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Students at an elementary school in Rawah, Iraq, - a town on the northern bank of the Euphrates River in western al Anbar province - smile at Marines from Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, Regimental Combat Team 5, who brought snacks Nov. 25 to share with the children. The Marines brought the children treats as a gesture to show they are good neighbors.::r::::n:: - Students at an elementary school in Rawah, Iraq, - a town on the northern bank of the Euphrates River in western al Anbar province - smile at Marines from Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, Regimental Combat Team 5, who brought snacks Nov. 25 to share with the children. The Marines brought the children treats as a gesture to show they are good neighbors.::r::::n::

Cpl. Bajro Buzaljko, a 21-year-old ammunition technician from Utica, N.Y., with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, examines ammunition in Karmah, Iraq, Nov. 24. Buzaljko left war-torn Bosnia as a child after watching his hometown fall victim to civil war. After the attacks of Sept. 11, he felt his home was yet again being attacked and decided to join the Marine Corps to defend his country - Cpl. Bajro Buzaljko, a 21-year-old ammunition technician from Utica, N.Y., with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, examines ammunition in Karmah, Iraq, Nov. 24. Buzaljko left war-torn Bosnia as a child after watching his hometown fall victim to civil war. After the attacks of Sept. 11, he felt his home was yet again being attacked and decided to join the Marine Corps to defend his country

Sgt. Joseph Potucek (left), 25, of Nastic, N.Y., and Lance Cpl. Alexander Vassilopoulos, 27, from New York City, hand out packages of hygiene and comfort items to Iraqi highway patrolmen at an Iraqi base in Western al-Anbar province, Iraq, Nov. 23. Both Potucek and Vassilopoulos are Reserve Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5. The packages were mailed to the Marines in Iraq by a women's organization in Carlsbad, Calif., to show their support for the troops' service in fighting the Global War on Terror.::r::::n:: - Sgt. Joseph Potucek (left), 25, of Nastic, N.Y., and Lance Cpl. Alexander Vassilopoulos, 27, from New York City, hand out packages of hygiene and comfort items to Iraqi highway patrolmen at an Iraqi base in Western al-Anbar province, Iraq, Nov. 23. Both Potucek and Vassilopoulos are Reserve Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5. The packages were mailed to the Marines in Iraq by a women's organization in Carlsbad, Calif., to show their support for the troops' service in fighting the Global War on Terror.::r::::n::

Lt. Col. Geoff Rollins, commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, visits a classroom at a girl's primary school with Qasum Marai Awwad, mayor of Rutbah, Iraq, Nov. 18. As a sales consultant for a major information technology firm for 12 years, Rollins cites his own professional experience as a critical element of his development as a leader of Marines. - Lt. Col. Geoff Rollins, commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, visits a classroom at a girl's primary school with Qasum Marai Awwad, mayor of Rutbah, Iraq, Nov. 18. As a sales consultant for a major information technology firm for 12 years, Rollins cites his own professional experience as a critical element of his development as a leader of Marines.

Lance Cpl. Dmitri R. Murray, 19, an electrician with Support Platoon, Company B, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, connects the final wire on an electrical outlet while Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Kackos, 20, a generator mechanic with Support Platoon installs a wire fastener to hold the electrical wires in place Nov. 18 near Rutbah, Iraq. The two utility Marines are wiring a newly built building inside a recently built traffic-control point built by the platoon. - Lance Cpl. Dmitri R. Murray, 19, an electrician with Support Platoon, Company B, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, connects the final wire on an electrical outlet while Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Kackos, 20, a generator mechanic with Support Platoon installs a wire fastener to hold the electrical wires in place Nov. 18 near Rutbah, Iraq. The two utility Marines are wiring a newly built building inside a recently built traffic-control point built by the platoon.

Marines with Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, gathered to remember Cpl. Aaron M. Allen, a 24-year-old team leader from Santa Barbra, Calif., with the company, who was killed while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. A memorial service was held Nov. 22 at a combat outpost where Allen served his military duties as part of a seven-month deployment. - Marines with Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, gathered to remember Cpl. Aaron M. Allen, a 24-year-old team leader from Santa Barbra, Calif., with the company, who was killed while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. A memorial service was held Nov. 22 at a combat outpost where Allen served his military duties as part of a seven-month deployment.

FERRIS, Iraq –Iraqi Security Forces set up a cordon in the streets of Ferris, Iraq, to search the area f during a joint operation with Marines from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.(Official Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Chris T. Mann)::r::::n::(Released) - FERRIS, Iraq –Iraqi Security Forces set up a cordon in the streets of Ferris, Iraq, to search the area f during a joint operation with Marines from Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.(Official Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Chris T. Mann)::r::::n::(Released)

Staff Sgt. Chris Lozano, platoon commander, Grizzly Mobile, Regimental Combat Team 5, plays guitar and sings "Watching Airplanes," a Gary Allan song, at Camp Ripper, Iraq, Nov. 17. As vocalist for the Chris Lozano Band, the self-taught musician has gone from a hobbyist to a professional musician with a solid following of country music fans in Southern California. - Staff Sgt. Chris Lozano, platoon commander, Grizzly Mobile, Regimental Combat Team 5, plays guitar and sings "Watching Airplanes," a Gary Allan song, at Camp Ripper, Iraq, Nov. 17. As vocalist for the Chris Lozano Band, the self-taught musician has gone from a hobbyist to a professional musician with a solid following of country music fans in Southern California.

Cpl. Willie Holden, an armorer with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, has Petty Officer Orestes Martinez, a corpsman with Regimental Combat Team 5, in a back mount during jiu-jitsu class Nov. 17 at the Camp Ripper, Iraq, martial arts training tent. In a class taught by instructors with more than 35 years of combined martial arts experience, Martinez and Holden are but two of the students who are getting a well-rounded experience in grappling techniques beyond what's taught in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. - Cpl. Willie Holden, an armorer with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, has Petty Officer Orestes Martinez, a corpsman with Regimental Combat Team 5, in a back mount during jiu-jitsu class Nov. 17 at the Camp Ripper, Iraq, martial arts training tent. In a class taught by instructors with more than 35 years of combined martial arts experience, Martinez and Holden are but two of the students who are getting a well-rounded experience in grappling techniques beyond what's taught in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, 26, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, from New York City, exchanges high-fives with students at Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and development of the critical infrastructure. - Second Lt. Dwayne Edwards, 26, a platoon commander with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, from New York City, exchanges high-fives with students at Ma'an Primary School in Rutbah, Iraq, Nov. 21. In an effort to encourage community policing in the city, the Marines and Iraqi police officers distributed stuffed animals to the students and spoke to them about the United States and Iraq's joint commitment to the security of Iraq and development of the critical infrastructure.