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President George W Bush delivered a speech on the war on terrorism at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia Later both President Bush and the Vice President Cheney met U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad in the Oval Office First Lady Laura Bush and her daughters are on a visit to Africa. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on a four nation visit to the far east so far she has visited the Peoples Republic of China and Thailand and arrived late tonight in Japan. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Corps bids farewell to last enlisted ‘Nam vet Submitted by: MCB Quantico Story Identification #: 2005630135311 Story by Cpl. Jonathan Agg MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (June 30, 2005) -- Another chapter of Marine Corps history will draw to a close as the Corps bids farewell to the last remaining enlisted Vietnam veteran on active duty. Master Sgt. Randall Arnold, Quantico Security Battalion operations chief, will retire in a ceremony to be held at Harry Lee Hall here Friday at 9 a.m. Arnold, a Charlottesville, Va., native raised in Washington, enlisted in the Marine Corps Jan. 21, 1969, at the...

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2005 – The Marine Corps flatly rejects charges that the protective vests issued to thousands of deployed Marines don't offer the ballistic protection they were designed to provide, but is recalling 5,277 of them to remove doubts about their effectiveness. A statement released by Marine Corps Systems Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., May 9 challenges facts presented in a news article about the ability of the outer tactical vest to stop a 9 mm round fired from a standard pistol such as the M-9 Beretta. The article charges that some of the vests -- part...

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/042005/04282005/1114676037 http://fredericksburg.com/ FBI helicopter crashes FBI helicopter crashes during training exercise; three injured. The Associated Press WFLS News Date published: 4/28/2005 RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The FBI says that two pilots and one member of a hostage rescue team were injured last night when a helicopter crashed during training exercises. The crash happened at about 6 p.m. at the FBI Academy at Quantico Marine Corps Base. The FBI says the helicopter was hovering between 25 feet and 30 feet when it crashed. The three were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) - A 400-ton crawler crane stretching more than 20 stories high hoisted a 210-foot-tall spire Wednesday, putting into place the premier architectural feature of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Symbolic of the historic flag-raising at Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, the spire now stands at a 60-degree angle and points toward Interstate 95. Officials with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the group raising the $50 million to build the museum just outside Quantico Marine Corps Base's main gate, see the spire becoming a significant feature in the region's landscape. It towers so high -...

QUANTICO, Va. — Arthur Gavlock looked on in horror as the amphibious assault craft in front of him moved out of its berth inside the tossing Navy warship and sunk straight to the bottom of the Pacific. Iwo Jima battle veteran John Moon of Macomb, Ill., meets a young Marine before Friday's ceremony at Quantico. (Joe Gromelski / S&S) Staff Sgt. Jason Steadman and his son, Jason Jr., look at a Marine Corps historical display in the lobby of Little Hall. (Joe Gromelski / S&S ) Iwo Jima veteran Arthur Gavlock of Renova, Pa., at Friday's 60th anniversary ceremony. (Joe...

WASHINGTON — Cancel the cozy days at Camp David, Md. Put away the underused running shoes. When it comes to weekend enjoyment, all President Bush seems to need is some winding trails and a helmet. And his mountain bike. Bush recently has been logging scores of miles on a secluded spread in Beltsville, Md., and the rolling hills of Quantico, Va., far from the White House. "He's become a biking maniac," said Mark McKinnon, his media adviser and frequent cycling companion. What began as a way for the president to stay fit, after three decades of running ruined his knees,...

ARLINGTON, Va. — A major U.S. Islamic group has called for “appropriate disciplinary action” for the Marine general who said, “It’s fun to shoot some people.” “We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event,” Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement. “These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life.” The Washington-based CAIR’s stated mission is “to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.” Lt. Gen...

I remember watching a news clip of a Marine Infantry unit preparing to deploy from Camp Lejuene during the First Gulf War. I watched a young, squared away sergeant move competently among his men checking their gear and speaking quietly to them despite the rude, intrusive glare from the TV camera lights. Damn… I was proud of him and there was a muted urge to be there and be part of it again welling up deep from inside me. A few years later, I stopped at Quantico when I had a chance to go back there for a visit in...

The sponsorship of two Boys Scout troops and a Cub Scout pack by the Quantico Marine Corps base ended recently following a partial settlement reached between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Pentagon. "Marine Corps Base Quantico will no longer be a charter signatory with the local Boy Scout troops," said Marine Lt. Col. Rick Long, director of the Quantico Public Affairs Office. "However, all other support and access to [the base] will remain the same for the Boy Scouts as with any other authorized non-profit organization," Boy Scout Troop 121, Troop 176 and Cub Scout Pack 176 have...

STAFFORD, Va. — A U.S. Navy captain with 34 years of service was found guilty late Friday night of wearing service ribbons and medals for which he did not rate, including the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross, officials said. Capt. Roger D. Edwards was found guilty during a court-martial held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., and sentenced to 115 days in the brig, forfeiture of $2,500 pay a month for three months, and a letter of reprimand to be put in his personnel file, said base spokesman Capt. Jeffrey Landis. The presiding judge, Navy Capt. Henry Lazzaro, did...

QUANTICO, Va. - Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while on duty in Iraq, insisted on Monday that he was captured "I did not desert my post," he told reporters outside Quantico Marine Corps Base. "I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days. This was a very difficult and challenging time for me." He did not answer any questions during his brief appearance. He was joined by his brother, who had recently arrived at Quantico from Utah. Hassoun is in the midst of what the Marines call a "repatriation...

QUANTICO, Va., July 15 - An American marine who turned up in Beirut last week after vanishing in Iraq was returned to the United States on Thursday for questioning and a "repatriation process" to assess his physical and mental condition, Marine Corps officials said. The marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, arrived at Quantico Marine Corps base in Virginia from Germany, where he had undergone six days of evaluation in a military hospital, "in good condition and in good spirits," said Lt. Col. David Lapan, a spokesman for the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. Colonel Lapan said that Quantico, 35 miles south...

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) - A U.S. Marine who disappeared in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon three weeks later arrived at a Marine Corps base south of Washington, D.C., on Thursday after six days of evaluation in a U.S. military hospital in Germany, a military official said. Lt. Col. David Lapan, a Marine Corps spokesman, said Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun would continue to undergo a "repatriation" process until it is determined he is fit and capable of returning to normal duty. He said the process could take from weeks to months. Hassoun was not made available at Quantico for questions...

BERLIN - A U.S. Marine who disappeared in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon nearly three weeks later said he was excited to be going home, but his return trip was unexpectedly delayed at the last minute, military officials said Wednesday. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun left the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl on Wednesday and had been expected to be flown home the same day from Ramstein Air Base. Instead, his departure was postponed until Thursday, without explanation. But Ramstein spokeswoman Darlene Cowsert later said his departure was postponed and she had no explanation. "Missions change," she said. Earlier, Hassoun...

<p>An FBI laboratory is investigating evidence obtained in Iraq regarding missing Navy pilot Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, U.S. officials say.</p> <p>Investigators are trying to determine whether the initials "MSS" found carved on a wooden beam at an Iraqi prison were made by Capt. Speicher, who might have been held captive there after his F-18 jet was shot down in 1991.</p>

The Marine Corps chose a new infantry rifle, and it’s not the short assault rifle with which the Army equipped soldiers in the Afghan campaigns. Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Va., announced last week it would buy 65,463 of the M-16A4 service rifles for infantry Marines between now and 2007. The new rifle resembles the M-16A2 service rifle in use now but allows for add-on parts as emerging technology warrants. After head-to-head comparison tests, the Marines rejected the M-4, the shorter rifle the Army issued to soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. “The ground board chose the M-16A4 over the M-4...

Report: US Experts Discover Evidence of Global Bombmaking Network VOA News 22 Feb 2004, 14:34 UTC A published report says U.S. forensic experts have discovered evidence of a global bombmaking network used by Islamic militants in terrorist attacks in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The New York Times says in its Sunday edition that U.S. government investigators have examined fragments from hundreds of improvised explosive devices used in attacks on the three continents and have found design similarities in many of them. The newspaper quotes one forensic expert as saying many devices were made by the same bombmaker or...

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.(Jan. 15, 2004) -- For one Marine Corps sniper, the easy part of sweeping the 2003 Armed Forces Skill-at-Arms Meeting sniper competition was picking off the most highly trained and best-equipped marksmen from the United States armed services and those of our closest military allies. The real challenge was just getting there. With more than a decade of experience and training as a Marine sniper, Marine Corps Rifle Team assistant head coach and competitor, Gunnery Sgt. Rodney L. Abbott, was looking forward to a strong showing at the AFSAM sniper competition held Oct. 11 to 17...

<p>A Navy medical service corps captain and Episcopal priest who was made an Honorary Marine will be arraigned at an Article 32 hearing Wednesday on a charge of wearing unauthorized medals and insignia, including the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.</p>

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.(Oct. 16, 2003) -- More than 300 family members and friends gathered at Camp Upshur here Oct. 4 to greet the 123 Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Marines who returned from their deployment in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Loved ones spent hours anticipating the return of the five buses that held the Marines they had not seen in almost seven months. "We've been excited all day and for several days before today," said Layne Drash, who waited excitedly for the return of his son. "It has been a long wait." After...

Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held today (Friday, Sept. 26) for the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the first museum dedicated to telling the stories of the U.S. Marines. We're told that every element of the museum - from its symbolic design to interactive exhibits - is designed to provide visitors with a fantastic experience. Thus, the museum's slogan: "Expect to Live It."

President Bush Discusses Homeland Security at the FBI Academy FBI Academy Quantico, Virginia 3:04 P.M. EDT 9.10.2003 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm proud to visit the FBI Academy here at Quantico, where so much hard and essential work in the war on terror goes on. The FBI Academy new agents who risked their lives to keep America safe learned their craft. In forensics lab, experts examine vital evidence that leads to victory against terror. In the engineering facility, specialists apply the latest technology to fight crime and terror. You do...

JENNIFER LOVEN Associated Press WASHINGTON - President Bush told Congress on Wednesday to "untie the hands" of law enforcement officials and arm them with wider legal powers to combat terrorists, saying the groups that struck America two years ago are wounded but still dangerous. He specifically called for expanding use of the federal death penalty, tougher bail restrictions and greater subpoena powers that he said are available for other crimes, such as drug trafficking and embezzling, but can't be used against terrorism. "This disparity in the law makes no sense," Bush said in a speech at the FBI Academy in...

<p>Today, Michigan will return to Virginia its spoils of war -- the Civil War, that is.</p> <p>About 50 representatives of the state of Michigan will turn over to Virginia officials a Confederate First National flag -- known as the "Stars and Bars" -- that was plundered by Union troops during the Battle of Fredericksburg more than 140 years ago.</p>

Military athletes honored on cereal box August 22, 2003 Here's what the boxes will look like when they're released. Courtesy Photo FORT LEE, Va. (Army News Service, Aug. 22, 2003) -- Five military athletes will soon make history. They’ll be featured on the covers of cereal boxes. The Armed Forces Sports Office has teamed with corporate partner General Mills to honor five armed forces athletes on a 2003 commemorative Cheerios box. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard athletes are featured on the boxes, which include action shots and short biographies of the athletes outlining their accomplishments as...

As FBI agents in the field moved in on a dozen suspected terrorists running recruitment operations in Northern Virginia, a senior FBI official appeared June 26 before a Senate Homeland Security panel and avoided testifying about what senators had called him to discuss. The issues were sponsorship of pro-terrorist ideology, extremist political action and terrorist recruitment financed from Saudi Arabia, supposedly a U.S. ally. Well into the war on terrorism, the FBI is a house divided. On one side, agents are wrapping up terrorist-support networks coast to coast that include radicalized American Muslims bent on unleashing a murderous jihad against...

WASHINGTON -- Even as the FBI takes new heat over the 9-11 report's revelation that it overlooked ties between a Muslim cleric and two of the al-Qaida hijackers, it is putting agents and new recruits through a Muslim sensitivity program that includes inviting Muslim clerics and leaders to preach about the allegedly peaceful attributes of Islam. National Arab-American and Muslim leaders have made presentations at an FBI training course on civil rights here, and at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Va., as part of "Enrichment Training Sessions" for new special agents there. In addition, the imam of a large Manhattan...

WASHINGTON -- Even as the FBI takes new heat over the 9-11 report's revelation that it overlooked ties between a Muslim cleric and two of the al-Qaida hijackers, it is putting agents and new recruits through a Muslim sensitivity program that includes inviting Muslim clerics and leaders to preach about the allegedly peaceful attributes of Islam. National Arab-American and Muslim leaders have made presentations at an FBI training course on civil rights here, and at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Va., as part of "Enrichment Training Sessions" for new special agents there. In addition, the imam of a large Manhattan...

 Issue Date: July 07, 2003 Recruiting is skin deep For the Marine Corps, less is more when it comes to body art on would-be leathernecks By Gordon Lubold Times staff writer He was a recruiter's dream — fit, motivated and ready to go green. Solid morals, no past criminal offenses and no history of drug use. Enough college credit to qualify him for meritorious promotion at boot camp. The applicant had all the attributes the Corps wants in a future Marine, said the New York recruiter who screened him for possible enlistment this past winter. But there was a problem...

The army's arrival was cheered as a liberation, but soon its patrols were searching neighborhood houses and detaining local youths. Then, a protest march turned bloody as army paratroopers shot dead 13 of the demonstrators. Iraq in 2003? No, Northern Ireland on January 30, 1972. Since that Bloody Sunday, British troops have been stuck in Belfast at an enormous cost in lives and money. The long and painful experience in Ireland has given the British army much expertise in the delicate task of peacekeeping--and some of that expertise has been transferred to the U.S. military as its combat units in...

Military officials said Friday they will launch an inquiry into whether war crimes were committed by a Las Vegas Marine who described hunting down and killing Iraqi soldiers. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Gus Covarrubias could be the first member of the U.S. military fighting in Iraq to be investigated for possible violations of rules governing battlefield conduct. During an interview at his Las Vegas home earlier this week, Covarrubias told a Review-Journal reporter the harrowing tale of an intense April 8 battle in Baghdad that he described as "a firefight from hell." The resulting story, published Friday, included Covarrubias' account of...

Lincoln Elementary School teacher Tabitha White faces one of her hardest tasks as a young teacher today. She will tell her second- and third-grade students she will enter U.S. Marine Corps officer candidate school in Quantico, Va., at the end of May. The 25-year-old graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, a teacher at Lincoln Elementary for two years, was sworn in as a Marine three weeks ago. "Because of the war, I delayed telling them that I was leaving," White said. "We have talked about the war in class. I've used it as an example of how fortunate they...

Prayer Point remembers our troops Debbie and John Schaffer and their daughter Danielle Lloyd, 17, pray at Prayer Point recently. Prayer Point provides a service for families of those serving. OUR TROOPS MAY seem like they're a world away from the Fredericksburg area as they make their way through Iraq. But a group of churches deserves recognition for ensuring they're remembered here at home. Ministers have come together across denominational lines to create Prayer Point, a flag-adorned bulletin board where local folks can post names and pictures of their loved ones who are serving our country. Prayer Point is situated...

Fellow Americans, In an effort to support our troops, the Quantico High School National Honor Society is collecting items that are needed by our troops. We would like to ask for your help. These items may be mailed to the high school until April 4th. Any contribution is welcome and very appreciated no matter how big or small. Wet Wipes (regular and baby) Visine or plain eyewash Powder, esp. anti-fungal for feet Chap stick Small individual packs of tart candies (tart makes more saliva - better in hot weather) Gum Jerky Individual packs of sugared Kool-Aid mix Socks - black...

If U.S. forces end up fighting in the streets of Baghdad, top Air Force officials say the best method for protecting ground troops from the sky likely will be the unmanned aircraft that until just a few years ago had been shunned by military officials. During a battle for Baghdad, "the best support for troops on the ground might be the Predator with Hellfire missiles on it," said Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, in an interview. Air Force Secretary James Roche agreed, citing how "closely" the Air Force expects to work with the Army "so the left...

Marine Corps Sets Sights On More Precise Shooting by Harold Kennedy In an isolated corner of the U.S. Marine base at Quantico, Va., a small unit is working to turn one of the oldest combat weapons—the infantry rifle—into a precise, ultra-modern killing machine. The unit, the Weapons Training Battalion, operates its own state-of-the-art factory, which builds handmade, super-accurate rifles for scout snipers, other designated marksmen and teams of competitive shooters throughout the Marine Corps. The accuracy of these weapons depends upon the workmanship built into the rifles and the training and skills of the shooters, officials told National Defense. The...

Melissa Gilbert. Wasn't she on Little House on the Prarie? Oh, her name is McDermott. Well, she has a BSc in Broadcast News from the University of Kansas, doesn't she? (A science degree in broadcast news?) She and her CBS husband, Todd, used to co-anchor the news in Kansas, didn't they? That's where the little house was, isn't it? (Or was that where the yellow brick road was?) Anyway, both Melissas make a living reading fictional scripts, don't they?. Quantico, Virginia – the woman in the gas mask laying on her side in the willows is not dead. She is...

<p>A Marine Corps general has recommended dismissing 11 officers for cheating on a communications test at a training base in Quantico, Va.</p> <p>The decision by Brig. Gen. Leif Hendrickson comes at the end of an extensive investigation into cheating by second lieutenants in the 23-week Communications Information System Officer Course in late April at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command.</p>

QUANTICO, Va. May 12 — A man who apparently tried to enter Marine Corps Base Quantico illegally on Sunday was shot in the arm while fleeing from security guards. Base spokesman Maj. Tim Keefe said a guard stationed at the entrance checkpoint spotted a weapon inside a pickup truck as the man tried to enter in the vehicle at about 5 p.m."Evidently, this individual tried to flee the checkpoint and was pursued by military police on the western portion of the base," Keefe said.The driver abandoned his truck and was fleeing on foot and "sustained a gunshot wound to the...

April 1, 2002 Marine Corps Museum Coming to Va. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 2:34 p.m. ET SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP) -- A Marine Corps museum scheduled to break ground in a year will feature a 210-foot tilted spire meant to evoke the flag-raising at Iwo Jima during World War II. The mast, inclined at a 45-degree angle, is the most striking feature of the museum's glass atrium design. ``When people see the sketches of the atrium, about a third pick up on it immediately -- that's a stylized rendition of the flag-raising,'' said Col. Joe Long, the Marines' project...