Commander-in-Chief Trophy Ceremony
April 24th, 2012 | From the Ranks Photography | Posted by Alan Lessig
President Barack Obama strikes the Heisman pose after accepting a football from quarterback Tim Jefferson, left, during the Commander-in-Chief Trophy presentation to the U.S. Air Force Academy football team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 23, 2012. The Air Force team beat Army and Navy teams in 2011 to claim the trophy for the 18th time.
Goose Stepping
April 19th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by Alan Lessig
North Korean soldiers take part in a mass military parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate 100 years since the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung on Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Best Seat in MRAP
April 17th, 2012 | Afghanistan Photography | Posted by James J. Lee
On a convoy between locations in Kajaki, I was once again awestruck by Marine ingenuity. The guys from the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines Motor Transport Platoon had built a wag bag toilet into the back of their MRAP. The gunner, Corporal Brandon Szopinski explained that life on the roads of Afghanistan often meant long hours between umm… facilities, so doing as Marines do, they improvised.
This particular toilet looked plush and comfy, complete with a foam padded seat for those bumpy rides. So, if the going gets tough, I now know where to find the best seat around.
Dog kisses in Kajaki
April 13th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by James J. Lee
Lance Cpl. Richard Bissett gets some love from Camo, an improvised explosive detection dog at Observation Post Shrine in Kajaki, Afghanistan, on Friday. (James J. Lee / Staff)
OBSERVATION POST SHRINE, Afghanistan – I miss my dog, but I didn’t realize how much until I met Camo, an improvised explosive detection dog. This little position on a hill overlooking the Taliban-held area of Zamindawar is referred to as a “static ambush position,” so Camo doesn’t get much of a chance to do her thing up here.
After sitting for hours at the feet of handler Lance Cpl. Richard Bissett as he stands post at one of the gun positions, Camo tears around the camp kicking up dust, sweeping water bottles off cots with her tail and getting lots of laughs from all the guys up here with her infectious energy.
She’s permanently attached to Bissett’s side, except for frequent stops to get a little attention from other members of the squad. Bissett will have to turn Camo over to a new handler this summer when he returns to Camp Lejeune, N.C., but until then she’s spreading morale to Third Squad, Second Platoon, in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines.
For more from embedded Marine Corps Times journalists Dan Lamothe & James J. Lee, check out the Marine Corps Times blog, Battle Rattle.
Angry Bird Frag
April 11th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by Alan Lessig
Great use of an “Angry Bird” stuffed animal as a “grenade cover”. I came across this posted on Facebook and Twitter and thought I’d share it on our blog. Personally, I’d have chosen the Mighty Eagle since it destroys all of your enemies when it explodes, but Red Bird looks a bit more aggressive. Either way, I can only imagine the surprise that the enemy would have if they saw one of these flying their way.
F/A-18D Crashes in Virginia Beach
April 6th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by Mike Morones
Twitter user Kandice Angel (@kandidrops) posted this photo of the fuselage of an F/A-18D Hornet burning after it crashed into a residential building in Virginia Beach, Va., Friday, April 6, 2012. Both pilots, from VFA 106, managed to eject though no life-threatening injuries have been reported. See Navy Times for the story.
Smile!
March 30th, 2012 | From the Ranks Photography | Posted by Alan Lessig
A smiley face adorns a Humvee during the 558th Military Police Company, 728th MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, during the units field exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, March 23, 2012. (Spc. Marcus Fichtl/Army)
Riverine Training
March 17th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by Mike Morones
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (March 13, 2012) A Sailor assigned to Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 2 fires a dual-mounted .50 caliber machine gun at a target aboard a Riverine Command Boat off the coast of Virginia during a live-fire exercise. RIVRON 2 is conducting unit level training in order to certify for upcoming deployments. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Paul D. Williams)
Autograph
March 12th, 2012 | Photography | Posted by Mike Morones
President Barack Obama signs the prosthetic arm of Marine Corps Sgt. Carlos Evans after greeting wounded warriors during their tour of the White House in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama met Evans, who was injured in Afghanistan while on his fourth combat deployment, during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2010. (White House photo by Pete Souza)
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
February 24th, 2012 | From the Ranks Photography | Posted by Alan Lessig
A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules, assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, conducts a mass airdrop of paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, out of Vicenza, Italy, Feb. 10, 2012. More than 300 paratroopers were dropped to commemorate 70 years of combat airlift abilities for the 37th AS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Holly Cook)