Face of Defense: Marine Pulls Man From Burning Truck

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stephen T. Stewart
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C.  – Running late on his way to pick up a new fishing boat after work Feb. 14, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David S. Shouse was driving through the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C., when he saw a truck engulfed in flames.

Shouse, a supply clerk here, pulled over to see what was going on. Inside the truck, 59-year-old Steven Early was stuck, desperately trying to pry himself out.

“I was going to call 911 right away, but then I saw him,” said Shouse, a Ripley, Ohio, native. “The only thing going through my mind when I saw him was, ‘There’s a guy in that truck, and I have to get him out.’” Grabbing Early’s flailing arm, he pulled him out of the truck and dragged him a safe distance from the fire.

“The fire was so huge, and I was worried for the man’s life,” Shouse said. “I thought he was going to be very hurt.”

Luckily, Early was the only person in the vehicle. All of the truck’s tires were melted down, and the entire vehicle, aside from where Early sat, was an inferno, Shouse said.

“With how big the flames were, I kept thinking, ‘Please don’t explode,’” he said. “I thought it was going to be like the movies.”

After the incident, Shouse called Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Scott A. Laroche, his good friend and roommate.

“When he called me and told me what happened, I didn’t believe him,” Laroche said. “It doesn’t surprise me, though, that Shouse would do something like this.”

His friend is known for always being there for his fellow Marines, Laroche added. On many occasions, he said, he has changed his plans for someone else’s benefit, taking duties for people, giving rides or just offering up a place to crash for the night.

In front of several hundred Marines two days after the rescue, Shouse’s commanding officer, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Samuel P. Mowery, commended his selflessness.

“Your actions outside the workplace are indicative of what you do in the workplace,” Mowery said. Shouse said he was just glad he was there, and that the man was OK.

“It’s good I was running late to pick up my boat,” he said.

The only thing that bothered him, he added, was that he saw cars in front of him drive past the flaming vehicle.

“I don’t understand why anyone would do that,” he said.

“He truly cares about others and doesn’t expect or want anything in return,” Laroche said. “We need more people in this world like Shouse.”

Army Charges Manning With Leaking Intelligence

Army News Service

FORT MEADE, Md.  – Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning was arraigned here yesterday on 22 charges that include wrongfully releasing intelligence, theft of records and aiding the enemy.

Manning elected to defer his plea and also to defer the forum selection for his court-martial -- whether he will be tried by a judge or a panel. The court set a tentative date of March 15 or 16 for the next session to hear pretrial motions.

Manning was charged with aiding the enemy in violation of Article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He also was charged with 16 specifications under Article 134 of the UCMJ: wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy.

He was charged with five specifications of theft of public property or records, in violation of 18 U.S. Code 641; eight specifications of transmitting defense information, in violation of 18 USC 793(e); two specifications of fraud and related activity in connection with computers in violation of 18 USC 1030(a)(1); and five specifications under UCMJ Article 92 for violating Army regulations 25-2, Information Assurance, and 380-5, Department of the Army Information Security Program.

If convicted of all charges against him, Manning would face a maximum punishment of reduction to the lowest enlisted pay grade, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confinement for life and a dishonorable discharge.

Most of the 16 specifications against Article 134 relate to Manning giving "intelligence to the enemy, through indirect means" while at Contingency Operating Station Hammer, Iraq, between November 2009 and May 2010. He is charged with sharing illegally accessed intelligence with "a person not entitled to receive it."

Specification 10 of Article 134 says Manning obtained and then divulged five classified records relating to a military operation in Afghanistan’s Farah province on or about May 4, 2009, with reason to believe the information could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.

Navy Skiers Ranked 10th Nationally

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexia Riveracorrea, U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- The Naval Academy men's alpine ski team ranked 10th out of 135 teams in the 2012 College Snow Sports Rankings and qualified for the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Mid-Atlantic Regionals, Feb. 23-26.

To watch the competition live and view the results, visit http://live-timing.com/races.php or www.uscsa.com.

The women's ski team and both snowboard teams also qualified for the regional competition.

The men's team earned eight 1st place and two 2nd place finishes out of 10 races during the regular season. The teams compete in the Allegheny Conference, one of 11 collegiate snow and ski conferences in the U.S.

The Alleghany Conference includes teams from Penn State, West Virginia, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, West Chester and Villanova.

"We were very surprised, since Penn State has been the strongest competitor," said Midshipman 1st Class Garrett Long, team captain. "For the last few weekends the team has been very active and united."

The women's snowboard team, led by Midshipman 1st Class Nicole Leonard and Midshipman 2nd Class Caitlin Fine, took 2nd in the Alleghany Conference. The men's team, led by Midshipman 1st Class Ryan Goldsmith and Midshipmen 2nd Class Brian Gureck and Bill Gureck, took several individual top-five finishes during the season.

"It is very exciting to be able to compete," said Midshipman 2nd Class Pat Paap. "It's all about teamwork. You really have to come together and understand not only your needs but also other teammate's needs. We definitely help and coach each other."

"We are helping each other prep the skis, which is definitely one of the main things you can do to get ready for the race," said Midshipman 4th Class Stefan Schmidt. "It's also important to stay confident and not freak out during the competition."

The ski and snowboard teams hope to qualify for the national competition which will be held March 5-10 in Maine.