|
Caption:
Lance Cpl. Kristen M. Orosz, a Reserve Marine and mechanic with the 1st
Force Service Support Group's 7th Engineer Support Battalion at Camp
Taqaddum, Iraq, works on the engine of a High Mobility Multi-Wheeled
Vehicle, commonly known as a "Hum-vee," Sept. 17, 2004. Scorching
temperatures take their toll on military vehicles here, increasing the
need for maintenance. But Orosz doesn't mind the work, or the heat, in
Iraq. "It feels like Michigan in the summer time, without the green,"
said the 21-year-old Vicksburg, Mich., native. Many Reserve Marines
have been activated to relieve active duty forces to fill
mission-critical job billets in Iraq, especially within the 1st FSSG,
such as truck drivers and military policemen. Orosz is among nearly
1,000 Reserve Marines serving alongside 4,000 active duty Marines and
sailors with the Camp Pendleton, Calif.,-based 1st FSSG in Iraq. Within
the past two months, thousands of Marines and Sailors have been
replaced during a rotation of forces in Iraq. About 3,000 are Reserve
Marines and sailors - many who served during the initial phase of
Operation Iraqi Freedom last year. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Goodwin)
|
