DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL SPEAKS ABOUT TRANSITIONS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to Marines and sailors aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Jan. 13, 2015. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Melissa Eschenbrenner.  
Hagel Discusses Transitions at Miramar Troop Event

By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2015 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke about transitions with Marines and sailors at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, yesterday.

Hagel, who himself transitions upon confirmation of his successor, Dr. Ashton B. Carter, spoke about transition in Afghanistan, transition to the Asia-Pacific region and the dynamic nature of the world that requires a U.S. military that can capably perform during peace or war.

The United States is transitioning around the world, the secretary said. In Afghanistan -- where many of the Marines and sailors served -- the United States is working with Afghans as they assume control of their country. And, U.S. Marines are transitioning back to their maritime roots..

Building Capabilities, Capacities in Asia-Pacific

All service members will participate in the U.S. military’s transition to the Asia-Pacific, Hagel said. A cornerstone of that shift will be to build capabilities and capacities of allies in the region, he said. This will become “more and more a critical component of our own strategic interests as we continue to help our allies build their capabilities,” the secretary said.

The United States will support those countries, “but we can't take on all of the challenges by ourselves,” Hagel said. “They must do it as well.”

The world is a dynamic, ever-changing place, and the American military must be ready, the secretary said. A year ago, he said, no one would have forecast the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or the Ebola crisis in West Africa or the Russian actions in Ukraine.

Cybersecurity Concerns

Other actions need to be countered as well, the secretary said. Cyberspace remains vulnerable, Hagel said. The cyberattack on Sony Pictures, and the cyberattack on U.S. Central Command public sites are two of the more recent examples of the vulnerability, he said.

The Defense Department’s people are key to success, Hagel said. The secretary urged Marines and sailors in the audience to take care of each other.

“We don’t take care of each other just on the battlefield,” Hagel said. “We’ve got to take care of each other in dorms, in bars, on bases, at parties. You take care of each other, you trust each other, and you have to rely on each other, again, not just in war, but this is a family, and we let each other down if we don’t do that.”
The secretary thanked the service members for what they do for the United States every day. He also thanked the families.

“Again, I want to thank you for what you do for this country, what you’ve done for our country, what you will do for this country,” Hagel said. “It’s been a privilege to be your secretary of defense.”

CARAT EXERCISE AND USS FREEDOM DEPARTS CHANGI NAVAL BASE

FROM: U.S. NAVY

Marines assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, currently attached to combat assault battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, conduct an amphibious raid exercise with Royal Thai Marines during exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2013. More than 1,200 Sailors and Marines are participating in CARAT Thailand. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John C. Lamb (Released) 130610-M-VK320-166

The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) departs Changi Naval Base for a patrol in the Indo-Asia Pacific region. Freedom is in Singapore as part of a deployment to Southeast Asia. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Toni Burton (Released) 130611-N-QD718-001

MARINE WITH A SECOND-DEGREE BLACK BELT



Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jeremy Meadows holds a Marine in a headlock while grappling at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., April 22, 2013. A martial arts instructor trainer, Meadows is one of only a few second-degree black belts assigned to the air station. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Melissa Eschenbrenner

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Face of Defense: Marine NCO Strives to Lead by Example
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Melissa Eschenbrenner
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif., May 23, 2013 - In the world's strongest fighting force, only a select few can say they've earned a second-degree black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Meadows is one of the few who proudly wear two red tabs here.

Before enlisting in the Marine Corps, Meadows -- a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor trainer with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 and a Lubbock, Texas, native -- earned a black belt in taekwondo. When he joined, MCMAP was still new and unknown to many Marines.

During his grey belt training, the challenging physical training and combat conditioning was something that made MCMAP fun, Meadows said.

"I got my green belt instructor tab in 2006," he said. "From that point, I got back to my command and started training Marines, and I fell in love with it. I like being in the dirt with the Marines. I would do that any day of the week."

The course is designed not only to prepare Marines for hand-to-hand combat, but also to add to the quality of the Corps as a whole. MCMAP is based on a synergy of three elements: physical fitness, mental strength and soundness of character.

"I try to style my life around the three synergies," Meadows said. "I just keep that in my mindset and try to better myself that way."

Meadows said he constantly sustains and passes his knowledge to other Marines, noting that it's pointless to have knowledge and skills but not share them with others. "You do know a few things, but what do you have to prove?" he added. "You should use those techniques to help other people."

Meadows wouldn't expect anything out of his Marines that he could not do himself, said Marine Corps Cpl. James Vandling, a green belt MCMAP instructor and a Randolph, N.J., native.

Marine Corps Cpl. Daitoine Austin, an operations noncommissioned officer with HMH-462, said Meadows is the type of Marine his subordinates should strive to be.

"I take a lot from his leadership style," said Austin, who hails from Cleveland. "You don't have many Marines that will go the distance to better Marines. He's not afraid of a challenge, and he's definitely not afraid of change."

Meadows said he uses what he knows as a martial arts instructor trainer and as a staff NCO to better the upcoming generation and ensure the legacy of greatness continues.

"I hope they take bits and pieces of my leadership style and apply it to theirs and strive every day to lead by example," he added. "You have to step in front and show your Marines that you're willing to do everything they do."

MARIENS TAKE HOME MOST MEDALS AT WARRIOR GAMES 2013

 

Team captains Cpl. Jorge Salazar of Delano, Calif., Cpl. Travis Greene of Boise, Idaho, accept the Chairman's Cup on behalf of the Marine Corps team, coaches and wounded warrior regiment staff in the closing ceremony for the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 16, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Corey Dabney

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
Marines Earn Fourth Warrior Games Title With 93 Medals

By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Heidi Agostini
Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 17, 2013 - The Marine Corps has established a dynasty at the Warrior Games, taking top honors for the fourth year in a row at this year's competition, which ended here yesterday.

The 50 Marines who competed took home 93 medals: 34 gold, 33 silver and 26 bronze. The Army placed second with 81 medals.

"Congratulations to all of the 2013 Warrior Games competitors," said Charlie Huebner, chief of Paralympics for the U.S. Olympic Committee during the closing ceremony. "While we celebrate medals, this competition is really an example of how sport can change lives. We hope these service members and veterans don't stop here. The goal is for them to return home and get involved in sport programs in their communities."

The Warrior Games, hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee and Deloitte, are a Paralympic-style competition for wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans from the U.S. and British armed forces. The athletes compete in cycling, shooting, track and field, archery, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and swimming. The competitions were held at the Olympic Training Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy here.

The competition kicked off to a good start for the Marine team as they established their presence at the cycling competition, scoring four medals. Sgt. Lori Yrigoyen from Huntington Beach, Calif., and currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, took first place in the women's recumbent 10k. Staff Sgt. Ronnie Jimenez from Tempe, Ariz., and assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, boosted morale for the team and its fans by being the first athlete of all services to win a gold medal. Jimenez took first in the 10-kilometer handcycle race. But after the first day, the Marines had fallen behind to the Army by five medals.

The Marines took 20 out of 24 possible medals in shooting competition last year. This year, the team scored 13 medals, edging out the Army by five. Gold medalists included Gunnery Sgt. Pedro Aquino from Hawthorne, Calif., and currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, who tied for first with veteran Cpl. Angel Gomez of Visalia, Calif., resulting in a shoot-off.

Veteran Lance Cpl. Richard Stalder, from Muenster, Texas, took first in the standing competition-SH2 and veteran Master Sgt. Dionisios Nicholas of Mililani Town, Hawaii, took gold in Pistol-SH1. Staff Sgt. Phillip Shockley of Jackson, Fla., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion East, won the pistol-open competition.

Going into Day 3 of the competition, the Marines medaled in nearly all track and field events, taking home 36 medals while the Army took 33. Cpl. Kyle Reid of Chinook, Mont., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, outran his Army competitor by .01 seconds in the men's 100-meter open. Marine veteran Derek Liu of Fullerton, Calif., won the 100-meter visually impaired, and veteran Sgt. Anthony McDaniel of Pascagoula, Miss., and Ivan Sears of San Antonio took first and second in the 100-meter wheelchair race.

The Army also took home a third consecutive gold in the much-anticipated wheelchair basketball rivalry between the Army and Marines, but not before the Marine team gave them a run for their medals. The final score was 34-32.

Last year, the Marine team lost the gold match in sitting volleyball to the Army. This year, the Marines quickly put out the Army by defeating them 2-0. In the final event of swimming, the Marines took a larger lead, with Sgt. Kirstie Ennis of Milton, Fla., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, taking home gold in the women's 50-meter freestyle-SLA, 100-meter freestyle-SLA, and 50-meter backstroke-SLA.

Team captains Cpl. Jorge Salazar of Delano, Calif., and Wounded Warrior Battalion West and veteran Cpl. Travis Greene of Boise, Idaho, accepted the Chairman's Cup on behalf of the team, coaches and regiment staff.

MARINE INSTROTOR IN THE MARTIAL ARTS

 

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Bryan Polonia executes a hip throw on Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Acevedo during Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., March 26, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Melissa Wenger
 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Instructor Trains Marines in Martial Arts
By Marine Corps Cpl. Melissa Wenger
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif., April 4, 2013 - In the early morning mist, a small group of Marines is limbered up, weighted down with flak jackets and ready for a fight. The rest of their squadron is preparing for another work day.

The instructor, a hulking figure packed with 30 to 40 more pounds of muscle than the next-largest Marine, surveys a rubberized gravel pit enclosed by slashed tires. The small group of students from Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38 thrashes about in the pit, causing a spray of rubber pellets with each technique executed. The supervisor looks on as steam escapes from the bodies of each weary, but ever fierce, Marine as they push through pain and fatigue. And this is only their warmup.

The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, or MCMAP, isn't for everyone, and some find it especially difficult to be motivated to practice during those early hours.

"To want to do MCMAP takes a good instructor, not just an instructor that knows the techniques or an instructor who just knows what he's talking about, but an instructor that really makes you want to come out here every morning and keep doing these techniques," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Bryan Polonia, a gray belt class participant and a Stamford, Conn., native.

"[Marine Corps 1st Lt. Mark Cowett] is definitely one of those people," he added. "He cares about his students, he cares about the techniques he's teaching, and coming out here every day just makes you feel good about yourself."

No session with Cowett is complete without sweat-stained undershirts and boots full of gravel. Daily reiteration of the Marine Corps core values alongside physical training allows for growth and development of the students of the squadron's martial arts course.

"MCMAP is really a synergy of three disciplines: physical, mental, and character," said Cowett, a Chicago native. "The physical is accentuated every day when we teach the techniques."

The extremely physical nature of the martial arts program is balanced by the mental conditioning that Cowett emphasizes.

"When I teach the technique, it's more than just how to knock someone over. You have to be mentally sharp and know exactly what you're doing in any situation," he said. "That way, they really understand how MCMAP is more than just a test to be taken for a belt. It's actually a real life scenario and response to any kind of situation."

As for the character discipline, Cowett incorporates "tie-ins," ideas related to various aspects of the warrior ethos, with the teaching of each technique.

"There are always different ones about hazing, about commitment and about a lot of other things that we can definitely use," Polonia said. "It really teaches you how to be a better person, how to be a better man and a better Marine."

By employing these three disciplines, Cowett said, he has noticed a definite change in the skill level of his students.

"I used to just go through them like a knife through butter, but now, it's much more difficult," he said. "I'm looking forward to the day where they can all beat me, because it means that I've finally taught them all that I know."

Even though he has reached his end of active service and will be assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve this summer, Cowett carries on teaching the course to make sure that his students maintain some continuity in the mornings.

"It says a lot about his character," Polonia said. "It says a lot about the Marine he is and the Marine he will always be."

While covered in sweat, debris and maybe even a bit of blood, each student leaves the class looking like a battle-hardened warrior. Still, the adrenaline rush of the morning gives way to the soreness and fatigue of the afternoon for the Marines who participate in this training. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that they are excited for the next period of instruction.

THE DOG WARRIOR SAVES LIVES IN AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEMaxx, an improvised explosive device detector dog, licks the face of his handler, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stephen Mader, during a convoy in southern Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter

　
Face of Defense: Dog, Handler Protect Marines By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter
Regimental Combat Team 6 HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2012 - Riding in an armored truck over Afghanistan's rutted dirt roads is scarcely a smooth or comfortable experience.
Each bump is felt as springs groan and creak under the weight of the mine resistant, ambush-protected vehicle. The air conditioner circulates dusty air, and unless you're right next to the vents, you're drenched in sweat. Body armor weighs down on shoulders and compounds the pain of sitting in one spot for hours on end.
For Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stephen Mader and his dog Maxx, this experience is routine. Mader is an improvised explosive device detector dog handler with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6.
Their MRAP hits a large bump, and water in a metal dish near the truck's back entrance splashes onto the floor. Maxx, who was dozing, stands up, puts his front paws on Mader's lap and nuzzles his head against Mader's body armor. Mader wraps his arms around Maxx, gives him a pat on the side and a scratch behind the ears, and reassures him everything is all right. Maxx settles down with his chin across Mader's boots – his spot – and closes his eyes again.
"It's basically like having a 3-year-old in Afghanistan," said Mader, who is responsible for every aspect of Maxx's care. He feeds him, cleans him and even monitors Maxx's behavior for signs of stress or fatigue.
And like a 3-year-old, Maxx, a yellow Labrador, always wants attention.
"Otherwise, he'll start licking me," Mader said.
Mader and Maxx have been together for seven months since they met at the five-week IED detector dog handler school in Southern Pines, S.C. The dogs come to the school trained to obey commands and track explosive scents. Human students go to learn how to handle the dogs.
School instructors interviewed Mader about his demeanor and personality and asked questions such as, "Are you laid-back or a hard-charger?" to get an idea of which dog to assign him. Mader said he's a mix of both.
Mader, who joined the Marine Corps in 2009, said the dogs need a good rapport with their handlers. If there is a personality clash, the dog won't perform. Maxx is a perfect match, he said.
"If I want to be playful and active, he will be," Mader said. "But, if I want to relax, he'll lay down next to me."
Overall, Maxx, who is actually 4 years old, is "pretty chill" and will sleep when he's not working, Mader said. But, Maxx does have his wild streaks, he added. The dog likes to break out of his kennel and to try to swim in the canals in the southern Helmand River Valley, where the battalion's personal security detachment often travels.
"He'll try, and I'll have to stop him," Mader said.
Unlike some military working dogs, IED detector dogs are not trained to be aggressive. Their handlers have the discretion to allow other Marines to approach or pet their dogs. Maxx is popular with the Marines and gets a lot of attention, Mader said, but when it comes time to work, he's ready to go.
"In the truck, he's like a pet, but whenever we're out there, he's like a tool," he added, noting that IED detector dogs are "a great tool to have if you use them correctly."
The duo spends a lot of time on the road. Mader said Maxx can sense where they are.
"It's weird, but he'll know what [forward operating base] we're going to," he said. When they're getting close to FOB Geronimo, a larger, more built-up base, Maxx gets excited and starts pacing. When they approach a smaller, more austere place such as Combat Outpost Rankle, "he'll just lay there," the dog handler added.
When Mader and Maxx aren't on the road or working, they're training. After missions, while other Marines are relaxing, Mader is making sure Maxx's tracking skills stay sharp. Maxx is trained with a rubber bouncy toy called a "bumper," used as a reward for performing a task successfully. When the bumper comes out, it's a morale boost for the dog, Mader said.
Even with the long hours and the extra responsibilities of being a dog handler, Mader said, it's "the best thing to happen to me in the Marine Corps."
After this deployment, Mader said, he would volunteer to be a handler again if there is a need and an opportunity. He is an infantry mortarman by trade.
"I love being with the dogs," he said.
As the Afghan army continues to take over more of the security responsibilities here, officials at Marine Corps Systems Command said they anticipate the number of dogs to be reduced in the near future, correlating with the reduction in Marine forces in the region. If Maxx is no longer needed, Mader said, he wants to adopt him.
"I don't want to give him up," he said. "I've bonded too much to give him up."
Mader looks down at Maxx, still asleep across his boots, unaware of the potential dangers outside their MRAP. The occasional hard bump in the road is the only thing that stirs him from his nap on this ride. However, if needed, the pair will be ready to go on a moment's notice to track down the scent of any explosives on the route to prevent vehicle damage, injuries or worse.
"A local kid asked if he could buy Maxx for $10," Mader said. "I had to tell him he's worth a little bit more than that."

STAYING FOCUSED IN FIRST FIREFIGHT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Marine Corps Pfc. Timothy Workman outside his tent at Patrol Base Paser Lay, Afghanistan, Aug. 19, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
 
　
Face of Defense: Marine Stays Focused in First Firefight


By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter
Regimental Combat Team 6
PATROL BASE DETROIT, Afghanistan, Aug. 21, 2012 - It's a moment of truth for many Marines: the first time they are in combat and their training is put to the test.
　
When his squad took enemy contact during a recent patrol through Trek Nawa, Marine Corps Pfc. Timothy Workman found his moment.
　
"I could hear rounds cracking over my head," said Workman, a mortarman with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6. "The adrenaline started pumping right away."
　
This was Workman's first firefight. A year ago, he was standing on the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., to start basic training, a tradition every Marine recruit goes through. Now, with the mid-morning sun beating down, he was crouched in a ditch, his M16 assault rifle ready.
　
Workman and his fellow Marines were engaged in fighting six to eight enemies. The insurgents fired from several different positions, shooting through small holes in walls several hundred meters away. Marines took cover in mud compounds and behind mounds of debris.
　
Workman's squad split into two units during the firefight. Workman, from Peebles, Ohio, went with Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David Simons, his platoon sergeant, as they moved forward to return fire.
　
"At one point, I witnessed Workman moving up into position to engage the enemy," recalled Simons, from Sidney, Mont. "He fired on the enemy, and when the enemy returned fire, it allowed us to open up with our machine gun."
　
The morning sounds of birds and farmers were replaced with the sudden burst of rifles and the "rat-ta-tat-tat" of machinegun fire. An hour later the fight was over, and the Marines returned to their patrol base.
　
"Since we've been out here, it's pretty common for [the other Marines] to engage in firefights," Workman explained. "These [insurgents] will stick around and [fight] for awhile."
　
Workman's company patrols the volatile Trek Nawa area of Afghanistan, located between the Marjah and Nawa districts in Helmand province.
　
The Marines engaged enemies in firefights ranging from isolated pot shots to three–day battles. For Workman, the fighting hit home six months before he left for boot camp. In December, his friend's older brother, Luke, was killed while serving near this same area of Afghanistan.
　
"I had gone to school with Luke's brother since the 6th grade," Workman said. "At the time [of Luke's death], I had already decided to join, but this motivated me to continue the work that Luke gave his life for."
　
In addition to Luke, Workman said, he's lost a couple other friends to the war. But despite those losses, Workman said, he remembered his training and focused on his job during the fight.
　
"I was trying to get positive identification on the enemy, trying to find where they were firing from, looking for spotters and just covering my brothers," said Workman.
　
Now that his first firefight is over, Workman's platoon will monitor his behavior.
　
"The main thing we look for is a Marine's mindset after their first time in combat," Simons said. "We are a family, so we can tell when one of our brother's is acting differently. We watch for it and take care of each other."
　
Simons said Workman seemed mentally strong before and after the firefight. He is proud of Workman and the discipline he showed on the battlefield.
　
The Marines have more operations planned through Trek Nawa and expect more firefights before they return to the United States.
　
"I can say there's nothing else like the Marine Corps," Workman said. "I'll continue picking my sergeants' and seniors' brains, trying to be better prepared for the next fight."

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.