april 22, 2011 since 1957 vol. 54 issue 16

Marines seek publiccomments to proposedland expansion

April 22, 2011 Since 1957 Vol. 54 Issue 16

HQBN Marines cover shooting basics,

page A3

Volunteers honored,page A5

Family, friends sayfarewell to VMU-3LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. AANNDDRREEWW DD.. TTHHOORRBBUURRNNCOMBAT CORRESPONDENT

Family and friends ofMarines and sailors ofMarine Unmanned AerialVehicle Squadron 3 saidtheir last minute goodbyes asthe unit headed out for adeployment to Afghanistanat the squadron headquar-ters Tuesday.

“I think a lot of the guysare excited to deploy,” saidCapt. Luke Roberts, thecontract officer representa-tive for VMU-3. “For someof them, this is the firsttime. For a lot of them,[they have had] multipledeployments, so they knowwhat is coming.

“They have had a lot oftime to prepare and I thinkeveryone is ready to go,” saidthe Shamburg, Ill., native.

As the Marines andsailors head to Helmandprovince, Afghanistan, they

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. AANNDDRREEWW DD.. TTHHOORRBBUURRNN

Sergeants Doug Laing [left] and Robert Weinharedt, both unmanned aerial vehicletechnicians with the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, play withWeinharedt’s 8-month-old daughter Isabella, before boarding buses and heading toHelmand Province, Afghanistan, Tuesday.

See VMU-3, A4

Young Marines retire weathered flagLLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. SSAARRAAHH DDIIEETTZZCOMBAT CORRESPONDENT

Not many people thoughtmuch of the raggedAmerican flag flown at theAtlas Self Storage facility onAdobe Road in TwentyninePalms, and if they did, noone stopped to say anything.

The members of theCombat Center’s YoungMarines Program took itupon themselves to payhonor and respect to theColors by replacing it with anew flag Saturday morning

“This makes me veryproud,” said Jim Petras, themanager of Atlas SelfStorage. “The flag means alot, and to see these kidscome out here is awesome.The leaders of the YoungMarines do a great job.”

Staff Sgt. DanielMontegue, the unit com-mander for the YoungMarine Program, saw the tat-tered flag on his way to workone day a few weeks prior.

Montegue decided to usethe situation to teach his

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. SSAARRAAHH DDIIEETTZZ

A tattered flag is lowered at the Atlas Self Storage facility in Twentynine Palms by membersof the Combat Center’s Young Marines Program during a colors ceremony to replace aworn and faded flag with a new one Saturday.

See FLAG, A6

GGUUNNNNEERRYY SSGGTT.. SSEERRGGIIOO JJIIMMEENNEEZZPUBLIC AFFAIRS CHIEF

To meet tomorrow’s chal-lenges, Marines must train asthey fight. To do this, theCombat Center mustexpand to be able to meetlarge-scale, combined-arms,live-fire and maneuver train-ing requirements conductedby a Marine ExpeditionaryBrigade and its supportiveelements, which can be aslarge as 20,000 personnel.

These were two key mes-sages Marines and civilian per-sonnel relayed to the public asthey sought input during threepublic comment meetingsheld in the local communitiesof Joshua Tree, Ontario andVictorville April 12-14.

The meetings were partof a Department of theNavy effort on behalf ofthe Marine Corps to preparean Environmental ImpactStatement to study alterna-tives to acquire traininglands and establish airspaceto expand the CombatCenter boundary, accordingto a Marine Corps release.

The meetings were organ-

ized by a Marine Corps landacquisition public liaisonteam, composed of Marines,civilians, and Bureau ofLand Management person-nel, and in coordination withthe Federal AviationAdministration. Liaison offi-cials described the meetingas a “respectful” and “cor-dial” exchange of informa-tion between the MarineCorps, private citizens, local,state, and national govern-ment officials, various off-road enthusiast groups, envi-ronmentalists and otherstakeholders.

Attendees were asked tocomment the DraftEnvironmental ImpactStatement, a report releasedFeb. 25, which analyzes theimpacts six land acquisitionand associated airspace estab-lishment alternatives, will haveon affected stakeholders and13 resource areas to the north,south, east and west of theinstallation.

The Draft EIS is undergo-ing a 90-day public commentperiod that ends May 26.According to an official

See LAND, A6


Staff Sgt. Brian Johnson, the communications andmaintenance chief for Marine Unmanned AerialVehicle Squadron 3, holds the 23-day-old daughterof his Marine, Cpl. Lucy Xiong, a field radio operator,during the squadron’s departure to HelmandProvince, Afghanistan Tuesday.


Young Marine Lance Cpl. Mary Stuckey presents the tat-tered flag to Jim Petras, the manager of the Atlas SelfStorage facility where it originally flew, after retiring itSaturday. The flag was replaced with a new one.

CCPPLL.. AANNDDRREEWW SS.. AAVVIITTTT

Marines with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment and Headquarters Battalion, conduct a house clearing oper-ation March 19, at Range 220, as part of a joint training exercise with Army Green Berets. This type of premiertraining is one reason why the Combat Center received the 2011 Commander in Chief's Annual Award forInstallation Excellence from the Department of Defense Thursday. The award recognizes the outstanding andinnovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations. The Combat Center is rec-ognized as the world’s largest combined arms, live-fire-and-manuever training facility. During 2010, the instal-lation provided predeployment training to more than 44,500 Marines, sailors, soldiers and partner nation mili-tary forces during 350 training days. Combat Center personnel completed monumental infrastructure and facil-ity projects that greatly improved the quality of life for service members and their families. Installation leaderswill receive the award during a ceremony at the Pentagon May 4.

Corps’ ‘crown jewel’ namedNation’s best … again

AA22 AAPPRRIILL 2222,, 22001111 OOBBSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN PPoosstt

AACCRROOSSSS1. Group belief6. Sharif of “Funny

Girl”10.End-of-round

signal14.Rial spender15.Spot on the Web16.Lamb’s nom de

plume17.__ one’s time

(waited)18.Part of QED19.“__ fair in love ...”20.Barely make, with

“out”21.Raw recruit24.Rich source of

fossils, perhaps26.“Ich bin __

Berliner”27.Grid coach Amos

Alonzo __30.Lure into crime35.Puts together38.‘89 movie based on

a ‘73 court decision40.Baseball’s Felipe

or Moises

41.Lenya or Lehmann42.Land of the

leprechauns43.It may be 20/2045.Was biased46.“And so __”

(Ellerbee catch phrase)

47.Clunky shoe49.I-95, e.g.51.Sci-fi zapper55.Worrisome

economic condition

61.Prefix with corn or form62.Chore list heading63.Bow-toting god64.Demagnetize, as a

tape66.Dentist’s request67.__ gin68.Tangle, or

disentangle69.“The World of

Suzie __” (1960 movie)

70.1/1 song ender71.Practices with a pug

“OH, DEER!”

Public Affairs Officer - Capt. Nick MannweilerPublic Affairs Chief - Gunnery Sgt. Sergio Jimenez

CCoommmmaannddiinngg GGeenneerraall BBrriigg.. GGeenn.. HH.. SSttaaccyy CCllaarrddyy IIIIII

Observation Post

The Observation Post is published by Hi-Desert Publishing, a private firm in no way con-nected with the Department of Defense or the United States Marine Corps, under exclu-sive written contract with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services.Contents of the Observation Post are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by,the United States government, the DoD, or the United States Marine Corps. The appear-ance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not con-stitute endorsement by the DoD or Hi-Desert Publishing of the services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use orpatronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital sta-tus, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the pur-chaser, user or patron. Editorial content is prepared by the Public Affairs Office,MCAGCC, Twentynine Palms, Calif. 92278. All photos, unless otherwise indicated areOfficial USMC Photos. Questions can be directed to the Public Affairs Office, locat-ed in building 1417, during normal working hours at 830-6213 or FAX 830-5474. TheObservation Post is made with 60 percent recycled paper.

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DDOOWWNN1. Lama land2. Eleniak of

“Baywatch”3. Corvair critic Ralph4. Hydrocarbon suffix5. Juicy morsels of

gossip6. Oil gp. since 19607. A+ or B-8. Slack-jawed9. Fetch, as stored data10.Ward and June’s

younger, for short11.Raines or Cinders12.Cheery tune13.Emit an intense beam22.Hollywood’s Hagen23.Wayside retreats25.Prefix meaning“false”28.Pirate’s potation29.Ancient Germanic

invaders31.Intended prey for a

“puddy tat”32.__ avis33.Score after deuce34.Confined, with “up”

35.Hawaiian fish, on menus

36.Touched down37.Empire State

Building climber39.Singer James or

Jones41.In the doldrums44.Medieval drudge45.Borrowed cars, e.g.48.Friend in the ‘hood50.Of a long-ago era52.Tropical source of

jelly53.Any of three Indy

winners54.Nobel physicist

Bohr55.Cram into the

overhead56.“__’ the mornin’!”57.Yemeni port58.Barris game show

prop59.Many a Disney

character60.Fortune teller’s

opening65.Séance sound

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6 2 99 3 6

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CCRROOSSSSWWOORRDD AANNDD SSUUDDOOKKUU PPUUZZZZLLEESS CCOOUURRTTEESSYY OOFF ©© 22001100 HHOOMMEETTOOWWNN CCOONNTTEENNTT

[[PPuuzzzzllee ssoolluuttiioonnss oonn AA77]]

SSEEMMPPEERRTTOOOONNSS:: CCRREEAATTEEDD BBYY GGUUNNNNEERRYY SSGGTT.. CCHHAARRLLEESS WWOOLLFF,, UUSSMMCC//RREETT..

Press Chief/Editor - Sgt. Heather GoldenLayout, Design - Leslie Shaw

SUDOKU #2152

Eagle

Eyes

Immediately report any suspicious activity whichmay be a sign of terrorism, including:

1. Surveillance2. Suspicious questioning3. Tests of security4. Acquiring supplies5. Suspicious persons6. Trial runs7. Deploying assets

830-3937

Combat Center SpotlightNNaammee:: Carina NicholasHHoommeettoowwnn:: Scottsdale, Ariz.UUnniitt:: Human Resorces Office JJoobb ttiittllee:: Human ResourcesAssistantJJoobb dduuttiieess:: Helping newemployees onboard CombatCenter and assisting the HumanResources SpecialistWWhhaatt ddoo yyoouu lliikkee mmoosstt aabboouuttyyoouurr jjoobb??:: Helping those who areunemployed makes her “gratefulto have a job.”SSiiggnniiffiiccaanntt aacchhiieevveemmeennttss:: PriorU.S. Navy and mother of twoHHoobbbbiieess:: Playing guitar andreadingTTiimmee aatt CCoommbbaatt CCeenntteerr:: One year

Opinions expressed in Centerspeak are not nec-essarily those of the OBSERVATION POST, theMarine Corps or the Department of Defense.

What have you done toreduce your carbon footprint

or help the community?

PFC. BRANDON HARPER

7TH MARINE REGIMENT

PFC. JONATHAN MURPHY

7TH MARINE REGIMENT

“Ipick up trash if I see it,because I care and it

just looks bad.”

PFC. BEN DRYGALSKI

7TH MARINE REGIMENT

“Ihave done food drives inthe past to help needy

children.”

Centerspeak

“Icommute to work everyday on foot to keep the

air clean.”

LANCE CPL. GIANFRANCO PAREDES

7TH ENGINEER SUPPORT BATTALION

“Iturn off the lights whenI leave a room. I don’tlike wasting electricity,

and it costs money, even whenI’m not the one paying for it.”

Hot Topics

Marine Corps History

April 21, 1951

Marine carrier-based airplanesmade their first aerial contactwith enemy planes over theKorean front lines. CaptainPhilip C. Delong shot downtwo YAK fighters and 1st Lt.Harold D. Daigh destroyed

one more and damaged anoth-er in the heavily defended

Pyongyang-Chinnanpo area.

EEAASSTTEERR EEGGGG HHUUNNTTAATT LLUUCCKKIIEE PPAARRKK

The Twentynine Palms EasterEgg Hunt is presented at nocost by the Twentynine PalmsFire Department at 1 p.m. onEaster Sunday at the littleleague ballfield at Luckie Parklocated at Two Mile Road andUtah Trail. It is open to chil-dren through age 7.

EEAASSTTEERR BBRRUUNNCCHH AATTOO’’CCLLUUBB

Visit the Combat CenterOfficers’ Club Sunday, 9 a.m.to 1:30 p.m., April 24, for a deli-cious Easter Brunch. Cost is$19.95 for adults and $9.95 forchildren. View the full menuon EatAndStay MCCS29.com.Reservations are required.Please call 830-6610 for reser-vations and more information.

MMIILLIITTAARRYY CCHHIILLDD CCAARRNNIIVVAALL

On Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to1 p.m., April 26, join MarineCorps Community Servicesand Lifelong LearningLibrary for the Month of theMilitary Child Carnival atFelix Field. Children of allages are welcome. Come for aday of fun, games, face-paint-ing, prizes, hot dogs andmuch more. For more infor-mation please call 830-6857.

AAEERROOBBIICCSSMMAARRAATTHHOONN

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., May18, the East Gym and FitnessCenter will be hosting anAerobics Marathon. Spendthe day or participate in anynumber of classes. Prize giveaway at the end of each class.Participants are encouragedto bring water and towels.For more information pleasecall 830-3381.

Recognize effects ofexcessive drinkingKKRRIISSTTIINN SSHHIIVVEESSTRICARE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is a per-fect opportunity to raise awareness of alcoholabuse and encourage people to make healthy,safe, responsible choices.

Heavy alcohol use remains a concern in themilitary, affecting both uniformed servicemembers and their families. Service membersoften use alcohol to handle stress, boredomand loneliness. Others may also turn to alco-hol to help cope with traumatic experiencesfrom deployments.

The 2008 Department of Defense HealthRelated Behaviors among Active DutyPersonnel survey found young men in eachbranch of service have significantly higherrates of heavy drinking compared to their civil-ian counterparts.

TRICARE beneficiaries can reduce their riskof becoming alcohol dependent by monitoringtheir alcohol consumption. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention,heavy drinking is considered more than twodrinks per day for men and more than one drinkper day for women. Binge drinking is consid-ered five or more drinks during a single occa-sion for men and four or more drinks during asingle occasion for women.

Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead tothe development of many chronic problems,both medical and social. Some medical disor-ders associated with long-term alcohol abuseinclude liver, psychiatric, pancreatitis and car-diovascular problems. Excessive drinking canalso cause unintentional injuries, such as result-ing from traffic accidents, drowning and alcoholpoisoning. Some social problems include theloss of a job or family problems.

There are many strategies people can use to cutback or quit drinking. The Department of Health& Human Services recommends several:

• Keep track of drinking and set a drinking limit.

• Avoid places where heavy drinking occurs.• Ask for help from a doctor, family or

friends.• Keep only a limited supply of alcohol in

the home.TRICARE is here for those beneficiaries seek-

ing help. Beneficiaries should discuss all theirtreatment options with their primary care manag-er. To use TRICARE coverage, active duty serv-ice members must access all care through theirPCM. Service members must receive a referralfrom their PCM or military treatment facility(MTF) in order to seek outside treatment. Activeduty family members do not need preauthoriza-tion for the first eight group therapy visits. Anyapplicable co-pays or cost-shares, based on thesponsor’s status and TRICARE program willapply. Using network providers can reduce out-of-pocket costs. Beneficiaries can see specificcoverage and limitations by filling out a profile athttp://www.tricare.mil.

TRICARE beneficiaries can also find informa-tion on alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse andtreatment by visiting http://www.tricare.mil/alcoholawareness.

TRICARE and the DoD launched an awardwinning multi-media campaign, That Guy, toreduce alcohol abuse in the military. It uses onlineand offline communication to encourage youngenlisted personnel to reduce excessive drinking. It’sa reminder to everyone: Don’t be that guy!

For more information on drinking facts andtreatment, visit http://www.thatguy.com.

SJA CORNER

Divorce: Retirement, alimonyCCAAPPTT.. DDAAVVIIDD SSEEGGRRAAVVEESSLEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICE

Divorce can end a family.Service members and

their spouses have manyquestions surrounding thisdifficult event. Other thanchild custody and child sup-port, the largest concernmost family members have isdivision of military retire-ment and alimony.

Military retirement andalimony (or spousal support,as it is called in California) areseparate matters. A servicemember’s military retirementis a property right and subjectto division, as are all otherassets in a marriage. InCalifornia, the courts follow asystem known as the “BrownFormula” to divide the retire-ment as community property.

The court takes the num-ber of months of the mar-riage during military serviceand divides it by the totalamount of time the servicemember served in the mili-tary. Then the court dividesthat by half and awards it tothe civilian spouse. For exam-ple, if a Marine serves twentyyears and he is married for thelast ten years, getting divorcedthe day after receiving hisDD214, the court will do thefollowing calculation: Take120 months [10 years] ofmarriage and divide it by 240months [20 years] of serviceNext the court divided thatpercentage in half. The finalpercentage left is the percent-age on monetary benefits thecivilian spouse will receive.

In addition to division ofthe military retirement, thecourt may award additionalspousal support. Unlike childsupport which has strict guide-lines and formulas, the courtonly has the goal of helpingthe supported party “be self-supporting within a reasonable

period of time.” The rule ofthumb for “reasonable periodof time” is “one-half thelength of the marriage.” Whilecourts use this as a generalguideline for determining thelength of spousal support, thecourt is free to award no sup-port or permanent support asit sees fit.

Under Family Code 4320,the court has multiple cir-cumstances it must consider.The main areas the court willinvestigate include the earn-ing capacity of the individu-als, their childcare responsi-bilities, the duration of themarriage and the age andhealth of the parties. Thecourt will also consider if theparty seeking support con-tributed to the attainment ofeducation, training or a careerposition and if the partyseeking support had theirearning capacity affected byperiods of unemployment tostay home with children.

Another thing to considerwhen discussing militaryretirement and spousal sup-port is timing. Spousal sup-port occurs as soon as acourt orders it. However, adivision of military retire-ment may take years to ripeninto actual payments. Somedivorce settlement agree-ments set up arrangementswhere spousal support con-tinues until the service mem-ber retires, and then civilianspouse begins to receive theirshare of the retirement.

As in so many other legalsituations, every potentialclient’s case is different.

Individuals concerned withspecific questions about theirrights or responsibilitiesregarding division of militaryretirement or spousal supportshould contact the LegalAssistance Office at 830-6111and schedule an appointmentwith an attorney.

Did you know?

If you are activeduty, retiredmilitary or a

family member,you can place aFREE ad in our

Combat Center

Trader AdsSee page 77 for details

and limitations

HQBN Marines go back to basicsSSTTOORRYY AANNDD PPHHOOTTOOSS BBYYLLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. DD.. JJ.. WWUUCOMBAT CORRESPONDENT

Marines from both compa-nies of the Combat Center’sHeadquarters Battalion head-ed to the ranges to take

on moving targets after ahike Tuesday.

The exercise was partof HQBN leadershipefforts to expose theirMarines to the combat andfield-related training atleast once a month.

The Marines who tradi-tionally are in supportingroles in offices and havefewer chances to get to thefield, jumped at the oppor-tunity to fire rifles outsideof a structured qualifica-tion course.

“I like getting out of theshop and do stuff likethis,” said Cpl. MichaelHaynes, of the ExerciseSupport Division. “It’s funto just be out here, and it

Marines from Headquarters Battalion get into the prone at Range 103. They participated in a shooting competition aspart of the unit’s monthly field training exercise Tuesday.

Sergeant Maj. James Walsh, the Headquarters Battalionsergeant major speaks to his Marines after they complet-ed a unit cohesion shoot. The HQBN Marines were atRange 103 shooting moving targets as part of HQBN’smonthly field training Tuesday.

Lance Cpl. Steven Brooks, an artillery systems techni-cian for the Exercise Support Division, empties outspent brass from his Kevlar after helping clean Range103. Marines were at the ranges for a HeadquartersBattalion cohesion shoot.

See HQBN, A8

SSGGTT.. EEAARRNNEESSTT BBAARRNNEESS

Lance Cpl. Taylor Slay, a Baton Rouge, La., native, shares his steak with Mac, a military working dog with 3rdLight Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, as Boerne, Texas, native Lance Cpl. Wayne Snelling [left], looks onApril 17. The Steak Team Mission, a privately funded, nonprofit organization from Dallas, served the Marinesand sailors of 2nd Marine Division (Forward) steak dinners at seven separate locations within a five-day peri-od. Mac, whose unit is with the 1st Marine Division out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., was in the right place at theright time to partake in the treat.

Steak Team Mission keeps tails wagging Relax with the paper

Hi-Desert Publishing Co.Your community newspapers working to serve you better

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Fridays withThe Observation Post

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said they know they under-went the best training possi-ble to prepare for theirupcoming duty.

“That’s been the mostrealistic training coming outto Mojave Viper,” said 1stLt. David Thomas, a com-munications officer with theunit. “Everything that wehave done has prepared us alot, even from our experi-ence from last year is a hugeimprovement.”

As they loaded thebuses, everyone received acare bag from volunteers ofthe local Veterans ofForeign Wars chapter. Thepost has “adopted” the unitand is planning to sendmore care packages at thehalfway point of thedeployment, which is

sometime this summer.For the loved ones left

behind, the unit’s familyreadiness officer has activi-ties to help them through thisdifficult time.

“We have several differ-ent events going on whilethey are gone,” said GiselaLemon, the VMU-3 FRO.“One of them is morale cal-endars. The spouses are cre-ating a calendar for everymonth they are deployedand each day has pictures init and different sayings [tohelp them along.]

“We are also going to doweekly video teleconfer-ences here for the Marineswho wire in initially,” saidLemon. “Then we are goingto try to expand to some ofthe outer bases. So it is goingto give spouses and Marinessome face time.”

VMU-3, from A1


Corporal Joseph Bellevue, an unmanned aerialsystem avionics technician with MarineUnmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, receives acare bag from a Veterans of Foreign Wars memberas he boards the bus during the VMU-3 departureto Helmand province, Afghanistan, Tuesday.


Lance Cpl. Joshua Balboa, a generator mechanic with MarineUnmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, tries to guide his year-and-a-half-old nephew, Cameron Wingenroth, back to the restof the family during the VMU-3 departure to Helmand province,Afghanistan, Tuesday.


Corporal Jerrod Tisko [far left], an unmanned aerial system avionics technician with Marine Unmanned Aerial VehicleSquadron 3, photographs the event for his friends who are deploying to Afghanistan during the VMU-3 departure toHelmand province, Afghanistan, Tuesday.


Corporal Bo Schilling, a generator mechanic with MarineUnmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, holds his wife Cpl.Chelsea Schilling, a supply administration and operationsspecialist with VMU-3, one last time before boarding thebus during the VMU-3 departure to Helmand province,Afghanistan, Tuesday.

MCCS places dollar value on volunteers worth $2 millionSSTTOORRYY AANNDD PPHHOOTTOOSS BBYYDDIIAANNEE DDUURRDDEENNPUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Marine Corps CommunityServices recognized its vol-unteer force during a cere-mony Monday for the thou-sands of hours of servicethey’ve provided to theCombat Center during the2010 calendar year.

The ceremony began withKatherine Catlin, the MCCSDirector, presenting theCombat Center’s command-ing general, Brig. Gen. H.Stacy Clardy III, with a mockcheck in the amount of $2.15million, representing more

than 92,000 hours of volun-teer work last year.

Marine Corps FamilyTeam Building director PerryFord said it’s important torecognize the volunteers forthe many hours they haveprovided to the installation.

“There’s no way you can’trecognize the faithfulness ofthe people that come outand give their services,”Ford said.

With hundreds of volun-teers to recognize, represen-tatives from units and organ-izations accepted the awardson behalf of their volunteers,presenting the individualawards at smaller, more inti-

mate ceremonies later.Allie Nelson, Family

Readiness Officer, 3rdBattalion, 4th MarineRegiment, credits her unit’svolunteers with providingthe additional time neededto get things done.

“Without our volunteers,we wouldn’t be able toaccomplish so much for ourfamilies,” Nelson said.

Putting welcome aboardpackages together andreaching out to other familymembers are just a coupleof things her unit’s volun-teers do.

“The volunteers are thefoundation of the FamilyReadiness Program,” saidGisela Lemon, the FRO forUnmanned Aerial VehicleSquadron 3. “They take realownership of it, creating a‘big-sister’ type network.”

The VMU-3 volunteersbegan an initiative called“Meals for Moms,” whereseveral spouses plan and cre-ate meals that can be frozenand easily cooked for newmoms who deliver theirbabies while their Marinehusbands are deployed.

The program not onlyprovides the new mom witha ready-made meal, but alsoallows the volunteersopportunities to check-inwith each other.

Spouses are not the onlyvolunteers aboard theinstallation. There are sev-eral Marines who volunteerwith the Single MarineProgram and the YoungMarine Program. They werealso recognized.

Anyone interested in vol-unteering with any depart-ment aboard the CombatCenter should contact MikeDearstine, Family ReadinessProgram Trainer, by [email protected] calling 830-3114.

Brigadier Gen. H. Stacy Clardy, III, the Combat Center’s commanding general,accepts a check from Marine Corps Community Services Director Katherine Catlin dur-ing a ceremony to recognize the Combat Center’s volunteers April 18. The check, in theamount of $2.16 million, represents the value of more than 92,000 labor hours con-tributed by Combat Center volunteers during 2010.



Marines find some friendly competition at the end of the Earth Day 5K run at thephysical fitness test course Wednesday. The run was held to raise awareness forEarth Day today and encourage Combat Center personnel to get outside and dosomething to make the Earth a better place. Members of the Natural Resourcesand Environmental Affairs office will set up a booth outside the commissary todayand provide handouts with information on how to preserve the environment todayoutside the Combat Center’s Commissary which include handouts and informa-tion on how to keep the environment healthy.

Earth Day motivates Marines

Jillian King, family readiness officer, 3rd Light ArmoredReconnaissance Battalion, accepts a volunteer award onbehalf of her unit from Brig. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy, III, theCombat Center’s commanding general during a cere-mony to recognize the installation volunteers April 18.

Allie Nelson, family readiness officer, 3rd Battalion, 4thMarine Regiment, accepts the awards for the unit’s vol-unteers from Brig. Gen. H. Stacy Clardy, III, the CombatCenter’s commanding general, during a ceremony torecognize the Combat Center’s volunteers April 18.

Marine Corps statement, thisperiod is double the 45 daysrequired by law. According toofficials, a total of 654 peopleattended the three publicmeetings and provided 368written and 44 verbal com-ments. Comments may bemade on the Internet athttp://www.marines.mil/unit/29palms/las.

Following the public com-ment period, updates to theDraft EIS will be made and aFinal EIS will be publishedJanuary 2012. After a 30-daywait period that allows for pub-lic review of the Final EIS, theAssistant Secretary of theNavy will choose an alternativeand issue a Record of Decisionto be published in the FederalRegister in April 2012. Thechosen alternative will be sub-mitted to Congress for a finaldecision.

During the public meet-ings, the public liaison team,composed of several dozenMarines and civilians,answered questions andaddressed stakeholder con-cerns using 26 color posters ateight stations, set up in a circu-lar pattern in an open houseformat. Officials designed thelayout to make it as easy aspossible for the maximumnumber of attendees to askquestions about their specificconcerns and to submit com-ments on the spot.

The posters used visuallyappealing images and graph-ics to present detailed infor-mation and mitigation effortsand impacts on subjects suchas biological and culturalresources, air quality, recre-ation, economic factors,noise impacts, public healthand safety.

Stacks of comment sheetswere placed on tables in thecenter of the room, severalcomputer terminals were pro-vided for online comments,and even a stenographer wasavailable to take oral com-ments. The comment systemalso allows for comments sub-mitted in foreign languages.

The subject matter expertsinformed the public on theMarine Corps’ mission and rolein the process and helpedtranslate military-speak foundin the Draft EIS, such as theirrequirement for “a minimumof three maneuver corridorsfor a ground combat element

comprised of three battalionsthat are simultaneously maneu-vering for 48-72 hours withcombined-arms live fire andthe accompanying special-useairspace,” into layman’s terms.

The Marines were alsothere to speak directly to thepublic about the importanceof realistic training based ontheir personal experience.

“Combat requires detailedcoordination between hun-dreds of intricate movingparts,” said Gunnery Sgt.Michael A. Lamar, a memberof the public liaison team.“This forces the commander

to focus not just on the mis-sion, but on the logistics thatsupport that mission. If youdon’t have the beans, bulletsand bandages when you get tothe fight, you won’t be suc-cessful,” he said.

“Lack of coordination onthe battlefield can have anoth-er, more significant impact,”said Lamar. “It’s an environ-ment where you only get onechance to get it right, andwhere getting it wrong, canhave deadly consequences.

Throughout our history,Marines have been successful,in large part, because of ourability to destroy our enemy’swill to fight by using tacticsand techniques developedthrough the coordination ofcombined arms and an over-whelming force,” said Lamar.“The realistic training availableat the Combat Center enablesus to practice this art in a safesetting before we deploy.”

Bottom line, many livesand towns are saved when theenemy has no desire to fight,he said.

Many opponents of theexpansion in attendance toldthe Marines, that althoughthey have a deep and sincererespect for the military, theyremain adamant in their oppo-

sition to any proposal thattakes large portions of theirrecreational land.

Opposition by somegroups is understandable andexpected, said StephanLomax, a range safety inspec-tor at the Combat Center andmember of the public liaisonteam. The Marine Corps wel-comes all constructive com-ments to find an alternativethat balances the needs of theMarine Corps and the affectedresidents and groups.

In fact, “Alternative Six”was created in response to thenearly 20,000 commentsreceived from interested stake-holders at the EnvironmentalImpact Statement (EIS) publicscoping meetings held inDecember 2008, said Lomax.

As a result, this is currentlythe Marine Corps’ preferredalternative because it accom-modates continued publicaccess to about 40,000 acres inthe West Study Area for 10months out of the year whenMarines are not using the areaduring two months of MEBtraining, he said.

Although many attendeessaid they appreciated the timeand effort the Marines took topresent their analysis, manyvocal opponents, such as smallbusiness owners, came to havetheir voices heard.

“I want to make sure wecan preserve what we can,because the Johnson ValleyOHV [Off Highway Vehicle]area is very important to theoff-road community,” saidTony Pellegrino, who owns anoff-road vehicle parts compa-ny in Simi Valley, Calif.Pellegrino also said he has“great” concerns about thenegative economic impact heclaims the expansion will haveon his and other businesses.“That’s why many of us wantthe expansion to head out eastinstead of out here.”

Some residents who ownland near the study areassaid they are anxious aboutany drop in property valuesthat may result by any realor perceived increase innoise and deterioration inair quality. Some environ-mentalists and other naturalbiological and cultureresources groups, attendedto laud the Marine Corpsfor their preservationefforts, and to hear howofficials will mitigate anypossible negative impactson these resources if landexpansion is approved.

Meeting organizers said

although great efforts wentinto addressing these andother concerns in the DraftEIS, they were very interestedin public comments on howthey could do better and forideas on possible solutions inareas of disagreement.

In general, many oppo-nents agreed with Pellegrino,and were against expansion tothe west, claiming it will havenegative impacts to the off-highway vehicle community.Most opponents favoredAlternative Three and expan-sion to the east, while somestakeholder groups indicatedmodification of Alternate Sixboundaries may reduce oppo-sition to that alternative.

Overall, officials hailed thepublic meetings as a successand said they appreciated theattendees’ respectful tone,their openness and willingnessto seek a balanced alternative.

Finding a solution is criticalto organizers, who cite aCenter for Naval Analysisstudy, which found that theCombat Center is currentlythe only place in the nationcapable of supporting largescale live fire exercises.

Expansion of the CombatCenter is the best way toensure Marines are trained asthey fight, said Lamar. Theinstallation already has theorganization, infrastructureand the capability limited onlyby space.

“More than 90 percent ofthe Marines deploying tocombat receive pre-deploy-ment training at the CombatCenter,” he told an off-roadenthusiast at the AlternativeSix station.

Communication and collab-oration is the key, said Lamar.This is why the most importantmessage his team sent out ateach of the three meetings was“Please provide us with yourcomments before you leave.”

Public comments give thecommunity an important andnecessary voice in theprocess. “Your commentswill help us provide the mostaccurate analysis to Congressand the President,” Lamarsaid to a young off-roadenthusiast. “They will makethe final decision.”

For more informationon the Draft EIS andLand Acquisition/AirspaceEstablishment Study pleasevisit the official website athttp://www.marines.mil/unit/29palms/las/.

Editor’s note: Cpl. M. C. Nerlcontributed to this story.


“

”

“Lack of coordinationon the battlefield canhave another, more sig-nificant impact. It’s anenvironment where youonly get one chance to getit right, and where get-ting it wrong, can havedeadly consequences.”

GGUUNNNNEERRYY SSGGTT.. MMIICCHHAAEELL AA.. LLAAMMAARR


Lance Cpl. Andrew Wolf and Lance Cpl. TimothyStruble, Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th MarineRegiment, walk during the Relay for Life for the“Ooh-rah for Tah Tahs” team Saturday at YuccaValley High School. “Ooh-Rah for Tah Tahs,” whichfocused on bringing awareness to breast cancer,was one of 34 teams present at the relay to helpfight against all types of cancer. The 24-hour eventhelped raise money for cancer treatment researchand patient services. Many teams camped out onthe football track and rotated walkers.

Marines walk to fight cancer

LAND, from A1

Young Marines a valuablelesson.

“We wanted [the YoungMarines] to understand thatit’s not just a flag, it’s ourcountry,” Montegue said.“It’s a reputation and sacri-fice that we respect by hon-oring our flag.”

The group also got topractice how to conduct anofficial colors ceremony.But, it didn’t go as smooth-ly as they expected.

It was a struggle to foldthe faded flag after it came

down after replacing it,because the flag was torn atnearly every seam, particu-larly the ones joining thered and white stipes.

“I have a lot of prideright now,” said MaryStuckey, a Young Marineslance corporal in who par-ticipated in the color cere-mony. “Seeing it the way itwas and how it is now, itfeels good.”

For more informationon the Young MarinesProgram or upcomingevents, contact Montegueat 910-545-1576.

FLAG, from A1


A Combat Center Young Marine folds a the tatteredflag previously flown at the Atlas Self Storage facility,after retiring it Saturday. The flag was replaced with anew one during a colors ceremony.


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CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS

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SUDOKU SOLUTIONS

TThhee ddeeaaddlliinnee ffoorr ssuubbmmiitt--ttiinngg TTrraaddeerr AAddss iiss nnoooonnWWeeddnneessddaayy,, ffoorr tthhee uuppccoomm--iinngg FFrriiddaayy’’ss nneewwssppaappeerr..Trader Ad forms are available at

the Public Affairs Office and maybe filled out during normal work-ing hours at Bldg. 1417. Ads mayalso be submitted through e-mail,but will only be accepted from

those with an @usmc.miladdress. If you are active duty,retired military or a family mem-ber and do not have [email protected] address you can goto the PAO page of the base Website at: http:/ / w w w. 2 9 p a l m s . u s m c . m i l/dirs/pao/ and complete a request

to publish an ad.The limitations for ads are: 15-

word limit, limit of two ads perhousehold and the Trader may beused only for noncommercialclassified ads containing items ofpersonal property offered by andfor individuals authorized to usethis service. Such ads must repre-

sent incidental exchanged not ofsustained business nature. AAddss ffoorr hhoouussiinngg rreennttaallsswwiillll nnoott bbee ccoonnssiiddeerreedd ffoorrtthhee CCoommbbaatt CCeenntteerr TTrraaddeerr..

To have a “House For Sale” adrun in the Observation Post, appli-cants must provide PermanentChange of Station orders and have

the ad approved by Base Housing.This ensures the Combat CenterTrader is not used for commercialreal estate endeavors.

Ads are run on a first-come,first-serve, space available basis.If you have questions please call830-6213.

AAUUTTOOMMOOTTIIVVEE

CCLLAASSSSIICC 11995577 CCHHEEVVYY PPIICCKKUUPP..350 engine, 3 speed automatic,$6,900 OBO. 361-3509.

22000088 TTOOYYOOTTAA YYAARRIISS.. $10,000 OBO.Approximately 58K miles. Good con-dition. Consistent maintenance. Call622-4562.

CC55 CCOORRVVEETTTTEE FFRROONNTT BBRRAA.. $50.413-4015.

22000077 SSUUZZUUKKII BBOOUULLEEVVAARRDD.. Blackand chrome, 1600 CC, $3,000 in extrasincluded. Asking $12,500. 401-3739.

22000066 PPOONNTTIIAACC SSOOLLSSTTIICCEE.. Fullyloaded, excellent condition, 21,500miles. $13,500. Call 819-2773.

MMIISSCC.. __________

BBAABBYY IITTEEMMSS:: Solid wood baby crib,baby walker, stroller, wooden horseand more. All in excellent condition.Call 217-3310.

DDIIAAMMOONNDDBBAACCKK MMOOUUNNTTAAIINN BBIIKKEE..Like new. $100. 413-4015.

CCOOLLLLEECCTTIIBBLLEE SSPPOORRTTSS,, SSCCII--FFIICCAARRDDSS:: Baseball, football from mid80’s to 90’s. Star Trek and Star Warscollectible cards too. Individualheroes, team sets or the whole collec-tion. Call Stephen at 567-7921.

YYOOUURR FFRREEEE AADD

HHEERREE

Combat Center Trader Ads

SSuunnddaayyIImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooff MMaarryy8:45 a.m. - Confessions+9 a.m. - Rosary9:30 a.m. - Catholic Mass*9:30 a.m. - Children’s Liturgyof the Word4 p.m. - Choir Practice4:15 p.m. - Confessions+4:30 p.m. - Rosary5 p.m. - Catholic MassCChhrriisstt CChhaappeell9 a.m. - Calvary Fellowship(Contemporary Worship*)9 a.m. - Children’s Church10:30 a.m. - Redemption (Ablend of traditional and con-temporary worship10:45 a.m. - Children’sChurch*)

ColumbusTThhuurrssddaayyIImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooff MMaarryy9 a.m. - Adult Class6 p.m. - Children RCIA6:30 p.m. - RCIA (Sept.-April)7 p.m. - Gr. 7 andConfirmationFFrriiddaayyIImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooff MMaarryyFirst Friday each month,12:15 p.m.,4:30 p.m. - Exposition/Adoration Most BlessedSacramentLLeeggeenndd* Indicates child care is pro-vided+ Call 830-6456/6482 for confession appointments

Combat Center Religious Services

MMuusslliimm pprraayyeerr ssppaaccee iiss aavvaaiillaabbllee iinn tthhee VViillllaaggee CCeenntteerr,, rroooomm 8877..JJeewwiisshh pprraayyeerr ssppaaccee iiss aavvaaiillaabbllee iinn tthhee VViillllaaggee CCeenntteerr,, rroooomm 9933..FFoorr mmoorree iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn ccaallll 883300--55443300..

WWeeeekkddaayy EEvveennttssIImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooffMMaarryyMon.-Fri. 11:45 a.m.-Catholic MassCChhrriisstt CChhaappeellMon. - Fri., noon - PrayerTTuueessddaayyCChhrriisstt CChhaappeell9 a.m. - Christian Women’sFellowship* (Sept.-May)IImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooffMMaarryy3:30-5:30 p.m. - MilitaryCouncil of Catholic WomenWWeeddnneessddaayyIImmmmaaccuullaattee HHeeaarrtt ooff MMaarryyFirst Wednesday, 6 p.m. -Baptism preparation classand 7 p.m. - Knights of

‘Free Bread Friday’ liveson as ‘Thank You forYour Service’ programAASSYYMMCCAA PPRREESSSS RREELLEEAASSEE

The “Free Bread Friday Program” has beenrenamed to the “Thank You for Your ServiceProgram.” This program will be able to encompassmuch more than just giving bread to active dutyservice members and their families. We will be giv-ing out groceries, Girl Scout cookies, and any otherfree items that donors would like to give to theactive duty military and their families. This is achance for the donors to say Thank You for YourService in a way that benefits both the donors andthe military family’s station aboard the military base.

The ASYMCA needs volunteers to help make thishappen on a regular basis. Volunteers are needed to:

Unload the items at the ASYMCA AdminBuilding

Set-up and display items for distributionPick-up items when needed from the donorsCheck Military ID’s / Distribute itemsIf you would like to volunteer for this program or

any other program we have, please call Kelly at 830-7481, e-mail Kelly at [email protected] orcome into building 192 and sign up.

EEVVEENNTT DDAATTEE TTIIMMEE LLOOCCAATTIIOONN

PPaaiinnttbbaallll AApprriill 2266--2288 11 pp..mm.. PPaaiinnttbbaallll CCoouurrssee ((OOuuttddoooorr AAddvveennttuurree))

BBaasskkeettbbaallll AApprriill 2255--2288 55 pp..mm.. WWeesstt GGyymm aanndd FFiittnneessss CCeenntteerr

RRaaqquueettbbaallll AApprriill 2255 1111 aa..mm.. aanndd 66 pp..mm.. EEaasstt GGyymm aanndd FFiittnneessss CCeenntteerr

WWaatteerr PPoolloo AApprriill 2255--2288 11 pp..mm.. TTrraaiinniinngg TTaannkk

BBeenncchh PPrreessss AApprriill 2266 33 pp..mm.. EEaasstt GGyymm aanndd ffiittnneessss CCeenntteerr

VVoolllleeyybbaallll AApprriill 2277--2288 22 pp..mm.. EEaasstt GGyymm VVoolllleeyybbaallll CCoouurrtt

GGoollff AApprriill 2266 77 aa..mm.. GGoollff CCoouurrssee

FFiirrsstt ttoo FFiigghhtt AApprriill 2288 99 aa..mm.. TThhee ZZoonnee

CCoommbbaatt FFiittnneessss TTeesstt AApprriill 2299 77 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

SSiitt--UUpp && PPuullll UUpp CCoommppeettiittiioonn AApprriill 2299 88 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

MM--1166 AAsssseemmbbllee//DDiissaasssseemmbbllee AApprriill 2299 88 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

DDuummmmyy GGrreennaaddee TToossss AApprriill 2299 88 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

JJoouussttiinngg//KKiinngg ooff tthhee HHiillll AApprriill 2299 99 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

CCoorrppssmmaann AApprriill 2299 99 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

HHuummmmeerr PPuullll AApprriill 2299 1100 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

TTuugg ooff WWaarr AApprriill 2299 1111 aa..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

AAwwaarrddss CCeerreemmoonnyy AApprriill 2299 11 pp..mm.. FFeelliixx FFiieelldd

Combat Center Challenge schedule

All Combat Center personnel and their families are encouraged to attend and to support their favorite team.

UC San Diego StudentVeteran Organization lunchThe University of California San Diego StudentVeteran Organization will be hosting a transfer admitday May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss financialaid, campus life and the organization’s role in veter-an students’ college experience in an open forum.Veterans, active duty service members and their fam-ilies are invited. A free lunch buffet at Porter’s Pub inSan Diego will be provided. For more information,e-mail the SVO at [email protected].

Whatever you’re lookingfor, you can find it in the

Observation PostClassified section

builds morale.”The training day started

for the Marines at 5 a.m.with a mile hike from thearmory to Range 101. Thequick pace and the extraweight of the gear was awelcome reminder to theMarines that “every Marineis a rifleman.”

The opportunity was achange of pace for theMarines from their dailycombat support jobs.

The Marines of HQBN,mainly of whom mainlywork behind a desks, saidthey relished the chance to bearound their rifles again.

“I like being with myweapon, cleaning it, inter-acting with it, and justdoing Marine stuff,” saidLance Cpl. Maxony Jean,an administrative clerk atthe Installation PersonnelAdministration Center.

After zeroing in their sightsthey hiked their way to the sec-ond objective, Range 103.

“I like the hiking, eventhough its been a whilesince I’ve hiked. It was a lit-tle challenging,” Jean

admitted.Upon their arrival at

Range 103, they preppedthemselves for a small shoot-

ing competition.“We’re here doing a cohe-

sion shoot and engaging tar-gets in four relays,” said 1st Sgt.

Thomas Russi, the first ser-geant for HQBN’s CompanyA. “It helps them get back tobasic marksmanship skills and

builds unit cohesion.”The Marines divided into

their relays, which became theirteams for the competition.

After a practice round, theMarines were feeling morecomfortable with theirweapons.

At the end of the compe-tition, which tested theMarines marksmanship skills

using moving pop-up targets,the fourth relay came outvictorious and owned thebragging rights of the day.

After a full day of hikingand shooting, the Marinesreturned to their sectionswith renewed spirits andappreciation for the rigors ofdaily life in a field trainingenvironment.


AADDVVEERRTTIISSEEMMEENNTT

HQBN, from A3

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. DD.. JJ.. WWUU

Headquarters Battalion Marines take some quick pointers from 1st Sgt. Nelson Hidalgo, the first sergeant for Company B, HQBN, before begin-ning a shooting competition Tuesday at the Combat Center’s Range 103.

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. DD.. JJ.. WWUU

Marines weren’t the only ones working hard at the rangesTuesday. A California Harvester Ant works to carry off apeanut left behind by Headquarters Battalion Marinesafter a cohesion shoot at Range 103 Tuesday.

April 22, 2011 Since 1957 Vol. 54 B SECTION

Detours visits 25th AnnualFallbrook Avocado Festival,

page B3


Vincent Bullin, a player with East Gym, spikes the ball past a MCCES player in theCommanding General’s Intramural Volleyball League game Tuesday. East Gymdefeated MCCES winning both games by at least eight points.

Spiking the punch

Up-and-coming Southern rock and country music star Bo Bice performs for CombatCenter personnel during a free concert at Sunset Cinema, April 15.

Bo Bice shares a high-five with an audience member afterhe performed for Combat Center personnel and their fam-ilies during a free concert at Sunset Cinema April 15.

Southern rock and country music star Bo Bice pauses fora photograph with Lance Cpl. Timothy Struble, mail clerk,2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, after a free concertfor Combat Center personnel at Sunset Cinema April 15.

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. AANNDDRREEWW DD.. TTHHOORRBBUURRMM

Michael Jeffery, a player with MCCES, volleys theball over the front players of East Gym during aCommanding General’s Intramural VolleyballLeague game Tuesday. MCCES put up a valianteffort but was defeated twice.


Dario Davis, a player with Bandinis, reaches first base moments before the first base-man secures the ball during a Commanding Generals Intramural Softball Leaguegame against Hospital at Felix Field Wednesday.

Hitters head for home

LLAANNCCEE CCPPLL.. AANNDDRREEWW DD.. TTHHOORRBBUURRMM

A player with the Bandinis sprints to second base after sending the ball deep intothe outfield during a Commanding General’s Intramural Softball League gameagainst the Hospital at the Combat Center’s Felix Field Wednesday.

CCoommmmaannddiinnggGGeenneerraall’’ss

IInnttrraammuurraallVVoolllleeyybbaallll LLeeaagguuee

ssttaannddiinnggss

TTeeaamm WWiinnss LLoosssseess

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TTaattiittlleekk 33 22

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TTaannkkss BBAASS 22 22

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TTMMOO 11 33

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VViittaall SSiiggnnss 00 55

Bo Bice rocks Combat CenterSSTTOORRYY AANNDD PPHHOOTTOOSS BBYYDDIIAANNEE DDUURRDDEENNPUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Combat Center personneland their families swayed tothe music of up-and-com-ing Southern rock andcountry music star Bo Biceduring a free concert atSunset Cinema, April 15.

Bice, whose father andyounger brother wereMarines, was excited andgrateful to be playing forMarines and their families.

“The military has alwaysbeen important [to me].Without them, I wouldn’tbe able to say the things Iwant to say,” Bice said,referring to the freedomsprotected by the nation’smilitary force.

The night’s perform-ance included self-writtensongs about love of familyand country.

“He’s a real down-to-earth kind of guy,” saidLance Cpl. TimothyStruble, a mail clerk with2nd Battalion, 7th MarineRegiment.

Between songs, Bice,who followed CarrieUnderwood in secondplace on the fourth seasonof “American Idol,” rangout his praise for theMarines and their familiesfor their sacrifices.

“We’re here to show theMarines, the men andwomen here, that we appre-ciate what they’re doing,”he emphasized.

When Bice is not per-forming for audiencesacross the nation, he spendshis time visiting woundedservice members at Walter

See BO BICE, B4

Bo Bice, former “American Idol” contestant, performs forCombat Center personnel and their families during a freeconcert at Sunset Cinema April 15.

BB22 AAPPRRIILL 2222,, 22001111 OOBBSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN PPoosstt

Liber t y Call

Lower Desert

PPaappppyy aanndd HHaarrrriieett’’ss WWeeeekkeenndd LLiinnee--UUpp::

TThhee CCllaaiirrmmoonntt VVooooddoooo SSoocciieettyyDescription: Americana/blues/rock soundsWhen: 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 22TThhee FFaarr WWeessttDescription: The solid country band performsWhen: 8 p.m., Saturday, April 23Where: 53688 Pioneertown Road, PioneertownFor more information, call 365-5956 or visit http://www.pappyandharriets.com.

WWiilllliiee BBooyy’’ss WWeeeekkeenndd LLiinnee--UUpp::VVooooddoooo HHuussttlleerrssDescription: The honky tonk/rock band performsWhen: 7 p.m., Friday, April 22CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa CCeellttssDescription: A blend of traditional Celtic music with moremodern rock and reggae sounds.When: 9 p.m., Saturday, April 23Where: Willie Boys Saloon and Dance Hall, 50048 Twentynine Palms Highway, Morongo Valley For more information, call 363-3343 or visit http://www.willieboys.com.

BBoobb aanndd AAlliissoonn GGaarrcciiaa Description: Acoustic folk guitar and vocalsWhen: 7 p.m., Friday, April 22Where: 29 Palms Inn73950 Inn Avenue, Twentynine PalmsFor more information call 367-3505 or visit http://www.29palmsinn.com.

LLeeaannnn RRiimmeessDescription: The country queen performs her hitsWhen: 9 p.m., Friday, April 29Where: Agua Caliente32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho MirageFor more information call 888-999-1995 or visit http://hotwatercasino.com.

TThhee MMooooddyy BBlluueessDescription: The classic rock band performsWhen: 8 p.m., Saturday, May 14Where: Agua Caliente32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho MirageFor more information call 888-999-1995 or visit http://hotwatercasino.com.

EEaarrtthh,, WWiinndd aanndd FFiirreeDescription:The famous ‘60s R & B funk band performsWhen: 8 p.m., Saturday, May 28Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, IndioFor more information call 800-827-2946 or visithttp://www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

TThhee DDoooobbiiee BBrrootthheerrssDescription: The famous classic rock band performsWhen: 6:45 p.m., Saturday, June 18Where: Morongo Casino Resort and Spa49500 Seminole Drive, CabazonFor more information call 800-252-4499 or visithttp://www.morongocasinoresort.com.

Sunset Cinema

Local Events

EExxccuurrssiioonnss EEnnlliisstteedd CClluubbFriday: Social Hour with food, 5 to 7 p.m.DJ Gjettblaque, 8 to 11 p.m., Ladies NIghtSaturdays: Variety Night with DJ Gjettblaque 8 to 11 p.m.Thursday: Social Hour, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

BBllooooddssttrriippeess NNCCOO CClluubbFridays: Social Hour with food, 5 to 7 p.m.Monday: Free Gourmet Bar Food, 5 to 7 p.m.Wednesdays: Free gourmet bar food, 5 to 7 p.m.Thursday: Social Hour, 7 to 9 p.m.

HHaasshhmmaarrkkss 2299 SSNNCCOO CClluubbFridays: Dinner, full menu, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.Social Hour, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., DJ, 5 to 11 p.m.Mondays: Steak night, full dinner menu, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.Monday-Friday: All-Hands lunch, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Thursday: Social Hour, 5 to 7 p.m.

CCoommbbaatt CCeenntteerr OOffffiicceerrss’’ CClluubbMonday-Friday: Lunch served, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Monday: Steak Night, 5 to 8 p.m.Thursdays: Taco Night, 5 to 7 p.m.Sunday: Easter Brunch, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For complete calendars visit http://www.mccs29palms.com.

Combat Center Clubs

FFrriiddaayy,, AApprriill 2222 6 p.m. – Rango, Rated PG9 p.m. – Beastly, Rated PG-13Midnight – Hall Pass, Rated RSSaattuurrddaayy,, AApprriill 223311 a.m. – FFrreeee MMaattiinneeee.. Megamind, Rated PG2 p.m. – Mars Needs Moms, Rated PG6 p.m. – Big Mamma’s House 3, Rated PG-139 p.m. – The Adjustment Bureau, Rated PG-13Midnight – Take Me Home Tonight, Rated RSSuunnddaayy,, AApprriill 22442 p.m. – Rango, Rated PG6 p.m. – Red Riding Hood, Rated PG-139 p.m. – Battle: Los Angeles, Rated PG-13MMoonnddaayy,, AApprriill 22557 p.m. – Beastly, Rated PG-13TTuueessddaayy,, AApprriill 22667 p.m. – The Adjustment Bureau, Rated PG-13WWeeddnneessddaayy,, AApprriill 22777 p.m. – Big Mamma’s House 3, Rated PG-13TThhuurrssddaayy,, AApprriill 22887 p.m. – Hall Pass, Rated R

Russell Brand reprises spoiled millionaireNNEEIILL PPOONNDDAMERICAN PROFILE

“Arthur”Starring Russell Brand,Helen Mirren and Jennifer GarnerRated PG-13

Money can buy a lot ofthings, but love isn’t oneof them.

As changeless and time-less as that pearl of wisdomappears to be, Hollywoodnonetheless keeps returningto it, polishing it over andover, giving it a new shinefor a new audience.

In “Arthur,” British bad-boy comedian RussellBrand plays an eccentric,rich New York bachelorfaced with tough marchingorders: Get married to asocial-climbing shrew hedoesn’t love, or kiss hisnearly billion-dollar inheri-tance bye-bye.

As the irresponsible,spoiled, boozehoundArthur Bach; Brand stepsinto the role made famousby another British actor,Dudley Moore, in the origi-nal “Arthur” back in 1981.Jennifer Garner, a usuallylikeable actress, is taskedwith the thankless role ofSusan, the altogetherunlikeable upper-crustbride-in-waiting who hasher matrimonial sightslocked on Arthur’s sizeablenest egg.

Helen Mirren is Hobson,Arthur’s no-nonsense Britishnanny, doing her best tomake sure his immatureantics doesn’t upset his stern

mother, who’ll do whateverit takes – including disen-franchising her only son – toprotect the rigid corporateimage of the family’s finan-cial empire.

Great Gerwig playsNaomi, the waifish com-moner who capturesArthur’s heart, jeopardizinghis fortune and his future.And Nick Nolte is perfectlycast as Susan’s gruff real-estate mogul father, anintimidating mountain of aman who makes it perfectly,painfully clear what willhappen to Arthur if hedoesn’t walk down the aislewith his daughter.

Other than Hobsonnow being a woman, (SirJohn Gielgud was nominat-

ed for a supporting-roleOscar for his portrayal ofthe long-suffering butler inthe original), the plot isbasically a carbon copy ofthe 1981 version, only con-siderably bawdier and withmore crude humor thanclever charm.

Dudley Moore’s Arthurmay have been a stumbling,word-slurring drunk, but atleast you really felt for himand wanted him to soarabove his circumstances.Brand, whose brash, hedo-nistic, say-anything style waswell suited to the roles heplayed in “Saving SarahMarshall” and “Get Him ToThe Greek,” never connectshere to the deeper emotionsthe movie wants us to feel as

Arthur tries to mend hisparty-hearty ways, give upthe bottle, react to anothercharacter’s health crisis andultimately make a choice thatwill change his life forever,one way or another.

You’ll laugh; Brand’s afunny guy. But he has realtrouble when he tries tospread his dramatic wingsinto any moment that does-n’t land a punch line. Hisrandy brand of humorseems like something bestserved as seasoning, not afull course.

At just under two hours,this “Arthur” is a comedicendurance test, a relentlesspummeling that feels like anassault with someone else’sfunny bone.

CCOOUURRTTEESSYY PPHHOOTTOO

In “Arthur,” British bad-boy comedian, Russell Brand, plays an eccentric, rich bachelorfaced a tough choice. He must either get married to a social-climbing shrew he doesn’tlove, or kiss his inheritance good-bye.


As the irresponsible, spoiled boozehound Arthur Bach,played by Russell Brand, steps into the role madefamous by another British actor, Dudley Moore, in theoriginal “Arthur” back in 1981. Arthur tries to mend hisparty-hearty ways, give up the bottle, react to anothercharacter’s health crisis and ultimately make a choicethat will change his life forever.


An interesting twist in the new remake was to changeBritish no-nonsense butler Hobson, originally portrayedby Sir John Gielgud, into a British no-nonsense nannyplayed by Helen Mirren.

CCPPLL.. MM.. CC.. NNEERRLLCOMBAT CORRESPONDENT

FALLBROOK, Calif. – Forthose new to the CombatCenter who may not knowwhat avocados are, let mebegin by saying there havebeen very heated debates onwhether it is a fruit or veg-etable. The point is it is a deli-cious substance that typicallywinds up as guacamole.

The 25th annualFallbrook Avocado Festivalis a celebration centeredaround Fallbrook, Calif.’s,main agricultural staple, aswell as their local culture.

Fallbrook is closer toMarine Corps Base CampPendleton, Calif., and no, it’snot in the desert. But whatev-er, it was worth checking outand close enough for a week-end excursion.

After the long drive“down the hill,” you begin tofeel the air cooling and theactual oxygen getting thicker,which I might add, is veryrefreshing. The people ofFallbrook are all very nice andcasual. The town itself has avery “small town” feel, andit’s an excellent place to visit.

The main street of thealready-small town was sim-ply choked with people, ven-dors and entertainers. Sadly,I was the designated driver,so I could not partake in agood chunk of the fun.Nevertheless, responsibilityis always fulfilling, too.

Guacamole was really theevent’s main attraction, over-shadowing every otherattraction. Seriously, I washungry at first, but oh myGod, I’m good on gua-

camole for a while.There was obviously a

“best guacamole,” and a“largest avocado,” competi-tion, but seriously I only sawtwo avocado competitors,and neither was very large.Honestly, I wasn’t exactlyimpressed. Maybe I shouldhave investigated further.

Aside from a lot of food,there were ample perform-ances by live bands, rangingin style from ska and punkto reggae, Mariachi and evenCeltic influences. The musicwas pretty good, the beer wasout of reach and the perform-ers were definitely worthwatching, especially sincecoming from the Midwest, Ihave never seen very manymariachi bands or authenticHispanic performances. Prettycool though. I honestly givethat ONE PART four out offive palm trees, but the festivalas a whole was a letdown.

The annual festival maybe more fun for those withkids, by I don’t have my ownfamily to enjoy the “kid-geared,” part of the event,so I couldn’t say.

Overall, mostly due tothe fact that I saw moreguacamole and lemonadestands than I’d ever care to,I’m giving the festival a verydisappointed 2 1/2 out of 5palm trees.

Editor’s Note: “DesertDetours” is a weekly seriesexploring opportunities forMarines and sailors from afirsthand perspective. All mate-rial included therein is the opin-ion of the writer and does notimply an endorsement by theU.S. Marine Corps or theDepartment of Defense.

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Combat Center Leisure

Desert Detours: The 25th Annual Fallbrook Avocado Festival

Welcome to “Desert Detours,” a series that follows cor-respondent Cpl. M.C. Nerl around on his explorations ofthe high desert, the basin and the valley. The “out-of-five” palm tree rating scale offers a glance at howworthwhile the writer considers a place to be. Localeswill be judged on their accessibility, atmosphere, fun,cost and facilities. Keep an eye out every week for newshenanigans and hot tips on cool things to do.

Prefer your newsfrom the web?

Visitop29online.com29palms.usmc.mil

Fallbrook, Calif., celebrated their 25th annual Avocado Festival Saturday, with a wide variety of performers and otherattractions, including a colorful troop of Ballet de Folklorico dancers.

Fallbrook, Calif., celebrated its 25th annual Avocado Festival Saturday with a wide variety of performers and otherattractions. The festival also had a simply obscene amount of guacamole for sampling.

Avocado wind chimes — these bad boys look awesome,but cost a bit too much for me to have enjoyed.Regardless, there are many different avocado-shapedand green-colored things to marvel at during the annualFallbrook, Calif., Avocado Festival.

The 25th annual Fallbrook, Calif., Avocado Festival includ-ed not just the green goodies the town is known for, but awide variety of performers. The acts spanned multiple cul-tures, styles of music and dance.

Taste testers enjoy some of the many entries in a bestguacamole competition Saturday at the Fallbrook, Calif.,25th annual Avocado Festival. In addition to the bestguacamole, there were also largest avocado competi-tions, and many performers and independent vendorslining the streets.

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Athlete of the Week

NNaammee:: Cory StevensonHHoommeettoowwnn:: Chandler, Ariz.UUnniitt:: Installation Personnel Administration CenterRReeccooggnniittiioonn:: The Most Valuble Player for the IPACCommanding General’s Intramural Softball League team.FFaavvoorriittee aassppeecctt ooff tthhee ssppoorrtt:: “Coming out here andplaying with the team.”AAddvviiccee ffoorr aassppiirriinngg ppllaayyeerrss:: “Keep on practicing.Don’t give up because you make one error.”

Reed Army Medical Center,Washington, D.C., and theNational Naval MedicalCenter, Bethesda, Md., insupport of the WoundedWarrior Project.

After the last song wassung, concert goers lined thestage for the opportunity tomeet Bice and get an auto-graph and photograph withthe humble singer.

“It was the best concertI’ve ever seen on base,” saidAshley Kuhner, wife of Sgt.Joshua Kuhner, stationed atMarine Corps Base Camp

Pendleton, Calif. Ashley wasone of hundreds who waitedfor an autograph.

Bice’s appreciation for thework and sacrifices of theMarines and their familieswas a common threadthroughout the entire night,and one he continued toexpress, even as his timeaboard the Combat Centercame to a close.

“I wouldn’t have the free-dom to take my kids out todo what they love to do,”Bice said. “That’s whatAmerica is about. If it’s notfor the military, we wouldn’thave that.”

BO BICE, from B1

DDIIAANNEE DDUURRDDEENN

Southern rock and country music star Bo Bice performsfor Combat Center personnel during a free concert atSunset Cinema April 15. Bice performed songs he wroteabout themes Marines can relate to, like love and family.

Five-year-old Dominic Hernandez, son of Sgt. MatthewOkeefe, an instructor with Marine CorpsCommunication- Electronics School, shows off an auto-graphed drumstick signed by Bo Bice and all the mem-bers of the band April 15.

april 22, 2011 since 1957 vol. 54 issue 16

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