October 21, 2004 — The ninth month of the Islamic year, Ramadan is a religious tradition among Muslims all over the world. For local nationals living and working aboard the air base here, observing the sacred holiday is in the forefront of everything they do. Having a mosque on base makes their ability to worship easier. "Even while we work we take time out for MORE
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October 20, 2004 — Improvised explosive devices are currently the number one killer of coalition troops in Iraq, unexploded ordnance, or UXOs, are scattered throughout the country, and mines left over from the Gulf War still threaten the lives of our troops. Despite the best efforts of combat engineers and Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians, Iraq is still MORE
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October 19, 2004 — More than two-dozen Marines with Marine Air Control Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, executed a two-hour base clean up here Oct. 19. Temporarily putting down their rifles, the Marines split into three teams and donned their road safety belts before picking up everything from paper, discarded sandbags, wire and wood MORE
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October 15, 2004 — Sailors and Marines congregated at the base theater here Oct. 15 to celebrate the Navy’s 229th birthday. Featuring the patriotic music of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, the festivities included a multi-service color guard, guest speakers, as well as a cake cutting ceremony-- all designed to celebrate the rich tradition of the Navy. Every year MORE
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October 10, 2004 — In a trip designed to bring motivation and encouragement, the Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, visited the Marines of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force here Oct. 10. Immediately upon landing, Rumsfeld met with the Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force, as well as the CGs of the various Marine MORE
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October 10, 2004 — The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, visited with Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen at Al Asad for the first time here today to meet the troops in Iraq first-hand. After meeting with senior Marine generals, including Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Rumsfeld later delivered a 15-minute MORE
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October 08, 2004 — The first combined-service mass casualty drill was conducted here Oct. 5 and was hailed by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing participants and medical planners as a tremendous success. "The purpose of the drill was to test the response of various fire and medical units here and it was a tremendous success," said Cmdr. Tamar T. Accardo-Jones, medical planner, MORE
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October 07, 2004 — On the outskirts of the air base here lays an old ammunition supply point formerly used by the former Iraqi armed forces. Nicknamed “Flea,” the ASP now houses captured and uncovered ordnance. Upon arrival to the facility, the weapons caches are slated to be destroyed as soon as possible. Responsible for guarding ASP Flea are reservists from MORE
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October 06, 2004 — Driving through miles of seemingly endless desert, many hours have passed and exhaustion has begun to set in. At one of the largest military installations in Iraq, patrolling around the perimeter of the air base here is no easy task, yet the Marines safeguarding its boundaries remain constantly watchful and take their job seriously. In a combined MORE
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October 05, 2004 — “If it ain’t raining, we ain’t training!” the old Marine Corps saying clearly states. It hasn’t rained at the desert air base of Al Asad, Iraq in months, but there has definitely been training for the personnel of Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. In the past several months, the Marines have been engaged in a wide array of MORE
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