NEWS

Blocks of Marjah secure, Marine battalion shifts focus to counternarcotics

Story and photos by Marine 1st Lt. Chris Harper 

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – What began as a window of opportunity, a simple chance to change the status quo in the Central Helmand River Valley, turned into an ongoing counternarcotics operation that has prevented the annual summer fighting season from getting off the ground. Operation Psarlay Taba, a partnered counternarcotics operation conducted by 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, and the Afghan National Interdiction Unit, targeted opium production facilities and narcotics trafficking in the Bari Desert, northwest of Marjah district. When Lt. Col. Michael Styskal, commanding officer of 2nd Bn. 9th Marines, arrived in Marjah in December 2011, the situation had changed dramatically since is last deployment there a year before. (Read the STORY)

Charlie Company keeps Marines in operations supplied

Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Ed Galo

SANGIN, Afghanistan – Nearly every hour, the sound of explosions echoed through the desert and green valleys of Sangin, Afghanistan. The explosions came from improvised explosive devices as Marines with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, moved supplies through the area. The supplies were needed to sustain the unit during combat operations, June 22 through 27. Charlie Co.’s Mobile Assault Platoon was the team tasked with the resupply mission. During the first day, they found or struck more than a dozen IEDs. Captain Rhett Hansen, company commander, Charlie Co., said the enemy placed the IEDs in anticipation of the fight. (Read the STORY)

Combat Engineers aid mobility in Afghanistan

Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Anthony Ward Jr

 

NAHR-E SARAJ, Afghanistan — Marines with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), performed route clearance, June 19-29, in support of Operation Jaws in Nahr-e Saraj, Afghanistan. During the operation, the Marine combat engineers, paired with Army engineers and Air Force explosive ordnance disposal teams, travelled through the district exploiting and removing improvised explosive devices to facilitate Marines and Afghan soldiers safer travel in the district. “We had two engineer elements, one on the west side of the river and one on the east side,” said Capt. Christopher Y. Kim, mobility assault company commander for 1st CEB. The main mission was to provide troop mobility and gap crossing capabilities to aid infantry maneuvering and delivery of supplies and, added Kim. (Read the STORY)

Combat Logistics Battalion 4 supports SOTF-W

Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Cpl. Mark Stroud 
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Marines and sailors with Alpha Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), transported equipment and supplies to a village stability platform during a combat logistics patrol in the Helmand River Valley, June 22-24. The VSP was operated by Marines with Marine Special Operations Command, working with Special Operations Task Force – West. “The platforms are run by special forces and MARSOC operators from both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, Afghan Commandos, and support personnel and help to provide stability to the local area,” said 1st Lt. Benjamin Gutek, platoon commander, 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, CLB-4, 1st MLG (Fwd). (Read the STORY)

Explosive ordnance disposal teams provide critical support to infantry company

Story and photos by Marine Sgt. John Jackson

 

SANGIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan – The Sangin District of Helmand province, Afghanistan is infamous for being an insurgent stronghold. Throughout the past several years, coalition forces have engaged and eliminated multiple enemy fighters. Currently, Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, is responsible for maintaining security in the area. The primary threat in the congested district located near the Helmand River has been and continues to be the improvised explosive device. Supporting the infantry company against the explosive threats are two, two-man Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams. (Read the STORY)

Marine engineers build outpost for special operations forces

Story and photos by Marine 1st Lt. Tyler Morrison

 

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Marines and sailors from Charlie Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) fortified an Afghan compound during a two-week operation in order to create a suitable village stability platform for members of Special Operations Task Force-West. The mission required a full range of general engineering operations and mobility support. Due to the complexity of their task, Charlie Company was reinforced by other members of 8th ESB including a motor transportation element, a security element and a heavy equipment element so they could focus strictly on their engineering role. (Read the STORY)
VIGNETTES

Combat Camera Marine documents war, progress in Kajaki, Afghanistan

Story and photos by Marine Sgt. James Mercure

 

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KISHTIWAN – He carries a copy of the U.S. Constitution on every combat operation he’s documented and returns with history in his camera. Sgt. Albert “Combat” Carls, combat camera team chief, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, is on his third combat deployment, his second to Afghanistan. He documents the actions of 1st Bn., 8th Marines and the Afghan National Security Forces they partner with. To date, Carls and his team have submitted more than 580 photos and 282 minutes of video on 72 different missions. He has also started a new way to improve morale here and at home. (Read the STORY)

From the front lines to a support role, San Diego Marine experiences full spectrum of war efforts

Story and photos by Marine Sgt. Michele Watson

 

Cpl. Delfino Martinez, joint forces observer, Fire Support Team, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), stepped onto the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in May 2007. “My grandfather served in World War II in the Navy, and I look up to him a lot,” said Martinez, 25, a San Diego native. “I wanted to serve my country, and during a time of war, I chose an infantry [military occupational specialty] because I wanted to fight.” As a machine gunner in the infantry field, Martinez first deployed to Afghanistan with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, in early 2008. (Read the STORY)

California native builds security in Reg-e-Khan Neshin

Story and photos by Marine Sgt. James Mercure
 
PATROL BASE GHERDAI, Afghanistan – In southern Afghanistan recently, Operation Stronghold was put into action to help create permanently sustainable bases for the Afghan Border Police. To keep the operation moving in full force, a squad of 19 Marines and their corpsman look to their squad leader, 24-year-old Sgt. Bryan Ross, Bravo Company, Light Armored Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, to help orchestrate the building of two patrol bases and four traffic control points during the operation. “We’re building these patrol bases for the ABP, so they can have a dedicated location to keep Reg-e-Khan Neshin secure,” said Ross, a Fairfield, Calif., native. “The longer we’re out here the faster the Marines’ battle rhythm becomes. They work well as a team, even out here fighting sandstorms and heat to get their job done.” (Read the STORY)

Michigan native keeps combat engineers moving in Afghanistan

Story and photos by Marine Sgt. James Mercure

 

PATROL BASE GHERDAI, Afghanistan — At the southern tip of Afghanistan against the constant threat of insurgents, dust storms and triple-digit heat, the Marines of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion build forward operating bases for the Afghan Border Police. To support the battalion’s austere mission, Cpl. Christopher K. Wood, the sole heavy equipment mechanic at the newly built patrol base maintains and repairs the six heavy equipment vehicles that enable the combat engineers to do their job here. (Read the STORY)

Marine has the blues in Afghanistan

Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Ed Galo

 

FORWARD OPERATING BASE NOLAY, Afghanistan – One recent morning, while waiting in line for breakfast at the field mess hall at Forward Operating Base Nolay, Marines could hear the sound of blues music coming from a harmonica. “They’re out of eggs right now, so I’m going to wait out here for them to finish the next batch,” said Cpl. Nathan Karasch, taking a break from his music. (Read the STORY)
VIDEOS  

Lejeune Regiment Takes Over Southern Helmand

Video by Marine Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter and Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez

 

With Afghans taking on more of the security lead in southern Afghanistan there is less need for coalition forces. As Marine Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter reports, the area that was once the responsibility of two Marine regiments, is now the responsibility of just one. (Watch the VIDEO)
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    I Marine Expeditionary Force