More 3/8 Marines set to deploy to Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

More 3/8 Marines set to deploy to Afghanistan
Staff Report
Posted : Wednesday Nov 12, 2008 15:42:00 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — About 300 Marines and sailors from Camp Lejeune, N.C., are heading to Afghanistan on Thursday.

Third Battalion, 8th Marines will serve as the ground combat element of “special purpose” Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Afghanistan, according to a 2nd Marine Division release. As many as 1,000 members of 3/8 have already left for Afghanistan, said Staff Sgt. Juan Vara, a division spokesman.

The MAGTF will continue training Afghan forces, a job 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines began in March. That battalion, based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., saw at least 16 Marines and a Navy corpsman killed in action between June and November.

Advance parties from 2/7 have returned home. The rest of the unit is expected to leave Afghanistan next month.


Article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/11/marine_lejeune_deployment_111208w/%2e