by Matthew Cox on July 29, 2015

“The Marine Corps may finally follow the U.S. Army and Special Operations Command with its plan to replace its M16s with M4 Carbines.

Marine officials recently announced the service wants to adopt the M4 Carbine to replace its beloved M16A4 for Marine infantry units, according to a source familiar with the effort.

The Army made the same decision in 2009 to replace its M16A4s with the M4. The lightweight weapon’s compact size makes it ideal working in tight quarters such as urban operations…”

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps said Friday that it is preparing Purple Heart packages for its four service members killed in the Chattanooga, Tenn., shooting last week, but the decorations will depend on an ongoing federal investigation into the shooter.

So far, the FBI has said Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez appeared to be a “homegrown violent extremist” who operated on his own, although its investigation is ongoing. The agency has not ruled out that the shooter had been radicalized by others.

New Purple Heart criteria passed by Congress in December requires the perpetrator of an attack be in contact or inspired by a terrorist group, and that could rule out the four Marines and the sailor who were killed.

“The Purple Heart packages have been prepared but eligibility must be determined through the FBI’s investigation,” Marine spokesman Maj. Clark Carpenter said…”

Forrás : http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/25/purple-hearts-for-chattanooga-shooting-victims-depend-on-fbis-f.html?ESRC=marine.nl

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — The military and a private organization have brought home the remains of 36 Marines killed in one of World War II’s bloodiest battles.

A group called History Flight recovered the remains from the remote Pacific atoll of Tarawa, the U.S. Marine Corps said. A ceremony was held Sunday in Pearl Harbor to mark their return.

History Flight has started identifying the remains, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency will complete the effort, the Marines said. The Marines plan to return the remains to their families after they’ve been identified…”

Forrás : http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/remains-of-36-unidentified-marines-from-wwii-battle-return.html?ESRC=marine.nl

“Jul 27, 2015 | by Brendan McGarry

The U.S. Marine Corps is expected to announce the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is ready to fly initial operations in the near future, a general said.

During a conference call with reporters on Monday afternoon, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the service’s deputy commandant for aviation, said the F-35B jump-jet version of the Lockheed Martin Corp.-made plane may “soon” reach the milestone, known as initial operational capability in military parlance…”

Forrás : http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/27/marine-corps-will-soon-announce-f35-ready-initial-operation.html?ESRC=marine.nl

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A single “pop” cut through the quiet morning. Those who heard it had a moment to ponder the noise.

On this ordinary Thursday, some thought a car had backfired, or maybe a tire had blown. Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dodge looked up from his computer in an Army recruiting office in a strip mall, more curious than alarmed.

Then a young man in a rented convertible re-aimed his rifle and unleashed a frenzy of bullets. These were the opening shots in a single-handed rampage against the military that seized this city for hours and reignited American fears about radicalization and homegrown terror. The shooter’s motive remains a mystery.

Glass shattered, televisions exploded, bullets whizzed past the heads of servicemen at their desks and rooted in the walls behind them. In nearby restaurants and hair salons and shops, people dived for cover or stood paralyzed by fear.

Inside the five side-by-side recruiting offices, one for each branch of the military and the National Guard, no one panicked…”

Forrás : http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/19/chattanooga-shattered-a-single-gunshot-silence-and-terror.html?ESRC=marine.nl