HMLA-267 Heads to the Fight
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Marine Corps Merit Award winning newspaper Vol. 13 No. 18 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. May 6, 2011 Good workouts leave one sore, not in agony Sgt. W. Zach Griffi th had a survival instinct that said, “if youʼre COMBAT CORRESPONDENT not running to catch something to eat, you shouldnʼt be running.” Pain from physical training can mean That instinct is part of what we, living “weakness is leaving the body,” or thereʼs in the time of fast food and refrigerators, a problem. If itʼs just the pain of a hard have to overcome when we want to, or are run, itʼs the primitive leftovers in the required to, get into fi ghting shape. This human brain from thousands of years ago means people, whose exercise was previ- trying to stop you from losing energy and ously limited to the walk to the kitchen, valuable fat stores in your body. that start a real workout regime are not Not too long ago, compared to how going to be used to the stress on their long the planet Earth has been around, bodies. humans that were grubbing around in “Your body has to go through a transition caves had to catch or harvest their food before they ate it. Those early humans GO TO EXERCISE, PAGE 3 Courtesy Photo ‘Stomping out’ sexual assault A Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 AH-1W Super Cobra flies over the border city of El Paso, Texas, assisting U.S. Border Patrol in keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants. HMLA-267 has been dedicated to sending detachments in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan, and Southern California expeditionary units for the past few years, and is now deployed to Afghanistan as a full squadron for the first time since 2003. HMLA-267 heads to the fi ght Sgt. W. Zach Griffi th COMBAT CORRESPONDENT Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 departed this week to support combat operations in Afghanistan. This deployment marks the first squadron deployment since Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003 as a full light attack squadron, according to 1st Lt. Dana R. Howe, the unit information officer and an AH-1 Cobra pilot for HMLA-267. For the past few years, the squadron has been dedicated to sending detachments in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, Japan, and Southern California expeditionary units. “Weʼve been preparing for a year,” he added. “The Marines are all excited to deploy together for the first time in years.” Cpl. Jamean R. Berry According to Howe, their focus will be on taking care of the Marines on the Marines, sailors and civilian personnel participate in the second annual Sexual ground by providing close air support, resupply, over watch, casualty evacuation, and Assault Awareness Month walk aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., joint tactical air strikes, for troops on the ground throughout Helmand province. April 28. The SAAM walk is held to promote awareness and prevention. GO TO DEPLOYMENT, PAGE 3 11TH MEU GATHERS GROUND, AIR, FEMALE MARINES HELP BUILD REACH US MCAS Miramar LOGISTICS ELEMENTS AFGHANISTAN RELATIONSHIPS The 11th MEU began its deployment Female Marines speak to locals in Af- Website cycle by assuming operational control ghanistan to help build up communities of the elements that make it a complete and improve trust with the Government www.miramar.usmc.mil Marine Air Ground Task Force. See page of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. EDITORIAL 5 for full story. See page 6 for full story. (858)-577-6000 FEATURE EOD Marine, civilian make explosive connection Religious Services Sgt. Deanne Hurla his senior officers interviewed him for the squad, COMBAT CORRESPONDENT they asked why he wanted to do it. His response was readily available. The Chaplainʼs Office, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Marines con- “In my high school shop class, my teacher located in Building 5632 duct training with their civilian counterparts on filled up three balloons, one with amphetalean, on Bauer Road, coordi- a regular basis, but for one Miramar Marine, that one with oxygen and one with both. He took his nates regularly scheduled training introduced her to her husband. torch and popped the first balloon with ampheta- services. For the location Staff Sgt. Michelle Kuranishi, an EOD lean, and it was a big ball of fire and a lot of technician here, met her husband, Steven, a Los black smoke. The second balloon just popped and meeting schedules of Angeles police officer and bomb squad member, and when he hit the third balloon it went BANG! religious activities, call during a training event in 2008, married him in I was thinking to myself ʻwow how cool is it that (858)-577-1333, or visit 2010 and gave her own senior EOD badge to him two gases by themselves are small explosions www.miramar.usmc.mil. during a ceremony at the Los Angeles Interna- and the mixture produces a huge explosion,ʼ” tional Airport May 4. Steven said. Sunday: “I am so honored that she is coming to pin Two years later, another explosion occurred Maj. Gen. me,” said Steven. “I donʼt think anybody I know in Michelleʼs and Stevenʼs lives when they met 9 a.m. Protestant Thomas L. Conant of can say their wife can pull her senior EOD during training aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Worship Service Commanding General badge off her uniform and pin it on them.” Pendleton. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Steven says he feels so honored because he is Michelle recognized Steven from previous 9:30 a.m. Protestant married to his heroine. training where they had not been introduced, so Childrenʼs Worship Everything she has been through, done in this time she made the introduction. the military and what she has accomplished are “During the course, all the EOD techs and his reasons for calling Michelle a heroine. It is [civilian] bomb techs went to an 80s rock band 11 a.m. uncommon for females to be part of EOD and concert and we were hanging out there,” Mi- Roman Catholic Mass for her to go to war and experience the things chelle said. “The course ended on a Friday, and she has is very impressive, explained the San that day I asked him out.” Religious Education/Sunday: Fernando, Calif., native. Steven said he wasnʼt looking for a seri- 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. Michelle has deployed twice to Iraq and lost ous relationship when he met Michelle but “the Catholic CCD Children K-12 her mentor, Master Sgt. Brett Angus, during the moons aligned,” and two years later the couple first deployment, she explained. She is a five- married. year veteran of the EOD military occupational The couple currently shares a job through 10 a.m. Protestant specialty and is one of approximately eight the military and civilian workforces; however, Adult Bible Study females who currently take part in the EOD mis- Michelle is passing her badge to Steven. sion. “Iʼm leaving and he is carrying on, so Iʼm Weekday Worship Service: Col. Frank A. Richie “I was one of the first females to join EOD, going to take my badge and give it to him,” said Mon. – Fri. 11:30 a.m. Commanding Officer possibly the third,” Michelle said, who is origi- Michelle. MCAS Miramar nally from Cateaugay, N.Y. “I like to think that Next year, Michelle will end her active ser- Catholic Mass having done it this long hopefully can pave the vice with EOD and Steven will continue to carry Maj. Jay Delarosa way for others.” on ensuring the safety of civilians and military Mon. 6:30 p.m. Contemporary Public Affairs Director Steven wanted to be part of the LAPD bomb alike by handling, transportation and rendering Praise and Worship Service squad since he joined the force in 1996. When safe all explosive items he is called to handle. Gunnery Sgt. Steven Williams Staff Sgt. Michelle Kuranishi, Wed. 7 p.m. Baptist Service Public Affairs Chief an explosive ordnance dispoal technician, pinned her husband, Study Groups: Staff Sgt. Tiffany Carter Steven, with his senior EOD Internal Information Chief badge. Steven is a Los Angeles Mon. 7 p.m. police officer and bomb squad Night Bible Study, Sgt. W. Zach Griffith member. He earned his senior Classroom in the Chapel area Editor EOD badge for five years of serive with the LAPD bomb Tues. 6 a.m. Cpl. Alexandra M. Vazquez squad. Michelle attended the Layout and Design Specialist ceremony at the Los Angeles Morning Prayer Service Intrenational Air Port May 4, and Study Group The Flight Jacket is published every Friday. and gave Steven her own senior This newspaper is an authorized publication for the military services, contents of the Flight Jacket are not EOD badge. (Courtesy Photo) necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Islamic Worship Service: government, the Department of Defense, Department of Fri. at noon. the Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. It is for informational purposes only and in no way should be considered direc- Located in the Chapel or visit tive in nature. The editorial content is edited, prepared and pro- www.icsd.org vided by the Public Affairs Office. Comments or questions should be directed to 858-577-6000. Jewish: Jewish Outreach at (858) - 571 - 3444 Visit us on www.jewishinsandiego.org www.miramar.usmc.mil May 6, 2011 Flight Jacket Page 2 FEATURE DEPLOYMENT, cally the sole provider of AH-1 and UH-1 detachments effect on the squadron as a whole,” he said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to the 31st MEU and West Pacific MEUs, said Lt.