Katy Perry kisses …. a sailor?!
April 23rd, 2012 | Battle Rattle | Posted by Tony Lombardo
Pop star Katy Perry portrayed a Marine in her newest video, but when she performed at the Naval Academy last Friday night, it was all about playing sailor.
Perry, who said she was fighting a fever, performed in a sailor get-up. In this YouTube video she proceeds to recreate the iconic World War II-era image of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square. A lucky service member named “Beasely” plays the coveted role of sailor and promptly plants one on Perry’s kisser.
The crowd, of course, goes bananas.
ABC News offers more details.
WWE star Randy Orton gets booted from Marine movie
April 3rd, 2012 | Battle Rattle | Posted by Tony Lombardo
Last month, WWE star Randy Orton was at the top of the ropes. Not only was he one of WWE’s most popular wrestlers, but he was announced to star in “The Marine 3: Homefront,” the latest sequel in the action-movie series.
But then Orton’s sordid past with the Marine Corps turned up and locked his career in a sleeper hold.
While Orton’s stint in the Marine Corps could have been a plus, his service record is far from stellar. In 1999, the wrestler was labeled a deserter, court-martialed and given a bad conduct discharge, according to Manpower and Reserve Affairs. While records show his case was appealed, Orton’s charges stuck and his service contract expired in 2002. He was only a private.
The whole controversy seems to have torpedoed his movie career, or at least his role in the “Marine” series, which originally starred wrestling veteran John Cena.
After word spread about Orton, WWE swiftly pulled him from the film, according to this report from TMZ.
The entertainment website also claims to have interviewed one of Orton’s fellow former Marines, Cpl. Mike Vinn, who was understandably upset over Orton’s service record.
“I am disgusted that his face and the word Marine are being used next to each other — real or fake — because of the fact that he quit us, the country, and the Marine Corps,” he reportedly told TMZ. “[Orton] in the role of a Marine is a disgrace to those that have worn and are wearing that uniform.”
In the film, Orton, a.k.a. The One Man Dynasty, was slated to play “a Marine forced to put his skills to the test when a radical militia group kidnaps his rebellious daughter,” according to a report from Variety.
Sounds like heroic stuff.
But when Orton was a young buck with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., he ditched the Corps for nearly three months and was deemed a deserter, according to Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
In addition to being found guilty of unauthorized absence, he was found guilty of willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer.
My question to you is this: If Orton is out of “Marine 3,” who would you recommend take his place? My vote is for Brian Stann. I haven’t seen him act, but do you need acting chops for a direct-to-video WWE-produced film?
Nominate your Marine of the Year
March 22nd, 2012 | Battle Rattle | Posted by Tony Lombardo
It’s that time again. Where Marine Corps Times seeks out the unsung heroes from around the Corps and names one the “Marine of the Year.”
We aren’t looking for those Marines who make headlines for combat exploits. Instead, we’re looking for everyday heroes whose dedication, professionalism and concern for their fellow service members and community set a standard.
They lead by example — giving their time, sharing their knowledge and inspiring others — without drawing much attention to themselves.
Through April 20, we are accepting nominations for the 11th annual award from their peers, supervisors, family members and/or friends.
There are three ways to nominate — online, by mail or fax.
Please send us:
* Your name (nominator), address, phone number and e-mail address.
* The name, address, phone number and email address of the nominee and the unit commander.
* An explanation of why your nominee deserves this award, in 300 words or less.
* Names and contact information for three people who can verify the nominee’s achievements that took place in 2010.
For online submissions: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/marine
* By e-mail: mailto:marine@marinecorpstimes.com
* By fax: Marine Corps Times Marine of the Year Award at 703-642-7325
* By mail: Marine Corps Times Marine of the Year Award, 6883 Commercial Dr., Springfield, VA 22159
The awards presentation will take place in mid-July on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Behind the Cover: The new face (and body) of Marine PT
March 12th, 2012 | Battle Rattle Behind the Cover Pop culture | Posted by Tony Lombardo
Meet Pauline Nordin. She’s 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 117 pounds and has a body-fat percentage between 7 and 10 percent. She also sports biceps that measure “12 and a half inches, cold.”
She’s not a Marine, nor does she have military experience. So why is she featured on the cover of this week’s Marine Corps Times?
Her fitness and nutrition lessons have caught the eye of officials at Headquarters Marine Corps, who want to enlist her help in training Marines.
Nordin first hit their radar when a mock recruiting poster went viral bearing her image. The poster read “U.S. Marines. We turn girls into women and women into leathernecks.” It was created by an apparent super fan of Nordin, of which there are many.
Despite her lack of military training, Marine officials say there is clear potential in her teachings.
See this week’s issue for all the details about Nordin’s career, plus diet tips (she eats 7 pounds of veggies a day!), and finally, a workout Nordin says is guaranteed to kick a Marine’s ass.
MCAS Yuma to Marines: Stay out of ‘S**t Creek’! — UPDATE
January 5th, 2012 | Marines Safety | Posted by Tony Lombardo
The list of off-limit places in southwest Arizona has nearly doubled for Marines, according to a news release from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
Among them is a place called “S**t Creek.” It’s not a roughneck bar nor a seedy store. It’s actually “the confluence of the Colorado and Gila rivers,” according to a Yuma news release.
A view of the Lower Colorado River. Its junction with the Gila River is an area known as "S---t Creek." Marines are banned from visiting it at night.
It’s not completely banned, mind you. You can visit in the daytime, but when the sun sets — stay out!
Also notable is The Mine Shaft, located at 3905 S. 4th Avenue. This bar was added “because of the amount of physical altercations resulting in physical injuries and lack of security at the establishment,” the release states.
Under investigation are several stores believed to be selling spice, a product marketed as incense but used to get high.
Marines who visit the off-limits locations are subject to non-judicial punishment or court martial.
Read the full Yuma release here.
Editor’s note:
MCAS Yuma spokeswoman Capt. Staci Reidinger provided some clarification on this issue. It turns out that Marines have been banned from S**t Creek since 2006. It’s a known troublespot for underage drinking and drug use, Reidinger said. The Mine Shaft effectively “doubled” the number of off-limits spots by becoming only the second location on the list. So Yuma Marines have a pretty short list of off-limit locales — The Mine Shaft and S**t Creek.
‘Your quarterback is your platoon commander’
January 5th, 2012 | Leadership Recruiting The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps | Posted by Tony Lombardo
The Marine Corps hosted the inaugural Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 in Phoenix.
The competition pitted the East against the West in a game featuring 100 of the best high school football athletes from across the country.
On Jan. 4, official B-roll surfaced from the East’s locker room, revealing the pep talk given to players by Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey, commander of 1st Marine Division, and Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, the Corps’ top enlisted Marine.
While the West would go on to beat the East, 17-14, Barrett had some strong words to pump the players up.
At about the 3 ½-minute mark, Barrett tells the team:
Your quarterback is your platoon commander. Do everything as a team. Everything you have …all your means…all your talents…all your fiber…leave it out on the battlefield today. Everything you have, leave it on the field today. You should walk back into this room at the end of the game with nothing left. If you can come in here and jack around and do nonsense, you did not give it all!”
In the West locker room, Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of Marine Recruiting Command, and Sgt. Maj. Michael Logan, also of Recruiting Command, led the pep talk. Footage of their speech was not immediately available.
“1 Marine vs. 30 Cops (Marine wins)”
October 18th, 2011 | Events | Posted by Tony Lombardo
With one helluva headline, the YouTube video “1 Marine vs. 30 Cops (Marine wins)” is getting a lot of attention in the news and on the blogs.
In the clip, a man billed as “United States Marine Corps. Sgt. Shamar Thomas from Roosevelt, NY” takes about five minutes to yell at a large group of NYPD, accusing them of police brutality. Thomas is an activist in the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has hit the streets of New York to peaceably protest the “corporate forces of the world.” If you’re interested, you can read more about the mission here.
Thomas gets in the faces of several officers and screams more than once “There is no honor in this! There is no honor in this!” It’s intense.
So, the fact Thomas is a Marine makes the whole incident a lot more interesting. But one important note to mention — missed by a lot of people out there — is that Thomas looks to be a former Marine.
Manpower and Reserve Affairs confirmed their records do show one Shamar Thomas — an Iraq veteran, who left the Corps in 2007. This explains his stubble and unbuttoned jacket.
It also seems to match the YouTube description, which says Thomas is now playing amateur football and attending college.
Does it bother you, or inspire you, that Thomas is wearing his MARPAT for this scene? No doubt he wouldn’t be getting nearly as much attention if he had his worn his football jersey or waved his college pennant.
Soundtrack for the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter
October 5th, 2011 | Aviation Pop culture | Posted by Tony Lombardo
The F-35B has started sea trials. You can read more about that here. Rather than settle for natural sound, a couple of new videos have pumped up the excitement by adding a musical score.
The Navy, on its official YouTube channel, used Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” An intense song, no doubt, what with its constant refrain of “Let the bodies hit the floor!” and all. Navy tweeted the video with the warning “BAD GUYS BEWARE.”
The F-35 Joint Program Office used this video. While much more tame, the score seems inspired by Michael Bay’s films.
What do you guys think? Does this increase your interest in the new jet?
Parris Island’s new mascot
September 28th, 2011 | Animals | Posted by Tony Lombardo
There’s a new mascot at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He’s got what it takes to be a Marine, a depot spokesman said. What he doesn’t have is a name.
The 8-week-old English Bulldog arrived this month at the depot. His predecessor, Sgt. Archibald Hummer, died in his sleep on Sept. 7 at the age of 5.
The new puppy is described as both active and cute, said depot spokesman Sgt. Russell Midori.
“He definitely has what it takes, but it’s going to take some training to get him up to the standard,” Midori said.
The name of the new mascot is ultimately up to depot commander Brig. Gen. Lori Reynolds, Midori said, but the base is also taking suggestions via this Facebook post.
Some notable suggestions include “Dakota,” for Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer, and “Ira,” for Cpl. Ira Hayes, who took part in the second flag-raising on Iwo Jima immortalized by Joe Rosenthal’s photograph.
What would you name pup?
‘Hell and Back Again’ — Watch the trailer
September 27th, 2011 | Afghanistan Infantry Pop culture | Posted by Tony Lombardo
“Hell and Back Again,” a documentary by photographer Danfung Dennis, begins hitting theaters Oct. 5. It features members of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., who deployed to Afghanistan in 2009.
Arguably the most powerful scenes in the trailer involve 27-year-old Sgt. Nathan Harris’ transition back home.
The trailer is posted below. For the screening schedule click here. I’ll be buying a ticket.