July 21, 2006.Indd

III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan July 21, 2006 www.okinawa.usmc.mil 3/12 Marines COMBAT READY deploy to 3rd Recon Marines prep for urban warfare Ojojihara Lance Cpl. W. Zach Griffith Lance Cpl. Eric D. Arndt Okinawa Marine Staff Okinawa Marine Staff CAMP HANSEN — The earth shudders CAMP HANSEN — Marines with 3rd and the vicious crack of an explosion Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd reduces a steel door into twisted shards. Marine Division, deployed to Ojoji- Marines with 3rd Marine Reconnais- hara, Japan, July 13 for the month-long sance Battalion surge through the 2006 Ojojihara Artillery Relocation shattered frame into the “shoot house” Exercise. portion of the Dynamic Assault Course The Marines are scheduled to con- July 18. duct live-fire training with the M-198 Rehearsing this type of raid prepares 155 mm Medium Howitzer cannon, as special operations Marines for the well as several crew-served weapons “house-to-house” types of missions they such as the M-2 .50 caliber machine will face if deployed to urban combat gun, MK-19 40 mm machine gun and zones like those in Iraq and Afghani- M-240G medium machine gun. stan, said Gunnery Sgt. Robert Blanton, The training will help prepare a Special Operations Training Group the Marines for operational deploy- close-quarters instructor. ments and retain combat readiness, With a majority of modern wars according to 1st Lt. Ryan T. King, the and conflicts erupting in urban envi- executive officer of F Battery currently ronments, practicing for close-quarter attached to 3rd Bn., 12th Marines. battles is more important than ever, es- “We’re going to refine our basic pecially for special operations Marines. cannoneer skills, in accordance with “When we are dealing with an urban our training and readiness standards,” environment, we have a lot of people King said. “We train to support any who live in the area — civilians,” Blan- type of requirement that (3rd Bn., 12th ton said. “We train our forces to know Marines) may have in the Pacific and how to differentiate hostile forces with Southeast Asian theater.” civilians.” King said the training will also American forces are held to a very be beneficial to Marines who haven’t high standard when it comes to collateral deployed, adding it will give them an damage and civilian death in combat, opportunity to train for Operations Blanton added. Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Especially in Iraq, where the main “It’s going to give (the Marines who strategy of the insurgents is to blend in haven’t deployed) an opportunity to with the civilian population, the ability train to provide fire support in Iraq to eliminate only those people that pose and Afghanistan,” he said. a threat is vital. The deployment to Ojojihara will The sun had set low in the sky when continue to build on skills artillery Marines of 3rd Marine Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, make their the Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Bn. approach to the “shoot house” on Camp Hansen during the seven-week dynamic units continually train for, explained received their instructions. Their mis- assault course. The “shoot house” is a maze-like structure coated in ballistic rubber. Lance Cpl. Jason L. Harris, a field artil- sion: assault a domestic residence and Participants learn to quickly identify and deal with improvised explosive devices, lery cannoneer with F Battery. See COMBAT pg. 6 adversaries and various unknown obstacles. Photo by Lance Cpl. W. Zach Griffith See ARTY pg. 6 MUSCLE MATTERS CULTURAL CUISINE Fitness professionals offer SushiSushi hashas becomebecome oneone ofof thethe mostmost recognizablerecognizable advice on preventing serious aspects of Japanese culture, and Okinawa featuresfeatures injuries that could impact a wide range of authentic restaurants showcasinshowcasing Marines’ careers. various styles of the traditional cuisine. INSIDE pg. 8 pg. 10 2 OKINAWA MARINE | NEWS | JULY 21, 2006 OKINAWA MARINE | OPINION & EDITORIAL | JULY 21, 2006 3 There’s no such thing as partial readiness Capt. Emilio Marrero, Jr. tion than with what was coming over the have their gas masks nearby. with the concertina wire. Around the AL ASAD, Iraq | Sgt. net. As we talked, he failed to hear the The seconds were ticking fast, accom- When we speak of readiness and Yurian D. Uribe few weeks crucial words: Exercise, Exercise, Exercise, panied by our desperate heartbeats, as we preach of being prepared I learned on that inspects the tail prior to and instead only picked up something scrambled to run as fast as the heavy sand day that it’s not enough to know where to of a CH-53D Sea Acrossing the about a missile launch. To place it into con- in the Saudi desert would allow us. One go, where my equipment is or being nearly Stallion June 28. Saudi Arabia-Kuwait text, Saddam Hussein had already tried Marine decided the quickest way to his gas ready. The fact is we are either ready or we Uribe is a collateral border with Task sending a few SCUD missiles our way and mask would be to tackle a row of concer- are not. Partial readiness is nonexistent. duty inspector Force Ripper during successfully sent a few into Israel. When tina wire between him and his tent – the When our nation needs us, we go. We with Marine Heavy Desert Storm, our the radio operator heard the broadcast, Marine lost. need to be prepared – professionally, emo- Helicopter Squadron 463, Marine Aircraft unit (Combat Service he immediately toned us down and we all We finally donned our masks. Most of tionally, legally and spiritually. Thinking Group 16, 3rd Support Detach- proceeded to look toward the sky. us did so far beyond the required six sec- about readiness is not being ready. Marine Aircraft ment 111) was bearing another hot day in Lo and behold, there it was, three onds. We stood around panting, attempt- If you were to fall from our ranks today, For more Marine Corps stories and photos, Wing. Photo by Lance the desert and going about its business. contrails crisscrossing just overhead way ing to catch our breath and wondering if are you ready? Do you have in place what visit http://www.usmc.mil Cpl. James B. Hoke I happened to be by the Combat Service up in the sky! So we thought. At that mo- we were contaminated because it took us you need for your family? Do those you CorpS Support Operations Center chatting with a ment, the NBC alarm was sounded over so long. love know how you feel about them? Are few Marines as one of them monitored the the radio and throughout our camp. I A few seconds later, the Marine moni- you ready to face God and account for your radio net. reached for my gas mask only to realize I toring the radio realized this was a drill time here? Now is the time to get ready. NEW YORK We got into a fun conversation about left it on the front seat of my humvee. We and sheepishly announced the “all clear” Marrero serves as the 1st Marine | Marines something – I can’t recall the details – but had just returned from visiting Marines signal. We looked at one another with Air Wing chaplain and often leads escort the as we laughed and joked, the radio opera- in another outpost. I looked around and embarrassment, chuckled and provided worship at the Camp Foster Chapel body of tor got more involved with our conversa- there were at least three others who didn’t first aid to the Marine who lost his battle at 8:30 a.m. Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Whyte of 3rd Leadership is about serving others MARINE CORPS Battalion, 8th Marine FACT CHECK Regiment, 2nd Lt. Garron J. Garn 2nd Marine PATRIOTIC CUSTOMS Division, would say the majority of what I have learned 2nd Lt. after a in the Marine Corps has come from staff non- During morning colors, I notice that memorial commissioned officers. Whether it was the staff Garron J. Garn some of the Marines in civilian attire Q: stand at the position of attention and service Isergeant at my Officer Selection Office, the gunnery some have their right hand over their heart. June 30. He sergeants at Officer Candidate School, or the staff Which one is correct? was fatally NCOs at my offices in Okinawa and Iraq, I have sought wounded advice from them all because their knowledge is based the respect of his subordinates. By serving the needs All service members are required through to place their right hand over their the neck by on years of experience and leadership. of others first, we not only improve their chances for Checking into a unit as “the new lieutenant” is success as a Marine, but also as a person. A: heart when in civilian attire during an enemy the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sniper not the easiest thing to do, but my transition was Leaders lead by example, so what would happen if according to the Marine Corps Drill and during made smoother with the help of good SNCOs. I once the example we as leaders show is one of selfless ser- Ceremonies Manual and Marine Corps Flag combat in worked with a master sergeant who taught me the vice to our seniors, peers and subordinates? It is not in Manual. Ramadi, greatest lesson in leadership. He said that good lead- the billet description for a leader to ask a subordinate Paragraph 7003.2 of Marine Corps Order Iraq, just ers serve those who are subordinate to them, not the how his family is doing or meet them at the airport af- P5060.2, Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies days before other way around.

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