HSL-37 Detachment Four Returns from Deployment
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DECEMBER 18, 2009 VOLUME 39, NUMBER 50 WWW.MCBH.USMC.MIL Hawaii Marine Taking WITH OPEN ARMS charge Lava Dogs assume responsibility for FOB Geronimo Sgt. Brian A. Tuthill Regimental Combat Team 7 NAWA DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — Five months ago, the Marines and sailors of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, arrived in Nawa District to the sounds of gunfi re, rockets and mortars. Today, Nawa is quiet — a place where they can walk through the city center without body armor as children crowd at their feet. Kristenæ Wongæ |æ Hawaiiæ Marine On Dec. 11, at Forward Operating Base Mikko-Dakotaæ Roberts,æ 4,æ welcomesæ hisæ fatheræ homeæ atæ Hangaræ 103æ Tuesday.æ Approximatelyæ 20æ sailorsæ ofæ Helicopteræ Anti-Submarineæ Squadronæ Lightæ Geronimo, in front of Marine leaders from II Marine 37,æ Fourthæ Detachmentæ arrivedæ bothæ onæ Marineæ Corpsæ Baseæ Hawaiiæ andæ Pearlæ Harboræ Navalæ Station.æ Theæ sailors,æ whoæ spentæ sixæ monthsæ onæ theæ USSæ Expeditionary Brigade, local Afghan leaders and Crommelin, traveled to many Asian countries in the Pacifi c region, participating in Cooperation Afl oat Readiness and Training exercises. Marines of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Lt. Col. William F. McCollough, commanding offi cer of 1/5, cased his battalion’s battle colors during a transfer-of-authority ceremony, marking the end of their successful deployment. HSL-37 Detachment Four The commanding offi cer of 1/3, Lt. Col. Matt Baker, called forward his battalion’s colors and unfurled the fl ag and streamers to the wind marking the start of their operational commitment to the Nawa District. returns from deployment Through the success of 1/5’s Marines over their fi ve months in Nawa, “Colonel Bill” has become the Kristen Wong would do for the day when he returned. stuff of legends in the district, forging strong ties to Photojournalist “It looks like a good day to hike,” Scatcherd said. local Afghan leaders and much of the population, Guerra, a pilot for HSL-37 Detachment 4, not only received a said Mohammed Khan, Nawa District administrator, pon spotting his father emerging from the helicopter, welcome home from his buddies, he also received a gift bag from at a lunch celebration held in McCollough’s honor, Mikko-Dakota Roberts, 4, charged across the cement, fl ower the Kaneohe Offi cers’ Spouses Club, which included bananas, cereal, Dec. 8. McCollough dressed in traditional Afghan Ulei swinging at his sides, for a big swoop off his feet and a orange juice and skim milk. clothes and a headdress for the party to show his hug. Soon, friends, family and coworkers followed, showering fi ve “We saw a lot of places in Asia, that was pretty good. Got to see a sincere respect for Afghan culture. returning sailors with hugs and handshakes Tuesday. lot of different cultures,” Guerra said. “There was a lot of interaction “‘Colonel Bill’ and his Marines patrolled in the The personnel from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light between the different nations.” heat, drenched in sweat every day, and brought 37, Detachment 4, were part of approximately 20 The San Antonio native recalls fond memories of security to our streets and wonderful jobs to our sailors returning from a six-month deployment. The this fi rst deployment, including his temporary switch See TRANSFER, A-2 rest arrived with the USS Crommelin at Pearl Harbor from the USS Crommelin to the USS Chafee to work Naval Station later that morning. with HSL-37 Detachment 1. Guerra had previously Holding a lei of green ti leaves and eggshell white worked with Detachment 1 and enjoyed working orchids, Liisa Roberts waited patiently for her husband with old friends again. 3/3 Change of Command at Hangar 103. Wanting to look her best and adjusting “We were doing it all day … from sunrise to sunset, her shawl, the Boulder, Colo. native was worried it was nonstop,” Guerra said. “I was pretty dead after about her mascara. it [be]cause I was in the helicopter literally all day.” “I’ll have black eyes in a minute,” Roberts said, There was He fondly recalled participating in the “Fight for smiling. Fish” mission headed by the U.S. Coast Guard in the This was her husband’s second deployment while a lot of islands of Micronesia. stationed aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and it The detachment assisted in catching illegal hasn’t gotten easier. interaction fi shermen to ensure the Micronesians were not Chatting with her husband during the deployment deprived of their main source of food. via the Internet, Roberts endured background between Under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Greg Zimmerman, annoyances from his locale, like parrots and monkeys. ‘‘ offi cer in charge, Detachment 4, HSL-37, the dets Even without animal disruption, conversations the different made many stops in the Pacifi c region, from Guam to suffered at the hands of connectivity issues. In the Thailand to Singapore. meantime, Roberts kept busy with her work as a nations.” The main reason for the deployment was not only photographer, and spent her free time hiking and to push the Navy’s newest campaign, “Global Force kayaking. She looks forward to having her husband — Lt. Roland Guerra for Good,” but also to engage in exercises under join the activities. Cooperation Afl oat Readiness and Training. “I’m so happy that my husband’s home,” she said. Back home now, Guerra said he missed surfi ng the most, and was Among those waiting outside Hangar 103 were Army Reserve not able to attend the 25th annual Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Capt. Steve Scatcherd and Kaneohe resident Dane Martin. Aikau 2009 surfi ng competition. Scatcherd and Martin were waiting for their friend and fellow “I heard the waves were 50 feet [high],” Guerra said. “My friends canoe paddler Navy Lt. Roland Guerra, and discussing what they were there. I can’t wait to see their pictures.” New buoy attempts to capture energy Christine Cabalo captured from motions of the water. Previous Photojournalist models have captured an average 3 to 4 kilowatts before being recovered for more Redesigned and ready for more onshore testing, with a maximum capacity experiments, the Wave Energy Technology to generate 40 kilowatts. program’s new buoy is equipped for any The buoy, located a mile offshore north of LanceæC pl.æRonaldæ W.æStauf feræ| æ HawaiiæM arine rough waves ahead at Marine Corps Base MCB Hawaii, will connect to an underwater Lt.æ Col.æ Jonathanæ C.æ Goffæ (right),æ relinquishesæ hisæ com- Hawaii. cable and power system hooking into mandæ toæ Lt.æ Col.æ Jefferyæ C.æ Holtæ byæ passingæ onæ 3rdæ Bat- On Monday, WET coordinators launched the base’s power grid. Cable said the two talion,æ 3rdæ Marineæ RegimentÍ sæ battleæ colorsæ duringæ theæ the buoy in a continuing experiment to components still need to be installed, and battalionÍ sæ changeæ ofæ commandæ ceremonyæ atæ Deweyæ harness waves for power. The technology Warrenæ Bartelæ |æ U.S.æ Navy crews plan to safely comple the work after Squareæ Dec.æ 11.æ ñ AmericaÍ sæ Battalion,îæ bidæ farewellæ toæ has been in development since 2003, said Experimentingæ withæ capturingæ energyæ generatedæ the holiday season. Goff, and welcomed Holt, the former operations offi cer Brian Cable, ocean energy program manager, fromæ HawaiiÍ sæ waves,æ aæ newæ poweræ buoyæ isæ oneæ The latest buoy is a small-scale foræ 3rdæ Marineæ Regiment.æ Goffæ hasæ receivedæ ordersæ toæ de- Naval Facilities Engineering Command ofæ severalæ potentialæ alternativeæ energyæ sourcesæ experimental device, although it weighs tachæ fromæ theæ battalionæ andæ reportæ toæ theæ commandingæ atæ Marineæ Corpsæ Baseæ Hawaii. approximately 20 tons and towers at 50 offi cer of 3rd Marine Regiment for duty until early next Engineering Service Center. “It’s always an initiative for us to explore feet tall. Ocean Power Technologies is year when he will be assigned to U.S. Pacifi c Command This is the third launched prototype sources of alternative energy,” Cable said. commercially testing the technology with asæ aæ Japanese,æ Faræ Eastæ expert.æ Withinæ theæ lastæ year,æ underæ from contracted company Ocean Power GoffÍ sæ command,æ 3/3æ conductedæ Operationæ Taskæ Forceæ “This project is part of how we’re working to larger buoys in Europe and Australia, which Technologies, and scientists will be MPæ inæ Iraq,æ guardingæ theæ linesæ ofæ communicationæ andæ follow the executive order and legislation to monitoring data to see how much power is convoysæ travelingæ acrossæ theæ desertæ landsæ ofæ Westernæ Iraq.æ reduce fossil fuel use.” See BUOY, A-6 Marines use furlough Friday to show Inside today’s Hawaii Marine Weekend Forecast Steppin’ Off Sunny K-Bay Marines hike the students different side of the Corps High — 77 2009 Honolulu Marathon “A lot of the kids see the Marine Corps as a Lance Cpl. Vanessa M. American Horse to raise money for Low — 69 Combat Correspondent ground operation,” said Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia, Wounded Warriors, B-1 supply chief, MCAS. “They never get to see the air side and how much is involved in making an n the morning of Dec. 11, 11 children Isolated Showers took a journey to places even some airplane go up in the air.” High — 81 Marines haven’t been. They participated Students started exploring at the top of the air O Low — 68 in the fi rst Aviation Career Day on Dec. 11 traffi c control tower, experiencing a 360-degree Hawaiian Ice sponsored by the Marine Corps Air Station, view of MCB Hawaii.