Sergeant Thomas Reed, a training noncommissioned officer serving with Truck Company Alpha, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, disassembles a Mk-19 grenade launcher during the Basic Mk-19 Heavy Machine Gun Course here, June 11, 2013. Throughout the course, support Marines were instructed by experienced machine gunners who are combat veterans. The course tested Marines on the weapon nomenclature, weapon conditions, the weapon's range, different types of ammunition and range cards. The Marines were ultimately evaluated on a live-fire range. - Sergeant Thomas Reed, a training noncommissioned officer serving with Truck Company Alpha, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, disassembles a Mk-19 grenade launcher during the Basic Mk-19 Heavy Machine Gun Course here, June 11, 2013. Throughout the course, support Marines were instructed by experienced machine gunners who are combat veterans. The course tested Marines on the weapon nomenclature, weapon conditions, the weapon's range, different types of ammunition and range cards. The Marines were ultimately evaluated on a live-fire range.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Bennett, a Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman in training serving with Alpha Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, shows he has what it takes to become a SARC in the U.S. Navy. Bennett, 29, from Carrollton, Texas, has completed two of the five courses needed to become a SARC and said he can't wait to join the ranks of this elite group of sailors. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Bennett, a Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman in training serving with Alpha Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, shows he has what it takes to become a SARC in the U.S. Navy. Bennett, 29, from Carrollton, Texas, has completed two of the five courses needed to become a SARC and said he can't wait to join the ranks of this elite group of sailors.
Educational posters are taped to a wall by U.S. Army Soldiers with Georgia Agricultural Development Team 3, Regimental Combat Team 7, conducting veterinary classes for staff members of the directorate of agricultural, irrigation and livestock in Kajaki, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013. The classes included treating parasites, deworming and aiding livestock with birthing problems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye/Released) - Educational posters are taped to a wall by U.S. Army Soldiers with Georgia Agricultural Development Team 3, Regimental Combat Team 7, conducting veterinary classes for staff members of the directorate of agricultural, irrigation and livestock in Kajaki, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013. The classes included treating parasites, deworming and aiding livestock with birthing problems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye/Released)
Lance Cpl. Timothy Pierce, 24, from Wallace, N.C., shakes hands with Capt. Todd Richardson, the Echo Company company commander with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, after being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his decisive thinking and quick response to a car accident. "It wasn't a duty," explained Pierce. "It was just decent human nature and the right thing to do." - Lance Cpl. Timothy Pierce, 24, from Wallace, N.C., shakes hands with Capt. Todd Richardson, the Echo Company company commander with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, after being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his decisive thinking and quick response to a car accident. "It wasn't a duty," explained Pierce. "It was just decent human nature and the right thing to do."
Gunnery Sgt. Gabriel Guest (right), the chief instructor of the Advanced Machine Gunners Course at Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry - West, patrols back to Forward Operating Base Gray after a firefight in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in April 2008. Five months into his deployment, Guest, a native of Spokane, Wash., was on a patrol when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, ejecting him from his vehicle and causing three different compound fractures in his left leg. After years of physical therapy and more than 25 surgeries, Guest was able to jog again but only for short moments. He exercised to improve his condition when his leg became repeatedly infected and he was left with only three options: fuse his leg straight allowing no bending in the knee, perform a total knee replacement with risk of future infections, or amputation of the leg. More than four years after being struck by an IED, Guest had his leg amputated. Guest now continues his Marine Corps career through the Expanded Permanent Limited Duty program, which allows Marines who incurred significant combat injuries that would normally restrict them from continuing their Marine Corps service to continue their careers by mentoring Marines through their leadership skills complemented by combat experience. - Gunnery Sgt. Gabriel Guest (right), the chief instructor of the Advanced Machine Gunners Course at Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry - West, patrols back to Forward Operating Base Gray after a firefight in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in April 2008. Five months into his deployment, Guest, a native of Spokane, Wash., was on a patrol when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, ejecting him from his vehicle and causing three different compound fractures in his left leg. After years of physical therapy and more than 25 surgeries, Guest was able to jog again but only for short moments. He exercised to improve his condition when his leg became repeatedly infected and he was left with only three options: fuse his leg straight allowing no bending in the knee, perform a total knee replacement with risk of future infections, or amputation of the leg. More than four years after being struck by an IED, Guest had his leg amputated. Guest now continues his Marine Corps career through the Expanded Permanent Limited Duty program, which allows Marines who incurred significant combat injuries that would normally restrict them from continuing their Marine Corps service to continue their careers by mentoring Marines through their leadership skills complemented by combat experience.
Staff Sgt. Deacon Holton, a native of Chelsea, Mich., and a section leader with 81 mm mortar section, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, reminds the Marines of the importance of upholding the battalion standards during training here, July 13, 2013. "This training gives us the opportunity to reinforce and refine our skill set, which in turn makes us better at doing our jobs," Holton said. - Staff Sgt. Deacon Holton, a native of Chelsea, Mich., and a section leader with 81 mm mortar section, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, reminds the Marines of the importance of upholding the battalion standards during training here, July 13, 2013. "This training gives us the opportunity to reinforce and refine our skill set, which in turn makes us better at doing our jobs," Holton said.
Staff member of the directorate of agricultural, irrigation and livestock, listen to a veterinary class given by Georgia Agricultural Development Team 3, Regimental Combat Team 7 in Kajaki, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013. The classes included treating parasites, deworming and aiding livestock with birthing problems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye/Released) - Staff member of the directorate of agricultural, irrigation and livestock, listen to a veterinary class given by Georgia Agricultural Development Team 3, Regimental Combat Team 7 in Kajaki, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013. The classes included treating parasites, deworming and aiding livestock with birthing problems. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kowshon Ye/Released)
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON. Calif. -- Sergeant Michael Dowell, a reconnaissance Marine serving with Alpha Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, sights in his .50 caliber sniper rifle during a raid exercise here, July 10, 2013. Dowell, 29, from Elko, Nev., serves as the sniper for his team as well as the pointman. - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON. Calif. -- Sergeant Michael Dowell, a reconnaissance Marine serving with Alpha Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, sights in his .50 caliber sniper rifle during a raid exercise here, July 10, 2013. Dowell, 29, from Elko, Nev., serves as the sniper for his team as well as the pointman.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Bryan Williams, a religious program specialist serving with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and a native of Kansas City, Mo., checks a window for insurgents during the culminating field exercise of the Urban Leaders Course here, July 11, 2013. During the exercise, students in the course drew upon all their training to clear buildings as fire teams against instructors simulating insurgents. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Bryan Williams, a religious program specialist serving with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and a native of Kansas City, Mo., checks a window for insurgents during the culminating field exercise of the Urban Leaders Course here, July 11, 2013. During the exercise, students in the course drew upon all their training to clear buildings as fire teams against instructors simulating insurgents.