Berkeley Wants Marines Out of Town

Contra Costa Times  |  January 31, 2008

BERKELEY, Calif. - Hey-hey, ho-ho, the Marines in Berkeley have got to go.

That s the message from the Berkeley City Council, which voted 8-1 Jan. 29 to tell the Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting station "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders."

In addition, the council voted to explore enforcing its law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against the Marines, and officially encouraged the women s peace group Code Pink to impede the work of the Marines in the city by protesting in front of the station.

In a separate council item, the council voted 8-1 to give Code Pink a designated parking space in front of the recruiting station once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week from noon to 4 p.m.

Councilman Gordon Wozniak voted no on both items.

The Marines have been in Berkeley for a little more than a year, having moved from Alameda in December of 2006. For about the past four months, Code Pink has been protesting in front of the station.

Report: Military Unprepared for Major Attack

Associated Press  |  January 31, 2008

FOLLOW UP STORY ON BERKELEY MARINES

The mayor of Berkley,California has appoligized to the Marines  overn the recruting flap last month. Six republican senator s devised a planto yank 2.3 million dollars in funding for Berkley programs.

MARINES AND AIRSOFT

Marines Compete in Airsoft Tournament

Marine Corps News | LCpl. Katie Mathison | February 05, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Despite the rain and cool temperatures, approximately 25 people dressed in cammies, flight suits and even ghillie suits, carrying machine guns, assault rifles and pistols competed in an airsoft tournament at Sportsman s Lodge here Jan. 26.

A few of the participants were Camp Lejeune Marines with the Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, Wounded Warrior Regiment, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

"For the wounded warriors who can play, it s great physical therapy," said Lance Cpl. Brian Densmore, a wounded warrior and enlisted advisor with the Science and Technology Department, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

"It really motivates us to get out there and do something physical, but it also serves as an awesome stress reliever."

Airsoft is a hobby that began in Japan in the late 1970 s. The sport was created to provide an alternative for gun hobbyists, because the Japanese government outlawed gun ownership. The weapons look very similar to real firearms with the exception of their bright orange tips and 6mm plastic ball bearing ammunition. The BB s can hurt, but cause minimal skin damage.

Sgt. Jason Bingham, the battalion s police sergeant, began playing airsoft before he joined the Marine Corps.

"I began playing in high school," Bingham said.

"A friend of mine brought a gun over after school one day, and I thought it was cool. Then I looked it up online and started to get really into it."

The difference between playing now and playing in high school is the military tactics, Densmore said. There really were no tactics just guys with weapons shooting each other, and now there are rules, scenarios and actual use of tactical maneuvering.

The entire game is based on the honor system; the teams rely on an individual s integrity to identify when they have been shot. After an individual is shot, they exit the field holding their weapon above their head to let other players know they are out for the remainder of the round.

There are several games competitors play throughout the tournament and each round is a military simulation, combining airsoft play with military strategy.

"The games are fun to play because we actually get together as a group beforehand and set up the rules for each scenario," Bingham said.

Densmore said a lot of the game s appeal comes from the weapons themselves.

"They are very realistic," he said.

"Sometimes the only way you can tell the difference is the bright orange tip they are required to have for shipping."

Safety is always a priority when participating in airsoft, players are required to wear eye protection at all times during game play. Several players choose to wear other protective gear such as face masks, heavy clothing and hats to cover as much of their body as possible, so the BB s don t leave marks.

At the end of the day, the wounded warriors headed back to the barracks cold, wet and feeling pain in their injured limbs, but they felt it was well worth it, Bingham said. They were already working up  a strategy