i just wana know whats the deal with all these MOS's getting closed out for promotion. i mean i've been trying to pick up SGT for the longest time and now that i finaly have enough points to where they cant stop me, it get closed out for 3 months straight. whats so special about POG's wanting to be grunts and killing our cutting scores.

they need to stay in their MOS and stop flooding us with retards who take up slots becuase all they want is the bonus...

im a grunt cause i love it. and now i might have to leave it in order to get promoted and stay in the Corps... god i hate lat moving POG's

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Juicy Couture Sidekick 2 — $80

Apple iPhone:
Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB- $250
Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB- $200
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BlackBerry:
BlackBerry Storm2 9520---$250
BlackBerry Bold 9700------$230
Blackberry 8800 indigo....$220
Blackberry 8700g......$180
BlackBerry Tour 9630 ——$200
Blackberry Curve 8900 — $170
Blackberry Storm 9500 — $140
Blackberry Storm 9530 — $155
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Blackberry Bold 9000 — $135
Blackberry Curve 8320 — $125



HTC:
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Nokia N79 — $175
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Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica--$230
Samsung I8000 Omnia II —— $220
Samsung B7320 OmniaPRO —— $200
Samsung B7300 Omnia LITE——$190
Samsung i8910 Omnia HD ——-$170
Samsung i900 Omnia 16GB — $165
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LG Incite——$200
LG GD910—–$195
LG KS500—-$190
LG KF900 Prada—–$195
LG KC780—-$200
LG KP500 Cookie—–$215
LG KC910 Renoir——$210
LG KB770——$200
LG CB630 Invision——$200
LG KS360——-$190

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Sony PlayStation 3 80GB Motorstorm Pack — $155
Sony Playstation 3 60GB — $140
Sony PlayStation 3 40GB — $125

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Apple iPod 30GB (Video) New – $140usd
Apple ipod 80 GB – $140usd
Apple iPod U2 SE 20 GB – $120usd
Apple iPod Photo 60 GB – $120usd
Apple iPod Mini 6 GB – $100usd
Apple iPod 20 GB – $100usd
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hi my name is william m tharpe III , i was a sgt with 2nd tank bn and did 2 combat tours to iraq oif1 and oif 2
I served 18 months in the reserves and went active duty in 2002 , i completed a honerable tour of duty and then reinlisted after being back from iraq only 4 months . well in my reinlistment package i relinsted for orders to do a b bilit at parris island, with my bonus , i was insured by my command that if i reinlisted I wouldnt be going back to iraq . so I threw my damn hand up , with my wife 2 months pregnant i felt it
would be good for my family to closer to georgia where we were from . Before i was to go thru with these
i was taking time to complete pme's BNOC/Tank commanders course and go to sgts course , so could further my carrer . well once back from my schools I was only back 2 weeks , when i was called into 1st sgts office and was told i was going back to iraq on tactis training team , this i didnt like , so i called my monitor master sgt Ayala and tol him what was going on and i spoke with the carrer recruiter they worked out arrangments to cut my orders an pcs , i made contact with the Sgt major in parris island and told him i was on my way.
The next day my orders came thru so i prosecces them and when it cam time for me to check out of the battalion my command was pissed , they wanted me to take the staff billit in iraq in place of 5 staff sgts that had never been to iraq and was fresh from recruiting duty ,this was crap ,COL BIANCA refused to let me out of the battalion
The following my orders were canceled and no one had an answer of who did it and why , so i request mass all the way to the base C.G now that really pissed of the COL BIANCA,and the sadest thing was my staff ncos were to scared to stand up for me , with no resolve and my ptsd getting worse , I filled for an ivestigation with no answers an eploing in 3 weeks i left weft home for thanks giving and i stay longer than a 96 anxiety and ptsd hit me hard , i came back on my own 10 days later , just wanted a resoulotion , and i was told it was going to be taken care off , well i did as i was told stayed on barrick restrickionand waited only to be treate like a crap bag , and the COL BIANCA told me that he would do what ever it took to get me gone .
Well they came up with a better soulution than that they stacked me with about 7 UA charges 2 of them were for not answering my cell phone while at mental health being diagnosed with ptsd. they descided that they would court marshall with an agrement for punnishment be loss of rank to private , 8 months of barricks restiction which would be done in Iraq 3 weeks after the court marshall
well need less to say i packed my things again an left only to return 4 months later hand cuffed and paraded around the battalion to make an example of me , COL bianca got his man , andd the charges i file him against him were never seen thru , after 120 days in the brigg COL BIANCA allowedd me 6 hours to check out turn in gear anything that was missing i paid for , an i was out the gate , just 6 hours after being out of the brigg
Two years later i still stuggle with PTSD , and try to make sense of what happened but to LET COL bianca know you can put the sgt out of the Marine Corps , but you cant take the Marine Corps out of this SGT.

GOD BLESS ALL MARINES , AND SAILORS , HAPPY LATE B-DAY AND BE SAFE

Marine Corps Times Issue 23 November 2009:

Couple of things to point out in the Article "Study: Gays' open service wouldn't hurt readiness."

"Younger troops with 10 years or less in uniform showed far more support for allowing open service than older veterans. Midgrade enlisted members were more disposed toward open service than senior enlisted members and officers. One curious finding: Those who had received no training on anti-gay harrassment were more inclined to support open service by gays than those who reported receiving such training, an anomaly that the authors said merits study."

"The earliest polls of service members in 1993 showed about 70 percent to 74 percent of respondents opposed to such service. By 2004, the authors note, and Annenburg poll showed that 57 percent of military respondents were opposed to open service. Among these, 13 percent said such service would hurt morale, while 12 percent sait it would disrupt teamwork and 5 percent said they felt uncomfortable serving alongside gays. Twenty percent thought such service would be a distraction and "cause major problems."

"In the latest Military Times poll of active duty subscribers, released in January, nearlty 10 percent of respondents said they would not re-enlist or extend their tours of duty if the policy was repealed, while 71 percent said they would continue to serve."

It's safe to say that the generation of today is far more liberal minded and accepting of circumstances in today's society. What was considered to be unnacceptable years ago has become acceptable today. This goes to the types of violent vidoe games we play which contain nudity, profanity, and extreme violence to what is being broadcasted on television, played in the movie theatres, and the sexually explicit and subliminal messages relayed in the music on the radio.

The majority of us have parents who have told us at one time or another that the things we are exposed to today and that we allow would have blown people's minds when our parents were growing up. In short, maybe there's a bit of a moral decline taking place here. It's completely evident in today's society as well, and it is demonstrated in the attitude of the new Marines we see coming into The Fleet.

For example, when a brand new Private or PFC cops an attitude or talks back to a Lance Corporal or NCO, or addresses an NCO as "bro" or "dude". Or when a new Marine questions orders and asks why instead of following orders and directions given. When it's common to see lack of respect and lack of integrity within units. This was not always the case, and though there have been issues in the past with this type of behavior, it's becoming more frequent in today's Corps and sadly, it is also gradually being overlooked and accepted.

In this case, the breakdown is not necessarily occuring in Boot Camp or MCT and SOI. This type of breakdown is stimulated from the behavior and persona of the individual before they joined the Corps, and it kind of gives an idea or representation of how different the youth of today is compared to the youth of our older generation Marines. The difference lies in the what society is like now and what it was 20 years ago.

I don't think it's unfair to state that the United States is in a state of moral decline.

When the statistics show that 15 years ago, 70 percent of individuals opposed homosexuals serving openly in the military, and by 2004, that number dropped to 57 percent, would it be wrong to contribute this change in numbers to the shift in the outlook and persona of the newer generation?

Regardless of how the Marine Corps Times tries to spin this, the numbers don't lie. As of right now, the majority of military members still vote no to the idea of gays serving openly in the military. The major thing to think about is why? If there really wasn't anything wrong with homosexuality, then why has it been a "hush hush" topic and why was there the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the first place? And why is it the majority of servicemembers still oppose the idea? Why is it that if it is an acceptable type of lifestyle that so many gays are afraid to "come out of the closet"? Because of what family and friends will say? If that's the case, then why would their family and friends be opposed to their lifestyle if they came out of the closet? We need to keep going further and further back to the root of the reason why there is a homophobia. In short, maybe because it's not natural, and in all reality, it never has been. However, as moral decline has began occuring, we have allowed ourselves to become more accepting and open.

Some would say that it doesn't affect mission accomplishment and that they would stay in anyway, even if the law was repealed. Of course they would! With the way the economy is rolling, and after investing so many years into the service, it makes the most logical sense to rake in the benefits and consistent pay the military has to offer... would you really expect someone to drop all that? Just because a servicemember decides to stay in, does not necessarily mean they like their job, the Marine Corps, or would even agree with homosexuals serving openly. It falls back to stability for that servicemember and their family during these hard economic times.

Do we not realize how much controversy and how many problems this will cause? I'll guaruntee seuxal harrassment charges will sky rocket, the Marine Corps will run out of money for BAH, and the equal opportunity Officer will go to work everyday wanting to suck start a pistol.

I figure this thread will open up a can of worms, but that's just my two cents on the whole matter.

Sgt. Mike

The first F-35B Joint Strike Fighter landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on Sunday afternoon.

The test aircraft, known as BF-1, left the Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, Texas, early Friday and flew to Dobbins Air Force Base, Ga., to refuel. It arrived at Patuxent River just before 1 p.m. on Sunday.

BF-1 is the first of five test F-35B Short Take-Off Vertical Landing variants to be assigned to the air station. BF-2 is expected to arrive by the end of this calendar year and BF-3 will follow shortly behind that, Lockheed spokesman John Kent said. The air station also will be home to three Navy carrier test variants.

Before the aircraft can complete its first vertical landing, it must go through a transition phase. When regular airplanes fly, lift is created from the wing. But for hovering jets such as the F-35B, it is created from the jet itself. The transition phase is expected to include a series of flights, during which the aircraft will practice slowing down and transitioning lift from the wing to the jet — a critical step before an actual STOVL flight.

Additional testing will include flying with different weight loads and ordnance payloads, according to a Marine release.

“I’m anxious to have our engineers, our test pilots and our operators get their hands on this jet, and then see what we can do to turn test points and sorties at a rapid rate during the coming months,” said Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman, the deputy commandant for aviation, in a release. Eventually the Joint Strike Fighter will replace the F/A-18 Hornet, AV-8B Harrier, and the EA-6B Prowler.

Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron-501, the first squadron that will train Marine JSF pilots and maintainers, is expected to stand up at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in April 2010 as part of the Joint Integrated Training Center. The first operational squadron will stand up in 2012.


Article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...e_jsf_111609w/

Good afternoon Marines,

I am currently a signals intelligence operator, working out of Cherry Point, NC. I have recently decided to extend my contract and take orders to MARCENT at MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL, primarily for logistical reasons with the old lady. I had never even considered re-enlisting up until the point at which I realized I had a very viable, and wise option to stay in a little longer and take these orders. Obviously, with this new path, other forks will appear, and I have been giving a small amount of thought to ye olde lateral move. So, I'll get down to it.

I've always enjoyed journalism, and am an avid photographer. I'm not so much for the sit at a desk and announce the news kind of deal, I like to write, and I don't intend to toot my own horn here, but I have always been a pretty well-rounded writer. I don't think my question is so much whether or not I would enjoy the MOS, but rather what sort of atmosphere it is in comparison to other fields in the Marine Corps. Not to say I don't enjoy my job...well, I really enjoy the people. As much as I love computers, computer games, and a variety of other things involving computers, networking, and troubleshooting are aggravating jobs. More importantly, you never really see any benefit to what you're doing other than the fact that the G-6/S-6 has backup for the G-2. Boring.

As suggested by my name, I am a corporal, who may be pinning on sergeant next month, so my next question would have to be: What is the climate of the NCO Corps in 4341? Are there a vast amount of chiefs and far too few indians? The other way around? What are some of the major issues that grind the gears of your junior Marines, or yourself, that are directly related to/caused by, the job itself?

I'm fairly certain I meet all requirements for the MOS. My only problem as a Marine is slight colorblindness. I read most of those cards, but I got to the last one (green, red, brown and white I think) and was utterly speechless. Is this an issue? My ASVAB scores are good, and I am confident I could do well in the schoolhouse, although I have heard of OJT opportunities, which might be even better.

Lastly, while I know combat correspondence is necessary everywhere, I might prefer to stay in Tampa, and I wonder if this would be possible as well? That's probably something you can't answer, but the only stupid question is the one that is not asked.

Thank you, all Marines who respond to this post constructively, for your advice and suggestions!

I'm somewhat confused on just exactly what's going on in Iraq.

About a couple of weeks ago, I was speaking to a canine handler that had been sent back to the U. S. for medical reasons. I asked him where he had been in Iraq, and he informed me that he had been in Baghdad. I asked him what it was like over there now, and what I heard absolutely shocked me. Now check this out:

1.) They have Salsa dancing night
2.) They now have a sit-down restaurant
3.) They have a tattoo parlor
4.) Promiscuity and sexual activity is running rampant (between male and female servicemembers)
5.) Sexual promiscuity (in a "Combat zone") is actually encouraged, because condoms are sold at the exchange..

Now, some would ask why I choose to poin these things out. I guess maybe I'm trying to understand how I can hear from individuals that are currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq and hear about how "stressful" their life is, and how bad things are. However, when I get the above eyewitnessed proof of a pretty good life, it just doesn't make sense.

I deployed to Iraq in early 2006 with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines. I imagine at the time we would have given anything to have the same priveleges and events during our deployment. It really makes me question the validity of our purpose over there since we have so much free time to essentially goof off. In all honesty, it doesn't sound like a combat zone anymore.

I guess maybe it really bothers me, because the individuals living it up over there will be the same ones that come back and talk about how rough deployment was and how bad they had it over there.

Time to get out of Iraq.

-Sgt Mike.

The citizens in this area are confused/uninformed about this Dragon Skin we've heard about.
We've heard some say it's great for cops but won't hold up in the desert. Others swear by it. Have any of you grunts out there had a chance to weigh in on this issue from personal experience?

Sorry if this thread has already been discussed, but I'm still a boot on this list.

KD

I am still in high school and intend on enlisting into USMC after graduation. My question is if after serving my first tour of duty how do I go about becoming an officer? And do I have to get my bachelors first?

exactly what I said, PC CRAP AND MORE AND MORE OF IT. DAMN I LOVE IT WHEN I'M RIGHT


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...ous-component/




Investigators would have been "crucified" over First Amendment rights if they had launched a full-scale probe into e-mails Fort Hood massacre suspect Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan allegedly sent to a radical imam, a government investigator told Fox News.

The claim comes as the squabble grows among officials in different branches of law enforcement and the military over who knew what, and when, about Hasan's leanings toward faith-inspired violence, and amid charges that "political correctness" prevented officials from taking pre-emptive action.

Multiple investigators familiar with the FBI's review of the Fort Hood case told Fox News that they simply did not have enough evidence to launch an investigation. Though officials discovered Hasan's e-mails to the imam, one government counterterrorism investigator said the messages suggested he was seeking "spiritual and religious guidance."

"(Hasan) appeared to be at a moral impasse, a moral dilemma who was reaching out for advice," the investigator said. "Had we launched an investigation of Hasan we'd have been crucified."

The investigator added that the communications were shared with the "appropriate chains," including the Department of Defense. The source suggested Hasan may have had other suspicious contacts, telling Fox News "no one missed anything or connections to nefarious individuals."

Officials have consistently batted down suggestions that they "sat" on critical information about Hasan. One investigator said Monday that "I don't have any evidence" Hasan was given light treatment because of his religion or fear of a discrimination suit.

But even after the attacks, some have been reluctant to cite religion as a factor, as evidence has mounted that the alleged gunman's Muslim faith was at least a partial factor in the decision to mount the attack.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley pointed to America's "love" affair with guns as the driving factor behind last week's shooting at Fort Hood, becoming the latest and possibly most prominent figure to show a reluctance to cite religion.

"Every day in society someone's being killed. Unfortunately, America loves guns. We love guns to a point that we see the devastation on a daily basis," Daley, whose city has suffered through a rash of violence, told reporters. "You don't blame a group. You don't blame a society, immigrant community because of actions of one group, one individual -- you cannot say that."

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued a statement last week saying that legislative measures to increase the availability of guns should be rejected in light of the attack.

"This latest tragedy, at a heavily fortified army base, ought to convince more Americans to reject the argument that the solution to gun violence is to arm more people with more guns in more places," the organization's president, Paul Helmke, said.

The message was aimed specifically at a proposal backed by the gun lobby and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., to protect the right of veterans to own guns. Burr responded by accusing Helmke of exploiting the tragedy.

"It is a shame that this process has gotten to a point where some feel that they can exploit the senseless murder of American soldiers in the quest to secure personal triumph," Burr said.

Witnesses report hearing Hasan yell "Allahu Akbar" -- "God is Great" -- during the rampage. Hasan once gave a presentation justifying homicide bombings, according to a witness. In one presentation, he also urged the military to let Muslim members leave the service to avoid "adverse" effects.

But some pointed to stress as a leading factor.

"We're dealing with a very different kind of war here," Dr. Phil McGraw, a celebrity psychologist, told CNN's Larry King on Thursday night. "And we know that there is a tremendous degree of stress with this war. And I think the military will tell you that it's a new animal and nobody knows exactly what to do with it."

But with "political correctness" cited as a reason why warning signs from Hasan were potentially overlooked by the military in the first place, some see Hasan being treated the same way in the wake of the shooting.

Bernard Goldberg, a former CBS News correspondent, took the media to task for its coverage.

"What's the story line they run with? Religion? Of course not. Can't do that. He's a Muslim," he said Friday on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor." "They run with post-traumatic stress syndrome because that gives them a chance to take a shot at a couple of wars they never liked from the get-go."

Privately, top Army officers have acknowledged that the massacre may have been a terrorist act.

In a series of e-mails sent 24 hours after the shootings and obtained by Fox News, one colonel in a two-star command instructed subordinate officers: "Please send a message to our training centers, the (logistics support bases), and the (divisions) advising them of ...(their) responsibility to provide this command a status of their respective anti-terrorism plans."

Publicly, however, the army's chief of staff seemed reluctant to acknowledge what appears to be the dominant factor in Hasan's world view: his turn toward Islamist views as he turned against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I think the speculation could potentially heighten backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers," said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey. "And what happened at Fort Hood was a tragedy, but I believe it would be an even greater tragedy if our diversity becomes a casualty here."

Some other commentators took note of Hasan's faith only to suggest that its consideration served to rile up conservatives.

"I cringe that he's a Muslim," said Evan Thomas of Newsweek. "I mean, because it inflames all the fears. I think he's probably just a nut case. But with that label attached to him, it will get the right wing going and it just -- I mean these things are tragic, but that makes it much worse."

Fox News contributor Monica Crowley called that assessment "incredible."

"I think he's knee-deep in political correctness, as so many people are, including now, as we know, the United States military. Political correctness is turning out to be the death of this country," she said.

Satirical blogger Barry Rubin of "The Rubin Report" wondered if today's New York Times covering the Lincoln assassination would overlook the fact that John Wilkes Booth shouted out a Confederate motto after the shooting and report instead that he "was psychologically unstable...frightened of the Civil War coming to an end and having to face a peacetime actors' surplus."

Good Morning! This is my first post and I'm really old, so go easy numbnuts. I just wanted to add my $.02 - I thought that seeing the POTUS at Dover was a good thing. I also thought that he comported himself well, considering he's a civilian (well executed salute, etc.). I was saddened to see it, but it was a long time coming and it's important. Neither Bush nor Cheney ever made it over (to Dover) so at least Obama showed up. I was active back in the sixties ('68-'72, Cpl), and I still remember just how "fungible" we felt, so any solemn and respectful attendance is OK by me.

Anyway, I think I'll hit send and see what happens...

Semper Fi

This question is for anyone who is savvy in the MECEP process or who's been there and done that. There is a dispute amongst my peers who have applied for FY10 MECEP. Some are saying that if you are listed in the MARADMIN then you can still request a waiver not to attend MECEP Prep. (You need atleast 24 college credits) While others are stating that you should have asked for the waiver in your package. We have read past years MARADMINs and they state that the Marines with an asterisks next to their name do not need to attend MECEP Prep and that no other waivers will be considered. We do not know however, if that was just last years policy. Any help would be much appreciated.

Here is my dilemma. The shop i work in has no NCO's currently. It comprises of SNCO's, Officers, 2 LCpl's (including me), and 2 PFC's. With that said, one of my PFC's is completely messed up. He is over his weight limit by a significant amount, does not maintain hygeine, and will not control his diet. Recently we had a service bravo inspection to which he informed myself and the other LCpl i work with that his uniforms were ready. We trusted his word for a change, and sure enough his ribbons were not measured when put on, his uniform was wrinkled beyond anything i have ever seen, his trousers dragged on the floor because his gut hangs to far out, his buttons were screaming, and he did not have his coreframes. We (LCpl's) realize that we failed this Marine by taking his word when we should have known better and it was a lesson learned. My question i have is how can I as a LCpl correct this Marine. I am trying to avoid taking anything more to our SNCO's as the result is extra shop PT, extra cleaning, coming in on weekends to do both, more inspections, ect. Its just a hassle to be driving back and forth all the time for these extra events. Im not complaining about it at all, as i enjoy the pt, its just annoying to lose the personal time. Being that i am the only LCpl that lives in the Barracks, i want to help correct this Marine and make him better. His weight problem isnt something that can be solved easily, he is more than 60lbs overweight. How should i confront these problems. I am planning on taking him out this weekend to buy new uniforms that actually fit him and having them altered. we will also be having an "on the rack" gear inspection to ensure he is not missing anything. Does anyone else have any other suggestions that can help me? I appreciate any comments and ideas. And so everyone is aware, we do PT him 5 days a week, 2-3 times a day. this includes running, eliptical, treadmill, and low weight high rep lifting.

Inspections are a part of life in the Marine Corps. Everything from uniforms to service weapons undergo regular inspections. But,what about Marines' homes? Has your command conducted home inspections at your home either on base or off base? Has someone in your command ever paid you an unannounced home visit to see how you are living?

Without getting into specifics on my thoughts of marijuana, I was wondering if Marines are able to go through the "process" of getting medical marijuana and are able to smoke legally? Currently there are 14 states that allow medical marijuana, California being the biggest. California also being one of the states with many Marine bases, I was wondering about it.

I know MCO 12792.1A states it doesnt tolerate the possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs. But, does that really stop Marines in Cali from possessing or using?

I am a Combat Enginner Corporal stationed at Camp Pendleton, and about two weeks ago I reenlisted with a lateral move option to 2676 (Cryptologic Linguist - Eastern European). I got orders this week to report to Defense Language Institute at Presidio of Monterey, CA. For some reason, I've been assigned to the Basic Pashto course. I spoke with the 2600 monitor and he said that language falls under the Eastern European category, which still doesn't make sense to me, but I'm not complaining. The reason I am writing this post is to ask who on these forums has been to DLI? Is there anybody on here who has been to, or graduated from, the Pashto course? What should I expect at Monterey as a married geo bachelor second term Corporal?

Standing there saluting is not honoring them enough! How about he stop dragging his feet and give the requested surge numbers. How many more dead does he need to see before he understands the numbers are needed not only for mission accomplishment but for the very safety of our service people over there? AND, someone needs to give him a history lesson on ROE's and teach him that having to get permission to fire on the enemy kills our troops (Oct 23, 1983 should suffice as a lesson in that thought track.) Do we really want to go back to the 1980's way of thinking? We know the enemy is going to use the innocent as their shield and thus collateral damage is going to happen, but to outright deny support is going to continue to get our people killed, just as it recently did when air and arty support was denied for our Marines pinned down in a fire fight.

To not give to the surge numbers and not lifting the ROE's is out right criminal and the POTUS should be held accountable. As I said when Obama first took office, I feel it is wrong to have a POTUS who has zero military service and a number of reasons.

Alright, I have an issue that I would like to get some help on. Please no sea lawyers as you only make up bum scoop which is entirely false. I need advise from somebody that knows the rules and regulations. Someone that knows whats right from wrong and is not scared to state it regardless that my 1st Sgt might get into trouble.

I am with this unit (I will not state) and an issue happened. I have been with the Marine Corps for 3 years and 6 months before the problem happened. I never did anything to cause trouble. I never back talked to any of my superiors and I was never a trouble maker. I have a Good Conduct Medal. Since I got hurt and I am currently pending a Physical Evaluation Board I have not been able to do anything. All we do is go to three formations a day and get off work. During the time between formations I take college online and as well when I am off work. I sit in my room all day, every day, mind my business, talk to my wife on the phone, on the computer, I do my college work, watch movies, etc. I do not go out on weekday nor weekends. I stay in the room, save money, pay my bills that I have and whenever we get 96's I go and see my wife up in my home state.

One day a knucklehead who was a friend of my room mate decided to come in and asked me if he could use a chair that I had my legs on. I have another problem which I notified the doctor with. It is unrelated to the reason as to why I am in the current unit. The problem is I can not sit at a 90 degree angle for more than 10min. Sitting in the backseat of the car, or on the airplane, is an ongoing issue for me. I need to stretch my legs and extend them in order to relieve the discomfort I feel in my kneecaps. I don't know what it is. Anyways I told him "No, you can not use it, I need it because I have a problem with my knee caps". He thought that I was joking and said "Are you serious?" and I reassured him that I was not kidding around. Anyway at one point I took my legs off for about a minute or two, he came up and swooped the chair. Foremost, he is the guest in my room, he does not live here. He should be respectful of my wishes. Well he wasn't, he was very disrespectful when I asked for the chair back. I said "Are you serious? You are going to take the chair away from me like that? You're going to be disrespectful?" He replied with "Put your legs on your nasty ass comforter". I don't know why he said that, but that was very disrespectful, especially since he's a guest in my room. My rack was nicely made so his statement was void and just plain nasty. What happen was I got up and went to grab the chair underneath him. I didn't push him off, didn't touch him. I just merely grabbed the chair and started to slowly pull it away from him, he got mad and got up and pushed me. I fell on top of my rack (luckily) he got on top of me and started to choke me. My room mate and another friend of his were in the room and they didn't do anything to get him off me. He choked me for about a minute or so while I was struggling to get his forearm off my neck. Anyways, he finally got off me or they took him off me, I can not recall because I felt like I was passing out. They took him out on the cat walk. I proceeded to open my secretary. I was shaking, I was scared. I didn't know his intentions. I thought that he was going to kill me. Anyway, I took my K-bar out (supposedly now days you are not allowed to have it in your room, I am in the infantry and I thought we were allowed to keep our K-bars - no it wasn't a Bayonet) and I proceeded to go outside and I saw the Marine that attacked me, standing there with my room mate and another one of his friends. We exchanged a few words obviously I was angry because I felt like my life was threatened. I did not swing it, I did not do anything with it except for have it at the alert (down by my waist) not up at the ready (holding up - ready to swing). When they saw the K-bar in my hand they grabbed him and held him back the attacker. I proceeded to go downstairs to the duty hut to report that I have been assaulted and I told him that I wanted to get him arrested and prosecuted. After notifying the duty I proceeded to look for the attacker with the K-bar in my hand. I walked around the barracks trying to find him while others were following me. Finally, I saw him, he approached the duty and told him that it was him who attacked me. We all proceeded to the office.

For some reason 1st Sgt thought that I was the bad guy because I escalated "the fight" by grabbing a weapon. As well as it seemed like to everybody that I was looking for him to kill him because I had the K-bar in my hand. Now, I know if thats what i wanted to do I had the chance to do it on the cat walk but that wasn't my intension. I was looking for him to point him out because I didn't know his name nor who he was. It was my first time seeing him. Through everybody else's eyes it seemed like I was trying to find him and kill him. But that was just plain judging the book by its cover. He wanted to send us both to the brig. The MPs haven't come and it has been over an hour. I began to worry that there was nobody there to investigate or arrest the attacker that assaulted me. I called the MP's and told them of my situations they took the report and couldn't do anything further. 1st Sgt probably got angry and said for the chasers to take me to the brig. The other Marine that attacked me, wasn't going to the brig.


ATTENTION: This is the QUESTION.

Now, I had to go the BAS, to get evaluated to see if I was fit to go to the brig. At the same time, 1st Sgt went to my room and clipped my locks to my secretary, wall locker, and other things, he rummaged through my belongings and everything. Once i was done with BAS, which is literally 20 feet away from my barracks. I went to my room and 1st Sgt was there with all my locks CLIPPED. He stated "health and comfort" and I replied "Roger". Since the only reason I went to my room with the chasers was because I had to change into PT gear and get some stuff to take with me to the BRIG. I asked "What's going to happen to my stuff since my locks were clipped?" He replied with "Its going to be inventoried tomorrow".

BIG PROBLEM:

I went to the brig with all my stuff unlocked and out in the open. I saw my SSGT at the brig a week after, asked him if my stuff was inventoried since 1st Sgt mentioned his name, that he was going to inventory it. He stated that he didn't know anything of it and was not aware.

I spent 3 weeks in the Brig. I find out that my stuff was not inventoried until 2 weeks after of it being clipped. My belongings were out in the open for 2 weeks. For my room mate to take whatever he pleased and for whoever else came into the room. After I got out of the Brig, I went to supply and got my stuff back, I had to move to a different room, I unpacked, and as you know it, I had a lot of stuff missing. My IPOD, which the funny thing is.. I had a spare lock and I used it to lock my secretary which consisted of my laptop and Ipod because I knew that something like that was going to happen. Funny thing is my Ipod is missing but it has been locked up until two weeks later when someone came to clip the lock to inventory the things. Now the people that came to my room to put all my belongings in the bags were a CPL, LCPL and LCPL. There was no SNCO present. They took my belongings after putting it into plastic garbage bags and brought it to Supply to only have then a SNCO present to inventory my belongings. So between the time of CPL, LCPL, and LCPL being in my room putting the stuff into bags and possibly taking a thing or two in their pockets and bringing the rest of belongings to Supply anything could have happened. As well as my room mate and his friends that came over the room for the 2 weeks that my stuff was open.

I am missing my IPOD, my PSP, my green sleeping bag, my pull up bar that you hang up on top of latches on the door, valuables that are not worth any money, like my COINS (USMC), my memory cards for the digital camera that had pictures of Iraq when I was there, and many more things. All these things missing. What am I suppose to do? Whose to blame? Who do I report it to? What do I do?

I told my PLT SGT about all the missing stuff, he said he told SSGT about it, and SSGT was suppose to talk to 1st Sgt about it. It has been over 2 weeks now. I really don't think they care about my missing stuff.

What happens now? Do I get a reimbursement? Do I report it to the Inspector General?

Has the 1st Sgt done anything wrong by clipping my locks while I was literally 20 feet away at BAS getting assessed to see if I was fit to go to the Brig by his orders. He impatiently clipped my locks and stated "health and comfort" my PLT SGT believes that what 1st SGT did was illegal. Many people here suspect that what 1st SGT does, many of the things is illegal.

Who here can give me some good advise? Good input on what I should do? I feel like I've been royally screwed by not the Marine Corps but, by my chain of command.

Oh and for those wondering what happen with my charges. Well I was suppose to do Special Court martial. But I took a Pre Trial Agreement which was knocked down from Special to NJP. I got NJPed and the CO was actually the first person in my life that I have ever seen that took care of a Marine. I've never seen a chain of command take care of anybody. They use the motto "We take care of one another". But its such bull. For the 1st time my CO took care of me and he suspended all the charges. So I didn't lose anything. It went from Special to NJP to really nothing. Maybe its because I got 4 months left in the Marine Corps and as well as he said he's not about screwing Marines.

Please provide me with some good input on 1st Sgt and if what he did was legal or illegal. As well as what should I do about my missing things? Am I screwed and should forget about it or is there something that I can do about it?

Thank You

Dumb idea.