2/7 to complete return from Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Marines of Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment exit a CH-53 Super Stallion at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan after turning over their forward operating base to Marines of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment on Nov. 17.


2/7 to complete return from Afghanistan
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Dec 3, 2008 17:27:28 EST

Marines with the hardest hit battalion in the Corps this year are expected to return from southern Afghanistan late this week, Marine officials said.

Second Battalion, 7th Marines, will return to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., Marine officials at the base said in a statement. Advance parties of Marines with the 1,000-strong battalion began arriving in California the week of Oct. 27, with said Mike Alvarez, a spokesman at Twentynine Palms.

At least 16 Marines and a Navy corpsman with the battalion were killed during a five-month period of the deployment that ended Oct. 31. The unit provided security, launched outreach efforts and helped train more than 800 Afghan police officers in southern Afghanistan, Marine officials said.

A special-purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force comprising units from North Carolina, Hawaii and California has replaced 2/7 and will handle many of the same duties. Like 2/7, it operates out of Camp Bastion, a British base in Helmand province.

Marines with 2/7 handled operations in the Helmand districts of Sangin, Gereskh, Musa Qaleh and Now Zad, and the Farah province districts of Delaram, Golestan, Bakwa and Bala Baluk, Frushour said. Afghan forces and International Security Assistance Forces commanded by Army Gen. Robert Cone have since taken over Sangin, Gereskh and Bala Baluk, Marine officials said.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/12/marine_afghanistanreturn_120308w/%2e