Wynkoop earns his bars

NASHVILLE — U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association member Robert Wynkoop is pinned by his grandfather John H. Wynkoop in a ceremony at Vanderbilt University, May 14. Wynkoop received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant through the Meritorious Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP). Wynkoop is a past merit award winner Read more…

Combat Camera Marine proves he can keep up with the grunts

Lance Cpl. Justin D. Loya, attached to 3/6, showed that Marines truly are riflemen first.

Story by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

Afghanistan – When the infantry Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, were first told they were getting a combat camera Marine attached to their platoon for Operation Moshtarak’s push into Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, they didn’t know what to expect.

“I thought, ‘he’s obviously not a grunt. He’s been to (Marine Combat Training). He’s got the basics down, but maybe he has no idea what’s going on,'” said Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Ryan, a fireteam leader with 2nd Platoon, Lima Company, 3/6.

That combat camera Marine, Lance Cpl. Justin D. Loya, attached to 3/6, showed that Marines truly are riflemen first. When one of Ryan’s Marines went down with a knee injury during the push, Loya essentially became the final piece of the team.

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CCs in Afghanistan

(From Left) Lance Cpl. Jerrick Griffin, 1st MLG (FWD) combat correspondent; Staff Sgt. Jennifer Brofer, 1st MLG (FWD) Public Affairs Chief; 2nd Lt. Jeremy McLean, 1st MLG (FWD) Public Affairs Officer;  and Lance Cpl. Khoa Pelczar, 1st MLG (FWD) combat correspondent, are currently deployed to Afghanistan. The Marines deployed in Read more…