Marine deployed
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Santiago C. Fierro, son of Wendy E. Fierro of Morgan Hill and Cruz J. Fierro of Los Banos is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom while assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Elements of Fierro’s unit recently joined coalition forces in the vicinity of Mosul, Iraq, to promote stability in the region and eliminate any pockets of Iraqi resistance.
Fierro is one of more than 4, 000 Pacific Fleet Sailors and Marines who deployed aboard the ships of the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group.
Fierro’s unit is an expeditionary intervention force with the ability to rapidly organize for combat operations in virtually any environment. MEUs are composed of more than 2, 000 personnel and are divided into an infantry battalion, aircraft squadron, support group and command element. With this combination, Fierro’s unit supplies and sustains itself for either quick mission accomplishment or clearing the way for follow-on forces.
Fierro is a 2000 graduate of Gilroy High School of Gilroy, Calif. and joined the Marine Corps in May 2001.
For more information on the deployment and high resolution photographs, please visit the 26th MEU website at http://www.26meu.usmc.mil
Airman flies in war
Navy Airman Gabriel R. Piper, son of Jeffrey M. Piper of Morgan Hill, participated in the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Arabian Gulf while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, homeported in Everett, Wash.
Piper is one of more than 8, 000 Pacific Fleet Sailors and Marines aboard the ships of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battlegroup. His ship is returning home after being at sea longer than any U.S. Carrier Battlegroup now on duty.
Aircraft carriers, like USS Abraham Lincoln, are deployed around the world to maintain U.S. presence and provide rapid response in times of crisis. They serve as a highly visible deterrent to would-be aggressors, and are equipped with the most versatile and powerful weapons and aircraft available.
Piper is a 2000 graduate of Serber Lake High School of Lynnwood, Wash. and joined the Navy in March 2001. For more information about the deployment or for high resolution photographs, visit the USS Abraham Lincoln website at https://www. cvn72.navy. mil/ or contact the battle group public affairs office via e-mail at jbarne1@lincoln. navy.mil
Sailor in the war
Morgan Hill’s Salvador C. Munoz and his fellow Sailors on board the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64) are taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On March 19 President Bush revealed his plan to rid Iraq of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), and to free the Iraqi people. Constellation has played and will continue to play a major role in accomplishing the president’s plan.
Munoz, a first class petty officer, is the 20-year-old son of Tommy Munoz of Morgan Hill, and is an aviation structural mechanic aboard “America’s Flagship”.
“I am responsible for maintaining the egress and environmental control systems aboard the squadron’s aircraft,” said Munoz, a 1999 graduate of Live Oak High School.
Munoz and the crew of Constellation left their homeport of San Diego on November 2, 2002 for a regularly scheduled deployment. During the first week of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Constellation and four other aircraft carriers in the Middle East flew more than 5,500 sorties over the skies of Iraq. Their mission was to strike emerging targets and to provide close air support to coalition forces on the ground in and around Southern Iraqi cities. Munoz feels that Constellation’s impact on the situation in Iraq has been enormous.
“It is important to show our presence so that any possible aggressors know that we have the capabilities to react to any crisis situation quickly and powerfully,” said Munoz, an eleven-year Navy veteran.
With the pressures of war on Munoz’s mind, there are still many rewarding aspects of being assigned to Constellation. “It is rewarding to know that we are doing our job to ensure the freedoms of all the people back home,” Munoz said.
Munoz and the crew of the Constellation are deeply involved in the task of liberating Iraq. They have worked very hard preparing for this moment and are ready.
