15 May 2008

24th MEU in South Helmand province



B-roll of Marines of A Company, BLT 1/6, 24th MEU in the South Helmand province of Afghanistan. Scenes include them surveying an area behind a wall, firing their weapons, footage of aircraft dropping a missile, Marines patrolling along the wall and the Marines lying down resting.

My favorite line: "Hey, get me an AT-4!"

And from JHD, this AP story about how happy the Marines are to meet what the article characterizes as "stiff resistance."

"The number of fighters that stood and fought is kind of surprising to me, but obviously they're fighting for something," [Maj. Tom] Clinton said, alluding to poppies. "They're flowing in, guys are going south and picking up arms. We have an opportunity to really clear them out, cripple them, so I think we're exploiting the success we're finding."
...
The next day, at a meeting of Marines and Afghan elders, the bearded, turban-wearing men told Marine Capt. Charles O'Neill that the two sides could "join together" to fight the Taliban. "When you protect us, we will be able to protect you," the leader of the elders said.

Despite uncertainties over how secure Garmser, O'Neill liked what he heard.

"We have something here we can really exploit, if we can get some Afghan national police here," he said. "The Marines can definitely do the job, but we're not a permanent presence. With their own people providing their own security they can really get something done."

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