Hard-hit 2/7 begins return from Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Hard-hit 2/7 begins return from Afghanistan
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Nov 4, 2008 21:47:16 EST

The Marine battalion that experienced more casualties than any other unit in the Corps this year has begun returning home from southern Afghanistan, a unit spokeswoman said Nov. 4.

Members of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, will return throughout November to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., said Maj. Kelly Frushour, a Marine spokeswoman in Afghanistan. Advance parties of Marines with the 1,000-strong battalion began arriving in California the week of Oct. 27, but no schedule was provided on when the rest of the battalion may return.

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 is expected to replace 2/7 and handle many of the same duties, Frushour said. Like 2/7, it will operate 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/2008/11/marine_afghanreturn_110408w/%2e