Photos

Marine Sgt. David M. Liske, a metal worker with Combat Service Support Company 122, stands in platoon formation in full combat gear during a combat readiness exercise at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 23, 2004. The drill keeps the Marines alert and ready for action in the event of an impending attack at their portion of the base. ?It?s a reminder we?re still in a war,? said Liske. CSSC-122?s welders ? six Marines in all ? worked around the clock to weld armor on more than 115 military vehicles used for convoys and patrols during the height of Fallujah combat operations. Using both pre-fabricated kits of armor and scrap metal from inoperable vehicles, these Marines have welded extra armor onto doors, back panels, gun mounts, and undersides of everything from trucks to bulldozers to help protect Marines operating inside the ?City of Mosques.? Liske is a 34-year-old native of Camanche, Iowa.