Korea

Marine Attack Squadron 513 set for deactivation after 69 years of service

By James Sanborn on June 4, 2013 Africa, Aviation, Battle Rattle, Iraq, Korea, Marines, MEU operations, World War II

The storied “Nightmares” are set to deactivate this summer after 69 years of service during which the unit’s Marines saw combat in the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Formally designated Marine Attack Squadron 513, the unit which flies AV-8B Harriers out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., will be deactivated July 12, 2013 after their most recent deployment to Asia which concluded with their participation in Exercise Foal Eagle. The annual exercise is among the largest in the world and aims to strengthen interoperability between South Korean and U.S. forces in the region. The unit deployed to Asia…

Your Marines around the globe: status of forces this week

By Hope Hodge Seck on April 26, 2013 26th MEU, Afghanistan, Africa, Australia, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, Deployment map, Japan, Korea, Status of forces map

[HTML1] Status of Forces (as of April 19) Active duty: 194,370 Selected Reserve: 39,705 Reservists on active duty: 2,477 It’s been awhile since we did a blog update on the status of forces around the Marine Corps, but we’re going to start in again on making this a weekly feature. The positions above are as of April 19. Of note, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Units and 15th MEU are moving through their areas of operations, with the 26th MEU’s Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group near the Gulf of Aden, at the eastern tip of Africa, and the 15th MEU’s Peleliu ARG…

Remembering Henry Black, 7th sergeant major of the Marine Corps

By Dan Lamothe on August 29, 2012 History and heritage, Korea, Leadership, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

The country lost a legend on Friday with the death of Sgt. Maj. Henry Black, the service’s oldest surviving sergeant major of the Marine Corps. As noted in an obituary I wrote Monday, Black served in combat in both Korea and Vietnam, even earning a Silver Star for heroism as a junior Marine. It’s his leadership that Marines miss the most, however. Retired Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the Corps’ 16th sergeant major of the Marine Corps, recalled Black as a father figure and mentor when I spoke with him Monday. Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, the Corps’ current top enlisted Marine,…

RCT-6 Marines take over for RCT-8 in northern Helmand

By Dan Lamothe on January 5, 2012 Afghanistan, Infantry, Korea, Sangin

The regimental headquarters that has overseen infantry operations in northern Helmand province, Afghanistan, for the last year is headed home. Regimental Combat Team 8, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., has been replaced in Afghanistan by Lejeune’s RCT-6, said Marine officials in Afghanistan. Like RCT-8, RCT-6 will be based out of Camp Delaram II in northeastern Nimroz province, overseeing operations in Sangin, Kajaki, Musa Qala and other nearby districts. For RCT-8, commanded by Col. Eric Smith, it has been a long deployment in which several units have seen continued combat. Most recently, they included 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 7th…

'The snow was blood-red' — New Marine Corps birthday message highlights Korean War

By Dan Lamothe on November 4, 2010 History and heritage, Korea, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

Each year, Marine Corps leadership releases a heartfelt message to Marines in video form before the service’s Nov. 10 birthday. Last year’s message focused heavily on the heroism of Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, who stood their ground in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2008, staring down a suicide bomber in a truck. They were both killed when the truck exploded, but prevented it from barreling onto a military outpost where dozens could have died. They posthumously received the Navy Cross last year. This year’s message, posted on YouTube today, pays tribute to Marines who fought in the Korean War.…

To beret, or not to beret

By Gidget Fuentes on July 23, 2010 Events, Gear, Korea, Rumors

Every so often, it seems, the Marines-wear-beret rumor rears its head. Usually it’s when leathernecks get the chance to question or schmooze with senior brass. Back before the Army in 2001 standardized the beret for all soldiers, every so often some bold and usually gung-ho junior Marine would ask or suggest the wear of berets. No commandant or uniform board approved such an idea, however. Battle Rattle recalls a day back in the mid-‘90s, when a young Marine joined others greeting then-commandant Gen. Chuck Krulak on a ship’s mess decks asked the four-star general why Recon Marines couldn’t wear the…

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