Stories

A member of the memorial cross detail places Cpl. Jeffrey Standfest’s dog tags around the pistol grip of a M16 A2 service rifle during a memorial service held to honor Standfest June 22. Deployed to Afghanistan with Company A, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, Standfest was killed by an improvised explosive device while attempting to clear a building of suspected IEDs. - A member of the memorial cross detail places Cpl. Jeffrey Standfest’s dog tags around the pistol grip of a M16 A2 service rifle during a memorial service held to honor Standfest June 22. Deployed to Afghanistan with Company A, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, Standfest was killed by an improvised explosive device while attempting to clear a building of suspected IEDs.

Cpl. Matt Garst is unbreakable. The squad leader from Company L, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, stood on his own free will immediately after triggering an anti-personnel, improvised explosive device directly beneath his feet, which sent him tumbling six feet up and 15 feet through the air before landing on his limp head and shoulders during a patrol to the east of his company’s newly established observation post in Southern Shorsurak, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation New Dawn, June 23, 2010. Thanks to luck, Garst’s tenacity, and mistakes by the enemy, the IED comprised of three liters of homemade explosive only partially detonated and Garst absorbed the blast unharmed, hold for feeling “like hell” the next day. Garst, from Charlotte, N.C., led his Marines the four miles back to their post after the blast. Following a day of recovery, he began patrolling efforts again. “I’m an aggressive person,” Garst said. “It pissed me off. All I want to do is make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’m just happy it wasn’t any of my guys. I’m not happy to get blown up by any means. I would have loved for it to have never happened. But, if it’s going to be anyone I’d rather it be me, and if it’s going to be a bomb, I’d rather it be that bomb, because it didn’t do s---.” Operation New Dawn is a joint operation between Marine Corps units and the Afghanistan National Army to disrupt enemy forces, which have been using the sparsely populated region between Marjah and Nawa as a safe haven. - Cpl. Matt Garst is unbreakable. The squad leader from Company L, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, stood on his own free will immediately after triggering an anti-personnel, improvised explosive device directly beneath his feet, which sent him tumbling six feet up and 15 feet through the air before landing on his limp head and shoulders during a patrol to the east of his company’s newly established observation post in Southern Shorsurak, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of Operation New Dawn, June 23, 2010. Thanks to luck, Garst’s tenacity, and mistakes by the enemy, the IED comprised of three liters of homemade explosive only partially detonated and Garst absorbed the blast unharmed, hold for feeling “like hell” the next day. Garst, from Charlotte, N.C., led his Marines the four miles back to their post after the blast. Following a day of recovery, he began patrolling efforts again. “I’m an aggressive person,” Garst said. “It pissed me off. All I want to do is make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’m just happy it wasn’t any of my guys. I’m not happy to get blown up by any means. I would have loved for it to have never happened. But, if it’s going to be anyone I’d rather it be me, and if it’s going to be a bomb, I’d rather it be that bomb, because it didn’t do s---.” Operation New Dawn is a joint operation between Marine Corps units and the Afghanistan National Army to disrupt enemy forces, which have been using the sparsely populated region between Marjah and Nawa as a safe haven.

1st Lt. Marcos Ruvalcava, 33, rifle platoon commander for 1st Platoon, Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, talks to village elder on the western side of the Helmand River in Garmsir District, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, June 14, where the Marines want to start making their presence known. - 1st Lt. Marcos Ruvalcava, 33, rifle platoon commander for 1st Platoon, Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, talks to village elder on the western side of the Helmand River in Garmsir District, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, June 14, where the Marines want to start making their presence known.

1st Lt. Christopher Cook, convoy commander, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Zachary K. Tokumoto, assistant convoy commander, H&S Company, 3/3, talk during a break in the Lima Company convoy from Combat Outpost Toor Ghar to Southern Shorshork, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of 3/3’s mission in Operation New Dawn June 16. Operation New Dawn is a joint operation between Marine Corps units and the Afghanistan National Army to disrupt enemy forces which have been using the sparsely populated region between Marjah and Nawa as a safe haven. - 1st Lt. Christopher Cook, convoy commander, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Zachary K. Tokumoto, assistant convoy commander, H&S Company, 3/3, talk during a break in the Lima Company convoy from Combat Outpost Toor Ghar to Southern Shorshork, Helmand province, Afghanistan, as part of 3/3’s mission in Operation New Dawn June 16. Operation New Dawn is a joint operation between Marine Corps units and the Afghanistan National Army to disrupt enemy forces which have been using the sparsely populated region between Marjah and Nawa as a safe haven.

Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and soldiers from the Afghan National Army take cover and provide security following an improvised explosive device blast in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 18, 2010. During the patrol, the troops cleared a southeastern sector within India Company’s area of operation, looking for weapons caches, IED factories and insurgents. This particular sector is notorious for its Taliban presence. - Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and soldiers from the Afghan National Army take cover and provide security following an improvised explosive device blast in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 18, 2010. During the patrol, the troops cleared a southeastern sector within India Company’s area of operation, looking for weapons caches, IED factories and insurgents. This particular sector is notorious for its Taliban presence.

Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, fired their weapons at Patrol Base Koshtay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 16, to make sure they were still correctly zeroed. Zeroing their weapons not only helps keep the Marines combat effect but keeps them mentally focused during their deployment. - Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, fired their weapons at Patrol Base Koshtay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 16, to make sure they were still correctly zeroed. Zeroing their weapons not only helps keep the Marines combat effect but keeps them mentally focused during their deployment.

Hamid Hekmat, Arzu Studio Hope Afghan director, displays a hand-knit Afghan rug based off the pattern design underneath, to Maj. Nina D'Amato, civil affairs education officer, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), in the Bamyan Arzu office, June 10, in Bamyan, Afghanistan. Afghan women hand-knit the rugs from their homes, under the funding and oversight of Arzu Studio Hope. Arzu is a non-profit organization, helping Afghan women weavers and their families break the cycle of poverty, by providing steady income and access to education and healthcare, by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave. - Hamid Hekmat, Arzu Studio Hope Afghan director, displays a hand-knit Afghan rug based off the pattern design underneath, to Maj. Nina D'Amato, civil affairs education officer, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD), in the Bamyan Arzu office, June 10, in Bamyan, Afghanistan. Afghan women hand-knit the rugs from their homes, under the funding and oversight of Arzu Studio Hope. Arzu is a non-profit organization, helping Afghan women weavers and their families break the cycle of poverty, by providing steady income and access to education and healthcare, by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave.

Haji Zahir, the regional district governor of Marjah speaks with a city elder at a shura held at the government center in Marjah Afghanistan, June 6. The elder shura marked the third since Afghan and coalition forces arrived in the city and marked a key step to holding routine meetings. - Haji Zahir, the regional district governor of Marjah speaks with a city elder at a shura held at the government center in Marjah Afghanistan, June 6. The elder shura marked the third since Afghan and coalition forces arrived in the city and marked a key step to holding routine meetings.

Haji Abdul Manaf, Nawa District governor, addresses the crowd at a lunch event honoring the work of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and welcoming their replacement, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, at Patrol Base Jaker June 3. At the event, Manaf called all the people of Nawa Marines in a nod to the close relationship that has developed between Nawa’s citizens and the Marines in the area. - Haji Abdul Manaf, Nawa District governor, addresses the crowd at a lunch event honoring the work of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and welcoming their replacement, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, at Patrol Base Jaker June 3. At the event, Manaf called all the people of Nawa Marines in a nod to the close relationship that has developed between Nawa’s citizens and the Marines in the area.