A Tour of Duties

III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan November 16, 2007 www.okinawa.usmc.mil Base officials A TOUR OF DUTIES test island-wide Event allows civilians to take aim at Marine Corps life evacuation plan Lance Cpl. Bobby J. Yarbrough OKINAWA MARINE STAFF Camp Foster — In prepara- tion for a man-made or natural disaster, the Marine Corps, with assistance from the Army and Navy, tested the Okinawa Area Coordination Supporting Plan by evacuating 50 volunteers at the Camp Foster Community Center Nov. 7. The non-combatant evacuation operation was the initial test of the island-wide evacuation plan, which could evacuate 35,000 to 50,000 people during a real disaster. The exercise simu- lated the steps people, living on Okinawa under the Status of Forces Agreement, would need to take during an evacuation to mainland Japan. Stephen Thompson, the president of the Little Britches Rodeo Association, fires an M-4 carbine as Staff Sgt. Chris The NEO was also part of Brennan, the senior close-quarters battle instructor with III Marine Expeditionary Force’s Special Operations Exercise Keen Sword, a bilateral Training Group, looks on during the Marine Corps portion of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference at Camp exercise designed to test the in- Hansen Nov. 10. SEE STORY ON PAGE 12. Photo by Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Knallay teroperability of US forces and Japanese Self Defense Force. Keen Sword includes US and Japanese forces from all services Okinawa docs take stab at immunization course training at various locations throughout Japan. Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac Tara Reavey, a clinical education As volunteers arrived at the OKINAWA MARINE STAFF coordinator with the MVA and the Emergency Evacuation Center, course instructor, said her goal is to Marines, soldiers and sailors CAMP HANSEN — To help deal teach U.S. military medical person- processed them using the NEO with a rise in the number of service nel how to administer, store and Tracking System, a bar-code sys- members deploying from Okinawa, document vaccinations properly and tem designed to track and find more than 40 sailors from U.S. safely as service members go about evacuees during a disaster. Naval Hospital Okinawa and 3rd their unique missions overseas. Officials outfitted each evac- Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Most corpsmen here administer uee with a NEO tracking band Logistics Group, attended an im- many types of vaccines to prevent that contained the individu- Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph munization course conducted Nov. illnesses ranging from Anthrax to Ramirez, a corpsman with Combat als’ personal information. At 6 by the Military Vaccine Agency Yellow Fever. Some of the illnesses Logistics Regiment 35, dips a needle each checkpoint during the on Camp Hansen to fine tune their are current threats in combat into Small Pox vaccine a Nov. 6. Photo evacuation process, evacuees inoculation skills. SEE VACCINE PG 6 by Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac SEE PLAN PG 6 MARINE CORPS FORCES JAPAN FOREST LIGHT UNDERWAY HAVING A FIELD DAY Service members with 2nd Battalion, More than 850 service members 2007 COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN DE I 1st Marine Regiment kick off Exercise with 3rd Marine Division compete 2006 contributions: $680,898.75 Forest Light with the Japanese in a variety of events during a field 2007 contributions to date: $428,482.79 Ground Self Defense Force. meet on Camp Hansen. Percent contacted: 69.5% INS pg. 7 pg. 10 Numbers current as of Nov. 9, 2007 Okinawa Marine | NEWS | November 16, 2007 YAKACHINA, Around the Afghanistan A U.S. Marine and Afghan government officials board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Oct. 21 from the rooftop of a house during operations in the region. Photo For more Marine Corps stories and photos, by Staff Sgt. Justin CorpSvisit http://www.marines.mil Holley FORT PICKETT, Va. | Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, conduct military operations in urban terrain training Oct. 1 during the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Realistic Urban Training Exercise. Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Piper MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Marines from 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion and Marine Special Operations School step off the dock into the murky depths of Mile Hammock Bay Oct. 31 during dive operations training. Photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen C. Benson BAHRAIN | Marines attached to 4th Platoon, 2nd Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, practice fast roping from a MH-60S Seahawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28, during a crisis response exercise Nov. 5. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sandra M. Palumbo Okinawa Marine | OPINION & EDITORIAL | November 16, 2007 When facing tough times, don’t give up Cmdr. Randal B. Craft nurture a sense of hope. Expecting things to Counseling, and other government or civilian get better can help strengthen our soul. Hope support organizations stand ready to help. hen we are confronted with difficult can enable us to stay on top, to keep our heads The final recommendation is for those and sometimes traumatic situations, above water. whose religious faith is an important part of Whow do we respond? We all face adver- Second, it can also be very their lives. It is prayer and/or sities or challenges. Our response is the key helpful to develop and retain a meditation in accord with one’s to effectively handling the tough times that positive attitude. The question, religious preference. Taking the come our way. “Do we see the glass as half Believing time to pray or meditate each I would like to share a story which can empty or half full?” comes to day may be the first thing that provide some food for thought. Some sailors mind. The way we look at things that we can individuals of faith do when had gone fishing one morning off the coast of can have a significant effect faced with adversity. Oahu, Hawaii. They didn’t return as expected upon our ability to stay motivat- One who believes in God that evening, and people began to get con- ed in the face of discouragement, pull through might begin in prayer by ac- cerned. They didn’t return the next day either, doubt and fear. knowledging God’s almighty nor the next. They were finally discovered Third, it’s important to try a difficult presence and expressing grati- by the Coast Guard on the and resolve the particular set situation can tude for God’s love, mercy and CHAPLAIN’S third day. of circumstances at hand. That grace. He or she might also I had some conversations will probably require persistence share his or her concerns with CORNER with the men subsequent and determination. It’s never give us the God and ask God’s blessings to their return and heard easy to find solutions when all upon the particular situation. about their experience. They spent most of we can see are the symptoms added strength Prayer or meditation can help to their time at sea on top of their overturned or the results of the underlying build a strong spiritual founda- fishing boat battling swells, waves, hunger, problem. we need to keep tion upon which we can live our heat, cold, doubt and fear. How did they do Fourth, it’s always helpful to lives. it? Among other things, they encouraged have confidence in oneself, in charging. When we’re faced with each other; they emotionally sustained one one’s ability to cope with and tough times in life, and when another. They helped each other resist the have dominion over life’s “curve everything seems to go wrong temptation to give up. They had hope. They balls.” Believing that we can that could go wrong, how do strived to keep positive attitudes and made pull through a difficult situation can give us we respond? Let’s remember those sailors in use of various survival techniques. They also the added strength we need to keep charging. Hawaii and not give up. Let’s emulate their prayed. They were able to look adversity in Fifth, search out assistance and support hope, positive attitudes, determination and the face and stare it down. Prayer definitely from subject-matter experts who may be able confidence. We can look to others for support, played a big role in their survival. The experi- to assist with the particular situation. Not and, if we have a religious faith, we can pray ence of those sailors can be a strong example only can they provide insights we may not or meditate. We can face the tough times in for us. have thought about, but they can also provide life and win! I recommend that we do the following six encouragement when we may need it most. Craft is the director of Chaplain Religious things, at a minimum, when responding to Family members, close friends, our chain of Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO), life’s difficulties. First, we should strive to command, our chaplain, Personal and Family Okinawa. marine corps Sempertoons fact check Created by Gunnery Sgt. Charles Wolf MARINE CORPS MOTTO Q: Has “Semper Fidelis” always been the Marine Corps motto? No. According to the Marine Corps History Division, the Corps adopted “Semper Fidelis” as its official motto around 1883. “Fortitudine,” meaning “With Fortitude,” A: was the first motto, dating to the War of 1812. Later, “By Sea and Land,” a translation of the British Royal Marines’ “Per Mare, Per Terram,” was adopted, followed by “To the Shores of Tripoli,” which lasted until 1848 when the motto became “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli.” TO SUBMIT AN OPINION OR EDITORIAL, E-MAIL US AT [email protected] COMMANDING GENERAL Maj.

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