Peninsula Exercise Displays Readiness
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iii marine expeditionary force and marine corps bases japan MARCH 4, 2011 WWW.OKINAWA.USMC.MIL Peninsula 3rd Marine Division welcomes CG Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Fisher exercise OKINAWA MARINE STAFF CAMP COURTNEY — Brig. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis accepted command of 3rd displays Marine Division, III Marine Expedi- tionary Force, from Maj. Gen. James B. Laster in a ceremony at Camp Courtney March 1. readiness During the ceremony, Brilakis, prom- ised, “I will do my best for these Marines 2nd Lt. Lindsay Pirek and sailors.” OKINAWA MARINE STAFF He told the formation of Marines and sailors, “I am looking forward to getting CAMP MUJUK, POHANG, Repub- to know you in the months ahead. Stay lic of Korea — Approximately 750 focused on our mission and continue to Marines from 1st Marine Aircraft train hard.” Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Following the ceremony, Brilakis, Force, manned their battle stations who was previously the commanding 24 hours a day, simulating the general of 3rd Marine Expeditionary command and control of a large- Brigade, III MEF, and the MEF’s deputy scale conflict, during Exercise Key commanding general, said of 3rd Marine Resolve 2011 here Feb. 28. Division: “This is a great division with Key Resolve is a joint, combined a very long history that forms the back- command post exercise designed to bone of what the legacy of the Marine ensure the Republic of Korea-U.S. Corps is all about.” alliance is prepared to defend the Today, the division is engaged ROK against outside aggression, “around the globe conducting combat, while training alliance forces to engagement, training, security and respond to any potential threat that theater security operations and activi- could arise on the peninsula. ties and is prepared to meet crisis and “The purpose of this exercise is contingency response needs here in the to provide U.S. and Republic of Ko- Western Pacific,” Brilakis said. rea forces the opportunity to train “We have Marines in combat today, together on a regular basis to exer- and tomorrow, we’ll have Marines in cise all of our joint and combined combat, and next year, we’ll have Ma- tactics, techniques and procedures,” Maj. Gen. James B. Laster, right, outgoing commanding general of 3rd Marine rines in combat,” Brilakis said. “So, it’s Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, passes the division colors to Brig. said Col. John Jansen, the exercise important that we remain focused on the Gen. Mark A. Brilakis, the division’s incoming commanding general, during a assessment officer, 1st MAW. “We change of command ceremony March 1 at the division’s headquarters on Camp things that are really important which do this at the political, strategic Courtney. Brilakis, who has been selected for promotion to major general, are combat readiness, individual well and operational levels in order to promised those watching the ceremony, “I will do my best for these Marines being, individual resilience, engaged SEE KEY RESOLVE PG 5 and sailors.” Photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau SEE DIVISION PG 5 EOD Marines honor fallen comrades with memorial wall Lance Cpl. Heather N. Choate The idea for the wall, which stands in the noncommissioned officer-in-charge for EOD OKINAWA MARINE STAFF company’s office in Building 2446 here, began in Company. “As of now, there are five technicians 2006 when EOD Marines were killed in the line being remembered.” CAMP HANSEN — Marines with Explosive Ord- of duty. The Marines put the idea to action six The memorial was created to remind Marines nance Disposal Company, 9th Engineer Support months ago and completed the memorial Feb. 25. of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice serving Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine “The wall is a memorial for Marines of this their country, according to Sharp. It is a statement Expeditionary Force, put the finishing touches company who were killed in combat action or to the Marines of the unit that their work is im- on a memorial wall to honor members of the unit in the line of duty as an EOD technician,” said portant and the Marines who worked alongside who lost their lives in combat five years ago. Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael C. Sharp, staff SEE EOD WALL PG 5 FOREST LIGHT STRENGTHENS TIES “METAL MAN” HELPS Japan and U.S. service members demonstrate REINFORCE HELMAND PROVINCE abilities and proficiency at working together in the THIS Pacific theater during exercise. WITH WELDER SKILLS ISSUE IN PGS. 6-7 PG. 9 2 okinawa marine | OPINION & EDITORIAL | march 4, 2011 Women fight for place in history Around Staff Sgt. Michael A. Freeman sk any random the Marine to name the Corps Afirst female Marine and you can be assured a speedy response of “Opha Mae Johnson.” While Pvt. Johnson was the first female to “free a man to fight,” the answer to this question isn’t nearly as clear-cut as one might think. Consider the legend of Lucy Brewer. More than A sailor with Assault Craft Unit 1, guides the driver of an a century before Johnson M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st raised her right hand to Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine take the Oath of Enlist- Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., ment, Brewer allegedly from the deck of a landing craft to Camp Pendleton’s disguised herself as a man White Beach, Feb 23. This training is in preparation for part and assumed the alias of of Exercise Iron Fist, a bilateral training exercise between George Baker. As the story Marines and sailors of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit goes, Brewer boarded the and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Western Army Infantry Regiment soldiers. Photo by Staff Sgt. Anthony L. Linan USS Constitution as a U.S. Marine and saw action in Lance Cpl. Austin Benz, some of the most intense Marine Corps body high-seas battles of the War bearer at Marine Barracks of 1812. Washington, salutes As we remember that rung of the Marine enlisted third star Sept. 1, 1996 and to Taps after laying a Johnson was a reservist, we ladder in 1960; a year later, became the first woman ceremonial wreath at can also modify the ques- Sgt. Maj. Bertha Peters Bil- in the history of the U.S. the Marine Corps War tion slightly to seek out leb became the first female Armed forces to achieve the Memorial Feb. 23, for the 66th anniversary of the first female active duty Marine to wear sergeant rank of lieutenant general. the historic flag-raising Marine, enlisted or officer, major chevrons. Maj. Sarah M. Deal be- at Iwo Jima. The War in the Corps. In doing so, Brig. Gen. Margaret came the Corps’ first female Memorial and the Pulitzer two less familiar, but no less Brewer, whose career pilot when she climbed into prize-winning photo that important, names stand out. spanned 28 years and cul- the cockpit of a CH-53 Super inspired it immortalized Pvt. Lucille McClarren and minated with her appoint- Stallion helicopter in 1995. that single action, which Captain Anne Lentz earned ment as the Corps’ director The month of March is signaled a turning these honorable places in of public affairs, became the National Women’s History point in the Pacific Marine Corps history in Corps’ first female general Month. All of these women campaign of World War 1943. Three years later, officer May 11, 1978. have set a standard of II. Photo by Cpl. Austin Hazard the 18th Commandant of Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, as excellence and woven their the Marine Corps, General a brigadier general in 1992, personal stories into the rich Alexander Vandegrift, ap- assumed command of the history of the Marine Corps proved a small number of 3rd Force Service Support as so many more continue women to remain on active Group becoming the first to do today both at home duty. Of more than 20,000 woman to command a Fleet and abroad, in garrison and female Marines who joined Marine Force Unit at the in combat. In your obser- during World War II only flag level. Mutter would vances this month, take 1,000 remained on active go on to shatter two other time to learn more about duty. “glass ceilings” before retir- these and other women who On June 12, 1948, Con- ing in 1999. First, with her have contributed so much gress passed the Women’s selection and promotion to to Corps and country. Opha Armed Services Integration major general in 1994, she Mae would have wanted it Act, ensuring a permanent became the first woman to that way. Capt. Alfred Butler, second from the left, the commanding place for women among the achieve that rank in the Ma- Freeman is the Equal officer of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, I Marine Expeditionary Force, talks to ranks and paving the way rine Corps and the senior Opportunity Representative elders, from the Garmsir District, Helmand province, for others such as: woman among all branches with Company B, Headquar- Afghanistan, about flooding damage to the courtyard of Master Gunnery Sgt. Ger- of U.S. Armed Forces at that ters and Service Battalion, a local mosque, Feb. 13. The flooding occurred the night aldine Moran, who was the time. Marine Corps Base Camp before. Weapons Company’s headquarters is Patrol Base first woman to attain the top Also, Mutter pinned on a Butler. Gorgak in Garmsir District. Photo by Sgt. Jesse Stence COMMANDING GENERALMaj. Gen. Peter J. Talleri OKINAWA MARINE NEWSPAPER H&S Battalion MCB PAO Unit 35002 PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR Lt. Col. David M.