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Jeff is now home in Morrison, Colorado.
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Sgt. Jeff Pedersen
USMC Shown here in Corporal stripes, Jeff Earned Promotion To Sergeant February 3, 2003 on his way to the Persian Gulf.

Jeff Arrives in Pearl Harbor

Jeff arrived in Oahu - Pearl Harbor on July 2. Kathy and I went to visit him and had a great trip. This was a great reunion after what we had all been through with the Iraq war. We had planned on meeting the ship when it came in, but because the Tarawa had engine problems, they had to get to Pearl Harbor for repairs and arrived ahead of time by one day so we missed their homecoming. We got to spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with Jeff doing many things. Jeff got us on board the USS Tarawa and gave us the tour of his ship. Even the pictures I took can't show the immense size of the ship. Even with the size of the ship, the bunks for the Marines are small and they each have a storage area the size of one good size dresser drawer for all of their belongings. The Tarawa has moved on to San Diego, but Jeff remains at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. One of the most fun things we did was to go to the Hawaiian Luau presented by Paradise Cove. Very good food and entertainment on a private beach. Jeff is doing great and will be back in Colorado in August for good. We are looking forward to his homecoming to Morrison and getting back into the civilian routine after a well deserved rest and relaxation. See pictures of our Hawaii trip on the "Travel" page.

Jeff by his bunk aboard the Tarawa. We took a tour of the Dole Pineapple Plantation on the west side of the island.


The Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay on the North Shore of Oahu as seen from the top of the island at Pali Lookout. The base is on the most distant peninsula in this picture and spreads out to the left. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, they first passed over this base from the north. Jeff says several of the older buildings on base still have bullet holes and bomb damage visible.

 

15th MEU (SOC) returns from six-month deployment

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- More than 2100 Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) returned July 12 from a six-month deployment to the Gulf Region and participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Hundreds of family members were on hand to greet the returning warriors as they arrived via landing craft and helicopters to Camp Del Mar and other areas around Camp Pendleton.

Key Volunteer Network volunteers set up food and other refreshments for everyone as they greeted their loved ones at each of the base locations.

The 15th MEU (SOC) is returning from a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf Region where they participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and were one of the first units across the Iraqi border taking control of the port facilities of Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr. They spent more than 80 days on land performing numerous direct action raids, humanitarian, and security and stabilization operations. The Marines and Sailors of the 15th MEU (SOC) departed San Diego Jan 6, 2003 as part of a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Sea.

The Marines and Sailors are currently enjoying some well-deserved leave and getting settled back into their work spaces aboard the base.


Summary of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's involvement in Operation Iraqi Freedom

January 6: USS Tarawa departs San Diego for the Persian Gulf. The 15th MEU is an Amphibious Ready Group made up of the Navy ships; USS Tarawa, Rushmore, and Duluth. 2200 Marines. Traveling 17 knots (19 mph) across the Pacific.
January 15: Helicopters fly Jeff and his team from Kaneohe Bay Marine Base, Hawaii to USS Tarawa
February 14: 15th MEU deploys in Kuwait - prepares for war in Camp Bullrush near the Iraqi border.
Wednesday, March 19: 15th MEU takes up position for invasion into Iraq in fierce sandstorm. Mohammed Saeed al_Sahhaf (Baghdad Bob) warns Washington they are lying to their troops about the number of casualties to expect: "To say that invading Iraq will be like a picnic is a stupid idea... they are sending them to definite death."
March 20 (Iraqi time): War begins, Coalition aircraft attack Iraqi targets. CIA calls in airstrike on Saddam in Baghdad. The 15th and the British Marines attack Umm Qasr and Al Faw Peninsula.
March 22: Port city of Umm Qasr under control of 15th and Brits.
March 23: Pockets of resistance still being encountered in Umm Qasr.
March 26: 15th moves on to Az-Zubayr, south of Basra.
March 30: 15th moves into An Nasiriyah. Works on securing the city and protecting convoys moving toward Baghdad. Also start providing humanitarian assistance to Iraqis. The 15th MEU is involved with PFC Jessica Lynch's rescue by providing distraction fire while special forces make the successful rescue.
April 29: 15th returns to Tarawa. Takes a week to "wash down" all equipment before loading onto ship.
May 8: 15th boards the Tarawa with all equipment loaded.
July 3: The Tarawa has returned to San Diego. Jeff got off the Tarawa in Pearl Harbor on July 3 and will stay at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay until he returns home in August.
September 2003: Jeff gets discharged and returns home to Morrison, Colorado.


Sunday, April 27

Team X-Men
L to R: Xavier, Beast, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Forge (kneeling), Havoc, Abe, Quicksilver, Ivy

This is a picture of the guys I have been working with over the past few weeks here in An Nasiriyah. The names (not real, of course - Jeff is "Havoc") are those assigned when the people join the team.


June 24:
Things are going pretty good here. We just got done with a port call in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. I had a blast. The first night, me and my friends went out to just see the area. The people there are very nice to Americans. They go out of their way to help you out, and everyone says hello at the very least, even just someone you pass on the street. On Saturday, we went to a place called a Billabong (you might have heard of clothes with the same name). Billabong means "watering hole." While I was there, I got to feed and pet kangaroos, hold a koala, hold a python, feed some turtles and eels, hold a wombat, and we got to see them feed the crocs. It was awesome. Yesterday, I went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. That was also awesome. I saw lots of fish in amongst the coral. I saw a cuttlefish that was as big as 2 basketballs side by side. His eyes were fluorescent yellow and his body kept changing color. I also saw blue starfish, and a lot of other parrot fish and other stuff. I took 2 rolls worth of film in underwater cameras and used it all. The water was so clear there that you could see the details of the bottom even though it was almost 40 feet deep there. Last night, we ate out at a local restaurant. There were no other Americans there. At the restaurant, I ate baby octopus. I don't think I will do that again, as it is like chewing on a raquetball......

June 4
Hi Dad,

Things are going well here. We just got done with a port call in the Seychelles, which is a group of islands about 300 miles north of Madagascar, south east of Kenya. It was nice. The island we were on was called Mahe, and has the world's smallest capitol, Victoria. I went swimming at the beach yesterday. The water was very warm. You probably won't believe this, but while I was swimming, something kept brushing up against my leg. I thought it was a fish or some sea weed or something, so I grabbed it. It turned out to be a $100 bill. That made my day. We are well out of the Persian Gulf now. We have a couple of stops before we get back to Hawaii. It won't be too long before I am back, though. Probably about 2 months until I am back for good. I am looking forward to seeing you again. I will write again soon.

Love,
Jeff

After being stationed at Kaneohe Bay Marine Base, Oahu, Hawaii for the last several years, the USS Tarawa


Jeff has trained in "fast roping" and extraction maneuvers suspended with a rope from helicopters. He gets a thrill out of this.

picked Jeff up on its route from San Diego to the Persian Gulf on January 13. Jeff is in his 5th year with the Marines. He is in Intelligence as an Arab linguist and has interrogation skills. He has participated in many specialized training exercises such as SERE school (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape), and TRAP (Tactical Rescue of Air Personnel).

On his second deployment to the Persian Gulf, he is attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 15th was instrumental in securing the southern areas of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were involved in battles in Umm Qasr, Zubayr, and An Nasiriyah. The 15th played a part in the rescue of Pvt. Jessica Lynch by providing big-time distraction fire near the hospital to allow special forces to slip in and rescue Jessica. Jeff was involved in interrogating prisoners and working with the public using his Arabic speaking skills. He patrolled the streets of Nasiriyah in a Humvee with Marine Corps. snipers on a daily basis. He is now back on board the USS Tarawa after completing their role in the war. They have been replaced in Nasiriyah by Army personnel more suited for the rebuilding effort underway.


 

 

The USS Tarawa

 

2/1 Weapons Co. trains for TRAP


Cpl. Jeff Pedersen leads his Marines to the crash site to care for role-playing victims during TRAP training.
The Scout - September 19, 2002 - Camp Pendleton
SGT. Leo A. Salinas

To successfully place a mortar round on target, those calling the shots and those firing the weapons must be in sync.
A good example is a mission not typically associated with mortarmen – a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel.
The mortar platoon makes up part of a 360-degree security formation before the TRAP team can search for a downed aircraft and pilot.
Currently, the Mortar Platoon of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division, is tasked with supporting TRAP missions for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“The MEU commander is responsible to have the assets in hand to recover all personnel that may find themselves behind enemy lines,” said Staff Sgt. Stephen R. Marshall, chief TRAP instructor with Special Operation Training Group.
SOTG’s role is to set up training for MEUs on TRAP and a host of other missions the MEU might face on its upcoming six-month deployment.
An example of a TRAP mission is when Marines rescued Air Force Capt. Scott O’Grady after his F-16 was shot down in Bosnia-Herzegovina several years ago.
“The Air Force has its own Combat Search and Rescue team, but the MEU is responsible for rescuing their own forces,” Marshall said.
“As a Marine Corps, we like to be self-sufficient,” he added.
The platoon conducting TRAP missions is tasked not only with recovering the pilot but also evaluating and treating the pilot.
Everybody in the TRAP force has to be able to treat the wounds,” Marshall said.
SOTG requires Marines to take three Navy corpsman during the training phase, but a real-world TRAP mission will dictate how many personnel are dispatched, Marshall said.
“The corpsman’s job is to assist the casualty or cargo and assign members to treat the casualty,” Marshall said.
To assist in locating the pilot, the TRAP force carries a Hand-held Integrated Directional Receiver and Homing System.
“It is a scanner that has a specialized antenna that picks up radio waves from the pilot and gives a visual display of the pilot’s location,” said Cpl. Jeff J. Pedersen, HIDRAH system operator, 1st Radio Battalion, Marine Forces Pacific.
“A green light lights up when the radio waves of the pilot are coming in. I can then lead the squad in and give the updates on where the pilot is,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen currently is the only Marine on Camp Pendleton authorized to use the HIDRAH system. If the pilot loses all radio communication – Pedersen is armed, so he can assist with mission security.
“The HIDRAH mounts to the M-16A2 (rifle),” said Pedersen. “If the pilot totally loses radio communication, I become just another trigger puller.”
Mortar Platoon typically doesn’t patrol like an infantry unit, but their TRAP training has provided invaluable experience and a deeper repertoire, according to the Marines of Weapons Company.
“I think it gives the junior guys more confidence in training,” said Cpl. Topy L. Hageman, squad leader with Mortar Platoon, Weapons CO., 2/1.

”As long as we have time to do it, it allows the Marines to see different training,” Hageman added.


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This page last modified on:
21-Feb-2009

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