News

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SPMAGTF St. Bernard communications keep relief effort on the line

“I operate radios. It’s the first and last line of communication in the Marine Corps,” said Lance Cpl. Matthew Lutz, a radio operator with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element, which recently deployed in support of the Special Purposes Marine Air/Ground Task Force St. Bernard, which provides humanitarian assistance to the Gulf Coast

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Sgt. Billy Leo, platoon guide, 3rd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, cuts shingles to fit while patching up Kathleen Faircloth's roof in Mobile, Ala. The Marines made a special trip to Mobile September 10 after hearing Faircloth, the mother of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Bradley Faircloth, had suffered severe damage to her home caused by Hurricane Katrina. - Sgt. Billy Leo, platoon guide, 3rd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, cuts shingles to fit while patching up Kathleen Faircloth's roof in Mobile, Ala. The Marines made a special trip to Mobile September 10 after hearing Faircloth, the mother of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Bradley Faircloth, had suffered severe damage to her home caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Marines come to aid family of fallen brother

On Thanksgiving Day 2004, in a large old home on a suburban Mobile, Ala., street lined with oak trees, the Faircloth household had set an extra place for a Marine in Iraq. Turkey and ham were served, along with pecan pie and mashed potatoes. Lance Cpl. Bradley Faircloth, whose empty seat at the table was the center of emotion, if not the center of

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Marines begin sweep through St. Bernard Parish

Two hundred Marines began a deliberate, house-to-house search Friday through a swath of heavily flooded territory east of downtown New Orleans, continuing their effort to rescue survivors of Hurricane Katrina and deliver aid to those in need. The Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard – a nod to the parish that will be

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Staff Sgt. Edward J. Schneider, an aircraft maintenance management team supervisor, 4th Marine Air Wing, recovers some keepsakes from his flood-damaged Slidell, La., home. Schneider requested and received help from Marines from A Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines who had arrived on scene as part of Joint Task Force Katrina. - Staff Sgt. Edward J. Schneider, an aircraft maintenance management team supervisor, 4th Marine Air Wing, recovers some keepsakes from his flood-damaged Slidell, La., home. Schneider requested and received help from Marines from A Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines who had arrived on scene as part of Joint Task Force Katrina.

Marines open doors for fellow leatherneck

Doors are piled up in Staff Sgt. Ed Schneider’s driveway. The New York native kicked in the doors to his Slidell, La., home September 7 to gain access after the 15-foot storm surge brought on by Hurricane Katrina made the wood in the doors and the doorjambs swell. “You never really think about how many doors you’ve got in your house, do you?” he

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NEW ORLEANS--Marines from the 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion patrol the streets of New Orleans near Michoud on a search and rescue mission for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The Marines were activated from their reserve components to provide humanitarian assistance after the category four hurricane flooded much of the city. - NEW ORLEANS--Marines from the 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion patrol the streets of New Orleans near Michoud on a search and rescue mission for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The Marines were activated from their reserve components to provide humanitarian assistance after the category four hurricane flooded much of the city.

1/8, 4th AAV settles in Michoud to aid hurricane victims

Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force Katrina planted their boots in New Orleans Sept. 3 to react to Louisiana’s natural disaster. Only a one day later, the SPMAGTF grew a branch in eastern New Orleans, which became the new home of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment and 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion.The Marines are shacking

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NEW ORLEANS--Marines assist Evelin Jenkins out of their Assault Amphibian Vehicle Sept. 7. Jenkins waited 8 days before agreeing to be evacuated from the ruins of Hurricane Katrina - NEW ORLEANS--Marines assist Evelin Jenkins out of their Assault Amphibian Vehicle Sept. 7. Jenkins waited 8 days before agreeing to be evacuated from the ruins of Hurricane Katrina

BLT 1/8, 4th AAVs rescue victims of Hurricane Katrina

The streets of New Orleans have been swept twice over. Once, by Hurricane Katrina, which left a path of destruction and a desperate situation; once, by Marines, whose efforts saved lives and secured neighborhoods for humanitarian operations. The Marines of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division teamed up with 4th Assault Amphibian

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NEW ORLEANS--Cpl. Beese Sampson pulls debris out of the tracks on his Amtrack September 7 during a patrol of New Orleans. Sampson, a reservist, is a member of the 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion, which was activated to provide humanitarian assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina. - NEW ORLEANS--Cpl. Beese Sampson pulls debris out of the tracks on his Amtrack September 7 during a patrol of New Orleans. Sampson, a reservist, is a member of the 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion, which was activated to provide humanitarian assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Unmarked obstacles no match for 4th AAV tracks

“Unanticipated setbacks” in training are something Marines include in a training exercise, but when those setbacks come in a real-world scenario, it’s the true test of competency for a unit. Crews from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion got their test Sept. 4 when they mobilized to New Orleans to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of the

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NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 6, 2005) - Sgt. Lorenzo L. Edwards (left) and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Davis, both inspector instructor staff for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, volunteered to work with the air station's emergency operations center during Hurricane Katrina. Serving as the only Marines aboard the air station, Davis and Edwards supported area clean ups, relief conovys and assisted the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element as they arrived here. - NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 6, 2005) - Sgt. Lorenzo L. Edwards (left) and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Davis, both inspector instructor staff for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, volunteered to work with the air station's emergency operations center during Hurricane Katrina. Serving as the only Marines aboard the air station, Davis and Edwards supported area clean ups, relief conovys and assisted the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element as they arrived here.

New Orleans Marines ride out storm

On August 27, while many service members in the New Orleans area were preparing to evacuate, Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Davis and Sgt. Lorenzo L. Edwards had different plans. The two Marines, inspector instructor staff for 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, volunteered to remain behind as a part of the Naval Air Station's emergency operations center,

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Marines rescue New Orleans residents, deliver supplies

Following Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs have become major areas of concern as time may be running out for the citizens who remained. Some inhabitants of the city remained because they had no means to leave. Marines have moved in with air and amphibious crafts to aid those stranded in the area. The nearly

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Marines put backs into digging in, shoveling out

The city of Slidell, La., is a small but vibrant town of just over 100,000. Picturesque homes and storefronts seemingly cut right out of a holiday magazine line the lazy, narrow roads. There are modern conveniences, however: giant buy-it-all-here superstores; a large mall with stores that seem to be a fixture in every mall; gas stations on every

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