Stories - Page 58

Capt. Christopher Cowen, a logistics officer with Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), assists Iraqi soldiers with the 7th Iraqi Army Division’s maintenance shop, in checking the fluids of one of their vehicles at Camp Mejid, Iraq, April 25, 2009. Cowen volunteered to work with the maintenance shop to advise them on improving their logistics capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by LANCE CPL. MELISSA A. LATTY) - Capt. Christopher Cowen, a logistics officer with Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), assists Iraqi soldiers with the 7th Iraqi Army Division’s maintenance shop, in checking the fluids of one of their vehicles at Camp Mejid, Iraq, April 25, 2009. Cowen volunteered to work with the maintenance shop to advise them on improving their logistics capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by LANCE CPL. MELISSA A. LATTY)

Marine officer helps enhance Iraqi Army logistics capabilities

Until recently, the Iraqi Army has depended on U.S. forces to aid them in the areas of logistics, communications, intelligence, fire support, and infantry tactics. The primary conduit for learning these new skills has been Military Transition Teams. As the Iraqi Army continues its progression toward operating as an organized force free of direct

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Sgt Gerard B. Lane, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) mortuary affairs, gives 2nd MLG (Fwd) unit chaplains a tour of the Personnel Retrieval and Processing facility at Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, April 18, 2009. The tour was part of a conference held by Cmdr. Douglas M. Withington, 2nd MLG (Fwd) chaplain, to familiarize small unit chaplains with the command staff’s expectations. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by LANCE CPL. MELISSA A. LATTY) - Sgt Gerard B. Lane, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) mortuary affairs, gives 2nd MLG (Fwd) unit chaplains a tour of the Personnel Retrieval and Processing facility at Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, April 18, 2009. The tour was part of a conference held by Cmdr. Douglas M. Withington, 2nd MLG (Fwd) chaplain, to familiarize small unit chaplains with the command staff’s expectations. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by LANCE CPL. MELISSA A. LATTY)

Chaplains' conference connects with command

CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq – The 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) command chaplain hosted a conference with the group’s subordinate Religious Ministry Teams aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, April 17-18.The purpose of the conference was to give the RMTs, which normally consist of a chaplain and his or her enlisted religious programmer, throughout 2nd

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Sgt. Adam Riggle, a section leader with Weapons Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, secures a street corner during culture training at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility, here, April 21. As squads patrolled through the MOUT facility, role players, mostly foreign nationals, played music, cooked food and manned shops depicting what Marines will encounter while on patrol through a village. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Scott Schmidt.) (RELEASED) - Sgt. Adam Riggle, a section leader with Weapons Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, secures a street corner during culture training at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility, here, April 21. As squads patrolled through the MOUT facility, role players, mostly foreign nationals, played music, cooked food and manned shops depicting what Marines will encounter while on patrol through a village. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Scott Schmidt.) (RELEASED)

‘America’s Battalion’ gets a taste of Afghan culture at MOUT town

On today’s modern battlefield, the lines between noncombatants and combatants are thinning as insurgents hide among the local populous. Cultural understanding and Marines’ ability to rationally and responsibly assess a situation are becoming the new weapons against a modern enemy.Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division,

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Mike Dees (left), lot supervisor, Marine Corps Logistics Command (Forward) Retrograde Lot, tells a Marine where he should park his tactical vehicle during a transfer of equipment at the MCLC (Fwd) Retrograde Lot in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, March 31, 2009. Dees is one of the Honeywell contractors hired to work with Marines as they undergo a responsible drawdown of their equipment in Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington) - Mike Dees (left), lot supervisor, Marine Corps Logistics Command (Forward) Retrograde Lot, tells a Marine where he should park his tactical vehicle during a transfer of equipment at the MCLC (Fwd) Retrograde Lot in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, March 31, 2009. Dees is one of the Honeywell contractors hired to work with Marines as they undergo a responsible drawdown of their equipment in Iraq. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington)

Removing unnecessary gear from Iraq: a crucial step in a responsible drawdown

Even before Feb. 17, when President Barack Obama announced his strategy for Iraq, the operational tempo for Marines and sailors within the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, was high.Since the President’s announcement, the tempo at the 2nd MLG (Fwd) has elevated tenfold. While they are in charge of the responsible

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April 2009: Habbaniyah Tourist Village, Iraq has seen a recent influx of vacationers, a huge improvement from last year. Once a popular vacationing area in the 1970’s and 1980’s, it quickly lost its appeal as it became a refugee camp for Iraqis fleeing the sectarian violence in Baghdad and Fallujah after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by 2nd Lt. Michele Perez) - April 2009: Habbaniyah Tourist Village, Iraq has seen a recent influx of vacationers, a huge improvement from last year. Once a popular vacationing area in the 1970’s and 1980’s, it quickly lost its appeal as it became a refugee camp for Iraqis fleeing the sectarian violence in Baghdad and Fallujah after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by 2nd Lt. Michele Perez)

Returning Marine unit notes increased vacationers in local Iraqi tourist village

This time last year, the scene at the once popular vacation spot in western Iraq, Habbaniyah Tourist Village, was bleak. The village was nearly empty, and traffic of visitors and vacationers was negligible. Thoughts of the area regaining its luxurious status it once had in the 1970s and 1980s were distant thoughts after it became a haven for

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Marines with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, load a casualty into the back of a CH-46 Sea Knight during casualty evacuation training here, April 1. “Casualty training and being able to deal with combat casualties will come into play during any deployment,” explained Pfc. Sonny Robertson. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Scott Schmidt) (RELEASED) - Marines with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, load a casualty into the back of a CH-46 Sea Knight during casualty evacuation training here, April 1. “Casualty training and being able to deal with combat casualties will come into play during any deployment,” explained Pfc. Sonny Robertson. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Scott Schmidt) (RELEASED)

Marines train to lift fallen from battlefield

Mosquitoes and other unseen pests that saturate the stale morning air, migrate from arm to arm, face to face. Heat of the previous day gave way to dismal rain, which seemed to pierce Marines with the force of a M82 bomb. The digital camouflage covering of the Marines’ Kevlar helmets were drenched with water and large drops culminated on their

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Cpl. Dustin L. Griffin, security team leader, Security Co., Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), is presented the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, commanding general, 2nd MLG, during a ceremony in Camp Ramadi, Iraq March 2. He received the award for his actions during a vehicle roll over in Karmah, Iraq, Aug. 7, 2008, that resulted in saving a Marine’s life and the recovery of five Marines and one interpreter. - Cpl. Dustin L. Griffin, security team leader, Security Co., Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), is presented the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, commanding general, 2nd MLG, during a ceremony in Camp Ramadi, Iraq March 2. He received the award for his actions during a vehicle roll over in Karmah, Iraq, Aug. 7, 2008, that resulted in saving a Marine’s life and the recovery of five Marines and one interpreter.

Marine's quick action saves lives in western Iraq

When driving down a U.S. road and witnessing an accident, most bystanders are likely to stop to make sure all of the occupants of the vehicles are okay. Now add the rollover of a 25-ton Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle into a water-filled canal and the threat of lurking insurgents. How many people would instinctively know what to do then?

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Ashoor Primary School headmaster, Ahmad Freh Metlaq Khalaf, invites 2nd Marine Logistics Group commanding general, Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, to tour the newly renovated school after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Al Kabani, Iraq, Feb. 11. The renovations created more space for students and made it possible to accommodate an extra grade level at the school. - Ashoor Primary School headmaster, Ahmad Freh Metlaq Khalaf, invites 2nd Marine Logistics Group commanding general, Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, to tour the newly renovated school after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Al Kabani, Iraq, Feb. 11. The renovations created more space for students and made it possible to accommodate an extra grade level at the school.

Small changes help promote education in Al Anbar

In a quaint village made up of small cement block structures, a crowd of local residents and U.S. service members gathered around a freshly installed gate leading into the Ashoor Primary School in Al Kabani, Iraq, Feb. 11.The school, which provides education to approximately 115 students during the school year, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to

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