It looks like Marines thought Austin Powers’ nemesis, Dr. Evil, was onto something when he said he wanted some sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. The Corps’ call for laser weaponry came from I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) for use in Iraq — just on an Osprey instead of a shark. A document put up on Wired’s Danger Room, the tech magazine’s national security blog, in 2007 is causing a stir and federal officials want to know who leaked it. Only, they’re asking about it five…
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – The Marine Corps has widely fielded a new solar panel system that can power a variety of radios, computers and other devices common in combat operations centers, officials here said. Full fielding began early this year, said Lt. Col. Rick Schilke, the expeditionary energy liaison officer for I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), which oversees more than 17,000 Marines across Helmand province. Each Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy Network System, or GREENS, includes eight solar panels that are about four feet high and three feet wide, and four batteries that each can store 500 watts of power. There…
The transition is official: Maj. Gen. Charles Gurganus took command of Marine forces in southwest Afghanistan today, becoming the commander of Regional Command Southwest. Gurganus and his headquarters element, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), will lead nearly 30,000 coalition troops over the next year. It won’t be easy: they’ll oversee a massive drawdown of forces, continued combat operations and a shift toward Afghan security forces taking a leading role. Maj. Gen. John Toolan, the outgoing commander, highlighted what to expect in this long-form Marine Corps Times story published last week.
With two leadership moves, it’s become apparent who could lead Marine forces in Afghanistan next summer. The Marine Corps has shifted Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey from Recruiting Command, out of Quantico, Va., to 1st Marine Division, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. In his place at Quantico, Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman took over this week. If the Corps keeps a similar footprint in Afghanistan next year, that means Bailey could lead Marine forces in Afghanistan, assuming I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) replaces II MEF (Fwd.), commanded by Maj. Gen. John Toolan, on a typical schedule next spring. Toolan took over for…
