Stories - Category IMEF

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines with Company A., 3rd Assault Amphibious Battalion conduct maintenance on an Assault Amphibious Vehicle engine at Camp Pendleton, Feb. 2, 2016. Marines from 3rd AAB supported 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Division and 1st Bn, 1st Mar. Div. infantry battalions as they conducted raid drills for Expeditionary Operations Training Group and their Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation. “We are being mechanics, changing engines, changing transmissions and troubleshooting issues so we can get the infantry units back in the fight with the full power of their AAVs,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Faltynski, recovery chief for Company A., 3rd AAB. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Justin E. Bowles) - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines with Company A., 3rd Assault Amphibious Battalion conduct maintenance on an Assault Amphibious Vehicle engine at Camp Pendleton, Feb. 2, 2016. Marines from 3rd AAB supported 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Division and 1st Bn, 1st Mar. Div. infantry battalions as they conducted raid drills for Expeditionary Operations Training Group and their Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation. “We are being mechanics, changing engines, changing transmissions and troubleshooting issues so we can get the infantry units back in the fight with the full power of their AAVs,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Faltynski, recovery chief for Company A., 3rd AAB. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Justin E. Bowles)

3rd Assault Amphibious Battalion Support EOTG and MCCRE Operations

The smell of oil and engine exhaust emit from two adjacent Assault Amphibious Vehicles’ engines, as Marines in oil-splattered jumpsuits work tirelessly to ensure the engines are in good order. A sergeant operates a crane atop an Assault Amphibious Vehicle as other Marines direct him on when and where to lift the broken engine. The sergeant sets the

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Lance Cpl. Andrew Metler, a mortarman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, mans the turret gun of a Humvee during a patrol in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2016. U.S. Marines with SPMAGTF-CR-CC are responsible for the force protection of some Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve bases within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. - Lance Cpl. Andrew Metler, a mortarman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, mans the turret gun of a Humvee during a patrol in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2016. U.S. Marines with SPMAGTF-CR-CC are responsible for the force protection of some Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve bases within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Task Force Al Taqaddum: Role of U.S. Troops during operations in Anbar Province

Things have changed a bit around Al Taqaddum Air Base in Iraq since the 2011 withdraw of U.S. troops in the Anbar province. What once was a busy hub for aircraft coming in to scatter the area with military personnel now seems far more subtle in its footprint.The Iraqi military installation now houses different components of the Iraqi Security

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines shield themselves from a detonated explosive charge during an urban leaders course, Jan. 29, 2016. During the course, Marines learned four different types of charges used to make a safe entrance into an objective. This type of training allows Marines to practice for possible scenarios when they are deployed to combat zones anywhere on the globe. An instructor with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, taught this portion of the course to infantrymen of 1st MarDiv. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Emmanuel Ramos) - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Marines shield themselves from a detonated explosive charge during an urban leaders course, Jan. 29, 2016. During the course, Marines learned four different types of charges used to make a safe entrance into an objective. This type of training allows Marines to practice for possible scenarios when they are deployed to combat zones anywhere on the globe. An instructor with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, taught this portion of the course to infantrymen of 1st MarDiv. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Emmanuel Ramos)

Combat engineers teach infantrymen breaching tactics

As the rising sun warmed the air, Marines placed demolition charges on entryways of an urban combat training environment. “Get back, get back,” said Cpl. Brett Sorteberg, an infantryman with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn., 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.Five, four, three, two, one…BOOM! A charge blows open a door, the

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First Sgt. Shonor Burton runs through a non-lethal weapons course while blinded by the effects of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, Jan. 26, 2016. Burton is the company first sergeant for Company B, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. - First Sgt. Shonor Burton runs through a non-lethal weapons course while blinded by the effects of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, Jan. 26, 2016. Burton is the company first sergeant for Company B, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Law enforcement Marines keep the peace with combat engineers

Get back, get back, get down! A Marine stood on the muddy football field while the morning’s dew filled the air. An instructor pointed a canister at him with a chemical agent meant to disarm an opponent. Fists clenched, the Marine mentally prepared for what was next.The Marine fought to maintain focus as the oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray forced an

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Cmdr. James Johnson presents pre-marriage training called “Before saying I do” as part of the iRelate program at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Jan. 26, 2016. The iRelate program gives Marines the knowledge, skills and abilities to make informed decisions about intimate relationships in order to reduce the divorce rate among junior Marines. Johnson, from Lake Park, Minn., is the chaplain for I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel) - Cmdr. James Johnson presents pre-marriage training called “Before saying I do” as part of the iRelate program at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Jan. 26, 2016. The iRelate program gives Marines the knowledge, skills and abilities to make informed decisions about intimate relationships in order to reduce the divorce rate among junior Marines. Johnson, from Lake Park, Minn., is the chaplain for I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel)

Love is a battlefield: Marines prepare to take on marriage

The Marine Corps is often referred to as the nation’s 9-1-1 force because they are ready to take on any challenge at a moment’s notice. This readiness includes not only weapons and equipment proficiency, but also stability on the homefront.Cmdr. James Johnson, the chaplain for I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, presented pre-marital

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Sgt. Tyler Felts, an LAV crewman, sights in on a target during a live-fire gunnery qualification test with an M240B machine gun at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Jan. 22, 2016. Live-fire tests like these allow the Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force to train for how they will execute their mission when they are deployed in a combat zone. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss) - Sgt. Tyler Felts, an LAV crewman, sights in on a target during a live-fire gunnery qualification test with an M240B machine gun at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Jan. 22, 2016. Live-fire tests like these allow the Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force to train for how they will execute their mission when they are deployed in a combat zone. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Robert Bliss)

1st LAR trains for real-world combat

The LAV-25, or light armored vehicle, is a versatile, amphibious vehicle in the Marine Corps. Its mission is to provide combined arms reconnaissance and security in support of a ground combat element. From its M242 25mm chain-driven auto cannon, to its top speed of approximately 62 mph, the LAV-25 is a useful addition to the combat capabilities of

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United States Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers stand together in formation for the opening ceremony of exercise Iron Fist 2016 on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 22, 2016. Iron Fist is and annual, bilateral amphibious training exercise held in Southern California between the United States Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The Marines taking part in the exercise are from I Marine Expeditionary Force on Camp Pendleton. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Timothy Valero/ Released) - United States Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers stand together in formation for the opening ceremony of exercise Iron Fist 2016 on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 22, 2016. Iron Fist is and annual, bilateral amphibious training exercise held in Southern California between the United States Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The Marines taking part in the exercise are from I Marine Expeditionary Force on Camp Pendleton. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Timothy Valero/ Released)

Exercise Iron Fist 2016

For more than 55 years, the United States and Japan have been security treaty allies. For years, the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force have been training together across the Pacific in support of the security treaty for the defense of Japan.Exercise Iron Fist 2016 is one such opportunity, allowing Japanese soldiers to train with

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A soldier with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Western Army Infantry Regiment looks out from the driver’s seat of an amphibious assault vehicle onto a simulated battlefield during training during Exercise Iron Fist 2016 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 26. Iron Fist is an annual, bilateral amphibious training exercise designed to improve U.S. Marine Corps and JGSDF’s ability to plan, communicate and conduct combined amphibious operations. The exercise provides valuable training to warriors from different cultures, and the opportunity to build camaraderie between the U.S. and Japanese militaries. - A soldier with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Western Army Infantry Regiment looks out from the driver’s seat of an amphibious assault vehicle onto a simulated battlefield during training during Exercise Iron Fist 2016 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 26. Iron Fist is an annual, bilateral amphibious training exercise designed to improve U.S. Marine Corps and JGSDF’s ability to plan, communicate and conduct combined amphibious operations. The exercise provides valuable training to warriors from different cultures, and the opportunity to build camaraderie between the U.S. and Japanese militaries.

Iron Fist 2016: Marines train with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Gunner Simulator

As the cross-hairs of the scope landed on target, Cpl. Ishida, from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Western Army Infantry Regiment, squeezed the trigger of the .50-caliber machine gun. The tremor from each round firing traveled up his arms and into his body as he kept the machine gun on his target. Smoke from the machine gun floated past and

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Allen Lyon, a veteran of the Korean War, finds his portrait during a gallery opening of veteran portraits at Belmount Village Senior Living in Cardiff By the Sea, Jan. 20, 2016. Lyon was one of approximately 700 veterans living at Belmount Village locations around the country who volunteered to be photographed. He served as a photographer in the U.S. Army and conducted approximately 2,000 hours of aerial photography over Tokyo. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel) - Allen Lyon, a veteran of the Korean War, finds his portrait during a gallery opening of veteran portraits at Belmount Village Senior Living in Cardiff By the Sea, Jan. 20, 2016. Lyon was one of approximately 700 veterans living at Belmount Village locations around the country who volunteered to be photographed. He served as a photographer in the U.S. Army and conducted approximately 2,000 hours of aerial photography over Tokyo. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel)

Fading fast: Photographer preserves military history

Photography is an artistic way of preserving events in history. Some pictures, like the flag raising at Iwo Jima, capture widespread moments of pride and accomplishment, while others can show a chapter of an individual’s life.Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force provided a color guard for Belmount Village Senior Living as they opened a gallery

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The Marines of 11th Marine Regiment celebrate Saint Barbara's Day--the patron saint of Artillery--in Las Pulgas, Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 21, 2016. The regiment remembered those Cannon Cockers who have gone before them with a memorial service, inducted new members into the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, and added some levity with a homemade trebuchet competition. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. April L. Price/Released) - The Marines of 11th Marine Regiment celebrate Saint Barbara's Day--the patron saint of Artillery--in Las Pulgas, Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 21, 2016. The regiment remembered those Cannon Cockers who have gone before them with a memorial service, inducted new members into the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, and added some levity with a homemade trebuchet competition. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. April L. Price/Released)

St. Barbara, the patron saint of field artillerymen

The event brought together the newest members of with 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force to the most experienced artillerymen, as well as guests from within the community to strengthen their unbreakable bond and passion for being artillerymen.According to legend, St. Barbara’s father, the tyrant and pagan

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