RECENT U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Marines conduct rocket range training outside of Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Eric S. Wilterdink

A U.S. Marine fires a shoulder mounted rocket during rocket range training outside of Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 31, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Eric S. Wilterdink.

RECENT DOD PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Above:  U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Savoie provides aerial security over Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2013. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 supported Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, during an interdiction operation in Gurjat village. Savoie, a crew chief, is assigned to the squadron. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia

Right:  U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Steve Schmid runs the 26.2-mile course for the Marine Corps Marathon Forward on Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Oct. 27, 2013. Schmid finished first overall with a time of 2:41:36. The event coincides with the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bobby J. Yarbrough.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. NAVY
U.S. Navy Seabees replace the tire on equipment on Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 18, 2013. The Seabees are assigned to the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Garas

A U.S. Navy Seabee dumps dirt into the back of a truck along a fence line on Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 18, 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Garas.

TWINS SERVE TOGETHER IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Marine Corps Sgt. David Haines, left, and his twin brother, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Haines, reunite at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, Sept. 12, 2012. The brothers, from Moscow, Idaho, are on their first combat deployment, and it's the first time they have been together in five years, except for a few days during Christmas leave. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. John Jackson

Face of Defense: Twins Serve Together in Afghanistan

By Marine Corps Sgt. John Jackson
Regional Command Southwest
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Sept. 12, 2012 - Except for a few days of leave, twin brothers Marine Corps Sgt. David Haines and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Haines hadn't been together for five years until they were reunited here, where both are deployed.

They don't necessarily compete against one another, but the 24-year-old siblings often wrangle back and forth as if they are teenagers fighting for a video game controller.

Whether they are trash-talking about the other's military branch or arguing about dates of events, the brothers playfully interact like adolescents still living together on a daily basis.

Growing up, the Haines brothers had different interests. Michael ran track, worked and even spent the better part of a year living in Italy with his sister. David spent his free time practicing the piano, playing in a jazz band and taking drama classes at the local college. However, the brothers said, they have remained close.

The two graduated from Moscow Senior High School in Moscow, Idaho, in June 2006. After spending a few months out of school, David said, he knew he wanted something different.

"I needed a change of pace," he explained. "My brother-in-law was trying to talk me into the Navy, but the Navy didn't really interest me. The Marine recruiter was right next door and totally sold me."

During January 2007, David left Idaho to become a Marine, and his twin brother was thinking about doing the same.

"I always wanted to join," Michael said. "I had gotten married right out of high school. When we found out that my wife at the time was pregnant, I knew I needed to take care of my family, and I could finally do what I wanted."

For the past five years, Michael and David have shared two duty stations. However, they have not been stationed together at the same time. The brothers have both been assigned to units in Okinawa, Japan, and are both now assigned to units at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

David, the Afghan National Army development chief for 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, deployed in February. His brother, a corpsman, checked into 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, in April and deployed to Afghanistan this summer. It's the first time the brothers have deployed to a combat zone, and the first time they have been together in five years, except for a few days during Christmas leave.

"It's pretty interesting," Michael said. "We always kept missing one another at our previous duty stations. It's pretty cool that we are here together, though."

Although being deployed in the same area is nice for the brothers, David said, he has found himself on the edge of his seat the past few months.

"I was really looking forward to [Michael] getting here, but to be honest, it has made me a bit anxious," he said. "Being a part of the [Marine expeditionary force] and knowing about the kinetics in the area and seeing casualty reports, I was always making sure it wasn't my brother or his unit that was getting hit. It makes it a bit different tracking those things, especially having your twin brother out there."

Michael is wrapping up his 90-day deployment and will be headed back to Camp Pendleton in the coming days. Until he redeploys, the brothers said, they look forward to spending some time together.

The brothers said they enjoy being a part of the armed forces. Both are thinking about seeking commissions. With 15 or more years remaining in the military, they added, it may mean many long waits before uniting again. But they said they'll take whatever opportunity they have to talk to one another, even if it is on the other side of the world in a combat zone.

A MARINE'S COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT CAMP LEATHERNECK AFGHANISTAN

 FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE By Cpl. Ed Galo
Regimental Combat Team 6
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan , Sept. 7, 2012 - Standing over six feet tall, Lance Cpl. Justin Nobles can look pretty intimidating. But anyone who spends a few minutes talking to him quickly finds a soft-spoken guy with a country accent.
Nobles, a radio technician assigned to Regimental Combat Team 6 here, said he grew up living mostly with his father, who worked long hours to support his son. The Marine, from Petal, Miss., said is how he learned to work hard himself.
"I've always looked up to my father," Nobles said. "He always worked shift work, ever since I can remember. He would sometimes work 12- to 18-hour shifts to provide for me."
While his father worked, Nobles said, he spent time with his grandparents.
"They were like a second set of parents," he added. "My grandfather is a real great man - he even started the school system where I [grew up]. He definitely taught me how to be a man."
While Nobles was very family-oriented, he admits he made the wrong friends for a while. He said it took a near-death experience to make him consider the Marine Corps.
"Where I come from, people either do the right thing or the wrong thing," he said. "I got kicked out of school several times; I just couldn't get my head on straight. I was making some bad choices and some bad friends. It felt like a bad streak a mile wide."
Things changed one day, Nobles said, while he was relaxing in a canoe on a river near his hometown. Suddenly, a boat in front of him got stuck and the two vessels collided. Nobles' canoe flipped upside down and he was pinned underwater while the canoe was wedged against the boat.
"I just thought to myself 'Well, this is it, this is how it's going to end,'" he said.
Nobles said as his life flashed before him, he realized he hadn't done much with it. He said he felt God was giving him a wake-up call.
Nobles managed to get his footing and stand up underwater, he recounted, pushing the canoe out of the way and dislodging it from the boat.
"I really felt like if I died then, I wouldn't have done anything with my life," he said. "That next day I went to the Marine recruiter's office."
Nobles said he chose the Marine Corps over the other services because of a cousin who fought in Desert Storm.
"I just had so much respect for him growing up that I guess it just translated into respect for the Marine Corps," he said. "Once you get the mindset that you want to be a Marine, settling for anything else isn't something you want to do."
"I honestly didn't choose my [military occupational specialty]," Nobles said. "I thought I was coming in as infantry. I didn't even know the Marine Corps had a job like this."
Considering he didn't get the job he wanted, Nobles said, he couldn't have gotten a better one.
"I love fixing all these radios; it's just like a big puzzle and you have to figure out which piece is missing or broken," he said with a smile while updating the software on some radios. "My job is almost like being a redneck. Rednecks fix everything that's supposed to be broken, you know."
Nobles said one of his fondest memories is of when he went to Forward Operating Base Delhi to fix a radio. When he arrived, he said, he was told to rest because he had arrived late at night. But Nobles had a broken radio and a mission to accomplish.
"That particular one had been broken since August of 2011," Nobles said. "(Third Battalion, 3rd Marines), (3rd Battalion, 5th Marines) and RCT-5 all tried to fix it, but no one could. I fixed it in five hours. I was worried there for a minute, because I thought I wasn't going to be able to fix it."
Watching Nobles on the job, it's easy to see his work ethic.
"It's really just a pride thing," he said. "There's no sense in doing something half (way). It's all about being a man and taking pride in what you do. That's why I try so hard to learn new things about my MOS and try and better myself."

NAVY PETTY OFFICER SERVES WITH MARINES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Armando Arias, a religious program specialist, serves with 1st Marine Logistics Group in Afghanistan's Helmand province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Michele Watson

Face of Defense: Navy Petty Officer Enjoys Serving With Marines
By Marine Corps Sgt. Michele Watson
1st Marine Logistics Group

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2012 - At age 28, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Armando Arias had a bachelor's degree in international business and was working as a real estate agent when he decided to make a drastic life change and enlist.
　
Arias, a religious program specialist with 1st Marine Logistics Group, had family members who served in the Marine Corps, but decided he wanted to choose a different path for himself.
　
"I go to my grandpa's house and see Marine pictures everywhere," said Arias, now 32. "I'm always trying to go against everyone. I had to go against the flow."
　
After making the decision to enlist, Arias, a Baja, Calif., native, looked into all the military branches to determine his options. He finally settled on the Navy when he was offered benefits he was looking for.
　
"The Navy offered me E-3 going into boot camp and automatic E-4 at six months," he said. "They gave me money, they gave me rank, and they gave me the Marines."
　
Even though he did not want to join the Marines, Arias said, he still wanted the chance to work with them. The Navy is entirely responsible for providing medical care to the Marine Corps, which does not have its own medical field. But though corpsmen have the highest number of members working with Marines, Arias wanted something else.
　
"I didn't want to be a corpsman; I can't handle the sight of blood," he said. "But then the recruiter told me about [the religious program specialty]."
　
Following training, Arias said, he had great leadership that helped to shape him as a sailor and as a leader. "I was really quiet going through my training commands, but when I hit the fleet, I got discipline," he said. "That's when I got really motivated."
　
The religious program specialists, referred to as RPs, work with chaplains throughout the Navy and Marines. "My mission is to support the chaplains," Arias said. "We provide the right ministry to the right people at the right time."
　
In addition to assisting with religious services, Arias has another role. Deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand province for a second combat tour, his job here requires him to provide security for the chaplain.
　
"The chaplains are noncombatants, so I always have to be with them," he explained. "They are not supposed to go out on missions without their RP."
　
Chaplains do not carry weapons and are not allowed to assault an enemy, regardless of the circumstances, Arias said. "I get to do the bodyguard stuff, the [administrative] stuff, and even if it's just putting a smile on someone's face, I'm helping," he added.
　
Arias travels with the chaplain on missions to forward operating bases throughout the province. He said being deployed gives him a higher sense of accomplishment in his job. Marines have their own denominations and their own churches, but for any Marine deployed to remote areas, he said, getting a visit from the chaplain is greatly appreciated.
　
"I actually feel like I'm doing something out here," Arias said. "You put on your gear, go out to the FOB, and the Marines are excited to see the chaplain and have a service. Back in America, you can't do that."
　
During this deployment, Arias also has had the opportunity to be an instructor for the Corporal's Course here. "I'm all about [professional military education], so teaching Corporal's Course was a great experience," he said.
　
When sailors attach to Marine units, friendly banter usually ensues between members of the two branches.
　
"There was a sergeant who always ragged on sailors," Arias said. "So during the course, I pulled the only corpsman from the class aside and told him to beat the Marines. He ended up getting the 'Gung Ho' award for the course. I was really proud."
　
Once this tour is complete, Arias will be stationed on the USS New Orleans, working on the Navy side in his occupation. While he has worn the Marine Corps uniform for four years, changing over to the blue uniform and working with sailors will benefit his career, he said.
　
"I am not excited about taking off this uniform," he added. "But I'm still going to wear my [Marine Corps Martial Arts Program] belt. It took me a long time to earn my black belt."
　
Arias said he also looks forward to going home when his time in Afghanistan is done.
　
"I miss my family and friends, and I look forward to real American food," he said. "I want to put my feet on carpet. It's the little things in life."

MARINES KEEPING COOL

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Flores replaces a broken conductor on an air conditioning unit at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, May 19, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Marco Gutierrez  

Face of Defense: Marine Keeps Camp Leatherneck Cool
By Marine Corps Sgt. Marco Gutierrez
1st Marine Expeditionary Force
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, June 14, 2012 - Temperatures can reach more than 100 degrees here, but one Marine battles the heat to keep things cool for his fellow service members.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Daniel Flores, a refrigeration mechanic 9th Communication Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, works every day to keep his fellow Marines and critical equipment from overheating.

"His mission is important, because he creates a controlled climate environment for the critical communications equipment here, which creates a lot of heat in an already hot environment," said Marine Corps Sgt. Jeremiah Loeffler, the battalion's air conditioning section head and quality control noncommissioned officer.

Flores monitors three sites that contain living spaces, offices and critical communication equipment. He keeps track of more than 170 air conditioning units, performs biweekly preventive maintenance and responds to trouble calls when the units malfunction.
Even though Flores has many people relying on him to get his job done, he always manages to stay upbeat. "He has a good work attitude, likes to learn, and he never does the bare minimum," Loeffler said.

Flores said he enjoys the satisfaction he gets when he repairs an air conditioning unit and knowing his supervisors trust his work.

His biggest challenge is the harsh environment and inclement weather that give the air conditioning units a beating and keep him moving and working. But despite the rigors of his job, he added, keeping Camp Leatherneck running smoothly is all the motivation he needs.

"Biweekly, I go to all my [air conditioning] units," he said. "I do visual inspections, make sure they're good, and clean the dust filters. Right now, I already know just by the wind which ones are dirty."

Even though his job requires him to be out in the blazing hot sun, Flores said, he takes pride in knowing he plays a critical role in helping others keep their cool.

MARINES BECOME U.S. CITIZENS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Marine Corps Sgt. Jose Guadarramapedraza, left, and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jason Constable pose for a photo at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, May 16, 2012. They earned their U.S. citizenship before deploying. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Lamberth  

Face of Defense: Marines Earn Citizenship Before Deployment
By Marine Corps Cpl. Isaac Lamberth
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, May 24, 2012 - Two Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 reached a turning point in their lives before deploying to Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Jason Constable, a watch officer and combat engineer, and Sgt. Jose Guadarramapedraza, an administration specialist, are now citizens of the United States.
"I've always felt like I was an American," said Constable, a native of New Zealand.
Constable said he came to the United States in 1985 and completed his sophomore year in high school after having stayed in the country for four years. He returned in 1991 and became a security guard at a hospital in Phoenix before joining the Marine Corps in 1993.
"My father wanted me to join the French Foreign Legion," he said. Instead, Constable sought his friends' opinions on what the hardest option would be to serve in the U.S. military. His friends told him it was the Marine Corps.

Constable enlisted in 1993 and left the Corps when his enlistment ended four years later.
"I lived a pretty uneventful seven years after that," he said. "After I got out, it just wasn't the same."

Constable said he missed the camaraderie and his sense of belonging and having a purpose in life. After the 9/11 attacks, he said, he felt a resurgence in patriotism and re-enlisted in 2004. In 2005, he deployed to Iraq, where he earned a Purple Heart after being injured when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Constable said he wanted to earn his citizenship, and he also needed it to perform his duties. "I started needing clearances that I couldn't get because I wasn't a citizen," he explained. He took his citizenship oath hours before he deployed to Afghanistan.

Guadarramapedraza migrated to Idaho from central Mexico with his family of 11. He grew up in Mountain Home and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2004. He said he had permanent residency before he joined, but that not being a citizen began to hamper his ability to carry out day-to-day activities at work.

"I can do my job easier and not have headaches from having to renew my green card and not be able to do certain tasks with my job," he said. "It's a huge relief."
Guadarramapedraza said gaining his citizenship has opened new avenues for him at work. As an administrative specialist, he ensures squadron personnel are paid their entitlements and receive their awards. The new clearances allow him to access secure networks while he's deployed.

"I felt proud," he said. "It was the right thing to do for my family and the Marine Corps. In order to do my job and be proficient and support my Marines, I needed my citizenship," he said.

MILITARY WAREHOUSE PERSONNEL TAKE CARE OF THEIR BATTAION

FROM: AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Marine Corps Lance Cpls. Lud G. Romain, left, Lagrima C. Urista, center, and Brian A. Yanez take a break from supply warehouse duties at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Stroud

Face of Defense: Warehouse Clerks Band Together
By Marine Corps Cpl. Mark Stroud
1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, April 16, 2012 - Three Marines here make sure their fellow Marines have everything they need.

"Pretty much everything anyone has out here came through supply at one point," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lud G. Romain, assistant warehouse chief, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 1st Marine Logistics Group. "We have three lance corporals in the warehouse taking care of the entire battalion."

Once the supply warehouse meets the battalion's supply needs, CLB-4 provides direct combat logistics support to Regimental Combat Team 6.

Romain and one of the other supply warehouse clerks, Lance Cpl. Brian A. Yanez, began their journey together at the birthplace of many Marine Corps friendships -- military occupational school. Lance Cpl. Lagrima C. Urista, another supply warehouse clerk, joined the duo shortly afterward at their first duty station, Camp Foster, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan.

"Romain and I had already been a good team on Okinawa when we first met Urista, but when we did, we knew we had found someone who was going to be a great addition," Yanez said.

Their group bonded by day at work and explored Okinawa by night, taking advantage of the recreational and historical sites on the island, Urista said. Less than two years into their careers, their service has already taken them across thousands of miles, with stops in five countries on two continents.

"We first met in Japan, but since then we have been on training exercises or deployments in [South Korea], America, Kyrgyzstan and now Afghanistan," Yanez said.
Afghanistan's Helmand province is the most-recent stop for the supply Marines.
"I think we will look back at this deployment in 20 years as an opportunity that was given to us to rise to the challenge of taking on [noncommissioned officer] responsibilities as lance corporals," Yanez said. "[We] have always [had] responsibilities, but this is the first time we were given this level of responsibility. It is a good feeling knowing we are accomplishing the mission."

The Marines have learned to trust and rely on one another over the course of their friendship.

"It is always noticeable whenever one of us is out of the warehouse for training or convoys," Yanez said. "We have learned to rely on each other. When we are all here, everything thing runs perfectly smooth, but it becomes apparent how important each Marine is whenever one of us is gone."

The bonds formed during training have helped the Marines accomplish their mission, both individually and as a team. These bonds have given them experience beyond their rank.
"Each of them is capable of making their own decisions -- decisions that NCOs would normally make," said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Drew McDonald, CLB-4's supply warehouse chief. "They make a good team, and it helps them every day."
Romain, a Newark, N.J., native, uses his natural tenacity to complete his duties as assistant warehouse chief, Yanez said.

Yanez, a Buena Park, Calif., native, is a fixture around the CLB-4 compound, spending time as the Defense Reutilization Management Office NCO, assisting with base improvement projects and managing the DRMO pit, where excess or broken equipment is taken for disposal or reuse.

The junior Marine in the warehouse, Urista, a Vernon, Texas, native, brings a positive attitude to the table, motivating her fellow Marines on even the longest days while working as roll-back clerk, Yanez said.

The trio intends to continue their friendship long after the deployment is over, carrying the bonds they forged with their fellow Marines with them for the rest of their lives, Urista said.

"We will probably try to stay in contact, but even if we don't, we will take what we learned from each other and pass it on to the next group of Marines," Yanez said.