Face of Defense: Marine Earns Top-Shooter Status

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul Peterson

U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., April 23, 2012 – Gunnery Sgt. Joshua A. Peterson is one of the few riflemen to earn a coveted place on the Marine Corps Shooting Team, where the time-honored art of marksmanship is a full-time job.

Peterson recently earned top-shooter status at the Eastern Division Match Championship held here, dropping only 12 points out of a possible 600.

Peterson said he was no stranger to firearms growing up in Wisconsin.

“I grew up shooting with my dad,” Peterson said. “I learned on iron sights as a kid and he wouldn’t let me shoot with scopes or anything like that until I was proficient.”

Peterson says the examples his family set helped him to become the Marine he is today.

“I’ve done a lot of things in my life that probably haven’t been the greatest, but you always have to deal with those and take that right step forward,” he said. “Character just comes from my family. My mother and father always pushed [me] to do the right things and do the best I can and the best with what you’ve got. I give a lot of credit to both of them.”

Peterson said his work on the Marine Corps Shooting Team helps to spread the art of shooting across the Marine Corps community. In his spare time, he also coaches the local West Potomac High School air rifle team.

“The [Marine Corps] shooting team keeps us on a pretty busy schedule,” said Master Sgt. Gregory T. Schardein, the team’s staff noncommissioned officer in charge and an accomplished shooter himself. “I know [Peterson] likes to ride [motorcycles], but what little time he does have he’s coaching the high school shooting team.”

It’s not the kind of activity one might expect upon meeting Peterson, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom with a Bronze Star medal for valor, though he’d never bring it up in an interview. He’s not a man to revel in his own accomplishments, nor does he ever stop pushing to do better.

Peterson enlisted in 1997. In 1998, his feet graced the same yellow footprints that greet the future of the Marine Corps today at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. He considers himself fortunate.

“I have had the opportunity to serve with some of the best Marines that have come into the history of the Marine Corps,” said Peterson, as he patiently waited for his turn on the pistol range here.

A stoic with a quiet but sincere passion for shooting, Peterson’s solid frame, shaven head and strong gaze say more than words about his character. His teammates describe him as a dangerous threat to the enemy with a weapon in his hand.

Schardein describes Peterson as a natural leader and the kind of shooter other competitors can never discount.

“He’s highly competitive and forces everyone to bring their ‘A’ game,” Schardein said of Peterson. “Gunny Peterson is a known quantity. He’s someone you can count on -- highly reliable.”

Peterson said he believes the skills and discipline that are forged on the shooting range are not about winning competitions.

“I don’t consider this to be a sport,” Peterson said. “I consider this to be training, [as part of preparation] to go back in-country to take out those that are putting our guys in harm’s way.”

“There are some really good shooters, one or two that could probably match, or on a good day, beat him,” Schardein said of Peterson’s shooting ability. “He’s probably one of the top 10 shooters in the Marine Corps.”

Competitive shooting takes mental fortitude and physical strength, said Peterson, who sets aside time each day to ensure his physical and shooting skills remain sharp.

“You wake up every morning and the first thing that you see in the mirror is what you are,” he said. “You are a Marine.”

Panetta Visit to Expand South American Defense Ties

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 – During his first visit to South America as defense secretary, which starts today, Leon E. Panetta will meet over the next week with military officials in Brazil, Colombia and Chile, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

The secretary “is looking to expand defense and security cooperation with three important countries in the region and, increasingly, in the world,” Little added.

Panetta will travel to Brasilia and Rio de Janiero in Brazil, Bogota in Colombia, and Santiago in Chile.

This trip follows a late-March visit by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Fla., and then to Brazil and Colombia.

In Brazil Dempsey met with Defense Minister Antonio Celoso Amorim and top-ranking military official Gen. Jose Carlos de Nardi in Brasilia, and in Bogota with Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon Bueno and Gen. Alejandro Navas, commander of the Colombian Armed Forces.

For Panetta, one set of discussions in South America will focus on partnering with Brazil, Chile and Colombia to help build capacity for the military to assist civil authorities in such Central American nations as Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize, a senior defense official told reporters in a background briefing on Friday.

“The challenges these countries face are towering compared to their own capacity to deal with them,” he said, adding that Brazil, Chile and Colombia already are significant contributors to building partner capacity.

Colombia, for example, offers capacity-building assistance in 16 countries inside and outside the region, including Africa.

Colombian service members have trained more than two dozen Mexican helicopter pilots and now train police in Honduras and Guatemala. The nation also provides assistance in nondefense areas like justice reform, the official said.

Also in the region, in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Haiti, thousands of U.S. and Brazilian military personnel worked together to provide life-saving relief to the Haitian people. It was the largest combined operation of U.S. and Brazilian military forces since they fought together as allies in World War II.

“We could have done better in Haiti if we had glued together the system in advance to provide for more effective defense support to civil authorities,” the official said.

“By collaborating with [all three countries],” he added, “the United States can get down to specifics about which country will be conducting specific initiatives and what kinds of initiatives, so together we can ensure the investment we’re making … is as efficient and effective as possible.”

During an April 9 meeting in Washington, President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff established the U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Dialogue and announced that Panetta and Amorim would hold the first meeting this week in Brazil.

The DCD will help bolster cooperation between DOD and Brazil’s Ministry of National Defense, and between the nations’ militaries, the White House said in a statement.

Beyond the Western Hemisphere, the Defense Department is looking to Colombia and Brazil, both of which already have deep ties to Africa and now provide assistance there, to help U.S. Africa Command with peacekeeping and other efforts there.

“Africa typifies the situation we’re in, where the United States has limited capacity to help build partner capabilities,” the defense official said.

“Brazil and Colombia … are stepping up to the plate. Let’s collaborate with them, establish a dialogue between their militaries and Africom so we’re working in mutual support in an informed, cooperative way,” he added.

Panetta will also seek to expand the range of defense collaborations, including traditional military efforts such as training, exchanges and joint exercises.

“Clearly we still have plenty to talk about in continuing to support the Colombians in their efforts against [the narcoterrorist group FARC, for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]to talk about counternarcotics,” the official said.

Panetta also will discuss new challenges like cyber security and defense support to civil authorities that offer opportunities for collaboration.

In 2014 Brazil will host the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, World Cup tournament in Rio de Janeiro, and two years later that city will host the 2016 Olympic Games.

“We know in the United States how to provide defense support to civil authorities, to law enforcement or to help prepare for the kinds of challenges these world-class sporting events can attract,” he said, “so we’re going to share expertise [and] talk about the kind of dialogue that will help nations get prepared.”

He added, “In the context of limited resources of the United States for defense … we have an opportunity to partner together with other nations so they become security exporters.”

Panetta, Little said, sees Brazil, Chile and Colombia “as increasingly important players on the regional stage and also in terms of their leadership roles internationally.”

All have made progress in terms of their economies, their militaries and their political situations over the last several years, he added.

“These three countries are on the upswing in many areas and it’s time for us to enhance our already strong cooperation with all three,” Little said.

Holocaust Survivor Shares Harrowing Story

By Margaret Kenyon-Ely, Naval Supply Systems Command Public Affairs

PHILADELPHIA (NNS) -- This year's theme of "Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue" hit home for military and civilian personnel who attended the annual Holocaust Days of Remembrance program on the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Philadelphia April 19 after hearing about a survivor's first-hand experience.

"Why do we tell the story? We want to make sure we remember and curtail future happenings of what happened in the Holocaust," said keynote speaker Shelly M. Zeiger, whose life experiences and journey shaped him into a successful entrepreneur and well-connected businessman.

At the age of eight in 1940s Poland, Zeiger and his mother, father and brother sought refuge with a family friend, and lived in a small space beneath a cellar for 15 months before being liberated by the Soviets in 1944.

"The world had changed and became a nightmare in 1941. The Germans burned our only Synagogue and Torah, and made all the Jewish people watch," said Zeiger.

"It was absolutely nightmarish to see how cruel people could be. I saw many atrocities perpetrated on human beings," he added as he described life in the Nazi-created ghetto and the slaughter of Jewish men after they were forced to clean the equipment and tanks of German soldiers when they first arrived in his small town.

"By making a personal commitment to participate in the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, each and every one of us is making a promise to never forget what happened in places like Auschwitz-one of the largest concentration camps housing the victims of the Holocaust-and a promise to never let something so vicious to ever repeat itself in history," said DLA Troop Support Commander Rear Adm. David F. Baucom in his opening remarks.

Baucom also recalled how his visit to the National Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. forever changed his life.

"I grew a lot that day back in 1994. I learned to respect humans of every persuasion... It was an absolute turning point in my life. I will never take life for granted. I will never forget the Holocaust - how horrible humans can treat each other," he added.

NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Operations Director Capt. Duke Heinz, presented a Commander's Coin to Zeiger after Baucom recognized the guest speaker with a token of appreciation from DLA Troop Support.

A field activity of the Naval Supply Systems Command, NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) is the U.S. Navy's supply chain manager providing worldwide support to the aviation, surface ship, and submarine communities. NAVSUP WSS provides Navy, Marine Corps, joint and allied forces with products and services that deliver combat capability through logistics. There are more than 2,000 civilian and military personnel employed at its two Pennsylvania sites. The NAVSUP WSS Philadelphia site supports aircraft, while its Mechanicsburg site supports ships and submarines.

President Pays Tribute to Wounded Warriors on Soldier Ride

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama cheered for 22 wounded warriors taking part in a Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride yesterday, calling it “one of the most inspiring events” to take place at the White House.

Soldier Rides are four-day cycling events designed to “use cycling and the bonds of service to overcome physical, mental or emotional wounds,” according the Wounded Warrior Project website. This was the fourth year the White House hosted a Soldier Ride, and it included members of each military service and the Coast Guard. The events have been occurring for six years.

“I’m glad to see you’re all decked out in the stars and stripes, because I want anybody who sees this ride go by to know that they’re in the presence of heroes,” Obama told the colorful group of riders on the South Lawn.

Obama pointed out a few of the riders and their physical challenges: Max Rohn, who lost a leg in Fallujah, Iraq, during a grenade attack; Leslie Smith, who lost a leg and her eyesight in Bosnia, who rode tandem yesterday; and brothers Erik and Deven Schei, who also rode together on a tandem bike.

“When Erik enlisted in the Army, Deven made a promise that if anything bad ever happened, he would finish what his brother started,” the president said. “During his second tour in Iraq, Erik was shot in the head by a sniper. So Deven enlisted. Then two years ago, Deven was injured in Afghanistan. And now the two brothers ride a specially made tandem bike, with Deven leading the way. They’re taking on this latest challenge just like they did every other one -- together.”

Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki, also attended the event and cheered on the riders. The president promised to do everything he could to make sure wounded warriors and other veterans get the care and benefits they earned.

“All of you have served your country. That's why now it's time for the country to serve you. That's what you deserve, and here in America we take care of our own,” Obama said.

The president said the riders participated in the challenge for a variety of reasons.

“Some of you may be athletes looking to get the competitive juices flowing again,” he said. “Maybe some of you are trying to see how far you can push yourselves. Some of you are doing it for the camaraderie and the bond that comes when you work hard alongside people who know what you’re going through.

“Maybe you’re doing it to honor a loved one or a buddy,” the president added. “But all of you are here because you believe in living your lives to the fullest. You know that each of us has a responsibility to seize the opportunities we’ve been blessed with. You ride because you can, and you ride for those who can’t. That’s what this is all about.”

The president also welcomed the 200 U.S. service members whom the White House invited to cheer on the riders as they circled the South Lawn.Fifty troops each represented the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Obama paid tribute to the riders’ military family members who were in attendance.

“[They] don’t wear a uniform, but … work just as hard and sacrifice just as much alongside you,” he told the riders.

The president said the soldier rides across the country remind U.S. citizens to support the men and women who serve for other Americans. He encouraged citizens to show their support for the riders and thank them for their service by cheering them along in communities around the country.

Wounded warrior riders have clocked miles this year on Soldier Rides through Chicago, New York, Seattle, Phoenix, San Antonio and Miami, Key West, Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn., North Fork, Calif. and Landstuhl, Germany.

“We are proud of you. Your country is proud of you,” the president told the riders. He then sounded the horn to start the ride of three laps around the South Lawn of the White House.