
8. In lawsuits where lawyers work on contingency, the lawyers collectively may not receive a greater percentage of the award than any single one of the clients they represent.
9. It is double jeopardy for a defendant to be criminally tried in both State and Federal court for the same event, even if the indictments read differently. In cases in which both State and Federal prosecutors wish to prosecute, the State shall have priority.
10. Neither the federal government nor any state or locality may pass any law or implement any policy which discriminates against or in favor of any person on the basis of race, gender, or national origin.

Major Richard D. Joyce--Distinguished Flying Cross

Marine Major Richard D. Joyce, an AH-1W Cobra pilot with the Vipers of MAG 40, received the Distinguished Flying Cross with combat distinguishing device from his previous commanding officer, Army Colonel Clayton M. Hutmacher, the commanding officer of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. "Major Joyce provided fire support for a ground force pinned down by enemy fire. His actions allowed the troops to break contact and move to an extraction point. He remained in contact after his wingman's aircraft was damaged by hostile fire and conducted numerous close engagements against multiple vehicle mounted air defense artillery systems," according to the award citation signed by Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Conway. USMC photo HMLA-169

Cherokee Antenna

Marines from Charlie One Five assemble an updated communication antenna at FOB Cherokee Aug. 31, 2009, in Helmand Province. photo Sgt. Freddy G. Cantu

Orwell's Six Rules To Blog By

------------------ George Orwell

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Six is my favorite. Five I decline. I mean. I mean. If your sitting there, sitting right there, in the group W bench and you want to know what 2/8 means or Bravo one five or 3/11 means. Shoot. If you're here. Searching for Dragon Skin Info or maybe you want to see if there is something on your hearts treasure. Don't matter. If you are here and you need to have Bravo One Five explained? Molly, you in danger girl! As in you have no business hanging out here. First off you should know that I totally detest DOD Rules that mandate platoon, company, regiment, combat team, division identification. What is this---the friendly neighborhood post office! Forgetaboutit! EXcuuuseemmmeee! Are we at war or not! I know. I know. Marines are at war. DOD is at the Mall. FOUR: easy peasie. Damn son. If you have come this far and still can not figure out that the passive voice lurks in ly's and ing's aka Modifiers-- DAMN boy! you're in world of hurt! Three, I adore. Two, I aspire(time limits permitting,....come on...paychecks still have to flogged. I'm not exactly making Guinness money here) One, well, there, there, you go again. This is why SIX is my favorite. Hang in there you all!

Living The Dream

Marines with HQ. Co. (RCT) 3 are living the dream as they take part in the Marine Corps martial arts program at Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2009.
photo Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

Prayers and 1/5

An Afghan man prays as a patrol from 1/5 passes by in search of the Taliban in the Helmand Province. USMC photo LCpl. John McCall

2/8 PMT ABP Patrol

The Afghan Border Police ABP and Marines attached to Police Mentoring Team PMT are looking for enemy forces after reports of enemy activity in the Helmand province area, Sept. 10, 2009. USMC photo Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

4th LAR Trains on Retina scanners

Lance Cpl. John Kim, an M-249 squad automatic machine gunner, Alpha, 4th LAR, uses a retina scanner. The hand held scanner is capable of interagency identification. Don't be HO HUM complacent about this technology. One of things that totally pisses me off the deep end is how we, the we as in leading the frigin world in technology, become braille blind to using this technology to help our Marines. A post from Feb. 2007 illustrates this point:"Major West, along with Spirit of America, a technology company called CDI, and (Bill Roggio), fielded "The Snake Eater," a biometric device that photographs, fingerprints and stores data about captured suspected insurgents, and then builds a networked picture on their family, history and activities."

Ok rant over....That was then and this is now....retinography and our 4th LAR

Retinography is used for identifying people by the pattern of blood vessels on the retina (the innermost coat of the back part of the eye). It requires the use of a special scanner about the size of a shoe-box that can map the unique pattern of blood vessels on the retina. The pattern is so complex that even identical twins do not have the same blood vessel configuration. Those who favor its use claim retinography has an error rate of only one in a million.

4th LAR Marines are learning to use the detection equipment under instruction of Michael Jelensky, a biometric adviser with the tactical training exercise control group, during training Sept. 12, 2009, at 29 Stumps, Calif.photo CWO2 Keith A. Stevenson

3/11 SitRep

Lance Cpl. Sean Allen, a radio operator attached to HQ.Battery, 3/11 prepares notes before giving a report to the combat operations center via radio while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2009. Photo Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

One Five Check points-Anderson Portable SMAW

Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Anderson searches an Afghan man at a vehicle checkpoint in the Nawa district of the Helmand province of Afghanistan Aug. 28, 2009. One Five Marines are checking vehicles at checkpoints to keep enemy insurgents (read GODLESS ORCs) from moving about free as a bird through the area. Anderson is carrying a shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon gunner AKA SMAW. The SMAW is 83.5 mm tube and fires 83 mm rockets. It is, as you can see for yourself, an Anderson -portable weapon system consisting of the MK153 Mod 0 launcher, the MK 3 Mod 0 encased HEDP rocket, the MK 6 Mod 0 encased HEAA rocket, and the MK217 Mod 0 spotting rifle cartridge. The launcher consists of a fiberglass launch tube, a 9 mm spotting rifle, an electro-mechanical firing mechanism, open battle sights with a mount for the MK42 Mod 0 Day Sight and the AN/PVS-4 night sight. Whew! I bet Anderson can make the pillars of heaven quake for them bad boys...don't you think?. Photo LCpl. John McCall

Fiddlers Green Foot Patrol

Lance Cpl. Alex Gendreau, radio operator with HQ Battery 3/11, carries the mine sweeper as the rest of the squad gets up to the starting line where they will saddle up for a foot patrol around Fire Base Fiddlers Green. They look all casual like , however, At the "starting gate" point they will put their helmets on, tighten chin straps, lock and load, aka chamber a round in their rifle, lock the safety on, get their space interval and set off once again in search of the Taliban evil doers.
photo Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye

Marines with Alpha One Five patrol through a cornfield in the Nawa district of Helmand province Aug. 27, 2009. photo Lance Cpl. John M. McCall

Alpha 4th LAR War Pigs at Mojave Viper

Lt. Jayson Yoss, with Alpha 4th LAR briefs 3rd Platoon during a Mojave Viper training exercise at MCAS 29 Stumps, Sept. 13, 2009. photo:CWO2 Keith A. Stevenson

Battery Walkies

"Cpl. Timothy A. Webb, left, and Lance Cpl. John Franke carry a Humvee battery during a patrol in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 6, 2009. Webb and Franke are amphibious assault vehicle operators." That's what the caption read. I know. I was thinking the same thing. Why? Why are two amphibious assault drivers, in land locked Afghanistan, taking a their battery out for a walk? Hummm. Well. There's a war on. Somethings you're just not meant to know. photo LCpl. John McCall

Sept. 17, 1787 The U.S. Constitution signed

Today is Constitution Day. Celebrate the Day at this site

Once a War Pig Mechanic--Always

Former Lance Cpl. Gary Morgan stands next to the light armored vehicle he traveled in during his first deployment to Iraq in 2003. Morgan finished his contract and left the Corps in 2004, but continues to serve today by repairing LAVs at Maintenance Center, Barstow, Calif. “The payoff for me is putting out a better vehicle for my friends that are still in,” said Gary Morgan, a heavy mobile equipment mechanic at Maintenance Center Barstow. Photo courtesy of Gary Morgan

Hot Work? Damn Hot Work

Lt. Mike Kuiper, H&S One Five, takes a break during a patrol in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2009. USMC Photo LCpl. Jeremy Harris

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

Mines and IED's FB Fiddlers Green

NCO's from Three Eleven, Cpl. Juventino Meza, left, sweep for mines or IED's as Cpl. Armando Rivas follows along in Helmand province, Afghanistan photo USMC Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Bronze Star-Captain Jason H. Dale

Captain Jason H. Dale was recognized for his work as a FAC with Alpha One Six during Operation Asada Wosa which included his cool demeanor under fire and his skills to make earth quakes and rain poison arrows from the sky with 181-2.75 inch rockets, 15 Hellfire missiles, two TOW's, eight GBU-38, five GBU-32's and one GBU-32 from April to Aug 20th-2008. photo
Lance Cpl. Rashaun X. James

Radio Check-Thumb Check

Cpl. Joshua King, a scout observer with 2ndANGELICO, checks his radio after they survived an IED explosion that rolled his vehicle in Helmand province Aug. 18, 2009.photo Sgt. Christopher R. Rye

Aemilius Paullus On the Homefront Warriors

Barry Rubin has a dozie today. Fresh advice from 168 BC via Aemilius Paullus a successful Roman general who specialized in kicking butt and never taking names. Especially useful for bloggers, such as myself, oft times too free with the have-blog- will-run-mouth syndrome. Well, except for the MV-22 Osprey, I really try to watch it. The Osprey just pisses me off no end. Too much money. Too much time. Too many problems. And what is the Golden POS doing right now? Why,right now, that Golden Chicken is far, far away from the combat zone. Being Full of future potential. OK, so I'm still carrying that 42 year old unforgiving grudge for the 8 click over night forced march because we didn't have enough choppers thingie. Letitgo... Ok. Done.

By Barry Rubin
"Though remembered today by only a few specialists, Aemilius Paullus was a brilliant general and seems like an impressive fellow all around. In 168 BCE he was appointed to run the Romans failing campaign in Macedonia. Three previous generals, who owed more to political connections than to strategic genius, had failed miserably.

On his way to the front, he addressed the assembled citizens of Rome in front of the Senate, his words preserved by the historian Livy:

“In every circle and, truly, at every table [in Rome], there are people who lead armies into Macedonia, who know where the camp ought to be placed; what posts out to be occupied by troops; when and through what [mountain] pass Macedonia should be entered…and when it is proper to engage the enemy, when to lie quiet. And they not only determine what is best to be done, but if anything is done in any other manner than what they have pointed out, they [criticize] the [commander] as if he were on trial….”

I am not, he continued, “one of those who think commanders ought never to receive advice” as long as it is given by those “skilled in the art of war, or [who] are present in the field.”

And so, he concluded:

“If, therefore, anyone thinks himself qualified to give advice respecting the war which I am to conduct, which may prove advantageous to the public…let him come with me to Macedonia. He shall be furnished by me wit a ship, a horse, a tent; and even with his [travel expenses]. But if he thinks this is too much trouble, and prefers the repose of city life to the toils of war, let him not, on land, assume the office of a [harbor] pilot. The city furnished enough other topics for conversation; let [him] confine [his] passion for talking, and rest assured that we shall be content with such councils as shall be found within our camp.”

It is not recorded whether anyone took him up on the offer but he won a brilliant, total victory which produced the Roman conquest of Greece and of West Asia generally.

Every academic, researcher, journalist, and pundit of any description—especially those with a preformed ideological catechism--should always bear in mind this story, take it seriously, and preserve within himself a strong element of humility. And this is especially true for those who are all too numerous in this sorry era where we dwell at present yet are all too free with their uninformed opinions."

The C. O. and Medal of Honor recipient Major Everett Pope, of Charlie One-One Laid To Rest at Arlington Cemetery

Major Everett Parker Pope was laid to rest with full military honors yesterday at Arlington Cemetery. Major Pope was a magna cum laude graduate of Bowdoin and the fourth of his college to wear the Medal of Honor. He fought at Guadalcanal, New Britain, Peleliu and in addition to the Medal of Honor was awarded the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. His Citation follows:

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

CAPTAIN EVERETT P. POPE
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commanding Officer of Company C, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau Group, on 19-20 September, 1944. Subjected to point-blank cannon fire which caused heavy casualties and badly disorganized his company while assaulting a steep coral hill, Captain Pope rallied his men and gallantly led them to the summit in the face of machine-gun, mortar, and sniper fire. Forced by wide-spread hostile attack to deploy the remnants of his company thinly in order to hold the ground won, and with his machine-guns out of action and insufficient water and ammunition, he remained on the exposed hill with twelve men and one wounded officer, determined to hold through the night. Attacked continuously with grenades, machine-guns, and rifles from three sides and twice subjected to suicidal charges during the night, he and his valiant men fiercely beat back or destroyed the enemy, resorting to hand-to-hand combat as the supply of ammunition dwindled and still maintaining his lines with his eight remaining riflemen when daylight brought more deadly fire and he was ordered to withdraw. His valiant leadership against devastating odds while protecting the units below from heavy Japanese attack reflects the highest credit upon Captain Pope and the United States Naval Service

FOB Geronimo Rocks On

One Five Marines and Afghan contractors dump gravel at Marine Forward Operating Base (FOB) Geronimo, Nawa district, Helmand province Sept. 13, 2009. The gravel is for the construction of FOB Geronimo. photo Lance Cpl. James Purschwitz

Rockey Mountain Oysters on One Five Menu

Sgt. Maj. Brian Sowers and One Five Marines watch as the battalion's C Company first sergeant, 1st Sgt. David A. Wilson, tries Rocky Mountain Oysters for his first time before a birthday dinner for three Marines at Patrol Base Jaker.photo GSgt. Chris W. Cox

E Co. Two Eight Marines Battle the Teliban

Story/photosBY:Sgt. Scott Whittington Date: 09.06.2009 A squad of Marines with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, patrolled southeast from here Sept. 6, 2009, prepared to encounter the enemy while also hoping to identify some of the post's blind spots.

When they stepped off, they had received information that told them the enemy might show themselves. Since their July 2 helicopter insertion, only 14 of their early 70 days here have been empty of enemy contact.

"Even though the Marines have suffered some losses here, the Marines are still completely motivated about their jobs," said Capt. Eric A. Meador, Co. E commander.

After crossing an open field with irrigation trenches, members of E Company's 2nd Platoon reached a deep canal with a foot-deep stream running through it.

Meador explained, the majority of his area of responsibility doesn't have regular enemy contact, but this particular piece of real estate was notorious for being an enemy ambush site.

But the Marines were ready as they scaled the embankment on the canal's far side. As reports had predicted, the enemy was waiting and greeted them with an improvised explosive device blast that injured no one and a spattering of small-arms fire that only heightened their alertness.

To the south, in front of the crouched Marines, was a wind-swept cornfield with nearly 8-foot-tall stalks and broad leaves in motion making enemy movement difficult to see. Despite the limited visibility affecting both sides, the enemy had positioned themselves into an arrow head, facing the Marines in the middle. As one side would shoot, the other would attempt to advance farther onto the Marines' flank. The bad guys maneuvered as close as 75 meters – their muzzle blasts getting louder with each bound.

Squad leader Cpl. Evan Steele called a halt. With rounds whizzing overhead, Lance Cpl. Michael R. Webb, 22, the squad-automatic weapon gunner from Louisville, Ky., and the rest of his team countered the enemy push by moving up along a tree line.

"I don't think too much about what I'm feeling during a fight," Webb said. "I just fight."

Seeing their movement, the insurgents prematurely detonated a second IED, thinking the Marines were closer to it than they were. Steele then radioed for mortar rounds to blanket both enemy positions. "Shot out," Marines yelled as they heard the tubes launch 81 and 60 mm mortars from a mile away. A few seconds later, the rounds splashed on target with a sound like a rapid-fire, kettle-drum solo.

Pushing along the tree line, the Marines spotted one insurgent, and engaged him causing his quick retreat. The Marines then turned to engage a second tree line ahead of them where more insurgents had taken position in and near a building. Cpl James Greenlee, 23, machinegun squad leader from Coppell, Texas, fired a deafening light-anti-armor weapon into the corner of the structure the enemy was popping out and firing from.

Shortly after that explosive thud, the enemy fire stopped. Some of the insurgents left the area on motorcycles. Two were captured not too far away.

"It's always good to get HE (high explosives) down range," said Pfc. Janos V. Lutz, 21, machine gunner and a Davie, Floridian. "It definitely shut them up."

The Marines, not knowing what else lay in the cornfield ahead, pulled back to Combat Outpost Sher under the whopping rotor sounds of an AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter and a UH-1N Huey gunship overhead.

"They come back wet and muddy with a smile on their faces, because they know they're doing what they joined to do," said Meador, a William Carey College graduate. But he stressed there have been no civilian casualties reported here, "The Marines understand the balance between counterinsurgency and building relationships. They are very aware of what they are shooting at."

The American People Are The 4th Estate--RIP MSM

Ignoring the reemergence of American conservatism in the form of the Tea Party-- Ignoring the ACORN child sex slavery scandal, ignoring everything contrary to the liberal media narrative in vain hopes that even if 200,000 angry voters did march on Washington--if they don't cover it---it did not happen. RIP MSM.

Work Place Accident Observed by Gunships

Apache gunships with the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Pegasus, observe a construction work place accident during the installation of an Improvised Explosive Device in southern Afghanistan.

Joint Patrol

Cpl. Christopher Mullins, with One Five and his Afghan Partner patrol their perimeter of security at the Nawa bazaar in the Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Sept. 8, 2009. photo USMC Lance Cpl. Jeremy Harris

C Co 3 LAR Home

Capt. Justin Sharpe, the XO of C Co. 3rd LAR and 80 Marines returned home from Iraq to Combat Center’s Victory Field at 29 Stumps Sept 8 PhotoLance Cpl. Andrew D. Thorburn,