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Story and photos by Marine Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter
 FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan -- The top commander in Afghanistan pledged continued coalition support to Afghan National Security Forces, even as the Marines in southwest Afghanistan draw their numbers down. “We will be with you for a long time,” said Gen. John R. Allen, commander of International Security Assistance Force, to a group of Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers aboard Forward Operating Base Delaram II, June 14. These remarks came during a trip to the Nimruz province base to visit with leadership from the ANA’s 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps; 1st Marine Division (Forward); and Regimental Combat Team 6. General Allen said he wanted to observe the working relationship between coalition advisors and the ANA. (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
 GARMSIR DISTRICT, Afghanistan – The responsibility of local Afghan National Security Forces has grown in Garmsir throughout the last month, as Marines with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, partner with them to control an area once held by a much larger force of Marines. Kilo Co. arrived in Garmsir and relieved 3rd Bn., 3rd Marines, during mid-May, enjoying the successes of the battalion and the International Security Assistance Forces who served before them in the area. The development of a strong local Afghan National Security Force has allowed for a smaller coalition presence. “There were some interesting challenges associated with being a company that relieved a battalion,” said 1st Lt. Carter Harris, executive officer, Kilo Co., 3rd Bn., 8th Marines. “I can’t say enough about the battalions who were here before us, and the hard work they put in to set us up for success.” (Read the STORY) |
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U.K. Defence News
 Members of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment ('The Vikings') have handed over control of Patrol Base Silab in Nad 'Ali to the Afghan security forces. By capitalising on the growing capability of the Afghan security forces and previous gains made by ISAF, Patrol Base Silab has been handed over to the Afghan National Civil Order Police. This is the first checkpoint to be handed over to Afghan security forces in Nad 'Ali and is a key stage in the transition to complete Afghan security control. The Vikings have been working in Nad 'Ali since their recent deployment to Helmand in March. The district is the large agricultural heartland of central Helmand stretching between the urban centres of Gereshk and Lashkar Gah. The early stages of transition in the district began last winter. Over the coming months further checkpoint handovers are expected as the Afghan forces take on more responsibility for security in the area. (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Sgt. James Mercure
 CAMP SHORABAK, Afghanistan — The pride of Afghanistan is in its soldiers. The pride of the Afghan soldier is in his family. To ensure the Afghan soldiers have a chance to see their families, the once Marine-led leave program instituted for the Afghan soldiers is now in their own hands. Until recently, all leave for the Afghan National Army’s 215th Corps were administratively handled by the Marines of the Embedded Training Team here. As the transition of security takes place, the administration and logistics of some much-needed time off is taken care of by the Afghans as well. “Our partners, the Marines, have taught us every day to handle these movements of our soldiers,” said Capt. Ghulam Mashtaba Jawad, the transportation executive officer, ANA 215th Corps. “They have done their best and we have learned from them. Now we are ready to take over.” (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
 KAJAKI, Afghanistan - The Marines of 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment added to their rich history when they trekked through Zamindawar, one of the few remaining insurgent strongholds in Afghanistan, May 26-June 9, to disrupt the insurgents’ leadership and logistics chain. For 15 days Marines engaged the insurgents in and around the town located within the Kajaki district, taking small arms fire, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, as the enemy attempted to repel their attack. The importance of the operation wasn’t lost on the Marines. “If this is one of their strongholds, and we came in and cleared the area the way we did, especially with no (combat related) casualties (for our platoon), that’s a success in our book,” said Staff Sgt. John Wildman, a platoon sergeant with Golf Company, 2nd Bn., 5th Marines. “I believe people will talk about (the operation). We definitely made an impact.” (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Sgt. Michele Watson
 FORWARD OPERATING BASE EDINBURGH, Afghanistan – The ability of the Intermediate Maintenance Activity to quickly fix broken trucks keeps Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5 in the fight. Getting a damaged truck to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan for repair and then back to its original unit can take weeks. To expedite this process, a detachment of maintenance and supply Marines is positioned at Forward Operating Base Edinburgh and runs one of four IMA lots in Helmand Province by receiving broken vehicles, fixing them and returning them to their operators in just a day or two. “The biggest threats out here are [improvised explosive devices],” said Sgt. Nicholas Orwig, maintenance chief, IMA Detachment, 1st Maintenance Battalion (-) (Reinforced), 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) at FOB Edinburgh. “We fix the trucks as fast as we can and put them back on the road as soon as possible.” (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Sgt. Michele Watson
 HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Marine Corps infantry units serve at a multitude of bases, posts and camps throughout Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and logistical support is needed for each and every location. Until recently, combat logistics patrols were the primary method of delivering supplies such as food, water and gear to some of those remote areas. Marines would pile into dozens of trucks loaded down with cargo and spend hours maneuvering through rough terrain with the threat of enemy contact to reach their destination. The Cargo Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System is a revolutionary capability that can help to save lives, redirect efforts and more efficiently support the war fighter. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly referred to as a drone, is a platform that could significantly impact how logistics support is provided throughout the battlespace. (Read the STORY) |
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U.K. Defence News
 British forces have been assisting Afghans in Nad 'Ali to repair local roads that are vital to local commerce, helping to build confidence in the Afghan Government and increase stability. Armed Forces personnel from the Military Stabilisation Support Team based near Andover have been working closely with village elders and local Afghans in Nad 'Ali to make repairs to culverts that had been damaged by traffic. The culverts are vital if roads are to remain useable during the winter months. The culverts have opened up links between the villages in the Bowri desert and Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. The locals from the village of Kopak tested the culverts with their fully loaded tractors and are now happy that in the future they will be able to get their crops to market whilst they are still fresh. (Read the STORY) |
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| HEROES |
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Story and photos by Army Sgt. Laura Bonano
 CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan—Service members gathered here June 11, to remember and honor fallen Marine, Cpl. Keaton G. Coffey, with 1st Law Enforcement Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward). He was killed during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 24. Denny, coffey's military working dog, sat quietly with Staff Sgt. Aaron Nuckles in the absence of his owner. Passersby occasionally gave him a scratch on the head or behind the ear to feel his fur and possibly feel a little closer to his fallen partner. The chapel quickly filled with approximately 100 people. Some had served closely with Coffey while others came to pay their respects to the dedicated Marine. Corporal Seth Sheppard, Sgt. Alfred Nieto and Cpl. Nathaniel Hoy gave personal reflections on their experiences with Coffey and just how much he affected their lives for the better. “Only once, only once in a very long while does that Marine come around,” said Nieto. “That Marine has everything to be great; eagerness to learn, passion to be the very best at everything he is taught and extremely humble. When people talk about having the mythical ‘it,' Cpl. Coffey could very well have been the definition.” (Read the STORY) |
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| VIGNETTES |
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Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Ed Galo
 FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan – Critical to the success of the Afghan mission, the Brigade Mentor Team trains and advises the soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, Afghan National Army. One sailor takes great pride in the role he plays in that mission. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Green, a corpsman with the BMT, Regimental Combat Team 6, trains ANA medics how to take care of their patients. “When we have patients come in, we really try to have (the ANA) do the work, and then if it’s necessary, we step in,” said Green, of Macclenny, Fla. “If it’s life threatening injuries, we take over. We mostly let them do what they can, and they actually got real good at (treating patients).” As with most Americans serving in a mentorship and training role in Afghanistan, Green says one of the hardest things about working with the ANA is the language barrier. (Read the STORY) |
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Story and photos by Marine Cpl. Mark Garcia
 FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan –To serve his country, Petty Officer 3rd Class Lamar Jackson decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. Growing up, Jackson saw the camaraderie his father shared with his fellow Marines. Jackson knew he wanted to be a part of that experience. “Seeing that brotherhood that they had was something I always admired,” said Jackson, a corpsman at the Battalion Aid Station for 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6. Jackson enlisted as a corpsman in the Navy because of his admiration for Marines and the desire to do something with his life. “I became a corpsman so I could work with Marines,” Jackson, from Atlanta, said. “I also wanted to start getting into the medical field. It was the one job that allowed me to do both. I just didn’t want to be in the same place my whole life. I wanted to get out and see different things and experience different things in the world.” (Read the STORY) |
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U.K. Defence News
 Territorial Army soldier Lance Corporal Aiden Cooper is currently working with the Afghan Uniform Police to help nurture an efficient police force who can maintain the security of the country themselves. Twenty-year-old Lance Corporal Aiden Cooper, from 253 Provost Company of the Royal Military Police, based in Southampton, is working with the Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) in Lashkar Gah as a police advisor, along with a group of soldiers from the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment. He said: "We operate in Lashkar Gah and get out to checkpoints, advising on police matters as well as lifesaving skills they use out on the ground. "All the policemen have different abilities and skills, so we need to establish what level they're at before we can conduct training with them. We also watch the progress that is being made in their skills as well." (Read the STORY) |
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| VIDEOS |
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Video by Marine Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
 This is my life is a video journal blog of Marines in Afghanistan, documenting their daily life. This episode follows Lance Cpl. Geoffrey West, a machinegunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. (Watch the VIDEO) |
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Video by Marine Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
 Marines with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, clear the town of Zamindawar in Kajaki, Afghanistan. The town is a known insurgent stronghold and the Marines disrupted the logistics and leadership in the area. (Watch the VIDEO) |
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Video by Marine Sgt. John Jackson
 This is part four of a series of videos about 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) noncommissioned officers and their professionalism, hard work and dedication to the mission while deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This video features the Marines and noncommissioned officers of Motor Transport Maintenance Platoon, 1st Maintenance Battalion (-) (Reinforced). (Watch the VIDEO) |
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Video by Marine Cpl. Ed Galo
 The drawdowns in Afghanistan mean a lot of changes for those who are deployed there. Cpl. Ed Galo reports one way it will be affecting personnel in Forward Operating Base Delaram II. (Watch the VIDEO) |
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| Marketed/Republished Combat Correspondent Product |
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| Atlanta sailor serves country, saves lives placed in Blackanthem Military News |
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| Afghan Military Policemen learn tactical site exploitation techniques (ACO News) Story and photos by Cpl. Ward |
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| Marine Sgt. Christopher Minor from Rialto, CA., talks to Fox Sports Game Time React |
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| Marines Complete First Unmanned Landing Support In Helmand Province (Photo) - Leatherneck magazine |
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| U.S. Marines, Afghan Troops Conduct Drug Raids In Helmand Province Marine Corps - Gazette |
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| Lance Cpl. Scott Kiever in the Dayton Daily News |
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| Cpl. John Miller on Radio Lia |
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