Missing Marine Causes Security Alert During President’s Trip

And what is ‘Local national’ code for in the military? They used to call them camp followers.

I really feel for the guy, I did this once while I was in the Army. If he is assigned to the Marine helicopter that fly’s President Bush. He must be good, to bad he “screwed the pooch, with his military career.” Semper Fi. Staff Sergeant.

WOW! Nothing says national news like a drunk marine. I can’t till the next blog on fornicating sailors.

When the specialist finally showed up, did he bring along a “Mission Accomplished” banner?

What in the world is a Marine One Sergeant? This is why the American public are so uneducated on military and the world is because they are forced to listen to Dumb reporters who make them believe that since it came from a reporter it must be true.
Shelly Boston, CPL
United States Marine Corps

Why did this make the news? Woopie doo! There are a million other things to talk about.

It means “I hope it’s not your nephew” in French… whatever that’s supposed to mean.
(Thank you.)

I served in the glorious corps and I second Mike’s observation: the Marine Corps was founded in a bar, Tunn Tavern. I would put that hung-over Marine in for a citation !

I was a Marine and sometimes when you have those crazy hours you have to let get out once in awhile, The SSGT should of known a little better because of his job is in a lime light of Marine Corps MOS’s.
LIBO
Semper Fi

Re: Joel’s French post
Babelfish came up with this translation: I hope that it is not your nephew!!!
(Thank you.)

The line of french, “J’espère que ce n’est pas ton neveu!!!” means “I hope that it is not your nephew!!!” according to Babelfish.com

A person who says Marines are not soldiers ought to be shot. My dad was is a Marine and he is a soldier. they are the best fighting military we have in this USA.
sorry if i seem harsh but i am sure that any military person out there would agree with me.

Literally, the French quote above means “I hope it is not your nephew” (Thank you.)
Don’t know enough about the cultural aspects of the language to translate its intent. I imagine it’s kind of a “your momma” type of comment. It’s probably worth erasing since none of us will ever be able to translate the humor.
Those silly French…

Please don’t refer to Marines as ‘soldiers’. They are Marines, and if you write a story about one, he would be called ‘the Marine’, not ‘the soldier’.

Marines are not soldiers, what the hell is wrong with you people at ABC???

Moderator: the posting in french translates to “I hope he is not your nephew” J’espère que ce n’est pas ton neveu!!!
(Thank you.)

The above post, via a tranlator site….
Babel Fish Translation Help
In English:
I hope that it is not your nephew!!!
(Thank you.)

Marine in bar gets intoxicated and spends night with “local national”. Is this one of those don’t ask don’t tell things?

it said a Marine Officer raised alarm when one of his men went missing…i think it reads as the CO of the Staff Sgt was the one who raised the alarm. and the stupid media always confuses Marines with soldiers.
it’s news because it has to do with a military man making a goof, and the media LOVES a goof in the military..no matter how insignificant.
I’m a Former Marine, and was drunk a lot..i never made the news.
Semper Fi

I’m with waldo — Can’t they get anything correct?

Let me see..On liberty and on his own time a Marine gets drunk and a lucky.Bonus.Hungover is not grounds for Office Hours(non-judicial punishment) as every Marine knows.

The translation is: I aspire to write english like Lindsay Lohan

Your Marine father would not want to be referred to as a soldier.

Soldier
A member of a military force that trains for and fights in wars. General reference is to a member of the Army while in fact soldiering is practiced by Marines, certain sailors and some airmen.
Looks like Marines are soldiers too! Or can’t they read?

To reiterate because you evidently aren’t journalists and despretely need to hire some and an editor to actually check those pesky “facts” before you publish untruths:
Again, a Marine is not a “soldier”, he/she is always a MARINE. And, although we refer to Air Force or Army enlisted personnel as “a specialist”, we don’t call a Marine a “specialist”.

USMC = Marines
US Army = Soldiers
US Navy = Sailors
Soldier is not a generic term for all military personnel.
Marines are Marines, and soldiers are US Army…
Yes, there really is a difference and marines and soldiers know it. It has nothing to do with interservice rivalries but hallowed traditions.

So he went out, had a few too many and had a good time. We’re all human.

That’s just great! The President is flying around in an aircraft maintained by alcoholic partiers! Who selected this guy?

I get so tired of the constant lectures from military types about proper usage of their weird insider lingo. The military is constantly whining that civilians don’t understand them, but you guys don’t really want to be understood by us — or else you wouldn’t rely on so much on obsolete jargon that civilians don’t have the time or inclination to care about.
And as far as watching what happens if I dare to call a Marine a soldier: That would be “watching” the Marine/soldier get dragged off to jail if he touches me.
I know you guys are used to terrorizing civilians in Iraq, but that stuff doesn’t fly back home. You work for us, not the other way around.

A soldier is someone who fights for his country…who the heck do Marines fight for?? the president??

Hey “Chesty Puller,” If you knew anything about your namesake, you’d know no Marine has ever been known as a soldier, including Royal Marines of the British Army. Yes they belong to the Army, but they are known as Marines. Also, ALWAYS capitolize Marine, to do otherwise is disrespect to our proud heritage. Oh, and the snide remark about us possibly not being able to read, Go to hell!! Marines have the highest educational standards, even us Grunts, “0313″ OORAH, are smarter than the average know it all like yourself. Oh, and he’s a SSgt., never call a marine by their billet designation, Use their rank, we’ve earned it. Semper FI

Sorry Dave–your dad was/is a Marine–but your dad is/was not a soldier. You got the ‘best fighting military’ part right.

USMC = MARINE
USA = Soldier
USN = Sailor
USAF = ?

Sounds like the Marine went out for a CEBFFN – cultural exchange of bodily fluids with a foreign national. Maybe we need more of that and less fighting in this world.
Semper Fi all you devil dogs!

if anyone called me a soldier then i would shoot them in the face

Listen Hero (LCpl. Hatlem), my post was the one bashing the idiot son for calling his Marine dad a soldier. The one defining a Marine as a soldier was underneath mine. Pay attention to detail next time, Chesty know’s where his namesake came from.

The story is only in the news because of the fact that this Marine was from the HMX-1 program. This unit is assigned to maintain the Presidential Helicopter, better know as Marine-1 when occupied by President. To be in the unit you are under intense scrutiny, both finiacially, and your character must be impecable as well. You are also very close to the President and could ultimately cause damage or sabatoge this aircraft. So by him be unaccounted for is a big deal since he knows Top Secret info about the aircraft and possibly the flight plans of the president. So thats why this made the news, not because he was drunk, but because of his access could effect national security.

Look it goes to show that the press, is very ingnorant with the military. All they seem to do is bash all of our “Brothers in Arms” It is a very big disrespect to call a MARINE a lowly soilder. The Marine Corps take great pride in instilling its traditions and history to every Marine. We as Marines are very proud of these traditions and are very proud to earn the best title that any armed service can bestow on to you and that would be “U. S. Marines”.
Semper Fi to all present and former Marines.

From a 23 year and counting NCO in the USAF; Air Force personnel are all generically considered “Airman” regardless of paygrade / rank / position. We, contrary to the comedian’s posting earlier, aren’t merely flight attendendants, though there are AFSC’s (Air Force Specialty Codes) that list this as an AFSC (Special Airlift Missions supporting DV’s like the President, etc.). And, to dispel any common myths the average American has about the Air Force, no other branch of the armed forces posess the Para Rescue (PJ’s) or Combat Controller (CCT) AFSC, or what some Marines have fondly called Self Deployed Weapons. Having served, and still serving, globally at nothing but “Purple Suit” bases (i.e. all branches and alphabet soup agencies imaginable present at the same facility), consider this: whenever CNN / Fox News, etc., runs a story stating Marines / Soldiers were killed on convoy, chances are high one of those KIA is an USAF member covering their six, manning Ma Duece, or driving the APC. Not to mention our flight crews whom are ferrying the wounded out of theater, and replacements into theater; quite frequently into live fire zones. Listen up America… regardless of which branch any of us serve / served in, we are all brothers and sisters in arms. I proudly stand by the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Guardsman, and Reservists that I serve with. As our Para Rescue Motto states: That Others May Live.
Respectfully,
A Proud Air Force NCO & Professional.

Hey Jim J:
Would you prefer Al-Qaeda terrorizing American civilians in New York? You effete-elite have no idea what these savages have in store for you, but for the Marines (not soldiers).
Semper Fi! Do or Die!

OK, A GI picked up a LN. Local National does not mean hooker, ask any of the thousands we have working for the US govt. overseas that go by that designation. Any decent GI would hook up with a Viet girl, they are hotties.She was probably Viet intel which is ok too. I know, I live over here and I am married to one. Good for him.

Once a Marine, always a Marine, never to be confused with a Soldier, Airman or Sailor….
USN, Retired

This is the most poorly written story I have read thus far. You can’t even get the titles right. If you don’t know the correct rank then just say Marine, if you don’t know the nomenclature, then generalize. What diploma mill’s did you guys get your journalism degrees in?

Marines are not soldiers!! When will these “reporters” figure this out??

Where da hell did all these JARHEADS come from, gee wiz, someone in the media calls a Marine “soldier”, and there’s grunts crawling outta the woodwork…Chesty Puller would be proud of y’all! Also, much love to my Army, Navy, and Airforce brothers!
“Semper Fi Marines!”

The SSGT was merely carrying on a long Navy – Marine Corps tradition dating back to the days of the Fleet ‘expeditions’ at Da Nang.
Hoo Yah

Jim J-
Spoken like a true coward. We do not work for you. We provide for you. We provide the freedom and protection you cower behind. You say you’re too busy to learn our jargon yet you have time to voice your opinion where it’s not welcome. Well I thank you. I thank you for using your precious time to exercise your freedom of speech that we provide. You wouldn’t last a day in our world. It’s as simple as this; Civilians cannot and will not understand us because they are not one of us. The Corps – we love it, live it and shall die for it. If you have never been in it, you shall never understand it.

Doug, there is no story about a Marine officer, the officer is the one who raised the flag about the Marine who went missing. You must have failed reading in school.

Jim J -
“I get so tired of the constant lectures from military types about proper usage of their weird insider lingo.”
I was too, then I turned 10.
Bill D -
“You’re all missing the real story here…George Bush went to Vietnam (thirty-some years too late)”
Yeah, too bad they did not allow him to go after he volunteered.
The rest of ya -
Semper Fi, Marines.

John,
Not to aggravate the inter-service rivalry but…when you say:
“no other branch of the armed forces posess the Para Rescue (PJ’s) or Combat Controller (CCT) AFSC”
I’ll give you the PJs (and God bless ‘em), but in fact, the Marine Corps does have their own version of the CCT, called a FAC, or Forward Air Controller. They generally don’t run much AF close air support though, since the zoomies tend to fly too high for the FAC to see them…
As an added bonus, if you were a Marine serving in ANGLICO as I was, you could be a triple threat, running air, naval gunfire, and artillery…oh the joy…
Semper Fi, Semper Gumby
Gil

As a swabbie who served w/ the 3rd MARDIV in the sixties, I always admired the Crotch. I wanted to be a true Marine, but I knew who both of my parents were.

To the person who said his dad was a Marine and didn’t mind being called a “soldier. If that’s so, your dad shouldn’t be remembered as a “Proud” Marine.
You are obviously a person who lacks military experience, (being a son of a Marine does not make you qualified on life as a Marine.
I suggest that you visit Camp Pendelton or Paris Island (as a recruit) and call one of the graduatomg Marine’s a “Soldier”. Be prepared for an ambulance ride!

i agree marines ae not soldiers.
on the other hand underage sex is a taboo. personally, i’m not a marine Or interested in underage sex. And that’s coming from a heterosexual male. yup, there goes another one a them tourists.

For you that cannot understand the difference between a Marine, a Soldier, an Airman, A Sailor, or a Coast Guardsman; if you see anyone in uniform, just tell him or her,”Good Morning,Sir (orMa’am), and thank you for protecting our country and the right I have to be ignorant regarding the militray”.

My Dad is a Marine and I fully realize we’d probably be speaking Japanese in CA and German in NY if it were not for our brave armed forces, all.
Everytime I meet a member of any branch of the miitary I go out of my way to thank them for their service and sacrifice for our Country. Every civilian should do the same and hold a tremendous amount of respect for the protection they provide, so effectively and efficiently that most Americans (and nationals of so many other countries that our Marines protect) live in complete ignorance.
1,000 THANKS to our MARINES, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen
…and also to their families for their loyal support of our brave military.
lds.

Well I bet this guy is getting in serious trouble right now from his superiors!
Bet he will not be doing any serious drinking for a long long time.
And a big bet he will not be working for the President Bush detail for much longer.
Those tabloiods will soon show him cleaning bathrooms on base!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Jim actually has a very important point, albeit communicated perhaps in a poor way. In fact, every serviceman and woman is paid by taxpayers so in effect the American public (civilian and otherwise) are their “bosses”.
Hardcorps remarks therefore are the height of hubris. Just because he chose his profession does not make him any better than those that lay their life on the line or contribute their knowledge and special skills in any other job that materially advances our nation. In fact his labeling of Jim as a coward shows his inability to realize that due to Posse Comitatus he’d spend the night in the clink. Why do you resent Jim? Because he does not share your ideals and goals? That is what societal specialization is all about and is what makes us a great civilization.
It is precisely the type of hubris and insular nature exhibited above which led to the overthrow of the Roman Emperor by the Praetorian Guard and numerous fragile democracies by a military dictatorship. Tacitus was right in many respects when he warned of warriors becoming too powerful for the citizens of Rome to handle.
Why do you think there are so many different armed forces with fractured lines of command? It is to keep each in check and prevent one branch from gaining supreme military ascendancy. Marines serve a unique role in our military and I have all the respect in the world for what they do but that doesn’t make the contributions of the other branches any less. Each provides their skill set to make us the most awesome military power on Earth but ask anyone at the NDU and they’ll tell you its all about the combined forces doctrine. No one branch in isolation can succeed when confronted with a multi-dimensional force. If that were so than we wouldn’t have other Elite units like SEALS, Rangers, DELTA, PARA, CCT, etc…There is no such thing as a “mere” soldier, sailor, airman, and yes, Marine.

USMC = Marines
US Army = Soldiers
US Navy = Sailors
USAF = Airmen
US Media = Airheads

This is for John. I have been in the Army for 18 years now. And no, I don’t work for you, I defend you. I work for the Commander in Chief. As far as getting dragged off to jail, I see that you have some one else defend you then too.

Dear People,
If the Marines want to be called Marines rather than soldiers, then for f’s sake – just call them Marines. It’s the least we can do.
And you can support our troops without loving George Bush or Al Gore — what’s wrong with you people throwing them into your comments?

First why is this news?
I mean the kid is probably in his early to mid 20′s, in an exotic country having the time of his life and he was on Liberty. I know when I was on Liberty in Thailand I stayed drunk for the 3 days until I had to be back on the boat.
Second Marines are not soldiers.
Marines are Marines or Jarheads, but not soldiers. Ask a Jarhead where the Starboard side of the ship is and he will tell you…ask an Army Soldier and you will probably get a funny look.
I hope they don’t hammer the kid too much.

As an old dogface helicopter crew chief, I need to put my two cents in. Grunts, and Jarheads, civilians will never get it. They never wore the uniform. This is more about civilians vs servicemen, rather then grunts vs jarheads. I hope they don’t reassign the SSGT.
Rock of the Marne

Too bad Marines have such an inferiority complex. They think they are the only fighting men (the best) and distain being reguarded as soldiers as if it were a dirty word. Historicly a Marine was part of a Naval vessel’s landing/fighting force, not a ground soldier. Hence the name Marine. And what’s the big deal all about? The man is on the maintainance crew of the President of the United States’s Helocopter, he missing in a country we were reacently at war with. It was a possibility he could have been killed by a former V.C. or abducted by a Islamic terrorist group.That’s why his dissapearence was news.

When Mitchell Paige, Medal of Honor winner from the Battle of Guadalcanal was approached about being the model for the G.I. Joe Doll, he said he would only agree to it if it wasn’t called a doll, but rather an action figure, and it had to have his title on the uniform. His title was “Marine”
When I graduated boot camp, I was proud to now be able to claim the title “Marine”, my late father a former Naval UDT and my brother a Naval Submariner, my uncles a “Soldier” and a “Sailor” were all there. They all made sure to say “congratulations Marine”
Semper Fi

It’s amazing after seeing all of these posts that the Coast Guard is only mentioned once. Hey Marines, ya’ll know who Douglas Munro is right???
USA-Soldiers
USN-Sailors
USAF-Airman
USMC-Marines
USCG-Coast Guardsman
Semper Paratus!!!!!

“I have many friends who are in the Marines and as a title they are Marines, by what they do they are soldiers. Referring to yourself only as a Marine and not a soldier is egotistical, crazy, and haughty.
Posted by: Deodra | Nov 29, 2006 6:54:07 PM”
First Deodra, you’re wrong. A Marine is NEVER refered to as a soldier. And second, they earned the title, Marine, and you obviously have not, don’t disrespect what they have earned with blood, sweat, and tears.

Very poorly researched and poorly written article.
Any Marine or Sailor who has served in that region knows a “local national” is actually an
LBFM

A Marine is a Marine, not a Soldier… USMC = Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children.. lol lol Have many Many Marine and Former Marine friends and we joke back and forth all the time (I’m former Army). Someone in another post said this is a don’t ask~don’t tell situation and since it hasn’t been determined if the “Local National” was Male or Female, that may be the case. Can’t wait to show this to my Former Marine Buddies today.. ABC musta had a slow news day to report this as “News”

Ok, I get the point. Marines are not soldiers… Well I supose that is a good thing seeing how it appears they don’t have the maturity and self disciple to behave themselves in a communist country. Did I read correctly that they had to call the commie cops to look for this bone head. I would expect a little more of a highly trained, educated, intellegent professional.
As for john stating the snide remark about servicemen killing civilians in Iraq. There’s always Canada buddy. You’re welcome to leave anytime. You might want to do something useful with that miserable life of yours.

Translated text from above:
I hope that it is not your nephew!!!

Deodra,
He is a Marine, not a soldier. And in more than 20 years of active duty, from Vietnam to Iraq, I can’t ever recall hearing a Marine call himself or herself a soldier.

In reading most of the above posts, I really have come to remember what it is that makes me so proud to be a veteran…the comraderie and unit cohesiveness in the U.S. military is matched by no others on the planet. But what really makes our servicemen and women great is the strong spirit of independence and rebelliousness that most people don’t see.
To all you vets that signed in above, God Bless You…we belong to a private club that nobody on the outside will ever understand. Period. End of story…

Jim “bosses” in case your not aware. Military personnel pay taxes as well. Does that make us our own boss? I swore to support and defend the constitution of the United States, my orders come from the President and the Officers appointed over me. Nothing about civilians. The President in this capacity is the Commander-in- Chief. Too bad all U.S. citizens cannot experience the feeling of defending their country. Wait a minute you can, volunteer service draft:::???? I bet you come back with, I’m to smart? I have a masters degree in Information Technology and Warfare. But, I prefer to serve OUR country. So don’t throw the education part around.

A story about how a Marine SSG got drunk and laid got turned into a platform for every active and former Marine to once again bash the Army and the term Soldier. *yawn* I have been in the Army for over 24 years and have had to listen to this forever…please find something else to harp on.
The Army is the oldest service in the USA; it has the most battle streamers, most amphibious landings, most Medal of Honor winners, and currently comprises the most forces on the ground in Iraq and across the world.
The Army also has the most armor and most firepower…NOBODY in the world can beat us heads to head–no matter if our uniforms aren’t as pretty as some.
The Rangers were first in Afghanistan when they jumped into the airfield and had already cleaned it out for the Marines to come in there. The Marines also did bang job in Iraq…the 1st Cav had to give you forces in Najaf and Fallujah cause you guys were long on talk and short on ass. I know, I was there.
The guy who said anybody who thought Soldier was a lowly term could Kiss his olive drab ass had it right…you can kiss mine too. I’m too busy fighting a war as part of the most formidable land force in the world to worry about the hyperbole, rhetoric, and bombast of a propoganda filled knucklehead.
“Rangers Lead the Way!”

Gy V,
I noticed you didn’t dispute all the other things I wrote in my post…just the part about Rangers leading the way. That undisputed part, my brainwashed friend must be true huh? And with repsect to the Rangers leading the way; alas that is true too. They go in and get the job done while you guys are bobbing around in the ocean badmouthing sailors and patting yourselves on the back.
1st Cav sent the armored fist to Najaf and Fallujah and killed bad guys. They ain’t pretty and they don’t march well, but they do blow crap up and kill bad guys.
You guys have pretty uniforms, basic training with lots of yelling, and a good PR campaign. But, after catching your guys sleeping on their posts in Iraq, causing near fratricide on my guys from being trigger happy cowboys without night vision, and sending squads on dangerous roads riding on unarmored trucks,,,I realize that’s all you got.
Look, do us all in the Army a favor…go to the base NCO club or VFW and talk smack and badmouth all you want. Just keep it to yourself; you guys sound like a broken record.

not to mention he should get the Medal of Honor for him be able to breech the gurad of the Cong Minh forces and eventually ‘infiltrate’ ‘into’ the ‘local national’. As it made the news it looks like a not-a-easy-mission.

A Marine got drunk and then spent the night with a ****. He wasn’t AWOL. This is news how?