I think I liked these most of all.
Cause with these I could find my way around to earning the other ones...hahahahahaha
Posted on 11/30/2007 8:15:25 PM PST by RedRover
WASHINGTON -- A Marine company involved in the shooting of civilians in Afghanistan last March responded appropriately to an ambush against them, and should not have been pulled out of the country, the commander of Marine Corps special forces said Thursday.
Marine Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, head of Marine Corps Special Operations Command, also told reporters that a legal tribunal investigating the incident has been postponed until mid-January at the request of one of the officers involved.
"Obviously it was not my decision to bring the company out of theater," Hejlik said. "It was the theater commander's decision. I will never second guess the commander on the ground. I will say, I did not agree with it. To this day, I do not agree with it."
Eight members of the Marine Corps company involved in the March 4 shooting -- which left as many as 19 civilians dead and 50 injured -- were ordered back to Camp Lejune after the incident, and the rest of the company was told to leave Afghanistan and return to ships in the Persian Gulf.
Hejlik, however, stopped short of clearing the Marines of any blame in the incident, saying he could not speak to what may have happened after the initial ambush, when the unit was returning to their base.
A preliminary military investigation found that the Marines used excessive force and referred it for possible criminal inquiry. And Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission said in a report that the troops fired indiscriminately at pedestrians and people in cars, buses and taxis in six different locations along a 10-mile stretch of road in Nangahar province after an explosives-rigged minivan crashed into their convoy.
In other comments, Hejlik said the creation of the new Marine Special Operations Command is moving along well. So far, he said, there are about 1,700 Marines in the special forces command, and he will reach the goal of 2,600 by late 2008.
The Marines formally entered the world of military special operations in February 2006, under the direction of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Hejlik said he expects the units to continue to work in Afghanistan, and also to concentrate their efforts in the Pentagon's new Africa Command that is being set up now. A key priority, he said, is to work with military from other nations, providing training and additional expertise.
Rumsfeld added Marines to the Pentagon's Special Operations Command because he said the military needed to continue to adapt to the tactics of terror networks such as al-Qaida, who use unconventional warfare to counter American firepower.
bttt
Maj. Gen. Dennis J. Hejlik, Commander, MARSOC
Just noticed something: The Army Major Gen wears the C.I.B., Combat Infantryman’s Badge...The Marines don’t have that , yet it is one of the most honored badges amomg Army personnel..Maybe time Congress recognized the high honor it conveys and allow the Marines to design and have their own C.I.B. ...
sorry to digress a bit
won’t you tell us how you really feel ?
Well done!
Remember when your soda came in glass bottles? How cool would it be to return to those days, but use glass imported from the middle east, and we wouldn’t have to worry about all those yammering rag-heads.
I guess I’m just a simple fool, cause a few (hundred thousand) dead ragheads (by any method) doesn’t stir the calm of my pond.
I think I liked these most of all.
Cause with these I could find my way around to earning the other ones...hahahahahaha
The eyes tell all. Don’t ask..don’t tell.
SOF includes Air Force CCT and Para Rescue, various AF wings and squadrons, Navy SEALs, the Marines in MARSOC and the Army’s Rangers, Special Forces (SF), some helicopter assets, PyOps and Civil Affairs.
They all have specific jobs although some of the ground pounders overlap in some areas.
All SOF are not SF - but all SF are SOF.
Just a minor point the press mixes up a lot.
Special Operations forces are far more that behind the lines commandos in this new technological era. Having watched them, I’d say that they have tactics and techniques that would be useful for any military force, but would be beyond the financial and training capacity of a regular unit.
I understand why the Marines would go the route of Special Ops, and I consider it wise.
The Marines have their own version of the CIB it’s called the EGA and it too is one of the most honored badges in the military, only Marines can wear it.
“The Marines long ago deliberately rejected any kind of “special” designations because ALL Marines are “special forces”.
Yes. The Marine “special forces” called “Marine Raiders” were used in the Makin and Guadalcanal campaigns, and then disbanded about 1943 for the exact reason you stated. Ditto for the “Paramarines.”
Just imagine what’s being said about Kearney behind the scenes. Hopefully, he’ll be retired very soon.
Sure looks that way doesn't it? :-) Even though he didn't name him.
Technically, it looks like he followed the rules. Practically, he stuck it in his rear. lol
God bless our military!
Cool. thanks Jaz!
Man, that’s incredible! The discipline that requires is unfathomable to me.
OUTSTANDING! You sure know how to get a girl going! ;*)
What a great pic! Thanks for sharing.
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