Also:
(from
www.bodyandsoul.typepad.com comments)
First off, I am not a PhotoShop expert, so if the pic is faked, I cannot tell.
That said, I am a U. S. Marine. Have been so since 1994. Plus, I have recently returned from duty in Iraq since the start of the war. So, I believe I can say a few things about the photo, uniform related at least.
1. As for the rank - True that it is standard for it to be all in capital letters, that has not stopped members of the Marines to just capitalize the first letter. It may be wrong, but it happens.
2. Digital Camo - Yes, the camo in the pic is the old style and is being replaced by "Digitals", recognized by small squares to form the camo patterns. These new camo uniforms have not been uniformly distributed throughout the Marine Corps yet. Many Marines, myself included went to Iraq in these old "cammies" due to limited numbers of "digitals". I have pictures if anyone is interested.
3. The vest being worn is the same style of vest that many Marines were issued. These, or the older version of the flak jacket. The vest pictured was issued as part of a new modular system that allows a variety in the setup according to the wearers' mission: rifleman, machine-gunner, etc. Yes, I already know the question. "Green camo in the desert?" We asked the same question.
4. No unit patch, no rank, no name -
Marines do not wear unit patches. That's an Army and Air Force practice. The exception being a Marine Corps emblem worn centered on the left breast pocket and centered on the "cover" or cap.
Rank is not supposed to be worn in a combat zone. At least that is what I was taught in boot camp. The reason being that indications of a higher rank, i.e. salutes, rank insignia, gives snipers a target. But, that does not stop some from wearing it in Iraq. It is at the discretion of the Unit Command.
Name tags, or "tapes" as they are called, are worn sewn directly above the right breast pocket; so, it would be covered up by the vest.
Name tapes, Marine emblems, and the "U. S. Marines" tags that are mandatory on standard utilities were not widely available for the present conflict. Thus, in some photos of Marines with the older cammies, some items may be missing.
That being said, I can say that the Marine in the picture could be an actual Marine, though the missing Marine emblem on the cover gives pause. The setting in the background is the same setup I was in. Big conex box, any usuable material scrounged up to make the living conditions "liveble".
If the sign is real, though many pics are available with different wording and all look just as real as this one, the Marine in question would not be very bright. The Marine Corps values its personal view as being the President's own. Any actions by any member to tar that image is dealt with quickly. Punishment can include court-martial, office hours, a variety of discharges, forfeiture of pay, allowances, and rank.
If the sign has been faked, and I hope it has, this Marines has been the victim of a cruel misdeed. No Marines wants the reputation of the Corps or his fellows tarnished in any such manner. We like to think we set higher standards for ourselves.
Thank you for your time.
SGT. Robinson, C. W.
This posting is here:
http://bodyandsoul.typepad.com/...erican.html#comments "Support Our Troops", indeed.....
