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I’m extremely excited,” Ruoff said. “The anticipation is absolutely killing me.”

For the last week or so, there's been a rush on marriage licenses.

ABOARD USS NASSAU (April 24, 2006) -- As the Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) prepare for the long journey home crossing the Atlantic, one Marine was able to get his homecoming a little early. Cpl. Phillip Ramirez, of Jacksonville, Fla., a squad leader with Weapon’s Co., Battalion Landing Team, 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, got the chance to meet his father during an underway replenishment at sea (unrep). Ramirez’s father, Leonardo, is the chief cook for USNS Patuxent, the Fleet Replenishment Oiler assigned to refuel the Nassau. “I was told a half hour ago...

USS NASSAU, At Sea (March 24, 2006) -- The flight line at Al Asad Air Base was a flurry of rotor blades and wrench-toting men and women while Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (Reinforced) was in Iraq. Night and day for months, these mechanics, avionics and air frame specialists and a myriad of other supporting personnel of HMM-261 (Rein) enabled the squadron’s 1,845 sorties of more than 3,000 combat flight hours. Even though those on the flight line rarely saw the direct benefits of their job, their hard work kept Marines throughout Iraq safe. “We delivered a lot of bullets...

An AH-1W Super Cobra with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (Reinforced) stays close to his wingman, a UH-1N Huey also from HMM-261 (Rein.) during a recent mission near Hit, Iraq. The squadron is the aviation combat element for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit SOC (Special Operations Capable) which is conducting counterinsurgency operations with the 2nd Marine Division in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. Photo by: Sgt. Richard D. StephensAL ASAD AIR FIELD, Iraq (Feb. 15, 2006) -- In the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Marine AH-1W Super Cobra attack and UH-1N Huey utility helicopters prowled the skies of the Iraq...

AL ASAD AIRFIELD, Iraq (Feb. 9, 2006) -- By the time Lance Cpl. Blake Rowe was born in 1983, the aircraft on which he today so carefully labors had already been flying for nearly two decades, and shows no sign of touching the ground. Like the Colt .45 pistol (introduced in 1911) and the M-2 .50-caliber machine gun (around since 1919), the venerable CH-46E Sea Knight medium lift assault helicopter has become one of those tools of war whose dependability and utility has ensured its lifespan exceeds the careers of those who use it. Used primarily in the assault support...

HIT, Iraq (Jan. 14, 2006) -- For four long, backbreaking days, Marine combat engineers and infantrymen unearthed cache after cache of insurgent ordnance and weaponry in and around Hit, Iraq during Operation Hedgehog. Marines from the Combat Engineer Platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines kicked off the operation with a search of long-suspected hide sites throughout Hit and soon began unearthing treasure troves of insurgent arms. “This was our biggest find to date,” said 1st Lt. Antonio Agnone, the combat engineer platoon leader for BLT 1/2. “We’ve uncovered numerous, and significant caches the insurgents have hidden in Hit...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq (Jan. 8, 2006) -- As part of their tour of Marine forces in Iraq, a small delegation from Washington, D.C. recently visited the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) at Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq. Among the group was General Robert Magnus, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Lt. Gen. Jan C. Huly, the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, and Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (USMC, Ret.), the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Reserve Affairs). After an update on the MEU’s ongoing and planned counterinsurgency efforts with the 2nd Marine Division...

HIT, Iraq (Jan. 6, 2006) -- Pushing out from their combat outposts, Marines from Battalion Landing Team, 1st Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment, recently began conducting foot and motorized patrols in the city of Hit, Iraq. During these patrols, Marines executed counter mortar and improvised explosive device sweeps on desert roads and in local neighborhoods to keep coalition forces and Iraqi citizens safe from insurgent attacks. The patrols are part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)’s ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in the Al Anbar province. “We are conducting these patrols to make our presence known to both the locals...

KUBAYSAH, Iraq (Jan. 4, 2006) -- As their families and friends were preparing to celebrate the New Year, the Marines and sailors of the Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marine Regiment were recuperating after a long, hard day of patrolling the streets in Kubaysah, Iraq during Operation Moon River. The goal of the one-day operation, undertaken by elements of the 22nd MEU (SOC) and the Iraqi army, was to assess the status of essential civil services in the city and show a coalition presence in a city that has seen very little conventional military in recent months. “We wanted...

HIT, Iraq (Jan. 3, 2006) -- While many across the globe celebrated the first day of the New Year with traditional family and friend gatherings, the engineers of MEU Service Support Group 22 had a different way to start 2006; improving the roadways of Hit, Iraq. Working in the pitch black of a moonless night, the engineers of MSSG-22, the combat service support element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), are doing their part to develop the area, filling seemingly endless lines of potholes that are scattered along main routes in and around the town. “It can...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq (Jan. 2, 2006) -- Sticking out the roof of the Humvee, with only his goggles and a scarf to protect his face from the biting Iraqi winter wind, Lance Cpl. Daniel G. Junker scans the road ahead and its shoulders. From his vantage point in the gunner’s ring, half-hidden behind armor plates and his M240G medium machine gun, Junker serves as the forward-looking set of eyes for the small patrol of green and tan Humvees motoring down the crater-strewn, two-lane highway. Having left Forward Operating Base Hit, the home of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq (Jan. 1, 2006) -- The old axiom that the Marines are ‘first in’ often brings to mind the image of infantrymen charging a fire-swept beach or leaping from a hovering helicopter into the thick of battle. However, as the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) began to set up shop in the vicinity of Hit, Iraq, the first MEU Marines to arrive did so carrying communications gear in addition to their weapons. Functioning under an umbrella of security provided by both the MEU’s combat forces and those of the unit they were replacing, the...

AL ASAD AIRFIELD, Iraq (Dec. 26, 2005) -- Marines and sailors poured from the back of assault helicopters to a familiar place last week as Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (Reinforced) returned to western Iraq prepared to assist in Operation Iraqi Freedom. For many of the “Raging Bull” aircrew and maintainers, the airfield at Al Asad is quite familiar. Nearly half of the squadron’s Marines operated at the sprawling Iraqi air base for nearly seven months last year. The composite squadron is currently deployed as the aviation combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). While in...

22nd MEU Afghanistan Recap: MEU drives stake into Taliban heartlandSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 20049351424Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain  (Sept. 3, 2004) -- During its failed decade-long involvement in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union and its Communist Afghan allies rarely, and never successfully, penetrated the country's remote and inaccessible Oruzgan province. During this time, and in the years of bloody civil war that followed, the Oruzgan province served as a breeding ground for anti-government sentiment. In fact, Mullah Omar, leader of the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement, hails from the region. It was into...

Wasp Prepares For Returning MarinesStory Number: NNS040802-08Release Date: 8/2/2004 3:43:00 PMBy Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Mark C. Schultz, USS Wasp Public AffairsABOARD USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is gearing up for a mass influx of Marine personnel and equipment. After three months of operations in Afghanistan fighting the war on terrorism, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is preparing to head home. “The MEU’s mission ashore is completed, and we are now in the process of getting our Marines back,” said Wasp Strike Group Commander Capt. Steven Joachim. As...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (July 8, 2004) -- In recent years, Marines participating in combat operations have grown accustomed to having news reporters in their midst. However, few of these, regardless of their media affiliation or fame, match the prestige of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)'s most recent embed. James Webb, a writer for "Parade" magazine, spent several days with the Marines and Sailors of the MEU as they continued their hunt for Taliban and anti-coalition militia in central Afghanistan. During his time with the 22nd MEU (SOC), Webb traveled via a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter...

 'Skid duo' proves to be a lethal combination in Afghanistan skiesSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200462203910Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 22, 2004) -- As the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) entered its second month of operations in Afghanistan, the unit's AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1N Huey flight crews thought they might leave the country without firing a shot. For more than a month, these helicopters were a constant presence overhead as troops on the ground pushed further into central Afghanistan scouring the region for weapons caches and anti-coalition...

KC-130R Hercules detachment proves reliable force multiplierSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200461141248Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF OPERATIONS (June 11, 2004) -- To successfully operate from a remote location such as Forward Operating Base Ripley, deep in the heart of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, a unit requires a steady flow of supplies and personnel. For the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), a key provider of this support since it began conducting combat operations in late April has been a small detachment of Marines and aircraft from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)...

Marines and Sailors save the life of wounded Taliban fighterSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 2004615105521Story by Capt. Eric Dent FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 16, 2004) -- Two hours earlier they were hunting him down and now they were hurrying to save his life. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines and Afghan Militia Forces engaged three enemy fighters on a mountainside June 13. The guerillas were tracking and reporting on the BLT's activities when coalition forces opened fire and wounded at least one of them. Corporal Brad Kerr, originally from Rock Hill, S.C, used...

 22nd MEU (SOC) Harriers join the fight against Taliban insurgentsSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 20046105260Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 10, 2004) -- AV-8B Harrier II attack jets from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) recently conducted ground attack missions against anti-coalition militia in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province in support of the MEU's ground forces. Based out of Kandahar Air Field, the Harriers have seen extensive use flying escort and reconnaissance missions, but the missions beginning on June 2 marked their first true combat sorties since the MEU's arrival in Afghanistan...

Marines Battle Taliban Insurgents Marine Sgt. Ryan West, of Lafayette, Indiana, a squad leader with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) shouts for his Marines to take cover as sniper fire impacts around them during a fight with anti-coalition militia in central Afghanistan. During two days of heavy fighting in early June, three Marines were lightly wounded and at least 25 anti-coalition militia fighters killed. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks llllllllllllll  Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) look skyward for inbound AV-8B Harrier II attack jets...

Marines, Afghan Soldiers Foil Ambush, Kill Taliban Fighters American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 8, 2004 -- Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) continued their assault into the Taliban heartland, where they killed Taliban fighters poised to ambush them in central Afghanistan today. The battle occurred as the Marines and Afghan fighting forces approached a site identified as a likely ambush site. As Marines advanced, an intense firefight ensued. Some enemy fled, and others stayed and continued to fight. Five Marines were wounded in the battle, but all are stable and receiving medical treatment. An...

22d MEU(SOC) Secures Khas OruzganSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200451783850Story by Capt. Eric Dent KHAS ORUZGAN, Afghanistan (May 17, 2004 ) -- Villagers in northern Oruzgan Province curiously watched as a 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) task force rolled through the dusty, unpaved streets in heavily armed vehicles and established a base of operations at the recently-attacked district headquarters May 8, 2004. Minutes after the task force arrived, MEU helicopters landed nearby and unloaded Afghan National Army (ANA) forces and their equipment as Provincial Governor Jan Mohammed watched from nearby. Marines from the MEU's Maritime Special...

22d MEU (SOC) gets its marching ordersSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification Number: 2004427132457Story by Capt. Eric Dent KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN -- (April 27, 2004 ) -- The MEU commander, standing in front of a giant map nearly two-stories high, looked out into the tri-color wave of Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors and broke the morning silence by telling them that the next few months would be vitally important to the future of Afghanistan. More than 2,300 warriors listened intently as Col. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr, the 22d MEU (SOC) commanding officer, gave the entire MEU an orientation to the...

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A force of 2,000 Marines has begun arriving in Afghanistan as part of a stepped-up mission to crush Taliban-led insurgents and flush out al-Qaida fugitives. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will work a specific area of the country in an attempt to improve intelligence on enemy activity, spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said. He declined to give details, citing security concerns. "The plan is to continue to place pressure on al-Qaida and the Taliban throughout the south and east while providing enduring security," Hilferty said. He said they were not part of a troop rotation, but...

Some 2,200 Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will follow long-established plans and deploy shortly to Afghanistan, Joint Staff officials said here today. The unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., left home Feb. 18 and exercised in Albania. The unit will deploy to Afghanistan and aid other coalition forces there to deny sanctuary to terrorists and to capture or kill al Qaeda or Taliban members. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of special operations. It includes the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced); and Service Support Group 22. The 22nd MEU currently...

22nd MEU better trained, equipped Don Bryan/Daily News Saying goodbye: Cpl. Larry Currie and his wife, Shekinah, left, spend time together while Sgt. Eddie Williams plays with his son, Elijah, as his fiance Lisa Parsley watches. February 19,2004Eric SteinkopffDAILY NEWS STAFF Col. Kenneth Frank McKenzie Jr. stood near Risley Pier on Wednesday and watched with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. The commander of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit was watching his old battalion prepare for another six-month deployment. "I was the commander of that battalion the last time 1/6 left for a float, from November 1998 to May...

22d MEU begins its final pre-deployment examSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification Number: 200411735518Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks ABOARD THE USS WASP (Jan. 13, 2004) -- After months of intense training and preparation, the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has grabbed the reins of its final pre-deployment training hurdle; the Special Operations Capable Exercise (SOCEX). The current exercise will be 15th such training evolution for the 22d MEU since the Special Operations Capable training program was begun in 1985. To receive its 'SOC' designation the MEU and its major subordinate elements must demonstrate a proficiency in a number...

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FLA. - Marines from North Carolina ended their first live-fire exercise in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday and now will conduct an evaluation to determine if they’ll return. The Marine Corps is looking for new training sites to replace a Navy bombing range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. The Navy closed it in May following a series of protests triggered when errant bombs killed a civilian security guard in 1999. The Marines reported no significant injuries during the six-day exercise here. "Everything went as planned," said Lt. Col. Bryan Salas, a Marine spokesman. "We’re...