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CAMP HURRICANE POINT Ar Ramadi, Iraq (May 1, 2005) - With his right hand raised, Master Sgt. Roland Salinas, the operations chief with Head Quarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America while being promoted to the rank of master gunnery sergeant by his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Eric M. Smith, during a ceremony here. The 42-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, reached the final rung on the Marine Corps' ladder of success for enlisted personnel after serving more than 24 years. Salinas reenlisted in Iraq and has three years left on his twilight contract. Photo by Cpl. Tom Sloan - CAMP HURRICANE POINT Ar Ramadi, Iraq (May 1, 2005) - With his right hand raised, Master Sgt. Roland Salinas, the operations chief with Head Quarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America while being promoted to the rank of master gunnery sergeant by his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Eric M. Smith, during a ceremony here. The 42-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, reached the final rung on the Marine Corps' ladder of success for enlisted personnel after serving more than 24 years. Salinas reenlisted in Iraq and has three years left on his twilight contract. Photo by Cpl. Tom Sloan

San Antonio, Texas, Marine adds fourth rocker in Ramadi

Roland Salinas reached the final rung on the Marine Corps’ ladder of success for enlisted personnel when he replaced his master sergeant rank insignia with that of master gunnery sergeant during a promotion ceremony here. Fellow Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, gathered to honor the operations chief with Headquarters and Service

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FALLUJAH, Iraq - An Iraqi soldier crouches inside his truck and prepares to begin offloading blackboards here May 2. Iraqi Security Forces and Marine forces here visited local schools to distribute blackboards, school desks, and writing supplies as part of the ongoing joint civil-military mission, "Operation Blackboard." - FALLUJAH, Iraq - An Iraqi soldier crouches inside his truck and prepares to begin offloading blackboards here May 2. Iraqi Security Forces and Marine forces here visited local schools to distribute blackboards, school desks, and writing supplies as part of the ongoing joint civil-military mission, "Operation Blackboard."

Iraqi soldiers help Fallujah’s youth, one child at a time

One word describes the kids here: carefree. They run around the city streets, smiling and waving at the troops passing by, perhaps unaware of the immense responsibility resting on their small shoulders. They are the future leaders of Iraq, soon to be in charge of managing the now-democratic nation’s affairs. What prospects await the liberated

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FALLUJAH, Iraq - 1st Lt. Thomas Waller, executive officer for Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, left, and Sgt. Royes Gernandt, a machine gun section leader with Company B, right, carry boxes of writing supplies and walk toward a school here May 2. Iraqi Security Forces and Marines here visited local schools to distribute blackboards, school desks, and writing supplies as part of the ongoing joint civil-military mission, "Operation Blackboard." - FALLUJAH, Iraq - 1st Lt. Thomas Waller, executive officer for Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, left, and Sgt. Royes Gernandt, a machine gun section leader with Company B, right, carry boxes of writing supplies and walk toward a school here May 2. Iraqi Security Forces and Marines here visited local schools to distribute blackboards, school desks, and writing supplies as part of the ongoing joint civil-military mission, "Operation Blackboard."

N.C. native, fellow Marines help Iraqi children build better future

One thing makes the hours Cpl. Dan Plane and his fellow Marines spend toiling under the scorching Iraqi sun worth it; the smiles, waves and cheers kids give them as they patrol by. Today, those screams of delight were amplified tenfold as the children saw the troops walking through. Perhaps it was also because of the cargo inside their convoy’s

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3/4 Marines mourn the loss of a brother

The crowded room maintained a somber silence as the mourning Marines gazed upon the memorial erected for their fallen brother, Lance Cpl. Juan C. Venegas. Venegas, a 21-year-old scout sniper with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, died April 7, in a vehicle accident outside of Fallujah, Iraq. Two days after the fatal accident, Marines with the

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CAMP HADITHAH, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. John Fisher, a 21-year-old Columbus, Ohio native and mortar man with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment searches for roadside bombs, April 19. The 2001 graduate of Thomas Worthington High School also searched for mortar positions. The search was prompted by a recent mortar attack that hit the dam. Two Iraqis were found with a rifle, explosives and bomb making material. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio (RELEASED) - CAMP HADITHAH, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. John Fisher, a 21-year-old Columbus, Ohio native and mortar man with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment searches for roadside bombs, April 19. The 2001 graduate of Thomas Worthington High School also searched for mortar positions. The search was prompted by a recent mortar attack that hit the dam. Two Iraqis were found with a rifle, explosives and bomb making material. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio (RELEASED)

RCT-2 sweeps up insurgents in Operations Spring Cleaning

The Regimental Combat Team 2 security team entered an Iraqi cement factory in Kubaysah, April 15, to search for weapons and insurgent activity. The search was done in conjunction with a larger mission, Operation Spring Cleaning, intended to uncover insurgent hiding spots. The factory was earlier identified by intelligence sources as a possible

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CAMP RIPPER, AL ASAD, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. Rodney Eric Brin, a 20-year-old Keystone Heights, Fla. native and 2nd team leader for 3rd squad, Beowulf, searches an Iraqi cement factory during a cordon and knock mission, April 15. The 2002 Keystone Heights High School graduate is a member of Beowulf, the regimental reserve force for Regimental Combat Team 2, responsible for a myriad of tasks from security and sustainment operations to setting up snap vehicle control points. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio (RELEASED) - CAMP RIPPER, AL ASAD, Iraq -- Lance Cpl. Rodney Eric Brin, a 20-year-old Keystone Heights, Fla. native and 2nd team leader for 3rd squad, Beowulf, searches an Iraqi cement factory during a cordon and knock mission, April 15. The 2002 Keystone Heights High School graduate is a member of Beowulf, the regimental reserve force for Regimental Combat Team 2, responsible for a myriad of tasks from security and sustainment operations to setting up snap vehicle control points. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio (RELEASED)

Marine Security Team provides RCT-2 with hard hitting asset

A plume of black, acrid smelling smoke blurts from an exhaust stack of an Assault Amphibian Vehicle as it kicks into high gear in Iraq’s desert sand. The convoy of ‘amphibs’ or ‘tracks’ throws up yellow sand and dust that can be seen miles away as it makes its way across the horizon. The experience is something many infantrymen and ‘tracks’

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CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 6, 2005)- Lance Cpl. Jeffery Quattlebaum, a team leader with 2nd Platoon, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2 sights in during his over watch post here April 6. The Philadelphia native has a tremendous responsibility of guarding Camp Al Qa'im and maintaining security of their forward operating base. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED) - CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 6, 2005)- Lance Cpl. Jeffery Quattlebaum, a team leader with 2nd Platoon, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2 sights in during his over watch post here April 6. The Philadelphia native has a tremendous responsibility of guarding Camp Al Qa'im and maintaining security of their forward operating base. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED)

Philadelphia native with a watchful eye

As Marines at Camp Al Qa’im conduct daily operations, Lance Cpl. Jeffery Quattlebaum is up in a tower with an M240G medium machine gun watching the desert plains of the Al Anbar province. The team leader with 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, is currently a part of the camp’s security, which is in charge of maintaining

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CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 9, 2005)- Cpl. Robert L. Gass, a tow gunner with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-2 is a vehicle commander of a combined anti-armor team. The Moncks Corner, S.C., native is deployed to the Al Anbar province of western Iraq where he has experienced a new culture he never would have if he didn't join the Corps two and a half years ago. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED) - CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 9, 2005)- Cpl. Robert L. Gass, a tow gunner with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-2 is a vehicle commander of a combined anti-armor team. The Moncks Corner, S.C., native is deployed to the Al Anbar province of western Iraq where he has experienced a new culture he never would have if he didn't join the Corps two and a half years ago. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED)

Weapons, 3/2 Marine experiences Iraq

For Cpl. Robert L. Gass, the only true job for him in the Marines was the infantry.“I never knew there was any other job in the Marine Corps besides the infantry. But even when I did find out, I still wanted to do it,” explained Gass, an anti-tank missile system gunner with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.And now the Moncks

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CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 14, 2005)- Lance Cpl. Robert E. James, III, (right) and Staff Sgt. Donald R. Williams (left) both supply Marines with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-2 stand with their now infamous "Supplies R' Us" sign here. James, a Roanoke, Va., native joined the Marines after his father presented the option to him. The 2003 William Fleming High School gradute describes his high school years as his troubled times and thanks the Corps for his turn around. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED) - CAMP AL QA'IM, Iraq (April 14, 2005)- Lance Cpl. Robert E. James, III, (right) and Staff Sgt. Donald R. Williams (left) both supply Marines with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-2 stand with their now infamous "Supplies R' Us" sign here. James, a Roanoke, Va., native joined the Marines after his father presented the option to him. The 2003 William Fleming High School gradute describes his high school years as his troubled times and thanks the Corps for his turn around. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lucian Friel (RELEASED)