Marines

Marines scenes at FOB Whitehouse, Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on April 9, 2012 Afghanistan, Embedded journalism, Infantry, Kajaki, Marines

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WHITEHOUSE, Afghanistan — Friends and family of deployed service members have frequently said that one of their favorite parts about journalists embedding with their loved one’s unit is the window it provides into their world. To that end, photographer James Lee and I will be posting some slice-of-life images and anecdotes throughout this deployment. We encountered the Marines you see here on Sunday, after arriving here at the headquarters of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. We befriended the gentlemen you see playing chess here behind our tent. As many in the military do, they quickly asked where we’re…

Afghan Uniform Police: Part of the solution for a war-weary nation?

By Dan Lamothe on April 9, 2012 Afghanistan, Infantry, Kajaki, Marines

KAJAKI, Afghanistan — How does a nation faced with decades of conflict turn a new page? With any luck, a new police force. The Afghan Uniform Police have been growing for several years, joining the more widely known Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police on the streets and dirt paths of Afghanistan. We saw that firsthand today while visiting an AUP graduation with Lt. Col. Kevin Trimble, commander of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. The ceremony was quick, but underscored the transition that will be coming as U.S. forces draw down in Afghanistan. Even the AUP leader here at the…

Easter Sunday with Marines in Kajaki, Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on April 8, 2012 Afghanistan, Infantry, Kajaki, Marines, Sangin

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WHITE HOUSE, Afghanistan – We’ve reached the final frontier in Helmand province. This base serves as headquarters to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, which oversees combat operations in Kajaki district. Top Marine officers in Afghanistan acknowledge they’ve pushed as far north here as possible ahead of the planned drawdown, and will seek this summer to solidify gains already made, rather than pushing farther into the countryside. There were about 20,000 Marines in theater last summer, but that number could drop to as low as 7,000 this fall. In coming weeks, we’ll have several long-form pieces assessing the future…

Marines at Leatherneck concussion center heal, return to combat

By Dan Lamothe on April 7, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Infantry, Marines, Safety, Wounded warriors

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Lance Cpl. Scott Anderson had been in Afghanistan about a month when he was “blown up.” The rifleman with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., was responding to a March 26 firefight as part of a quick reaction force when the six-wheel Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle he was rocked with an improvised explosive device, he said. Anderson shook off the blast in northern Helmand province, jumping into the vehicle’s gun turret to return fire. After the firefight, however, the Marine had lingering concussion symptoms. He was evacuated by helicopter to…

Marine fakers and the Marine who took them down

By Gina Cavallaro on April 6, 2012 Marines

By the end of this week, this picture had circulated widely, and all I could think of was Chuck Schantag, a retired Marine infantryman whose mission was to expose people like this. This “Marine-SEAL-EOD master gunnery sergeant,” a man of fantasy who has not yet been identified by name, has been called plenty of names by those who’ve sen the picture. Troops, supporters of troops and probably even some hippies are incensed. He’s wearing almost every ribbon in the inventory including World War II, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan, plus a Navy Cross, a SEAL trident, the EOD “crab,” an aiguillette,…

Marine store in Afghanistan clears $4.5M in monthly sales

By Dan Lamothe on April 6, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Marines

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – When it comes to morale on a forward operating base, creature comforts are no small thing. I saw that firsthand two years ago here on my way to and from an embed in Marjah district. There was only one small PX store on Camp Leatherneck in a tent, and it could take an hour to get through the line for the register. Popular items ranging from T-shirts to energy drinks frequently were out of stock. The solution? On Nov. 15, the base opened a new PX with a 6,900 square-foot sales floor. To say it is…

New solar system powers Marines in Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on April 6, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Marines

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – The Marine Corps has widely fielded a new solar panel system that can power a variety of radios, computers and other devices common in combat operations centers, officials here said. Full fielding began early this year, said Lt. Col. Rick Schilke, the expeditionary energy liaison officer for I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), which oversees more than 17,000 Marines across Helmand province. Each Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy Network System, or GREENS, includes eight solar panels that are about four feet high and three feet wide, and four batteries that each can store 500 watts of power. There…

One-armed warrior will battle in 2012 Warrior Games

By Gidget Fuentes on April 6, 2012 Battle Rattle, Competitions, Marines, Wounded warriors

As a kid, like many Marines, Mark O’Brien loved to trek through the woods near his home in upstate New York. He often hunted with his father and brother and his preferred choice of weapon: A hunting bow. Then came Nov. 8, 2004, when then-Cpl. O’Brien was deployed in Ramadi with his rifle squad with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. An insurgent’s rocket-propelled grenade exploded the Humvee he was riding in, sending shrapnel through his body that severed his right arm and right leg and nearly killed him. His story was featured in the 2005 TV documentary, “Coming Home.”…

Development in forgotten ‘Marine-istan’ province

By Dan Lamothe on April 5, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Marines

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Defense officials and military observers alike have jokingly referred to the Marine Corps’ regional command here as “Marine-istan,” a nod toward the thousands of Marines deployed in the region. There’s a significant division in the two provinces that make up the area of operations, however. When Regional Command-Southwest was established in spring 2010, Helmand province was home to a muscular insurgency, while sparsely populated Nimroz province was relatively tranquil. Two years later, Nimroz has continued to progress. Nestled in the southwest corner of Afghanistan along the Iranian and Pakistani borders, Nimroz doesn’t require the heavy sustained…

‘I’m Too Sexy’ at Camp Leatherneck

By Dan Lamothe on April 4, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Marines

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – I wasn’t looking for a soundtrack when arriving at this sprawling forward operating base, but it appears I’ve found one. Traveling to get security badges here this morning in a van, we were treated to the confident crooning of Right Said Fred and his 1990s classic, “I’m Too Sexy.” The song was playing on a British-run radio station aboard Camp Bastion, which is part of this base. “Forces Radio,” as the DJ called it, is broadcasted to improve morale and keep people informed. It appears to do both of those things – as long as you…

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