MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- As war rages in the Middle East, a war of the same caliber is being fought on the streets of America, in all its major cities and towns, both big and small.
This war claims the lives of many innocent people, destroys families and effects millions of people a day, regardless of their background or location.
This is the war on drugs.
Some believe America is losing the battle. But, despite the size of the effort, strides forward are readily evident.
One meteorological oceanographic observer with Marine Corps Air Facility, aboard MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, linked up with Coast Guard Cutter Rush, Jan. 2 through March 14, to help patrol the Pacific waters around Mexico, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and to assist the cutter in controlling the flow of drugs from Latin America into the United States.
Lance Cpl. Ruth Corrigeux was selected to integrate with the Coast Guard when insufficient numbers of female personnel were available in the Coast Guard's meteorological field to fill critical positions.
With ability to speak fluent Spanish, Corrigeux became a valuable asset to the mission about to take place.
"Working with the Coast Guard was a gratifying experience," said Corrigeux. "I was able to assist with the mission in many different ways because Spanish is my first language and because I am good at my job as a meteorologist."
Corrigeux's daily routine involved gathering data for weather reports in the morning and afternoon. Every evening she briefed the captain of the cutter and made navigation through the rugged waves of the sea possible.
These were not Corrigeux's only responsibilities. Although Spanish linguists were present on the ship, they were not able to communicate as well as Corrigeux could with her native tongue. Therefore, she also translated medical problems into Spanish when crews sought care at Spanish-speaking hospitals and translated messages when foreign nationals were questioned for information that might lead to a drug lord's whereabouts.
Corrigeux discovered that the Coast Guard and corpsmen really appreciated having her onboard.
During one mission off the coast of Nicaragua, the Coast Guard raided a ship with several Colombian drug smugglers who were under surveillance and suspected of transporting mass quantities of cocaine.
Corrigeux proved to be an extremely valuable asset to the mission because she translated the dialectical Spanish being intercepted over the radio, which led to the raid.
Although the suspects set the boat ablaze right before the Coast Guard moved in to make an arrest, the Coast Guard still confiscated a massive amount of cocaine.
Once the suspects were in custody of the Coast Guard and aboard the cutter, Corrigeux translated for the detainees.
"I am grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of such an important mission," she said. "I learned a lot about the Coast Guard mission, and to appreciate a lot of things I take for granted on a daily basis."
Corrigeux's performance impressed many of the officers onboard the ship. Coast Guard Capt. Patrick H Stadt, captain of the Coast Guard Cutter Rush, awarded her a letter of appreciation for her dedication to the missions.
"I never imagined that my ability to speak Spanish would be so important while I was in the Marine Corps," said Corrigeux. "It proves that the Marine Corps is a great place to be, regardless of your background and whether or not you are a minority.
"The Marine Corps is a powerful organization because of the diversity within it."