Marine saves a life. Re: United States Marine Corps News 08/03/96 [2/2]
Morgoth
So I'm Army National Guard, I can apprecite bravy and dedication. Two of
the stories below are good. Volunteer and Life saving. Just had to pass
it on.
On Sat, 10 Aug 1996, Veterans News & Information Service wrote:
> Date: Sat, 10 Aug 1996 02:02:17 GMT
> From: Veterans News & Information Service <ba...@teleport.com>
> Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated
> Subject: United States Marine Corps News 08/03/96 [2/2]
>
>
> From ba...@teleport.com (Veterans News & Information Service)
>
> Division of Public Affairs, Headquarters, United States Marine
> Corps, Washington, DC 20380-1775
> Commercial: (703) 614-1492/4/5 DSN: 224-1492/4/5 FAX: (703)
> 697-5362
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H35296 Byline: Cpl. Lisa Tidewell
>
> Headline: MARINE FINDS REWARDS IN VOLUNTEER WORK
>
> MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, Yuma, Ariz.--What would make a
> 28-year-old man, who is only six credits away from receiving his associates
> degree in architecture, volunteer his every spare moment to helping the
> community?
> Seeing a smile on a child's face, that's what.
> According to Sgt. Charles Thompson, Marine Wing Support Squadron-371
> assistant training chief, it's hard volunteering and going to school at the
> same
> time. However, he said it is worth it, because it's great to see children
> smile
> and make them happy.
> During his three-year tour in Yuma, Thompson has helped Drug Abuse
> Resistance Education, Gang Resistance Advisory Council Endeavor, and the
> Southwest Youth Forum. Working with these agencies, he has helped with
> carnivals, graduations, and police department paint-outs.
> He is currently the head architect on a building project to build a teen night
> club which is set to open in January. With seven-and-a-half years of
> experience in construction prior to joining the Marine Corps, he is definitely
> the right man for the job.
> "The biggest thing for me is, I'm trying to make a change in the environment
> the kids are growing up in," he said. "If I can make a difference in the way
> they grow up, then I can show others that volunteering can help."
> Volunteering is nothing new for this Wheatland, Mo, native. Before he came
> to Yuma, he was stationed on Okinawa, Japan, where he volunteered all of
> his free time. His four-and-a-half year tour with the 9th Engineers consisted
> of cleaning up Japan's beaches and helping to restore an animal park.
> He also worked with a group of 42 Marines who were the first Americans to
> host the Dance of Drums, a Japanese cultural dance. The dance was
> performed publicly on Friendship Day in Japan.
> But the most memorable experience for Thompson was helping restore an
> Okinawan animal park. According to Thompson, the park had been closed
> for two-and-a-half years and had become run down. Together, with a group
> of fellow volunteers, he helped clear out brush, rebuild structures, fix
> lean-tos,
> and repair broken fences.
> "It was great to see the looks on the faces of the people and to see them
> enjoy it," he said. "It's a rewarding experience."
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H35196 Byline: PAO, MCRD SAN DIEGO
>
> Headline: MARINE HELPS SAVE THE LIVES OF A CORONADO
> COUPLE
>
> SAN DIEGO -- The morning of July 10 seemed like any other ordinary
> morning for Gunnery Sgt. Gerald W. Brown. Little did the 35-year-old native
> of Alexandria, La., know that he would be credited with saving two lives that
> day.
> The noncommissioned officer in-charge of instructors at the Naval Air
> Maintenance Training Group Detachment aboard Naval Air Station North
> Island was on his way to work; but he would be a little late.
> "I was on my way to our morning formation around 6:30 am. I was coming
> across the Coronado-San Diego bridge, and I noticed this young man and
> young lady standing on the railing. She was clinging to his leg, and he was
> yelling at her," said Brown.
> >From that point, the Marine acted without hesitation; he pulled over behind
> the couple's stopped vehicle and took charge of the scene. He noticed
> several people running toward the two distraught individuals and immediately
> told them to stop, because they were making the couple nervous and anxious.
> "I walked up to the young man standing on the railing. At this point the young
> lady had her leg over the railing. He was trying to encourage her to stand up
> there with him, so they both could jump together," said Brown.
> For Brown, growing up in the Marine Corps from the age of 17 to 36,
> certain values and beliefs had been instilled in him. "We've always been
> taught
> as Marines that we never retreat, we only find a better position. We have to
> do the same thing in life." So he applied these beliefs and tried to
> communicate them to this very confused couple.
> "I told him that I don't know what you are going through, but whatever it is,
> this is not going to solve the situation," Brown recalled.
> While talking with the potential suicide victim, Brown was able to move
> closer to their car putting himself even closer to the couple on the railing.
> After being engaged in a conversation for more than five minutes, the
> Coronado Police arrived on the scene.
> By that time, the troubled man was able to encourage his female companion
> to join him on the railing. Both of them were now standing on the edge of the
> bridge overlooking San Diego. He told Brown, "We're both going to jump,
> there is a suicide note in our car, you're not going to be able to stop us."
> After discussing with the young woman about her children and other things,
> Brown managed to encourage her to sit down on the railing. "If you are not
> going to think about yourselves, at least think about your kids."
> The man interrupted their conversation yelling, "I want to die, I want to die,
> (expletive) this, it is all going to be over with, I want to die, come on
> honey
> get back up here, get up here with me, let's do this thing together."
> At this point Brown realized the situation was heading down hill and would
> require drastic measures. Unfortunately, the car door was open, preventing
> him from getting to the couple without hesitation.
> The woman told a female police officer "I want down", and so they helped
> her down to safety. This distraction gave Brown the opportunity to close the
> car door while the man was not looking.
> The man was yelling at his female companion, so Brown was able to work his
> way to the front of the car. When the man moved away from his female
> companion and the police officer, Brown went into action.
> "I really don't know what happened at the time, I told myself it is now or
> never. I just reached out, and grabbed a hold of him and started wrestling
> with him."
> Brown was able to pull him off the railing, but the man grabbed the railing
> and
> started crawling over the top and tried to throw himself over with Brown
> clinging to his back.
> "When he went back on top of the railing, I thought that we might go over. I
> got him in a half-nelson, he elbowed me in the head a couple of times, and we
> wrestled all the way to ground, and I landed on top of him." At that point,
> police officers were able to hand cuff him.
> "I went and I took a look over the edge, and we were over the water past
> the pier, somewhere between 150 and 200 feet up," he explained. "One of
> the police officers asked me, 'Did you ever think about the fact that you
> could
> have gone over'?"
> "Yes, I did think about that; but there was a human life up there on the edge.
> I have seen too many human lives taken over stuff that could've probably
> worked out," said Brown. "I think about what type of person I would have
> been and what type of Marine I would have been if I just stood around and
> watched this take place. I like to think any Marine would have done what I
> did."
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: 31-96MAIL Byline: SGTS. EDWARD
> DURAND AND SAMUEL SANDOVAL, HMM-166
>
> Headline: MARINE MAIL: QUESTIONS ABOUT HELICOPTER
> CREW CHIEF MOS
>
> The following Marine Mail was received from Sergeants Edward G. Durand
> and Samuel L. Sandoval, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-166, MCAS
> Tustin, Calif.:
> This correspondence is intended to voice what we believe to be a legitimate
> concern. We speak as a collective group of HMM-166's crew chiefs
> (6172s). We find our MOS becoming dangerously short in the lower ranks
> -- E5 and below. We also see E4s and E5s choosing to get out of the Marine
> Corps rather than reenlist.
> The main reason they choose to get out is that they do not see a very bright
> future as a 6172. It is a big concern for (those of) us who are staying in as
> well. Currently, we find ourselves being told that we are (at) 98 percent in
> the
> gunnery sergeant ranks, 103 percent in the staff sergeant ranks, and 83
> percent in the sergeant ranks.
> What that means to us is that the Marine Corps will not be promoting to staff
> sergeant in our MOS again. Since our MOS is critical, it also means that we
> will again not be afforded the opportunity to serve on a "B" billet tour to
> possibly earn a meritorious promotion. Meritorious promotions would only
> compound the promotion problem for future 6172s, anyway.
> Our senior sergeants now face service limitations as well. The option they are
> being presented with is to do a lateral move to the 6112 MOS. It is ironic in
> that most of them were 6112s initially. These senior sergeants went to the
> same schools at the same time as many of the 6112s who were selected for
> staff sergeant three years ago. They were the Marines who initially phased
> out the bottom of the newly created 6172 primary MOS in 1988. Those
> Marine volunteers were not given a choice between remaining a 6112 or
> becoming a 6172; they were forced into the MOS.
> Most would have done it anyway because they were flying as volunteers
> already. Reflecting back, if they had known what was to come, they would
> have opted to stay as 6112s and would be staff sergeants or staff sergeant
> selects now. It is disheartening to look at their plight, but it also presents
> a
> cause for concern in our future as 6172s.
> Another concern is safety. Units with a table of organization of 19 crew
> chiefs
> for deployment are actually deploying with 13 to 14 crew chiefs. Considering
> that normally there are three staff NCOs who fly occasionally, and some
> 6172s who are still in training (completing syllabus), a deployed squadron
> could conceivably find itself with 8-10 crew chiefs to fly 12 aircraft. Safety
> quickly becomes a concern at a time when it is most important -- on
> deployment.
> Recommendation: Revert the MOS to what it was before. Make it a
> secondary MOS only available to certain aircraft wing MOSs. Restructuring
> the MOS in an effort to make promotions more equitable created this
> problem. As a crew chief, it was invaluable to get on-the-job training as a
> mechanic initially, which the new way of making crew chiefs does not really
> allow for.
> Marines should receive their initial training (i.e., basic helo school) and be
> ordered to a unit. At the unit they would be trained as mechanics for six
> months to a year. Marines could then be identified as candidates for Aircrew
> Candidate School (attrition would probably drop at that school, saving the
> Marine Corps money). Upon graduation, these Marines would return to the
> squadron for an additional three months of in-house crew chief training. The
> result would be very well rounded mechanics/crew chiefs who could handle
> any situation that might arise.
> Any attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated by us, would
> greatly help future 6172s, and ultimately the Marine Corps. /s/Sgt. Edward
> G. Durand and Sgt. Samuel L. Sandoval
>
> The following response was provided by Col. J.D. Hildreth, Head, Aviation
> Manpower and Support Branch, HQMC:
> We are in receipt of your electronic mail expressing your views concerning
> the CH-46 crew chief MOS. The issue has been the subject of detailed
> reviews by my staff and other agencies within the Marine Corps over the past
> year.
> The crew chief MOS was established as a primary MOS at the request of
> the fleet units. The primary reason was to ensure standardization throughout
> the different helicopter communities, thereby improving the level of safety.
> Realizing that safety is paramount and that the crew chief MOS for CH-46s
> is critically under-manned, a message was released in April 1995 authorizing
> squadron commanders to train and designate Marines as secondary MOS
> crew chiefs as a temporary solution until such time that sufficient initial
> accession crew chiefs are trained and qualified.
> Broad efforts are underway by Manpower and Reserve Affairs which will
> serve to alleviate the imbalances in grade structure throughout the aviation
> community. With the recent completion of the Enlisted Grade Structure
> Review, manpower planners can develop accurate requirements for
> accessions, training, promotions, and retention. M&RA will expand a
> program of short and long extensions to meet critical operational
> requirements, fill MOS shortages, and position Marines for future
> reenlistment. Additionally, a study has been initiated to examine the
> cost/benefit to the Marine Corps of aging the enlisted force beyond the
> current 51.1 percent in the top six grades; for aviation this should mean that
> the more experienced maintenance Marines and enlisted flight crew will be
> promoted and stay longer. These ongoing actions will ensure that we recruit,
> train, promote, and retain the Marines we need for crew chief MOSs and for
> Marine aviation in general. Some time will be required for many of these
> programs to show results, but there are no quick methods for providing
> Marines to the fleet.
> As with any change, growing pains have been experienced in the crew chief
> community. As you can see, the problems have been identified and corrective
> actions are being taken. The effectiveness of these actions are being closely
> monitored by HQMC (Aviation and M&RA) as well as the Marine Corps
> Combat Development Command (Training and Education) to ensure
> continued progress and improvement.
> I deeply appreciate your interest in our Corps and encourage you to continue
> to bring your concerns and ideas to the attention of those who can take them
> forward to fruition. Your concern for your community and our Corps shows
> the type of dedication and initiative the Corps needs in today's rapidly
> changing world. Keep up the outstanding work. Semper Fi. /s/Col. J.D.
> Hildreth
>
> Send your Marine Mail to:
> Letter -- Marine Mail, CMC, Headquarters Marine Corps, 2 Navy Annex,
> Washington, D.C. 20380-1775.
> E-Mail -- Type "MAIL" on the Marine Corps electronic mail system to
> locate the Marine Mail mailbox.
> Internet -- http://www.usmc.mil/hqmc/hqmc.mil.
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H35396 Byline: Frank Stevenson,
> MWRSUPACT, Quantico
>
> Headline: MARINE MORALE, WELFARE, RECREATION SET TO
> UNVEIL NEW THEME IN CASUAL DINING
>
> MARINE CORPS BASE, Quantico, Va. -- The Marine Corps Morale,
> Welfare and Recreation Support Activity's Food and Hospitality Branch is
> developing a new casual-themed restaurant concept, with a prototype set to
> debut in 1997 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine
> Palms, Calif.
> Called "Excursions," and themed around a world travel motif, the restaurant
> features an entryway styled like a railroad station, food bars with hot air
> balloons floating above, and nautical and highway signs and posters
> throughout.
> The menu, developed and tested by executive chef Anthony Marko, is an
> eclectic international blend, mixing a caravan of exciting food stations with
> creative and contemporary a-la-carte selections. The food stations feature a
> 43-item soup and salad bar, plus American, Italian, Mexican, and Oriental
> stations. The American menu is on all the time, joined by two of the other
> three groups. A-la-carte choices, served from the galley, include burgers,
> entree salads, overstuffed sandwiches, pastas, and rotisserie chicken and
> ribs. Excursions will market the rotisserie items as take-out for the "hurry
> home for dinner" crowd.
> Excursions will also house a lounge with gourmet coffee bar at the entryway,
> serving cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos. During morning rush hour, the
> lounge will serve pastries and coffee for Marines on their way to work. In the
> evenings, a variety of signature house specialty beverages will be available.
> "We have a very price-conscious clientele," says Carol Garland, Head, Food
> and Hospitality Operations Branch, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Support
> Activity, Quantico, Va. "So, we're keeping price points for lunch at no more
> than $6, and dinner to $11. We want our customers to know they're getting
> good value for their money. Our research and focus groups tell us that
> Marines want a casual-themed family restaurant.
> "With Excursions, we believe we have a concept Marines and their families
> will be excited about."
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H34696 Byline: Lance Cpl. Thomas H.
> Champion
>
> Headline: MARINE MWR 'KONNECTS' TO INTERNET, PROVIDES
> LINK TO TECHNOLOGY
>
> CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa, Japan -- Technology is changing everyday.
> With these constant advancements, it's important for everyone to have a
> direct line to the source of modern technology. Marines on Okinawa finally
> have their direct line to the source, Marines Morale Welfare and Recreation's
> "Konnect."
> Konnect is an internet service provider available to personnel living off base
> or on Marine camps on Okinawa. It's provided by MWR in conjunction with
> Kokusai Denshin Denwa, International Telegraph and Telephone, Okinawa
> Service Company.
> There is no sign-up fee for Konnect subscribers, said John Hafemeister,
> MWR executive. Users receive unlimited internet access for a flat rate of
> $22.50. "High quality service for the least expense," is how Hafemeister
> described Konnect in comparison with other internet providers on Okinawa.
> MWR will also provide its subscribers with the software necessary to use
> Konnect. "Each customer will get their own software and instruction manual.
> But people who already have an internet service provider don't need the
> software to use Konnect. They can just change their internet provider (IP)
> address," he said.
> In order to keep current with the new Konnect subscribers, MWR has
> established a 10-to-1 ratio of customers to phone lines available, according
> to Hafemeister. They also have the capability to increase the number of
> phone lines to maintain this ratio.
> Hafemeister said there are currently 113 phone lines available for the Camp
> Foster area. However, plans for the near future include 96 lines to be added
> to Camp Courtney and 32 to Camp Kinser.
> Camp Foster's telephone switch isn't large enough to handle the phone lines
> necessary for Konnect, he said. Calls have been routed through the Fort
> Buckner Switch. However, a new phone system is currently in the works for
> Camp Foster -- one which can support MWR's needs.
> "We think this will be the fastest and best internet service available on the
> island," said Col. Casey C. Roberts, assistant chief of staff, MWR. "I can't
> think of a greater program that will have as much of a direct and lasting
> impact as this ... and our patrons are responding in a positive fashion."
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H34996 Byline: Sgt. Lance M. Bacon
>
> Headline: MARINE OLYMPIAN SETS THREE AMERICAN
> WEIGHTLIFTING RECORDS
>
> ATLANTA -- Being a noncommissioned officer requires a Marine to carry a
> lot of weight on his shoulders. Cpl. Tom Gough carries a little more than
> most.
> Gough, a 24-year-old native of Fairfax, Calif., set aside his NCO stripes for
> a short period to boast stripes of another kind -- the stars and stripes of
> the
> country he represented in weightlifting competition during the Centennial
> Olympic Games.
> In the competition, Gough set three American weightlifting records, including
> a 440.9-pound clean and jerk on his first attempt and a 369.3-pound snatch
> on his third attempt.
> Breaking such records is nothing new for the 200-pound weightlifter. His
> accomplishments over the last half-decade include:
> -- Three bronze medals in the 1995 Pan American Games
> -- Two-time World Championships team member
> -- Three-time Junior World Team member
> -- Gold medal at the 1995 Silver Dragon Tournament and the 1996 NCACI
> Championships
> -- U.S. Olympic Festival-94 silver medalist
> -- Two-time National Junior champion
> -- 1995-96 National champion
> -- Three American records before entering the Olympic competition
> While breaking the records was nothing new to him, the feats still did not
> provide the personal satisfaction he desired.
> "I wanted more. I wasn't really interested in records, I just wanted to place
> as
> high as I could," he said in an interview with the "Atlanta
> Journal-Constitution"
> following the competition.
> Gough was able to place 14th overall in his first Olympic appearance, but
> another story on the platform shadowed his achievement and the achievement
> of his peers.
> Alexai Petrov of Russia took the gold, winning by 27.6 pounds and setting a
> world record in the snatch. His participation in the Olympics, however, was
> the subject of much discussion since Petrov had been given a lifetime ban by
> the International Weightlifting Federation after testing positive for steroids
> at
> the 1995 World Championships in Guangzhou, China.
> The ban was overturned two months ago when Petrov convinced officials
> that his positive test results were from a vengeful girl friend lacing his
> protein
> supplements with the illegal drug.
> Despite the controversy, Gough is able to return to the ranks as an Olympian
> and American record holder. But don't look for him to quit there. Back
> among his fellow Marines Gough will be looking for a different title -- "to be
> the greatest Marine who ever lived."
> -USMC-
>
> Date: 08/03/96 Release #: H35496 Byline: PAO, MCB CAMP
> PENDLETON
>
> Headline: NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP PENDLETON TO PRESENT
> ANNUAL ZUSKA SUBSTANCE ABUSE SYMPOSIUM
>
> CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-- Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton will present
> the 14th Annual Zusta Substance Abuse Symposium on Oct. 24-25 at the
> South Mesa Staff NCO Club. The two-day conference will feature
> well-known authors and speakers and is open to all and continuing education
> hours will be awarded.
> The keynote speaker will be Dr. Andrew Mecca, director of the California
> Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, who will present scientific
> verification of the success of treatment programs in the state of California.
> A
> variety of other topics such as the importance of treating nicotine addiction
> in
> chemical dependency programs, the clinical value of art therapy, the success
> of outpatient care, and the incidence of addictions among death-row inmates
> will also be presented.
> On the second day, speakers will deal with Gambling in America and its
> various effects on families, laws and treatment programs for compulsive
> gamblers.
> For more information, call (619) 725-1561.
> -USMC-
>
> End Part 2 of 2
>
>
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Morgoth
If you think I'm scary, you should see me kids (grin).