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Posted on 01/10/2003 12:35:22 AM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
January 9, 2003
WASHINGTON: Preparing for possible war against Iraq, the Marine Corps has taken the unusual step of stopping all Marines from leaving the service for the coming 12 months, officials said Thursday.
The decision was announced to all Marines in an internal message Tuesday from Gen. James Jones, the Marine Corps commandant. He said it applies to active-duty as well as reserve Marines and is effective Jan. 15 through Jan. 31, 2004.
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The last time the Marines took this action, known as "stop-loss," was during the buildup to the 1991 Gulf War, said Capt. Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman at the Combat Development Command at Quantico, Va.
Although the order applies to the entire Marine Corps, which has 173,000 men and women on active duty and 100,000 in the reserves, some exceptions can be made, including for those who already have a retirement date of April 1 or earlier. Commanders also can consider exceptions for personal hardship and other circumstances.
Separately, 125 Marine Corps reservists with Company A, 8th Tank Battalion, based at Fort Knox, Ky., were reporting for active duty Thursday. Sgt. Maj. Timothy J. Didas of the 8th battalion said in a telephone interview that the reservists are to report to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Friday.
Another 20 reservists in support positions with the 8th battalion, including cooks, radio operators and motor vehicle repairmen are being mobilized from bases in New York, Kentucky, South Carolina and Miami along with Company A, Didas said.
Didas said he had no information on whether the reservists were going to deploy to the Persian Gulf area. During the buildup to the 1991 Gulf War the entire 8th Tank Battalion was activated and deployed to the Gulf.
Last fall the Army issued "stop loss" orders for nearly all its Special Forces soldiers, who are heavily engaged in the war in Afghanistan, although the action did not apply to the rest of the force. The Marines are the only ones to apply a "stop loss" action to all service members.
In addition to the approximately 1,000 Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force who recently arrived in Kuwait in anticipation of a possible war against Iraq, thousands more are either heading to the Gulf region from U.S. bases or are preparing to do so in coming weeks.
Specific figures are classified, but Jones said Wednesday in remarks at the National Press Club that if there is a war in Iraq, the Marines likely would contribute between 65,000 and 75,000 troops – mostly from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Pentagon's Iraq war plan calls for the use of up to 250,000 troops from all services.
Received:
Please continue to pray for us as we travel this unknown journey...and please also pray that we'll keep peace of mind because the days will definitely get long and redundant.
The redundancy will build in the fight-as-you-train instinct, insuring swift victory and safe return.
God Bless the Finest Fighting Force on Earth on Sea, on Land and in the Air.
Additional squadrons of archangels flying cover as we fly the flag, 24/7.
Has anybody seen this person around?
I really need to talk with her.
Her name is BO!
I think that last name is Derek, but who is looking at last names?
Please check your milk cartons!
There are always reasons!
I didn't forget...
How you can help:
Operation Independence http://www.oidelivers.org/
Idea List for Typical C-Rats
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"If you were on the worst backpacking trip of your life, with no stores around for 6 months, what would you want to drop out of the sky?" Brenda of San Diego, CA
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| (This perspective will get you into the right frame of mind for creating thoughtful C-Rats for platoon members.) Here is the beginning of an idea list for your platoon. Please don't feel limited by this list. We're sure there are lots of creative ideas that have yet to be discovered. Please feel free to contact us with your great ideas so we can add to the list from time to time. |
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Hello friend!
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U.S. Soldier Loses Foot In Mine Explosion WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2002 — An American soldier lost his right foot Jan. 9 when he stepped on a land mine at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, outside the capital city of Kabul. A U.S. military spokesman at Bagram said the soldier was participating in a mine-clearing operation at about 9 a.m. local time when he stepped into an uncleared area and tripped the mine.
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In response to the e-mail I sent out yesterday on the NBC 7/39 site, I received an e-mail from a sailor on the USS Tarawa. I replied and before I knew it, he came back with another one. Here's what he had to say:
"our morale is very high because of all of you who have sent us such amazing e-mails. it is weird because we didn't think we had such great support until all of the e-mail came in. we thought it was kind of like out of sight out of mind type of deal but we are happy to know that we were wrong. everone on the USS TARAWA says thank you and not to worry we will protect and defend our beautiful USA. GOD BLESS"
I only wish there were sites similar to the NBC site for the other branches of the military, so we could let them know they're not "out of site, out of mind". I know some go to Operation Dear Abby because I've heard from one who saw one of my posts there. We have an opportunity we haven't had in the past, and I hope everyone takes advantage of that opportunity to show our support to those who are out there defending the country.
Thank you for protecting US. Sleep well and safe. May you be protected.
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