Camp Pendleton

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January 17, 2012 | 10:08 AM | By

Record Number of Marine Suicide Attempts in 2011

Cpl. Reece Lodder / USMC

Marine in Helmand province, Afghanistan

More active-duty Marines tried to kill themselves in 2011 than in any other year that records were kept, according to the North County Times. A report by the Marine Corps’ Suicide Prevention Program finds that 175 active-duty Marines attempted suicide last year.

Statistics show 33 Marines killed themselves in 2011, and at least 11 of those Marines were based at Camp Pendleton, according to the North County Times. All of the suicides victims were men.

Bill Rider with American Combat Veterans of War told the NC Times that servicemembers often feel isolated when they return from a war zone:

“They feel they are alone and that creeps into questions of ‘what can I do’ or ‘what should I do,’ and that can lead to them considering suicide as an option, particularly if they have been drinking or taking drugs.”

The Marine Corps has a completely anonymous help line for troops feeling suicidal, staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That number is 1-877-476-7734. Troops more comfortable using the internet can visit www.dstressline.com for help.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Iraq, Life in the Military, San Diego, Veterans, War, Afghan war, American Combat Veterans of War, anxiety, Camp Pendleton, Depression, DSTRESSLINE, Iraq War, Marine Corps, Marine Corps suicides, military suicides, Multiple Deployments, post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, Suicide Prevention
January 10, 2012 | 11:35 AM | By

Navy Cross Ceremony for Fallen Pendleton Marine Next Week (Video)

Transcop09 / YouTube

Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus will posthumously award the Navy Cross to the family of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan on January 17th at a Camp Pendleton ceremony.

The 20-year-old Hogan had been assigned to Pendleton’s 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. He grew up in San Clemente, California – not far from Camp Pendleton.

The Marine Corps Times reports Hogan’s Navy Cross-worthy heroic deeds took place on August 26, 2009. Hogan was on foot patrol when he spotted a suspicious-looking string in the road:

Somehow sensing the string connected to an improvised explosive device, Hogan threw his body onto a nearby Marine, acting “without hesitation,” according to the Navy Cross citation. Hogan then yelled at others in their squad to take cover. But the IED detonated, killing the young man…

The Marine Corp Scholarship Foundation posted this lovely tribute video to Lance Cpl. Hogan on YouTube, including footage from August 26, 2009:

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, War, 1/5, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division I Marine Expeditionary Force, Afghan war, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Ghazni Province, Jim and Carla Hogan, Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan, Marine Corp Scholarship Foundation, Marine Corps, Navy Cross, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Nawa District, Patrol Base Jaker, San Clemente
December 26, 2011 | 9:51 AM | By

School Kids Create Care Packages for Camp Pendleton Marines

Nichelle / Flicker

Camp Pendleton Marines in Afghanistan

The small Wisconsin town of Two Rivers is thousands of miles from Camp Pendleton, California…and even farther away from Afghanistan. But that didn’t stop students in the Two Rivers Public Schools district from collecting much needed items to put together care packages for Marines they’ve never met.

According to the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, students usually participate in a food drive for the homeless during the holidays. This year, students and teachers decided to support troops overseas, too.

First grade teacher Tanya Shillcox got in touch with a cousin who was a veteran of the Marine Corps named Brandon Carmody. Carmody made up a list of things he knew would make a great care package for Marines – like Top Ramen, tuna, Power Bars, sunflower seeds, toothpaste, lip balm, sun block, and hand lotion.

And troops will find a little something special tucked inside those care packages. The children of Two Rivers schools also drew pictures and wrote thank you cards to the Marines. 10-year-old McKenna Vogel told the MHT Reporter:

“I hope they like it. They’ll probably feel warm inside, and happy that someone writes to them.”

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Veterans, War, Afghan war, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, care packages, Green Bay Wisconsin, Marine Corps, Two Rivers Public Schools, Two Rivers Wisconsin
December 21, 2011 | 10:13 AM | By

San Diego-Based Crew Celebrates Hanukkah at Sea

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began last night. As Adam Sandler so famously explained:

Hanukkah is the festival of lights,
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights.

The first night of Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the Menorah. In this Navy photograph, Hospitalman Aaron Seltzer lights the Menorah as part of a Hanukkah ceremony aboard the USS New Orleans, which is part of the San Diego-based Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. Seltzer is assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Pendleton.

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dominique Pineiro / U.S. Navy

FILED UNDER: Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Adam Sandler, Camp Pendleton, Chanukah, Chanukah Song, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Song, Jews in the military, Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, Menorah, USS New Orleans (LPD 18)
December 19, 2011 | 3:10 PM | By

New Trick for Donkey Adopted by Pendleton Marines (Video)

Facebook

Smoke the Donkey

Smoke the donkey, born and raised in Iraq, made such a strong impression on the Camp Pendleton Marines who met him during their deployment there that they pulled all sorts of strings to bring him back to the United States.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

In 2008, retired Marine Col. John Folsom and Marines from the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Logistics Group found the donkey at Camp Taqaddum in Anbar province. The animal quickly became a favorite. His name comes from his color and the fact that he once snatched a cigarette from a Marine.

Smoke the donkey now lives at Take Flight Farms in Omaha. He works as a therapy animal with the Wounded Warriors Family Support organization.

Smoke, who has almost 1,500 fans on his Facebook page, recently learned a new trick that his guardians posted on YouTube. Go Smoke!

FILED UNDER: Camp Pendleton, Iraq, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, Veterans, War, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Anbar province, Camp Pendleton, Col. John Folsom, Iraq, Iraq War, Marine Corps, Smoke the Donkey, Take Flight Farms, War in Iraq, Wounded Warriors Family Support
December 16, 2011 | 1:27 PM | By

Camp Pendleton Marines in Cambodia (Slideshow)

Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Pendleton and Sailors with the USS Pearl Harbor are in Cambodia as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group. This week several of the Marines and Sailors visited the Help the Cambodian Children Goodwill Center. They played duck-duck-goose, Chinese Checkers, and posed for pictures. Take a look:

 

 

FILED UNDER: Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Cambodia, Camp Pendleton, Help the Cambodian Children Goodwill Center, Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, Marine Corps, San Diego, U.S. Navy, USS Pearl Harbor
December 16, 2011 | 10:40 AM | By

Camp Pendleton Suffers 2nd Greatest Loss of Life in Iraq War

mtfrazier / Flickr

Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski

Camp Pendleton suffered the second greatest loss of troops in the Iraq War of any installation, according to numbers made available on iCasualties.org.

An estimated 345 servicemembers based at Camp Pendleton died during the war in Iraq. The first Marine from Pendleton to die was 2nd Lt. Therrel Shane Childers, 30, who was killed in southern Iraq from hostile fire on March 21, 2003. The last Camp Pendleton Marine to die in the war was Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski, 25, who lost his life in Anbar Province April 30, 2009.

The installation with the greatest loss of life during the Iraq war was Fort Hood in Texas.

FILED UNDER: Camp Pendleton, Iraq, Life in the Military, San Diego, War, 2nd Lt. Therrel Shane Childers, Camp Pendleton, Fort Hood, Iraq War, Marine Corps, Staff Sgt. Mark A. Wojciechowski, War in Iraq
December 9, 2011 | 11:17 AM | By

Treat a Marine Family to Dinner Before Deployment

dineanddeploy.org

Dine and Deploy diners

A new non-profit called “Dine and Deploy” allows folks to treat a Camp Pendleton family to dinner before their Marine’s deployment. Dine and Deploy is the brainchild of software company owner Peter Shikli of San Clemente.

According to the Dine and Deploy website, anyone who wants to treat a deploying Marine and his/her family to dinner can visit a participating restaurant (click here for a list) and make a donation by credit card to the program. Vouchers for meals are then handed out to deploying Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Shikli tells the Orange County Register the program is run through Camp Pendleton’s Armed Services YMCA:

They give the tax deduction with the thank-you letter and the receipt. I’ll print up the vouchers … they give it to the commanding officers, who then give it to their men and women who are coming and going from Afghanistan.

The program is available just in San Clemente right now. If you’d like to donate online, you can click here.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, War, Afghanistan, Armed Services YMCA Camp Pendleton, Camp Pendleton, Camp Pendleton ASYMCA, Deployments, Dine and Deploy, Marine Corps, Military Families, Peter Shikli, San Clemente, War in Afghanistan
December 8, 2011 | 3:29 PM | By

More Marines Attempting Suicide Than Ever Before

PTSD in the Military

coalitionforveterans.org

A new report finds Marine suicide attempts are at an all-time high. Marine officials credit better reporting with the higher numbers. But no one’s denying the military has a big problem with suicide prevention.

The North County Times breaks down the numbers this way:

176 Marines attempted suicide through November, more than double the 82 reported in 2002, the first year the Marine Corps began recording and reporting the statistics.

A suicide prevention program official told the North County Times that 11 of the Marines who committed suicide this year were based at Camp Pendleton.

The Marine Corps has established a website that allows troops who feel suicidal an option to talk to another Marine, or to live chat via the website. There’s even a link to find local counseling resources. All calls are completely anonymous. It’s called DSTRESSLINE, and you can click here to visit the website.

FILED UNDER: Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, Iraq, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, Veterans, War, Camp Pendleton, deployements, DSTRESSLINE, Marine Corps, Marine suicides, military suicides, suicide attempts, suicide hotline, Suicide Prevention
December 7, 2011 | 1:07 PM | By

Free Christmas Trees for Camp Pendleton Families (Video)

Christmas Spirit Foundation / YouTube

Trees for Troops recipients

More than 1,000 free Christmas trees are headed to Camp Pendleton to brighten the homes of the Marine families who live there. According to a Camp Pendleton news release, the tree distribution will take place 10:30 Friday morning at the Rattlesnake Canyon Road parking lot behind the Fire Station.

The group responsible for the tree giveaway is the aptly named Trees for Troops. According to the program’s website:

Since… 2005, Christmas Tree growers from across the U.S. have generously supported military families by providing 84,000 fresh cut Christmas Trees. For the past several years FedEx has helped to deliver, on average, 17,000 Real Christmas Trees each year to 60+ military bases throughout the U.S. and overseas. This year, our goal is to reach 100,000 Christmas Trees delivered.

There will be lots of activities on hand for the kids at the Camp Pendleton Christmas tree giveaway, including a magician, balloon artist, and a visit from Santa Claus himself.

For a little more background on Trees for Troops, here’s a touching video about what the program aims to accomplish:

FILED UNDER: Camp Pendleton, Life in the Military, San Diego, Spouses & Families, Camp Pendleton, Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, Christmas trees, Fed Ex, Marine Corps, Marines, Military Families, Santa Claus, Trees for Troops