Stories

Gunnery Sgt. Patrick Jordan, Police Transition Team 23 commander, meets with an Iraqi police major at a local police station to discuss current operations involving the local police and the Provincial Security Forces. The mission of PTT-23 is to advise and train local police to be a self-sufficient force capable of providing security to their community. - Gunnery Sgt. Patrick Jordan, Police Transition Team 23 commander, meets with an Iraqi police major at a local police station to discuss current operations involving the local police and the Provincial Security Forces. The mission of PTT-23 is to advise and train local police to be a self-sufficient force capable of providing security to their community.

Local children gather outside their classroom to greet Marines from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) as the Marines visit the school to perform an inspection of the progress of the school’s improvements. The children were attending math class in a freshly painted, air-conditioned classroom before the Marines arrived today. - Local children gather outside their classroom to greet Marines from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) as the Marines visit the school to perform an inspection of the progress of the school’s improvements. The children were attending math class in a freshly painted, air-conditioned classroom before the Marines arrived today.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Paul Pritchard, right, the anti-terrorism force protection officer for Marine Wing Support Group 37, communicates with Ali Faris, left, the owner of al-Folatheya, an Iraqi construction company through the company’s interpreter Thair Ahmed, center. According to Pritchard, the provost marshal’s office performed background checks, issued badges to the company’s workers and will inspect all equipment and material coming aboard the base. - Chief Warrant Officer 3 Paul Pritchard, right, the anti-terrorism force protection officer for Marine Wing Support Group 37, communicates with Ali Faris, left, the owner of al-Folatheya, an Iraqi construction company through the company’s interpreter Thair Ahmed, center. According to Pritchard, the provost marshal’s office performed background checks, issued badges to the company’s workers and will inspect all equipment and material coming aboard the base.

Lance Cpl. Jeff Lutz, left, Sgt. Dameon Lyon, center, and Lance Cpl. Michael Janeiro load an AIM-9M “sidewinder” missile onto an F/A-18 Hornet before a combat mission here. The Marines are aviation ordnance technicians with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115. - Lance Cpl. Jeff Lutz, left, Sgt. Dameon Lyon, center, and Lance Cpl. Michael Janeiro load an AIM-9M “sidewinder” missile onto an F/A-18 Hornet before a combat mission here. The Marines are aviation ordnance technicians with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115.

Sergeant Miguel Agudo, a corrosion control technician with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), checks a visual aide while stenciling the squadron’s former emblem onto the tail of an F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft will fly the “Joe’s Jokers” logo from July 1 until the end of the squadron’s current deployment in honor of Maj. Joe Foss, former commanding officer of VMFA-115 during World War II. - Sergeant Miguel Agudo, a corrosion control technician with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), checks a visual aide while stenciling the squadron’s former emblem onto the tail of an F/A-18 Hornet. The aircraft will fly the “Joe’s Jokers” logo from July 1 until the end of the squadron’s current deployment in honor of Maj. Joe Foss, former commanding officer of VMFA-115 during World War II.