Former Lance Cpl. Chesty XIII was promoted to the rank of corporal today by Col. Andrew H. Smith, the commanding officer of Marine Barracks Washington, during a ceremony at 8th and I. Cpl. Chesty XIII is the latest in a long line of English bulldogs that have served as the Marine Corps’ official Mascot. His predecessor, Chesty XII, ascended to the rank of sergeant during six years of service despite a spotty disciplinary record. He retired in July of 2008.
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Kenneth “The Machine” Alexander, a professional mixed martial arts fighter who headlined a free event for Marines Friday night at Camp Pendleton, Calif., has been less than sincere with the media about the details of his military background. Multiple reports documenting Alexander’s rise in the MMA world (here’s one and here’s another) have suggested the former Marine staff sergeant was a real stud when he served — a sniper with a Special Forces affiliation and multiple combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Um … not exactly, he told Marine Corps Times this week. Acting on a tip from an alert reader, we…
Today, the Corps is using UFC fighters in recruitment videos. But back in ’91, it was all about chess, knights and wizardry. AdFreak has recently named this Corps recruitment ad among the 25 “most epic” of all time. You be the judge. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHm8MeNzadQ[/youtube]
OK, I know that this is supposed to be a blog about Marines, but I just can’t resist posting this video of soldiers with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan. If you haven’t seen it already, check it out. It’s already had more than 3.5 million hits and is bound to be an instant classic. Of course, we are always interested in funny pictures or videos of Marines down range. So if you have any, feel free to send them our way. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHXgFU7qNI[/youtube]
Today, Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent is one of the Corps’ top dogs, but he wasn’t born a hard-charging Marine. His hometown news station recently profiled his humble youth as a Memphis, Tenn.-kid and his rise through the ranks from a recruit out of high school to the most senior enlisted Marine. Today, Kent oversees the well being of all enlisted Marines, but some things never change, he told WHBQ 13 Memphis. The Marine Corps may have given him a shorter haircut, a straighter back and steeled eyes, but he is still fears his disciplinarian mother who is 90 and…
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Just wanted to take a second to point out that the Military Times art department has put together a pretty sweet graphic to serve as Battle Rattle’s new logo. I’m a big fan, as you might expect. I’m heading down to the flightline at nearby Camp Bastion shortly to try and get down to Marjah once again. We’re flying space-available today, so keep your fingers crossed for us. There are about 15 things that could keep us grounded again, including if there are more pressing operational matters. In the meantime, consider following us on Facebook and/or Twitter,…
Marine Corps Times staff writer Dan Lamothe introduces the newspaper’s new blog.
