Globe, Sept 6, 2012

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WWW.CAMPLEJEUNEGLOBE.COM

VOLUME 74, EDITION 36

The

GL BE SERVING CAMP LEJEUNE AND SURROUNDING AREAS SINCE 1944

Exercise Atlantic Response 22nd MEU provides response cell for 2nd MEB | 4A

One of a kind team protects service members | 6A

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

WWW.LEJEUNE.MARINES.MIL

Photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha

Families, friends and service members of 2nd Marine Division gathered for a change of command ceremony aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune where Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan relinquished command to Brig. Gen. James W. Lukeman Aug. 23. During the ceremony, Lukeman received the unit colors in typical Marine Corps fashion from Toolan, representing a transfer of total authority, responsibility and accountability from one Marine to another.

CPL. MARCO MANCHA 2nd Marine Division

More than 5,000 Marines and sailors came together during a change of command ceremony aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Aug. 23 in which Commanding General of 2nd Marine Division Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan relinquished command to Brig. Gen. James W. Lukeman. The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition formally restating the continuity of authority to the officers and personnel of the command. The formal ritual brought together every unit within 2nd Marine Division in a mass formation spanning the length of more than four football fields. “You don’t see formations like

this anymore, anywhere,” said Toolan. “It’s important everyone visually see it, and it’s important people come and recognize the Marines and sailors of the division.” Toolan assumed his position as the commanding general in July 2010 and later deployed as the commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) to Helmand province, Afghanistan, for duties as commanding general of Regional Command Southwest. “During my time in Afghanistan, I really got to observe how well Marines can conduct counterinsurgency operations and how effective they are in working closely with other countries’ security forces,” said Toolan. During the ceremony, Toolan

handed the unit colors in typical Marine Corps fashion to Lukeman, representing a transfer of total authority, responsibility and accountability from one Marine to another. The sound of cannons fired into the cloudy summer skies shook the ground as honors were presented to the commanding general of 2nd Marine Division. A biennial event as large as this simply reinforces why so many Marines, including Lukeman, are so enthused to be a part of such a celebrated unit of Marines. “My wife and I are thrilled to be coming back to the 2nd Marine Division,” said Lukeman. “It’s a great honor and privilege to take command and to be part of the division again.” 2011 was an eventful year for

the “Follow Me” division, with a constant rotation of at least three battalions deployed to Afghanistan at any given moment. Now, with a new division sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Bryan K. Zickefoose, and all but one unit returned from Afghanistan, Lukeman looks to the future of the division with just a few goals in mind. “My goals are simple: to provide the Marines and sailors of 2nd Marine Division with the best training, best equipment and best leadership I can, so they can continue to do what they need to do and continue to be the finest fighting force in the world,” said Lukeman. Before the pass-in-review and conclusion of the ceremony, one Marine was awarded a Silver Star Medal and another a Bronze Star with combat distin-

guishing device. Cpl. Jason M. Hassinger was awarded the Silver Star Medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a fire team leader for 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Matthew E. Faircloth, received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement with 2nd Bn., 8th Marines, in connection with combat operations against the enemy in Helmand province.

News Briefs

CAMP DWYER, AFGHANISTAN

Healing Bleeding Ulcers: Hopeful prognosis in Southern Helmand province

Devil Pups kick off new season 1B

SGT. JESSE STENCE

Regimental Combat Team 1

Photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha

Cpl. Jason M. Hassinger (right), receives the Silver Star from Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan, the outgoing commanding general of 2nd Marine Division during the 2nd Marine Division change of command ceremony Aug. 23 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Marine receives Silver Star for valor in Afghanistan CPL. TOMMY BELLEGARDE 2nd Marine Division

When a patrol of Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Afghan National Army soldiers and Afghan National Civil Order Police patrolmen was ambushed by insurgents March 5, 2011, Cpl. Jason M. Hassinger quickly realized many of his comrades were trapped, unable to maneuver or engage the attacking enemy. The Marines requested air support, but it was not immediately available, so Hassinger led his section through the gunfire to rescue his

trapped brothers-in-arms. Hassinger was recognized for his actions during the 2nd Marine Division change-of-command ceremony aboard Marine Corps base Aug. 23 when the outgoing commanding general of the division, Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan, awarded Hassinger the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest award for combat valor. Staff Sgt. Matthew E. Faircloth, also of 2nd Bn., 8th Marines, was awarded the Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device for a separate incident. Hassinger was shot four times on the patrol for which he was recognized. He SEE SILVER 7A

When Gen. Stanley McChrystal applied the label “bleeding ulcer” to a Helmand district in May 2010, he raised the international community’s awareness of the difficulties involved in counterinsurgency operations in the province. The quote appeared last spring in a McClatchy Newspapers article, which described the effects of insurgent resistance in Marjah and correctly predicted that coalition forces would need months to raise a permanent police force capable of pacifying the district. Nevertheless Marjah, once considered the insurgent capital of southern Afghanistan, is a much more peaceful place today. This month, International Security Assistance Forces shifted a significant number of Marines north out of Marjah, due to a greater-than-60 percent decrease in coalition casualties between February and August this year and the same six-month period in 2010. The drop in casualties is only one effect, albeit the most important, of general counterinsurgency progress in the region. The same trends are visible throughout Southern Helmand, the area that Regimental Combat Team 1 handed over to RCT-5 Aug. 28. A More Secure Marjah The most telling aspect of the turnaround in Marjah may be the emergence of Interim Security of Critical Infrastructure, an all-volunteer local defense force that vastly outnumbers the approximate number of insurgents in the district. Capt. Paul J. Kasich, the commander of the Marine police mentoring team in Marjah, estimates ISCI to be almost the size of a battalion. SEE HELMAND 7A

Banquet honors Montford Point Marines 1C

Dogs strut their stuff at Pooch Parade 1D


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