why is this news?

And what is 'Local national' code for in the military? They used to call them camp followers.

Marines aren't soliders and a staff sergeant is NOT an officer. You jokers in the media don't bother to check things do you?

I really feel for the guy, I did this once while I was in the Army. If he is assigned to the Marine helicopter that fly's President Bush. He must be good, to bad he "screwed the pooch, with his military career." Semper Fi. Staff Sergeant.

I'm a Marine. The Marine Corps was founded in a bar. The SSgt was simply carrying on the tradition. Semper Fi!

WOW! Nothing says national news like a drunk marine. I can't till the next blog on fornicating sailors.

J'espère que ce n'est pas ton neveu!!!

(A note from the moderator: this post must be translated, please, or I will have to remove it.)

When the specialist finally showed up, did he bring along a "Mission Accomplished" banner?

So, where is the dtory about the Marine 'officer' ? Good Lord, ABC is looking more an more like FoxNews every day....sheesh

What in the world is a Marine One Sergeant? This is why the American public are so uneducated on military and the world is because they are forced to listen to Dumb reporters who make them believe that since it came from a reporter it must be true.

Shelly Boston, CPL
United States Marine Corps

Translation: I hope it isn't your nephew. Don't think it is an idiom?

(Thank you.)

Why did this make the news? Woopie doo! There are a million other things to talk about.

Paul,

The story did NOT identify the Staff Seargent as an officer (although it DID refer to him as a soldier).

Anyway, I hope he had a good time with the "local national". This Marine crew is the best of the best; well-deserved night out in the capitol, I'd think.

It means "I hope it's not your nephew" in French... whatever that's supposed to mean.

(Thank you.)

a drinking Marine... WOW, that is a shocker indeed! SEMPER FIDELIS!

I served in the glorious corps and I second Mike's observation: the Marine Corps was founded in a bar, Tunn Tavern. I would put that hung-over Marine in for a citation !

I was a Marine and sometimes when you have those crazy hours you have to let lose once in awhile, The SSGT should of known a little better because of his job is in a lime light of Marine Corps MOS's.
LIBO
Semper Fi

I was a Marine and sometimes when you have those crazy hours you have to let get out once in awhile, The SSGT should of known a little better because of his job is in a lime light of Marine Corps MOS's.
LIBO
Semper Fi

The Marine was obviously distraught with the Democratic takeover of the House and Senate and decided to drink his sorrows away. To Bad. This is definetly Nancy Pelosi's fault.

Re: Joel's French post

Babelfish came up with this translation: I hope that it is not your nephew!!!

(Thank you.)

Anyone who works that close to the President has to expect that his actions will be very closely monitored and inspected.

The line of french, "J'espère que ce n'est pas ton neveu!!!" means "I hope that it is not your nephew!!!" according to Babelfish.com

The above phrase is French... It means:

"I hope that it is not your nephew"

A person who says Marines are not soldiers ought to be shot. My dad was is a Marine and he is a soldier. they are the best fighting military we have in this USA.

sorry if i seem harsh but i am sure that any military person out there would agree with me.

I did not make this post, but it translates to:
"I hope that this is not your nephew!!!"

(Thank you.)

Literally, the French quote above means "I hope it is not your nephew" (Thank you.)

Don't know enough about the cultural aspects of the language to translate its intent. I imagine it's kind of a "your momma" type of comment. It's probably worth erasing since none of us will ever be able to translate the humor.

Those silly French...

They are very careful not to say if it were a man or woman!

Please don't refer to Marines as 'soldiers'. They are Marines, and if you write a story about one, he would be called 'the Marine', not 'the soldier'.

The french bit means..
"I hope that is not your nephew"

(Thank you.)

Marines are not soldiers, what the hell is wrong with you people at ABC???

J'espère que ce n'est pas ton neveu!!! = I hope that it is not your nephew!!!

(Thank you.)

in the old days "local national" used to mean a shapely, exotic, and beautiful young lady.

Moderator: the posting in french translates to "I hope he is not your nephew" J'espère que ce n'est pas ton neveu!!!

(Thank you.)

Let's see... Local National = Hooker

The above post, via a tranlator site....

Babel Fish Translation Help

In English:
I hope that it is not your nephew!!!

(Thank you.)

(A note to the moderator: Did you lose your Larousse? That post can be translated as, "I hope it's not your nephew.")

(Thank you very much.)

Marine in bar gets intoxicated and spends night with "local national". Is this one of those don't ask don't tell things?

The post, J'espère que ce n'est pas ton neveu!!!, says, " I hope that's not your nephew."

(Thank you.)

it said a Marine Officer raised alarm when one of his men went missing...i think it reads as the CO of the Staff Sgt was the one who raised the alarm. and the stupid media always confuses Marines with soldiers.

it's news because it has to do with a military man making a goof, and the media LOVES a goof in the military..no matter how insignificant.

I'm a Former Marine, and was drunk a lot..i never made the news.

Semper Fi

He merely says "I hope that is not your nephew." Nothing to get excited about.

(Thank you.)

I'm with waldo -- Can't they get anything correct?

The above comment is French and it says [inexplicably]:

"I hope that it is not your nephew"

(Thank you.)

Let me see..On liberty and on his own time a Marine gets drunk and a lucky.Bonus.Hungover is not grounds for Office Hours(non-judicial punishment) as every Marine knows.

Glad to see the ABC News team is on the case whenever a patriot screws up.

Can we please get back to gushing over Hugo Chavez and the Iranian Nut?

The translation is: I aspire to write english like Lindsay Lohan

This is news because the marine in question was a possible source of information regarding the President's itenary. This isn't your average "marine story".

Your Marine father would not want to be referred to as a soldier.

To the guy who posted about his father being a Marine:

I am a Marine, and I'm fairly confident that your father would not want to be referred to as a soldier. If your father is still alive I hope he slaps you silly for your ignorant post. If he has passed on that noise that you hear is the sound of him rolling over in his grave.

-Semper

Soldier
A member of a military force that trains for and fights in wars. General reference is to a member of the Army while in fact soldiering is practiced by Marines, certain sailors and some airmen.

Looks like Marines are soldiers too! Or can't they read?

Dave-
Marines are not Soldiers!! They are MARINES. My god man. If your Dad was a marine, you should have known better.

To reiterate because you evidently aren't journalists and despretely need to hire some and an editor to actually check those pesky "facts" before you publish untruths:

Again, a Marine is not a "soldier", he/she is always a MARINE. And, although we refer to Air Force or Army enlisted personnel as "a specialist", we don't call a Marine a "specialist".

Soldiers are in the Army...Marines are well...Marines. Call a Marine a Soldier and watch the reaction.

USMC = Marines
US Army = Soldiers
US Navy = Sailors

Soldier is not a generic term for all military personnel.

Marines are Marines, and soldiers are US Army...

Yes, there really is a difference and marines and soldiers know it. It has nothing to do with interservice rivalries but hallowed traditions.

It takes a leatherneck to hold on a jarhead. Soldiers can't be Marines and Marines will never be soldiers. Semper Fi

So he went out, had a few too many and had a good time. We're all human.

I am a retired "Soldier." A Marine is not a Soldier! Don't these news agencies have military consultants or something?! Shawn you forgot one. USAF = Airmen

Also, I don't understand what the issue was, if this guy was on liberty. Did he miss a curfew?

The people who wrote this article have their head up their butts.

That's just great! The President is flying around in an aircraft maintained by alcoholic partiers! Who selected this guy?

semantics semantics

I get so tired of the constant lectures from military types about proper usage of their weird insider lingo. The military is constantly whining that civilians don't understand them, but you guys don't really want to be understood by us -- or else you wouldn't rely on so much on obsolete jargon that civilians don't have the time or inclination to care about.

And as far as watching what happens if I dare to call a Marine a soldier: That would be "watching" the Marine/soldier get dragged off to jail if he touches me.

I know you guys are used to terrorizing civilians in Iraq, but that stuff doesn't fly back home. You work for us, not the other way around.

Hahahahaha . . .By the time you read this, that Marine sergeant will be a private on his way to working the kitchen at the embassy in Mali. The question then is, sarge, was the prong in the local's afterburner worth all those pills your gonna have to pop, and pans you're gonna have to scrub?

A soldier is someone who fights for his country...who the heck do Marines fight for?? the president??

I am a retired Marine; my father was an Army National Guard soldier before he joined the Marine Corps -- I would not ever dare call my dad a soldier; he is a Marine who was a soldier.
Semper Fi

Hey "Chesty Puller," If you knew anything about your namesake, you'd know no Marine has ever been known as a soldier, including Royal Marines of the British Army. Yes they belong to the Army, but they are known as Marines. Also, ALWAYS capitolize Marine, to do otherwise is disrespect to our proud heritage. Oh, and the snide remark about us possibly not being able to read, Go to hell!! Marines have the highest educational standards, even us Grunts, "0313" OORAH, are smarter than the average know it all like yourself. Oh, and he's a SSgt., never call a marine by their billet designation, Use their rank, we've earned it. Semper FI

I would like to slap that idiot saying Marines are soldiers. That is the biggest insult to give any Marine. We expect the media to be a bunch of idiots when it comes to things like this but a "son" of a Marine? IDIOT! MARINES ARE BETTER THAN ANY SOLDIER IN THE WORLD, THAT IS WHY WE CALL OURSLEVES MARINES!!!

Sorry Dave--your dad was/is a Marine--but your dad is/was not a soldier. You got the 'best fighting military' part right.

A Marine is not a soldier. A Marine is a WARRIOR. Trouble is, our society cannot understand the usage of such language without resorting to Hollywood-ized perceptions.

With that said, that Marine was representing the U.S. of A. on President Bush's Vietnam visit... and he SHOULD have used common sense. That was a career limiting move for sure.

Semper Fidelis!

USMC = MARINE
USA = Soldier
USN = Sailor
USAF = ?

It's news because this Marine is attached to Marine 1, the Presidential helicopter. Any other drunk Marine would be SOP. And Air Force crocks are Airmen (whether they fly or not)

Sounds like the Marine went out for a CEBFFN - cultural exchange of bodily fluids with a foreign national. Maybe we need more of that and less fighting in this world.

Semper Fi all you devil dogs!

Let's see how many more times somebody will translate that french b.s. Can we beat anymore dead horses?

MARINES ARE NOT SOLDIERS. SOLDIERS ARE SOLDIERS, MARINES ARE MARINES, SAILORS ARE SAILORS, AND AIRMEN ARE, WELL, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS I GUESS. :o) J.K.
S/F

if anyone called me a soldier then i would shoot them in the face

After 21 years in the USAF this is what is relevent to these posts: The USAF, Army, and Navy all help the U.S. Marines get to where they need to be to get the job done. It is also suspected members of each branch have "had a needed night out".
Was this whole "story" an attempt to imply a Marine mechanic had been taken by terrorists? If so, it didn't work. Also there are probably lots more "missing" on paydays and saturday nights! Don't be alarmed America.

Listen Hero (LCpl. Hatlem), my post was the one bashing the idiot son for calling his Marine dad a soldier. The one defining a Marine as a soldier was underneath mine. Pay attention to detail next time, Chesty know's where his namesake came from.

Many Marines seem to be unaware of the fact that the Corps itself with pride refers to Marines as soldiers. To be sure we are U.S. Marines, that is our TITLE, earned by us as the capstone of that which we are. But some where within that coveted TITLE lies the Soldier of the sea, the MARINE!!

The story is only in the news because of the fact that this Marine was from the HMX-1 program. This unit is assigned to maintain the Presidential Helicopter, better know as Marine-1 when occupied by President. To be in the unit you are under intense scrutiny, both finiacially, and your character must be impecable as well. You are also very close to the President and could ultimately cause damage or sabatoge this aircraft. So by him be unaccounted for is a big deal since he knows Top Secret info about the aircraft and possibly the flight plans of the president. So thats why this made the news, not because he was drunk, but because of his access could effect national security.

Enough already about the Marines being Marines and Army being Soldiers we get the point. I just hope this Marine wore a condom when he spent the night with whom ever he spent the night with!!

Look it goes to show that the press, is very ingnorant with the military. All they seem to do is bash all of our "Brothers in Arms" It is a very big disrespect to call a MARINE a lowly soilder. The Marine Corps take great pride in instilling its traditions and history to every Marine. We as Marines are very proud of these traditions and are very proud to earn the best title that any armed service can bestow on to you and that would be "U. S. Marines".

Semper Fi to all present and former Marines.

US Navy rules of engagement.

1-Adopt aggressive offshore posture.
2-Send In the Marines.
3-Drink coffee.

If the army and the navy ever look on heavens scenes they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines!

From a 23 year and counting NCO in the USAF; Air Force personnel are all generically considered "Airman" regardless of paygrade / rank / position. We, contrary to the comedian's posting earlier, aren't merely flight attendendants, though there are AFSC's (Air Force Specialty Codes) that list this as an AFSC (Special Airlift Missions supporting DV's like the President, etc.). And, to dispel any common myths the average American has about the Air Force, no other branch of the armed forces posess the Para Rescue (PJ's) or Combat Controller (CCT) AFSC, or what some Marines have fondly called Self Deployed Weapons. Having served, and still serving, globally at nothing but "Purple Suit" bases (i.e. all branches and alphabet soup agencies imaginable present at the same facility), consider this: whenever CNN / Fox News, etc., runs a story stating Marines / Soldiers were killed on convoy, chances are high one of those KIA is an USAF member covering their six, manning Ma Duece, or driving the APC. Not to mention our flight crews whom are ferrying the wounded out of theater, and replacements into theater; quite frequently into live fire zones. Listen up America... regardless of which branch any of us serve / served in, we are all brothers and sisters in arms. I proudly stand by the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Guardsman, and Reservists that I serve with. As our Para Rescue Motto states: That Others May Live.

Respectfully,

A Proud Air Force NCO & Professional.

I have many friends who are in the Marines and as a title they are Marines, by what they do they are soldiers. Referring to yourself only as a Marine and not a soldier is egotistical, crazy, and haughty. Marines are soldiers for their country. Elite, yes, but still soldiers. They are first-responders and will get the job done and pave the path for other soldiers of other branches. Marines are Marines for life, but still soldiers. Soldiers are ones that fight, defend, and protect. You typically would not refer to a Marine as a soldier in a general sense, but when broken down- they are still soldiers. The only ones that would disagree are those that do not respect members of other military branches and do not respect what they do. When one does not want to be called the same or affiliated with another there is an ego issue and I would not want to serve with that person. If you cannot respect them you cannot properly perform your duty in service with them.

Hey Jim J:
Would you prefer Al-Qaeda terrorizing American civilians in New York? You effete-elite have no idea what these savages have in store for you, but for the Marines (not soldiers).

Semper Fi! Do or Die!

Who do Marines fight for? The Commandant, who else?

No matter what the etiology of "soldier" and "Marine," I trust it is clear that Marines do not care to be confused with individuals serving in the Army.

Was this one dumb story? Do Marines drink?

OK, A GI picked up a LN. Local National does not mean hooker, ask any of the thousands we have working for the US govt. overseas that go by that designation. Any decent GI would hook up with a Viet girl, they are hotties.She was probably Viet intel which is ok too. I know, I live over here and I am married to one. Good for him.

Deodra,

The Marine Corps is not looking for all people. It is our belief that we are "THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE MARINES" I am glad you are not going to serve with me and my Corps. You would only bring it down. Yes we have egos, It is necessary because of the job we do. Not everyone can do this and we know that. All we want is to be known as a title that we have earned with our sweat and tears. It is not money and it is only honor, but this works for me and it keeps me going.

THE MORE YOU SWEAT IN PEACE THE LESS YOU BLEED IN WAR!!

Once a Marine, always a Marine, never to be confused with a Soldier, Airman or Sailor....
USN, Retired

Alright geniuses! All of us Marines are Marines (capital M), refered to by our rank, not billet, and have been referred to as Soldiers from the Sea in doctrinal papers signed by several Commandants. At the end of the day, we are Marines, Devil Dogs, Jarheads, and fight for the same country as Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers and Coasties (along with the colorful names associated with each respective service). I'm not mad at the semantics, I'm mad at the Iranians, the Saudis, the North Koreans, and all the other knuckleheads that give us an excuse to exist! On second thought..."Marines - First to Fight!" (from an old recruiting poster).

This is the most poorly written story I have read thus far. You can't even get the titles right. If you don't know the correct rank then just say Marine, if you don't know the nomenclature, then generalize. What diploma mill's did you guys get your journalism degrees in?

The natuonal news media is a JOKE!

Marines are not soldiers!! When will these "reporters" figure this out??

The story says "After a night out drinking with fellow Marines"... that he drove off on the back of a moped. What the reporter failed to investigate was weather it was "short time" or "long time"!
Semper Fi

Where da hell did all these JARHEADS come from, gee wiz, someone in the media calls a Marine "soldier", and there's grunts crawling outta the woodwork...Chesty Puller would be proud of y'all! Also, much love to my Army, Navy, and Airforce brothers!

"Semper Fi Marines!"

Sounds like this guy is going to need a good scrubbing and some meds after that night...

I was attached to HMX as a crew chief and never had this much fun while on a trip. I wouldn't mind going back...

The SSGT was merely carrying on a long Navy - Marine Corps tradition dating back to the days of the Fleet 'expeditions' at Da Nang.

Hoo Yah

When Bush says "The internets" and "The Google", the press think he should know better. But the press doesn't know a Marine from a soldier, and that's the military's fault?!? Every business has jargon. Reporters use words like "stringer" all of the time. If you're going to report on something with authority, you should understand what you're saying.

Jim J-

Spoken like a true coward. We do not work for you. We provide for you. We provide the freedom and protection you cower behind. You say you’re too busy to learn our jargon yet you have time to voice your opinion where it’s not welcome. Well I thank you. I thank you for using your precious time to exercise your freedom of speech that we provide. You wouldn’t last a day in our world. It’s as simple as this; Civilians cannot and will not understand us because they are not one of us. The Corps – we love it, live it and shall die for it. If you have never been in it, you shall never understand it.

I made a couple of police blotters in the Corps but never made national news. "Soldier"? , Call me leatherneck, jarhead, teufel hunden, Devil Dog, grunt, Marine, so many to choose from but please don't call me Soldier! YATYAS!

Semper Fi!

JamesH