The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit Welcomed Back Home

Daddy's home!
Daily Mail
By Ekin Karasin For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: 07:45 EDT, 12 May 2017

Ecstatic toddler runs into his Marine father's arms while a tearful sailor cradles his pregnant wife's baby bump at emotional homecoming reunion after seven months overseas
Elijah Proctor flew to embrace his father Sergeant William, at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned after serving in Western Pacific, Middle East, and Horn of Africa
Photos also captured an emotional Lance Corporal Shane McMain embracing his pregnant wife Madison

This is the heart-rending moment Elijah Proctor ran into the arms of his Marine father William when he finally returned home after serving overseas for seven months, at a homecoming reception in California

Elijah Proctor flew to embrace his beaming father Sergeant William, while his mother Lindsey looked on lovingly, at a homecoming reception at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, on Thursday.

Sgt Proctor was among dozens of excited Marines and sailors from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit returning home after serving in the Western Pacific, Middle East, and Horn of Africa.

Sgt Proctor cradled Elijah in his arms as the sweet toddler puckered his lips to give his father a kiss

Touching photos also captured a tearful Lance Corporal Shane McMain kneeling to embrace his wife Madison, who is pregnant with their first child, and cradle her baby bump.

A tearful Lance Corporal Shane McMain knelt to embrace his wife Madison, who is pregnant with their first child, and cradle her baby bump

Elsewhere, proud mother Teresa Vickers squeezed her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms tightly around her son, Sergeant Nicholas, while Katie Sciutto tenderly kissed her boyfriend Corporal Seth Peaton through tears.
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Marine Gets Home For Christmas As Gift From Gold Star Family

Gold Star Family Helps Holland Marine Get Home For Christmas To See Sick Mother
CBS Boston
December 24, 2016

“It just wouldn’t have been Christmas,” his mother said.

HOLLAND (CBS) — The smiles were never-ending after Marine Lt. Josh Peloquin arrived home early Saturday morning.

“I almost toppled him over and I started bawling my eyes out,” said Josh’s mother, Tonya Olsen. “I just didn’t want to let go.”

His coming home was more important than ever this year, because Olsen is very sick.

“This year has been such a hard year,” she said. “We lost my father, his grandmother, and we found out I have pulmonary fibrosis.”

Josh is stationed off the coast of Africa. Two weeks ago, he was told he was going back to the US for Christmas.

But he couldn’t afford the trip home to Holland, Massachusetts.

“My mom is really sick, and I had to make the tough decision to save my money,” he said.

A Gold Star family from the Cape who had lost their son in combat heard about Josh’s family and plight–and they paid for his plane ticket home.
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Florida National Guardsman Family Get New Roof

On June 14th, Jasper Contractors partnered with Owens Corning and Support Our Troops to install a new roof for the Singrossi family. This husband and wife team serves our country both in the Army and at the Orlando police department all while raising a family. This was an awesome experience! 

Thank you to the Singrossi's and thank you to our partners for making this possible.

Florida National Guard sending 700 soldiers to Africa

Florida National Guard sending 700 soldiers to Africa
Miami Herald
Carol Rosenberg
April 7, 2016

About 700 Florida National Guard troops are headed to the Horn of Africa again to be part of U.S. military operations against al-Qaida and other violent extremists in East Africa, a wing of the war on terror.

The Guard said in an announcement Thursday that the Miami-based 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the “Hurricanes,” and Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Regiment depart this weekend respectively from airports in Fort Lauderdale and Panama City “for a 12-month mission in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.”

They’ll be at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti for about nine of those months with the rest of the yearlong deployment devoted to preparation, training and demobilization.
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Marine Presented with Navy and Marine Corps Medal

Marine awarded for saving Senegalese man from drowning
Marine Corps Times
By Matthew L. Schehl
January 29, 2016

Sprankle, who also happens to be a Marine Corps water survival instructor, was at dinner with fellow Marines when they heard screams coming from a nearby pier: A swimmer had been caught up in a strong rip current.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew A. Sprankle is awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal after saving a Senegalese man from drowning last August, aboard Morón Air Base, Spain, Jan. 26, 2016. The award is the highest non-combative decoration for heroism awarded by the U.S. Department of the Navy.
(Photo: Sgt. Kassie McDole, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa)

A Marine who leapt into the ocean to save a drowning Senegalese man has received the Navy’s highest non-combat decoration for heroism.

Sgt. Matthew Sprankle was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on Tuesday by Maj. Gen. Niel Nelson, commander of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, at a ceremony aboard Moŕon Air Base, Spain. 

The mortarman deployed with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force — Crisis Response — Africa is credited with saving the man’s life as he was being swept out to sea Aug. 28 in Dakar, Senegal.
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Two Marine Generals Abused Their Authority

Two Marine generals found to have abused their authority
Marine Corps Times
By Hope Hodge Seck, Staff writer
August 10, 2015

A newly released set of reports from the Marine Corps' independent oversight authority has found that two Marine generals acted beyond the bounds of their authority in separate incidents involving Marines under their command. The investigations, published last year and released to Marine Corps Times through a Freedom of Information Act request, serve to illustrate the challenges that come with rank and the most common pitfalls for senior commanders.

The Marine Corps Inspector General reports highlight complaints against Brig. Gen. James O'Meara and Maj. Gen. Steven Busby.

O'Meara, then deputy commander of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, was found to have detailed multiple Marines to serve as his aides-de-camp when his rank and position did not merit an aide. Busby, then the commander of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in California, improperly recruited Marines to assist for an evening with a command holiday party held at his home, the report into his actions found.

Neither O'Meara nor Busby responded to a request for comment about the incidents. Both have since moved on to new posts: O'Meara now serves as director of the Strategy and Plans Division for Marine Corps Plans, Policies and Operations at the Pentagon and Busby is director of strategy, plans and policy for U.S. Central Command. Marine officials declined to discuss any administrative actions that may have been taken against the generals as a result of the reports, citing standard policy regarding public releases.
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Joint Chiefs: Quarantine All Us Troops in Ebola Deployment

Joint Chiefs recommend quarantine for all US troops returning from West Africa
Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper and Chris Carroll
Published: October 28, 2014

WASHINGTON — The military’s top brass has recommended that all American troops returning from the mission to combat Ebola in West Africa be quarantined, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “shares the concerns by the chiefs about the safety and well-being not only of our troops but also of their families,” but has not yet made a decision about whether to approve the recommendation from the Joint Chiefs.

Hagel received the chiefs’ recommendation on Tuesday, shortly after Army leadership decided to isolate Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams and 10 other soldiers for three weeks to ensure they are not infected after spending time in Liberia, where they were participating in Operation United Assistance.

They and other soldiers arriving in Vicenza, Italy, will be allowed no physical contact with family members but will have access to telephones and the Internet, Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Alayne Conway said.
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Soldiers Fighting Ebola Coming Home to Quarantine

Will they get hazardous pay for this?

ARMY TO QUARANTINE TROOPS WHO WERE FIGHTING EBOLA
ABC News 7 Los Angeles
Luis Martinez
October 27, 2014

The Army has decided that troops returning from deployments to Liberia should be quarantined so they can be monitored for possible exposure to the Ebola virus and a general was among the first people affected.

The order immediately affected up to a dozen soldiers who returned to their home base in Italy this weekend, including Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, the former top U.S. commander in Liberia.

"Out of an abundance of caution the Army directed a small number of personnel, about a dozen, that recently returned to Italy to be monitored in a separate location at their home station of Vicenza," Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said today. "None of these individuals have shown any symptoms of exposure."

The Army later released a statement confirming that the decision was made by Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff.

"The Army Chief of Staff has directed a 21-day controlled monitoring period for all redeploying soldiers returning from Operation United Assistance," the statement said. "He has done this out of caution to ensure soldiers, family members and their surrounding communities are confident that we are taking all steps necessary to protect their health."
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Camp Lejeune Marines and Sailors Rescued after crash near Djibouti

Camp Lejeune helicopter crashes in waters near Africa
By WCTI Staff
Sep 01 2014
GULF OF ADEN

A Camp Lejeune helicopter carrying 25 people crashed Monday in the Gulf of Aden, but all aboard were rescued, the Navy said

The 17 Marines and eight Navy sailors were recovered and were on board the USS Mesa Verde, and some who sustained minor injuries were treated on the ship.

The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter --assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune-- crashed at about 2 p.m GMT (10 a.m. EST) Monday as it attempted to land on the ship, which has a big landing deck on the back, according to the Navy.

The Navy said the crash was not the result of hostile activity, but the aircraft was transferring troops back to the ship from training in nearby Djibouti in Africa.
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US Army fighting Ebola in West Africa

Military Responders Help Battle Ebola Outbreak
US Department of Defense
By Terri Moon Cronk and Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2014

Defense Department personnel are on the ground in West Africa and in U.S. laboratories fighting to control the worst outbreak in the African history of the Ebola virus, which a senior Army infectious disease doctor called a “scourge of mankind.”

Army Col. (Dr.) James Cummings, director of the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System, or GEIS, a division of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, said the battle against the virus since the outbreak began in West Africa in March focuses on trying to stop disease transmission. At the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, or CDC, in Atlanta, Director Dr. Tom Frieden has announced that the health agency has raised the travel advisory to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone where he said the Ebola outbreak is worsening, to Level 3 -- a warning to avoid unnecessary travel to those countries.

CDC already has disease detectives and other staff in those countries to track the epidemic, advise embassies, coordinate with the World Health Organization, or WHO, strengthen ministries of health, and improve case finding, contact tracing, infection control and health communication.

Over the next 30 days, in what Frieden described as a surge, CDC will send another 50 disease-control specialists into the three countries to help establish emergency operations centers and develop structured ways to address the outbreak.

“They will also help strengthen laboratory networks so testing for the disease can be done rapidly,” the director said.

For travelers in and out of the three West African countries, CDC experts will strengthen country capacity to monitor those who may have been exposed to Ebola, and each country in the region has committed to doing this, Frieden said.

“It's not easy to do,” he added, “but we will have experts from our division that do airport screening and try to ensure that people who shouldn't be traveling aren't traveling.”
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Canadian Sailor's body discovered in Africa

HMCS Toronto sailor found dead during port visit in Seychelles 
CTV News Canada
January 2, 2014

A member of the Canadian Armed Forces has died in the small African island nation of Seychelles, the Department of National Defence said Thursday evening, adding that his death was non-combat related.

Lt. Andrew F. Webster, 33, was based out of CFB Halifax in Nova Scotia.

He was found dead in his hotel room just after 12:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, the department said in a statement.

The Dartmouth, N.S man was a member of HMCS Toronto, a navy ship which had made a scheduled port visit to the city of Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, the department said.
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Major General relieved of duty for alcohol and sexual misconduct

Officials: General Fired Over Alcohol, Sex Charges
Huffington Post
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
04/04/13

WASHINGTON — An Army major general with U.S. Africa Command has been relieved of his post in connection with alcohol and sexual misconduct charges, defense officials said Thursday.

Officials said Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, was fired from his command last Thursday and he was fined a portion of his pay by Gen. Carter Ham, head of U.S. Africa Command, after an administrative hearing and review. The officials said Ham lost confidence in Baker's ability to command.

Baker has appealed the administrative action to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. But since senior commanders such as Ham have broad latitude in decisions to relieve subordinates of command, Hagel's decision may focus more on the financial punishment doled out by Ham, officials said.

Details of how much his pay was docked were not released.

The allegations against Baker involve harassment and inappropriate contact, said the officials, who were not authorized to talk publicly about the case so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Baker took over the task force, based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, last May and was scheduled to leave the job in the near future.

He has returned to Washington and is temporarily serving as a special assistant to the director of the Army staff while he awaits Hagel's decision. Such special assistant posts are routinely used as way stations for general officers who are under investigation and awaiting their fate, or for others who have been promoted and are waiting for their new job to open up.
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3 service members killed in Mali car crash

3 service members killed in Mali car crash
By Martin Vogl
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Apr 20, 2012 14:06:00 EDT

BAMAKO, Mali — Three American military personnel and three civilians died early Friday in a single-car crash in Mali’s capital, U.S. officials said. U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. read more here

Another war? Obama to deploy 100 combat troops to Africa

Obama to deploy 100 combat troops to Africa
Staff report
Posted : Friday Oct 14, 2011 15:02:03 EDT
President Obama is deploying 100 armed U.S. troops to Africa to assist local military forces in the battle against the terrorist group the Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony, the White House announced Friday.

The initial team of U.S. troops arrived Oct. 12 in Uganda “with appropriate combat equipment,” Obama said in a letter to Congress notifying lawmakers about the mission.

Although they are combat-equipped, the U.S. troops will provide only “information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces,” and will engage in combat only in self-defense, Obama said.

“During the next month, additional forces will deploy, including a second combat-equipped team and associated headquarters, communications, and logistics personnel. The total number of U.S. military personnel deploying for this mission is approximately 100.”
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North Carolina Army National Guard completes humanitarian mission in Africa

N.C. Guard unit returns from year in Africa

The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Dec 6, 2008 13:46:23 EST

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — One of the most productive well-drilling units that ever deployed to the Horn of Africa is returning to North Carolina.

The 1133rd Engineer Detachment of the North Carolina Army National Guard will hold a welcome home ceremony Saturday at Southside Baptist Church in Mooresville. The ceremony will honor the ten-man unit that deployed last year to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

The 1133rd completed five wells, repaired four, and installed two solar panel upgrades during its yearlong deployment. It also assisted with other humanitarian projects.

FOX news reports the truth about Palin, almost too late

If FOX had been paying attention, they would have known how bad Palin would have been as a Vice-President a heartbeat away from McCain at 72! Bravo to Carl Cameron anyway. It almost came too late but at least the supporters she had can find some comfort she didn't get that close to being in charge of this entire nation.

Fox: Palin didn't know Africa is a continent
David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Thursday November 6, 2008

So just how woefully unqualified was Sarah Palin? Now that the election's over, aides to John McCain's campaign are starting to dish on the former Republican vice presidential nominee. The Alaska governor who bragged about being able to see Russia from her home state was pretty uninformed on even the most basic details of the world, it appears.

As Fox News's Carl Cameron reported Wednesday, Palin allegedly thought Africa was a country -- not a continent -- and didn't know which countries were a party to the North American Free Trade Agreement. (That would be the US, Mexico and Canada.)Cameron's report joins negative portrayals of Palin in Newsweek and the New York Times, which on Thursday revealed that Palin had not prepared for her disastrous interview with CBS's Katie Couric and did not inform McCain officials that she had scheduled an interview with two Canadian pranksters posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
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From Africa to America with trauma and after

Double Life: The Public Face and Private Pain of Torture Victims in Minnesota
by: Abdi Aynte
Sat Oct 27, 2007 at 5:44:46 PM

Like many other torture victims, Iftu has a dual identity: In public, she's a happy and hard-working immigrant whose gregarious outlook doesn't give a hint of the horrors she suffered in her native Ethiopia. In private, she's a rape victim and a patient at a local psychological treatment center.

"It's getting harder and harder to keep up with my two identities," said Iftu, who didn't want to give her last name.

She's one of an estimated half million torture victims in the United States. Minnesota has an estimated 30,000. That number is too high for the state because of higher immigration rate per capita, said Rosa Garcia-Peltoniemi, a senior consulting clinician with The Center for Victims of Torture, or CVT. The Minneapolis-based center is a national leader in the field.

Speaking at an immigrant roundtable Friday, Garcia-Peltoniemi said "the stigma associated with torture is a barrier to treatment," but is common.
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