Marines

News

1st Marine Division

I Marine Expeditionary Force

Archive: April, 2004

Duty going to the dogs in Iraq

CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq - Oscar isn't what most Marines would call a team player. "That dog is unlike the others," said Pfc. Theodore J. Randolph, a provisional military policeman for Regimental Combat Team 7. "You think he's nice but in an instance he'll turn on you. He's a lot like Cpl. Harwell." Cpl. Gary D. Harwell should know. He's a K-9 handler

Hospital corpsmen face challenges for promotion in Iraq

Navy hospital corpsmen run alongside Marines here. They dodge the same bullets, face the same fears and continually step to the aid of wounded Marines. But some are worried they're missing chances for the same promotions. Some corpsmen will just miss out, said Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Kelvin E. Carter, command master chief petty officer for

New Iraqi cops graduate from Marine-run academy

The Iraqi police force is growing stronger thanks to reserve Marines attached to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Despite recent attacks against Iraqi security forces, the Ar Ramadi Police Academy here graduated 88 men during a morning ceremony April 22. This is the first class Marines trained since arriving here. The Iraqi

Lucky charms keep platoon safe

Cpl. Travis J. Lowis knows his grandfather is watching over him. He's got a special place with Lowis, since he died last August. "If there's one thing that's kept us safe here in second platoon, it is G-Pa," said the 24-year-old. "When I say G-Pa, I mean my grandpa. I keep him here in my wallet." He wasn't kidding. Inside his wallet is a small

Lejeune Marines perform in Fallujah

Eighteen-year-old Lance Cpl. Justin Tygart checked and rechecked his gear as the evening sun set here. "The thing you have to watch out for here is complacency, it's what will kill you and your fellow Marines," said Tygart, from Swansboro, N.C. Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment needed to be alert on this patrol. The rural

Marines duke it out in the desert for MCMAP training

Pfc. Joseph M. De Pew dusted off his bruised and battered body. He was soaked in sweat, fresh from a fight that left him wore out. And it wasn't even against a bad guy. De Pew was among a dozen Marines at Regimental Combat Team 7 who took advantage of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Training Program here. But this one is a little tougher than the

Battalion memorializes Camp Lejeune Marine

Sgt. Michael R. Speer, 24, was leading 2nd Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment on a combat mission in Lutafiyah, Iraq when he was killed in action April 9. Speer was the first Marine from the Camp Lejeune-based battalion killed in action since the beginning of their deployment in March. He was posthumously promoted to

Little scope making a big difference on the battlefield

The Marine rifleman is deadlier thanks to the Trijicon Advanced Combat Optic Gunsight. Marines using the short scope mounted on top of their rifles are finding it easier to identify enemy fighters, aim in and kill them. They're doing it at longer distances with lethal fire through the haze of the battlefield. Marines in the 1st Marine Division

Marines fight enemy across western Iraq

Marines from the 1st Marine Division engaged enemy forces across the entire Al Anbar Province last week. Marines saw action against enemy forces in Fallujah, where the cordon of the city remains in effect and offensive operations are still suspended, to Husaybah, a town on the border with Syria. Seven Marines, soldiers and sailors were killed in

From California to Iraq, children send greetings on quilt

Marines and sailors with 1st Marine Division recently received a pleasant surprise from the children of ABC Child Care Center in Temecula, Calif. The children, ranging in age from 2 to 12, made a red, white and blue quilt to show their support for the men and women of the U.S. military, according to Jenny Mott, the center's director. "When we

1st Marine Division