Active Duty

SSgt. Luis Agostini of Haverstraw, a combat correspondent for the Marines, recently was deployed to Afghanistan and is writing about his experiences for The Journal News and LoHud.com.

by SSgt Luis Agostini, LoHud.com
I thought I’d be heading back to my home camp without really getting outside of the wire and into the Afghanistan that I pictured, that I had been preparing for so long. I wouldn’t be in danger, for that day at least, but I wanted to get out again.

In the meantime, the Marine I am supervising, combat correspondent Cpl. Zachary Nola, was getting ready to cover a memorial for a Marine who was killed a few days earlier.

The Marine was from the San Antonio area, where my wife is stationed. The thought of me getting hurt out here never really crossed her mind until then. She said it kind of shook her a little.

The Marines with India Company, 3/4, had told me to come back after a few days, since they had some work to do on their vehicles.

I returned to their command operations center Sunday evening, Nov. 1, and the platoon sergeant, SSgt. Paul Cooke, said they had a mission lined up the following morning in which, because of the route’s propensity to get hit by roadside bombs and indirect fire (mortar/rocket attacks), they were going to engage the Taliban.

And he wanted me there to cover it. I was more than happy to do it.

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Combat correspondents currently deployed with RCT-7 in Afghanistan: LCpl. Walter Marino, SSgt. Luis Agostini and LCpl. Dwight Henderson. Let’s remember all of our CCs, where ever they are, this Thanksgiving.

From the Headquarters Marine Corps Ball held Nov. 14, 2009 are Fallujah ’06 veterans and their wives: Colonel Bryan and Tracey Salas, Major Shawn and Monique Turner, and LtCol Riccoh and Shelly Player. Col Salas is currently serving as the director of Public Affairs, Maj Turner serves on the Asia-Pacific Read more…

Demetrio J. Espinosa, Sr., father of GySgt. Demetrio J. “Joe” Espinosa, Jr. , died in Austin, Texas on Oct. 24. A two-tour Vietnam Marine, the senior Espinosa was active in church and civic affairs, including leadership posts in the Lions Club and Knights of Columbus.  He attended the 2008 USMCCCA Read more…