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Flags will be lowered in New Jersey Saturday, the day of Whitney Houston’s funeral. But a Marine mom in Arlington says it’s an honor Houston doesn’t deserve. When Phyllis McGeath heard Gov. Chris Christie had ordered flags lowered to half-staff for Houston, she said she felt a pain deep inside her. “I was hurt and offended. Disappointed. Saddened,” she said. “I felt like the honor that was given to my son was tarnished.” McGeath had three sons who were active duty Marines. Her oldest, Philip, was killed by a suicide bomber just four weeks ago in Afghanistan. He was 25....

Twin brothers Osbrany and Osmany Montesdeoca enlisted in the Marines together shortly after they graduated high school. Now, just over a year later, Osmany is returning from Afghanistan to attend his brother's funeral after Osbrany was killed on Friday while serving in Helmand Province. 'They were always talking about the Marines,' said the boys' uncle Andriano Moreta.

PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES In January 2012 the Department published a paper -- “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices” – identifying the major budgetary changes made in response to the new defense strategy. Changes in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget support U.S. defense strategy and are organized around four major themes: 1. Making more disciplined use of defense dollars. 2. Applying strategic guidance to force structure and investment. 3. Ensuring the quality of the all-volunteer force. 4. Fully supporting deployed warfighters. Disciplined Use of Defense Dollars The FY 2013 budget continues the reform agenda advanced in the Department’s previous three budgets. The FY...

SAN DIEGO – The Marine Corps on Thursday once again did damage control after a photograph surfaced of a sniper team in Afghanistan posing in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS -- a special unit that murdered millions of Jews, gypsies and others. The Corps said in a statement that using the symbol was not acceptable, but the Marines in the photograph taken in September 2010 will not be disciplined because investigators determined it was a naive mistake. The Marines believed the SS symbol was meant to represent sniper scouts and never...

Visitors to the Pacific island of Peleliu can't claim they weren't warned. The sign at the harbour says "Welcome to Peleliu -- Land of Enchantment," but as the boat approaches the quay, a second sign becomes visible. "Remember that WWII ordnance is still dangerous and can injure or kill!"The water glistens in varying shades of turquoise, the sand on the beaches is as fine as dust and a balmy breeze eases the tropical heat. But the beauty is deceptive. The "Land of Enchantment," which belongs to the island nation of Palau, was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles...

LAKE FOREST – Hundreds of firefighters and law enforcement officers waved flags from bridges above freeways from Los Alamitos to Laguna Hills saluting a procession carrying the remains of Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, a Marine killed in Afghanistan on Jan.21. Military personnel from the National Guard, Army Reserve and the Marine Corps stood in military formation saluting Singer and his family. Law enforcement personnel representing multiple jurisdictions also took part in the ceremony. Singer, 23, was killed while conducting operations in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Twentynine Palm-based 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, an element of Camp...

Joshua Waddell, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marines, appeared on his way to a stellar career as an American military officer. The son of a retired Navy SEAL commander, Waddell had won a Bronze Star during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan and had returned for a second. Then he made a decision in combat that military experts say has severely jeopardized his future in the corps. But some military experts say the black mark on Waddell's record was undeserved, that he and other young American officers are being put in a difficult, if not impossible, situation by...

Today, the plea deal was reached. SSgt Wuterich’s defense team at Puckett Faraj says this afternoon: Press Release, Aexandria VA January 23, 2012/12:45PM: “No one denies that the consequences of November 19, 2005 were tragic, least of all SSgt Frank Wuterich. But the fact of the matter is that he has now been totally exonerated of the homicide charges brought against him by the government and the media. For six years, he’s had his name dragged through the mud. Today, we hope, is the beginning of his redemption. He has always publicly taken responsibility for the lawful actions of his...

And I share the news with Free Republic because this is a good thing for America. I have heard a lot of folks talking about abandoning the military in light of the DADT Obama fiasco. I, for one, am proud that my son well understands and lives the Core Values and that he will be there to uphold them in the Corps in a position of authority, with God's help.

  Marines vs. Taliban: The Piss Process David C. Stolinsky Jan. 19, 2012 Shimon Peres served as Israeli foreign minister and prime minister. He performed an invaluable service for international peace − inadvertently. He spoke English fluently but with a thick accent, so when he referred to the Mideast peace process, it came out as “piss process.” Thus he unintentionally planted an idea in the minds of his listeners: Trying to negotiate with people who openly declare they want to kill you is futile at best, and dangerous at worst. And in fact, decades of futile negotiations in the...

The media, along with the White House and its talking dogs, Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton, have joined the usual ragtag terrorists in the Muslim camp in condemning our troops – employed by our government to kill the Taliban – for allegedly urinating on Taliban bodies. I have a simple question, because I'm confused by Obama's stance: Which is more inhumane, killing someone or urinating on him? I'm not a legal expert, but I'm sure the penalty in Washington, D.C., for killing a person is more severe than just peeing on that person. Whatever the penalty is for urinating on...

Widow of Marine Corps Colonel Involved in Haditha Trials Launches Campaign to Prove Her Husband Was Murdered PRESS RELEASE January 12, 2012 – Easley, SC – Kimberly Stahlman, widow of Colonel Michael Stahlman USMC, is fighting to prove that her husband did not commit suicide but was instead murdered. However, the Marine Corps refuses to help. As part of this fight she partnered with Tracy Shue, widow of Colonel Philip Shue USAF and writer/military family advocate Cilla McCain and drafted a Bill of Rights for Bereaved Military Families. To bring this campaign to the public, they have started a petition...

Could this be the evidence needed to take it to the top? PC Police have gone over the edge.

Video comment thread on this important issue

Candidly, the story of a handful of Marines videotaping themselves urinating on dead Taliban fighters is a subject I’ve feared to broach because it is heart-breaking to think those men so lost their sense of shared humanity — if only for those minutes — as to do what they did. Rep. Allen West has given me a way to write about it, though, by saying it all better than I ever could. In an e-mail to The Weekly Standard, West wrote: I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I...

Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a former Army lieutenant colonel, sent The Weekly Standard an email commenting on a recent video depicting what appears to be four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban terrorists. The email reads as follows [emphases added]: I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung...

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps has appointed a three-star general to decide what disciplinary action to take against the four Marine snipers. Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser will name another officer to lead an internal Marine Corps investigation. That investigation will be in addition to a criminal probe already under way by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Waldhauser, who is commander of Marine Corps Forces Central Command, will determine how to proceed once both investigations are completed. NCIS Communications Director Maryann Cummings also said her department's probe is still "in its very early stages." "At this point, NCIS has identified and talked...

What was your reaction to the video that appeared to show Marines urinating on three Afghan corpses? It's an unacceptable desecration It's an embarrassment It's not surprising -- things like this happen in war

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, sends THE WEEKLY STANDARD an email commenting on the Marines' video, and has given us permission to publish it. “I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah. “All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to...

<p>Also for the record, to me the video is extremely staged. The bodies are neatly positioned, the Marines lined up, and obviously this wasn't spur-of-the-moment passion, er, erupting. At the end, the photographer apparently says, "Is that it?" So the video was meant to be released.</p>

The Marine Corps said Wednesday that it is investigating the origins of a video on the Internet that purports to show Marines in combat gear urinating on the corpses of three Taliban insurgents.

An official says the U.S. Marine Corps has identified at least two of the four marines in an internet video that purports to depict them urinating on Taliban corpses in Afghanistan. A marine official said Thursday that the four were members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, which returned to its home base in North Carolina last fall after a tour in Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a criminal investigation is underway. The official said that at least some of the four marines are no longer in that battalion. He provided no other details. (Snip) Panetta

Kevlar underwear can protect U.S. Marines against blast fragments flying like bullets through the air, but it lacks the comfort of simple cotton undies or silky unmentionables. Now the U.S. military has begun searching for better alternatives that prevent chafing as well as battle wounds. The U.S. Marine Corps sees comfortable undergarments as being equally important to ballistic protection, according to a new request for information aimed at U.S. manufacturers. That means any new underwear fabric must not only shield private parts against burns and tiny fragments traveling at 650 feet per second — the speed of some bullets —...

The U.S. Marine Corps is investigating a video that surfaced online today in which several Marines appear to urinate on the corpses of suspected Taliban fighters. The video, which is less than a minute long, appears to show four men in uniform looking around before urinating on three dead bodies, at least one of the men chuckles as they do so. "Have a great day, buddy," one of the men is heard saying, apparently to a dead body

The video, which was posted on YouTube and other websites, shows four men in camouflage Marine combat uniforms urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban. One of them jokes: "Have a nice day, buddy." Another makes a lewd joke about a shower. A copy of the video can be seen here "While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps," the Marines said in a statement. "This matter will be fully investigated."...

(Honolulu, HI) -- You can expect increased aircraft noise over Kaneohe and over the Kona side of the Big Island through January 18th because of special military exercises. A dozen FA/18 Hornet aircraft will be involved in exercises between Marine Corps Base Hawaii and the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island. After the exercises in Hawaii, the Hornets are headed to Japan and then to deployment in Afghanistan.

Today, the U-T launches a new tradition. Each Jan. 1, we will honor the Person of the Year, an individual or category of individuals with San Diego ties. We can think of no better way to begin this tradition than by selecting as our first winner the Marine. Since Sept. 11, 2001, America has relied on the Marine to keep us safe from terror at home and to take the fight to our enemies abroad, a task our Marines have handled with immense courage, professionalism and honor.

Today, the U-T launches a new tradition. Each Jan. 1, we will honor the Person of the Year, an individual or category of individuals with San Diego ties. We can think of no better way to begin this tradition than by selecting as our first winner the Marine. Since Sept. 11, 2001, America has relied on the Marine to keep us safe from terror at home and to take the fight to our enemies abroad, a task our Marines have handled with immense courage, professionalism and honor. Some of the 56,000 Marines based in San Diego County — the...

A U.S. Marine officer has told the incredible story of how he survived a street robbery by plugging bullet holes in his body with his fingers. Lieutenant Colonel Karl Trenker, 29, of Miramar, Florida, was shot three times as he confronted two men who had stolen a gold chain from him. He said he used his battlefield training from Afghanistan and Iraq to stem blood from chest wounds by shoving his finger into the gaping wound. Full story: Marine Karl Trenker shot in Craigslist sale- turned-heist plugged holes with fingers and told kids he’d be fine | Mail Online

Lieutenant Colonel Karl Trenker, 29, of Miramar, Florida, was shot three times as he confronted two men who had stolen a gold chain from him. He said he used his battlefield training from Afghanistan and Iraq to stem blood from chest wounds by shoving his finger into the gaping wound. ‘He told me: “I've been shot three times, my fingers are in the bullet holes, the police are going to take care of the kids".' Officers responding to the shooting found 20-year-olds James Flournoy and Jeff Steele close to the scene.

A War Hero Is Vindicated–Again Posted By Arnold Ahlert On December 26, 2011 @ 12:20 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | Seven long years after he allegedly committed “premeditated murder,” Iraq war veteran Ilario Pantano, who gave up a comfortable life on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to fight for his country following the September 11th attacks, has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus ends a saga highlighted by an unconscionable rush to judgement by the military, and the subsequent trashing of Mr. Pantano’s reputation by leftists who never miss an opportunity to denigrate American soldiers based on nothing more than unproven allegations.

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-excerpt- Amir Hekmati was born in Arizona and graduated from Central High School in Flint. From there, his son joined the Marines

Marine Scott Wood died four weeks ago after suffering injuries during combat in Iraq. Before his burial, his wife dressed him in two uniforms. On the outside, Scott wore his military dress blues. Underneath, he wore the blue No. 80 jersey of Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. Sara Wood had been married to Scott for eight years. They have a five-year-old son together named Landon. Now he and Sara live in a single room in her parent's house. "He knows daddy's in heaven," Sara said of Landon, "though I don't know if he fully comprehends what that means. He...

Prayer Request We are asking everyone to say a prayer for "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and their families They are fighting it out in Afghanistan & they have lost 9 marines in 4 days. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE the message spread if more could pass it on. Nothing in the media about these guys because no one seems to care: Justin Allen, 23, Brett Linley, 29, Matthew Weikert, 29, Justus Bartett, 27, Dave Santos, 21, Chase Stanley, 21 Jesse Reed, 26, Matthew Johnson, 21, Zachary Fisher, 24, Brandon King, 23, Christopher Goeke, 23, Sheldon Tate, 27. All...

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — The Marine Corps Harvest Hawk isn’t the average KC-130J Hercules. C-130 aircraft have been used by the U.S. military for more than 50 years. The Marines in Afghanistan use the KC-130J Hercules for aerial resupply, aerial refueling, battlefield illumination, and troop and cargo transport. In addition to its ability to accomplish traditional Hercules missions, the Harvest Hawk comes loaded with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and an infrared targeting system. The Marines in Afghanistan use this versatile variant of one of the Corps’ most venerable aircraft to provide close-air support and surveillance for ground troops. “We provide overwatch...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — A snafu marred the critical moment of silence Wednesday at the Pearl Harbor ceremony observing the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack.... ...But on Wednesday, emcee Leslie Wilcox was still speaking at 7:55 a.m., even as the Hawaii Air National Guard's F-22's roared overhead on schedule 42 seconds later.

Back in September, we saw a hero Marine receive the Medal of Honor for his amazing, life-saving performance during an ambush in Afghanistan. Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer is one of the few living recipients of the Medal of Honor for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the citation on the award, this noble, young man went to astonishing lengths to help his fellow troops. He disregarded orders to remain at a safe distance from the ambush and proceeded to save the lives of 36 fellow Marines, soldiers and Afghani military members. Here is the Official Citation for Sgt....

Having written countless columns and blog posts arguing that the see-no-Islam counterinsurgency strategy (COIN) has led to failure in two wars in the umma (Muslim world) and the dhimmification of the U.S. military, it's almost funny to see the debate more or less officially joined over my recent column on what appears to be simply the gross-out, PG-13 movie topic of peeing toward Mecca. Or, rather, not peeing toward Mecca. The latter is the lesson that an Afghan Muslim contractor has been teaching Marines before they deploy to Afghanistan, in accordance with an Islamic canonical hadith called "The Prohibition of...

Two months ago, Dakota Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama for his service in Afghanistan, the military’s most prestigious award. On Monday, Sgt. Meyer alleged that a defense contractor has called him mentally unstable and a problem drinker, ruining his chances for a job in the defense industry. In legal papers filed Monday, the Marine claims that BAE Systems, where he worked earlier this year, retaliated against him after he raised objections about BAE’s alleged decision to sell high-tech sniper scopes to the Pakistani military. He says his supervisor at BAE effectively blocked his hiring...

Ward Van Alstine is a tough U.S. Marine who, after a somewhat troubled life growing up in Santa Rosa, developed a sense of purpose amid the gunfire, bone-rattling explosions and death in Afghanistan. The 22-year-old corporal said he became a man during two tours of duty in the war, but it took a starving, battered dog to help him through the worst of it. One day, as he prepared to go on patrol, a dirty, sad-eyed mutt walked up and touched something in him. The shy, brown-and-white pooch, with a dark patch around the nose, was something precious and good...

On Veteran’s Day my radio show featured interviews with more than a dozen seriously wounded Marines and Navy personnel who are beneficiaries of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (www.SemperFiFund.org.) Since its founding in 2003, the Semper Fi Fund has raised more than $55 million to help more than 6,000 service members wounded in the wars of the past decade. Take a quick look at their board of directors and you will quickly see why this organization is so effective and also why you need have no concern over its integrity or the efficiency of its operations. There are many,...

Dressed in elegant black, her hand in a patriotic pose, Mila Kunis made good on a promise and made one serviceman just back from Afghanistan, the happiest guy at a military gala this past week. The “Black Swan” star attended a Marine Corps ball Friday night with Sgt. Scott Moore. “It’s good that she gets to come on a date with a marine so it’s good for her, you know,” said Corporal William Steffy.

Remember when that Marine made a YouTube video inviting Mila Kunis to the Marine Corps Ball and she was like "Oh scheduling conflict, can't go" and Justin Timberlake was like, "You should go" so then another marine was like "Well, if you're pressuring Kunis to go to the ball, then you should come with me" and Justin Timberlake was like "Ok"? Anyways, that Marine Corps Ball was this past Saturday and Justin Timberlake was the date of Corporal Kelsey DeSantis. Timberlake says the entire evening was one that he would never forget and wrote on his website: "I didn't know...

"I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings," -Michael Avery, Constitutional Law Professor at Suffolk University, Mass That was the professor's response to an email that was sent out by his university asking for support in sending out care packages to our troops. On the opposite side of the opinion spectrum, here's a Hollywood celebrity who also expresses his feelings toward those who serve and posts the following on his blog: ...I had the honor and...

PRIME MINISTER Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama have agreed joint military initiatives to enhance the alliance between the two nations. From 2012 the US will boost its military activities in Australia in stages. The agreement between the two nations will allow America to enhance its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, Ms Gillard told an Australian and US media conference in Canberra on Wednesday. It will involve joint training and other military exercises, and comes off the back of the US military’s review of its global presence. “I’m very pleased to announce with President Obama we have agreed joint...

To all my family, friends and fans - I'm writing this out to all of you after attending an event that turned out to be one of the most moving evenings I've ever had... I had the honor and privilege last night of attending The Basic School Instructor Battalion 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Greater Richmond Convention Center with Corporal Kelsey DeSantis... I knew I would have an evening that I wouldn't forget... Something I could tell my friends about. What I didn't know was how moved I would be by the whole experience.

For ten years now, our Corps has been engaged in continuous combat operations against those who threaten the security of America and our allies. We turned the tide in the Anbar province of Iraq and continue to see success today in southwest Afghanistan. While it has come at a cost … we have much to be proud of. This past year in operations around the world including humanitarian disaster relief, counter-piracy, theater security cooperation, special operations, counter-insurgency and many more, you continued to solidify our place as America’s expeditionary force in readiness. Since the Continental Congress created two battalions of...

Happy birthday to all my fellow Marines past and present. The eagle born to those who pledged their lives and sacred honor, was smiled upon by God and freed from chains and iron collar. He is held aloft on unity and by history revered; for preserving peace through strength his wings now reach across two hundred years. But for each of those and one year more, God has smiled upon The Corps, from the Barbary Coast to the Eastern Sand, by sword, by gun, or by bare hand. So it's been, and shall be weighed: though many are born, few...