Forecasting a deployment: 13th MEU METOC Marines

Lance Cpl. Richard Duran Jr., 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit meteorological oceanographic observer uses a Kestal 4000, which is a handheld automated weather observation system, to get accurate weather readings for the MEU. The METOC Marines play an important role here when aiding a unit with information about weather and visibility.


Aug. 30, 2007; Submitted on: 08/30/2007 04:17:49 AM ; Story ID#: 200783041749

By Lance Cpl. T. M. Stewman, 13th MEU

AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (Aug. 30, 2007) -- Imagine having the responsibility of weather forecasting for combat operations. Now imagine having the responsibility of advising military leaders on weather conditions that could either hinder or assist future operations.

To be a fortune teller of weather isn’t an easy task. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s weather Marines, unlike the six o’clock news, prove that weather forecasting and observation is more than blue screens and good looks.

The weather forecasters predict meteorological conditions, making an educated opinion of future weather environments. Typical duties include the retrieval and analysis of meteorological oceanographic (METOC) data to formulate short and long-range forecasts of weather conditions affecting all elements of Marine Air-Ground Task Force operations.

“On the basic level, forecasters analyze and interpret satellite and radar patterns in the atmosphere,” said Sgt. Brock Hemminger, 13th MEU METOC and Somerset, Pa. native.

But the forecasters cannot predict conditions on their own. They need weather observers to produce METOC data.

Duties of weather observers include observing, recording, coding, disseminating, retrieving and decoding METOC data. Weather observers are also required to perform preventive maintenance on the sophisticated METOC computer systems and equipment used to obtain data. One common piece of equipment used is the Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS).

The AWOS is a solar-powered, mobile system equipped with sensors that give readings on wind, temperature, pressure, visibility, humidity and precipitation occurrence and totals.

“This equipment is the hub of our daily job,” said Lance Cpl. Richard Duran Jr., METOC observer and Forest Hills, Calif. native. “It’s necessary in our job to keep an eye on weather trends, and that is what this gear allows us to do.”

The observers also use handheld equipment that is similar to the AWOS but not as accurate. The Kestal 4000 is a portable AWOS. It’s very beneficial to Marines when bigger systems aren’t practical.

“It’s a good piece of equipment considering it can fit in your pocket,” said Duran. “The gear is perfect for when we need to get a reading within a short period of time.”

Because Iraqi summers are usually hot and dusty “a lot of people think that being here makes our job easy, but that’s not true at all,” says Duran. “The stakes are high out here. The information that we receive, gather and analyze can ultimately affect the safety of Marines.”

A MEU’s weather detachment consisting of two forecasters and two observers is smaller than that of a Marine Expeditionary Force. They often rely on numerous military weather agencies for data because a MEU does not have the capabilities to transport the amount of equipment it takes to retrieve information.

Hemminger explained it takes a collective effort from all branches and units to get accurate data for future weather conditions.

“Since weather in the Northern Hemisphere moves west to east we rely on our counterpart’s data from Al Asad to make our predictions,” he said. “There are still a lot of variables we must factor in before coming up with a final forecast.”

Few things in this world have the ability to change as quickly as the weather, even in Iraq.
Accurate and up-to-date weather information is essential to the safety of Marines and the overall success of a deployed unit. The METOC Marines of the 13th MEU get the job done every day, preparing Marines in the air, on the ground and at sea to successfully conduct combat operations.
Source

Field Radio Operator Serves Fifth Tour in Iraq

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tasha Monz, field radio operator for Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts maintenance on the Blue Force Tracking System inside a Humvee at Al Taqaddum, Iraq. Monz is serving her fifth tour in Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew O. Holly

By Staff Sgt. Matthew O. Holly
13th Marine Expeditionary Unit

AL TAQADDUM, Iraq, July 25, 2007 — With Marine Corps operational tempo at an all-time high, there are Marines out there who don’t mind the deployments even after five of them.
Sgt. Tasha Monz, field radio operator for Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and six-year veteran of the Marine Corps, is currently serving her fifth tour in Iraq.

“Anything that a Marine can do out here, she has done,” said Capt. Michael D. Pitre, officer in charge, about the experience and leadership she brings to the table with five deployments under her belt. “She’s great!”

As one can guess, the climate in Iraq has certainly changed since her first deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

“The Marine Corps has come a long way (in Iraq)," said Monz, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. "The people of Iraq have grown to appreciate us rather than being afraid and angry with us. I remember doing convoys in OIF II and getting rocks and all sorts of things thrown at us. Now we get waved at and offered gifts.”

She also noted the cities have been cleaned up a great deal and believes we aren’t the only ones who understand what’s being done here.

The changes aren’t only here in Iraq, but on the home front too. Monz’s parents were terrified the first time she came over here.

“Whose families weren’t,” she said. “Now they are used to it. They obviously still worry about me, but it isn’t half as bad as it used to be.”

Her family and friends now understand if she doesn’t contact them for a few weeks she’s probably busy or just unable to get to a phone or computer during that time.

The Oak Hill High School graduate continued to explain how the more she’s gone the stronger the bond is with her family.


When Monz was asked how long she planned on staying in the Corps she said she wasn’t sure yet. She wants to start a family, yet she loves the life the Marine Corps offers her. She recognizes she has some tough decisions to ponder in the near future.

Until then, her goal is to see her “fellow” female Marines continue to step up and perform when called upon.

“We already have a point to prove,” Monz said with a smile, “and having more deployments under your belt makes it easier.”

Monz has already made plans to stay with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit for their next scheduled deployment in 2008. Number six…?


Source

8th ESB builds combat outposts for 13th MEU

COMBAT OUTPOST GOLDEN, Iraq (June 4, 2007) – Sergeant Neil O. Kentish works on an air conditioner unit for a general purpose tent here June 4. The Marines of 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) built the combat outpost here in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Until now, Al Anbar province’s Thar Thar region has had little to no coalition presence. Kentish is a refrigeration mechanic and Spring Valley, N.Y., native with 8th ESB’s Engineer Support Company.


June 1, 2007; Submitted on: 07/07/2007 01:45:49 PM ; Story ID#: 200777134549

By Cpl. Thomas J. Griffith, 2nd Marine Logistics Group


COMBAT OUTPOST GOLDEN, Iraq (June 1, 2007) -- Marines with 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) built the combat outpost here along with two others in the Thar Thar region of Iraq’s Al Anbar province for the Marines of 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit June 1-15.

The outposts include general purpose tents, a few restrooms, Southwest Asia huts, hundreds of sand-filled, blast-absorbent barriers, and a dirt berm around the perimeter.

Now that COP Golden and the two other outposts are completed, it will allow the 13th MEU to provide security and coalition presence in a region that, until now, has been unoccupied.
Source

Bravo battery gives M777 baptism of fire

June 28, 2007; Submitted on: 07/01/2007 01:36:11 PM ; Story ID#: 200771133611

By Sgt. Andy Hurt, 13th MEU


The M777A1 Howitzer cannon lights up the gun line as Bravo Battery 1/11 conducts a fire mission June 26. Bravo Battery is currently the only unit utilizing the M777 in combat, and also the first unit to do such.

COMBAT OUTPOST GOLDEN (June 28, 2007) -- Marines from Bravo Battery 1st Battalion, 11th Marines are making history as the first unit to use the new M777-A1 Howitzer in combat. Executing fire missions every night in support of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, the Marines of Bravo Battery are the leading “combat research” element as the new gun is fielded.

The M777 is gradually replacing the Marine Corps’ aging stock of M198 Howitzers, and many Marines are glad to see the change.

“I like the ‘triple-seven’,” said Sgt. Nelson Santiago. “It’s lighter, and more delicate. Our gun is like a sniper rifle.”

‘Cell Block C’
Santiago, the section chief from Bravo’s ‘Cell Block C’ crew (Gun #6 on the line), said it is exciting for his Marines to get the exclusive first combat use from the new guns. But life on the gun line is far from easy.

Following a night of fire missions, Marines stave off flies and heat as they attempt to rest outdoors during daytime. They “wake up” mid-afternoon and perform weapons maintenance (on a 15,000 pound weapon), followed by physical training. Since the gym is located far from the gun line, the Marines of ‘Cell Block C’ make do with what they have. Pull-ups off the gun barrel, military-pressing powder cases, etc. And then they wrestle for an hour or so.

When the sun goes down, ‘Cell Block C’ gets to work. While some Marines are busy “Getting Laid” (laying the gun into polar position in coordination with other guns on the line), others are checking ammo, and inspecting the new M777 for wear and tear. The mission recorder is busy scrawling notes by flashlight, a series of numbers, angles and equations enough to supplement a college physics class. The mission of Bravo Battery requires a ton of work.

“Some people think we just ‘pull string, go boom’, which we do, but there’s a lot more to it than that,” said Santiago.

Marines complete this rotation every few days, while other elements of the battery are conducting collateral duties. In fact, collateral duties have become so common in the artillery community, the Marines sometimes call themselves “Super-Grunts.”

“Artillery is great because it’s so diverse,” Santiago said. “We do infantry missions, PMO (Military Police) missions, humanitarian stuff … and we get to fire these big guns.”

What really makes ‘Cell Block C’ and Bravo Battery such a perfect test-bed for the new gun is possibly the Marines themselves. A group of good ol’ boys and raw intellectuals, ‘Cell Block C’ is never short of conversation. One Marine, Cpl. Ryan Mayfeild, is dogged because he looks like an “Abercrombie model.”

Another, Lance Cpl. Jonathan Maltez, bears the nickname “M.I.A.” because he once ventured off on a six-hour mission to find water.

Lance Cpl. Heath Shipley claims his best attributes are (in a heavy tobacco-country drawl) “sleeping and complainin’.” The irony is, Shipley’s job as mission recorder is one of painstaking tedium and detail, and utmost importance as he gives mission coordinates as they are passed over the radio net.

Private first-class, second award, Matthew Vincent takes pride in his rank so much he made his own t-shirt. It features a single chevron drawn in Sharpie marker with the text “Proud Federation of Champions” across the back. Vincent is the biggest guy on the crew, and is first to volunteer his strength for the nightly wrestling matches.

Then there’s Lance Cpl. Ben Almquist, a Citadel graduate who plans to apply for a commissioning program. As one of the junior members of the crew, Almquist’s chief responsibility is cleaning the massive gun, which is reflected by his grease-covered hands and face.

Another “boot Marine,” Pfc. Jonhommad Lind, says his father might live in Baghdad, but doesn’t know for sure because he was abandoned as a baby.

Corporal Andre Natividad dreams of covering himself in tattoos when the deployment is over.

It is a truly salty crew, and they take pride in their task. As the M777 is constantly under scrutiny and surveyed for improvement, the Marines of ‘Cell Block C’ and Bravo Battery 1/11 are seeing their work pay off every day. It is an uphill battle, however.

During the movement from Kuwait to Iraq, a container carrying every single piece of mission gear was destroyed by a roadside bomb. As the first battery to test the new weapon, no spare parts were readily available. With each broken seal and bolt, ‘Cell Block C’ is forced to engineer repairs from old parts while supply trains strain to bring them proper equipment.
With the odds against them, Bravo Battery is performing well. Under less-than ideal conditions, the M777 and the “Kings of Battle” are a history-making asset in the Global War on Terrorism.

For more information about Bravo Battery 1/11 and the Fighting 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, visit the Unit’s Web site at .
www.usmc.mil/13thmeu
SOURCE

More on the 13th MEU

As I've mentioned before, two of our Lubbock Marine moms have sons in this unit.

Marines of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit brave sandstorms in the unforgiving desert of Kuwait while preparing for combat operations in Iraq, June 5.

Marines battle harsh environment in Kuwait
June 8, 2007; Submitted on: 06/14/2007 08:21:29 AM ; Story ID#: 200761482129

By Sgt. Andy Hurt, 13th MEU


UDARI RANGE, Kuwait (June 8, 2007) -- While “ship life” has its downsides, it is the unforgiving desert of Kuwait that makes Marines really miss home. Day after day, Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are subjecting themselves to dust, arid winds and, of course, triple-digit heat.

Training must continue, however, and the “Fighting 13th” is continuously preparing itself for combat operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Though the desert provides a brutal environment in which to work, Marines here are proving they are capable of adapting and overcoming natural adversity, and in turn, hardening their bodies and minds.

“Obviously you have the heat, and then fatigue sets in,” said Sgt. Nicholas Person, a native of the comparatively mild Boston, Mass. “Tempers get shorter … by the end of the day everyone is thinking ‘When is this (stuff) gonna end?”

Person, a squad leader from Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, said that his Marines are successfully facing environmental challenges head on, although it takes extra steps to reduce casualty risks among the ranks.

“While we were on a convoy range the other day, one of my guys jumped out of a (vehicle) and immediately his legs started cramping,” said Person. “We reported it to the corpsmen and kept him off that movement, and by the next checkpoint he was good to go … if we hadn’t recognized the potential for a heat casualty, he could have been a lot worse off.”

Heat is not the only danger. Dust storms kicked up across the Middle East find an apex in Kuwait and can seriously limit visibility. Marines here are often unrecognizable by sight alone due to face wraps, goggles, gloves and headgear worn to protect them from the elements. Giving the appearance of ninjas roaming the lands with rifles, it’s full coverage that Person says keeps the danger of exposure at bay.

“It sucks to have to wear a cammie blouse all day, but everyone realizes it’s protecting them from the sun. We have to stay covered at all times,” he said, “and if we’re not moving, we gotta find shade and stay there.”

As Marines will tell you, “We’re not training to kill. We’re training to survive.” The protective measures taken in a training environment, albeit blazing hot, dusty and outright savage, are a facet of force preservation paramount to preparing a fighting force for success.
And yes, it rains here, too.

For more information about the warriors of the Fighting 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, visit the unit’s Web site at www.usmc.mil/13thmeu.

Show of Force

Looks like our 13th MEU Marines are in the news. Two of our LMP moms have sons in this unit.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Ships packed with 17,000 sailors and Marines moved into the Persian Gulf on Wednesday as the U.S. Navy staged another show of force off Iran's coast just days before U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad.

The carrier strike groups led by the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz were joined by the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard and its own strike group, which includes two landing ships carrying 2,100 members of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Read the rest here