Camp Pendleton combat veteran Marines stopped pirates

Marines from Camp Pendleton who stormed pirate-held ship were combat veterans
September 10, 2010

The Marines from Camp Pendleton who stormed a pirate-held ship in the Gulf of Aden were combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, where they learned the skills necessary to disarm and arrest the nine Somalis without firing a shot, their officers said Friday.

"This was not their first rodeo," said Capt. Alexander Martin, commander of the Force Reconnaissance Platoon of the maritime assault team. Martin has served three tours in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Joseph Clearfield, commander of Battalion Landing Team of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, which includes the maritime team, called the mission "a 10 out of 10 on any scale."

Clearfield is a veteran of the Marine assault on Fallouja in early 2004.

Launching Thursday morning from the amphibious transport ship Dubuque, the Marines assaulted in two inflatable boats while a helicopter hovered overhead. Despite resistance, the Marines used ladders to quickly scale the side of the freighter.

Although the pirates had threatened to open fire with their AK-47s, most surrendered quickly when the Marines boarded the German-owned ship. Two were found sitting in the captain's chairs on the bridge of the 436-foot freighter, the Magellan Star.
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Marines from Camp Pendleton who stormed pirate held ship

The Pirate Hunters Marines return to Camp Pendleton

Pirate-chasing Marines return to Camp Pendleton
2:40 PM July 31, 2009


The official nickname of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 is "The Stingers."

But for the seven-month deployment with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit that ended in a joyous homecoming Friday at Camp Pendleton, the squadron had a new name: "The Pirate Hunters."

Flying off the amphibious assault ship Boxer, the squadron's Hueys and Cobras chased pirates in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, and the waters off Somali. The presence of the loud and heavily armed helos gave warning to the pirates to leave the merchant ships alone.


Capt. John Geisler told his wife via e-mail to watch for the Jolly Roger flag in the cockpit window of his Cobra. And so when Tristan Geisler, 28, spotted the needle-nosed chopper as it landed and taxied into position, she let out a shout.
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