Free Republic

AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 19, 2006) -- Since December 1997, he has flown off the coast of Macedonia and over the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq, during four deployments. He has progressed from a lance corporal to a sergeant who holds all the flight qualifications and designations of the CH-46 Sea Knight. He is trusted as the most dependable crew chief instructor by his squadron’s commanding officer. Sergeant Daniel Wilson, a quality assurance representative with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266, is currently serving in a staff noncommissioned officer billet and represents the Fighting Griffins for combat meritorious staff sergeant at...

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (August 2, 2005) -- Lee D. Hale played with firecrackers when he was a young boy growing up in Huntington, W.Va., but little did he know that when he grew up he would be in Iraq using explosives as a part of his job as a combat engineer. Lance Cpl. Hale, 22, 4th Combat Engineers Battalion joined the Marine Corps after graduating from Huntington High School in 2001. Hale decided to join the Corps to help put himself through college at Marshall University, where he was studying business management prior to deploying. He decided to become...

Company is 2nd in Guard to be cited this war Under a slightly scorching Friday morning sun, with a few family members and about 20 fuel trucks as witnesses, 133 men and women in the 2222nd Transportation Company of the Arizona Army National Guard received the Meritorious Unit Citation from the Department of the Army. These soldiers weren't charged with fighting the war from camouflaged Hummers or flying missions in the prestigious Blackhawk helicopters, though they were responsible for making sure those vehicles got around safely. The work of the 2222nd involved delivering fuel and water to the vehicles in...