President Obama

Marines returned Obama’s latte salute on social media, and the results are hilarious

By Joshua Stewart on September 25, 2014 Battle Rattle, Marines

Obama’s controversial latte salute has entered the world of self-parody — and it’s hilarious. Maximilian Uriarte, the grunt-turned satirist who created the “Terminal Lance” comic strip, posted a slew of pictures on Facebook of people doing their own salute with a beverage in hand. We can’t guarantee they are all Marines, but the vast majority of Uriarte’s audience is comprised of active and discharged Marines. Some substituted the latte for a beer, a glass of scotch, a giant bottle of vodka or put on a horse mask and saluted with a half-filled bottle soy sauce (that contributor wrote “Of course…

Child steals show at Medal of Honor ceremony

By Dan Lamothe on February 11, 2013 Awards, Medal of Honor, Washington

When in doubt, expect a child to steal the show. That eternal truth was on display again Monday at the White House, as the son of former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha wandered on stage before his father’s Medal of Honor ceremony. The Associated Press video here captures it best: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpUPuE1Kg4E&feature=youtu.be[/youtube] You’ve got to love the Marine captain ushering little Colin off the stage without incident. For more coverage of today’s ceremony, check out Army Times’ story.

Marine Corps footprint in Afghanistan shifting as drawdown continues

By Dan Lamothe on July 9, 2012 Afghanistan, Drawdown, Infantry, Marjah

The Marine Corps’ footprint in Afghanistan is changing dramatically as a drawdown in forces continues throughout the summer. The latest changes include a shift in central Helmand province in which one infantry battalion — 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. — is distributed across Marjah, Nawa, and several other districts, with Afghan forces taking a leading role. Second Battalion, 9th Marines, and 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, both out of Lejeune, left the battlefield recently and were not replaced. The Corps also has realigned all remaining infantry units to fall under Regimental Combat Team 6, out of Camp…

Call Marines Maybe

By Gina Harkins on June 6, 2012 Battle Rattle, Bored Marine Video, Pop culture

Marines can’t let their commander in chief have all the “Call Me Maybe” fun. The video montage of President Obama singing Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit is making some big Internet waves. But it’s looking like a van-full of Marines were on the “Call Me Maybe” case first. In a YouTube video posted the day before Obama’s breakout rendition starting making the rounds, some Marines were caught on camera dancing to the girly pop tune. So in case Katy Perry just wasn’t enough — check out this new Marine favorite. It definitely inspired these devil dogs to bust out some pretty sweet choreography.…

If Gen. John Allen is leaving Afghanistan, what’s next?

By Dan Lamothe on May 16, 2012 Afghanistan, General officers, Washington

The Washington Post ran a long-form story on Gen. John Allen on Sunday, highlighting his efforts as a “triage commander” while leading the war in Afghanistan. The general has a “pragmatic focus,” the piece said. He’s “more professor and Southern gentleman than hard-bitten Marine general,” and closely studying the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 during a complicated withdrawal of 23,000 U.S. troops there this summer. Yesterday, we got a striking revelation about that same general: The supposedly indispensable leader of the war in Afghanistan is in line to become top commander of U.S. European Command, according to another story…

Marine baby creates commotion with President Obama

By Dan Lamothe on December 27, 2011 Leadership, Pacific issues

Once again, a reminder: Children are unpredictable. Marine Capt. Greg Wagner and his wife, Meredith, saw that firsthand on Christmas as President Obama visited Marine Corps Base Hawaii. While the couple took a photograph with the president, their 8-month-old son, Cooper, put his hand in Obama’s mouth. Meredith said this morning on Good Morning America that she was “mortified” at the time, even though it appears that Obama laughed it all off. “I was mortified,” she said. “I was embarrassed.” Capt. Wagner gave the president credit for keeping things light. “He kind of laughed and said that Cooper looked up…

More on Dakota Meyer’s beer summit with Obama

By Dan Lamothe on September 15, 2011 Awards, Ganjgal, Washington

UPDATED: A White House spokesman tells Marine Corps Times that the beer shared by Obama and Meyer was home-brewed there. It’s called White House Honey Blonde Ale. That’s pretty sweet. By now, you’ve seen the photo above. It’s President Obama having a beer yesterday with Dakota Meyer, who will become today the first living Marine in 38 years to receive the Medal of Honor. The idea was reportedly Dakota’s. When the president’s staff called Meyer over the weekend in advance of today’s ceremony, the Marine asked if he could have a beer with Obama, White House press secretary Jay Carney…

Could drawdown in Afghanistan begin with Marines in Helmand?

By Dan Lamothe on March 31, 2011 Afghanistan, Infantry, Leadership, MEU operations

Last week during an interview with Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, the outgoing Marine commander of Regional Command-Southwest, I asked for his thoughts on something hanging over everyone’s head in Afghanistan: The planned drawdown of U.S. forces. It was the kind of question I asked because it’s what people in my job are supposed to do, even though there’s an understanding he couldn’t answer it directly. Here were his thoughts: That decision will be made at a level much above mine. The way I see it, there will be a thinning out, a gradual reduction of coalition forces within a given area…

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