3rd MAW (Fwd.) aircraft refuel

AL ASAD, Iraq – A CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) receives fuel here Oct. 9. The Super Stallion was preparing for a refueling mission with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq – Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), unload refueling equipment from a CH-53E Super Stallion Oct. 9. The Super Stallions flew to a remote helicopter landing pad in al-Anbar Province to refuel vehicles with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq – A CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 lands at a remote helicopter landing pad in al-Anbar Province Oct. 9. Two Super Stallions with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) squadron refueled vehicles of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq – A UH-1 Huey with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 touches down at a remote helicopter landing pad in al-Anbar Province to refuel Oct. 9 during a scouting mission. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)

Fightin’ Fox Marines familiarize themselves with new battle space

AL ASAD, Iraq – Reserve Marines and sailors with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment officially took over external security operations around Al Asad Air Base Sept. 17.

The company, which is attached to Security Battalion, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), replaced an element of Marine Wing Support Squadron 274, who had supported external security operations for the previous seven months.

“Internal security operations could best be described as police work,” said Capt. Darren Wallace, a platoon commander with Company F. “(External security operations) would be considered more of a kind of border security.”

The Albany, N.Y.-based unit conducted three months of pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., prior to heading to Iraq. The training honed their counterinsurgency skills and familiarized them with the cultural awareness required for their missions in Iraq. “The training we received was very comprehensive and the younger Marines learned the skills necessary to complete this type of mission,” said Sgt. Clayton J. Covel, 25, platoon sergeant, 3rd Platoon, Company F.

In addition to security patrols, the Marines of the company will serve as a quick reaction force and support relationship-building activities with Iraqis in local villages.

Cpl. Joseph J. Schiller, a 23-year-old squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Company F, recognizes the security mission as integral to relationship-building.

“We want to deter any insurgent activity that may be happening in the area so that people can continue with their daily lives without any issues,” said Schiller. He would like to see his squad forge strong friendships with the Iraqis in the area and build on the gains made by previous Coalition forces.

Credit for some of those gains goes to members of Company F, as about one-third of the unit supported operations in Fallujah in 2006.

The unit is a unique combination of deployment experience, Marine Corps training and civilian job skills, according to Wallace.

“We bring more than just infantry skills to the fight,” said Wallace. “Every one of my Marines has a job or skill that is unique in the civilian world. I have gunsmiths, police officers, fire fighters, pharmacists, college students, jet engine manufacturers, prison guards, engineering project managers, systems engineers and many other different civilian jobs in my platoon alone.”

He said the mix enhances the unit’s ability to function independently and with limited resources.

2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment currently has several companies operating in al-Anbar province. The units are slated to support operations here through early 2009.

Aviation ‘pit stop’ keeps operations running in al Anbar Province

MUDAYSIS, Iraq – The Marines of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 recently trekked across the desert to the abandoned remains of an Iraqi air base here to set up an aviation ‘pit stop.’

Called forward arming and refueling points, the pit stop provides Marine aviators a means of supporting missions in remote areas of al Anbar Province.

In a little more than two days, the Marines built a base camp, established air traffic communications and refurbished landing strips to create a fully-functioning refueling point.





MUDAYSIS, Iraq – Heavy equipment operators with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 clear a berm that was obstructing a taxiway here. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) support squadron refurbished the runway and taxiways at the former Iraqi air base in order to establish a forward arming and refueling point. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





MUDAYSIS, Iraq -- Sgt. Elmer Sims, an air traffic control navigational aids technician with Marine Air Control Squadron 1, runs function tests on navigational equipment here Sept. 15. Sims worked with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 to set up operations at the refueling point. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)




MUDAYSIS, Iraq – A CH-46E Sea Knight lands here to refuel during a reconnaissance mission in the area Sept. 12. Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 turned an abandoned Iraqi air base into a forward arming and refueling point in just more than two days. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





MUDAYSIS, Iraq -- Three CH-46E Sea Knights land here Sept. 12 to refuel during a reconnaissance mission in the area Sept. 12. Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 turned an abandoned Iraqi air base into a forward arming and refueling point in just more than two days. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)





MUDAYSIS, Iraq – Sgt. Kolton Hayden with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion provides security for a CH-46E Sea Knight here Sept. 12. Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 built an arming and refueling point at the former Iraqi air base. The three Sea Knights were the first aircraft to refuel at the site. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. George J. Papastrat) (Released)

A Lioness on the Prowl

Note: The Marine Corps “Lioness” program pulls female Marines from various job fields and trains them to conduct searches of Iraqi women at security checkpoints in Iraq. Muslim culture prohibits men from touching women they do not know. The program is the Corps’ way of being culturally sensitive while improving the security of the country.

The lionesses undergo seven days of intensive training during which they learn how to carry out their specific mission of searching female Iraqis. They familiarize themselves with a broader array of weapons, refresh their Marine Corps martial arts skills and learn basic Arabic. Once the training wraps up, the female Marines are paired up and then attached to units doing checkpoint operations across the Anbar Province.

Lance Cpl. Melissa Tugwell is a 23-year-old, Lake Charles, LA-native. She is a combat correspondent with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). She is currently serving as a lioness and will file periodic firsthand reports about the mission.

At the Karma Checkpoint

After completing training, I was assigned to a security checkpoint in Karma, Iraq, with fellow lioness Seaman Christina Follmer. We fell under the supervision of the infantry staff noncommissioned officers of Weapons Platoon, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines.

I’ve found that our mission as lionesses is different than the mission carried out by the first female Marines who manned security check points in Iraq.

With Seaman Follmer, I have spent most of my time at the Karma checkpoint teaching and supervising Iraqi women as they search the women coming through our security point. This is another aspect of the recent turnover of security responsibilities in al Anbar Province to the Iraqi people.

Through the “Sisters of Fallujah” program, Iraqi women are recruited and trained to work at the checkpoints. The Iraqi court in Karma hired the Iraqi women we work with at the security checkpoint. Each woman had to have the blessing of their tribal chief in order to take the job conducting searches.

The crash course in Arabic we got at Camp Habaniyah was vital to our success in this supervisory role, as Seaman Follmer and I showed the Iraqi women how to search people and maintain security at the checkpoint.

As women and children came through the check point, we stood nearby and watched over the Iraqi women. In simple Arabic, we’d make sure that the Iraqi women took their time and thoroughly searched every woman and child, including their purses and other baggage.

With the help of body language, we were able to communicate with the women conducting searches, as they had essentially no understanding of English except for simple greetings, and “yes” and “no.”

Sometimes the Iraqi women standing post would try to let people pass without a complete and thorough search, i.e. not waving everyone with the security wand or not patting them down all the way. We quickly let them know that they must be diligent, carefully searching everyone. Otherwise, they put us at risk, as well as everyone who lives past the checkpoint.

Overall, the Iraqi women responded well to our guidance and supervision. I believe they understood we were there to help them. These women gave Follmer and me small gifts – simple rings and bracelets - to show their appreciation. I like to think they’ll remember us, as I will never forget working with them. I will leave the security checkpoint feeling as though I’ve made a small yet important impact on the quality of life of Iraqi women.

During this particular time in Iraq, we, as lionesses, get to assist in the turnover of responsibility to the Iraqis by employing the Iraqi women to conduct these critical searches instead of us. One day they will be on their own to police their own.