by Sgt. M. Trent Lowry, RCT-5
RAWAH, Iraq (Oct. 27, 2008) -- For a person with a small stature from a small ethnic group in the smallest service in the U.S. military, Cpl. Hue Moua doesn't act small.
Moua, a member of Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, Regimental Combat Team 5, stands only 5'2" tall, but his contributions to the platoon have been huge.
"He's always busy, always helping other Marines," said Cpl. David Montiel, 21, a fire team leader with PRP-3 from Compton, Calif. "He's very strong, he's always volunteering and he's always willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish the mission."
Simply having a willingness to execute orders doesn't make Moua stand out over other Marines with PRP-3 since there is plenty of motivation within the platoon. However, the initiative displayed by Moua for accomplishing things not asked of him does make his contributions seem big.
"I like to serve people; I like to help others out," said Moua, 23, from Auburn, Wash.
Since PRP-3 is watching over Traffic Control Points 3 and 4 in Rawah, there aren't the usual amenities of a large forward operating base. Among the Marines assigned to PRP-3 is a field cook, Cpl. Joshua Byers, but as every Marine is part of the watch and patrol schedule, it is not uncommon to find Moua, an administrative clerk by trade, in the kitchen preparing meals for the Marines in Byers’ absence.
Nor is it rare to see him using a pick ax to dig a trench, scaling a wall to help fortify a defensive position or filling and carrying sandbags. All activities are a far cry from his normal duties in military administration with RCT-5.
"Being part of PRP-3 has given me a bit more experience than my peers," said Moua, who, as a non-infantry Marine with the platoon -- which is responsible for overwatch of Iraqi law enforcement and the security of Rawah and the Rawah Bridge -- had to pick up on basic combat skills that aren't often empoyed by administrators. "I am going to share this knowledge with (the administrators) when I get back to (RCT-5)."
This is the first deployment for Moua, who has been with 5th Marine Regiment since completing military occupational specialty school.
Moua is a Hmong (the "h" is silent), an Asian ethnicity originally from the southern mountains in China and now scattered through Laos, Thailand and Myanmar-Burma. According to www.wikipedia.com, there are more than 4 million Hmong worldwide, with about 275,000 living in the United States, many of whom fled Southeast Asia after the "secret war," a communist insurgent-versus-government civil war in Laos.
Moua moved to America with his grandmother and uncle when he was 9 years old, while his mother and siblings remained in Thailand north of Bangkok.
Moua said that the biggest challenge for him as a child in a new country was the language barrier. After the fifth grade, though, he was able to attend English-speaking classes throughout his schooling until his graduation from Tahoma High School in Auburn in 2005. After graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"My thinking was that the Marine Corps would give me more opportunities in life," Moua said. "I've decided I really like being a Marine. It's just all the little things we do, like always trying to do the right thing, no matter what it is, that appeals to me. It's what sets Marines apart from other services and civilians."
A focus on self-improvement is important to Moua, who understands that by building himself up will help the Marines around him.
"I plan to be a better combat leader when all is said and done," said Moua, who spends his free time lifting weights at the outdoor gym with the limited equipment used by the PRP-3 Marines. "If at some point I have a fire team under me, I want to be able to teach them and lead them. I'm going to learn as much as I can while here (with PRP-3) and retain this knowledge and pass it on to others."
Never having operated as an infantryman in his previous three years in the Marines, Moua is taking his current assignment to heart.
"For this not being his MOS, he has really picked it up," said Montiel, who reunited with Moua after being with him in the same platoon in recruit training. "While on patrols, Moua is good at observing, keeping alert and analyzing the situation."
Moua has made great friends in the Marine Corps, but while other Marines make up his "second family," his cousins Cpl. Tai Moua and Sgt. Long Moua also serve in the Marine Corps, giving the Moua family a small, but dedicated, representation in the ranks of leathernecks.
"When we first started with PRP-3, he was more timid and quiet," said Sgt. Dante Sevieri, Moua's squad leader with PRP-3 and a data technician with RCT-5. "He's opened up quiet a bit though, and is one of the guys."
Moua said he has used the time with PRP-3 to reflect on things he wants to accomplish in life, including spending more time with his wife, Stacey. While he intends on reenlisting in the Marine Corps, he said he would like to make a lateral move into the data field, where he would work more with computers.
"Being in the Marine Corps has opened my eyes and made me appreciate things more," Moua said. "I had thought about myself too much, and not what's good for the Marine Corps. Once I realized that, I was able to enjoy the experience.
"Being with PRP-3, I've learned a lot of new things, especially from the (infantry) guys," Moua added. "It's been a good experience. It's been fun and I've been happy."
by Lance Cpl. Sean Cummins, RCT-5
HIT, Iraq – While some Marines have trouble making an edible hot pocket for themselves at home, the chow hall Marines of Task Force 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 have proven themselves qualified cooks, even in Iraq.
The Marines at the chow hall both cook and serve different meals every day, ranging from turkey and mashed potatoes to ribs and corn. Depending on the operation tempo, they sometimes make enough food to feed hundreds of Marines in one day.
Despite the lack of an indoor galley full of equipment as they have at home in Twentynine Palms, Calif., the field mess specialists manage to keep the food on the table and provide a sanitary environment for cooking and eating.
“We don’t have the same equipment as we had in Twentynine Palms, that’s for sure. We don’t have any ovens to make certain items, and we don’t have hot boxes to keep items hot,” said Staff Sgt. Jose M. Lopez, 34, a field mess chief from Levelland, Texas, with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Bn., 7th Marines.
Keeping hot chow on the table can make life a little easier for Marines who have been working long hours or have just come back from missions.
“I try and get whatever I can to please the Marines out here. It’s supposed to be a (Meal Ready to Eat) for lunch, but we try to get them a hot meal,” Lopez said. “We’re already out here (in Iraq). Most Marines don’t want to have a MRE, especially when they’ve been on post all day. We try to make them feel more at home in a field environment.”
Creativity and flexibility in the kitchen are important when supplies and equipment are limited. The Marines try to keep the menu fresh when they’re deployed to keep everyone happy.
“The advantage of working out here is that we can pretty much create our own recipes if we choose to do so. We learn from experiences in the past and actually put them to use out here,” said Sgt. Travis A. Ruffin, 25, a field mess specialist attached to Company L, 3rd Bn., 7th Marines. “I wouldn’t say it’s a difficult job, but it’s a steady job. We can’t please everybody, but we try to.”
Perhaps the most important aspect of maintaining a chow hall while deployed is sanitation.
“We’ve got to be up on our sanitation here because we’re in a field environment. Sanitation is very important over here because if we don’t keep our equipment clean and we don’t keep our food at certain temperatures, we could get people sick,” Lopez said.
“It’s harder to keep (the chow hall) clean out here, so we clean more than we do back at Twentynine Palms. Sanitation helps keep Marines in the fight,” said Lance Cpl. David A, Charlot, 20, a cook from Brooklyn, N.Y., attached to Company I, 3rd Bn., 7th Marines.
The field mess Marines know how important it is for them to do their jobs well. It’s more than just food in the belly for Marines, it’s a chance for them to rest and relax during a long day of work.
“(Other Marines) work just as hard as we do. This is their time to get together, enjoy chow and have a good time. We try to provide them with as much as we can to make sure they’re happy so they can push out and do a good job in the field,” Ruffin said.
by Sgt. M. Trent Lowry, RCT-5
RAWAH, Iraq -- For most of the Marines of Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, Regimental Combat Team 5, common infantry training is an uncommon virtue.
The majority of Marines with PRP-3 are trained as members of combat support military occupational specialties, which means they provide necessary assistance to support the ground combat element. However, the platoon is currently conducting an infantry mission here by providing security of the roadways and bridge into Rawah.
Those without formal infantry training from the School of Infantry, though, have the help they need just an arm's length away. More than a dozen infantry Marines from battalions with 5th Marine Regiment volunteered to be a part of PRP-3, and their experience and knowledge is enhancing PRP-3’s mission capability.
"We come from two totally different worlds, but shared hardships build strong bonds," said Cpl. Drew March, 24, a fire team leader with PRP-3 from Speedway, Ind. "If (the infantry Marines with PRP-3) see something messed up, we let (everyone) know. Our job out here is to teach and to lead."
All of the infantry Marines with PRP-3 volunteered to return to Iraq -- most within three months after returning from a seven-month deployment with 3rd Bn, 5th Marines, though some are from 2nd Bn., 5th Marines -- to serve as members of Grizzly Mobile, RCT-5's mobile security element. When they arrived at RCT-5’s headquarters at Camp Ripper, which is aboard Al Asad Air Base in western al-Anbar province, they were reassigned to PRP-3 to serve as members of the platoon and as mentors to the support-element Marines.
"On my first deployment, I learned more while deployed than any training," said March, who, like many of the infantry Marines with PRP-3, is on his third tour in Iraq. "I've actually been impressed by a lot of (the non-infantry Marines). They're picking up on the basics pretty quickly."
Like many of the other infantry Marines, March was assigned as a fire team leader, and he quickly made it his business to learn about his team members. It's this attention to the Marines around them, helping making them better, that has given PRP-3 more tools to be successful.
"(The infantry Marines) are the ones who are the experts, the ones with all the experience, so I turn to them a lot of times," said Sgt. Dante R. Sevieri, 24, a squad leader with PRP-3 and data technician with RCT-5 from Castro Valley, Calif. "Everybody helps each other out to make our squad better."
The non-infantry Marines are taking their orders seriously, and the infantry Marines have noticed the motivation of all the Marines is running high throughout the platoon
"I selected Cpl. (Levi) Bjorkman, an (administration clerk), as my point man because he has shown a lot of common sense abilities," said Cpl. Jordan M. Moehnle, 22, a fire team leader with PRP-3 from Sunland, Calif.
The infantry Marines with PRP-3 have seen the country when the situation was more active, with frequent attacks from insurgents and foreign fighters from terrorist networks causing a dangerous situation for Coalition forces and peaceful Iraqi citizens. Though the low number of combat contacts this year is a sign of significant strides toward stability, the combat-experienced Marines have not let down their guard.
"My first deployment (in 2006, with Lima Company, 3rd Bn., 5th Marines) was pretty tense," said Moehnle, who also served as a squad leader on his second deployment after attending infantry squad leaders course. "The situation in Fallujah was better than in the past and on the way to improvement, but it was still pretty wild. By the second deployment, (from Sept. 2007 to Apr. 2008), it was significantly better."
"I'm happy we're not getting shot at," March said. "I don't want any stars or crosses (combat awards). If nothing is happening, then no one dies. It's good seeing the progress here and being able to say 'hey, that's partly (because of) us.’"
by Capt. Paul Greenberg, RCT-5
CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq— When Navy Cmdr. Dennis McKenna took his Hippocratic oath as a medical doctor in 1992, he vowed to devote his life to improving the welfare of human beings.
In the rural town of Rutbah in Iraq’s western al-Anbar Province, his efforts have gone beyond working with Coalition forces and the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior to reopen Rutbah’s only hospital. He is using his professional experience and business acumen to help the impoverished town establish an economic base, which will serve as a catalyst for overall improvement in the quality of life there.
McKenna, 42, is the battalion surgeon for 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, a reserve unit based in Garden City, N.Y. A 20-year Navy reservist himself, he is currently on a one-year mobilization with the battalion, which is attached to Regimental Combat Team 5.
In his civilian career, McKenna is an emergency medicine physician at Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y., where he has worked for 11 years. When not mobilized, he drives 360 miles round trip one weekend every month from his home in Selkirk, N.Y., to attend reserve drills.
“I believe in service,” said McKenna. “I believe you have to give something back, and I love serving with the Marines.”
Although he primarily has a science and medical background, McKenna volunteered to take on the collateral duty as the economics line of operations officer (LOO).
The battalion’s line of operations officers glean from their professional and military backgrounds to serve as advisors for local Iraqi governments in areas such as governance, essential services and rule of law.
“I bring a common sense approach, identifying problems and proposing logical solutions,” said McKenna. “That is what it takes to be a LOO —someone with a real passion for the subject and who is able to present the commander with different options. The lines of operations are about setting the people of Rutbah up for success. We need to find those people, those Bill Gates and Thomas Jeffersons. These people have been reluctant to show their potential in the past because of the situation that existed here for so long.”
The Marines and sailors of 2nd Bn., 25th Marines arrived at Camp Korean Village, about 20 miles from Rutbah, in early October. The first step in making strides towards improving the economy was to conduct an “economic atmospherics” assessment.
McKenna explained that the most important thing is getting out into the community, talking to “the average man on the street,” and getting the whole story.
Escorted by Marines and sailors from Weapons and Golf Companies, 2nd Bn., 25th Marines on a series of security patrols, McKenna made his rounds through the city Oct. 20-21, speaking with Iraqis from all socioeconomic strata to get a clear picture of the overall economic situation in order to determine how he can work with local Iraqi leaders to improve it.
The project is not an easy one, considering the fact that this remote part of the country, about 230 miles from Baghdad, is just beginning to transition to a full-fledged democracy with a free-market economy. More than half the adult population is unemployed. Furthermore, Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces have only recently quelled the violent insurgency which rocked al-Anbar province for more than three years.
“On a macro level, we’re not going to solve all their problems in five months,” said McKenna. “We do, however, have an outsider’s perspective. We can propose ideas that have worked in the States. We make our recommendations so that they can find Iraqi solutions to their problems here.”
When meeting with the Rutbah City Council Oct. 21, Muthana Jubaer Juwana, the city council president, told McKenna that most local Iraqi businessmen with the capital to invest are putting their money into businesses in Jordan and Oman. Juwana alluded to foreign investment in a large-scale business, such as a cement or glass factory, as the town’s main hope to provide jobs.
A local tribal shiek, who was also at the city council meeting, stated that in order for a factory to be successful here, a western company would have to build it, and its operation would need to be supervised, at least initially, by Coalition forces.
McKenna, however, did not agree. “They have the skills and potential here,” he insisted. “They built this city. They have educated people. We just need to focus on establishing a cadre of business leaders who have confidence in their city.”
Without a doubt, McKenna and his fellow Marines and sailors of 2nd Bn., 25th Marines have their work cut out for them. As Coalition forces take a step back and focus on providing mentorship and guidance to the Iraqi Security Forces, it is ultimately up to the people of Iraq to determine what direction their country will take in the future.
by Sgt. M. Trent Lowry, RCT-5
RAWAH, Iraq -- Marines with Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, Regimental Combat Team 5 assumed full control of security overwatch duties for Traffic Control Point 3 and 4 near Rawah, Iraq.
The platoon took charge of the TCPs from 1st Platoon, Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, RCT-5. The Fox Co. platoon returned to its battalion headquarters at Combat Outpost Rawah. After just a few days of being in full control, learning the responsibilities of the post and the site-specific nuances at the two TCPs, the PRP Marines felt confident in their ability to take the reins.
"There's only so much training Marines can do before they have to experience things firsthand," said Staff Sgt. Jaime Benavides, 32, platoon sergeant, PRP-3, from San Antonio, Texas. "I have high confidence in these Marines."
While the previous platoon occupying the TCPs was made up entirely of infantrymen from 2nd Bn, 2nd Marines, most of the Marines with PRP-3 have no infantry experience and hold support military occupational specialties such as administrative clerk and data technician. But while the ground combat element experience may be limited in the platoon, there is no lack of motivation with these Marines.
"I like my squad," said Sgt. Dante R. Sevieri, 24, a squad leader with PRP-3 and a data technician with RCT-5, from Castro Valley, Calif. "Everybody seemed to catch on pretty quick. We've got a good group of guys, everybody knows what they're doing and everybody's got a good attitude."
"I'm quite confident that we can provide security and win the battle," said Cpl. Hue Moua, 23, a rifleman with PRP-3 and an administrative clerk with RCT-5, from Auburn, Wash. "I think our skills are below average compared to an infantryman, because of all the training they do, but I know my sectors of fire, I know escalation of force procedures and I know what to do on patrols."
The squad leader and police sergeant positions for PRP-3 were assigned to the sergeants in the platoon, who are experienced in their MOSs, but not as experienced in leading Marines in infantry environments.
"I was definitely nervous going on the first patrol, but now I feel pretty comfortable with doing patrols," said Sgt. Justin Sweda, 23, police sergeant with PRP-3 and an administrative clerk with RCT-5 from Joliet, Ill.
"I've learned a lot about what I need to do as a squad leader," said Sevieri. "I know how to plan a patrol, what routes we'll be taking, what marching order we'll be in, and then while on the patrol, how to set the dispersion and cover the avenues of approach."
The leaders of PRP-3 received the platoon's orders about 10 days before the Marines departed Camp Ripper for TCPs 3 and 4. Though the mission was uncertain until then, their previous training was aimed at giving the Marines a broad base of the basics of ground combat instruction.
"They've done well on their first few patrols, including finding a 155 mm (artillery) round," Benavides said. "They've applied (escalation of force) procedures when they needed to."
"Everybody looks forward to going out on patrols," Sevieri said. "After a week of patrolling, we are more familiar with the area and know the different routes. We can identify if anything is unusual or suspicious."
Some squads patrol the urban areas north side of the river, including the peninsula in Old Rawah, while other squads cover the largely farmland area on the south banks of the Euphrates. The people there are, by and large, friendly to the Marines.
"The greatest asset we have is the Marines," said 2ndLt. Randy Blowers, 25, platoon commander of PRP-3 and information management officer with RCT-5, from Vernon, Conn. "They are eager to learn, eager to get out there. I'm extremely impressed with the Marines."
The adage "every Marine is a rifleman" certainly applies to the leathernecks in PRP-3. Each non-infantry Marine brings his MOS knowledge to the plate – helping the platoon with communications, motor transport operations or cooking – but they all embrace the opportunity to live as infantrymen, at least for a little while.
"I'm loving this; this is the reason you join the Marine Corps," Blowers said. "I accepted my commission to be a lieutenant to lead a platoon of Marines, and I'm thrilled to get the chance to do so."
"We're all Marines," Moua said. "When we work together, we can accomplish any mission."
by Lance Cpl. Sean Cummins, RCT-5
HIT, Iraq – Even during the fast tempo of a deployment, Marines do what they can to relax when they get down time.
With the help of Staff Sgt. Ruben Garcia, relaxing has gotten a lot easier for 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5.
Garcia, the Morale, Welfare and Recreation coordinator for 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, has worked hard since arriving at Camp Hit to make the MWR Center a suitable place for Marines to call home and hang out.
“We had 20 computers here and only four were working; and we had five phones and only two were working,” said Garcia, 29, from Hondo, Texas. “Since then, we have set up six more computers and set up another suite, so right now we have 26 computers that are working and 13 phones for the Marines on the camp.”
His initiative hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Marines here. The MWR Center is full of Marines checking e-mail and calling home throughout the day.
“It’s definitely nice knowing that I can call home whenever I get some free time between going out on convoys and training at the camp,” said Lance Cpl. Travis D. Whitaker, 20, a driver with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, from Topeka, Kansas
Though phones and computers do help keep the Marines happy, it takes more than just that to boost the morale of hundreds of Marines during a long deployment.
“We’ve been working on morale stuff like getting TVs (and video game systems). Things that we don’t have on this camp to boost the morale of the Marines after work,” said Lance Cpl. Ivan Colon, 21, a company clerk from Portsmith, Va., with Headquarters and Support Co., who assists Garcia in coordinating events and improving the MWR facilities already in place.
Additionally, Garcia and Colon are trying bring entertainers to the multiple camps across the battalion’s area of operation.
“The main thing right now is not just the MWR (Center), but working with outside agencies,” said Garcia. “We’re working on getting some comedians to hopefully come out next month. Hopefully for November and December, we’ll have some things to boost morale for Christmas and Thanksgiving.”
Garcia’s dedication to helping the Marines is about more than just entertainment, it’s about making sure that even though they are deployed, they can maintain their relationships back home.
by Lance Cpl. Sean Cummins, RCT-5
HIT, Iraq – With 233 years of experience, many of which was spent with the Marines, the Navy has also learned to adapt and overcome, especially when it comes to celebrating its birthday.
Corpsmen from Company L., Weapons Co. and Headquarters and Service Co., 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 came together for a cake-cutting ceremony at the chow hall here Oct. 13 to celebrate the Navy birthday. The celebration gave the sailors a chance to share stories and talk about how the Navy has evolved over the years.
“It’s important to celebrate the birthday of the Navy because each year things change, so it’s nice to know how things worked back in the day,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason D. Smith, a corpsman with Headquarters and Service Co.
Though the celebration was somewhat more informal than it may have been stateside, it was no less important to the sailors. After enjoying a special meal, the sailors were given a birthday talk by Lt. Col. James B. Woulfe , the commanding officer of 3rd Bn. 7th Marines, who expressed his respect for the naval service. A message from Donald C. Winter, secretary of the Navy, was then read by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeremy P. Settlemire, the leading petty officer for the Battalion Aid Station, Headquarters and Service Co.
“The way the Navy has evolved, (it) now has the ability to send people out to the desert and fight a sustained fight away from ships and away from constant supplies,” said Navy Lt. Tyler Ensley, 28, a physician with Headquarters and Service Co., from Spokane, Wash. “(That) is just another demonstration of the evolution of the Navy.”
The birthday celebration also gave the sailors a chance to spend time with each other that they don’t normally get during deployments.
“We live with the Marines, we act just like them and we do our own part in combat and Operation Iraqi Freedom,” said Seaman Anjo Resurreccion Castro, 21, a corpsman with 3rd Bn., 7th Marines, from Keflavik, Iceland. “We make a band of brothers with the Marines, but never really see the corpsmen (with other companies), so we got together to realize who our real brothers are.”
by Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray, RCT-5
CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq – Marines with Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, are already thinking about returning to the U.S.
Corpsmen with the battalion recently started to administer Post Deployment Health Assessments (PDHAs) to service members, a necessity when returning to the U.S. from a deployment.
“Everyone is required to do this to identify any illnesses or injuries that may have been caused while deployed,” said Chief Petty Officer, Daryl Rice, 31, senior medical department representative with the Battalion Aid Station, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines.
The majority of the corpsmen’s finds with PDHAs for the battalion during this deployment have been physical injuries acquired during work.
“With continuous operations, sometimes eight or nine hours a day patrolling, a lot of medical things can come up. Not so much PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) issues, but more (physical) health concerns,” Rice said.
More than 900 Warlords will complete their online PDHA before
returning home, and each will have the opportunity to speak privately with Navy
Lt. Malcolm Brown, the battalion surgeon.
“(PDHAs) are an important tool,” said Brown, 38, who is from Fort Collins, Col. “We always find at least one potentially serious situation that has not been addressed or followed up on.”
PDHAs are now stored on an internet database, providing medical personnel with a patient’s combat deployment history, compared to previous hand written PDHAs that were not conveniently available. .
“Every Marine has to sit down face to face with the provider,” Rice said, who is from Grandview, Mo. “The biggest difference (now) is that you can take it online. Any provider can pull up PDHAs online, even from previous deployments.”
The battalion’s experience in Iraq during this deployment has not often entailed the combat situations which people generally associate with PTSD. The corpsmen recognize this, and they strive to be attentive and receptive to the possibilities of PTSD issues with their patients, new and old.
“There might be certain situations where (infantrymen) push something into the back of their heads, and they may start having anxiety problems,” said Rice.
The Warlords plan to finish their PDHAs entirely before their return stateside.
“It’s one less thing we have to do when we get back,” Rice said. “You can do (PDHAs) prior or after you return, but this way everyone will get to spend more time with friends and family.”
by Lance Cpl. Paul Torres, RCT-5
BAGHDADI, Iraq – The goal of Coalition forces has always been to hand the country of Iraq back to the people.
Marines with the Military in Transition Team (MITT) 0723, which is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 27th Iraqi Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division, are working with the Iraqi Army to coordinate operations as they now play a more prominent role in Iraqi security.
On a recent operation, the MITT supplied the IA with school supplies to be distributed to the students of an elementary school in Khasfah, Iraq.
“This is a rural area that doesn't have a lot of supplies,” said 1st Lt. David A. Keltner, 27, from Tucson, Ariz., who is the company advisor for the MITT. “We arranged for small organizations back in the states to send us school supplies and we gave them to the IA. The people don't get a lot of interaction with the IA outside of patrols, so this gives the IA another way to get to know the people.”
Military in Transition Team 0723 is the seventh team to work with the 27th Iraqi Brigade, and as the Iraqis are becoming more and more proficient, the MITT is seeing its role decrease.
“This is the last MITT to be embedded at the battalion level,” said Keltner. “We will still have a team at the brigade level, but we were essentially here to work ourselves out of a job and they are at the point where they can function on their own.”
Military in Transition Team 0723 has acted as a link between Iraqi and Coalition forces to help them coordinate operations.
“We are here to train, mentor and advise the Iraqi Army in operations,” said Maj. Thomas E. Elders, 32, from Swedesboro, N.J., who is the commanding officer for the MITT 0723. “We have basically built on what the previous MITTs have accomplished. Our main role is to act as a liaison between the Iraqi forces and Coalition forces to give them access to assets they don't have yet. For example, if something happens and they need mortars or air support, we are able to facilitate that.”
Military in Transition Team 0723 is able to advise the Iraqis on how to use what assets they have for when they will no longer have Coalition forces to rely on.
“They do a great job and my guys are learning a lot from the Marines,” said Col. Wiheed Abd Al-Mihmediwe, commanding officer, Iraqi 3rd Bn., who has been with the Iraqi military for 23 years. “We have had a good relationship with the MITT and they have been a great help with logistical planning.”
The experience the Marines bring to the table has helped the speedy development of the IA forces and has allowed the IA to develop their own support where possible
“We have really emphasized them tapping into the IA assets instead of relying on Coalition forces,” said Elders. “For example if they find a cache now, instead of calling us for explosive ordinance disposal, they can call the Iraqi bomb disposal (unit) to come and dispose of it.”
As the threat of the insurgency decreases, the IA is now focusing on maintaining security and rebuilding Iraq.
“The next big step is for them to move to a permanent location where they can do normal, conventional training,” said Keltner. “Right now, they have only been trained on how to fight an insurgency and they are now pulling back and consolidating to train for a more conventional security role.”
by Capt. Paul Greenberg, RCT-5
AKASHAT, Iraq— Two brothers, both reserve Marines separated by time and distance, reunited Oct. 3 in the most unlikely of places: a desert outpost located in a remote northern region of Iraq’s al-Anbar province.
Lance Cpl. Christopher William Years, 22, was born in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and spent most of his youth in Sasebo, Japan, where his father, a 10-year U.S. Army veteran, was working as U.S. government civilian employee.
Christopher is serving as a scout with Fox Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5. He has been working out of both Camp Korean Village and Combat Outpost (COP) Akashat, but it was in the latter post that he ran into his brother.
“(Akashat) serves as a forward operating base for insurgent and criminal interdiction operations along the Iraq-Syria international border,” said Master Sgt. Gene Locklear, 43, the information operations officer for 2nd Bn., 25th Marines, RCT-5, from Laurinburg N.C. “In addition, the Marines manning COP Akashat are also tasked with conducting combined operations with the Iraqi Police within the town of Akashat itself.”
Christopher joined the Marine Forces Reserve in May 2005 and was assigned to Fox Co., 4th LAR Bn., 4th Marine Division in Eastover, S.C.
“I’ve always wanted to join the military since before I could remember,” said Christopher. “The Marines just seemed to be the best choice. My father was in the Army, and you can’t beat the military life.”
Lance Cpl. David Phillip Years’ home unit is Delta Co., 4th LAR Bn., 4th Marine Division, in Quantico, Va. When he deployed to Iraq, his company attached to 2nd LAR Bn., RCT-5.
David, 21, was also born in Kansas and grew up with his brother in Japan. He just completed his seven month tour with the roving LAR unit based out of Akashat, where he served as a mortarman.
Like his brother, David attributed his affinity for the military to his positive experiences growing up “as a military brat,” but stated that his brother was his inspiration for choosing the Corps.
“I knew that I was going to join, but was unsure as to which branch. After seeing my brother graduate (from Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.) in 2005, I knew that the Marines was the right branch for me,” said David.
Even though Christopher took the family lead in joining the Corps, David was the first to deploy to the front lines of the Global War on Terror in March 2008.
David’s tour at Akashat came to an end when he saw his brother Christopher, covered in dust from several hours on the road, arrive on a convoy that brought Fox Co. to replace the 2nd LAR Marines at the remote combat outpost.
“It felt awkward at first,” said David. “Whenever my brother and I see each other, we don't really talk about our life in the Marines, so actually seeing each other in a place of duty felt different. But at the same time, it was very exciting. It was a big relief, because I knew seeing him getting off the (truck) meant that I was returning home soon.”
The brothers were able to spend about three days together. David arrived back to the U.S. on Oct. 9, but Christopher’s tour is just beginning.
“It is what it is,” said Christopher. “I am here to do a job, to make sure bad things don’t happen back at home. If I didn’t believe in what we are doing, I wouldn’t have signed up. I did it knowing I would have to come over here. So did my brother. I just never thought we would be here together, even for a little while.”
Although they each had their own set of friends and peer groups growing up, being 13 months apart, the Years’ brothers bond as Marines is based in large part on their mutual experiences as athletes and in high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
“We played baseball together in high school at E.J. King American School in Sasebo, Japan,” said Christopher. “We got to go to Beijing for a week to play in a tournament. We both like sports, working out and have great pride in what we do.”
The acme of their relationship was when Christopher asked David to be the best man in his military wedding service at Parris Island in Oct. 2006.
“Seeing him getting married meant a lot because it really showed how far we have come in life,” said David, who is currently pursuing a career in the fire department in his hometown of Dumfries, Va.
As for Christopher, he intends to return to South Carolina next year to finish his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Charleston Southern University. He plans to either become a police officer or apply to Marine Corps Officer’s Candidate School.
As U.S. Forces gradually redeploy and hand over responsibility of Iraq’s security and governance to the Iraqi Security Forces, the Years brothers can always look back at the day in October 2008 when they had an unexpected reunion very far from home, serving together in the Corps in the Global War on Terror.
My Groups
-
U.S. Marine Corps Updated: 3 days ago
-
Deployed Troops Updated: 7 days ago
-
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS INC. Updated: Nov 14, 2009
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
