This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Marine Corps

  • Marine snipers want a new rifle

    This past weekend, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, who claims to be a Marine infantryman, wrote in the Washington Post about the need for the Marine Corps to replace their aging inventory of M40-series sniper rifles with something that is more like the rifles that their sister services and their enemies employ.

    Current and former Marine Corps snipers say their hardware doesn’t match the capabilities of the other services, not to mention what is in the hands of enemies such as the Taliban and the Islamic State.

    “It doesn’t matter if we have the best training,” said one reconnaissance sniper who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to talk to the media. “If we get picked off at a thousand yards before we can shoot, then what’s the point?”

    I agree completely. In an age when the Pentagon throws away bucket-loads of money on a jet that won’t work as advertised for another decade or so, surely the Marines can arm their long-range shooters with a weapon that shoots at long ranges. For less than $3000, I have a .338 Lapua Magnum-chambered rifle that can out shoot the M40. I’ll donate it to the Marine Corps if they promise to kill more jihadists with it. But, if I, as a private citizen, can afford a better rifle than what snipers in the Marine Corps are issued, certainly the Corps can cough up enough to arm their snipers for the modern battlefield.

    Here’s someone else who is better armed than the USMC Marines hitting a beer can on the first shot at more than 1200 yards with a .338 mag (at about 2:30 into the video).

  • Marine Sergeant Cody Leifheit saving the world

    Marine Sergeant Cody Leifheit saving the world

    Cody Leifheit

    Marine Corps Sergeant Cody Leifheit heard yelling and screaming in his new neighborhood and ran to find out if someone was in trouble or not. He found a 19-year-old Travis Kent hanging by his neck from a tree branch 25 feet off the ground. Leifheit sprinted back to house and retrieved a blade to cut down the apparently lifeless body;

    “Sergeant Leifheit was like Hercules climbing the tree,” recalled Tow, adding that Leifheit reacted without hesitation and ascended the tree “as easily as if he were climbing stairs.”

    Former subordinate of the sergeant spoke with admiration;

    “I’m sure it was just another day for him,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Jeff Decker, who served under Leifheit from 2012-2015. He described Leifheit as a respected leader devoted to caring for and training his Marines.

    “If we gave 100 percent, he gave us 110 percent back,” Decker said of Leifheit.

    But you should go to the link and read the whole story of the sergeant who wouldn’t give up on a young man who had given up on himself.

    “We can mess up a lot of things in life where there are no immediate consequences,” Leifheit said. “One thing you can never fail at twice is saving a person’s life.”

    […]

    “My brother is the closest thing I’ll ever have to a dad,” Dartanian said. “By saving his life, Sergeant Leifheit practically saved mine.”

  • Peralta family accepts Navy Cross

    Peralta family accepts Navy Cross

    rafaelperalta

    In 2004, Sergeant Rafael Peralta shielded his mates from a grenade blast with his own body. The Navy tried to award posthumously his family a Navy Cross for his actions that day, but his mother refused the honor because she thought that her son deserved the Medal of Honor, the only award higher than the Navy Cross in the Navy. We’ve discussed the controversy here several times as recently as February, we were quoted in the Washington Post.

    Although witnesses swear that Peralta made a conscious decision to save his fellow Marines with his own shattered body, forensic professionals claim that it wasn’t possible. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that he was ready to award the medal to Peralta, but the science stood in the way. You know, the same old pogues vs. witnesses argument.

    Well today, Peralta’s mother finally accepted the Navy Cross for her son at Camp Pendleton. According to the Associated Press, the citation reads;

    While attempting to maneuver out of the line of fire, Sgt. Peralta was shot and fell mortally wounded. After the initial exchange of gunfire, the insurgents broke contact, throwing a fragmentation grenade as they fled the building. The grenade came to rest near Sgt. Peralta’s head. Without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Sgt. Peralta reached out and pulled the grenade to his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding fellow Marines only feet away.

    The award is for the same thing that the forensic boobs said the Marine sergeant couldn’t have done. And there’s always the USS Rafael Peralta coming down the chute.

  • Another Deadly USMC Aviation Mishap

    News reports indicate that a USMC MV-22 Osprey made a ‘hard landing” at Bellows Air Force Station, Hawaii, shortly before noon (HST) on Sunday. “Hard”, as in “burned afterwards”. Local reports indicate there are 1 reported dead and several injured.  (A later report from a different source puts the number injured at 21).

    The aircraft was from the 15th MEU at Camp Pendleton, CA. It had been participating in exercise activities associated with the first US Pacific Command’s Amphibious Leaders Symposium.

    The old recruiting slogan was right: “It’s not just a job – it’s an adventure.” And the “big-boy toys” you get to play with are neat.

    It’s sometimes a damned dangerous adventure, though. Those big-boy toys can also be fickle sometimes. And if things go south or someone makes a mistake, they can be deadly.

    May God comfort the surviving family and friends of those dead and injured, and grant the injured a full and speedy recovery.

  • Waverley Reynar’s MOS was Professional Liar

    Waverley Reynar’s MOS was Professional Liar

    Last week Jonn posted about Waverley “Wave” Reynar. We know much more about him now that we didn’t know then. We know that his deceit and lies go back decades. We know that exposing his lies has hurt many good people that only want to help injured veterans. We know that his lies have hurt the real Marines that he claimed a brotherhood with, those that he pretended to have shed blood with. Most of all he has hurt Marines that were injured in Afghanistan and Iraq, the guys who are desperately trying to find their path in a changed world. They looked up to him. They admired him. They saw in him an elder brother, one who had been where they were at and found his way out of the darkness. They saw in him a father figure, a mentor and, last but not least, someone who understood what it was like to be mortally wounded and survive. Someone who had endured and triumphed. Someone who had not only lived but had a full life after the suffering. He gave them hope.

    I have gotten to know a few of the people affected by his lies in the last week. Some of these same people were mocked and ridiculed on this site for supporting Waverley. We have forgotten that these people were not just names on the internet. We forgot that these are the people that we have talked so often about. These are the real victims of Stolen Valor. These are not people who bought into a lie for financial gain like those friends of Phil Moncross or AJ Dikens. These are real people who are veterans or people who support veterans. These are the people who believed a lie out of love and devotion. They were hoodwinked and conned, and I know you can’t cheat an honest man, but I also now know lies are not the same as being cheated. What happened here is many honest people, some veterans, some not, were lied to. They believed those fantastic lies because they are honest. They have a deep integrity. They have a moral compass. Waverley used those very qualities against them. We attacked his victims because they were doing what real friends do. We attacked them for not believing us right away. We attacked them for defending a friend. We ridiculed a wounded Marine veteran for having the nerve to question us. Instead of educating him and showing him the truth, we scorned him. In many ways, this week members of this site were no better than Waverley. We can and must do better.

    I wrote the two paragraphs above yesterday (Friday) morning. Things have come to light since then that need to be shared.

    Hold on to your hat folks: Waverley C. Reynar was in fact a Marine. He served from 1963 until February of 1967. There is a problem with the FOIA request, and that is why we didn’t get a hit back. I am working on getting a correct FOIA requested. What I do know is this….he did not earn any personal awards in that time. No Silver Star. No Purple Hearts. No Bronze Star. He was not a diver. He was not shot in the head. He was never a Gunny. Our best information at this time indicates he was either a Corporal or Sargent. It is not believed that he served in Vietnam. HE did get stationed in Adak Alaska, that’s almost the same as Vietnam, RIght? He did enlist in the Navy as soon as he got out of the Marines. He served on several diesel subs as a cook. It would also seem the he retired from the Navy in the early ‘80s with the pay grade of E-5. What should have been good and honorable service has been ruined by lies that started almost 50 years ago.

    So to Mr. Reynar, I offer my apology, I said you were not a Marine and you were. That simple fact makes everything else you have done deplorable. In my opinion, you are the worst case of Stolen Valor I have ever seen. You stole services and honors from real wounded Marines. You told your lies to them knowing that they were suffering far worse than you ever had. You took all expense paid trips and travel, given to you because of your tall tales. You deprived real Wounded Warriors of those trips. I have spoken to your victims. People who took you into their homes and hearts. Good people that made you a part of their families. You may have earned the Eagle Globe and Anchor at one time in your life, but you have disgraced it with your actions. You shit on your brothers. How long will you continue to dodge the phone calls from your victims, or your “friends”? How long will you continue to lie? All they are asking for is the truth, but then again that’s something you haven’t told in fifty years. You see Mr. Reynar, I have been witness to the pain and intense sorrow your lies have caused. Congratulations, you made Marines cry. You have continued those lies this week with your stories of injury and illness. I saw the pictures. I also decoded them. Most were taken over a year ago. You don’t even have on the same clothes for pictures that were supposed to have been taken back to back. Picture numbers are hundreds apart. Yet you still try to con those that defended you. You are worse than a street thug, you use the sympathy and compassion as your weapon, not a knife or gun.

    This is a clear cut case of Stolen valor. He falsely claimed valor awards and profited from those claims. He was given all expense paid trips to several different states and cities. He was the guest of honor at many functions. He is a conman and a thief. I hope he is prosecuted for his crimes. There is more to this story, and I will find it all out.

  • Not Good News

    Fox News is reporting that a USMC UH-1 with 8 aboard (6 US, 2 Nepalese) is missing in the vicinity of Charikot, Nepal.  The aircraft was from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469.

    It is unknown at this point whether the aircraft was able to land safely, or precisely where it may have returned to earth.

    US Marines are in Nepal supporting humanitarian relief efforts in the aftermath of the recent Nepal earthquake.  Regrettably, such relief operations are often dangerous – sometimes nearly as dangerous as a shooting war.

    Should you be so inclined, now might be a good time to send a mental request to CINC-ALL regarding the well-being of these troops – one asking for His assistance in quickly locating and returning them safe and sound.

  • Sergeant Daniel Knapp; denied reup because of tattoo

    Sergeant Daniel Knapp; denied reup because of tattoo

    Daniel Knapp tattoo

    The Marine Corps Times reports that Sergeant Daniel Knapp was denied the opportunity to reenlist in the Marine Corps because of a tattoo on his forearm.

    Knapp posted a 280 and 300 on his Physical Fitness Test and Combat Fitness Test, respectively. He did a second deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, conducting helicopter raids in the Sangin and Now Zad districts of Helmand province. And during his six years in uniform, Knapp earned two meritorious masts, two certificates of commendation, four expert rifle badges and certification as a black belt Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor.

    “Everything was going great,” he said. “I always intended on staying in. I picked up meritorious corporal on my first deployment to Afghanistan and sergeant right after that. I was almost going on three years as a sergeant. All the battalion staff thought I was pretty competitive. They were pretty amazed how they shot me down for re-enlistment. Nobody could believe it.”

    If I’m reading the article correctly, it does look like Knapp got his tattoo after the Corps’ regs changed in 2010, though.

    Personally, I don’t see the big deal about having a tattoo. I survived my two decades of service without getting one, but, you know, it’s a personal choice. If a soldier or Marine like the article describes SGT Knapp to be gets one, it really shouldn’t impact their career. Knapp sounds like an effective life-taker and trigger puller, but you know, that’s not what our armed forces are focused on these days. It’s how they look on the parade field, I guess.

  • Navy Cross for Gunnery Sergeant Brian Jacklin

    Navy Cross for Gunnery Sergeant Brian Jacklin

    Brian-C.-Jacklin

    The Marine Corps Times reports that Gunnery Sergeant Brian Jacklin of the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion will receive the Navy Cross for his actions in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on June 14, 2012;

    That morning, the Marine special operations team was in a village compound when it suddenly found itself the target of heavy enemy gunfire. The attack left the team leader and another Marine critically wounded.

    “Without hesitation, Gunnery Sergeant Jacklin seized control and orchestrated a counterattack,” his medal citation states.

    With the team’s primary communications link inoperable, Jacklin worked to set up alternative communications with a nearby supporting unit. He called in direct and indirect fire and aircraft strikes on the enemy position, while working at the same time to coordinate an evacuation to get the wounded to safety.

    Jacklin then led the team members out of their compound to set up a landing zone for a casualty evacuation aircraft, a task that required the team to cross open terrain under fire. When ongoing enemy fire forced the aircraft to wave off on its first attempt to land, Jacklin remained there, “raining M203 grenades on the enemy and directing the fires of his team” until the aircraft could safely land and evacuate the wounded.

    Though the rest of the team would be relieved by another special operations unit that evening, Jacklin opted to stay behind and fight the enemy.

    “Throughout a raging battle all the next day, he provided vital intelligence, tactical assistance and deadly accurate personal fires,” his citation reads. “Throughout 48 hours, he inspired all around him as he led a vicious fight to defeat a determined enemy force.”

    Five other Marines will be awarded Bronze Stars with Valor devices for the same action.