Twentynine Palms Marines Prepare for First Trip to Afghanistan
Marines from Twentynine Palms are getting ready for a unique experience. They'll be the first full battalion to enter Afghanistan since 2001.
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Jan 17, 2008 01:26 AM CST
By Nathan Baca
News Channel 3
They leave in April and they're already getting prepared.
But Marines in the 2nd battalion were all pretty nonchalant about their deployment. They're used to this sort of thing, with most of them already serving two or three tours of duty in Iraq.
Most Marines have trained for the Iraqi desert and many have seen several tours of duty there.
So Afghanistan's mountainous terrain will pose a whole new set of challenges.
"Just getting to know the people and the surroundings is gonna be our biggest challenge," says Marine Sgt. Anthony Hinkle.
While the Marines don't know the exact details, we're told it's a training and development mission for Afghan security, similar to other missions they've served in Iraq.
Over 3,200 Marines in total are heading to Afghanistan from Twentynine Palms and another batallion from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Between the two companies, Marines say they have the experience it takes to finish the job.