News - Sep 2005

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Marines

Archive: September, 2005

Marines head home after hurricane hitch

On Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and left a path of destruction along the Gulf Coast from the panhandle of Florida to the Mississippi Delta. As the nation realized the scale of the disaster, the Marines of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard, named for the Louisiana parish that would become the focus of efforts,

Marines gear up to take on Rita

Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air/Ground Task Force St. Bernard had a change of plans this week as Hurricane Rita aimed in on the Gulf Coast. Only a few days ago, the SPMAGTF was getting ready to say goodbye to the storm-ravaged New Orleans area to leave continuing relief efforts in the hands of capable professionals. Now, the task

SPMAGTF St. Bernard, city officials garner divine inspiration

Key names from Joint Task Force Katrina met with St. Bernard Parish officials Sept. 19 to give spiritual encouragement to those tasked to resettle the city after the massive destruction left by Hurricane Katrina. The ceremony was held aboard the Scotia Prince, which has become home to members of the Parish who were displaced by the category four

24th MEU Marines practice VBSS

While deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment practiced fast-roping techniques onto the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima during a Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure training mission Sept. 18. The exercise was conducted to

Marines remove debris for New Orleans residents

Marines with the Special Purpose MAGTF St. Bernard command element, have been volunteering their time in the last few weeks to go out into the community and assist local New Orleans residents with a clean-up of debris and damaged property. In the past three days a task force of some fifty Marines and Sailors have been out in the residential areas

Georgia Marine makes memories out of the woodwork

When Lance Cpl. Benjamin S. Condra volunteered to leave Trenton, Ga., and go south to provide humanitarian assistance to the scores of U.S. citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina, he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As he traveled through the devastation left by the category-four storm, he picked up a few pieces of history to take

Photo Essay: MSSG-24 clears the way for New Orleans residents

As search-and-rescue efforts come to an end here and reconstruction begins, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard continue to lend a helping hand to the citizens of Orleans and St. Bernard parishes.Marines from Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Group 24 continue to help in these areas, some of the hardest hit by the

Charlie 1/8 puts shoulders into Katrina relief push

Just 10 months ago, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, was clearing the streets of Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Marines of 1/8 have taken up a new mission - provide relief to the survivors of the worst natural disaster in modern American history.Departing Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., on

Marines flex to fit changing mission

After nearly two weeks of humanitarian-assistance operations in the storm-battered Gulf Coast, Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, flew back to North Carolina Thursday to make final preparations before heading to Africa for a long-scheduled training mission. Second Platoon, Charlie Company, will be part of an international team tasked with

Group effort makes hurricane aid possible

When Hurricane Katrina demolished the Gulf Coast, hundreds of Marines, led by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flocked to the storm-stricken area to offer aid to hurricane victims, a mission impossible unless the Marines could sustain themselves. The Marines of the MEU Service Support Group 24 pulled double duty during their short stay in the