III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan January 26, 2007 www.okinawa.usmc.mil Cyber thieves HMM-262 Marines target travel FIRE FIGHT deploy to fi rst combat MCBJ fi refi ghters turn up the heat during tour since Vietnam card holders Lance Cpl. Juan D. Alfonso training exercise at Kadena’s ‘burn house’ OKINAWA MARINE STAFF Lance Cpl. Juan D. Alfonso OKINAWA MARINE STAFF MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA — After more than CAMP FOSTER — Service mem- 40 years since its last combat bers should be on the lookout deployment, an Okinawa-based for suspicious e-mails asking for medium helicopter squadron personal account information from 1st Marine Aircraft Wing relating to government travel is answering the call to support charge cards, base officials operations in Iraq. warned recently. Marines with Marine Me- In recent months, an unusual- dium Helicopter Squadron 262, ly high number of service mem- Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st bers with government cards have MAW, left for Iraq this month. reported receiving the e-mails, The squadron will be based in according to Amanda G. Davis, Anbar province, where it will pro- a government travel charge card vide general air support to ground program coordinator for Marine units. HMM-262 Marines will Corps Bases Japan. deliver supplies and assist rescue “Normally we would only operations and raids in support of receive one or two suspicious e- Operation Iraqi Freedom. mails a year (on Okinawa), but The squadron will work in the last month I’ve received around the clock from the mo- more than 10,” Davis said. ment they arrive in Iraq, accord- Cyber extortionists have at- ing to Capt. Andrew J. Tyson, the tempted to steal identities by squadron’s adjutant. Marines posing as representatives from will set up day and night crews Bank of America, the company to ensure support is available to that handles government charge any unit at any time. accounts. Many Marines said the squad- Davis said the extortionists ron was due to be called to com- solicit information using scare bat. The last time was during the tactics such as claiming that an Vietnam War, Tyson said. account will be cancelled unless “We’re anxious to get out the user renews information on there and do what we were another site. trained to do,” Tyson said. “These folks are getting peo- The squadron received de- ple to enter their personal in- ployment notification in October formation, and they are gaining and immediately began prepar- access to their accounts,” she ing. They trained on convoy said. “With that information, operations and familiarization they could set up a credit card with crew served weapons, in a person’s name and ruin their among other combat skills. credit.” KADENA AIR BASE | A firefighter with Marine Corps Bases Japan Fire Department In December, the Marines Though the messages are battles a fire crawling across the ceiling of the Live Fire Structural Trainer Jan. with Marine Aviation Weapons intended to look as legitimate 22. The building’s flamethrowers simulated a kitchen fire coming from a stove, and Tactics Squadron 1 put the SEE THIEVES PG. 6 cabinet and ceiling. SEE STORY ON PAGE 7. Photo by Lance Cpl. David Rogers SEE HMM-262 PG. 6 ON THE JOB TRAINING RIDING THE RAIL ALL-MARINE TRYOUTS C-130 mechanics complete the fi nal Explore the cultural sites and Swing by Marine Corps Community 90-day phase of their occupational shopping areas of Naha one stop at Services’ Semper Fit athletic office specialty training on MCAS Futenma a time by navigating the capital city for details about trying out for as Corps transitions to C-130J. using Okinawa’s monorail. various All-Marine teams. INSIDE pg. 9 pg. 12 pg. 17 2 OKINAWA MARINE | NEWS | JANUARY 26, 2007 Around the HAQLANIYAH, Iraq | Navy Hospital Corpsman Seth C. Hughs, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, patrols the neighborhood For more Marine Corps stories and photos, Dec. 19. Photo by Sgt. Cvisit http://www.orpmarines.mil S Brian M. Henner ABOARD USS BATAAN | Marines from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-264, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire rounds during the Enhanced Marksmanship Program Jan. 12. The training featured unconventional shooting courses designed to prepare Marines for urban combat. Photo by Cpl. Jeremy Ross MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO Under drill instructor supervision, Sharon Mueller- Myers crawls through an obstacle during a bayonet assault course that was part of the Executive Leadership Development Program Jan. 9. The program gave 48 Department of Defense employees a taste of Marine Corps recruit training. Photo by Lance Cpl. HADITHA, Iraq | Lance Cpl. Nicholas Darrah provides security while fellow Marines conduct Robert W. Beaver cordon and search operations looking for weapons Dec. 21. Photo by Staff Sgt. T.G. Kessler OKINAWA MARINE | OPINION & EDITORIAL | JANUARY 26, 2007 3 I’m going to war; who’s coming with me? Lance Cpl. Warren Peace After reading ALMAR 002/07, I am anxious really want to go anywhere else right now. I to see how this will play out. The commandant wonder if this will affect those individuals. inally, I’ll get my chance to go to Iraq, and stated in the message he wants our leaders to According to an article in the Marine Corps so may every other Marine who hasn’t been initiate policies to ensure all Marines, first term Times about the commandant’s new plan, about Fand wants to go, according to “Every Ma- and career Marines, are provided the ability to 66,000 Marines have not deployed to Iraq. Of rine into the Fight,” a recent all-Marine message deploy to a combat zone. those, approximately 33,000 are not slated to go. issued by the Commandant of the Marine Corps So will there be new policies stating all Ma- Will these Marines be uprooted immediately, or Gen. James Conway. rines who haven’t completed a combat tour will will they be given a little lead time? I am excited, and I hope other Marines are as do so, or does this simply mean that all Marines On the flip side, I think this is great for the well. The majority of us didn’t join this gun club who haven’t been to combat and want to go, like Marines who are coming up on their second, to sit behind a desk or fire blanks at each other me, will get that chance? third or fourth combat deployment. They in Combat Town. If it is the former, I am curious about how the shouldn’t be forced to redeploy to a combat zone A year ago, I volunteered to go to Iraq and leaders will decide in what order the Marines when there are perfectly capable Marines sitting was pulled off of the assignment at the last min- are sent. I am sure they won’t be sending me, a in garrison living a relatively easy life. ute. This left a bad taste in my mouth to say the correspondent, to fill a “recon” billet. So what We all received combat training and are part least. Ever since Parris Island, I have been told will be the pecking order for the rest of us non- of the greatest fighting force on Earth. As Ma- time and time again that I am inevitably going combat “pogs”? rines, we should all feel the obligation to share to the sandbox. I think drill instructors said this Some Marines I know who haven’t been to the burden of our mission in Iraq as our broth- in an attempt to scare us, but it only excited me. combat have specifically requested duty sta- ers and sisters shed their blood for our country We junior Marines all enlisted during a time tions where they have the least chance of being and Corps. of war, knowing there was a great chance we deployed anywhere. Others have just completed Peace is a staff member of the Okinawa Ma- would end up in Iraq. one or more non-combat deployments and don’t rine newspaper. Seek God when constructing vision of the future Navy Cmdr. Grady Pennell event before it actually happens, of faith and bringing something So what is your future perfect rehearsing the event hundreds of into existence. Hebrews 11:1-3: paradigm for 2007? Do you have a fter watching the 1984 times in their mind. Discipline “Now faith is being sure of what we vision for your future? Be careful, Olympics in Los Angeles, in working toward the goal in the hope for and certain of what we do for your dreams and thoughts (or 8-year-old Marion Jones present is viewed in light of the fu- not see. 2) This is what the ancients the lack of them) will direct you Areturned home and declared to her ture perfect reality they have seen. were commended for. 3) By faith towards a future perfect or imper- family that someday she would be The future perfect paradigm we understand that the universe fect reality. an Olympic champion. In 2000, at refers to a way of viewing a future was formed at God’s command, so God has given you the honor of the Sydney Olym- event as if it were already pres- that what is seen was not made out partnering up with Him in crafting CHAPLAIN’S pics, she fulfilled ent, which in turn inspires one’s of what was visible.” a meaningful and fulfilling future CORNER that dream by leadership, challenges followers to God thought something – our perfect paradigm. God loves you winning five med- the vision, affects decision making, world – and then He spoke it into and wants the best for you.