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DOHUK PROVINCE, Iraq (USASOC News Service, Feb. 07, 2006) – The 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, a civil affairs unit based out of Greensboro, N.C., and the residents of Nerimerki and Tilisquif celebrated the completion of three water projects. The successful completions are three more successes that underscore the positive changes that are happening in Iraq. With help from Mr. Ziyad Abdullah, head of the Department of Water in the Dohuk Province, the 422nd was able to identify the needs of these villages. In Nerimerki, villager’s braved cold weather and strong winds to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Really, they are very,...

HADITHA DAM, Iraq (Jan. 16, 2006) -- The job of lead vehicle gunner for a convoy in Iraq is one of the most dangerous and demanding jobs for a Marine, as insurgents continue to place roadside bombs aimed at injuring Marines, Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians. Norwalk, Calif., native, Cpl. Jason M. Farias, isn’t just the lead gunner on some convoys, he is the first line of defense for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment’s commander as he travels to visit Marines in the area. With his M-240G machine gun, he sits high above the lead vehicle to provide fire support...

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq (Jan. 10, 2006) -- When Lance Cpl. Paul E. Harden was told he would be leaving for Iraq with Truck Company from the Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, he didn’t know what to think. He was young, enthusiastic and relatively new to the Marine Corps. The only images he could conjure up were those of the resulting damage left behind after the battle for Fallujah in November of 2004. When the 21-year-old, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native and motor-transport mechanic got here in February last year, he was surprised. Instead of demolished buildings and a...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Dec. 3, 2005) -- Holding an AN/PRC-119 field radio to his ear, a Marine communicates with the lead vehicle about the status of the convoy. Whether it’s providing communication for convoys or units inside the wire, field radio operators directly contribute to the success of the Marine Corps mission while in Iraq. Lance Cpl. John A. McLaughlin, with Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), routinely ensures Marines within his unit have continuous radio accessibility. “Being a radio operator I also make sure convoys have [communication],” McLaughlin said. “Without Communication the mission would be virtually...

AL QAIM, Iraq (Nov. 22, 2005) -- When faced with challenges, Marines are renowned for their ability to adapt and overcome. Staff Sgt. David A. Beaty, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369’s day crew maintenance controller in Al Qaim, has overcome countless maintenance and logistical challenges for more than two months. While tackling these challenges, he has kept the Marines’ morale high and continuously ensured the squadron’s AH-1 Cobras and UH-1 Hueys are in the air supporting the Marines on the ground. “I love being out here,” said Beaty, a Picket County, Tenn., native. “It’s a smaller detachment, our unit...

Joint Mission Keeps Pressure on Terrorists Iraqi soldiers conducted most of the mission on their own with little American intervention. By U.S. Army Spc. Michael Leslie 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2005 — The lights are out. The streets are dark. Soldiers are trudging down the alley in silence to find a target. "I think we are well on our way to turning this area of Iraq back over to the Iraqi army with their set of governance and security. At this rate, we will have the Iraqis leading Iraqis very soon."U.S. Army Maj....

BARWANA, Iraq (Nov. 10, 2005) -- Being an infantryman and standing security posts go hand in hand when in Iraq. While some are in security positions and others are regulating traffic, these posts are an important part of keeping Marines safe here. Standing many hours on these posts keeping his fellow Marines with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, safe is Los Angeles native, Lance Cpl. Steve Nuno. The automatic rifleman spends hours everyday manning the entry control point and other security position at the base here. His job while spending time on these mostly uneventful posts is to...

HADITHA DAM, Iraq (Oct. 26, 2005) -- Traveling on the roads in Iraq can be dangerous as insurgents continue placing roadside bombs and targeting Marines and civilians. On the road everyday, helping keep many of the convoys for 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment safe, is Idaho Falls, Idaho, native Cpl. Christopher L. Carney. The convoy security element commander with the battalion’s motor transport section is seen on nearly every convoy above the first vehicle in the gunner’s seat. Being the first vehicle in the convoy helps him see what lies ahead of the convoy and be the first line of...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 24, 2005) -- Sgt. Maj. Courtney K. Curtis had never served in an aviation combat unit. After enlisting in the Marine Corps as an amphibious assault vehicle crewman, Curtis had spent all his time in the Fleet Marine Force with Marine Corps ground units. As a first sergeant, Curtis deployed twice with a tank battalion, to Djibouti, Africa, and to support the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Curtis had been everywhere except the Wing. “I was told that Wing Marines lacked disciple,” said Curtis, a native of Panama City, Fl. The veteran crewman was less...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 18, 2005) -- Discipline can come in many forms for Marines in a combat area. For the Detention Company Marines and Sailors from 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, discipline means putting aside personal feelings to safeguard and house detainees who could have recently killed or injured fellow service members. The Detention Co. serves as a lock and key holder for detainees at a remote detention facility at Al Asad, Iraq. Many of the Marines are reservists, ranging in MOSs from communications specialists and artillerymen to motor transport operators and administration clerks. “It is something new and...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 13, 2005) -- Marines from three Marine Air Control Squadrons recently expanded the scope of sight in Iraq’s skies. The Al Asad Air Traffic Control detachment, primarily based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., is a mix of Marines from Marine Air Control Squadron 1, based at MCAS Yuma, MACS-2, based at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C., and MACS-24, a reserve squadron based at Ft. Worth, Texas. In addition to their regular mission of supporting Al Asad, the detachment began providing information to the U.S. Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Qatar. “As an ATC...

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Sept. 2, 2005) -- During World War II, about 400 Native Americans enlisted as code talkers to aid the Marine Corps with a secret communication the enemy never broke. Pvt. Keylon W. Yazzie, Platoon 3097, Company I, plans to uphold the legacy of his Navajo ancestors by following the footsteps of a group of Marines who left a lasting mark on the Marine Corps - a mark of traditions, values, history and language. "My great grandfather Harding Yazzie Sr. and my great uncle George Kirk were code talkers and they inspired me to...

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - Thousands of war protesters have come and gone since a grieving mother started camping off the road leading to President Bush's ranch three weeks ago, from business executives to young parents and their children spending a few hours or days for the cause. But for more than a dozen people, their home for much of the sweltering month has been the makeshift campsite of tents and portable toilets in ditches and anti-war banners hanging from trees. "It's staggering what's happened," said camp leader Ann Wright, who resigned her post as a senior diplomat at the U.S....

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Aug. 21, 2005) -- “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster,” was said by Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, over 2,500 years ago. Today, the same standard is being carried out by the signals intelligence gatherers of 3rd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), and providing the necessary support to accomplish that mission is the goal of its Headquarters and Service Company. “If there are weapons or gear that needs to be moved, or an [air conditioning unit] used for creating an acclimatized environment is down and it...

Finger Found In Frozen Custard WILMINGTON, N.C., May 3, 2005 The fingertip (Photo: NNS/WWAY) Finger-finder Clarence Stowers (Photo: NNS/WWAY) (CBS/AP) A man found part of a severed finger packed inside a pint of frozen custard he'd bought from a Kohl's Frozen Custard shop, and officials said it belonged to a worker injured in a food-processing machine accident there. The customer, Clarence Stowers, said he put the finger in his mouth, thinking it was a piece of candy when he opened the pint at home, a Wilmington, N.C., television station reported Monday. "I thought it was candy because they put candy...

Budget: Last week, the Governor introduced his budget proposal for the fiscal year July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. Predictably, Democrats assailed it as being harsh and draconian and laden with too many cuts. But let’s look at the facts. The Governor’s proposed budget increases spending in the General Fund by 4.2%. That is a greater spending increase than was contained in any of the last 3 budgets, the last 2 of which were Gray Davis budgets. It also is an increase about in line with the inflation and population growth for the year. He has increased education spending...

Can't a guy catch a break? A systems failure that suspended Southern California air travel for 3 1/2 hours Tuesday night also caused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to miss a heavily anticipated — and high-ticket — Beverly Hills fundraiser for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Jones. Tuesday's dinner was the only general election fundraiser Schwarzenegger had scheduled with Jones, who has struggled to use the governor's popularity as a springboard for his campaign to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Schwarzenegger's staff refused to let media attend the reception and dinner for about 550 people at the Beverly Hilton's Grand Ballroom,...

Defiant owner keeps anti-DNC sign By Casey Ross Saturday, July 24, 2004 City officials have laid a smack down on an irate North Station pizza shop owner who is facing fines for posting an unpermitted pro-Bush sign on his business as delegates flock to Boston for the Democratic National Convention. Mark Pasquale, owner of Halftime Pizza, was slapped with a citation Thursday evening and ordered to remove the sign until he gets a permit. Boston police also tossed in a charge for a locked exit door at the restaurant. ``It's my building and I can put a sign there if...

May 30) -- When Saddam Hussein was rousted from his spider hole in Dawr, a town near Tikrit, by U.S. soldiers last December, Iraq's fallen dictator was clutching a pistol. He is now in detention at an undisclosed location, being questioned by American authorities and awaiting charges for war atrocities and crimes against humanity. But what ever happened to the pistol? The sidearm has made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Sources say that the military had the pistol mounted after the soldiers seized it from Saddam and that it was then presented to the president privately by some of...

SACRAMENTO - Despite pledging to reject money from insurance companies while negotiating a workers' compensation reform plan, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cashed a six-figure industry donation to fund his backup ballot measure.<..> The decision violates the governor's stated policy of rebuffing insurance donations received after the March 2 election. Thursday, Schwarzenegger fundraiser Marty Wilson said the governor's campaign committee would not return the donation because the company pledged the money before March 2, even though state records show it was cashed two days after the election. ``We're keeping it and we're spending it,'' said Wilson.