Volume 1, Issue 6 November 5, 2010 Stay Alert Convoy Op, IED awareness drill tests Marines combat mindset Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego Fort Bragg, N.C. Successfully completing convoy operations through terrain heavily saturated with improvised explosive devices, like Afghanistan, can be challenging and dangerous. Eighteen Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 22, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, embarked on a day-long convoy IED awareness drill that took them 12 miles into the deepest training areas on Fort Bragg, Oct. 20. The main idea was to show the Marines step-by-step how a basic tactical convoy movement works, said Sgt. Timothy D. Dankemeyer, the CLB-22 motor transportation chief. Basically, how to disperse the vehicles during stops, post convoy security, scan and sight possible IED threats and in case the convoy gets hit, practice how to perform a [medical evacuation]. See CONVOY OP, Page 4 Corporal Ryan E. Buchaman, a combat engineer with Engineer Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 22, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, posts security during a convoy training exercise, Oct. 20, 2010, at Fort Bragg, N.C. Egress training spins 2nd MLG up on pre-deployment lessons... Page 2 Photo by Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego Also: Retreat aids marriage... Page 2 Warrior of the Week... Page 3 Sailor Feature... Page 3 Editorial: Back to Basics - Follow the conversation on
Exit Only: Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Marines with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) are one step closer to fulfilling their predeployment training requirements after completing egress training aboard Camp Lejeune, Oct 27. The day included a Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer and an MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle) Egress Trainer. Marines received classes on how to egress vehicles before heading into the trainers in small groups to complete multiple scenarios. You spin a few times, stop, and then are cleared to find an exit, said Lance Cpl. Tiffanie R. Chan, an administration specialist with 2nd MLG (FWD). They do different scenarios to teach us how to react, assist casualties and pull other Marines out while others search and assess the area, she explained. The training is all about preparing for the unexpected, Chan said. It helps you know what to expect, she CREDO retreat enriches military marriages Pfc. Franklin E. Mercado 2nd MLG Publc Affairs CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, dropped their packs for a day and took on another challenge: their marriages. The service members attended a 24-hour Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation Marriage Enrichment Retreat, which consisted of exercises to help service members and their spouses rela- Page 2 Egress training spins 2nd MLG FWD up on critical pre-deployment lessons added. As the trainer came to a stop, the challenge really began. Marines had to find an available hatch that wasn t locked. Since many of them had never been in a humvee before, much less one that had been rolled over, the experience was disorienting. Yet the difficulty and scenario variation See EGRESS, Page 5 Photo by Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano Marines with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) exit a Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer after it is spun around multiple times during a training scenario aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 27, 2010. The Marines were required to exit the Humvee from different exits in each scenario. tionship grow. CREDO, which was started by Chaplain Don Harris in San Diego, Calif., dates back 40 years. It s a Chief of the Navy Chaplains sponsored relationship enrichment program helping improve job performance and enhancing overall quality of life for active-duty service members and their families. There are 11 CREDO locations worldwide. The programs offered include Marriage Enrichment Weekends, Warrior Resiliency, Family Resiliency Weekend, Middle School Weekend, One-day Relationship Enrichment Events, Single/Newly Single Warrior Relationship Revelation and Married Warrior Relationship Rejuvenation. With an array of classes and programs to take, CREDO has been voted number one of the quality of life incentives available to Marines and sailors, according to recent study sponsored by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Our Marriage Enrichment Retreat is our largest, said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Baker, the deputy director of CREDO Camp Lejeune. That s the one that usually gets full quick. We also have waiting lists for that one. Along with the occasional day retreat, the program usually runs 48 hour retreats twice a month. Everyone s expectations are always different, said Baker. But if they leave here with just knowing one more thing then they knew when they walked in, I ve done my job. CREDO has been helping Marines and sailors with their marriages, relationships and families for decades. As more people find out about this luxury and program options expand, CREDO is poised to continue in the long run and be a staple in family and marriage counseling for years to come.
Page 3 Photo by Cpl. M. Foster Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Riley is a corpsman with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward). He poses here behind Bldg. 2 aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Nov. 2, 2010....Cry and get over it CLR-27 Sailor deals with adversity at home and abroad one step at a time Cpl. M. Foster CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Bad things happen. How these things are dealt with though, shows true character. In November of 1970, the city of Huntington, W.Va.; home to Marshall University, lost their Thundering Herd football team to a devastating plane crash. But instead of quitting, they picked themselves up and in 1971, the Young Thundering Herd took the field. Eleven years later in Huntington, Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Riley, a corpsman with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), was born. He grew up there with his dad, and at age 17 moved out on his own. But after working barely-minimumwage jobs that weren t paying the bills, he decided to join the Navy in 2002. When I joined, everyone was going to war and I went to Okinawa, Riley said. As a field medic, that was disappointing. Shortly after returning to the states, he met his wife. A petite and beautiful young woman with dark hair and deep blue eyes; Riley said she was working at his dad s tattoo shop when he first saw her. I was afraid to talk to her for the longest time, he admitted sheepishly. And she had a kid. I just assumed she wouldn t like me. Eventually he started asking about her and he said fortunately she was asking about me at the same time. The rest is history. Not too long after they were married, he deployed to Afghanistan. And in 2005 he was scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the morning of his departure, Riley said goodbye to his pregnant wife and two kids. But before he was on his way, she told him she was having pregnancy pains. Everyone was loading up their bags, Riley recalled. I talked to my first sergeant; he said the most important thing is family. He told me to take care of her, so I took her to the hospital. See SAILOR, Page 5 Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Riley Age: 28 Job: Corpsman Q: If you were stranded on an island, what is one piece of combat gear you would want with you? A: Too many issues with CIF I just want a volley ball I can talk to. Q: Why did you join the Navy? A: So I could one day be the Warrior of the Week it s all downhill from here. Just kidding. I honestly thought the Navy would be like pirates my recruiters played it up. Q: If you could do another job for a day, what would it be? A: Alaskan crab fisherman
Page 4 CONVOY OP, continued from Page 1 During the convoy, Marines were challenged with obstacles such as roadside bombs and mine fields. The hardest part for the Marines, I believe, was the patience they had to have while waiting from 45 minutes to an hour for the quick reaction force to do their job and make sure the road was clear to continue, Dankemeyer said. Marines not only learned the basics to clearing IEDs, but they also learned how to properly MEDEVAC casualties. I think my Marines did a great job during the exercise, Dankemeyer said. Especially for the amount of experience they have, some are new to the unit and some haven t even deployed yet, so the overall performance was what I expected. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Marines played an important role during the exercise by providing realistic training material. In today s combat environment, IEDs are the number one threat. That s why we take IED awareness training very seriously, pointed out Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luke A. Moore, the EOD officer-incharge with CLB-22. My biggest issue, regardless of the Marine s occupation, is complacency. The training exercise puts Marines in real life scenarios where they will have to perform the appropriate action according to the situation. Marines don t like to be wrong, Moore expressed with serious concern. If they see something suspicious they prefer to make sure there is an actual IED on the road. They feel like they will waste their and our time and nothing can be more wrong than that mindset, said Moore. That only means they are paying attention and trying to save lives by doing the right thing. Proper preparation is key to accomplishing any mission, but with an invisible enemy that can hit when least expected, training can mean the difference between success and failure. Photos by Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego (Top) Lance Cpl. Jeffrey J. Chene (left), Lance Cpl. Peter P. Clapsaddle (center) and Cpl. Ryan E. Buchanan, three combat engineers with Engineer Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 22, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group search for buried mines as part of a convoy training exercise, Oct. 20, 2010, at Fort Bragg, N.C. The exercise tested the Marines capabilities to find and identify the different type of mines. (Left, Top) A MK II Talon Robot is used to show Marines participating in a convoy training exercise, how a recovery and disposal procedure works, Oct. 20, 2010, at Fort Bragg, N.C. (Left, Bottom) Staff Sgt. Pete K. McKinney (left), and Staff Sgt. Roger L. Walker (right), two explosive ordnance disposal technicians bury a simulated improvised explosive device as part of a convoy training exercise, Oct. 20, 2010, at Fort Bragg, N.C.
SAILOR, continued from Page 3 So Riley said goodbye to his Marines and goodbye to the twins he would never meet. He stayed home with his wife for a little over a month as her body healed from the miscarriage. I had two worries, he said. Being the corpsman, I was worried about my guys. And I was definitely worried about my wife. But she healed quickly, we overcame it together and it actually brought us closer with each other. In November of 2005, Riley was able to rejoin his brothers-in-arms in Iraq, having found out right before he left that his wife was actually pregnant again. On his first patrol upon arriving to Fallujah, Riley s unit endured their first casualty. We were cordoning off a street, he said Page 5 in a distant monotone. He got sniped he was dead before I got to him. Like any good corpsman, Riley went into autopilot anyways. I was numb he said. I had no emotion I just did my job. I did mouth to mouth, but all I got was blood. But afterwards, it affected me a lot, he continued. Especially knowing that he had a three-year old and I had a three-year old at the same time. When you deploy, it s with the guys you live with. We were very close. Riley pushed forward. A little further into the deployment and his wife s pregnancy, he spoke with her on the phone. I remember she said she was having a little pain, he said. Days after their conversation, Riley s Forward Operating Base went into River City and he couldn t call her again. This time, she had to go through the miscarriage alone. We were so busy in Fallujah, he recalled. And I was worried about her it was horrible. It had seemed like a more viable pregnancy since she made it further along. It was harder this time for me, he continued. Not only was I worried about her, I had my own concerns of trying not to get blown up. Just like the first miscarriage, Riley and his wife dealt with this one and moved forward even though it was much more difficult. Three months after he returned from Fallujah with a head full of grey hair, Riley and his wife relocated to Chicago, where she successfully gave birth to their third child. When asked how he got through it all, he said I just go with it. You gotta cry and get over it. You just can t get hung up on the bad stuff. EGRESS, continued from Page 2 Photo by Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano Marines with 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) exit a Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer after it is spun around multiple times during a training scenario aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Oct. 27, 2010. The Marines were required to exit the humvee from different exits in each scenario. Commanding General Public Affairs Officer Sergeant Major Combat Correspondents Brig. Gen. Michael G. Dana Sgt. Maj. William T. Stables Command Master Chief HMCM Kelly A. McNulty 2nd Lt. Joshua Smith Sgt. Jeremy Ross Sgt. Justin J. Shemanski Cpl. Rachael Moore Cpl. Mikaela Foster Cpl. Bobbie Curtis Cpl. Melissa Latty increased the training s value. It was harder than I thought, said Lance Cpl. Jennifer L. Chitwood, an administration specialist with 2nd MLG (FWD). [But] I think it will help on any deployment, she added. Marines not only had to assist casualties, but their communication skills were tested when they had to conduct the trainer with full black-out eye protection on. Unable to see anything, they had to rely on each other. Public Affairs Chief Staff Sgt. Theresa E. Seng Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego PFC. Franklin Mercado Follow us on facebook The MET also gave gunners an opportunity to practice their job skills. Training events such as these helps Marines know what to expect on deployment and how to react quickly and confidently, Chan pointed out. The training conducted at the HEAT and MET gave Marines the opportunity to familiarize themselves with emergency procedures, points of exit in vehicles, operation of locks and casualty evacuation. Should the need arise on the battlefields of Afghanistan, these Marines will be able to face any situation in a cool, calm and collected manner.