• Definition of a Veteran
• The "Brotherhood" in action
• Buddies Found on TWS
• Marines in Combat - Iraq...Your Photos
• Featured Upgrades This Month
• Reunions & Get Togethers
• Liberty Call - Visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk
• Weapons Board - The Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife
• Cyber Corner: Website of Interest - AnyMarine.com
• TWS Invite Cards - Free for the asking
• Trade Banner Links with TWS
• Videos This Month
• SemperToon of the Month
• Changes to Marine Corps Uniform and Grooming Regulations

• S-1877; Bill to allow Veterans to Salute the Flag passes the Sentate, in House Committee...
• Marine Corps lands Coin of the Year award
• Marine Corps reaches out to Former Marines
• "Bad Ass" Poetic Video Marine has been found!
• Marine Corps Drum & Bugle Corps goes cellular!

Featured Upgrades This Month

Member Blocking
There have been complaints about unwelcome attention from some members at time and so we have added the option to block members whom you no longer wish to receive messages from. When you display a message in your Inbox you will see a new button 'Block' which activates this feature:

If you change your mind you can unblock the member from the same place - or by visiting his/her profile and clicking the link in Outbox "Unblock Member":

At any time you can see how many members you have blocked from your inbox - just click the link to be reminded who they are:

Turn off Messaging
For members being deployed overseas and others we have added a switch to disable your inbox entirely - just go to your Account Details, and there is a new preference entitled "All Inbox Messaging":

Today's Birthdays
We have introduced a Home Tab link that lists all members whose birthday is today!

Reunions & Get Togethers

Big Smoke Las Vegas
If you are the kind of person who enjoys Marine fellowship, good cigars, cold beer and gambling all while making some great memories. Go to Cigaraficionado.com and buy your big smoke tickets for Saturday, November 10th, 2007. I have been to this event 3 times in the past and every year the MARINE crowd gets bigger. It is being held at The Venetian, however most have stayed at the Embassy Suites across from the Hard Rock hotel, it is cheaper and they provide Full cook to order breakfast and two hours Manager's Cocktail hour from 1730-1930.
the Cost is 200.00 per person, but you will leave with over $400.00 in premium cigars (25-30). The price includes great food and premium cocktails and Beer. Hope to see a SEA OF RED AND GOLD at the BIG SMOKE,, Semper Fidelis, Darren
Submitted by: SSgt Darren Nielsen

Liberty Call - Visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk

Visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk

Video - The Grand Canyon Skywalk. Skywalk Video

The Glass Bridge Construction of the Skywalk began March of 2004 and was open March 28, 2007.

The Glass Bridge is suspended 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the very edge of the Grand Canyon. On May 2005, the final test was conducted and the stucture passed engineering requirements by 400 percent, enabling it to withstand the weight of 71 fully loaded Boeing 747 airplanes (more than 71 million pounds). The bridge is able to sustain winds in excess of 100 miles per hour from 8 different directions, as well as an 8.0 magnitude earthquake within 50 miles. More than one million pounds of steel went into the construction of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Official Site: GrandCanyonSkywalk.com

Weapons Board - The Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife

On December 9, 1942, after the start of World War II, KA-BAR submitted a fighting knife to the United States Marine Corps in hopes that it would become general issue to that branch of the military. Working in conjunction with the Marine Quartermaster Department a design was devised and soon production was under way on a new and improved fighting / utility knife for the Marines. As the war escalated, the demand for these knives was so great that the KA-BAR factory alone could not keep up. The government assigned several knife companies to create similar knives as supplemental pieces for those serving the War. KA-BAR's wartime production totaled more than 1 million. The KA-BAR knives became so well recognized for their quality and so abundant in number that 'Kabar' became the name by which many referred to this knife pattern, regardless of whether the knife was manufactured at the KA-BAR facility.

more history of the Ka-Bar USMC Fighting Knife
Where did the Ka-Bar get it's name?
Company History

*This is not a paid advertisement...

Cyber Corner: Website of Interest - AnyMarine.com

AnyMarine.com

AnyMarine.com

Grass Roots organization that began in 2003 has grown to a very powerful tool for supporting deployed Marines (all service members). Click the above link for more information, or click here for their press release.

TWS Invite Cards - Free for the asking

Pre-printed TWS invitation cards are available and free to any member. These are the perfect tool for you to use to help Spread The Word about TWS to any and all Marines you come into contact with, and they're a great conversation starter! It's the perfect way to get to know those Marines in your community.
Also as a reminder, you will receive 6 months of Premium access added to your profile for every 5 Marines you invite that build a profile. While we haven't fully automated the routine for you to be credited with face to face invites yet, it is still easy to do. Just write you rank and name on the cards and ask everyone you invite to visit your profile after they join and click the "Credit as inviter" button on your profile page. That way, the server will automatically keep track of all your invites.
If you'd like to receive a batch of these cards, please send an email to [email protected] and tell us how many you'd like to receive and where to send them.

"I was having a bad morning back in the winter...apparently my brake line had water in it and it froze, so I couldn't move my car (yes, this is relevant to the topic). So, by the time I dumped enough hot water on it to get it thawed out, I was about 45 minutes late in getting to the FedEx Office to pick up a part and get to the site for the down machine I was working on.
Crusing around the I-240 loop in Memphis, I was pulled over by the MPD for doing 73 in a 55 zone. I babbled some stuff to the officer about why I was speeding, blah, blah, blah... (and this time I was sincere, not like the other times I was trying to get out of a ticket). To my amazement, the officer just said, "Mr. Armstrong just slow down and be safe". Wow! Never had that happen before.
While putting my drivers license back into my wallet, I pulled out the last TWS invitation card in my wallet and handed it to him, and asked, "If you have any former Marines at your station, could you pass this around"?
His eyes lit up, and he said, "Semper Fi, Yes I will!"
I don't know if he was a former Marine. We didn't have time to chat because there were too many crazy idiots driving way too fast that he had to deal with.
So, my point is, don't break the speed laws and carry plenty of TWS invitation cards.

Semper Fi, Brothers.
Mike Armstrong (former SGT, USMC)"

Trade Banner Links with TWS

If you operate a Marine orientated website and are willing to trade links with TWS, click here for information on posting a TWS banner on your site. In return, please contact us at [email protected] with your site's URL, up to 100 words describing your website and a 468x60 website banner in jpeg format, if available. We'll be happy to post a reciprocal link in our Preferred Marine Links Section in the category of your choice. TWS Marine Links Pages are conveniently organized under different categories including Marine Associations, MCL Detachments, Marine Businesses, Marine Charities and others.

Videos This Month

Interesting little Rifle - and cheap to shoot! Appears to be a .22 cal automatic of some sort. Sourc unknown, but makes you want one! Interesting little Rifle

SemperToon of the Month

http://www.Sempertoons.com

Changes to Marine Corps Uniform and Grooming Regulations

To the Marines convinced they weren't violating a real reg even while getting chewed out for keeping their hands in their pockets or wearing a cell phone on their belt - listen up.

The Corps released 36 new regulations this month officially banning both practices, as well as many others, in its first revision to grooming standards in more than a decade. Mary Boyt, the Marine Corps Uniform Board's program manager, said the service wanted to provide clear rules instead of leaving certain unofficial standards up to interpretation. The update was needed to stem an onslaught of calls the board has received on topics ranging from female buzz cuts to what bags can be worn while in uniform.

The 36 regulations - which provide guidance on old standards and spell out new ones - went through a nearly yearlong gauntlet of review boards and surveys. Commandant Gen. James Conway signed off on the new regs July 11, making them effective from that date, although they weren't announced until Aug. 1.

Cell phones aren't the only thing Marines can no longer wear on their uniforms. The Corps added "tobacco pouches/canisters, visible barrettes [except in physical training situations], and keychains/lanyards/security badges [except as required by the command in the work environment]" to its list of banned items. That means you can't tuck your can of chewing tobacco between your goggle strap and helmet, or use the watertight pouches often attached on the front of body armor.

However, cell phones can be stored in pockets instead of worn on belts, Boyt said. "This was important because a lot of people go outside to get a signal on their phone," she said.

But walking and talking on your phone is forbidden, according to the new
regs, even if you're using an earpiece. "If it's that important, Marines
will have to stop and talk while standing still," Boyt said. Marines also officially can no longer drink or keep their hands in their pockets while walking in uniform. In the field, Boyt said the rules can change, and if a Marine doesn't have his gloves, he should use common sense and use his pockets. But doing so is not authorized in garrison. The same regulation states Marines may not use electronic devices such as iPods while walking or running in uniform unless the local commander allows
it.

Unlike Army and Air Force policies, the Corps prohibited wearing nonissued bags while in uniform. Marines may carry computer bags or gym bags in their hands but are not authorized to wear them over their shoulders or on their backs, even if they match the color of their uniform, Boyt said.

Hair and jewelry: Several of the new regs deal with what's under your cover. Hairstyles such as the teardrop, horseshoe and Mohawk were officially banned for male Marines. Many Marines already considered haircuts such as the Mohawk forbidden, but senior noncommissioned officers wanted it in writing, Boyt said. Women's hairstyles are also covered. In response to a number of female Marines shaving their heads in Iraq, the board decided to define how short a woman's hair can be, Boyt said.

During the review process, the board received feedback from male officers
who wanted women to maintain feminine hairdos to ensure "they could tell the difference between their male and female Marines," Boyt said. The new
regulation states women must have hair longer than a quarter-inch from the
scalp. Women with long hair also received guidance; hair in buns may not extend more than three inches from the scalp and can be no wider than the woman's head.

"Realistically, everyone needs to put that helmet on and go," Boyt said. The Corps nixed the trend of wearing class rings or "door knockers" alongside a wedding band. Marines may wear only one ring per hand and no rings on their thumbs. However, an engagement ring and wedding band count as one, Boyt said.

The Corps already banned male Marines from wearing earrings in uniform but has now officially forbidden wearing them in civvies. Previously, it was
just assumed the ban in uniform would carry over, but it was never officially addressed, Boyt said. The reg also specifies that female Marines
may wear only one earring per ear in both uniform and civvies. Women's fingernails are now limited to a quarter-inch past the fingertip, though French manicures are allowed. The regs also clarify what nail polish and makeup colors are acceptable.

The board broke up the regulations between the two genders, with an extra
emphasis on ensuring female standards were well-defined, Boyt said. She said she had received multiple complaints from Marines saying the old female regulations were too vague. To bolster this new initiative, the Corps added more women to the review boards.

Civilian attire: The uniform board struggled with how to define what a Marine may wear in his off hours without going back to the days of mandating khakis and a colored shirt, Boyt said. But the new regulations tried to eradicate the "gangsta" look, she added. When wearing trousers with belt loops, Marines must wear a belt, according to the new regs. Trousers are defined as any pants or shorts, including jeans, Boyt said. Any civilian clothing revealing the "midriff," "buttocks" or "excessive
amounts of chest/cleavage" was also banned.

Decorative orthodenture is also covered under the regs. Marines with "platinum grills" or any other platinum or gold dental caps used for "purposes of ornamentation" must be removed. Waivers may be issued by commanders to Marines who received permanent gold or platinum caps before
Oct. 1 of this year, according to the regulation.

Source: Michael Hoffman - Staff writer, MarineCorpsTimes.com
Tuesday Aug 14, 2007 19:02:51 EDT MarineCorpsTimes
referred by Seamus Garahay's "All Hands" email network

MARADMIN 504/07 Updates to Marine Corps Uniform and Grooming Regulations

Sincerely,
The TWS Administration Team
http://marines.togetherweserved.com