Author: SgtGrit

Marines on Navy ships

Grit,

To answer the question by Short Rounds, When the General Quarters Alarm is sounded on Naval Ships "where do the Marines Go?"

There are Marines on all Navy ships in the U.S. Fleet that are assigned to duty on that ship. From Military Police Guarding the ships, Captain and Brigg (jail) to Communications and Air, these people are called "Ships Company" they report to their combat assigned area, all other Marines are called "Embarked Troops" they report to their assigned birthing quarters or equipment bay. read more

Military Family – Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force

Last summer my employer wanted to honor our Veteran’s for the 4th of July. The asked for a summary of our military service. My current employer is “New Breed”: Logistics.

The following was my submission:

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller once said,
"Old breed. New Breed. There's not a bit of difference as long as it's the Marine breed!" read more

D.L. Hampton World War II Dog Tags

I have been reading the letters from other Marines that have attached WWII dog tags. Just thought that I would send my dad's. I carry his along with mine on my key chain. He wore these in WWII and Korea. I lost my dad back in 2003, and know that there are fewer and fewer of the WWII Marines around, but I would like to hear from anyone that may have known my Dad. My Dad, Don L. Hampton, was from Sweetwater, Texas. read more

Patrol the Persian Gulf

Dear Sgt Grit:   The "Horns of Hormuz" are in the news again. It appears that the Iranian government are once again threatening to close this critical waterway to shipping. However, also according to the latest news reports, there are two carrier strike groups currently assigned to patrol the Persian Gulf. One of their missions, and the Unites States Navy's mission, is to keep the sea lanes open in defense of freedom of the seas. Another of their tasks is to support ground operations in the southwest Asia theater of operations. That means he'll be supporting the Marines.   This will be my son's second deployment to SWA aboard ship. Some of his friends from high school and college have already served or are currently serving tours in-country; you can be sure that many of the crew also have friends and relatives on the ground in Afghanistan. They're all there to support each other. It seems to me that we have as fine a fighting force as can be assembled out there protecting the rights and freedoms of the Afghan people. It is an honor to know more than a few of them.    Sometimes news editorials make us wonder what business our sons and daughters have more than six time zones away, performing tasks that seem to have little or nothing to do with the average American's personal liberties. This may be so, but it seems to me that preventing terrorism and oppressive political ideologies from denying such things as universal suffrage and education for women and minorities is a worthwhile endeavor.    It's probably true that people in the Persian Gulf region have known little peace or freedom lately, but the Code of Hammurabi from antiquity, and the story of Esther from the Bible, illustrate that regardless of recent History, the people there have been trying to get it right for thousands of years. Just maybe, with our help, they can get it right this time. I believe our Marines have what it takes to help make it happen.   K. Brown   "Ah! The good old time–the good old time. Youth and the sea. Glamour and the sea! The good, strong sea, the salt, bitter sea, that could whisper to you and roar at you and knock your breath  out of you." –Joseph Conrad, "Youth".