9/2/2010 By 1st Lt. Caleb Eames , 31st MEU
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan (September 2, 2010) — Twelve Marines from the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company recently joined the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in preparation for the upcoming deployment to the Asia-Pacific region.
POSTED: 9:50 pm CDT September 1, 2010
NEW ORLEANS -- A local family is remembering a Marine from Kenner who was killed in fighting in Afghanistan.
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs
Story by Capt. Paul Duncan
Date08.29.2010
GHAZI, Pakistan – The sailors and Marines of HMM-165 reinforced (Reinforced), 15th MEU, and HM-15 Detachment 2, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 press on as they acknowledge a major achievement during humanitarian relief efforts in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. Deanne Hurla
Date08.27.2010
Date Posted:08.28.2010 12:04
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) proved its versatility and flexibility as they stepped up to support the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit on its way to Pakistan – without compromising its already-intense combat operations support.
Continue reading "3rd MAW (Fwd) Hosts MEU Helos Preparing for Pakistan" »
Aerial refueling units apparently suffered no casualties during tour
By TOM PFINGSTEN - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian
Posted: Friday, August 27, 2010 9:25 pm
The 260 Marines and sailors who returned to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station on Friday were greeted by a cheering, smiling crowd of wives, children and parents, a joyful end to a seven-month tour in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province.
Continue reading " Homecoming Marines and sailors touch down in Miramar" »
8/26/10 | Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. Mark Fayloga
KHANAGAWR, Afghanistan — Marines and sailors from Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, partnered with the Afghan National Army to complete Operation Big Wave, a two-part operation in Khanagawr and Southern Lashkar Gah taking place from Aug. 15-20.
Continue reading "Afghan Army, Marines Disrupt Enemy Supply Routes" »
III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Abigail WhartonSmall RSS Icon
Date08.27.2010
Date Posted:08.26.2010 01:09
Location:47, JP
The 10-day course is broken into three major building blocks designed to increase situational awareness, said Gunnery Sgt. Richard Gonzalez, staff non-comissioned officer in charge, Mobilization Training Battalion, School of Infantry West, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Continue reading "Combat hunter course teaches proactive basics" »
III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Justin WheelerSmall RSS Icon
Date08.27.2010
Date Posted:08.25.2010 23:39
CAMP FOSTER, Japan - Approximately 400 Marines and sailors from Combat Logistics Regiment 3 and Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, as well as augments from across the 3rd MLG, departed for South Korea this week for an exercise as part of the Korean Incremental Training Program.
8/23/2010
By Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei,
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. —
Four Marines were added to the Purple Heart’s list of heroes injured during battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Four Marines awarded Purple Heart for their sacrifice" »
Marines offer Afghans what the Taliban cannot, but security is top priority
By Gretel C. Kovach, UNION-TRIBUNE
Originally published August 21, 2010 at 6:23 p.m
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Dust billows from the roads of this military base at all hours, during sun-baked desert days and hot windy nights.
Continue reading " Remote camp is Marines' key toehold in Afghanistan" »
III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Aaron Hostutler
Date 08.20.2010
The corpsman? His only thought is saving his patient's life.
Continue reading "Marines, sailors conduct rescue training to stay mission ready" »
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
08.15.2010
Location:AF
Cpl. Randy Rivera’s story reads like a movie script. It is a tale of poverty, sacrifice, drugs, violence and danger. From the crime-infested streets of Bronx, N.Y., to the archaic Puerto Rican countryside, Rivera has seen and lived what most couldn’t imagine.
Continue reading "Rags to Riches: How a Bronx youth transformed into a U.S. Marine" »
II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Tyler VernazaSmall RSS IconAlerts Icon
08.12.2010
What began as a conversation topic after physical training one morning between the Marines of 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, has become a 235-mile run around the perimeter of Okinawa, starting and ending at Peace Prayer Park at the southern end of the island.
Continue reading "3rd Intel Battalion runs for injured Marines" »
Story by Lance Cpl. Sean Dennison
August 12, 2010
Six Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 Marines left Aug. 4, 2010, for the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan.
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — A Marine Air Ground Task Force has many moving parts, one of which is an unmanned aerial vehicle team. These Marines are the aerial eyes of the unit, and are known the world over as meticulous, thorough and above all else – professional.
A Marine Air Ground Task Force has many moving parts, one of which is an unmanned aerial vehicle team. These Marines are the aerial eyes of the unit, and are known the world over as meticulous, thorough and above all else – professional.
Clayton Jarolimek’s injuries are serious, but not ‘life-threatening,’ mother says
A U.S. Marine from Minto, N.D., was injured Monday by an improvised explosive device, or IED, while on a foot patrol in Afghanistan.
A U.S. Marine from Minto, N.D., was injured Monday by an improvised explosive device, or IED, while on a foot patrol in Afghanistan.
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – An estimated 1,000 military personnel gathered in a hangar here Aug. 2 to remember two 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) helicopter pilots who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Continue reading "Marines Remember Fallen Cobra Pilots in Afghanistan" »
CAMP DELARAM II, Afghanistan – After the initial call reported one man with lacerations to his leg, a laceration turned out to be an amputation and one patient grew to nine.
Continue reading "Team Effort Saves Lives of Local Afghans After IED Blast" »
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. • The reading of Sophocles' classic drama "Ajax" was polished and powerful.
Continue reading "'Ajax' strikes chord with Marine veterans" »
NAWA, Afghanistan — During a brief meeting at the Nawa District Center Police Station, Afghanistan, Marine representatives thanked and offered condolence payments July 17, to family members of three Afghanistan National Police officers killed in the past two weeks.
Continue reading "Family Members of Killed Afghan Police Thanked for Sacrifices" »
AYNAK SCHOOL, Afghanistan — As squads of Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers marched their way past the line of small Afghan stores, shopkeeper Mohammad Wali wondered what was happening.
Continue reading "Marines, Corpsmen Provide Medical Support So Afghans Can Help Afghans" »
By Tony Lombardo - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jul 31, 2010 12:55:44 EDT
A 9-month-old Afghan cat is living it up stateside after a Marine downrange partnered with an animal rescue group to ship it home.
Continue reading "Deployed Marine finds U.S. home for Afghan cat" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 17:18:55 EDT
Time is running out for current and former troops involuntarily held on active duty beyond their service commitments to apply for retroactive $500 monthly payments.
Continue reading "Oct. 21 is deadline to apply for stop-loss pay" »
KIN BLUE TRAINING AREA, OKINAWA, Japan (Jan. 28, 2010) — As the logistical element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Combat Logistics Battalion 31 must be ready to support the Asia-Pacific Maritime Contingency Force with many complex requirements including food service, security, medical assistance and transportation, all while deployed in austere environments.
Continue reading "CLBEX helps prepare logistic Marines and sailors for upcoming deployment" »
Posted : Thursday Jul 22, 2010 12:37:49 EDT
Two 23-year-old Marines died this week in Helmand province, Afghanistan, the Defense Department announced Thursday.
POULSBO — A Marine who grew up in Kitsap County and whose family still lives in the area died in Afghanistan on Sunday.
Continue reading "Marine With Kitsap Ties Dies While Serving in Afghanistan" »
SOUTHERN SHORSURAK, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Cpl. Matt Garst continues to do his job here, thanks to an enemy-emplaced roadside bomb that malfunctioned.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Big Marine Unfazed by Enemy Bomb Blast" »
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan - A thin screen of dust settles over a Marine as he stands like a statue in the road. A quick flick of the wrist directs an approaching vehicle into a mobile vehicle check point where five more Marines wait. The next thirty seconds are critical; will the driver and passengers follow the Marines' orders? Is there a switch wired into the dash that could trigger an improvised explosive device? Will the passengers be cooperative or will they resist?
Continue reading "MWHS-3 Marines Train to Be the Best So They Can Respond to the Worst" »
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 11, 2010 15:31:50 EDT
YUMA, Ariz. — The aircraft hangars at the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma are going high tech.
Gilbert, a corpsman with 7th Communications Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, was recognized here June 24 for his heroic actions while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom last year.
KABUL, Afghanistan - ISAF forces concluded a small-scale, rapid-response aerial delivery test last week, validating a new way to get mission-critical supplies to Afghan and ISAF forces on the ground.
Continue reading "Marines Proud of Dropping Critical Supplies" »
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan – Two F/A-18 Hornets screamed onto the runway here, June 30, marking yet another “first,” in this historic deployment for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward): a safe landing thanks to newly-installed arresting gear to catch the fast-movers.
Continue reading "Hornet Pilots Get “arrested” in Afghanistan" »
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – Marine Corps aviation assets in Afghanistan bring a huge advantage for Afghan national security forces and NATO troops who are constantly ambushed by an enemy that rarely sticks around to fight. So, while the insurgents hide behind their surprise tactics, Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 are bringing a little surprise of their own.
Continue reading "Hueys Take to Skies Supporting ANSF, NATO Troops" »
SOUTHERN SHORSURAK, HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — It became the catchphrase of the day — “I might as well be God d---ed Sherlock Holmes.”
Continue reading "Operation New Dawn patrols lead to cache finds" »
SOUTHERN SHORSURAK, Afghanistan — The relationship between the Marines and Afghanistan National Army, and the Afghans in Southern Shorsurak, Afghanistan, reached a new level when more than a dozen men met with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and ANA leadership for a shura to discuss concerns, as well as determine what type of civil affairs projects the area would benefit most from as part of Operation New Dawn, June 26.
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII — Editor’s note: this is the second installment of a two-part series on heroism.
Cpl. Marc Anthony Madding, formerly a mortarman with Weapons platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device June 3 for “heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy as an Embedded Advisor, Embedded Training Team 5-4, 201st Corps, Afghanistan National Army, on 23 December 2008, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.”
Continue reading "Hawaii Marine awarded Bronze Star Medal with Combat V" »
Men died in separate incidents during June
Military officials Thursday announced the deaths of four Marines based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms who were killed this month while serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Four Twentynine Palms Marines killed this month in Afghanistan" »
CAMP DELARAM II, HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — With our nation at war, young men and women have constantly answered the call to bear arms and protect the nation’s way of life. With every war come casualties. On June 16, Cpl. Jeffrey Standfest was counted among many of America’s fallen warriors.
Continue reading " Engineer falls victim to IED, leaves heritage of honorable service" »
Flags To Be Lowered Friday For Cpl. Jeffrey R. Standfest
LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered U.S. flags be lowered statewide to honor a 23-year-old Marine from St. Clair County who was killed in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Governor Orders Flags Lowered for US Marine" »
SOUTHERN SHORSURAK, HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — Cpl. Matt Garst should be dead.
SOUTHERN SHORSHORK, Afghanistan - Marines from Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, in partnership with the Afghanistan National Army, successfully completed their first task of establishing an observation post in support of Operation New Dawn in Southern Shorshork, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 17.
Continue reading "America's Battalion, Afghan Army Complete First Task in Operation New Dawn" »
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Helmand province, Afghanistan — The phrase, "every Marine a rifleman" is so overused it's gone from motto to cliché, but if Cpl. Eric Ramirez has his way, a new battle cry will emerge — every Marine an infantryman.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – This ain't no Sunday joy ride – it's a trip through what is arguably the most dangerous province in the world on what barely constitutes a road under constant threat of ambush and improvised explosive devices.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Almost three years ago Lance Cpl. Jack Needham locked his sister in the garage with his recruiter –today they are both in Afghanistan supporting 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).
Editor's note: The transcript of an exclusive Signal interview with Pfc. Suter's father, Chris Unthank, conducted after press time Monday night, follows the story below.
Those attending Memorial Day events at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall on Monday had arrived ready to reflect on memories of fallen heroes, but few expected so recent a memory as that of young United States Marine Corps Pfc. Jake William Suter, killed in Afghanistan on Saturday morning, Afghanistan time.
Continue reading "Family, friends, community mourn local Marine killed in Afghanistan" »
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- No driver's license, no driver's education courses, no time behind the wheel of a vehicle ever … no problem for one Marine mentor responsible for teaching Afghan National Army soldiers how to drive.
Their age, repeated deployments present unique challenges
Nineteen-year-old Lance Cpl. Tyler Underwood is like a lot of Marines.
NAWA, Helmand Province, Afghanistan – All Marines endure some risk of serious injury or even death while deployed to combat, but for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Gray, a few inches and a punctured rifle is all that separated him from a very bad day on the battlefield.
Continue reading "In the Face of Death: Marine Survives Firefight by 6 Inches" »
NAWA, Helmand Province, Afghanistan – Since their deployment to Afghanistan began in November, the Marines of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, have conducted counterinsurgency operations from dozens of positions throughout Nawa District.
Continue reading "What's in a Name? Marines of 1/3 in Nawa Honor Fallen Brothers" »
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Marines and sailors gathered with their families on the piers here Wednesday to bid farewell to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 (Reinforced), as they set sail on a Western Pacific tour with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).
Continue reading "'White Knights prepare for Western Pacific deployment" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Marines in Afghanistan face the all too grim reality that their fellow devil dogs could go down at any given moment, falling victim to an improvised explosive device, ambush or sniper attack. If a corpsman is not nearby to render aid, someone will have to jump to the rescue.
Continue reading "3rd MAW Marines in Afghanistan Train to Save Lives" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. — The Marine Attack Squadron 214 Black Sheep honored one of their plane captains by painting his name onto the squadron commander’s AV-8B Harrier, which was unveiled at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., May 13, 2010.
Continue reading "Yuma Marine honored with name on VMA-214 Harrier" »
NAW ABAD, Afghanistan — Marines and medical officers from Brigade Headquarters Group and 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD) and an Afghan national army medic from Camp Shorabak, Afghanistan, set up a village medical outreach, May 15, outside the village of Naw-Abad, to provide medical care to the people of that area.
Continue reading " Village medical outreach provides care to Afghans" »
PATROL BASE BUJI, Helmand province, Afghanistan- Marines with 3rd Route Clearance Platoon, Alpha Company, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, have a unique and dangerous mission within the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Marines, Afghan National Army Clear Roadways of IEDs" »
Battalion back in the fight with 7-month tour in Afghanistan
KĀNE'OHE BAY — Marine Corps Gunner James Law was a tender-talking dad one minute and tough-as-nails Marine the next.
Continue reading "1,000 Hawaii Marines depart for Afghanistan deployment" »
3rd Marine Regiment Most Deployed, Suffered Most Casualties
KANEOHE, Hawaii -- Members of the 3rd battalion, 3rd marine regiment from the Marine Corp Base Hawaii at Kaneohe left Afghanistan Friday for a 7 month deployment.
Continue reading "300 Kaneohe Marines Head Back To Afghanistan" »
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – Ever had to track a dozen things at once? How about a hundred? A thousand? Imagine being responsible for buying, receiving, organizing and issuing more than 16,000 different parts required to keep an entire Marine aircraft wing operational in a harsh combat zone.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, "Scarface," arrived in Afghanistan seven months ago with one of the Marine Corps' newest aviation platforms, the UH-1Y Huey.
Continue reading "Combat Tested: UH-1Y Huey Proves Its Effectiveness" »
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan — Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, "Scarface," transferred responsibilities as 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward)'s light attack aviation unit to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, the "Gunfighters," during a transfer of authority ceremony, May 10.
Continue reading "HMLA-369 Assumes Responsibilities From HMLA-367" »
Families waited anxiously in the darkness for their Phantoms to arrive. When they finally did, loved ones cried, and children jumped and hollered with happiness – their Marines and sailors were back home safely from a seven-month deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Carpe Diem - the motto that 1st Lt. Michael Johnson lived by every single one of his 25 years.
Continue reading "Family of local marine killed in Afghanistan carries on his legacy" »
Marines with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, conducted pre-deployment training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 27 – April 4.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 373's explosive ordnance disposal team traveled from Miramar, Calif., to train with MWSS-371 and station EOD teams at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, to prepare for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Local Marines gain insight from Afghanistan war vets" »
On track to be strength coach in NFL, Tate instead chose Marines
"Earned. Never given."
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. - Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 (Reinforced), the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar joined forces commemorating the 35th anniversary of Operation Frequent Wind and the unveiling of "Lady Ace 09," the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter that evacuated Ambassador Graham Martin from the South Vietnamese Embassy in 1975.
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - Unconscious, suffering from hypothermia and tangled in his seatbelt upside down in a ditch flooded with water, survival seemed like a far shot for one Marine from Marine Wing Support Squadron 274.
Continue reading "MWSS-274 Marines Survives Near Fatal Accident, Deploys With His Unit" »
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan – A group of Marines helped safely land dozens of aircraft here today – they're neither pilots nor crew chiefs.
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – "You guys ready to go fast?"
Continue reading "Ospreys Flying High, Fast Supporting War in Afghanistan" »
A 2-million-square-foot airfield in southern Afghanistan has been named in honor of a Marine from the Iron Range who was killed in action in October while fighting the war on global terrorism in that country.
A 2-million-square-foot airfield in southern Afghanistan has been named in honor of a Marine from the Iron Range who was killed in action in October while fighting the war on global terrorism in that country.
Continue reading "Afghan airfield named for Iron Range Marine" »
With shifts toward community service and greater Marine participation, the station’s Single Marine Program recently reported a more than 500 percent increase in participation over the past eight months.
Continue reading "Single Marine Program use in Yuma up 500%" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Afghanistan — When Marines kick in doors and begin to put rounds down range, some insurgents flee — a Huey pilot helped create a way to stop them before they slip through the cracks.
Continue reading "No Place to Run: HMLA-367 Marine Helps Locate, Close-with, Destroy Enemy" »
MIDDLETOWN – Nearly 1,500 pounds of supplies and snacks donated by locals are on their way to Afghanistan to USMC 1st Lt Nicholas Abbate.
Children ran throughout Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1's headquarters Tuesday while parents, spouses and friends stood with their Marines and Sailors, spending as much time as possible with their loved ones before the service members loaded the buses and departed for Afghanistan.
NAWA, Afghanistan – Transforming a battalion of Afghan soldiers into an effective and independent combat unit is no easy task, and the three-man team from 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, knows the recent arrival of an embedded partnering team here means a bright future for Afghan soldiers in Nawa.
Continue reading "Marines in Nawa Pass Torch to Embedded Partnering Team to Train ANA Soldiers" »
Kāne'ohe Marine recalls deadly battle of Wanat
In a now-famous battle in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, Marine Staff Sgt. Luis Repreza had a dwindling supply of rifle ammunition and one grenade — which he intended to use on himself if his position was overrun by enemy fighters.
Continue reading "Hawaii Marine recounts Wanat: 'I wasn't going to be taken alive'" »
If knowledge is power, than gathering information about enemy forces is crucial. Observing the movement or posture of the enemy greatly aids in battle planning.
Continue reading "Eyes in Sky Give Advance Notice to Ground Troops" »
A new facility for military working dogs had its official opening April 5 on Camp Hansen.
Continue reading "New Kennel on Okinawa Expands Working Dogs' Capabilities" »
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A live anti-tank explosive that was displayed in a home for 40 years and has sat in an Okinawa woman’s backyard for the past five months will be destroyed soon by a U.S. Marine Corps disposal team.
Continue reading "Marines to dispose of bomb kept inside home for 40 years" »
Teams of female Marines are stepping off their bases in Afghanistan and entering villages to build relationships with an often overlooked sector of the Afghan population: women.
Continue reading "Female troops take on new role in Afghanistan" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - While laying down a hail of gunfire, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion trained a new batch of Marines from various units April 2 to assist in maintaining the first line of defense for Camp Leatherneck.
Continue reading "Marines Train to Be First Line of Defense for Camp Leatherneck" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Marine Aircraft Group 40 transferred responsibilities as the aviation combat element of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) during a transfer of authority ceremony, April 4.
Continue reading "3rd MAW (Fwd.) Assumes Responsibilities From MAG-40" »
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Afghanistan – "You're out!" Nine Afghan children shouted at Bayhodulla in Pashto March 31 after a soccer ball flew through the air and tagged him on his shoulder.
Continue reading "Marines Teach Nawa Students Dodgeball; First Girl Attends School" »
The sharp cracks of simunition rounds being sent downrange echoed throughout the military operations in urban terrain facility as Marines - Korean and American - flowed side by side like water through the town ridding it of mock insurgents.
Continue reading "Logistics Marines, ROK Marines train together side by side" »
Some of the final groups of Marines from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) landed aboard Camp Leatherneck's flight line in the cool morning hours March 27 to begin their one-year deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Instructors from the Combat Center's Adviser Training Group are providing cultural awareness and language training to service members deploying to Afghanistan to help them accomplish their mission.
Continue reading "Adviser Training Group Trains Marines on Afghan Customs, Culture" »
he recent Marine operations in and near Marja brought into sharp relief a fact that contradicts much of what people think they know about the Afghan war. It is this: Forget the fables. The current ranks of Afghan fighters are crowded with poor marksmen.
Marines participating in Exercise Key Resolve 2010 woke up to heavy snowfall at Camp Mujuk, Republic of Korea March 9.
Continue reading " Marines display versatility in every clime, place" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Explosions rumble through this former Taliban stronghold three or four times a day — an ominous sign that the insurgents have not given up despite losing control of this town to U.S. and Afghan forces about two weeks ago.
Continue reading "Newest Taliban tactic in Marjah: IED blasts" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Explosions rumble through this former Taliban stronghold three or four times a day - an ominous sign that the insurgents have not given up despite losing control of this town to U.S. and Afghan forces about two weeks ago.
Continue reading "Taliban adjust, wage bomb attacks in Afghan town" »
Marines and sailors from 9th Engineer Support Battalion from Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, wrapped up their Enhanced Mojave Viper training at the Combat Center with the completion of building a forward operating base March 12.
Continue reading "9th ESB completes training for Afghanistan deployment" »
-- EDITOR'S NOTE - Associated Press photographer David Guttenfelder was embedded with U.S. forces during the offensive in Marjah, Afghanistan. Here is his account of some of the photos he made of the soldiers' daily lives.
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MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) - For months, the U.S. military had been openly saying it was getting ready to crush the Taliban in its last stronghold in Afghanistan's Helmand province - the world's opium bazaar.
Continue reading "An up close look at the military life in Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- The first shots came from the north, sending Marines ducking into the nearest ditch - some filled with putrid water. More shots rang out from the southwest: a possible ambush from two sides.
Continue reading "Marine patrols still meet snipers in Afghan town" »
NAWA, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Usually tagging a wall with spray paint is grounds for punishment, but for Marines and sailors of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, it's all in a day's work in Afghanistan
Continue reading "New Building Number System Benefits Nawa Citizens, Afghan Government" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- U.S. Marine Sgt. Brad Vandehei stood on the edge of the small opium poppy field that serves as a central helicopter landing zone for the new military compound that's rising nearby.
Continue reading "Afghan poppy harvest is next challenge for U.S. Marines" »
DELARAM, AFGHANISTAN -- Home to a dozen truck stops and a few hundred family farms bounded by miles of foreboding desert, this hamlet in southwestern Afghanistan is far from a strategic priority for senior officers at the international military headquarters in Kabul. One calls Delaram, a day's drive from the nearest city, "the end of the Earth." Another deems the area "unrelated to our core mission" of defeating the Taliban by protecting Afghans in their cities and towns.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Alfred de Montesquiou, an Associated Press correspondent embedded with U.S. Marines in the battle for the Afghan town of Marjah, was able to observe some of the lessons of the fighting and hear from the officers in command how they are being absorbed.
MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — After a day spent pinned down in gunbattles or caught in a maze of roadside bombs, with little hope of air support and an erratic Afghan army to coax along, Lance Cpl. Travis Anderson reflected on the frustrations of the campaign U.S. forces were fighting.
Continue reading "Marjah push: Ups and downs are lessons for future" »
The impetus for the U.S.-led assault on Marjah began one moonless night last May when a squad of American and Afghan anti-narcotics agents, backed by U.S. Marines, slipped through the town's empty streets and raided the Lachoya opium bazaar.
Continue reading "Afghan Drug Trade Complicates U.S. Task in Marjah" »
CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – The ordnance technicians for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 "Scarface," Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, sat and waited for the troops-in-contact call, and when it came, without hesitation, they sprinted through the gravel toward the helicopter landing zones to arm aircraft and get them back into action for combat operations in Marjah.
Continue reading "Right to Bear Arms: Ordnance Marines Arm MAG-40" »
Despite Rehab, the Yellow Lab Won't Sniff For Bombs in Combat; He's 'a Lover'
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan—When the Marines cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war, one remains in his kennel. Quivering.
Continue reading "Even His Red Squeak Toy Can't Get First Sgt. Gunner, USMC, to Fight" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Even by Afghan standards, it was a startling find: An opium packaging workshop, buried under donkey dung and old hay in a stable that U.S. Marines turned into a patrol base in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Taliban, not drugs, focus of US-Afghan offensive" »
MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- The initial phase of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan to wrest Marja from insurgent control has largely ended, but the more daunting task of building a credible government in the place of Taliban rule has just begun, according to senior U.S. and Afghan officials.
MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- The initial phase of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan to wrest Marja from insurgent control has largely ended, but the more daunting task of building a credible government in the place of Taliban rule has just begun, according to senior U.S. and Afghan officials.
Before Marines go overseas, they must learn skills beyond their primary job and be ready for deployment.
Continue reading "Afghanistan Bound, MTACS Marines Train to Fight" »
In southern Afghanistan, U.S. Marines and their Afghan counterparts are tightening their hold on the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. Each day, troops are uncovering weapons caches left behind by Taliban fighters who ran away or are hiding among the local population.
Continue reading "Taliban Flees Marjah, Threat Remains For Marines" »
FORWARD OPERATING BASE CAFERETTA, Nimruz province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – As improvised explosive devices continue to be a threat in the region as the Taliban's weapon of choice, coalition forces continue to adapt their ways of dealing with them.
Continue reading "Improvised Explosive Device Detection Program for the Dogs" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- One by one, the men of Marjah tentatively approached the high-ranking Afghan official with their complaints.
Continue reading "Residents of Marjah wary of U.S. after Taliban ouster" »
The Marine Corps’ footprint in Afghanistan has expanded to include 15,000 Marines, the service’s top general said, and another battalion is expected to deploy soon.
SEMITAY BAZAAR, Afghanistan — After the declaration this weekend that the battle for the Taliban enclave of Marja had been won, for the Marines standing behind sandbags and walking patrols, the more complicated work has begun. With it will be a test of the strategy selected by President Obama and the generals now running the Afghan war.
Continue reading "With Marja Largely Won, Marines Try to Win Trust" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — More than 2,000 U.S. Marines and about 1,000 Afghan troops who stormed the Taliban town of Marjah as part of a major NATO offensive against a resurgent Taliban will stay for the next several months to help ensure insurgents don't return, Marine commanders said Sunday.
Continue reading "Marines, Afghan troops to be stationed in Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Marines and Afghan troops who fought through the centre of Marjah linked up Saturday with American soldiers on the northern edge of the former Taliban stronghold, clearing the town's last major pocket of resistance.
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Just a few dozen yards from the bullet-riddled government building, Marine Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson found more proof Saturday that the battle for Marjah was over.
Continue reading "Normalcy takes root in Marjah after allied offensive" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. and Afghan forces say they have cleared the last major pocket of resistance from the former Taliban stronghold of Marjah.
Continue reading "US, Afghan forces clear last parts of Taliban area" »
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — Dozens of Marines, sailors and Republic of Korea service members with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, gathered for a Korean War presentation Feb. 25 at the Sunset Lanai, Camp H.M Smith Hawaii.
Two days before launching the most ambitious military campaign of the Obama Administration, General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, convened a meeting in Kabul of 450 tribal elders and scholars from Helmand province. The general's objective: to build support for Operation Moshtarak, a massive offensive on the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. McChrystal ran through the military phase of the plan, which would involve 6,000 U.S. Marines and British soldiers and 4,500 Afghan troops and police. Then he described how these troops would protect the town while a "government in a box" — a corps of Afghan officials who had been training for this moment for months — would start administering the town. The elders all signed off on the plan, but not before one of them warned the American general, "You have to understand that if you don't do what you say, we'll all be killed."
WILMINGTON – Chaplains deployed to Afghanistan have provided support for Marines dealing with the loss of their own in recent battles. After two weeks of intense fighting in Afghanistan, an Afghan flag now flies over Marjah, a former Taliban stronghold.
Continue reading "Chaplains help Marines cope with offensive in Afghanistan" »
Flag-raising ceremony held as troops mop up last pockets of resistance
MARJAH, Afghanistan - The Afghan government took official control of the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, installing an administrator and raising the national flag while U.S.-led troops worked to root out final pockets of militants.
Continue reading "Afghan government claims Taliban stronghold" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan : US-led troops were inching closer to declaring victory over a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan as a senior commander said Wednesday militant resistance had fallen dramatically.
Continue reading "US-led troops inch close to victory in Afghan assault" »
At least 24,000 people have fled since the assault on the Taliban began. Each passing day is a countdown to ruin for farm families.
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - In wind-whipped tents, makeshift shelters and overcrowded family compounds, Afghans who fled the battleground town of Marja are asking themselves and one another: When will it be safe to go home?
Continue reading "Afghans displaced by Marja offensive fret in a cold limbo" »
More than 100 Marines and their Afghan counterparts are pushing into a neighborhood they say is the last significant stronghold of insurgents.
Marines are starting a push to clear the last pockets of Taliban insurgents from Marjah.
Continue reading "Marines Clearing Last Taliban Pockets In Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Bouwudin courteously greeted the Afghan and American officers who came to meet him, offering tea and eventually a meal as the meeting lingered on. No amount of invitations could get him to walk a few hundred yards to the Marines base.
Continue reading "US offensive yet to persuade Afghans in key town" »
It's the second week of a major U.S.-led offensive in southern Afghanistan to expel the Taliban from a key stronghold in Helmand province.
Continue reading "Taliban Resistance Strong In Southern Afghanistan" »
A year ago, the mention of Marja, a speck on the map in southern Afghanistan, would have drawn befuddled stares in the Pentagon.
Continue reading "Battle for Marja not only militarily significant" »
US-led forces fighting to clear a Taliban stronghold in south Afghanistan are making "steady progress", the most senior US military commander says.
Adm Mike Mullen said the operation in the town of Marjah in Helmand province was "messy... but that doesn't mean that it's not worth the cost".
Continue reading "US-led troops make 'steady progress' in Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—Ten days into the fight for Marjah, U.S. and Afghan troops continue to seize ground, often battling the Taliban from one mud-walled compound to the next. But progress has been slower in winning over local civilians, many of whom are unsure which side will make life safer for their families.
Continue reading "Progress in Marjah, But Civilian Trust Elusive" »
For more than a week, CNN International Correspondent Atia Abawi has been embedded with U.S. Marines who are working alongside Afghan soldiers to rout out Taliban forces from the southern Afghan province of Marjah. Abawi filed this inside look at Operation Moshtarak:
It's been over a week now since Operation Moshtarak began here in southern Afghanistan. The city of Marjah shakes with the sound of improvised explosive devices, most of them set off by controlled explosions. Between IED blasts, the air is filled with the sounds of whizzing bullets, booming mortars, clacking helicopters, and other noises of war that I can't even express in writing.
Continue reading "Reporter's diary: Inside Operation Moshtarak" »
MARJA, Afghanistan — Since the American-led offensive into the last large Taliban enclave in Helmand Province began nine days ago, local Afghans have faced a dangerous and uncertain world.
Continue reading "Afghans Voice Their Fears Amid Marja Campaign" »
Fighter jets, drone and attack helicopters focus on part of city
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Outnumbered and outgunned, Taliban fighters are mounting a tougher fight than expected in Marjah, Afghan officials said Sunday, as U.S.-led forces converged on a pocket of militants in a western section of the town.
Continue reading "Marines target Taliban holdouts in Marjah" »
Marines and Afghan troops fight to clear holdout insurgents from one corner of the city in southern Afghanistan. NATO says there is another casualty among Western troops, bringing the total to 13.
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan, and Nawa, Afghanistan -- Backed by fighter jets and attack helicopters, U.S. Marines and Afghan troops closed in on an insurgent-ridden sector of Marja on Sunday, the ninth day of a coalition bid to wrest control of the southern Afghan town from the Taliban.
Continue reading "Military sweep of Marja focuses on pocket of 'determined resistance'" »
Nawa's district governor, upset by the unresponsive provincial government, pleads with residents not to become disenchanted and ally with insurgents.
Reporting from Nawa, Afghanistan — Haji Abdul Manaf, the district governor for this region of Helmand Province, was incensed.
Continue reading "Afghans frustrated in bid to remake Taliban-free towns" »
NATO Forces Face 'Determined Resistance'
MARJAH, Afghanistan -- Marines and Afghan units converged Sunday on a dangerous western quarter of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, with NATO forces facing "determined resistance" as their assault on the southern town entered its second week.
Continue reading "Marines Converge On Taliban Holdouts In Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—The Taliban grenade that whizzed overhead was John Kael Weston's first indication that this town might not be ready for an influx of diplomats, agriculturalists and economic-development specialists.
Continue reading "Taliban Resistance Stalls New Rule in Marjah" »
ARJA, Afghanistan — As American Marines and Afghan soldiers have fought their way into this Taliban stronghold, the performance of the Afghan troops has tested a core premise of the American military effort here: in the not-too-distant future, the security of this country can be turned over to indigenous forces created at the cost of American money and blood.
Continue reading "Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle" »
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – A patrol of Marines and Sailors of Combined Anti-Armor Team 1 and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, held their first impromptu meeting with village elders in the "Five Points" area Feb. 14, and only moments later came under hostile fire from Taliban attackers.
Continue reading "Marines Near Marjah Hold First Meeting With Elders, Kill Taliban Attackers" »
Charlottean Noah Pier killed in Afghanistan, fighting for a cause "he believed in."
Lance Cpl. Noah Pier always wanted to be a Marine, and his family said they'll miss his "laughter and love of life."
MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan police were deployed on Saturday in an area recaptured from the Taliban by U.S. Marines this week, in the early phase of a plan to put the country firmly under the control of Afghan authorities.
Continue reading "Afghan police deployed in wake of NATO offensive" »
MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- They had slogged through knee-deep mud carrying 100 pounds of gear, fingers glued to the triggers of their M-4 carbines, all the while on the lookout for insurgents. Now, after five near-sleepless nights, trying to avoid hypothermia in freezing temperatures, the grunts of the 1st Battalion of the 6th Marine Regiment finally had a moment to relax.
Continue reading "In Marja, it's war the old-fashioned way" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—The Taliban grenade that whizzed overhead was John Kael Weston's first indication that this embattled town might not be ready for an influx of diplomats, agriculturalists and economic-development specialists.
Continue reading "Troops Face Pockets of Resistance in Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan – After a fierce gunfight, U.S. Marines seized a strongly defended compound Friday that appears to have been a Taliban headquarters — complete with photos of fighters posing with their weapons, dozens of Taliban-issued ID cards and graduation diplomas from a training camp in Pakistan.
Continue reading "US Marines seize Taliban headquarters, IDs, photos" »
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan — Following the deadliest day yet for coalition forces seeking to drive the Taliban from the town of Marja in southern Afghanistan, U.S. Marines took aim Friday at the threat posed by insurgent snipers.
Continue reading "Marines in Marja focus on sniper threat" »
The Marines have been ordered not to treat Afghans roughly. When making an arrest, they are instructed to ask their suspect to voluntarily go with them. Most do.
Reporting from Spin Ghar, Afghanistan - The three men were blindfolded, their hands bound in front of them with plastic flex cuffs, and each was in the firm grip of a Marine. Their loose-fitting clothes were faded and dusty, their thick beards beginning to show gray.
Continue reading "In Afghanistan, Marines handling detainees by the book" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Two U.S. helicopters dropped elite Marine recon teams behind Taliban lines before dawn Friday as the U.S.-led force stepped up operations to break resistance on the seventh day of fighting in the besieged militant stronghold of Marjah.
MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - It's only been six days since NATO launched a major assault against the Taliban and some Afghans are already asking Marines when they can reopen their shops.
Continue reading "Marines still looking over shoulder for Taliban" »
MARJA, Afghanistan — In five days of fighting, the Taliban have shown a side not often seen in nearly a decade of American military action in Afghanistan: the use of snipers, both working alone and integrated into guerrilla-style ambushes.
Continue reading "Snipers Imperil U.S.-Led Forces in Afghan Offensive" »
US Marines moving from the north of Marjah have joined up with US troops who were dropped into the area by helicopter four days ago, helping to increase their control over a crucial area known as the “Pork Chop”.
Continue reading "US forces move swiftly to take control of region north of Marjah" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters holding out in Marjah are increasingly using civilians as human shields, firing from compounds where U.S. and Afghan forces can clearly see women and children on rooftops or in windows, Afghan and U.S. troops said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Embattled Afghan Taliban rely on human shields" »
Lt Col Cal Worth, who commands one of two Marine battalions leading the offensive against Taliban fighters here, set off at 7am on Wednesday for the return journey to his battalion headquarters from a combat outpost less than four miles away.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Marines moving by land from the north linked up Tuesday with U.S. units that have faced nearly constant Taliban attack in the four days since they were dropped by helicopter into this insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Marines link up in Afghan Taliban stronghold" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers seized the site of Marjah's government offices, setting the stage for Kabul to attempt to resume its authority in a town long run by the Taliban.
Continue reading "Site of Marjah Government Offices Seized" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan forces traded gunfire with insurgents shooting from haystacks in poppy fields in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah as they pressed ahead in NATO's assault on the militants' heartland in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Marines: Taliban resistance more disorganized" »
MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- For the Marines of Charlie Company's 3rd Platoon, Sunday's mission was simple enough: Head west for a little more than a mile to link up with Alpha Company in preparation for a mission to secure the few ramshackle government buildings in this farming community.
Continue reading "The Marines move on Marja: A perilous slog against Afghanistan's Taliban" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—U.S. Marines sent reinforcements to a beleaguered outpost where insurgent fighters were using women and children to carry weapons and shield their attacks on coalition forces.
Continue reading "U.S., Afghan Troops Battle Snipers in Marjah Offensive" »
MARJA, Afghanistan — Ten minutes after walking out of the small outpost on Monday morning, the Marines of Company K were ambushed again.
Continue reading "Soldiers Keep Up Push in Taliban Stronghold" »
Readiness officers prepare the families of isle Marines to cope with wartime stress
With about 1,000 "Lava Dogs" from the Kaneohe Marine Corps base participating in the battle for Marjah, Afghanistan, base officials here are providing information and comfort to the Marines' worried loved ones back home.
NA JOMTIEN, Thailand — Thai and U.S. troops spent much of the Cobra Gold exercise the last two weeks fighting a computer-simulated war in which they were to support a United Nations peace-keeping mandate in a fictional country and clash with a dissenting minority group.
Continue reading "Thai military to use intel from exercise in battle against insurgents in south" »
MARJA, AFGHANISTAN -- U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers encountered pockets of stiff resistance and extensive minefields as they sought to press into this Taliban sanctuary in southern Afghanistan on Saturday.
MARJA, Afghanistan — An errant American rocket strike on Sunday hit a compound crowded with Afghan civilians in the last Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province, killing at least 10 people, including 5 children, military officials said.
Continue reading "Errant U.S. Rocket Strike Kills Civilians in Afghanistan" »
Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- U.S.-led forces encountered sniper fire and remote-controlled bombs as they fought for a second day to clear a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, NATO and Afghan officials said.
Continue reading "U.S. Troops Encounter Snipers, Bombs in Afghanistan Offensive" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan—Taliban insurgents tried to overrun a U.S. Marine outpost with a combination of rocket-propelled grenades and suicide bombers in a brazen attack just after sundown on Sunday.
Continue reading "U.S. and Afghan Troops Expand Control in Marjah" »
On the offensive's second full day of fighting, Afghan officials say 27 insurgents have been killed. NATO reports 12 civilian deaths from a rocket strike and suspends use of the weapons involved.
Reporting from outside Marja and Kabul, Afghanistan — Insurgent holdouts in the town of Marja on Sunday aimed sporadic but sometimes intense fire at U.S. Marines and Afghan troops seeking to solidify their hold on the southern Afghan town.
Continue reading "Marines, Afghan troops seek to secure their hold on Marja" »
Marjah, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The Taliban put up a stiff resistance Sunday, as a coalition assault against the militant group entered its second day in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Troops, Taliban battle for second day in Afghan offensive" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — It could take weeks to reclaim the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, a top Marine commander said Sunday as thousands of U.S. troops and Afghan soldiers fought for a second day in NATO's most ambitious effort yet to break the militants' grip on Afghanistan's dangerous south.
Continue reading "Marine commander says it could take weeks to fully reclaim Taliban haven" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan — Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah before dawn Saturday, sweeping by air and ground against scattered resistance into the biggest southern town under militant control. The massive offensive was aimed at breaking the Taliban grip over a wide area of their southern heartland.
Continue reading "US, Afghan troops sweep into Taliban stronghold" »
MARJA, Afghanistan — The helicopters landed before dawn Saturday in a poppy field beside a row of mud-walled compounds. The Marines ran into the darkness and crouched through the rotor-whipped dust as their aircraft lifted away.
LASHKAR GAR, Afghanistan -- U.S. Marines and Afghan forces were airlifted over the Taliban-laid minefields into the center of town in Marjah Saturday, apparently surprising the insurgents and taking strategic positions from them, according to military officials.
Continue reading "Surprise tactic in Afghanistan offensive befuddles Taliban" »
Marjah, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The major coalition assault against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan claimed the lives of two coalition troops, but military officials regard the hours-old push in war-ravaged Helmand province as very promising.
Continue reading "Coalition troops find 'minimal interference' in assault on Taliban" »
MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S. Marines spearheaded one of NATO's biggest offensives against the Taliban in Afghanistan on Saturday, in an early test of President Barack Obama's troop surge policy.
Continue reading "Marines spearhead major Afghanistan offensive" »
OUTSIDE MARJA and KABUL, Afghanistan _ Picking their way through a dense tangle of homemade bombs, U.S. Marines on Saturday seized key positions in the Taliban stronghold of Marja, as thousands of coalition troops consolidated their hold on a wide swath of desert and farm territory surrounding the southern Afghan town.
2 NATO troops, at least 20 insurgents reported killed on first day of assault
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Bombs and booby traps slowed the advance of thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers moving Saturday through the Taliban-controlled town of Marjah — NATO's most ambitious effort yet to break the militants' grip over their southern heartland.
More than 1,000 British troops engaged in the launch of Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan have secured their "key objectives", the Ministry of Defence has said.
Continue reading "Anti-Taliban Attack: 'Key Objectives Secured'" »
For the assault on Marja in southern Afghanistan, Marines are drilled yet again about the inadvertent killing of civilians, which could undermine what they are trying to accomplish.
Reporting from The Outskirts Of Marja, Afghanistan - The Marines of Charlie Company had just landed outside Marja and were itching for the fight with the Taliban when they learned that a group of Afghans with shovels and wheelbarrows were digging holes in the road nearby.
Continue reading "Marines' life-and-death decisions in the 'fighting hole'" »
The long-discussed operation against the Taliban in Marja is one of the biggest of the war. Along with targeting the insurgents' grip on Helmand province, it's a test of the Afghan army's abilities.
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan, and The Outskirts Of Marja, Afghanistan -- Thousands of U.S., British and Afghan troops moved to seize the Taliban stronghold of Marja early Saturday in what the Marine general leading the assault called a "big, strong and fast" offensive aimed at challenging the insurgency's grip on a key southern Afghan province.
Continue reading "Marines launch offensive in southern Afghanistan town" »
MARJA, Afghanistan — Thousands of American, Afghan and British troops attacked the watery Taliban fortress of Marja early Saturday, moving by land and through the air to destroy the insurgency’s largest haven and begin a campaign to reassert the dominance of the Afghan government across a large arc of southern Afghanistan.
CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN -- Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers traveling in helicopters and mine-resistant vehicles began punching into a key Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan early Saturday, as one of the largest operations to assert government control over this country got underway.
Continue reading "U.S. Marines launch major offensive in Afghanistan" »
When Marines rumble into the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand province for one of the largest offensives of the Afghanistan war, they'll be battle-testing a powerful new weapon, the Assault Breacher Vehicle
When the the Marines currently stacked up in Afghanistan's Helmand province waiting for a long-planned offensive against the Taliban finally make their move, they'll be coming with a powerful new weapon that looks like a cross between a tank and hell's own backhoe.
Continue reading "Marines roll out Assault Breacher Vehicles for Marjah Afghanistan offensive" »
NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan -
U.S. and Afghan forces ringed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, sealing off escape routes and setting the stage for what is being described as the biggest offensive of the nine-year war.
Continue reading "US and Afghan troops ring Taliban stronghold" »
NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan forces ringed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, sealing off escape routes and setting the stage for what is being described as the biggest offensive of the nine-year war.
Continue reading "U.S. Troops Close Taliban Escape Route Before Major Offensive" »
KABUL — The Taliban vowed on Thursday to fight back with a "hit and run" guerrilla campaign against Western and Afghan forces preparing to storm one of their key strongholds in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Taliban vow guerrilla warfare against NATO troops" »
SISTANI, Afghanistan -- In comes "The Joker."
Continue reading "Marines push 'The Breacher' against Taliban lines" »
NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Marines and Taliban insurgents exchanged gunfire Thursday on the outskirts of Marjah, a southern militant stronghold where American and Afghan forces are expected to launch a major attack in the coming days.
Continue reading "Taliban, Marines exchange fire as battle looms" »
NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan forces pushed Tuesday to the edge of the southern Afghan town of Marjah, poised to seize the major Taliban supply and drug-smuggling stronghold in hopes of building public support by providing aid and services once the insurgents are gone.
Continue reading "U.S., Afghan Forces Poised to Seize Taliban Stronghold" »
Marines Test Taliban Defenses Before Attack on Key Militant Stronghold
(CBS/ AP) U.S. Marines fired smoke rounds Wednesday and armored vehicles maneuvered close to Taliban positions to test insurgent defenses ahead of an anticipated attack on the biggest militant-controlled town in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "U.S. Inches Closer to Major Afghan Assault" »
OUTSKIRTS OF MARJAH, Afghanistan — US Marines came under attack from insurgents armed with sniper guns and rocket-propelled grenades as they geared up Wednesday to overwhelm a Taliban bastion in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "US Marines under fire ahead of Afghan assault" »
U.S. Marines Head up Force of 30,000 NATO and Afghan Troops Preparing to Attack Taliban Stronghold
(CBS) It is the eve of battle and today the Marines on the outskirts of Marjah got their marching orders from their commanding officer.
Troops face fury of animal rights campaigners after eating scorpions and drinking snakes' blood
With tasks such as drinking the blood of a cobra and eating scorpions, you could be forgiven for thinking the latest I’m A Celebrity! series was under way.
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan - In anticipation of operations in central Helmand, a variety of organizations and individuals, including combined force commanders, have been paying close attention to civilian movements. Commanders in the area are reporting no significant increase in persons moving out of Nad-e Ali District in the last month.
Continue reading "Central Helmand Residents Encouraged to Remain in Homes" »
OUTPOST BELLEAU WOOD, Afghanistan — Take a desert of yellow-orange dust so flat it looks like Mars, with a freezing wind that blows so hard it can lift a large tent.
Continue reading "US Marines expectantly await battle in harsh Afghan desert winter" »
TOOR GHAR, Afghanistan — US Marines on Tuesday stepped up preparations for a major assault on a key Taliban bastion in southern Afghanistan hailed by officers as the biggest offensive of the eight-year war.
Continue reading "US Marines gear up for major Afghan assault" »
HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines and sailors of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, battled Taliban insurgents, Feb. 9, after conducting a successful helicopter-borne assault to seize a key intersection east of the insurgent stronghold city of Marjeh.
Continue reading "Marines Fight Insurgents, Secure Key Intersection on Road to Marjeh" »
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Heading into battle to seize a Taliban stronghold, U.S. Marines are keenly aware of one factor that could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: Afghan civilian casualties.
Continue reading "Marines focus on civilian safety in Afghanistan" »
By mid-February, Marines will be out of Iraq.
KABUL — The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan said Sunday a major offensive will send a "strong signal" and clear insurgents from their southern stronghold, as residents fled ahead of the assault.
Continue reading "Afghan assault to send 'strong signal': McChrystal" »
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban militants are massing and preparing for a big fight ahead of a major NATO offensive in an insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan, villagers fleeing the area said on Sunday.
Continue reading "Taliban dig in for big assault, say Afghan villagers" »
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION
FUTENMA — “Everybody was kind
of on edge, you could tell,” said Petty
Officer 2nd Class William Harris recently
referring to a mission last July
in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Corpsman recognized for valor in Afghanistan" »
The attack will be aimed at Marja, the last community held by the militia in Helmand province.
Reporting from Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan - The U.S. Marines and Afghan army plan a massive assault on Taliban fighters in Marja, the last community under Taliban control in a sprawling, lawless region once dominated by the insurgency, a top Marine said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Marines, Afghan army plan massive assault on Taliban" »
The Marines of Bravo Company left their patrol bases early Saturday morning. To their west were the Taliban pickets who defend the outer limits of Marja, an insurgent enclave in Helmand Province. The Marines turned in the opposite direction, heading to Forward Operating Base Spin Ghar, their company command post.
KARARDAR, Afghanistan — The Marine infantry company, accompanied by a squad of Afghan soldiers, set out long before dawn. It walked silently through the dark fields with plans of arriving at a group of mud-walled compounds in Helmand Province at sunrise.
Continue reading "As Marines Move In, Taliban Fight a Shadowy War" »
Counterinsurgency, in some circles and by some descriptions, can sound like a glamorous military art. More than often it is not.
Continue reading "Counterinsurgency, One Stuck Truck at a Time" »
NAWA, Afghanistan — Marine 1st Sgt. Fredrick Smith was eyeballing the strange-looking convoy of vehicles that had come to a halt near a remote patrol base in the desert wasteland of central Helmand province.
Continue reading "Marines pressing Afghan army to take larger security role" »
Patrols are a constant for the Marine infantry in Afghan outposts. The Marine Corps believes that little keeps a unit as safe, as effective or as informed as having a constant — and constantly changing — presence moving over the ground.
Continue reading "Shave Every Day. Shower Every Two Months." »
NAWA, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Hundreds of Marines, sailors and civilians of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, gathered during a memorial service in Nawa to honor two fallen Marines and a civilian journalist.
Continue reading "Marines in Nawa Honor Two Fallen Brothers, Civilian Journalist" »
SHOSHARAK, Afghanistan — If luck is the battlefield’s final arbiter — the wild card that can trump fitness, training, teamwork, equipment, character and skill — then Lance Cpl. Ryan T. Mathison experienced its purest and most welcome form.
Continue reading "Foot on Bomb, Marine Defies a Taliban Trap" »
Anyone who has spent much time in the Afghan war could guess the sights and the living-standard particulars of Combat Outpost Sullivan, the home in Helmand Province for much of Weapons Company, First Battalion, Third Marines.
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Some 500 Marines from the St. Louis area are going to be part of a special place in history. They are among the last combat battalion of Marines to leave Iraq. The marines are part of the 3rd Battalion, 24th regiment based at Lambert. They should all be back in the U.S. by the end of January. It's a major step in the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq; a step that many spouses of the marines can't wait to happen.
Continue reading "St. Louis Based Marines Among The Last to Leave Iraq" »
KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan — Though Marines have been deploying alongside their Navy brethren for more than 234 years, there is still room for new adventure and first-time experience within the Corps’ ranks. The Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (BLT 2/7) can testify to that fact as they prepare to embark on the unit’s inaugural deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
Continue reading "BLT 2/7 ready for first-time experience" »
NAWA, Afghanistan – Dozens of elder men from Nawa District's Shorshorak area and the city of Marjeh took part in a historic first official meeting between Afghan people and their governmental leaders near Forward Operating Base Fiddler's Green Jan. 8.
Continue reading "Afghan Government Leaders Join Nawa, Marjeh Citizens in Historic First Meeting" »
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. —
Hundreds of Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment and their augments said goodbye to families and friends this week as they boarded buses, to begin a journey which will take them through the South Pacific as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
NAWA, Helmand province, Afghanistan — Dozens of Nawa citizens lined the district center’s main street in the rain to see President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai during his visit here Jan. 2.
Continue reading "Karzai, McChrystal visit citizens, Marines in Nawa" »
NAWA, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – After a helicopter's strong winds leveled the base gym and floodwaters inundated the chapel tent at Forward Operating Base Geronimo three weeks ago, construction is now underway to rebuild and expand these facilities to better serve the Marines and sailors of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment here.
NAWA, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — In the still winter night near Forward Operating Base Geronimo Dec. 27, a team of Marines from the logistics operations section of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, peered skyward through heat-sensitive thermal monoculars and waited.
Continue reading "Air drops deliver precious supplies to 1/3 Marines in Afghanistan" »