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Marine Recruiter Pleads ‘No Contest’ After Being Held at Gunpoint by Homeowner

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A Marine Corps recruiter who entered a Michigan home in the middle of the night and stabbed an 11-year-old girl was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison — and got on his knees in court as he begged for forgiveness.

Ricardo Perez Castillo, 25, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, and second-degree assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in the June 15, 2024 attack, according to the Kent County Prosecutor’s office.

“This case is disturbing on so many levels,” Judge Christina Mims said at last week’s sentencing, WOOD Grand Rapids reported. “What you engaged in was — just what comes to mind is a real-life horror movie or a horror show where you’re stabbing this child. It’s just by the grace of God that she wasn’t killed.” . . .

Castillo — a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter — made his way into a home in the 8000 block of Ella Terrace Court in Rockford through a side door in the early morning hours of June 15 before grabbing a knife from the kitchen and then taking off his pants and underwear. . .

Castillo allegedly walked into the bedroom where the homeowners daughter and her 11-year-old friend were sleeping, and stabbed the 11-year-old girl multiple times before he was stopped by the homeowner, who held him at gunpoint until police arrived. (Read more from “Marine Recruiter Pleads ‘No Contest’ After Being Held at Gunpoint by Homeowner” HERE)

Marine Corps ‘On Track’ To Hit 2025 Recruiting Targets, Official Says

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Signaling another prospective win for the new Trump administration, the U.S. Marine Corps is on pace to hit its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goals, The Federalist has learned.

Speaking with The Federalist, Marine Corps Recruiting Command spokesman Jim Edwards revealed that the branch is “on track” to meet its total force accession mission for this year, which is set at 32,835 recruits. That figure is “based on current manpower projections,” according to Edwards.

“Our Marine Recruiters work diligently in every community across the Nation to attract and inspire high quality individuals to enlist, and Marine Corps Recruiting Command is on track to meet its assigned mission,” Edwards said.

The Marine Corps is the only branch of the military to consistently meet its recruiting goals in recent years. The Navy, Air Force, Army, and Coast Guard have struggled to bring in new recruits, a problem which military specialists have, in part, attributed to the Biden administration’s advancement of racist DEI ideology and disastrous foreign policy agenda.

Many of the branches managed to meet their FY2024 recruiting goals, but only after dropping previously abided-by standards and adopting other sweeping policy changes. (Read more from “Marine Corps ‘On Track’ To Hit 2025 Recruiting Targets, Official Says” HERE)

Marine General’s Classified Dissent Memo Warned of Consequences to China-Focused Overhaul

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A Marine Corps general compiled a secret assessment in 2022 warning a seismic shift the then-commandant spearheaded to better prepare the Corps for a role in a Pacific fight could undercut the service’s mission, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The April 2022 assessment, which appears to have gone unheeded, warned that former Commandant Gen. David Berger’s controversial Force Design 2030, meant to restructure the Marine Corps for an island-hopping mission to throttle the Chinese Navy, represented the “fraying of the fabric” of the Marine Corps, according to the WSJ, citing people familiar with the document. Its author, now retired former commanding general of the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Lt. Gen. George Smith, said Force Design 2030 would hamstring the Marine Corps’ ability to meet challenges across the globe as tensions in the Middle East flare up once more. . .

Retired generals, including former commandants Joe Dunford and Antony Zinni, convened a seven-hour meeting with Berger in March 2022 outlining their concerns, the WSJ reported. Berger did not speak much during the meeting, and the following day, when former commandant Charles Krulak emailed a follow-up, Berger responded that he would not divert from the planned restructuring, Krulak told the outlet.

Many retired generals allege that the war games and planning sessions behind FD2030 occurred with an unusual lack of transparency. Retired Lt. Col. Scott Moore, who served as senior analyst for the Wargaming Center at Quantico, told the WSJ the wargames were built on some unchallenged assumptions, primarily that the Marine units would be able to station themselves on remote islands in the Pacific with an adequate logistics trail before the area was contested by Chinese forces. (Read more from “Marine General’s Classified Dissent Memo Warned of Consequences to China-Focused Overhaul” HERE)

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Marine Corps Recruiter Under Investigation for Memoir Allegedly Detailing Sex With Recruit

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The Marine Corps is investigating a recruiter over a possibly inappropriate relationship with a potential recruit as detailed in his self-published “memoir,” Military.com reported Wednesday.

Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne, 36, published the story which he reportedly referred to in the book as a “scandalous romantic relationship” with a “young woman” interested in joining the military. He reportedly mentioned the woman had to obtain parental consent to be recruited, suggesting she might have been a minor at the time, according to Military.com.

“This is not the kind of guy you want recruiting your children,” Rob Kersch, Champagne’s former father-in-law, told the outlet.

“The kind of conduct that we’re discussing is absolutely not representative of … the Marine Corps at large,” Capt. Bryanna Kessler stated, noting that Champagne is no longer in the recruiting position pending the inquiry’s results, the report says.

(Read more from “Marine Corps Recruiter Under Investigation for Memoir Allegedly Detailing Sex With Recruit” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

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Marine Corps Opens First New Base In Decades

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The U.S. Marine Corps opened its first new base in 70 years Thursday on Guam, an island equidistant between Japan and Taiwan to allow American troops to act if China makes a move on Taiwan, according to media reports.

The 4,000 acre base, formally known as Camp Blaz, will house approximately 5,000 Marines and comes as the U.S. is seeking to reorganize troop presence in the Pacific to bolster deterrence against China, according to CNN. It will eventually serve as a training hub for Marines aiming to guard allies, critical sea lanes and Pacific islands in the event of a Chinese invasion, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Forward, persistent presence is key to the regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said, according to a Corps press release.

“Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz is a critical part of that. More than that, it shows our undivided relationship with the government of Japan,” he added.

The U.S. and Japan agreed on Jan. 11 to restructure the Marine Corps force stationed in Okinawa, giving them more firepower and the ability to quickly respond as China readies for a potential offensive against Taiwan. A new strategy will arm the roughly 18,000 Marines deployed to Okinawa with missiles that can reach the Chinese mainland and increase their maneuverability if they are called upon to defend Taiwan. (Read more from “Marine Corps Opens First New Base In Decades” HERE)

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The Marine Corps Goes Woke

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In a world where everything that was once normal is now woke, it’s no surprise that the Marine Corps has also turned the tide.

A newly released academic report from the University of Pittsburgh recommended that the U.S. Marine Corps drop the words “sir” and “ma’am” used to address senior officers to avoid “misgendering” drill instructors despite there only being 14,000 females in the Marine Corps, which makes up of only 7 percent of the branch.

Instead of using the words “sir” and “ma’am,” recruits in the military services refer to their drill instructors using their ranks or roles followed by their last names.

The 738-page report highlights a $2 million study that was conducted to examine gender-integrated recruit training, which claimed that the change would make both genders feel more comfortable when being addressed by peers. (Read more from “Ukraine War Could Drag On for Years, Former Ambassador Says” HERE)

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Marine Deprived of Promotion for Refusing Vaccine Mandate, Wife Says

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A Marine Corps major’s promotion has been indefinitely suspended over his religious objection to the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the officer’s wife.

Maj. Nick Harwood was selected for a promotion to lieutenant colonel in December 2021, a recognition of his outstanding record of military service. It was due to take effect this year, but Harwood’s promotion has been delayed indefinitely and will possibly be rescinded, his wife Meghan Harwood said.

“On Nov, 21, my husband received a non-promote letter,” Meghan told The Epoch Times.

“A non-promote letter should have been presented at the time of infraction—when he enacted his Religious Freedom of Restoration Act rights and abstained from receiving a vaccine that violated his religious beliefs,” she said.

Meghan considers command is at fault for the fact that it was presented at the last minute. (Read more from “Marine Deprived of Promotion for Refusing Vaccine Mandate, Wife Says” HERE)

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SEE IT: While Saluting LGBTQ Service Members at the Beginning of Pride Month, U.S. Marine Corps Posts Graphic Featuring a Bullet Rainbow

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The U.S. Marine Corps issued a tweet on Wednesday saluting LGBT service members — the post included a graphic featuring bullets with brightly-colored tips, in an apparent nod to the LGBT rainbow symbol.

Many businesses and government entities publicly celebrate the LGBT movement each June during so-called “Pride Month.”

“Throughout June, the USMC takes #Pride in recognizing and honoring the contributions of our LGBTQ service members. We remain committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect. #PrideMonth #USMC,” the Marine Corps tweeted.

In response to the post, MRCTV managing editor Brittany Hughes tweeted, “Armed and fabulous. Should come in handy in the next war.” (Read more from “See It: While Saluting LGBTQ Service Members at the Beginning of Pride Month, U.S. Marine Corps Posts Graphic Featuring a Bullet Rainbow” HERE)

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Vaccinated Marine Corps Commandant Tests Positive for Coronavirus

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The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, has tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesperson said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

“The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, has tested positive for COVID-19. the performance of his duties will remain unaffected,” Marine Maj. Eric Flanagan said in the statement.

Berger’s status was announced shortly after a spokesman for Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that Milley had tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.

Berger and Milley are the second top Pentagon leaders to come down with coronavirus over the past several weeks.

The nation’s top defense leader, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, tested positive earlier this month, forcing him to quarantine. (Read more from “Vaccinated Marine Corps Commandant Tests Positive for Coronavirus” HERE)

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Military Judge BLASTS Marine Corps’ Handling of Officer Who Criticized Afghanistan Withdrawal

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A military judge on Friday blasted the Marine Corps’ handling of the case of an officer who criticized the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan via videos posted to social media.

Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller a day earlier had pleaded guilty to six charges stemming from videos he posted to Facebook and LinkedIn in which he demanded accountability from those in leadership over the messy evacuation.

But instead of taking the prosecution’s punishment request — where Scheller would have had to forfeit $5,000 of pay a month for six months and receive a letter of reprimand — Marine Corps judge Col. Glen Hines Hines only directed he forfeit $5,000 pay for one month, Military Times reported.

In explaining his decision, Hines said in Scheller’s videos showed a “confused” and “significantly frustrated” man instead of a potentially violent service member the military portrayed Scheller as in charge sheets, according to the outlet. . .

But the judge also called out the Marines for placing Scheller in the brig prior to the trial, a move that raised the “specter of unlawful command influence,” and created intense media scrutiny that doesn’t happen for “99 percent” of other courts-martial, Military Times reported. (Read more from “Military Judge BLASTS Marine Corps’ Handling of Officer Who Criticized Afghanistan Withdrawal” HERE)

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