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VOLUME 75, EDITION 40
The
GL BE SERVING CAMP LEJEUNE AND SURROUNDING AREAS SINCE 1944
Mission Readiness
Marines clear path in training| 3A
CLR-25 conducts field exercise | 4A THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
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Installation officials address cloudy water concerns STAFF REPORTS
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Some members of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune community have reported experiencing “cloudy” water coming from their faucets recently. Although the recent cloudy water, which can appear whitish or have a brownish-yellow tint may look strange, it is simply an aesthetic characteristic and not a cause for concern, said Jim Sides, the utilities director for Camp Lejeune’s Public Works Office. “Our water treatment plants soften (to remove minerals), filter (to remove minerals) and chlorinate (to disinfect) the water you drink,” said Sides. “The water softener we use is lime, which is an industry standard softening product. Most of the lime we use to soften the water is filtered out at the water treatment plant. However, some collects along the pipes in the distribution system. This is actually good for the distribution system.” Lime collecting in the pipes can be positive because it coats the pipes helping to seal it and prevent corrosion, Sides added. The lime buildup can be disturbed by several factors including pipe breaks, water line replacements and normal fire hydrant flow testing conducted by the fire department. While recent months have seen an increase in reported cases of cloudy water onboard the Base, officials with the Public Works Office are confident the increase is due to a combination of a temporary blending of unsoftened fresh groundwater and softened water and an increase in water usage, said Sides. “Unsoftened fresh ground water has a lower pH than the softened water typically used aboard the base; the change in pH levels may have affected the lime coating the pipes,” he added. This blending was done to supplement water supply during the summer seasonal spike in usage and make up for additional shortfalls in water supply stemming from ongoing maintenance and cleaning of one of Camp Lejeune’s water treatment facilities. The water blending process is not unusual and was preapproved by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. With the onset of the fall season, the need for this additional water supply has ceased and Public Works is currently flushing the water system to address the cloudy water. Recent samples of the distribution system, the water reservoirs and of the cloudy water have confirmed the water meets state and federal drinking water standards. The Public Works Office says it understands aesthetic issues are very important to the base community and projects the cloudiness should dissipate soon after the flushing of the system is complete. To report cloudy water, call 450-9972. More information about drinking water sampling and compliance information, including information for local service areas, is contained in the base’s Consumer Confidence Reports and can be accessed at: www.lejeune.marines.mil/OfficesStaff/EnvironmentalMgmt/AnnualReports.
Photo by Lance Cpl. Sullivan Laramie
Marines with Bridge Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, fire Mk. 19 Grenade Launchers during a night fire grenade training exercise aboard Camp Lejeune, Sept. 17. The service members waited for illumination flares to light the range before opening fire on targets.
ROLLING OUT THE THUNDER:
Bridge Co. trains with grenade systems LANCE CPL. SULLIVAN LARAMIE
2nd Marine Logistics Group
T
h u n d e r rumbled in the distance while flashes of light flickered in the low-hanging clouds. This storm was not caused by nature, however, but by the Marines of Bridge Company. Service members with Bridge Co., 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, made their own thunder with various grenade systems. The Marines used M-67 fragmentation grenades, the standard hand grenade of the U.S. military, the first day of training, and M-32 Multiple Grenade Launchers,
rifle-mounted M-203 grenade launchers, and automatic Mk. 19 Grenade Launchers the second day. “It was kind of like crawl, walk, run,” said 1st Lt. Cullen G. Tores, a platoon commander with Bridge Company. “We wanted to start off with hand grenades and then move into projectiles. We wanted to really focus on, and safely and efficiently employ, the weapon systems.” Throughout the training, the Marines each threw several grenades and fired more from the hand-held grenade launchers, but the most firepower they had the opportunity to use came from the Mk. 19s. The Marines used the Mk. 19s to pound the targets with belts of 16 grenades at distances up to 1,500 yards. Sunset did not end the
training, however. The Marines reloaded and waited for flares to illuminate the range enough to continue firing at night. “The night shoot is definitely a lot harder than the day shoot because of the low-light conditions,” said Cpl. Chad J. Cratsenburg, a combat engineer with the company. “We couldn’t even see the targets until they got the flares in the air. There was a lot more going on, a little more yelling and more chaos, but we got it done and did a good job.” The night fire exercise was only part of the training, but it may prove invaluable on night convoys or defensive actions outside of the U.S. “First and foremost, it’s about making sure [the Marines] are proficient in a
Tuition assistance changes made CPL. CHARLIE CLARK
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Changes to tuition assistance via Marine Corps administrative message 456/13 are slated to be implemented Oct. 1. The changes ensure Marines are focused on their military occupational specialty and primary Marine Corps mission during their first two years in service, before starting classes. “Marine Corps leaders, mentors and peers are dedicated to providing every Marine the training, experience and opportunities they need to develop,” said Gerald M. Boucher, the education branch manager at the Education Center aboard Marine Corps Base Camp lejeune. “TA is intended to support personal and professional goals of individual Marines.” The Marine Corps TA funding budget will be divided into fiscal quarters. Once quarterly funds are exhausted, TA approvals will be deferred until the following quarter. When TA funds are available, approvals will be contingent upon the Marine meeting all eligibility requirements and will be limited to classes beginning during that quarter. “Headquarters Marine Corps, Marine and Family Programs Division, along with education service officers at each installation, are responsible for the safeguarding of TA funds and ensuring obligation in accordance with
established controls,” said Boucher. “As a result, the changes to TA are intended to better manage budgeted fiscal year funds.” TA requests can now only be submitted within 30 days of the start date of the class. First-time active-duty applicants are required to have a minimum of 24 months in service and must be eligible for promotion. Only one class is authorized for first-time applicants, unless the Marine has an associates degree or 60 academic credits and a minimum grade point average of 2.5. Enlisted Marines must also have an end of active service date 60 days or more after the completion date of the course to be approved for TA. In addition to the requirements for officers, reserve component officers on active duty orders or mobilization must have an EAS date of two years after the completion date of the requested class in order to be approved for TA. “In this era of limited funds, these changes help make sure Marines are set up for success by meeting the minimum guidelines for TA usage,” said Richard W. McCormac, an education specialist. “These regulations help ensure Marines get off to a good start in their educational endeavors, while also making sure funds are spent in the most prudent manner for the benefit of all Marines.” Other requirements for all first-time applicants are to complete the Marine Corps In-
stitute “Leadership” and “Personal Financial Management” courses. “Education Assistance Branch staff will continue to be dedicated to serving Marines, sailors and family members in their pursuit of an education,” Boucher said. “Education counselors are available to assist individuals with their education choices including providing information about education programs.” Any open issues in Marine TA accounts, including incomplete courses, reimbursement issues and waivers, must be resolved and posted to the student’s record prior to approval of future TA requests. Marines are encouraged to participate in all appropriate personal and professional development programs, such as the United States Military Apprenticeship Program and College Level Examination. “Individual Marines with questions should consult their Education Service Officer. ESOs and the other academic advisors can provide individualized academic advisement,” Boucher said. “Marines will be informed of the full breadth of tuition funding sources and how they can advance their degree plans and academic achievement with appropriate courses and institution selections.” For more information about TA or other personal and professional development programs, call the education center at 451-3091 or 451-9127.
wide span of responsibilities,” said Tores. “Engineers are responsible for a lot, engineering-wise, but also keep the provisional infantry platoon task in mind as well.” Training grenades were used by the Marines to prepare them both mentally and physically for the livefire portion of the exercises, and were intended to keep the service members technically and tactically proficient while using weapons they might use when deployed. “The Marines didn’t join the Marine Corps to sit in an office,” said Tores. “They wanted to come out and do stuff (in the field). We want to get back into the rhythm of going out into the field, coming back, cleaning weapons and going back out into the field.”
Inside
Marine Corps Half Marathon 1B
POW remembrance 1C honors fallen