Country music outlaw Toby Keith visits Camp Fallujah
Cpl. Lynn Murillo
I Marine Expeditionary Force
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq
- Country music superstar Toby
Keith performed a Memorial Day
concert here for nearly 4,000
service members both live from the
Fallujah Chapel and via the internal
computer-based broadcasting
system here May 29.
The fans cheers erupted into
a roar as the patriotic songwriter
and performer stepped onto the
small stage. Keith opened the
hour-long acoustic show with
his crowd pleasing hit “I Love
This Bar,” bringing the Marines,
sailors, soldiers and airmen a little
piece of America. He played new
songs, as well as a few classics like
“Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and
“Beer For My Horses.”
This is Keith’s second visit
here. The rst was in 2004 just
after Marines took over the camp.
He played two other venues on
Memorial Day as part of the USO’s
Toby Keith Tour.
“You can’t appreciate what
(service members) do until you
see it,” said Keith. “Everybody is
so good at what they do and when
you come here, you can really understand why
America is the number one ghting force in the
world.”
The country singer expressed a special
satisfaction in lifting troop morale and
honoring his father, a Vietnam veteran.
The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen.
Michael W. Hagee, was in the front row for the
concert and sang along as Keith sang “Courtesy
of the Red, White and Blue” from his 2003
album, “Unleashed.”
Hagee said he enjoyed the concert and was
happy to welcome the superstar known as the
bad boy of country music to the headquarters
for Marines operating in Al Anbar Province.
Longtime fans might have considered the
performance a way to take their minds off the
serious business of war ghting.
“It was an honor to meet him,” said Sgt.
Cassie L. Lucero, 28, from Phoenix, an
administrative clerk with I Marine
Expeditionary Force’s command
element.
“I am a huge fan of anyone that
supports us,” Lucero said. “The
morale boost he just gave everyone
here makes me proud to be out here
serving my country.”
Lance Cpl. Joseph W. Hanson
of Greybull, Wyo., also a self-
proclaimed “big fan,” was elated
with Keith’s performance.
“I think it is awesome that he
would come out to the middle of Iraq
to give us a concert,” said Hanson,
a weather observer with I MEF. “If
he is spending his Memorial Day out
here with us, it means a lot,”
Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer,
commanding general of Multi-
National Forces-West, presented
Keith with a Ka-bar ghting knife
and a personalized guitar strap made
from a desert-digital camouage
pattern as a token of gratitude for his
time and effort. Zilmer jokingly told
Keith that he hopes to see the guitar
strap in one of Keith’s upcoming
music videos. The crowd laughed as
Keith smiled, shaking Zilmer’s hand
and agreeing to his request.
Keith and his crew are on a
ve-day tour of Iraq, entertaining
troops at several forward operating
bases in the next few days, demonstrating
their continuing pride and support for service
members here.
Country music sensation Toby Keith performed for service
members here May 29. The show was a part of the USO’s ve-
day “Toby Keith Tour of Iraq.”
Cpl. Lynn Murillo is a combat correspondent
with I Marine Expeditionary Force serving in
Al Anbar Province. For information, e-mail
her at L[email protected].
JO1 Benjamin Franklin
2 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 3
Dear family and friends,
Hello from Al Anbar Province, Iraq. This
is Major General Rick Zilmer, the Com-
manding General of I Marine Expeditionary
Force Forward.
The past two weeks have been busy for
the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd). In
the sweltering heat of 109 degree days the
Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen con-
tinue their mission. They are relentless and
motivated, making the difcult tasks seem
effortless. They are a group of strong men
and women to be proud of.
Memorial Day was a very special day for
the service members of I MEF (Fwd). The
Commandant was our guest at a Memorial
Service in honor of those who have died in
all of America’s wars, and more specically,
those who have given their lives since the
beginning of our deployment in Febru-
ary. The service was a special tribute with
performances from the Fallujah Choir, the
Gospel Choir and the Brass Band; all es-
sambles were made up of I MEF (Fwd) ser-
vice members. During the Commandant’s
Commanding General’s Message to Families
visit, he spoke to the Marines and answered
their questions in a series of Town Hall
meetings. Many of the Marines had their
photos taken with the Commandant and a
few of them received a coin from him.
Memorial Day on Camp Fallujah drew to
a close with a concert by Toby Keith. More
than a thousand Marines kicked back and
listened to his patriotic tunes.
Memorial Day in Iraq was an occasion
to remember the proud traditions and honor
what makes America a great nation; also to
remember those men and women who have
made the ultimate sacrice to keep our na-
tion safe. As we move into June, we will
redouble our efforts and resolve in accom-
plishing our mission of bringing security to
the western province of Iraq.
Please keep us in your thoughts and
prayers. Please check back after June 15th
to hear more news about your Marines,
sailors, soldiers, and airmen doing a ne job
out here in Al Anbar Province. Until then,
take care on the home front and Semper
Cpl. Jon Guibord
from 4-6 a.m.
per Fidelis.
older café, which had 21 internet stations, now has
52; it has also doubled its phones from 12 to 24.
It is still possible for people to have to wait their
turn to use the internet or phones, but instead of
waiting on a wooden bench, service members and
civilian employees here can now watch television
on a big-screen TV from the comfort of large
leather couches.
Any service member, DOD employee, and
contractor with PX privileges can use the facility.
The renovated facility is closed two hours a day,
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The Camp Fallujah
library reopened June 3 in a ribbon cutting
ceremony attended by the Multi-National Force
West commanding general, Maj. Gen. Richard
C. Zilmer. For the past three weeks, several
Kellogg, Brown and Root employees along with
I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters
Group Marines worked hard to upgrade the
facility.
Formerly a chow hall, the facility does not look
like much from the outside. Today, however, it
serves as a newly renovated internet café. The
Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer
Commanding General
Multi-National Forces West
2 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 3
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Camp Fallujah
I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer
Sergeant Major, Sgt. Maj. Thomas H. Howard
Public Affairs Director.........Lt. Col. Bryan F. Salas
Deputy Director......................Maj. Riccoh T. Player
Public Affairs Chief.....Master Sgt. John A. Cordero
Internal Information Ofcer....................................
.............................................1st Lt. Brian P. Donnelly
Press Chief..............Gunnery Sgt. Timothy A. Streaty
Editor/
Combat Correspondent...............Cpl. Jon C. Guibord
Combat Correspondent..................Cpl. Lynn Murillo
Correspondents from throughout the military con-
tribute to this publication. The views and opinions
expressed herein are not necessarily those of the
Department of Defense. This publication is for infor-
mation only and is not considered directive in nature.
Friday - Jewish Sabbath Service
(1st & 3rd Friday)
Saturday - Catholic Confessions
Catholic Vigil Mass
Sunday - Catholic Mass
Protestant Communion Service
Protestant Contemporary Service
Gospel Service
Lutheran Services
Monday - Friday
Catholic Confessions
Catholic Daily Mass
(Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
Chapel of Hope
Service Schedule
Tue. at 2000
Wed. at 2030
Thurs. at 2030
Fri. at 2030
Sat. at 0800
MWR events
*Movie Night: MWR facility daily at 2000.
For more information, contact
Risk night
Ping Pong tournament
Spades Tournament
Karaoke night
Perimeter run
I MEF honors its fallen in Memorial Day ceremony
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - Approximately
400 Marines, sailors and soldiers from several
commands under the I Marine Expeditionary
Force came together at the Camp Fallujah
chapel here to remember their fallen in a
Memorial Day service May 29.
The service honored 78 Marines, sailors
and soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since I
MEF took authority from II MEF Feb. 28.
Although a somber occasion, the service
which was lled with scripture readings, songs
and speeches, was quite lively.
The ceremony’s keynote speaker was
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen.
Michael W. Hagee, who discussed how
service, members can honor their fallen
brothers.
“The best way that we can remember them
is to continue to live up to the values that they
believed in and that they gave their life for,”
said Hagee.
The hour-long ceremony included musical
performances by two choirs, the Camp Fallujah
band, bagpipes, and the traditional playing of
Taps, which resulted in an array of emotion,
from cheering to tearing.
Marines, sailors and soldiers lled Camp
Fallujah’s chapel from scores of units within I
MEF.
As one nal salute, the I MEF Headquarters
Cpl. Jon Guibord
A Message to our readers
The Eagle & Crescent is a publication
produced for Multi National Forces - West
service members and their families and
friends. We appreciate your interest,
prayers and patriotic support.
Semper Fidelis, MNF-W PAO
When Simon Bolivar led the nation of
Peru to independence from Spain in 1924,
they pleaded with him to become their rst
president. He refused. He said that his work
was the work of liberation. Others were better
suited to the task of governing.
The people still wanted to honor him. So
they offered him a gift of one million pesos.
And he accepted the gift on one condition. He
asked that he might supplement that gift with
monies from his own estate, and then use all of
that money together to purchase the freedom
of the 3,000 individuals in Peru who were still
slaves to other men.
When all the slaves where freed, they asked
him why he did it. This is what he said: “It
makes little sense to free a nation unless all its
citizens enjoy freedom as well.”
As we work for freedom, we must remember
that it is only a tool. It can never be an end in
itself. We must use freedom to nd dignity. We
must use freedom to connect our souls to God’s
true freedom.
Thanks for being a defender of freedom!
Open jam/ music night
Mon. at 2000
1830
1700
1800
0800
0915
1030
1300
1830
1700
1800
Chaplain (Lt, USN) Ronald W. Newhouse
9th Communications Battalion Chaplain
The fight for freedom in Iraq
Group sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Neil W.
O’Connell, read the names of the 78 service
members. As each name was called, a bell
placed in the middle of the stage was rung as a
tribute to the fallen.
“I was impressed with the whole ceremony,”
said Sgt. Raul C. Garcia, an ammunition
technician with Regimental Combat Team 5
Headquarters Company serving his second
tour in Iraq. “It gave us one last moment of
remembrance for the Marines that have been
killed in action here.”
Senior Chief Petty Ofcer Victor L. Koon, the
I Marine Expeditionary Force chaplain’s ofce
senior enlisted advisor, rings the bell for every
Marine, sailor and soldier that has been killed
since I MEF took command February 28, 2006.
Cpl. Jon Guibord is a combat correspondent
serving with I Marine Expeditionary Force in
Al Anbar Province. For information, e-mail
him at [email protected].
Cpl. Jon Guibord
I Marine Expeditionary Force
The Chaplain’s Corner
4 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 5
Marines repel enemy attack, suicide bomber
Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo
3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment
Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo
Cpl. Gary M. Cozine, a 21-year-old infantryman with L Company,
3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, talks to his Marines on post at
observation post Veteran Affairs in western Ramadi, Iraq May 16.
Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo is a combat correspondent serving with
the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment in Al Anbar Province. For
information, e-mail him at [email protected].
RAMADI, Iraq - Lance Cpl. William A. Staley is lucky to be alive.
“I was running from the chow hall to grab my ak jacket,” said Staley,
a 24-year-old mortarman from Lockport, N.Y. “Then the explosion hit.”
Staley recalled the enormous blast that sent debris into his face and
knocked him down a ight of stairs.
“After the explosion I got up and began running around making sure
everyone was alright,” said Staley, a Marine with L Company, 3rd
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.
He was one of many Marines who survived a powerful explosion from
a suicide vehicle that rocked the Veteran Affairs building here in late
April.
3rd Platoon, Company L was operating at the Observation Post
Veteran Affairs April 17, when the insurgents began a coordinated
attack. It was midday when insurgents began ring machine guns and
small arms at the building’s rooftop.
Meanwhile, teams of insurgents red multiple rocket-propelled
grenades that sailed directly toward the posts.
“The rocket-propelled grenades knocked the Marines physically out
of the posts,” said 2nd Lt. Andrew J. Sherman, a 25-year-old platoon
commander from Mobile, Ala., who was knocked down by an RPG
blast. “While the machine gunners were getting back up and running
back to the guns, a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
breached the west gate,” he said.
Lance Cpl. Aaron C. Shaffer, a 20-year-old from Charleston, W. Va.,
who was knocked from his post by an RPG blast, was able to see the
truck from his rooftop vantage point moments before it detonated.
“I got back to my post and saw the truck and began ring on it,” said
Shaffer. “I don’t remember much after that; all I remember is a handful
of dirt slamming me in the face.”
The dump truck laden with explosives detonated inside the compound,
ripping the northwest corner of the building apart. Massive amounts of
debris ew everywhere as ames from the blast ignited the building’s
camouage netting surrounding the Marines.
“I thought the whole building was destroyed,” said Staley. “The
concussion of the blast jolted and knocked (several of us down).”
Moments later, Marines dazed from the barrage of gunre began
receiving mortar rounds that rained down on top of the building.
Marines began low crawling over rubble and under a spray of small
arms re to maneuver to secondary ghting positions, according to
Sherman, who was calling for backup support.
They also called for a quick reaction force team. As the QRF sped
toward the gunght, they encountered and destroyed four VBIEDS
parked along the road.
Once Petty Ofcer 3rd Class William T. Corso gained consciousness
from the initial blast, he began hearing a call for help.
It was from Lance Cpl. Michael C. Sarbu, who had a gunshot wound
to the leg.
Trained in combat lifesaving techniques, Corso quickly ran up a
ladder, exposing himself to enemy re. He reached Sarbu and started
treating his leg. He immediately called for medical evacuation and
treated two other Marines.
Meanwhile, Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Leeper ran to a secondary post
to man a heavy machine gun upon hearing sporadic gunre. As he was
about to reach the post, a car bomb detonated, throwing him back inside
the building and burying his weapon under rubble. Refusing medical
treatment, he ran to another part of the building to assist Marines that
were engaged with enemy ghters. He was able to help the Marines by
repairing their weapon systems and resupplying them with ammunition.
Both Corso and Leeper were recommended for combat awards for
their bravery during the complex attack. Several other Marines and
Sailors were also put up for awards.
The attack lasted an hour and 45 minutes. The Marines’ tenacity was
key in repelling the enemy assault.
When it was all said and done, every Marine inside OP VA survived
the attack. A few Marines sustained minor injuries, and Sarbu was
medically evacuated to a regional medical facility for treatment for his
wounds. The Marines reported killing approximately 20 insurgents
during the battle.
the next few days were spent refortifying the observation post to
ensure it hadn’t been weakened by the attack.
“We worked 48 hours straight to reinforce the post,” said Staley. “It
was a nonstop working party.”
Today, the war-torn building still stands, and Marines continue to
operate there, providing security for the people of Ramadi.
4 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 5
GHARMAH, Iraq - When an optional
piece of gear became mandatory, complaints
were lodged. But when the gear did its job
- saving a Marine’s life - a few opinions
changed.
Lance Cpl. Robert F. Dean, a light armored
vehicle crewman with D Company, 3rd Light
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, owes
his life to the small arms protective insert
strapped to the side of
his body armor when he
was shot by an insurgent
sniper near the city of
Gharmah May 14.
“I thought someone had
thrown a rock at me,” said
Dean, from Spring, Texas.
Dean soon realized it
was not a rock, but a bullet
red by an insurgent from
roughly 500 meters away.
“We had an area
cordoned off, and the
scouts were out searching
the area,” recalled Cpl.
Dustin R. Nelson, Dean’s
vehicle commander. “I
reached down to give him
some water. As he popped
out of his hatch to take it
from me, I heard a crack.”
The Marines
immediately responded to
the insurgent attack.
“The bullet would have
hit his femoral bone, and
possibly gone through and
hit his femoral artery,” said
HN Chad T. Kenyon, 20,
the corpsmen who treated
Dean after the incident. “If
that happened, he could
have bled to death within a
few minutes. It would have
been a sticky situation, but
the plates did their job and
stopped the bullet.”
“The round hit the
very bottom of the plate,
shattering some of the
ceramic, but the ber paper
[backing the plate] caught
the round like a baseball
mitt,” added Nelson, from
Grand Junction, Colo.
Marine saved by side SAPI
Marines here are equipped with the
interceptor body armor system, which
consists of an outer tactical vest made of
Kevlar and the small arms protective insert
plates. The OTV and associated neck, throat
and groin protectors are designed to offer
protection from fragmentation weapons.
The ceramic SAPI plates are designed to
withstand multiple hits from assault ries,
which are common on the current battleeld.
Recently, the side SAPI plates have been
added to the armor system.
When the side SAPI plates were originally
issued to the company, Marines with jobs
that kept them inside their eight-wheeled
vehicles - drivers, gunners and vehicle
commanders - could choose whether to wear
the plates. Once the unit started operating
around Fallujah under Regimental Combat
Team 5, wearing the side plates was no longer
optional.
“They make it harder to get in and out
of the vehicle, but without them, I would
probably be in bad shape,” said Dean, 20,
about his side SAPI plates. “It was a good
thing that they made all of us wear them.”
When the gear became
mandatory for the Marines,
some complained, but
have since withdrew their
objections after seeing the
plates save lives.
“Now, our interpreter
wants side SAPIs. Before
he was complaining that
his ak was too heavy,”
Nelson said.
The Marine Corps
has made several
advancements in providing
enhanced personal body
armor for Marines and
sailors deployed to Iraq.
The level of protection
of individual body armor
has increased technology
improves, threats in the
area evolve.
Advancements include
enhanced SAPI plates,
which offer greater
protection against small
caliber weapons, the
side SAPI plates, which
increase protection on the
anks of the torso, and a
new lightweight Kevlar
helmet, which offers the
same ballistic protection
as the previous version but
is easier to wear for longer
periods of time.
Lance Cpl. Robert F. Dean, a light armored vehicle crewman with D Company, 3rd
Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, displays the small arms protective insert that
protected him from an insurgent sniper’s bullet May 14, 2006
Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove
Cpl. Graham
Paulsgrove is a combat
correspondent serving
with 3rd Light Armored
Reconnaissance battalion
in Al Anbar Province. For
information, e-mail him at
PaulsgroveGA@gcemnf-
Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
6 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 7
RANK/NAME: 1
st
Lt. Will Anderson
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Salmon, Idaho
MARITAL STATUS: Married
KIDS: 13 year-old daughter, 9-year-old son
COLLEGE STUDIES: Old Dominion University,
History major
UNIT/DUTY STATION: MWSS 274, Cherry Point,
North Carolina
MOS/JOB: 0402/ Motor Transport Company
Commander
FIRST STEPPED ON YELLOW FOOTPRINTS:
July 24, 1989
HOW MANY DEPLOYMENTS: 5
FAVORITE HANGOUT: Deck in the back yard
HOBBIES: Skiing, baseball
LAST SONG OR MOVIE DOWNLOADED: Fields
of Athenry by Drop Kick Murphys
LAST BOOK YOU READ: Going After Caciato
by Tim O’Brien
FAVORITE MRE: Thai Chicken
FAVORITE PIECE OF GEAR WITH YOU: Combat
thumb drive!
WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED DURING
DEPLOYMENT: Meetings beget meetings
WHAT YOU’LL REMEMBER MOST: The
hardworking “Ragdolls” of Motor-T and their
ability to accomplish anything!
WHERE YOU ARE GOING ON VACATION
WHEN YOU REDEPLOY: Cozumel, Mexico
WORST PART ABOUT DEPLOYMENT: Missing
my son’s baseball season
WHAT YOUR FAMILY THINKS ABOUT YOUR
DEPLOYMENT: Very supportive
BEST MEMORY OF MARINE CORPS: Coming
home from Desert Storm
FAVORITE COMEDIAN: Carrot-Top
FAVORITE DUTY STATION: MCRD San Diego
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Nothing wrong with being
tired. A whole lot wrong with looking tired!”
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING IN 5 YEARS:
Retiring
ADVICE FOR OTHERS HERE: Make the best of
a great opportunity!
LCpl. Brandon L. Roach
6 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 7
Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva
Marine recon adapts to growing mission in Iraq
Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva
Regimental Combat team 5
ZAIDON, Iraq - Cpl. Jason L. Campbell
pulled his Kevlar helmet off his head and
struggled to get free of his body armor - a
tangle of ammunition pouches, ceramic plates,
radios and grenades.
It is not an uncommon load for an
infantryman here in Iraq. But Campbell’s
not an ordinary infantryman. He is a
Reconnaissance Marine, and he is performing a
mission that just 10 years ago would have been
unthinkable in Iraq.
“I thought it would be more ‘snooping and
pooping,’” said 21-year-old Campbell, from
Twinsburg, Ohio. “I thought we’d be doing
more traditional reconnaissance.”
The thing is, in Iraq, nothing is traditional.
It’s a 4th Generation War – a guerilla
war – where there are no front lines for
Recon Marines to slip by. Terrain and the
counterinsurgency mission do not traditionally
call for deep reconnaissance.
Marine reconnaissance is changing. Helmets
and ak jacket were unheard of before
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duty in Marine
Recon meant boonie covers, bulging rucksacks
and long range foot patrols into the enemy’s
back yard just a few years ago.
No longer. Recon Marines are wrapped
in the same armor as every other Marine,
mounted in humvees and ring heavy M-2
.50 caliber machine guns. The heart and soul
of reconnaissance work has fundamentally
shifted.
For good or ill, Marine Recon will never be
the same.
Campbell, assigned to B Company, 2nd
Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat
Team 5, admitted this isn’t the sort of work he
trained for when he completed Amphibious
Reconnaissance School. In fact, he’s never
performed a traditional reconnaissance mission
in Iraq.
“The only time I did a traditional recon
mission was at ARS,” or while deployed with
a Marine Expeditionary Unit, he explained.
“Not in combat. I’ve never gone out to do just
reconnaissance.”
Still, there is no shortage of work for
Marines with specialized reconnaissance and
intelligence-gathering skills. Just because
Recon Marines are not lying in a hide, counting
enemy troops, doesn’t mean they’re out of a
mission. In fact, they ran smack dab into the
middle of what seems to be the denition of
Cpl. Jason L. Campbell, a 21-year-old from Twinsburg, Ohio, searches an Iraqi home in Zaidon for anti-Coalition materials during a recent operation.
Recon Marines are using tools and executing missions well beyond the scope of what used to be considered reconnaissance missions.
counterinsurgency operations. Marines gather
their own intelligence, coordinate and create
targets, and prosecute their own missions, with
hard hits on specic targets.
“It used to be in reconnaissance, if you red
a shot, you failed your mission,” said Gunnery
Sgt. Kenneth A. Westgate, a 35-year-old
platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon, B Company,
from East Wareham, Mass. “Now, we’re
expected to make contact. It’s not that we’ve
lost a mission. We’ve gained more mission.
“We’re collecting, analyzing and prosecuting
almost all at the platoon level,” Westgate
said. “The mission we’re tasked with now is
different.”
Some of what Recon Marines are doing in
Iraq, Westgate said, used to be traditionally
left to Combined Anti-Armor Teams. They
perform mounted vehicle patrols with heavy
guns and grenade launchers. Westgate – who
has 15 years as a Marine – said his early years
in Recon never called for humvees.
“I was the guy 10 kilometers in trying to nd
a route for the humvees,” he said. “When I rst
started, it was boonie covers and heavy rucks.
Now it’s humvees and heavy machine guns.
For the older guys, we’ve seen the change. But
See Recon Page 9
8 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 9
LA R m ai nt a in s s ec ur i ty o u ts id e F al l uj ah
GHARMAH, Iraq - They are fast, lethal,
and quickly working themselves out of a job.
Marines of D Company, 3rd Light Armored
Reconnaissance Battalion are clearing this
small town north of Fallujah of insurgents
and training Iraqi soldiers to operate
independently at the same time. They’re
doing it all with their light armored vehicles,
eight-wheeled vehicles they eat in and sleep
in and use to maintain security and stability in
their area of operations.
The company’s main priority is keeping
the roads through the town secure from
insurgents and free of improvised explosive
devices, according to 2nd Lt. Court M. Rape,
a 23-year-old platoon commander.
“The main route in our area of operation
has a lot of insurgent trafc running
to Baghdad and Ramadi, transporting
personnel and weapons, because it has fewer
checkpoints,” Rape said.
The Marines operate out of LAVs, a vehicle
capable of traversing all types of terrain,
traveling at more than 70 mph. It’s not just
a speed-demon, though. It’s brimming to the
teeth with a 240G machine gun and a 25mm
cannon. Top that off with infantry scouts in
back - the linchpin to the company’s success.
Locals see a sign of strength and speed, and
insurgents see a rolling death threat.
“We can go everywhere a tank can go,
but we have enough fuel to drive for a
week,” said Lance Cpl. Mark Emoff, from
Woodburn, Ore. “We are fast, mobile, have
scouts on the ground and heavy re power
right there. LAVs are a quick, self sustaining-
force.”
D Company’s platoons leave their home
base of Camp Fallujah for several days at a
time, roaming their 60-square-kilometer area,
mainly covered by farmland, but dotted with a
few villages.
They never really take a break, either.
Even when they’re not running down the
road, they’re ready to ght, coiled in a 360-
degree security perimeter while the Marines
take turns sleeping and grabbing a bite to eat,
Cpl. Joseph E. Sherwood, a 29-year-old from Orlando, Fla., assigned to D Company, 3rd Light
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, scans a berm for anything unusual during a patrol. The Marines
maintain security and stability in Gharmah, Iraq, a farming town outside of Fallujah.
Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove is a combat
correspondent serving with the 3rd Light
Armored Reconnaissance battalion in Al
Anbar Province. For information, e-mail him
Cpl. Graham Paulsgrove
“We are fast, mobile, have
scouts on the ground and
heavy re power right there.
LAVs are a quick, self-
sustaining force.”
Lance Cpl. Mark Emoff
LAV crewman
according Emoff.
In addition to keeping the roads safe,
the company – working in direct support
of 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment – is
conducting counterinsurgency operations,
nding weapons caches, and working
alongside the Iraqi Army.
“The Iraqi soldiers are a great asset,” said
Rape, from College Station, Texas. “Instead
of our one interpreter, we have about 18 guys
who can communicate with the Iraqi people,
making their presence known and giving us
the heads up on insurgent activities.”
The Iraqi Army is slated to take
responsibility for select areas of Iraq starting
at the end of this year and recently recruited
more than 1,000 men from the Fallujah area.
The close work with Iraqis is surprising even
the harshest of Marine critics.
“I had my expectations of how they would
perform before I saw them, but they came out
and impressed us,” said Sgt. Timothy Redleaf,
a vehicle commander from Rapid City, S.D.
“They are here to make a difference.”
While the operations conducted with the
Iraqis have not been on a large scale, they
have shown promise in what they can offer.
“Our Marines will ght beside them
without reservation in any conict,” said
Capt. H. Ripley Rawlings IV, the company
commander, from Boulder. Colo. “If all of
the Iraqi platoons are like the ones we have
operated with, then the IA will be a force
worthy of deploying with Marines. When the
time is right, they will be ready to take over
this province – and that time is approaching
quickly.”
After operating in the area for roughly two
months, the Marines proved their capabilities
as a ghting force. Insurgent attacks in the
area are down from just a couple months ago.
Prior to their arrival just weeks ago, the
region experienced insurgent attacks every
day, including small arms re, IEDs, rocket
attacks and ambushes. Now, it has ceased,
according to Rawlings.
“Our enemy is very focused and
determined, but … we have degraded and
defeated the enemy to the point where they
stopped attacking us,” Rawlins explained.
“The last few days have been very quiet.
“We are winning this war, and Iraq’s time
as a free and sovereign democratic nation is
just around the corner,” he added.
8 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 9
Lt. Col. Christopher A. Landro, battalion
commander, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine
Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, helps
sort through more than 1,600 boxes of Girl
Scout cookies donated by his daughter’s troop
for the Marines.
Cpl. Brian Reimers is a combat
correspondent serving with 1st Battalion,
25th Marine Regiment in Al Anbar
Province. For information, e-mail him at
we’ve got a whole generation of Recon who
thinks reconnaissance is humvees and ak
jackets.”
Westgate isn’t saying that the Corps
abandoned traditional reconnaissance, rather
the mission has to adapt to stay relevant to the
war Marines are ghting.
“The pace of warfare has changed,”
Westgate said.
The nature of this war – the 4th Generation
War where insurgents do not openly confront
Marines in classic force-on-force warfare
– means the Corps is relying on the skills of
Marines just like those in 2nd Reconnaissance
Battalion.
“It’s still the same principles,” said Cpl.
Brandon M. Stair, a 25-year-old from Utica,
Ohio, assigned to B Company. “We’re still
working in our teams, but moving more toward
platoon operations. We’re still thinking out of
the box. This is still a guerilla war.”
Snipers in Recon units are still making
Marines do not feel they are at a
disadvantage as the taskings are forcing
change. They take the skills they have and
apply them differently.
“For me, it’s seamless,” Campbell said.
“This sort of mission is what I expected to
do anyway. It could be a great advantage for
us because we are a small unit and have the
exibility. We can still do reconnaissance and
can act on it ourselves.”
The shift in the denition of reconnaissance
from what was considered traditional
to observing, gathering, processing and
prosecuting their own missions has morphed
Recon Marines into a unit that is more
independent, faster and deadlier.
“What we’ve done is put another tool in our
toolbox,” Westgate said. “But we’ve also put
another mission in our pack.”
Girls Scouts give Marines a taste of home
Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva is the Regimental
Combat Team 5 public affairs chief, serving
in Al Anbar Province. For information, e-mail
him at Mark.Oliva@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil.
Recon from Page 7
precise shots against insurgents, but gathering
intelligence and packaging that information
is happening at an arm’s distance, instead
of hundreds of meters through binoculars.
Marines patrol villages – micro urban areas
– talking with villagers, nding out what
they know. Recon Marines are part beat cop,
keeping the peace. They’re part investigator,
putting together the puzzle, and part SWAT,
kicking down the door to snatch the bad guys.
That has required Recon Marines to learn
new skill sets. To be humvee-mobile, Marines
need to learn humvee maintenance. Heavy
guns once foreign to Recon teams are now a
standard package. It makes them more lethal
and more mobile, but requires more exibility
and ingenuity.
“We now have our own built-in re
support,” Westgate explained. “We have
much more supply with us on the humvees
instead of what we used to carry in our rucks.
We can move longer distances quicker. The
disadvantage is there is a greater logistics train
and we’re sometimes restricted by terrain.”
Cpl. Brian Reimers
CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq - Things that
remind Marines of home are sometimes hard
to come by out here. But with the help of a few
hardworking Girl Scouts and patriotic citizens,
Marines are enjoying a familiar stateside treat.
A group of Girl Scouts from Marietta, Ga.,
recently donated more than 1,600 boxes of
their famous cookies to 1st Battalion, 25th
Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5.
“We wanted to give the Marines something
special,” said 6-year-old Megan L. Landro,
daughter of Lt. Col. Christopher A. Landro,
“New England’s Own” battalion commander.
The scouts adopted the commander to be
their “Hometown Hero” and set a goal to
sell enough cookies so every Marine in the
battalion would have a box. They reached their
goal and then some.
“I was thrilled to hear that they had reached
their goal and I immediately promised to
get them out to the Marines as quickly as
possible,” said Landro, from Kennesaw, Ga.
Troop 2923 went door to door with a poster
of their hometown hero and his Marines,
asking people if they would like to buy cookies
for the troops operating in Fallujah.
“Everybody wanted to buy them for my
dad and his troops,” said Megan, a rst grade
student at Walker School in Marietta.
“I know that my family is going through
a very tough time without me, as is every
family,” said 46-year-old Landro. “But this
shows that they will do anything they can to
express their love and support so that we can
go on with our mission.”
The expression of gratitude wasn’t lost on
the Marines.
“One way or another, the people back
home are always nding ways to support us,”
said Lance Cpl. Cody W. Hill, Headquarters
Platoon, Weapons Company.
Company commanders spent a part of
their afternoon loading boxes and boxes of
cookies into their humvees to take back to
their Marines throughout the battalion’s area of
operation.
“It was awesome to see hundreds of boxes of
Girl Scout cookies show up to our door,” said
Hill, 22, from Ada, Okla. “I have never seen so
many cookies in my life. I now know of every
type of Girl Scout cookie that there is.”
Megan made sure that her dad would get
plenty of the cookies they both enjoy the most.
“My daddy loves the thin mint ones,” Megan
excitedly said. “I sent him some extra ones.”
“I have more Girl Scout cookies here than I
know what to do with,” Hill said. “I am pretty
sure that we will not need a resupply for quite
a while. Thanks so much to the girls that made
this happen.”
Cpl. Brian Reimers
1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment
10 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 11
10
Aug. 19, 2005
The Eagle and the Crescent
Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
AL ASAD, Iraq - Cruising over the desert
at just above 400 feet, a Marine crew chief
kneels behind the Gun Ammunition Unit 21
mounted on the ramp of the CH-53D Sea
Stallion helicopter. The pilots and crew chiefs
in the front of the aircraft relay the location of
the current target, which will be coming into
his eld of re within seconds.
A series of smoke clouds and loud pops emit
from the barrel of the .50-caliber machine gun,
as a succession of tracer rounds, appearing like
lasers from some ashy science ction movie,
slam into makeshift targets of old vehicles on
the desert dunes.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463,
Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd
Marine Aircraft Wing, is the rst CH-53D
helicopter squadron to install the GAU-21 .50-
caliber machine gun system onto their aircraft.
“The GAU-21 is very similar to the XM-218
.50-caliber, which is the machine gun that is
mounted on the doors of the aircraft,” said Cpl.
Thomas D. Martinez, crew chief and weapons
and tactics instructor, HMH-463. “Most people
can’t really tell the difference until they know
a little bit about them. It is a new system to the
Marine Corps. The XM-218 has been around
forever, but the GAU-21 is modied to re
faster and re slightly farther.”
Purchased in January 2004, the Marine
Corps rst tested the weapon system on the
CH-53E Super Stallions before moving to the
aircraft’s little brother, the Delta.
“It was passed on to the Deltas and tested
in Hawaii,” said Martinez, a 22-year-old
Durango, Colo., native. “We got the clearance
to re the tail gun from the Delta platform in
December last year. We chose to use the GAU-
21 as the ramp system because of its ability to
put more rounds down range. All we had to do
was modify our ramp in order to facilitate it.”
The GAU-21 was chosen over the XM-
218 for its safer operability and the M-240G
machine gun for the size and path of its rounds,
said Cpl. Mitchell C. J. Harquail, crew chief
and weapons and tactics instructor, HMH-463.
“The 7.62 round used in the M-240G is too
small,” said Harquail, a 26-year-old native
of Sea Side, New Brunswick, Canada. “The
rotor wash from the aircraft affects the rounds’
trajectory. The .50-caliber is a heavier round.
You need a heavy round with a higher volume.”
However, between the added
heat from the engines blowing
through the rear of the aircraft
and the added gravity from the
aircraft turning or banking, this new
weapon system takes a toll on the
Marines who operate it.
“You get really tired when you
are on that gun, as it creates a lot of
fatigue,” said Harquail, a graduate
of Dalhousie Regional High
School. “You have to shoot from
the kneeling or squatting positions
and hang off of the ramp of the
aircraft sometimes. There is a lot
more vibration and movement in
the tail of the aircraft. It gets really
hot back there, as well.”
Although the GAU-21 can
put a tremendous amount of
Fifty-caliber rounds are taken from normal 100-round ammo
cans, laid out at and linked together before being put in
the 300-round ammo can that the GAU-21 ramp-mounted
Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
Sea Stallions implement ramp-mounted weapon system
physical stress on experienced crew chiefs, the
importance of the weapon does not fade from
their sight.
“We are normally engaged by the enemy
from the rear of the aircraft,” said Martinez,
a Durango High School graduate. “These
weapons are important because our window
guns only give us coverage in less than a 180
degree angle in front. The tail gun provides 180
degrees of coverage behind and to the sides of
the aircraft.”
Another feature the weapon system provides
is safety, according to Harquail, who was the
rst designated tail gunner for the CH-53D
platform with the GAU-21.
“It is more user friendly and safer,” said
Harquail. “The likelihood of a cook-off, which
is the igniting of a round caused by the heat
of an extremely hot barrel, is greatly reduced,
because the weapon res from an open bolt
position.”
With a rate of re almost 400 rounds per
minute faster than its older brother, the XM-
218, the Marines who operate this weapon
cannot get enough of it.
“I love it,” Harquial said. “The weapon has a
sweet spot that once you get used to it, you can
hit almost anything.”
Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke
Cpl. Thomas D. Martinez aims at a makeshift target in the desert outside Al Asad, Iraq during a test
re of the GAU-21 ramp-mounted weapon system May 16.
Lance Cpl. James B. Hoke is a combat
correspondent serving with the 3rd
Marine Aircraft Wing in Al Anbar
Province. For information, e-mail him at
weapon system uses.
10 Aug. 19, 2005 The Eagle and The Crescent
The Eagle and The Crescent Aug. 19, 2005 11
Warriors’ Words
What is
your favorite
saying?
“Long days make
for fast weeks.”
Cpl. Mark K. Riggio
I Marine Expeditionary Force
Headquarters Group
“Take it one day
at a time.”
Sgt. Ruben M. Pena
Regimental Combat Team 5
Headquarters
“It is better to die
on your feet than
to live a lifetime on
your knees.”
“It’s all
good.”
Lance Cpl. Marcus B. Leed
Regimental Combat Team 5
Headquarters
Pfc. Raul J. Levrie
1st Battalion, 1st Marine
Regiment
“Dude!”
Sgt. Jerrad E. Fienhold
Combat Logistics Battalion 5
Scott Martin
MNF-W Director of Safety
What is your perception of risk?
Cpl. Jon C. Guibord
We’ve all done it. Stretched the envelope
of common sense, or said to another Marine,
sailor or soldier, “Watch this ...”
But life isn’t the movies, where the hero
leaps from a third story ledge into garbage bags
and rolls to their feet, ready to chase the bad
guys. Reality has a way of breaking bones,
scraping your skin off, or making you see three
of everything when there used to be one. Our
decision-making process is heavily inuenced
by our perception of risk.
Risk perception is the colored lens we look
through when viewing the world. You may
look at the ocean with some hesitation, with
shades of the movies “Jaws” or “Open Water”
dancing about in your brain, while another
person will race into the water unconcerned
about being sh food. Our ratio of risk verses
gain is formed mostly by our experiences
and whether we feel like we are “controlling”
the situation. You are more likely to have
a vehicle accident than a plane crash, but
the greater worry for most people is ying.
This is due to what level of control you feel.
Whatever is driving your train, take a second
and think about what you are planning to do.
As individuals, we must consider what
we are doing, or about to do, and weigh
the risks involved. It’s not about stopping
you from doing what you need to do; it’s
about increasing the possibility that you will
complete your mission without something
going wrong. Before you start to do
something, take that second to consider three
things: (1) What possibly can go wrong?
(2) How bad can it be? (3) What can I do to
prevent that from happening? These three
questions might be the only thing between you
and needing both hands to count to ve.
How do we avoid the hazards of our daily
missions? We do this with prior planning.
Operational Risk Management (ORM) is an
integral part of that planning process. Okay,
I’ll pause now for the collective groan about
ORM… there, now we can continue, because
it is an important tool that we need to use. As
a matter of fact, we all have been using it since
we were kids when mom told us to stay out
of the street and to look both ways. Looking
at what you are going to do and planning for
those things that reasonably might happen is
called “calculated risk-taking”. Going into
something without regard for potential hazards
is “gambling”. What’s the difference? The
difference is measured in loss of combat power
and possibly mission failure due to deaths,
injuries, and loss of equipment.
How hard is it to apply ORM? Maintain
your situational awareness. Plan your
actions whenever possible and include ORM.
Carpenters have a saying that goes like this:
“Measure twice, cut once”. In other words,
plan properly and you won’t waste time xing
your mistakes… if they’re xable
