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- A Marine testified that a fellow soldier accused of killing two Iraqis left a sign near their bodies bearing an "inappropriate" Marine slogan. Second Lt. Ilario Pantano, 33, has admitted to shooting the men during an April 2004 search in Mahmudiyah, Iraq. He has claimed the slayings were in self-defense. Fellow Marines testified Tuesday that Pantano shot the men in the back and put a sign near the bodies bearing a Marine slogan: "No better friend, no worse enemy." First Lt. Samuel Cunningham testified that after being told of the sign, he told Pantano to remove it, then called...

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.(Oct. 2, 2003) -- CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. From the days of Marines wielding muskets, to the current day fully automatic machine guns, weapons in the Marine Corps continue to change to accommodate the needs of battle. The Marine Corps is now adding a new chapter to the history of its service rifles. For the first time since being chosen as the Marine Corps future rifle, Marines assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment here were issued and fired their new M-16A4 service rifles recently. The M-16A4, the fourth generation of the M-16 service rifle, has been in the...

U.S. forces rolled over the Iraqi military in just weeks. The plans seemed flawless, and the courage of the soldiers and Marines unflappable. But with the dust settling — and the adrenaline rush of battle now subsiding — military officials are finding some weapons performed as advertised. Others, however, let troops down when they needed them most. Army and Marine officials recently released after-action reports compiling what was right and what was wrong about the small arms with which troops squared off against Iraqi forces. Soldiers and Marines rated the rifles and pistols they carried into battle, and not all...

It’s smaller, lighter and better suited for modern battles. And it might be headed into the hands of U.S. Marines. Marine Corps officials wrapped up testing two new rifles as a possible replacement to the M-16A2 in stock now: the short M-4 carbine and the M-16A4, an upgraded model of the rifle Marines use now. The jury’s still out, but a decision is expected soon. So far, though, the M-4 is garnering praise from the Marines and looks to be a front-runner. However, some soldiers who fought in Afghanistan have expressed concerns about the M-4, which also is standard issue...