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WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- It's small, it's everywhere, and it's dangerous for U.S. marines. It's the cellphone.
Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said cellphones are too much of a distraction for soldiers and risk giving away their locations.
"What do you think the largest electromagnetic signature in the entire MEF (Marine Expeditionary Force) headquarters emanated from? The billeting area. Why? Because everybody had their phone on," Neller told a conference in Washington recently.
If a seaman at sea decides to check his or her Facebook page with a phone that has a GPS, then everyone will know the position of the ship, Neller said.
The general suggested that faced with modern conveniences, Marines need to be reminded of their duties and go back to basics. This means leaving fixed bases, being on the move and doing so as covertly as possible.
