Stories - Aug 2010

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway speaks with the U.S. Marines in Kansas City about the future of the Marine Corps mission and manpower August 28 at 9th Marine Corps District Headquarters. Conway said he expects the Marine Corps to reduce manning levels sometime after the end of the war in Afghanistan. - Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway speaks with the U.S. Marines in Kansas City about the future of the Marine Corps mission and manpower August 28 at 9th Marine Corps District Headquarters. Conway said he expects the Marine Corps to reduce manning levels sometime after the end of the war in Afghanistan.

Marine Corps Commandant to recruiters: Expect force reduction after Afghanistan

The Commandant of the Marine Corps told U.S. Marines in Kansas City Aug. 28 that he expects the Marine Corps to reduce manning levels sometime after the end of the war in Afghanistan. Gen. James T. Conway said that the Marine Corps will likely shrink to somewhere between its current level of 202,000 and 175,000, which is the size it was four years

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Marta Paukert listens to Staff Sgt. Christopher Pool as Pool conducts an "initial visit" on August 20, 2010 at the Recruiting Station Des Moines headquarters. The command group held its first ever mock visit to help the seasoned recruiters refresh their skills and to teach the new recruiters how to conduct high school visits. Paukert is a guidance counselor at Eagle Grove High School in Eagle Grove, Iowa and Pool is a canvassing recruiter at Permanent Contact Station Galesburg in Galesburg Illinois. - Marta Paukert listens to Staff Sgt. Christopher Pool as Pool conducts an "initial visit" on August 20, 2010 at the Recruiting Station Des Moines headquarters. The command group held its first ever mock visit to help the seasoned recruiters refresh their skills and to teach the new recruiters how to conduct high school visits. Paukert is a guidance counselor at Eagle Grove High School in Eagle Grove, Iowa and Pool is a canvassing recruiter at Permanent Contact Station Galesburg in Galesburg Illinois.

Getting It Right!

Marine Sgt. Douglas C. Gross checked in to Recruiting Station Des Moines at the start of the summer, and while school was out for those short three months, his focus was to get out and about in the community to look for a few good men and women.During the month of August, however, he and the rest of the canvassing recruiters had to refocus their

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Staff Sgt. Patrick Wire stands with his team leader, Gunnery Sgt. Hugo Tello, in the village of Chichal, Konar province, Afghanistan. Wire, currently the information systems management branch chief, was deployed to Afghanistan with an embedded training team in 2008, where he served as an instructor to Afghanistan National Army soldiers. - Staff Sgt. Patrick Wire stands with his team leader, Gunnery Sgt. Hugo Tello, in the village of Chichal, Konar province, Afghanistan. Wire, currently the information systems management branch chief, was deployed to Afghanistan with an embedded training team in 2008, where he served as an instructor to Afghanistan National Army soldiers.

Marine goes from managing computer systems to leading in combat

As he tells the story, his head is on a swivel. He looks around as if he’s lost something. With various verbal pauses and clicks of his tongue, he seems distracted, as if he could be doing something more important than reminiscing about the past.“It probably wasn’t very smart, but I had to fix him up,” said Oklahoma City native Staff Sgt. Patrick

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sgts. Victor and Kara Perez have been together most of their adult lives and Marine Corps careers and they plan to open a gym together. - KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sgts. Victor and Kara Perez have been together most of their adult lives and Marine Corps careers and they plan to open a gym together.

Midwest Marine couple finds strength in relationship

“Sugar Momma” is how Sgt. Victor Perez refers to his wife; a loving nickname since she is the senior sergeant and receives their housing allowance. Her paycheck is bigger.Victor and his wife Sgt. Kara Perez are administrators at 9th Marine Corps District Headquarters here. They’ve been together most of their Marine Corps career and adult

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