America's North Shore Journal

Lance Cpl. Michael Murray, a fireteam leader with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, gives candy to Afghan children in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 19. The Marines and soldiers from the Afghan National Army patrolled through a residential section of the city to carry out counter-insurgency operations as part of Operation Moshtarak, a push to rid Marjah of Taliban presence and intimidation. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

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Marines Near Marjah Hold First Meeting With Elders, Kill Taliban Attackers

A patrol of Marines and Sailors of Combined Anti-Armor Team 1 and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, held their first impromptu meeting with village elders in the “Five Points” area Feb. 14, and only moments later came under hostile fire from Taliban attackers.

Five Points is a small farming community between the cities of Nawa and Marjah where a junction of major roads connects northern Marjah with eastern Helmand Province. Charlie Co. Marines and Afghan national army soldiers conducted a helicopter-borne assault to seize the area Feb. 9, ahead of the start of Operation Moshtarak in Marjah.

Marines had not yet had an opportunity to meet with village elders here due to daily engagements with Taliban forces during patrols in the area.

During the meeting, three elder Afghan men sat down to talk with Marines and said they were glad Marines and Afghan national security forces had come to the area.

“We are happy you’re here for our security,” said one of the men. “The Taliban come in our homes and make us feed them. We have barely enough food for our own families. We just want to live in peace.”

Marines with Alpha Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and 1st battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, take a moment to observe their surroundings after convoying construction material for their upcoming mission in Marjah. The large plastic tubing will be used by Alpha Co. to build makeshift bridges over small canals. Photo by Lance Cpl. Walter Marino

Marine Engineers Pave Historic Path Into Marjeh

Equipped with plastic hollow tubes and water from local canals, the Marines of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion created a path for 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, into the Taliban stronghold Marjeh.

It was up to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion to build a clear route to Marjeh, and they succeeded.

The 2nd CEB brought out all their assets, including route clearance platoons, assault breacher vehicles and Alpha Company.

Alpha Co. Marines filled the canals with large, hollow, plastic tubing, providing a platform for Marines and vehicles to cross. Hallow tubes were used to allow the canal water to flow and prevent any damage to Afghan irrigation systems.

With their work done, the battalion had created a path toward the city but had not yet cleared the route of possible roadside bombs.

Marines from India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment patrol during a sandstorm in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 8. The India Company Marines and soldiers of the Afghan national army have been battling inclement weather while living in the elements of the Helmand desert for the past two weeks. Photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde

Marines, Afghan Soldiers Take on Harsh Weather Conditions in Helmand Province

The troops awoke from their tarp-covered fighting holes, Feb. 10, to find a blanket of frost, covering everything around them. Their boots, flak jackets, helmets and anything else exposed to the elements served as a frozen consequence of sleeping outside in the harsh desert of Helmand, province Afghanistan during the wintertime.

Frost was only one of the many challenges to the Marines and Sailors of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and soldiers of the Afghan national army, living outside without the protection of permanent structures.

Earlier in the week, a brutal hailstorm, without warning, pelted the Marines with large chunks of ice.

“I was standing on top of a hill and the hail started sprinkling a little bit,” recalled Cpl. Charles Hickey, a mortarman with India Co. “Then the wind picked up and it started hurting more. All of a sudden, instantly, marble-sized hail started coming at us at like 100 miles an hour!”

When the coalition troops entered a residential area of Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, the locals cautiously came out of their homes to get a closer look. Slowly, men trickled out of their dwellings to speak to the soldiers from the Afghan National Army. When they realized that the troops meant no harm, children came outside as well.

The ANA soldiers and Marines from 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, patrolled this area of Marjah, Feb. 19, to conduct counterinsurgency operations in support of Operation Moshtarak.

The troops went through the neighborhood to search for members of the Taliban, weapons caches, improvised explosive devices and anything else that could potentially be used by insurgents to harm civilians or coalition forces.

Weary of the Taliban’s oppression, the locals were relieved that the troops showed up to their neighborhood. The locals quickly warmed up to the troops when the Marines gave the children candy and the on-scene corpsman provided medical care to all the residents who were feeling sick or injured.

The locals showed their gratitude by feeding the troops.