Marines in Afghanistan light up the sky — and the Taliban
April 17th, 2012 | Afghanistan Embedded journalism Infantry Kajaki Marines Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Lance Cpls. Ahmad Garland, left, and Andrew Baxter of Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines fire illumination rounds from a 81mm morter tube at FOB Zeebrugge in Kajaki, Afghanistan, on Sunday. (James J. Lee / Staff)
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, Afghanistan – The job was called in like many others: “We’ve got a mortar mission now!” yelled Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, the platoon sergeant for the fires team here.
With that, a handful of Marines with Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., scrambled through the darkness Sunday night to an 81mm mortar tube on this mountainside base in Kajaki district, Afghanistan. A small group overseen by Cpl. Wesley Neville, a squad leader, launched a series of illumination rounds over a rocky ridgeline and lit up the sky. The rounds exploded in white light and washed everything below in eerie light as they slowly fell from the heavens like fireworks.
Missions like this, where Marines man both mortar tubes and M777 Howitzer artillery guns, are common. The illumination rounds can serve a variety of purposes, from providing coalition snipers better visibility to forcing likely insurgents to react, Marines said. Taliban fighters frequently meet under the cover of darkness and decide who to track from a distance.
Photographer James Lee and I observed the mission in the darkness and watched Lance Cpls. Andrew Baxter and Ahmad Garland scramble with Neville to get their work done. They sent five shots over the horizon then wiped the sweat and dust off their brows.
I’m writing this blog entry from FOB Whitehouse, the headquarters in Kajaki for 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. I’d like to thank the Marines of Golf Battery and Alpha Company 1/8 for their candor and hospitality while we were in their neighborhood.
Does this gun make me look taller?
April 13th, 2012 | Battle Rattle Weapons | Posted by Gina Harkins
Marines looking to appear a bit taller may just need to pick up their guns.
Holding a gun could give the illusion of a boost in height and muscle mass, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Participants were given photos of men’s hands holding various items. They were asked to judge the man’s height based on the photos. Those holding guns or large kitchen knives were conceptualized as more physically imposing — taller, with bigger muscles — than those holding more mundane items, like a paintbrush or caulking gun.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal PLoS ONE— which is part of a larger project funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research — looks at the ways humans assess threats. In determining how to react to potential conflict, humans take in factors like sex, size, age and weaponry. That might explain why they assume someone with a deadly weapon would be bigger, or harder to fight.
The study did not indicate how tall it was thought a man holding an M16 would be.
Largest explosion ever at Army post … courtesy of Marines
February 15th, 2012 | Afghanistan Battle Rattle Marines Marjah Training Weapons | Posted by Gina Cavallaro
Soldiers at Fort Benning, Ga., an Army post about 90 miles south of Atlanta, were treated to a gargantuan BOOM recently by the Leathernecks who train there.
An Army TV news correspondent starts her report by saying the U.S. Marine armor school detachment there, “made history… by detonating some of the largest explosions Fort Benning has ever seen.”
A group of combat engineers was having some fun… er, conducting a training exercise with their mine clearing line charge, known as the MCLC and pronounced mik-lik, from their assault breacher vehicle and set off the kind of awesome explosion that makes boys and girls want to be in the military.
The 10-week assault breacher vehicle crewman’s course is new at Benning for Marine and Army combat engineers, who learn to use the machine that’s already shown its value in operations in Afghanistan, where it was used for the first time in combat in 2009. The Maine Corps had it first… now the Army’s getting it.
In the video, lead instructor Staff Sgt. Bobby Stone describes how he saw the MCLC in action in Marjah when he was there with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. Said it saved lives.
“We’ve definitely made our mark today,” Stone says of the giant explosion at Benning.
A detailed look at the Marine Corps M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle
October 27th, 2011 | Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
A prototype of the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, as seen in the Military Times photo studio last week. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Staff)
In this week’s print edition of Marine Corps Times, there’s a story about the full rollout of M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles to the fleet beginning early next year. I won’t give it all away here, it’s fair to say dozens of battalions will receive the weapon in coming months following Commandant Gen. Jim Amos’ decision last summer to approve full fielding.
With that in mind, we invited a representative from Heckler and Koch, the maker of the IAR, to Marine Corps Times last week. Along with Rob Curtis of the Military Times Gear Scout blog, I got a look at the weapon’s bells and whistles.
There are a lot of rumors about which magazines will fit in the rifle, so Rob decided to address those to the extent possible, too. Check this video out:
To check out Rob’s take on the weapon and two dozen close-up photographs, surf over to Gear Scout.
2/4 Marine sniper killed by friendly tank fire, report says
October 25th, 2011 | Afghanistan Infantry Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Lt. Col. William Vivian, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, pays his final respects to Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt after an Oct. 13 memorial service honoring the fallen Marine. (Photo by Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde)
Last week, Marine Corps Times outlined how the deaths of four Marines in Afghanistan in a one-month period were under investigation.
It looks like an explanation may be emerging for how one of those deaths occurred.
Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt
A Marine sniper was killed in combat Oct. 6 when a tank platoon mistook Lance Cpl. Benjamin Schmidt and other Marines for enemy forces, Schmidt’s father said he was informed. The story was reported by the San Antonio News-Express, which is based in Schmidt’s hometown.
From the story:
Although a military investigation has not been completed, Schmidt said the Marine, who is stateside, told him that Benjamin Schmidt died while his platoon was engaging the enemy in a firefight on a ridge in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand province.
“What I’ve been told is that a tank platoon came upon them, mistook them for the bad guys and opened fire on the entire platoon. And that’s how Benjamin died,” he said.
Schmidt was a member of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, which deployed from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to Helmand province’s Musa Qala district this fall. It’s not clear what kind of he may have been hit with. The M1A1 tanks deployed in the Musa Qala area alongside 2/4 are typically armed with a 120mm smoothbore cannon, a .50-caliber machine gun and two 7.62mm machine guns. It’s hard to believe that if Schmidt was hit with a cannon round, others in the platoon wouldn’t have been killed.
In September, Maj. Gen. John Toolan, commander of Marine forces in Helmand, highlighted the success snipers were experiencing while working with tank platoons to target the insurgency in the Musa Qala area. The long-range sights on the tanks helped the snipers establish positive identification on enemy forces, the general said.
Marines with 2/4 replaced 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. in Musa Qala, and have been operating alongside Lejeune’s Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion. It wasn’t clear they were involved in this incident, but they have remained deployed in that area.
General: More than 100 kills for some Marine snipers
September 1st, 2011 | Afghanistan Infantry Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
A scout sniper with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, is shown here last fall at Fort Pickett, Va., preparing for the unit's present deployment to Afghanistan. (Photo by Lance Cpl. John Merkley)
Earlier today, I hopped on the horn with Maj. Gen. John Toolan, commander of Marine forces in Afghanistan. We discussed a wide variety of issues for several forthcoming articles in Marine Corps Times, but there’s at least one piece that I wanted to report today.
Noting that the initial deployment of Marine tanks to Afghanistan was high-profile, I asked the general what the current unit downrange — Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. — is doing.
One answer: Helping Marine snipers lay insurgents to waste.
The unit is now partnered with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, deployed to Helmand province’s Musa Qala and Now Zad districts. A combat correspondent’s report earlier this summer said 2nd Tanks’ operations could be tedious and uneventful, but it’s not always that simple.
The tanks crews have combined with snipers from 3/2 to form a deadly combination, Toolan said. The long-range optics on the tanks have a range of up to four miles, and have helped Marine forces establish positive identification on enemy fighters at distance, clearing the snipers to fire.
“They’ve been highly effective,” the general said. “Just in the past 10 days, the tank and snipers teams have contributed to about 50 enemy insurgents killed, using the snipers as sharpshooters and the tanks for the surveillance capability. It’s really a great combo, and 3/2 is spearheading that.”
Toolan added a matter-of-fact estimate: “We have some snipers that probably have upwards of 100 kills,” he said.
If that sounds like a lot, it is — even for the best snipers. Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock, the legendary Vietnam sniper, retired with 93 confirmed kills. He may have had dozens of others, but if Toolan’s estimate is accurate, it still means 3/2′s snipers have done some extraordinary work this summer.
2nd Tank Battalion sets up shop in Afghanistan
August 10th, 2011 | Afghanistan Kajaki Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
First Tank Battalion, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif., returned to the U.S. late last month. (Marine Corps photo)
Quietly, the Marines of Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, have joined the fight in Helmand province, Marine officials said.
The unit replaced Delta Company, 1st Tanks, which became the first U.S. forces to operate tanks in the Afghanistan war earlier this year. Delta Company returned home to Twentynine Palms, Calif., late last month, but the mission rolls on.
To date, not much has been shared publicly about 2nd Tanks’ mission. It is clear that they’re in northern Helmand province and attached to Regimental Combat Team 8, which oversees operations in Sangin, Musa Qala, Kajaki, Now Zad and other districts.
In one example of their use, 2nd Tanks elements have been assisting elements of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, near Now Zad in a “picket line” designed to prevent insurgents from harrassing travelers. Both units are out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.
More information from a recent combat correspondent report:
The mission can be tedious and uneventful, but the Marines sitting in trucks and tanks 24/7 understand their purpose. Their actions allow the far-flung districts of Now Zad and Musa Qal’eh to tie into the commerce and prosperity of the rest of Northern Helmand province. The 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines is working to spread the word amongst the people that they may once again drive where they choose.
One can only hope they’re still using Freak Show, the tank highlighted in this story.
Exclusive photos: The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle in combat
June 27th, 2011 | Afghanistan Gear Infantry Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
UPDATE: The Marine Corps Times cover story on the IAR is now posted online here.
The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle was approved for full fielding recently by Commandant Gen. Jim Amos. Marine Corps Times profiled the decision in its print edition last week, outlining what it means for each fire team, rifle qualifications and the gear Marines bring to war.
The decision is a big deal to the Corps, but until now, no photographs of the IAR in Afghanistan have been released. That’s where Marine Corps Times photographer Tom Brown comes in. Below, you’ll find images shot on patrol last week with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It’s the first battalion to take the IAR to war, and senior writer Gina Cavallaro has a feature on it in this week’s print edition.
For now, the photos:
Lance Cpl. Joshua Houck, of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, looks through the scope of his M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle during a June 23 patrol in Garmser, Afghanistan. (Photo by Thomas Brown/Staff)
Lance Cpl. Joshua Houck, of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, crosses the Helmand River with the new M27 IAR during a June 23 patrol in Garmser, Afghanistan. (Photo by Tom Brown/Staff)
Lance Cpl. Kendrick Johnson, of Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, holds the new M27 IAR during a June 23 patrol in Garmser, Afghanistan.
Behind the Cover: The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle goes Corps-wide
June 20th, 2011 | Afghanistan Behind the Cover Infantry The CMC Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
This week’s Marine Corps Times cover story outlines a change that has been debated for at least a decade: Dumping the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in favor of an infantry automatic rifle.
Commandant Gen. Jim Amos recently approved the change, allowing full fielding of the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. It’s a possibility that has been widely discussed in the last few years, but we lay out what it will mean for infantry units, rifle qualifications and those snazzy polymer magazines that Marines love, but won’t be able to take downrange anymore.
The 5.56mm IAR will become the new standard for automatic riflemen. That means there will be one in virtually every four-man fire team, with three per squad, 28 per infantry company and 4,476 across the Corps.
For what it’s worth, senior writer Gina Cavallaro is embedded with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. She has details on how the unit — the first to deploy with the IAR — has adopted the weapon into its operations downrange. Expect to see those in a forthcoming Marine Corps Times, too.
Check out this week’s Marine Corps Times on newsstands for more details, or subscribe here online.
Behind the Cover: Big changes for Marine service rifles
June 13th, 2011 | Behind the Cover Gear Weapons | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Since early in the Iraq war, Marines in combat have carried either the M16A4 rifle or M4 carbine, 5.56mm workhorses that leathernecks know well.
Soon, the Marine Corps could adopt big changes to those weapons. While the Army searches for a possible new carbine, Marine officials want to overhaul both the M16A4 and M4, modernizing to make them more adjustable, accurate and comfortable.
The effort to modernize the M16A4 shows a continued divergence with the Army, which continues to favor carbines and their shorter barrels. The Corps continues to stick largely with the M16A4 and its 20-inch barrel, which advocates say offers more accuracy and stopping power at distance.
Marksmanship offiicals with Weapons Training Battalion, out of Quantico, Va., walked me through the options in an interview last week. Several of them were recommended following the Corps’ 2011 Combat Marksmanship Symposium in March, but didn’t emerge publicly as things the Corps was moving on now until this month.
For the details, check the story out on newsstands this week or subscribe online here to read it now.