Now slimmed down, former Navy lineman leads Marines in Afghanistan
April 18th, 2012 | Afghanistan Football Marine Corps Navy | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Jeff Lenar, a former guard for the Navy football team, dropped some 50 pounds en route to becoming a Marine infantry officer. (James J. Lee/Staff)
KAJAKI, Afghanistan – Second Lt. Jeff Lenar is a long way from the bright lights of college football at the U.S. Naval Academy, and it took serious discipline to get there.
The infantry officer with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, leads 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, overseeing Marines in combat who patrol near the landmark Kajaki Dam in Helmand province. Since deploying early this year, he has led his platoon in raids into Taliban-held area and overseen surveillance missions used to collect information about insurgents.
His trip there was complicated: to join his fellow Marines, Lenar shed dozens of pounds from his 6-foot-4 frame. He was listed at about 270 pounds while on the team, but now weighs about 220, he said.
Lenar, 25, of Marietta, Ga., said he lost the weight in about six months before reporting to officer training at The Basic School, out of Quantico, Va.
“I went into it knowing I had to gain weight, and then that’d I’d have to take it off,” he said of playing college football.
As a Midshipman, Lenar provided depth at offensive guard, graduating in 2010. He reported to 1/8 in July 2011, and has been with the battalion since.
Marines, sailors take in Super Bowl at sea
February 6th, 2012 | Football Marine Corps Navy | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Maj. Doug Baker, a Patriots fan from Roxbury, Conn., reacts while watching the Super Bowl in the officer's wardroom aboard the USS Wasp. (Mike Morones/Staff)
ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP WASP -– If you’re going to watch your favorite NFL team lose in the Super Bowl, it may as well be somewhere interesting.
That’s the scenario I found myself in last night as I continue to cover Bold Alligator 2012, a massive amphibious exercise involving at least 14,000 personnel and 25 ships off the coast of North Carolina and Virginia. Like many of the sailors and Marines aboard this gator ship, I had accepted there was a strong possibility the game wouldn’t be on while underway –- only to find out the exact opposite.
Not only did the Wasp have the Super Bowl, the ship’s leadership went out of its way to make sure as many people as possible could see it. From the wardroom, to the barber shop, to the mess deck, several thousand personnel took a break to watch the game, in which the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots, 21-17.
The liveliest place to view the game was the hangar bay. A movie theater screen and hundreds of chairs were set up, and Marines and sailors turned it into a concert-like environment in which the game and the commercials alike received howling cheers and boos.
The crowd was polarized when it came to sports, with any close-up shot of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or Giants quarterback Eli Manning receiving a loud, mixed response. It was less so when it came to the commercials, as the raucous response to a new ad for the Fiat 500 Abarth showed. It depicted a tall, exotic woman flirting with a short, awkward man – until he realized he was simply daydreaming. The Marines and sailors howled.
In the ward room, dozens of officers aboard gathered over chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, coffee and soda to watch the game on two big-screen TVs. Several foreign officers asked questions about the rules of American football, and U.S. personnel cheerfully explained.
As a Massachusetts native, I took all this in with a red Patriots T-shirt poking out from underneath my half-zipped fleece. A few people noticed, but no one poked fun. They understood the draw of the game.
In the hangar bay, Lance Cpl. T.J. Miller, 20, told me he found out he’d be involved in Bold Alligator two days before the ships launched earlier this month. A Patriots fan, he assumed he’d miss the game for the second year in a row.
“They told me two days before, ‘Pack your stuff. You’re going,’ and I thought it was possible I’d miss it,” the CH-53 mechanic said. “The signal has gone out twice for about 30 seconds, but if it happens again I’ll go see what happens in the mess deck.”
Ah, the signal. Late in the game, it did go out again. Shortly after Giants receiver Mario Manningham reeled in a spectacular sideline grab that put New York in position to win the game, the screens on board went dark.
“Are you kidding me!” several Marines and sailors yelled in the mess deck, frustrated with the timing.
The signal came back a few moments later, and stayed true through the end of the game. When Giants running back fell into the end zone with the game-winning score with about a minute to play, much of the hanger bay exploded into cheers.
Brady’s last desperation heave into the endzone fell to the ground a few minutes later, and Giants fans on board erupted. A sailor began blowing a whistle as though it were a musical instrument, and a group of Marines and sailors began jumping up and down in celebration.
Lance Cpl. Alex Ovide, 23, was one of the most boisterous. An amphibious assault vehicle crewman from Queens, N.Y., he’ll be involved in the amphibious unfolding over the next few days, but was glad to watch the game. He missed it last year while he was in the field, he said, and didn’t know the Wasp would have the game until it was already underway.
“I was just hoping to get a phone call out and find out the score,” Ovide said. “There was a rumor mill at first that we’d be able to see it, and then it came together.”
The result of the game, Ovide said, was “simply beautiful.” He congratulated the Patriots on a great season, knowing that I was a fan.
“This was great,” he said. “All of us came together, and all of the branches of service on board, too. It’s something you can really appreciate.”
I couldn’t agree more. Other than the final score, of course.
‘Patriot Wing’ C-5 cargo jet grabs spotlight at Patriots-Ravens game
January 23rd, 2012 | Air Force Football | Posted by Dan Lamothe
A Patriot Wing C-5 approaches Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Sunday. (Photo by SrA. Kelly Galloway/Air Force)
When most people think of aircraft flyovers at sporting events, they think of swift jets. It’s the Blue Angels, maybe, or some other fighter squadron providing the thunder.
Not at the Patriots-Ravens game this weekend, though. The honors at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts were carried out by a lumbering C-5B Galaxy from the 439th Airlift Wing out of Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. – and it made all the sense in the world for the hometown team.
For years, the unit has referred to itself as the Patriot Wing, even using the New England Patriots logo on the tail of its aircraft.
As Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler completed the national anthem Sunday, the C-5 soared overhead. It quite clearly caught the attention of quarterback Tom Brady and other players, as you can see in this video:
Crew members sounded ecstatic with how the flyover turned out in local media reports today. The decision to include the Patriot Wing was made last minute, and its members jumped at the chance, according to CBS-3 out of Springfield, Mass.
Video: Justin Timberlake’s Marine date dominates MMA match
October 25th, 2011 | Marine Corps Mixed martial arts | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Marine Cpl. Kelsey De Santis smiles after winning her MMA fight Saturday night. (Photo by James J. Lee/Staff)
In the blink of an eye, it was over. Justin Timberlake may want to take notice.
Cpl. Kelsey De Santis, the Marine who famously invited the singer and actor to attend the Marine Corps birthday ball with her, competed Saturday night in Operation Octagon XVI, a mixed martial arts event in Sterling, Va.
To say it was a one-sided fight would be an understatement.
De Santis, fighting in the 145-pound featherweight title fight, pummeled her opponent, Stacy Sneeringer. With a flurry of energy, De Santis took Sneeringer to the mat early, and finished her off 2:51 into the fight with a series of punches and elbows to the face. The match never made it to Round 2.
Staff photographer James J. Lee and I attended the event, held at the Dulles Sportsplex. Check out his video here:
As you can see, the 5-foot-9 De Santis had a large following in the crowd of about 300 people. She took the the microphone in the ring afterward and thanked a variety of people, including her coaches and fellow Marines at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence in Quantico, Va. She also acknowledged all the hoopla surrounding the sensation her YouTube invitation created.
“I’m looking forward,” she said, “to going to the Marine Corps birthday ball with Justin Timberlake.”
On came one of his signature songs, “SexyBack,” and the crowd cheered.
Introducing New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, last action hero
April 5th, 2010 | Football Marine Corps | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Drew Brees, quarterback of the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, has made a habit of endearing himself to Marines. Considering Marine Forces Reserve is based in his back yard in the Big Easy, that makes sense, but few athletes have gone as far as Brees recently to show his Marine Corps love.
This may take the cake, however:
That’s Brees, handling some serious small-arms firepower in Djibouti on March 29 during a USO visit. He made the appearance with teammate Billy Miller and Donnie Edwards of the Kansas City Chiefs, meeting members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., while they were training in Africa, according to this Marine Corps photo page on Flickr.com.
That’s the second USO visit overseas for Brees within a year, by the way. The last one resulted in him adopting a Marine running cadence to inspire his teammates.
Many troops saw Super Bowl, but no commercials
February 9th, 2010 | Haiti Marine Corps | Posted by Dan Lamothe
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLIV against Indianapolis on Sunday. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
So, what was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? The bizarre Denny’s chickens freaking out? The Megan Fox lovefest? The increasingly bizarre Bud Light commercials that air every year?
Plenty of U.S. service members were unable to watch the game Sunday night due to operational commitments, but even those who did in many cases missed the commercials, which have their own little place in American culture.
Take the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which returned to its ships after completing earthquake relief work in Haiti and watched the game on Armed Forces Network, which airs public service announcements instead of rotting brains by airing commercials featuring flying Dorito ninja stars.
The MEU, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., posted semi-frantic updates on Facebook and Twitter about their quest to watch the game. First came this at 5:17 p.m. Sunday:
USS Nassau resupply complete – Marines and Sailors hoing signal comes back so we can watch Super Bowl
“Well, good for you guys!” supporters said. Then came this update at 6:30 — kickoff time.
So we have a signal!!!
Bingo! Good news! And then came another update that many civilians wouldn’t have expected at 7:23 p.m.:
Worst part of the SUper Bowl on ship – we don’t get to see any of the real commercials
Capt. Robert Shuford, a spokesman deployed with the unit, confirmed all those details in an e-mail to AfterAction.
“AFN does not play commercials but fills that time with different types of public service announcements,” he said.
The Super Bowl, it stands to reason, is probably the one piece of programming all year in which troops might actually miss watching the advertisements. On the upside, the MEU did post this update on Facebook after someone asked them if they sang along with The Who, who performed during halftime.
We did get to sing, and powerslide – Alot of Marines and Sailors are participating in ship’s activities for game
Now invading the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry: The Marines
December 21st, 2009 | Baseball Marine Corps | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz follows the flight of a springtime home run against the New York Yankees. (AP photo)
Last spring, the Marine Corps launched its Marine Week campaign in Chicago, giving the service a new way to reach out to large cities where it has a limited presence.
The event probably had a few hiccups, but overall, it was considered a success. Now, the Corps is moving forward with bigger plans in another great American city, Boston, and it’s wisely planning to tap into the city’s rabid sports culture in the process.
Marine Week organizers at the Pentagon interviewed for this story told me that they hope to incorporate Marines into a Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park. The two teams play May 7-9, dovetailing nicely with Marine Week, which will begin May 3.
Capt. Antony Andrious, a Marine Week organizer, said Boston was selected due to “its extensive history within American culture and deep sense of patriotism.
“The city provides an opportunity to demonstrate the Marine Corps capabilities and enhance relationships between Bostonians and the Corps,” he said. “In addition, Boston offers a robust academic community and a strong media market that reaches diverse audiences.”
How will Marines be incorporated at Fenway Park? That remains unclear, but I hope it goes beyond the traditional Marine band performance. Since there will be hundreds of Marines in the city and equipment that likely ranges from Humvees to helicopters, I say give us something original. An MV-22 Osprey flyover, perhaps?
Where does Saints quarterback Drew Brees get motivation? The Marine Corps
November 30th, 2009 | Football Marine Corps | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Drew Brees learned a little something on a USO visit. (AP phot0)
The New Orleans Saints take on the New England Patriots tonight in Monday Night Football, which is as good of a reason as any to share the following: Drew Brees loves him some Marines.
At least that appears to be the case, since he not only visited troops overseas with the USO in June, but found motivation in a Marine Corps running cadence.
Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune has details:
Brees will address the team with a quick intro, then repeat the team’s 2009 mission statements: “Be special,” “Finish strong” and “Smell greatness.” Then the team will break into a spirited count, alternating numbers — “One! Two!” — with the words “Win!” and “Again!” The count builds to a crescendo, stopping, ironically, at 10, when the Saints start repeating “Again! Again!” clasp hands and break the throbbing huddle.
Brees is notoriously secretive about the chant, a derivative of a Marine Corps running cadence he learned during a USO Tour visit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But it’s meaning is clear: Win every game.
If anyone has YouTube video of the Saints’ chant in action, we’d love to share it.
Happy Veterans Day
November 11th, 2009 | After Action Football Marine Corps | Posted by Dan Lamothe
The late, great Ted Williams flew combat missions over Korea in 1953 during a hiatus from his career with the Boston Red Sox. //The Associated Press
Todays is Veterans Day, and that means plenty of publications that rarely write about military life are giving thanks to the U.S. military.
Take Sports Illustrated scribe Joe Posnanski and the blog Baseball Think Factory, which salute the troops by posting a 2006-era photo of Marines playing baseball in Iraq.
Or Yahoo! Sports, which makes a valiant attempt to name some of the greatest athlete-veterans in U.S. history.
Or NFL.com, which shares a feature on Tennessee Titans fullback Ahmard Hall, who served in the Marine Corps for four years before walking onto the University of Texas football team.
These are all good things. In many ways, the sporting world is one of the most welcoming to veterans, and a place where — sadly — some Americans get some of their only exposure to military life.
Former Marine Capt. Matt Ufford, a sports blog luminary and former tank officer, also shares some of his own personal history today in a revealing blog post on Kissing Suzy Kolber. It’s well worth a read on an important holiday like this one — or anytime, really.
College Football Rankings: Navy win highlights weekend
November 9th, 2009 | After Action Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, left, reacts with safety Emmett Merchant following a turnover by Notre Dame during the third quarter of the teams' Nov. 7 game in South Bend, Ind. Navy beat Notre Dame for the second time in three seasons, 23-21.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a win worthy of crowing about.
Navy eeked out its second win in three years over No. 22 Notre Dame on Saturday, beating the Fighting Irish 23-21 on the strength of Craig Schaefer’s sack for a safety on (onetime) Heisman Trophy hopeful Jimmy Clausen in the end zone with 60 seconds left in the game.
The win had several effects. First, it kills any chance that Notre Dame will make a BCS bowl this year. Second, it serves as another probable nail in the coffin of Charlie Weis’ career in South Bend, Ind. Fun times!
Here’s a look at After Action Report’s power rankings for service academy football:
1. Navy (7-3): There is a tendency this weekend for college football observers to focus on all that Notre Dame did wrong Saturday, rather than all Navy did right. Let’s be fair: Navy failed to slow down the Irish air attack, which had 452 yards passing, but they limited Notre Dame’s big plays and dominated the game clock by rushing for 348 yards on 57 carries. Underdogs deserve some love, too.
2. Air Force (6-4): Army’s loss was Air Force’s gain this weekend. With a 35-7 win over the Black Knights, Air Force solidified their hold on our No. 2 spot.
3. Army (3-6): At halftime, Army was tied with Air Force, 7-7, and looked like it was ready to pull off a major upset. That’s what happens when your defense sacks the quarterback three times, records nine tackles for a loss and limits the fourth-best running attack in the country to an abysmal 4 yards on 21 carries. To say Army didn’t sustain that level of excellence in the second half is an understatement: Air Force ended the game with 160 yards rushing, and reeled off four touchdowns in the second half. Ouch.