I thought we pacified Marjah. Perhaps not....

[unhappycamper]

A Afghan National Army soldier and a Marine based at a run-down Marjah schoolhouse keep watch on a tree line during a evening patrol May 13.


Firefights frequent for Marines in schoolhouse
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 30, 2010 8:49:00 EDT

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Shots snapped overhead angrily, and the Marines jumped into canals lining both sides of the dirt trail. Within seconds, the squad was trudging through knee-deep sludge, maneuvering to fire back against four gun-wielding insurgents.

“That sounds like it’s getting close!” yelled one of the troops in the group, which included 10 members of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, an interpreter and six Afghan National soldiers. An insurgent carrying a 7.62mm RPK machine gun opened fire again, as if in response.

No Marines were killed in the gunfight, which occurred May 19 shortly after noon. It lasted about five minutes, giving way to a manhunt in which the Marines gave chase, aided by aerial reconnaissance provided by Cobra gunship helicopters, an F/A-18 jet and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Firefights like this are fairly typical for the Marines in Marjah, home to at least 80,000 civilians. That is especially so for Marines at the Yellow Schoolhouse, which was built along with Marjah’s canals by the U.S. in the 1950s. The rundown campus is Ground Zero for the war against the Taliban in northern Marjah — centrally located so troops can respond to numerous threats, but a potential target in its own right. Marines intend to reopen the school for its intended purpose, but there’s no announced timetable for when that may occur.

The patrol base is like no other used by Marines in Afghanistan. Inside the wire, there are no officers based at the school and almost no staff noncommissioned officers. Staff Sgt. Ryan Clay, platoon sergeant of India Company’s 3rd Platoon, oversees day-to-day operations, with two squads of Marines managing their own patrols most of the time. Outside the wire, the Marines contend with regular ambushes, and have heard repeated rumors that the Taliban is preparing to launch an expansive attack on the base.