Us "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and Their Families

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Dec-04-2010 thirteen:fifty Follow @OregonNews

Say a Prayer for the 3/5 Darkhorse Marines in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan

They are fighting information technology out in Afghanistan & they have lost 9 marines in 4 days; 13 since October.

(SALEM, Ore.) - "We are asking anybody to say a prayer for 'Darkhorse' 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and their families." That is an email from our writer, Chuck Palazzo, another old Marine veteran, who lives in Da Nang, Vietnam.

The Department of Defence along with the Marine Corps itself, are releasing information and concerned Marines all over the globe are spreading the asking for Americans to pray for this difficult hitting military machine group.

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that 13 Marines from Darkhorse have been killed in this region since October.

What we know is that a 21-year sometime Marine, Lance Corporal Randy R. Braggs of Sierra Vista, Ariz, who was attached to Military camp Pendleton'south 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, was killed in activity in Afghanistan, the Pentagon released the information regarding the loss of Randy Braggs on 8 November 2010]. He died ii days before during combat operations in Helmand province.

Randy Braggs was the 13th fellow member of three/five killed since the battalion moved into the Sangin area of northeastern Helmand province in October, including iv felled in a single flop attack on their mine-resistant all terrain vehicle.

2 other Marines were fatally shot at a patrol base in Sangin last week, the Marine Corps reports. Information technology was initially indicated they were attacked by a rogue Afghan soldier who then fled the area, according to U.S. and NATO officials in Afghanistan. An investigation into the incident is continuing. I reported the extremely loftier desertion/compunction rate amongst Afghan Ground forces recruits in 2006 and 2007 from Afghanistan. This obviously continues to exist a serious problem, because the recruits who desert frequently join the Taliban or other ACM'southward (anti-Coalition Militaries).

Non only practice they flee with data nearly the inner workings of the ANA (Afghan National Army), only they also steal the U.S. manufactured Woodland camouflage uniforms that make them almost indistinguishable from ANA regulars.

This is the Associated Press account, from the area of Transitional islamic state of afghanistan in which the 3/five is operating. As we have reported many times in the past, Helmand, a particularly violent area, is regarded as ka key region in this fight:

U.Southward. Marines who recently inherited this lush river valley in southern Helmand province from British forces have tossed aside their predecessor'south playbook in favor of a more aggressive strategy to tame one of the most violent places in Afghanistan.

U.S. commanders say success is critical in Sangin district — where British forces suffered about one-third of their deaths in the war — because it is the last remaining sanctuary in Helmand where the Taliban can freely process the opium and heroin that largely fund the insurgency.

The district too serves every bit a key crossroads to funnel drugs, weapons and fighters throughout Helmand and into neighboring Kandahar province, the spiritual heartland of the Taliban and the most important battleground for coalition forces. The U.S.-led coalition hopes its offensive in the south will kill or capture primal Taliban commanders, rout militants from their strongholds and break the insurgency's back. That volition allow the coalition and the Afghans to improve government services, bring new development and a sense of security.

The "Darkhorse" third Battalion 5th Marines Commanding Officer, LtCol Jason Morris, made this statement to Marine families on the Battalion's Website:

After a very hard first two weeks in Sangin, the Marines and Sailors of the Battalion take learned some hard lessons and adapted to a challenging operational environs.

Marines are patrolling daily and moving out into areas of the Sangin District that the Taliban accept used equally their sanctuaries for years. Some areas of the Commune accept never had any central authorities authority and take been under tribal authority for centuries before the Taliban came.

So, our mission of immigration out the Taliban and protecting the people from their oppression and violence is a challenging one. Nevertheless, your Marine or Crewman is bravely mounting up and operating every day in these areas with confidence in his buddies, his equipment, and his training—and he is making a difference.

Already nosotros are noticing that we are able to go farther into the rural and urban areas than terminal week and that resistance has waned in the areas we are aggressively patrolling. It helps that every time the enemy tries to resist us he loses, and we are getting more and more efficient at finding and destroying his IEDs.

And while the enemy has sent reinforcements into the expanse to shore upwards his losses, there is a definite sense among the people that the Taliban'south authorization is waning where in that location are Marines and they are more willing to talk to the states and provide the states data about their activities. Make no mistake this volition be many months of hard work, but at that place is a positive shift in momentum that is palpable and the Marines' confidence grows daily.

Another Associated Press study from November 2010 described the difficulty (and heavy casualties) the Marines were encountering during operations in that region of Afghanistan:

The Marines patrolling through the green fields and tall mud compounds of Helmand province's Sangin district say they are literally in a race for their lives. They are trying to adjust their tactics to outwit Taliban fighters, who accept killed more coalition troops here than in any other Afghan commune this year.

Lt. Col. Jason Morris photo: OC Register

"As a new unit coming in, you lot are at a distinct disadvantage because the Taliban have been fighting hither for years, have established fighting positions and have laid the ground with a ton of IEDs," said Lt. Col. Jason Morris, commander of the tertiary Battalion, fifth Marine Regiment. "Y'all have to evolve quickly because you take no other choice."

Many of the younger Marines also take had to cope for the first time with seeing their all-time friends die or suffer grievous wounds. Fifteen Marines take been killed and about 50 wounded since the battalion arrived in October [2010] — many by improvised explosive devices or IEDs.

So what can you do? Jason Morris says these Marines are living lean, "We are currently living on MREs and UGRs (tray-rats), so anything that tin can help break the monotony would exist warmly welcomed."

Many people picture Transitional islamic state of afghanistan as a land of blazing sun and endless sand dunes, and that is not an accurate view. there are sand dunes, and in the south it gets very hot in the summertime, simply for the almost part Afghanistan is mountainous and common cold.

Morris said, "The atmospheric condition here continues to cool, with lows in the low 40s and highs in the mid 60s. I believe the rain will likely start in the adjacent few weeks, so our camps will probably plow into mud and plow everything the same shade of brown."

And as this Marine officer relates, one time the rainy season sets in, it is likely that the rivers will rise and the wadis, used to maneuver vehicles during the dry out season, will become impassable.

"Fortunately we accept plenty of common cold and moisture-weather gear to proceed upwards dry and warm, and then don't worry almost us not having enough," Morris said. "Time is moving quickly, and the days are long, but the weeks fly by. Before nosotros know it the holidays will be upon u.s.a. and information technology will be 2011."

Want to help? Learn more than visit the Website for: 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, the link is listed below.

God Bless you and the members of the Darkhorse who are crushing the Taliban and demonstrating to the Afghans how to kicking some tail. Don't forget about MotoMail, and sending an actress pair of socks, some practiced footing coffee, and some

Sources:

tertiary Battalion, fifth Marines

Darkhorse Battalion - Snopes.com.

Nov-09-12010: The Coltons Point Times -Pray for Nighttime Horse tertiary Battalion 5th Marines

November. two, 2010: Laguna Hills' adopted battalion loses ten Marines - Past Caire Webb and Erika I. Ritchie The Orange Canton Register

February-12-2007: It's A Common cold Canis familiaris's Life in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan (VIDEO) - Tim King, in Afghanistan, for Salem-News.com

This link volition have you to a number of related Salem-News.com reports from Helmand and other parts of Afghanistan:

Helmand Afghanistan search on Salem-News.com

Tim Male monarch: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim Rex is a quondam U.S. Marine with xx years of experience on the west coast as a television receiver news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his part as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves every bit Salem-News.com'due south Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the state of war in Transitional islamic state of afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summertime of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Ground forces and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Honour for Spot News Lensman of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Laurels (1991); and several others including the 2005 Cherry-red Cross Adept Neighborhood Accolade for reporting. Tim has several years of feel in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and lensman at NBC, ABC and Play a trick on stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation'southward only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 65 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please ship a 2d email if the kickoff goes unanswered. You can transport Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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