User talk:Mercwatch

Biography
Jonathan Cuney was born and raised in New Paltz, New York. After graduating New Paltz High School in 2001, Mr. Cuney departed for the US Marine Corps. He attended USMC Basic Training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina. After completion of Basic Cuney attended Marine Combat Training and the School of Infantry in Camp Lejune, North Carolina. By March of 2002 Cuney was a basically trained infantryman who spent the next several months in Chesapeake, Virginia at the Norfolk Naval Annex. While there he became a licensed driver of HMMWV's and obtained certification as a Marine Corps Security Forces, Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) Marine.

Marine Corps
In 2002 Jonathan Cuney's first duty station was the Special Weapons Facility Atlantic, located at Kings Bay, Georgia. While stationed in Georgia Mr. Cuney worked as a Security Specialist for convoy's and storage sites of Naval Special Weapons as well as provided dignitary protection to foreign diplomats in the nation for Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty inspections and talks. Mr. Cuney served several years in Georgia before being sent to the First Marine Division's Third Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment (3/5). Upon arrival at 3/5 Mr. Cuney underwent further training in Security and Stability Operations, Urban Warfare, Close Quarters Battle, Counter Insurgency, weapons, and tactics.

In September of 2004 he departed for Al-Fallujah, Iraq. Mr. Cuney, who taught himself to speak conversational Arabic manned checkpoints around the city and worked to gather intelligence on insurgent activity in and around the City of Fallujah. In November of 2004 Mr. Cuney participated in Operation Phantom Fury/Al-Fajr and raided the enemy occupied City of Fallujah. He was wounded in Battle on 12, December 2004 and awarded a Purple Heart. Mr. Cuney, due to his Arabic language skills became an integral part of the training and integration of the Iraqi Army in and around the City of Fallujah. His work and efforts were praised by both the US and Iraqi Military and he was awarded commendations and letters of appreciation from both forces. After returning from Iraq in May of 2005, Mr. Cuney departed the US Marine Corps with an Honorable Discharge on 19 August 2005 and stood in the Inactive Reserves until 2008. He maintains strong contacts within the US and Iraqi Military to this day.

Private Military Work
Private Military Work:

Two weeks after his departure from the US Marine Corps Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Cuney deployed immediately as a Security Contractor to secure valuables and properties in the storm ravaged city for their wealthy owners. Encountering the armed looters and gangs roaming New Orleans in the days after the storm, he successfully secured and transported $11,000,000 worth of art from a collector’s residence to a refurbishing facility in New York. Despite the tremendous loss of life and infrastructural damage in New Orleans, Mr. Cuney took no part in the rescue efforts working strictly for wealthy business owners. Mr. Cuney also worked at assessing damage and secured several well renowned properties around the city in the interest of their owners.

Mr. Cuney spent the following years living between Las Vegas, Nevada and Miami, Florida. He has been involved in the domestic security industry and has taken multiple contracts overseas on a case by case basis. He has worked in Central America, the Caribbean and Asia. After the birth of his daughter in 2007, Mr. Cuney began concentrating on education and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Military Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict from the American Military University. He has also received armory certifications, firearms instructor certifications, Peace Operations Training Institute Certificates, Red Cross certifications and recently started a security consulting company in New York.