Tag: Marines

  • They Came In Peace

    They Came In Peace

    Around 0630 local time 39 years ago today, Lebanese Islamic Jihad detonated a truck bomb in the Beirut International Airport barracks of 1/8 Marine Battalion Landing team killing 220 Marines, 18 Sailors and 3 soldiers and wounding another 128. The explosives used were estimated to be the equivalent of 21,000 pounds of TNT.

    BIA Marine Barracks before the bombing.
    BIA Marine Barracks After the bombing

    About ten minutes later, another truck bomb was detonated at the Drakkar building, where a French contingent was stationed, killing 58 French paratroopers. The two bombs also killed 6 Lebanese civilians.

    Both countries troops were in Lebanon as part of a multi-national peacekeeping mission during the Lebanese civil war. As a peacekeeping mission, there were strict rules of engagement in place.

    1. When on post, mobile or foot patrol, keep loaded magazine in weapon, bolt closed, weapon on safe, no round in the chamber.
    2. Do not chamber a round unless instructed to do so by a commissioned officer unless you must act in immediate self-defense where deadly force is authorized.
    3. Keep ammo for crew-served weapons readily available but not loaded in the weapon. Weapons will be on safe at all times.
    4. Call local forces to assist in self-defense effort. Notify headquarters.
    5. Use only minimum degree of force to accomplish any mission.
    6. Stop the use of force when it is no longer needed to accomplish the mission.
    7. If you receive effective hostile fire, direct your fire at the source. If possible, use friendly snipers.
    8. Respect civilian property; do not attack it unless absolutely necessary to protect friendly forces.
    9. Protect innocent civilians from harm.
    10. Respect and protect recognized medical agencies such as Red Cross, Red Crescent, etc.

    The Marines on guard on that fateful Sunday were in compliance with rules 1-3 and did not have time to fire on the truck as it sped to the barracks.

    Aftermath of the bombing

    The blast lifted the building, shearing the 15″ diameter support columns, and the building collapsed on itself. The explosive mechanism was a gas-enhanced device consisting of compressed butane in canisters employed with pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) to create a fuel-air explosive.

    Recovery efforts began almost immediately. Marines not billeted in the BLT building started removing debris and searching for survivors and bodies using whatever they had at hand. Engineering units brought in some heavy equipment and a local Lebanese contractor brought a 40 ton crane from a project elsewhere on the Airport to assist in moving large slabs of concrete. As the surviving Marines dug through the rubble, CH-46 helos from HMM 126 were medevacing wounded to the USS Iwo Jima and naval medical personnel were triaging and treating the wounded.

    The last survivor found during the recovery effort was LTJG Danny G. Wheeler, Lutheran chaplain for BLT 1/8.

    Neither the US or French would retaliate in any serious way. The final Marines supporting the MNF would leave Lebanon on 26 February 1984. An enhanced Embassy guard of 100 Marines would stay until late July 1984, as the US Embassy in Beirut closed.

    Beirut Barracks Bombing memorial Arlington National Cemetery
  • PHOTOS

    PHOTOS

    ARMY

    NAVY

    AIR FORCE

    MARINE CORPS

    COAST GUARD

  • Attitude is everything

    Attitude is everything

    When one hangs around Marines

    one tends to pick up our Attitude

    case in point

    Semper- Fi
  • Missing Marines Located

    Missing Marines Located

    The Marine AAV-7 that sank off the coast of California has been located.

    https://twitter.com/1stMEF/status/1290739718187913216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1290739718900998144%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fus%2Fmissing-amphibious-vehicle-found-off-california-including-remains

    The amtrac started taking on water during a ship to shore exercise on 30 July. It was located in 385 feet of water off San Clemente Island. The Navy Under Sea Rescue Command located the amtrac and confirmed the presence of human remains.

    https://twitter.com/1stMEF/status/1290739723372118017?s=20

    The Navy is working to recover the remains of those on board as well as the vehicle.



    The servicemen were identified as:

    • Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Texas.
    • Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 19, of Corona, California.
    • Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California.
    • Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
    • U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California.
    • Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon.
    • Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas.
    • Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon.
    • Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California.

    They were all based at Camp Pendleton.

    The cause of the sinking is still under investigation.

  • PHOTOS

    PHOTOS

    Featured image caption: A group of Sailors departs the pier after supporting firefighting efforts aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), July 15, 2020. On the morning of July 12, a fire was called away aboard the ship while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego. Base and shipboard firefighters responded to the fire. Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability, which began in 2018. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Natalie M. Byers/Released)

    ARMY

    U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Ramirez fires his M4 carbine with his military working dog next to him during a live fire exercise at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, May 8, 2020. The exercise was conducted to build teamwork between the dogs and their handlers. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek Mustard)
    Spc. Robert Nill Tate, a field artillery firefinder operator with the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, helps fold a U.S. Flag at Fort Bragg, N.C., on June 11. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Hubert D. Delany III)

    NAVY

    200715-N-NH257-1169 BALABAC STRAIT (07-15-2020) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) transits the Balabac Strait. Nimitz, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elliot Schaudt/Released)
    200714-N-VF045-1008 SOUTH CHINA SEA (July 14, 2020) Fire Controlman (Aegis) 2nd Class Haley Colesnow, from Mesa, Arizona, stands watch as a missile systems supervisor in the combat information center aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54). Antietam is forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Hong/Released)

    AIR FORCE

    An F-35A Lightning II from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, maneuvers over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 10, 2020, as part of JBER Salutes, a two-day event to show appreciation to service members and nearly 100 Anchorage-area “COVID Heroes” and their guests. The service members and COVID Heroes, nominated for their support to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, toured various areas of the installation, viewed exhibits and static displays of aircraft, and watched demonstrations by explosive ordnance disposal, military working dog teams, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear experts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)
    Loadmasters assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron watch a C-130J Super Hercules taxi at Hyakuri Air Base, Japan, July 8, 2020. Over the course of two days, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force paratroopers and Yokota AB service members completed a bilateral jump training mission, enhancing U.S. and Japanese interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Spalding)

    MARINE CORPS

    U.S. Marine with Logistics Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin zeros his rifle on Robertson Barracks, NT, Australia, July 14, 2020. This training helps keep MRF-D postured and ready to respond to regional crises and contingencies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Lydia Gordon)
    A U.S. Marine with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 20.2, Marine Forces Europe and Africa, watches an MV-22B Osprey land at a landing zone during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel in Albacete, Spain, July 9, 2020. SPMAGTF-CR-AF 20.2 is deployed to conduct crisis-response and theater-security operations in Africa and promote regional stability by conducting military-to-military training exercises throughout Europe and Africa. SPMAGTF-CR-AF 20.2 continues to work closely with the relevant medical agencies and military organizations to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Antonio F. Garcia)

    COAST GUARD

    A Coast Guard aircrew medically evacuates a man from a fishing vessel operating 100 miles west of Coos Bay, Oregon, July 11, 2020. The aircrew hoisted the injured fisherman safely and transferred him to emergency medical services personnel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ben Loy)
    The Coast Guard Cutter Harold Miller sits moored during the commissioning ceremony at Sector Field Office Galveston, Texas, July 15, 2020. The crew of the Harold Miller will have a patrol area encompassing 900 miles of coastline for the Coast Guard’s Eighth District, from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Paige Hause

    SPACE FORCE

    A Falcon 9 GPS III rocket successfully launches from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., June 30, 2020. The launch was dedicated to Col. Thomas G. Falzarano, 21st Space Wing commander at Peterson Air Force Base, who died on May 12, 2020. (U.S. Space Force photo by Airman Thomas Sjoberg)
  • PHOTOS

    PHOTOS

    ARMY

    Soldiers conduct volcano system training using a UH-60 Blackhawk at Makua Range, Hawaii June 23, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Sarah D. Sangster)
    After months of restriction due to Covid-19, a U.S. Army Paratrooper secures her equipment after an airborne operation from U.S. Air Force 86th Air Wing C-130 Hercules aircraft at Rivolto Italian Air Force Base, Udine Italy, June 24, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Paolo Bovo)

    NAVY

    200709-N-VY375-1388 SAN DIEGO (July 9, 2020) Sailors raise the American flag as the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) arrives at Naval Air Station North Island, July 9, 2020. Theodore Roosevelt returned to Naval Air Station North Island after a six-month deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Pyoung K. Yi/Released)
    200709-N-XX200-3063 SAN DIEGO (July 9, 2020) Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Juan Sanchez, from San Antonio, holds his son at Naval Air Station North Island, July 9, 2020, after the return of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) following a six-month deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Erik Melgar/Released)

    AIR FORCE

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration team pilot and commander, flies a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 90th Fight Squadron over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 9, 2020, as part of JBER Salutes, a two-day event to show of appreciation to service members and nearly 100 Anchorage-area “COVID Heroes” and their guests. The service members and COVID Heroes, nominated for their support to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, toured various areas of the installation, viewed exhibits and static displays of aircraft, and watched demonstrations by Explosive Ordnance Disposal, military working dog teams, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear experts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)
    A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber, deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., lands at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 4, 2020. The B-52 flew the 28-hour mission to demonstrate U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)

    MARINE CORPS

    U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, currently assigned to 3rd Marine Division under the Unit Deployment Program, fire at targets during a high-explosive weapons range on Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, June 27, 2020. The high-explosive weapons range provides Marines with an opportunity to sharpen their marksmanship skills with MK 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon and M73 Light Armored Rocket System. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Donovan Massieperez)
    U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 fly with an M777 Howitzer during a hoist lift exercise alongside Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 3 and 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, June 18, 2020. HMH-463, CLB-3, and 1st Battalion, 12th Marines executed the operation in order to increase battlefield proficiency and combat readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Jacob Wilson)

    COAST GUARD

    The crew of the cutter Heriberto Hernandez (WPB-1114) repatriates nine migrants to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic July 9, 2020, after the group was interdicted a day earlier by a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit just off the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
    Coast Guard Cutter Frank Drew, a 175-foot Inland Buoy Tender in Portsmouth, Virginia, rests docked at Base Portsmouth July 7, 2020. Buoy tenders are vital in fulfilling one of the Coast Guard’s primary missions of maintaining all U.S. aids to navigation (ATON). (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Katie Lipe)
  • BREAKING: ACTIVE SHOOTER AT 29 PALMS UPDATED

    BREAKING: ACTIVE SHOOTER AT 29 PALMS UPDATED

    Military police are responding to an active shooter situation at a Marine Corps base in southern California.

    https://twitter.com/USMC/status/1280524228161306631?s=20

    Military Police responded to shots fired at 6:30 a.m. PT at the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base, according to Captain Nicole Plymale, Public Affairs Officer for Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base.

    There have been no reports of injuries at this time, Plymale said. Military Police have the suspect cordoned off and are in contact with him. There is a shelter in place order in effect.

    This is a Breaking Story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

    1400 Update:

    “The shelter-in-place order for the installation has been lifted,” U.S. Marines said in a statement, “An individual sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound at approximately 8:30 a.m. The individual is currently being treated and will be transported to a medical facility.”

    “There are no other injuries reported at this time. This incident is under investigation,” the statement added.