Fearless 1st Marines’ blog

A broken heart mending

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:14:04 -0700

Story by Cpl. Chris T. Mann

FALLUJAH, Iraq (July 1, 2008) – Sounds of joy and laughter resonate through a police station’s narrow hallways. A young boy slowly enters through a doorway at the end to greet the boisterous group of Marines, but the sounds of excitement quickly diminish as they see him gasping for air after walking just a short distance.

The boy, five-year-old Ahmed, is the son of Warrant Officer Othman Mallouki, an Iraqi policeman with Fallujah Headquarters District. Since his birth, Ahmed has suffered from a rare but fatal heart condition that if left untreated, will eventually kill him at an unthinkable, young age.

Ahmed’s parents first noticed there was something wrong with their son when he was a year old. The medical condition present in Ahmed’s cardiac system keeps needed oxygen from reaching organs like a normal person’s circulatory system would, causing a bluish coloring around the eyes and on the face.

Tasks such as walking up a set of stairs are very tedious for the young boy because of his medical condition. Ahmed runs completely out of breath performing the simplest of daily activities.

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“I was extremely worried all these years, that I might not be able to get the help my son needs,” said Mallouki. “In our culture, the first born is very important and this is our first son.”

Only recently did the light begin to peak through at the end of a dark tunnel for Ahmed and his family when Marines from Company B, Police Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, and a charitable organization called “Gift of Life,” based in Tampa, Fla. intervened.

Ahmed’s condition was diagnosed at Fallujah Surgical when Marines took him in for an examination, said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Craig W. Pasanen, a corpsmen with the team. Doctors discovered a hole in the septum of his heart that causes oxygen and deoxygenated blood to pass through the heart and not the lungs.

Mallouki and his son have been working with Coalition forces for the past year in attempts to get the money and medical attention that they so desperately need to help Ahmed.

The operation to mend Ahmed’s heart will be extensive and will require a specialist to stitch the hole inside his heart that is causing his condition.

But medical expenses for the family soon became too much. The nearest qualified specialist who can perform the surgery locates at a surgical clinic in Jordan. The family had no way of earning the money they need to travel and pay for Ahmed’s medical expenses.

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Several months ago, members of the team contacted representatives at “Gift of Life,” who began sponsoring Mallouki and Ahmed. In June, Mallouki was able to apply for Visas that would allow the father and son access into Jordan. Their travel expenses were also covered by the charitable organization, and Transition Team members organized several convoys to Baghdad, Iraq, to assist.

Ahmed will finally undergo the surgery he’s needed sometime this month.

“Before I could not hope for anything at all and I was depressed all the time,” said Mallouki. “Now I feel in my heart a sense of hope that my son will grow up normal. I would not have this hope in my life if it weren’t for the Marines here.”

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Fallujah badges key to the city

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:55:33 -0700

Story by Cpl. Chris Lyttle

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FALLUJAH, Iraq (June 25, 2008) – Marines with 3^rd Battalion, 6^th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1 and Iraqi Police (IP) in southwest Fallujah set up a remote identification badge operation June 23-25, providing badge issuing services to more than 700 outlying residents of the city.

Every resident of Fallujah is issued an identification badge to allow them access into the city and to identify themselves to Iraqi Security and Coalition forces.

The idea of extending the ID services came after Marines noticed many outdated badges during patrols, said 2nd Lt. John Gabriel Sanchez, platoon commander, 3rd Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.

“On patrols, there was a trend that my squad leaders kept noticing,” Sanchez said. “They said (there were) a lot of expired badges and every time they go to a house, the badges are either close to or already expired. We got that word up to the (commanding officer), and he said, ‘You know what, we’ll have a badge drive. We’ll broadcast it and hold it for three days so we can get the majority of southern Fallujah.’”

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Coalition forces and IPs welcomed residents from all of Fallujah and not just the southwest portion of the city. With hundreds of local nationals coming to renew their badge, security forces made safety a priority. Although there have been no recent events in the city of Fallujah, the potential for insurgents to harm innocent people is still relevant.

As the people waited in line to exchange their expired IDs for new ones, IPs checked to ensure peoples badges needed to be replaced. To ease the wait, IPs delivered to them ice and water.

“Jumaa,” a 27-year-old enlisted IP of two years and a native of Fallujah, stayed on his feet from sunrise until sunset each day of the operation because he understands the importance of having a current ID badge.

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Jumaa said it makes him feel safer on a foot patrol when he approaches people who have valid identification. He said it helps identify whether or not the person is a local and whether or not they have a legitimate reason to be in the district he protects.

Sanchez said the IPs did a great job of providing security while the Marines stood ready to lend them a helping hand, making the operation incident free an a huge success.

“The majority, if not all of the security, is with the IPs,” Sanchez said during the operation. “The Marines are providing overwatch. If they happen to spot something going on, then they’ll let the IPs take care of it. The IPs have a lot more involvement in the security … actually more than I anticipated.”

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2/24 Motor T delivers; keeps ground combat element in the fight

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:28:45 -0700

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HABBANIYAH, Iraq (July 1, 2008) – Working from sunrise to sunset, repairing damaged vehicles and delivering essential supplies to the infantry companies is the name of the game for Motor Transportation (Motor-T) Marines in Iraq.

Marines with Combat Trains 1 and 2 of 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, have driven more than 9,000 miles during their five months in Iraq, helping to keep the battalion in the fight.

“We travel to about 20 different locations to re-supply the (infantrymen) with supplies that they need,” said 1st Lt. Nathan J. Loomis, the Motor-T officer-in-charge. “We deliver anything from fuel, water, food, supplies, repair parts… whatever the unit needs, we take it to them”

With infantry units relying more heavily on mobile patrols, Motor-T’s job has become even more important in accomplishing the battalion’s mission.

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“The (infantrymen) aren’t going on as many foot patrols as they have before, so if we weren’t there to fix-up the trucks, they wouldn’t be able to complete their mission as proficiently,” said Cpl. Anthony J. Kim, a 26-year-old maintenance shop chief from Chicago. “If they have a (vehicle) problem, we fix it. We are basically their mobility.”

Although the combat train’s have been in and out of Camp Habbaniyah several times per week during their first five months in Iraq, only one incident has occurred in the near 100 trips on the road, but the Marines stay alert and are confident they have the proper training if something were to happen again.

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“Because of the training we’ve (completed), if something were to happen, we would know exactly what to do,” said Lance Cpl. Brent C. Glays, a MK-19 gunner with Combat Train 2.

With their Iraq tour nearing the end, the Marines are excited about returning home, but are determined to finish out their deployment strong and go home knowing their mission in Iraq was accomplished and they brought everyone they came to Iraq with back home safely.

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"From the Frontline" Episode 5 on Youtube

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:22:34 -0700

This edition features stories on Police Transition Team 8 performing security patrols, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Golf Company performing personal security, and 937th Engineer Company 5th Platoon performing a route clearance.

From The Frontline - July 1, Part 1

From The Frontline - July 1, Part 2

From The Frontline - July 1, Part 3

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Fire destroys post; Marines persevere

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:05:57 -0700

By Cpl. Chris Lyttle

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FALLUJAH, Iraq (July 1, 2008) – Marines with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat team 1 and Iraqi firemen with the Fallujah Fire Department teamed up to battle a fire that destroyed structures at Entry Control Point-5 (ECP-5) June 25.

The ECP controls traffic and safeguards entryways into the city of Fallujah.

No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is suspected to have started from a faulty light fixture, said 1st Lt. Travis Bowden, the company’s executive officer, who was on duty as the watch officer when a Marine alerted him that one of the wooden structures at the ECP was engulfed in flames.

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“I contacted the battalion and they called the Fallujah Fire Department,” Bowden said. “They got on deck and started using their water trucks and everything they had.”

Marines said although the Iraqi firemen responded incredibly fast, nearly seven huts were already burning when they arrived. The first firemen to arrive fought the blaze with water cannons until they ran empty and Marines used every extinguisher available on post.

“The (Iraqi firemen) had maybe three or four trucks doing runs for about two hours trying to get all the water they had on the fire,” Bowden said. “Both Marines and the firefighters were on the hoses trying to get the flames down. Once that first hut went up (in flames), it was too much for any number of fire extinguishers to handle,” Bowden said.

Gunnery Sgt. Jason Armistead, Company L gunnery sergeant, described how quickly the fire took over every structure while he and others attempted to fight it.

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“We got about twenty fire extinguishers and (the fire) just kept spreading too fast,” Armistead said. “So then we grabbed some axes. About seven or eight of us were trying to chop down the side of a hooch (wooden hut) trying to keep it away from the other ones. The fire kept jumping from hooch to hooch and it was starting to go around us.”

At that point, Armistead told the Marines to get all of their personal gear from each hut that they could salvage, but because of the fire’s rapid growth, few items were saved.

Lance Cpl. Kyle Van Beekom, a heavy equipment operator with Combat Engineers Battalion, attached to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, without regard for his own safety, drove a forklift to the fire, and removed gasoline-fueled generators, a 200-gallon gas tank and moved the wooden buildings away from the flames to prevent it from spreading.

“The hooch we were trying to take an axe to; he (Beekom) rammed it about four or five times,” Armistead said. “He drove the (forklift) completely into the fire, trying to keep it pushed back and he kept the fire from jumping. Of course all of the hooches burned down, but that enabled us to get more gear out.”

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More than 90 Marines lost everything they owned, including personal possessions and issued equipment. The company immediately adjusted to logistical setbacks, living arrangements and daily operations continued seamlessly, Bowden said.

Although the fire created a setback for the Marines, there was a silver lining- the generosity from Iraqis and stateside supporters.

Bowden said in this case, the assistance role was reversed. After the fire, Iraqis helped clear the debris with dump trucks and others came to offer building materials. A nearby ice factory owner delivered ice and food to the Marines.

“It’s definitely different,” Bowden said. “It just shows a lot of progress we’ve made in helping them out so much that they’re willing to reciprocate that now. They’re lending us a hand when we’re down and out so that we can recover.”

Bowden added that stateside supporters have been in constant contact with the battalion, inquiring how to help the Marines.

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“Stateside (support) has been extraordinary,” Bowden said. “I don’t know how many emails and letters we’ve received. It’s just an outpouring of everyone trying to give a little bit. It has been overwhelming.”

Armistead described how the company is adjusting in the aftermath.

“Collectively, we all know it’s a bad situation, but no one’s complaining,” Armistead said. “We’re just doing what we need to do to continue on with the mission. We’re just accepting the fact that we’ve got to live on. The battalion is doing a good job of getting the military gear back that we lost. The response from the other units around us and the people back home has just been unreal. They gave us necessities so we could get by.”

Bowden added that the Marines are enduring the loss and looking ahead.

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“It has been tough on the Marines, but at the same time, it’s showing us how to be flexible,” Bowden said. “The good thing is that we were able keep up with operations we already had in place. We still accomplished everything that was planned before and we’re still right on track and moving forward. I just think the Marines did really well by being flexible and adaptable. They’re taking the situation, as bad as it is, and continuing on with (Iraq’s reconstruction) effort.”

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Ramadi Municipal Building a Sign of Continued Peace

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:17:12 -0700

By LCpl. Casey Jones

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RAMADI, Iraq (June 22, 2008) - Mahmoud Yassin Marre, a middle-aged Iraqi contractor from Ramadi, stands proudly on the third floor of the newly-constructed 17th Street Municipal Building in the heart of the thriving city. Looking out on the city below, he sees a region undergoing a rebirth.

The streets are jammed with cars and horns are sounding by the second, similar to New York City during the hectic five o’clock rush hour. In the park adjacent to the building a businessman decked out in a vogue black suit gives an affable wave to an Iraqi policeman nearby. The city and its citizens show no signs of fear or fret.

Ramadi is no longer defined as a city torn apart by bombs and violence. Instead, the city is being redefined by peace and a booming reconstruction effort by the locals and both Iraqi and Coalition forces.

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The new municipal building is the latest addition to the reconstruction efforts. The building, prior to its renovation, was used as a student dormitory. During intense fighting early in the war, the building was almost destroyed and complete renovations were required to salvage the structure.

“The building needed a complete overhaul,” said Capt. Angel Torres, the Commanding Officer of Civil Affairs Detachment 2, attached to 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1. “The building was hit by almost every type of munitions known to Coalition forces. It was just a frame with a big hole in the middle of it.”

Security gains in the region have allowed the Iraqi people to begin helping to reconstruct the city, often referred to as “the Eye of al Anbar.”

“As an Iraqi civilian, I can honestly say the insurgents are no longer in Ramadi,” Marre said with a look of resolve and confidence. “The security situation is a lot better right now than what it used to be. The people of Ramadi thought Coalition forces were here to destroy the city, but now they see they are here to help and protect us. Everybody wants to have a good relationship with Coalition and Iraqi forces now.”

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Torres echoed Marre’s thoughts on the rebuilding and security situation. Without peace, renovating the city would be impossible, Capt. Torres said.

“The security situation right now is very good,” the 29-year-old Irvine, Calif. native said. “Having peace and security was the first step in the rebuilding process. Now, the Iraqi forces are in control here, allowing both forces to continue to reconstruct and further build the capacity of their government.”

The municipal building will essentially be the local government’s city hall. The building will be occupied by the mayor, city council members, and other elected and appointed city officials.

For the last year the city’s mayor, Latif Obaid, worked inside the police headquarters for an added layer of security. Now, with the security improvements, the government believes the city is secure enough to place the mayor’s office in a separate location.

“Having the mayor’s office at the (police headquarters), Coalition and Iraqi forces were insinuating the mayor needed the police for protection,” Capt. Torres said. “By moving the Mayor, we’re now saying the mayor and the police are separate entities.”

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The three-story structure, will also serve as a symbol of perseverance for the rest of the recovering region.

“The building is symbolic,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Eric Jett, a 34-year-old Oceanside, Calif. native and team leader with Civil Affairs Detachment 2. “It will be a landmark, a keystone building, in the center of Ramadi. It will symbolize to the locals that their government is back on its feet.”

Marre, who was raised only a few blocks away from the newly-built structure, wanted to further expand on the symbolism. He wanted the area to be an inspiration to all Iraqis and to serve as a reminder that Ramadi is now free from terror and violence.

The unwavering contractor, with his own money, built a statue in the park near the building to emphasize that reminder. The statue was built on the site where a picture statue of Saddam Hussein, the ousted former dictator of Iraq, once stood.

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“We decided to place a statue with a bird and a globe in front of the building,” Marre said. “The new statue is meant to be a symbol of peace in Ramadi; a new chapter for the city. In the past, Saddam’s face was at that site. It was meant to instill fear in us and remind us that he is an enemy of peace. We removed the old statue as a way of saying this is the new Ramadi, free of Saddam and free of violence.”

The upcoming weeks will be a particularly crucial point in time for the city, as the province's capital has scheduled several buildings to open and many more renovations of previously existing structures.

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Ramadi rebuilds as region recovers from violence

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:20:20 -0700

Story by Lance Cpl. Casey Jones

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RAMADI, Iraq (June 19, 2008) – Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region.

The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar Province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure.

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“Ramadi is at the point now to where it’s secure enough to rebuild,” said Staff Sgt. Earl Lucas, a platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.

One of the key efforts in the rebuilding stage of Ramadi has been repairing the schools. A number of schools in the city are in need of renovations due to structural damage and leaky roofs. The battalion’s Marines, along with Iraqi security forces, conduct daily patrols through the neighborhoods to survey the condition of the schools.

“Repairing the schools is essential because it’s a school—it’s their future,” said Cpl. Chris Sarlo, a squad automatic weapon gunner with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, during a foot patrol to inspect a nearby school. “The children coming up now grew up around violence and fighting. Now that the fighting is over with, we need to focus on their education and hopefully make everything better in the region.”

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While many schools throughout Ramadi are being assessed and renovated, it is only one of the many issues being focused on by both Iraqi and Coalition forces in an effort to return Ramadi to normalcy.

One of the most visible changes in the city has been the constant effort to remove rubbish from the streets.

“A real big problem in the city right now is trash,” said Gunnery Sgt. John Cuoco, a team leader with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, an artillery battery currently serving as a civil affairs group in direct support of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. “Iraqi and Coalition forces are making efforts to have the locals use the dumpsters. We are doing several campaigns to increase awareness. We recently gave informational products to put in every classroom in Ramadi to explain to the children why it’s important for them not to litter and use the dumpsters.”

Although the city is still taking steps forward in its rebuilding efforts, the Iraqis are making progress everyday in rejuvenating and reviving their city to restore it to what it was before the war.

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“The locals seem to have a genuine interest in what is going on,” Gunnery Sgt. Cuoco said. “But, a tremendous amount of work still needs to be done.”

The citizens are excited and are paying close attention to the encouraging changes in their city. According to Cuoco, a 46-year-old Tucson, Ariz.-native, he always receives a welcoming response and “shukran,” Arabic for “thank you,” from the locals for his help.

“Very few people in the city are hostile towards us.” Cuoco said, “Most of the locals are really enthusiastic about the rebuilding efforts and more often than not they try to help us and get involved.”

The changes in Ramadi are evident. Less than a year and a half ago, the city had essentially no electricity or trash collection, and running water was limited in the city. Today, the streets are getting cleaned up, new construction is everywhere, the city’s electricity situation is steadily improving, running water is available throughout the city, and trash collection is operated completely by Ramadi’s municipal workers.

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Cache Sweeps to Street sweeps, Ramadi missions change gears

nobody@vox.com(fearless1stmarines) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:50:43 -0700

Story by Cpl. Stephen McGinnis

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RAMADI, Iraq (June 18, 2008) – Ramadi, the Jewel of the Anbar Province, bears along it streets and on the walls of the pockmarked buildings the scars of war. The faces of its citizens show the memory of a historic city brought to near destruction by the vicious battles that have taken place in its streets for almost half a decade.

However, with recent security developments and cooperation between the Iraqi government, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces, the city is returning to its proud status as the capital of al Anbar.

The Iraqi people continue to progress forward and take the lead in fighting terrorists and rebuilding Ramadi. They are patching up the bullet holes, repaving war-torn streets, and the citizens are walking proudly with the look of hope in their eyes; the city is theirs again.

“The mayor is working to improve the city, build schools for the children and rebuild key facilities like the waste water facility, the electrical

power plants, and a train station as well,” said 1st Lt. Marc B. Quesenberry, a 25-year-old combat engineer, from Floyd, Va., with Company C., 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.

These infrastructure advances are possible because of the ever growing relationship between Iraqi and Coalition forces. With the enhanced security and the renovations, Ramadi is quickly becoming a success story.

“The Iraqi Police, the Iraqi Highway Patrol, and the Provincial Security Forces have all played a very vital role in keeping the security inside and outside the city,” said Quesenberry.

With Iraqi forces manning the posts, actively patrolling the streets and engaging the locals, Marines are serving as advisors and can utilize the their time to aid in other projects in efforts to improve the city.

Marines with Company C., 2nd CEB, attached to 1st Bn., 9th Marines, are doing their part to help clean up the streets and return a sense of pride to the people of Ramadi by removing any unnecessary materials resembling signs of war throughout the city.

“We are taking down concrete barriers as well as concertina wire, a collapsible reusable form of barbed wire, and moving any unnecessary military objects to return Iraq back to normalcy,” said Quesenberry.

Clearing away the barriers and concertina wire, much like the fall of the Berlin Wall is not just the removal of signs of war, but the symbolism of demilitarizing a city that hosted some of the most brutal house to house fighting Marines have seen since Hue City in Vietnam.

“With the change of the enemy environment and the change of us pulling back and moving towards an over watch position we are taking away some of those military looking objects so people don’t feel like they are in a war zone anymore,” said Quesenberry.

The mission for Marines in Ramadi has changed drastically over the last few years and now they are able to accomplish tasks they never thought would be possible.

“Last time I was here, I would have never thought about jumping out of a truck to get rid of a barrier, I would have been too worried it was booby trapped,” said Cpl. Michael Robinson, a 22-year-old motor transport operator from Glenmore, Pa., with 2nd CEB, attached to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines.

For an outsider looking in, the time spent cleaning up Ramadi by many may seem tedious and not part of the mission for Marines in Iraq. However, many Marines look at it from a different standpoint and are proud of their accomplishments.

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“It’s not about the hard feelings, it’s not about everything that happened in the past, it shows Marines didn’t give their lives for nothing, the city is improving and there is something to show for their hard work and sacrifice,” said Sgt. Robert L. Sullivan, a combat engineer with C Co., 2nd CEB, attached to 1^st Battalion, 9th Marines.

The hard work by both the Iraqis and the Marines is paying off. Ramadi, as well as the entire Anbar Province is getting closer and closer to restoring the full beauty to its cities.

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