Tag Archives: marines

Unmanned Helicopter Makes First Airdrop in Afghanistan

The unmanned K-MAX helicopter, an experimental UAV deployed to Afghanistan, has reportedly made its first successful resupply mission.

A detachment of Marines from Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 moved about 3,500 pounds of food and supplies to troops at Combat Outpost Payne using an unmanned K-MAX helicopter on Dec. 17…

The concept is intended to reduce risk to both ground and helicopter-based resupply missions.

Updated: Also the top story at FoxNews.

Pentagon to Rule on Camp Pendleton Cross

The issue of the legality of the Camp Pendleton cross was elevated to higher headquarters, according to a local article.

A group of reporters was allowed to make the trek to see the memorial upon which the controversy was based.  To his credit, Mark Walker of the North County Times accurately gave some depth to the content of the memorial:

The site is home to numerous mementos, as well as the crosses, neither of which is visible from nearby Interstate 5.

Each is surrounded by thousands of rocks carried up by Marines from sea level at Camp Horno as a homage to troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of those rocks have hand-scrawled messages of love and remembrance.

There are dozens of bottles of booze, Read more

Troops Talk Faith on the Frontlines

An interesting article by the US Marines asks troops what faith means to them, and to the mission:

For service members deployed to a combat zone, faith takes on a whole new meaning. For many Marines and sailors, the tragedies of war are apparent on a daily basis and often require a reserve of mental, moral, and physical strength that can only be found in a person’s faith.

This understanding of the importance of faith is one reason the US military takes such great steps to promote resilience within its ranks.  Whatever it is the Soldier, Marine, Airmen, or Sailor holds faith in, that faith will sustain Read more

Weinstein’s Attacks Don’t Dampen US Military Charity

Marines spread joy of Christmas, Soldiers donate to Catholic Charity, Toys for Tots teams with Christian non-profit…

Members of the US military continue to participate in traditional acts of charity and community service, even when such efforts are connected (however remotely) with religious organizations — despite Michael Weinstein’s efforts to quash such efforts last month.

The reason, of course, is that despite a somewhat unusual reaction from the US Air Force Academy last month, the US military has had no problem associating itself with religious organizations in their efforts to conduct humanitarian or charitable work.  In fact, it seems the majority of such work is conducted in concert with organizations that are in some way connected to a faith group, probably because so many humanitarian and charitable organizations are faith-based to begin with.

And that’s OK — because there is no military policy, regulation, or Read more

US Rep Questions Lack of Awards for Libya Action

US Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus questioning why no US Marine has been awarded for their actions in Libya — despite the very public search and rescue of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle crew.

“It has come to my attention that no awards or recognition have been approved for Marine aviators who flew combat missions over Libya,” Hunter wrote in a recent letter to Mabus.  Read more

Leaders Send Messages of a Very Merry Military Christmas

Military leaders from all branches have begun distributing their traditional Christmas (or holiday) greetings:

  • A Department of Navy Chaplains video message presented a “happy holidays to you and your family.”
  • The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West said “With the traditional festivities of December upon us, I want to wish you all the happiest possible holidays…”
  • The Chief of Staff of the Air Force Norton Schwartz and his wife wished “you and yours a joyous holiday season and a very happy new year.”
  • The Chief of Staff of the Army General Ray Odierno and his wife expressed “from our families to yours, happy holidays.”
  • The Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos and his wife presented a greeting titled, clearly enough, “A Christmas Message:” “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Semper Fidelis.”
  • Updated: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey started his message singing a line from Christmas in Killarney.
  • The Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert wins the Christmas turkey. His message started with “Happy Holidays shipmates” but ended with him and his wife actually singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Military Atheist Jason Torpy Calls for Tebowing Reprimand

Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers picked up last month’s post on Tebowing, even plagiarizing text from ChristianFighterPilot.com in the process.  He reached a different conclusion, however:

Tebowing with Afghan kids is clearly an evangelical activity that must be pulled from the site with reprimands for the troop involved.  The NFL game is misappropriation of government resources — and any Marine will tell you his body is a government resource. 

First of all, Tebowing.com a private website, so there is no governmental Read more

Congressman Hunter Defends Camp Pendleton Cross

US Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) sent a letter to Camp Pendleton’s commanding officer Colonel Nicholas Marano indicating his support for allowing the now-controversial memorial cross to remain standing in order to honor four US Marines who fell in Iraq:

Majs. Douglas Zembiec and Ramon Mendoza, and Lance Cpls. Robert Zurheide and Aaron Austin..

What makes Hunter’s call unique, besides his status as a member of Congress?

He was there.  Read more

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