Commander’s Cup Challenge tests Marines mettle with AllTerrain Race Page 1B
THE
New special reaction team school graduates first class Page 1C
Cole Bros Circus comes to town Page 1D
GLOBE Serving Camp Lejeune and surrounding areas since 1944
2012 THURSDAY APRIL 12, 20
WWW.CAMPLEJEUNEGLOBE.COM
VOLUME 74 EDITION 15
Combat engineers train to provide mobility, freedom
AGADIR, MOROCCO
CPL. WALTER D. MARINO II 2nd Marine Division
An Afghanistan deployment is on the horizon for 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, and the unit is making sure all its Marines are ready for the insurgents’ weapon of choice – the improvised explosive device. Approximately 20 Mobility Assault Company, 2nd CEB, 2nd Marine Division, Marines patrolled through a simulated improvised explosive device-riddled road March 30 to cap off a three-day IED Awareness course, which began March 28, designed to prepare them for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. The first two days included classes on IEDs. But the Marines tested their knowledge the last day of the course in three scenarios: clearing a route, running through a casualty evacuation, and an IED attack followed by an ambush. These Marines’ primary mission is to provide freedom of mobility to various units by ridding, in this case, Afghan roads of IEDs, explained 2nd Lt. Daniel J. Bramford, a platoon commander for Mobility Assault Company. Most Marines attending the training are fairly new to the Corps and have never deployed. The Marines said they felt the training thoroughly helped prepare them for Afghanistan. “Overall, I thought it was a great experience, especially for a new guy like me,” said Pfc. Kevin A. Michaels, a combat engineer with the battalion. “I just feel that every bit of training adds pieces to the puzzle so that when we do deploy, we’ll be ready.” Michaels patrolled the most forward section during the entire exercise. “It was scary going out there, even in a demonstration, because you’re looking for everything. Just knowing everyone else is behind you and if you slip up their lives are on the line – and that’s who you have to look out for,” said Michaels. Marines knew what they were going to be tested on, but the instructors left the location of the simulated IED explosion and ambush up to the Marines’ imaginations. SEE ENGINEERS 3A
Photo by Cpl. Walter D. Marino II
Lance Cpl. Joseph M. Snyder, a combat engineer with Mobility Assault Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, assesses a simulated casualty during a training exercise, March 30.
INSIDE THE GLOBE
Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Fisher
Marines and sailors with Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, meet and take pictures with members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in an amphibious assault vehicles on the shores of Morocco, April 10, during Exercise African Lion 12.
GUNNERY SGT. WILLIAM PRICE United States Marine Forces Africa
Service members from all over the United States teamed up with the Moroccan Armed Forces to kick off Exercise African Lion 2012, in Agadir, Morocco, April 7 through 18. Approximately 1,200 U.S. military personnel have arrived in various regions of the Kingdom of Morocco to take part in the annual exercise, designed to improve interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation’s military tactics, techniques and procedures. AL-12 is a U.S. African Command-sponsored, Marine Forces Africa-led exercise that involves various types of training including command post, live-fire and maneuvering, peacekeeping operations, an intelligence capacity building seminar, aerial refueling/low-level flight training, as well as medical and dental assistance projects. Leading Joint Task Force African Lion 12 is Col. Roger Garay, 14th Marine Regiment commanding officer, out of Fort Worth, Texas. Garay said plans for this year’s exercise are bigger and better than ever. “This is the first time a MEU and a re-
serve regiment have teamed together in this capacity, and it has proven to be an adrenaline shot, as it brings aviation and amphibious capabilities to the table that our Moroccan partners are very interested in.” In preparation for AL12, JTF Marines from 4th Marine Logisitics Group, 4th Marine Division, conducted a massive maritime offload at the Port of Agadir, April 5. “We unloaded 169 pieces of rolling stock assets from the (Maritime Pre-positioning Force) in under 12 hours,” said Gunnery Sgt. Fermin Rodriguez, logisitics chief, JTF AL-12. “Everything from M-777 howitzers and logistical items to M-1A1 Abrams tanks. All totaled it was more than two million pounds of gear.” CWO-3 James Clark, assistant strategy mobility officer, MFA, said the offload was historic for the Marines of the JTF. “It is very rare the reserve component is afforded the opportunity to integrate and lead staffs from throughout the United States, in order to utilize the dynamic capability of the Maritime Pre-positioning Force.” This mission-essential gear will be shipped to several different locations throughout Morocco to in-
Marines, children team up to sort, bag food for distribution SGT. RACHAEL MOORE
2nd Marine Logistics Group
NAVY CHIEFS IN AFGHANISTAN CELEBRATE 119 YEARS OF HERITAGE PAGE 4A LEJEUNE SPORTS 1B INSIDE LEJEUNE 1C CLASSIFIEDS 3C CAROLINA LIVING 1D
Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Fisher
Staff Sgt. S. D. Issac who is with Company A, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, adjusts his gear alongside Royal Moroccan Armed Forces before giving them a ride in an amphibious assault vehicle during Exercise African Lion 12, April 10. clude Kenitra, Tifnit, and Garay added. “On the heels the deserts of Cap Draa and of nine months of joint and Tan-Tan. bi-lateral planning, the JTF “African Lion has grown is ready and excited to go so much. It is so well orga- above and beyond AFRInized. Marines and Morac- COM’s goals for this encans are always ready to during U.S. and Moroccan train together in such austere relationship.” environments,” said Al MyWith the Marines, Army, ers, Force Protection liaison Navy and Air Force all officer at the U.S. Embassy present and accounted for, in Rabat, Morocco. U.S. service members will “This year’s African partner with more than 900 Lion is a potential prece- Moroccan Armed Forces dence-setting enlargement counterparts in the coming of the exercise that will weeks, to ensure the roar of further deepen the ties be- African Lion 12 is heard by tween our two countries,” the world.
More than 40 Marines from 2nd Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group volunteered at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Greenville, N.C., March 31. “It’s truly humbling that these Marines would travel this far to help,” expressed Christy Simmons, the manager of public relations for the food bank. The Marines teamed up with children from local volunteer centers to sort through pallets of donated food and to bag sweet potatoes for distribution. “I volunteered as soon as I found out they needed hands to come out here and help at the food bank,” explained Lance Cpl. Cliff Photo by Sgt. Rachael Moore Thime, a water support technician with 2nd A volunteer lifts a box of food off of one of the Maintenance Battalion. “I just do what I can. many of pallets that were sorted at the Food I don’t do much on the weekends so I like to Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in volunteer my time.” The Marines spent two hours working in Greenville, N.C., March 31.
the warehouse and sorted through more than seven pallets of food and prepared more than four boxes of bagged sweet potatoes. “The Marines made a huge difference today,” said Angel Ray, the Greenville volunteer coordinator with the food bank. “This provides us with food to go into our monthly food pantry so families and individuals in need are able to have those items available to them.” The Marines ended the workday by having lunch with the children. “For our kids, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” expressed Jennifiar Roberson, the community outreach coordinator for one of the local centers. “None of the kids at the center have parents that are in the Marines or any branches of service. To be able to interact with a group of them is just an awesome thing for the kids.” Before the Marines left, the children presented them with “thank you” cards to show appreciation for their service to the country and for volunteering with them at the food bank.