[HTML1] Today marks two years since former Marine Austin Tice disappeared while working as a freelance journalist in Syria. Debra and Marc Tice have written a letter to their son published by McClatchy in the hopes that somehow their words can reach him, wherever he is. “From hard tips about your possible whereabouts to simple prayers for your well-being, we have received an overwhelming show of support from every continent on the planet,” they wrote. “We are eternally grateful to every person who has reached out – and we fully expect even more people to come forward in the coming…
Author militaryonline
The pace of Marine operations in Afghanistan has slowed, but there are still plenty of bad days to be had. This photograph emerged on the wire today: A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a convoy of foreign troops in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. Four civilians were killed, but there no confirmed military casualties.
Our embedded journalists Dan Lamothe and Colin Kelly file this week’s SitRep from Afghanistan. Watch their report here: [brightcove video=”1902437861001″ /]
Is there a better venue than the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, D.C., to hold a farewell tribute for a general who has served nearly 40 years – the last four as vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Didn’t think so. Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright’s farewell drew top Pentagon officials to the grounds Aug. 3, including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn. With the barracks at 8th and I being the main ceremonial grounds of the Corps, the Marines knew how to put on a show for one of their own. The photo…
Whether you are a grunt with multiple combat tours under your belt or a personnel clerk who is not used to humping it with a pack, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has come up with a w0rkout that is sure to whip you into shape and Marine Corps Times spells it out for you in detail in this week’s cover story. “First Look: The MARSOC Workout,” includes a four-page special pull-out section that walks you through each day in the 10-week program. MARSOC recruiters hand the program out to Marines who are interested in attending Assessment and Selection, the…
Battle Rattle presents its second installment of “Behind the Cover.” This week, Marine Corps Times conducts an in-depth analysis of fiscal 2011 Selective Re-enlistment Bonuses. No doubt, Marines throughout the fleet have heard that the bonus well is running dry. That’s not necessarily the case. Although the total funding allotted to re-enlistment bonuses in fiscal 2011 is 54 percent less than the amount offered this year, Marines can still earn up to $90,000 depending on their primary military occupational specialty and whether they choose to embark on a completely new, in demand career path. The article highlights the MOSs that…
President Obama fired Gen. Stanley McChrystal Wednesday after he and his team made offensive comments to Rolling Stone magazine about the president, vice president and other key members of the national security team. Despite wide-spread speculation that Marine Gen. James N. Mattis would be the new four star in charge of the Afghanistan war effort, Obama instead named Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Central Command. Petraeus also oversaw the surge and new counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq. Did Obama make the right decision in firing McChrystal? And is Petraeus the right choice to take his place? Let us know what you…
President Obama has tapped Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the former Mississippi governor, to formulate “a long-term Gulf Coast restoration plan.” Details about the plan are not clear, but it’s likely to span several decades. BP also has recently agreed to put $20 billion aside for claims, but the New York Times reported that legal costs could soar to more than $60 billion if criminal charges are filed. Just to put that into perspective, that’s more than double the Corps’ total budget request for fiscal 2011.
You can earn your share of 200,000 Microsoft points when you download Marine Corps gamer themes, like the one above, and pictures packs from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. So far, 883 have said they “like” the announcement on the Corps’ official Facebook page and 169 have commented on the post. Although most of those comments consist of Ooh-rahs, a handful of Marines have asked the Corps to show some love for PS3. It’s not clear if there are any plans in the works for that.
A World War I veteran whose remains were lost for nearly a century is to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery next Wednesday, a Marine official said. First Sgt. George H. Humphrey died Sept. 15, 1918 during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel — one of the first U.S. solo offenses during the war. Humphrey is believed to have served with 6th Marines, 2nd Infantry Division. Fellow Marines buried his body in an unmarked grave west of the French town of Rembercourt-sur-Mad, but post-war efforts to locate the gravesite were not successful, said Gunnery Sgt. William J. Dixon, the Corps’ funeral director.…
