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GLOBE Serving Camp Lejeune and surrounding areas since 1944
THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 20 2012
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VOLUME 74 EDITION 2
Gurganus visits Camp Lejeune, discusses future of Afghanistan LANCE CPL. LIA ADKINS Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
The commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, Maj. Gen. Charles Gurganus, visited Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune for a press conference, Dec. 28, to explain how the Marine Corps’ role in Afghanistan will shift as Marines begin to drawback from the war. “Regional Command Southwest is a much different place than it was in 2009 when (Brig. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson) took the first large group of Marines there, and much of it has been a success story,” said Gurganus. Gurganus will be assuming his position as commanding general of Regional Command Southwest, and more than 18,000 troops de-
ployed to Afghanistan as the Marine Corps prepares to withdraw its troops. Marines have already begun to break down a large number of patrol bases that used to be necessary, and large numbers of equipment has begun to redeploy back to the United States. Marines and their coalition partners, including the Afghan National Army, have successfully reduced the amount of Taliban strongholds in the northern Helmand province, which is allowing the Afghan government to regain control. “These successes have allowed a much greater degree of freedom of movement and that’s important because it gives (Afghans) an opportunity to build roads and bridges, which has enabled farmers to get their products to market,” said Gurganus. “It also allows govern-
ment officials to get out and travel among the different districts, so they can connect with the leaders of the districts. All of these are positive steps for (the community).” As the ANA and police have begun to reach their target number of troops, they are beginning to take more responsibility in leading their counterinsurgency. “It’s time to shift our focus from being in the lead to more of an advising role, but continue to train the Afghans to develop the capabilities that they need not only for today but for long after we reduce our forces,” said Gurganus. He added that a large part of the shift includes allowing the Afghan army to take charge of counterinsurgency operations. Many districts including Nawa, Marjah and Lashkar Gah have already begun to transition into Gov-
ernment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan control. “The Afghan national, provincial and district governments are going to have to be responsible for providing not only security but also the basic services for their people,” added Gurganus. “That will be the true definition of success. I think over the course of the last two or three years, we have seen some tremendous gains in that province and I look forward being part of that and continue to help the people in Afghanistan.” Currently, half of the total forces deployed are out of MCB Camp Lejeune. The Marines and sailors have assisted in training the ANA and police basic tactics, techniques and procedures, patrolling with them, and partnering with their forces to give them the confidence they will need to keep control once
the forces withdraw. Gurganus expressed his pride in the way Marines have developed since the war began. “It’s been one of the really amazing things to watch over the last 10 years not only in Afghanistan but also in Iraq,” said Gurganus. “We have a much more mature force than I think we’ve had since I’ve been in the Marine Corps. A lot of young Marines are (becoming) very good at making decisions and very good at making the right decisions in some very difficult circumstances. We’ve got some leaders that have really stepped up to the plate, young guys that are going to be around for a long time, and that are really going to make a difference in the quality of our Corps.” The majority of II MEF Marines and sailors are set to be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2012.
CAMP DWYER, AFGHANISTAN
Afghan National Army plans, executes artillery training Photo by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes
Staff Sgt. Adam Barnes, an adviser with the Combat Support Advisory Team, radios to the Fire Direction Center to inquire if coordinates are ready so the D-30, 122 mm howitzer crewmen with the Afghan’s 4th Combat Support Photo by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes Kandak’s artillery tolai can Flames blast from a D-30, 122 mm howitzer barrel after firing a round, as is typical with the Soviet-made weapon system. make adjustments and fire Afghan soldiers with the 4th Combat Support Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, coordinated and executed their second the first rounds during a recent training exercise. live-fire artillery training exercise. SGT. EARNEST J. BARNES
2nd Marine Division (Forward)
The high level of energy in the air was evident as Afghan soldiers from the artillery, engineer and headquarters tolais with the 4th Combat Support Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, left the gates of Camp Dwyer on their way to their second live-fire training exercise since the unit’s inauguration in May 2011. The 4th Kandak rolled through the Helmand desert, along with their coalition counterparts, to conduct the attached artillery tolai’s operation, fully orchestrated by soldiers of the 215th Corps. “The 4th Kandak has come to Camp Dwyer to conduct a live-fire mission,” said Lt. Col. Fazul Hazim, the commanding officer for the 4th Kandak. “We are training in order to provide artillery support for the
1st Brigade so one day we can replace the Marines in Afghanistan.” “The purpose of the whole exercise is to get the Afghan National Army from the artillery tolai … to start working on artillery development so they can provide their own fire support when the coalition forces begin to transition out of Afghanistan,” added Maj. Jiemar A. Patacsil, the fire support coordinator for Regimental Combat Team 5. The coalition footprint during the exercise was minimal, hosting less than half the coalition service members who supported the kandak’s first artillery exercise, according to Capt. Jon Erskine, the officer in charge of the Combat Support Advisory Team from 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment. The Afghan artillerymen retained the knowledge about the functionality of their
D-30 howitzers from their previous training with the CSAT from 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, so the members of the CSAT with 2nd Bn., 11th Marines decided it would be best to conduct the training with less hands-on from coalition forces. The CSAT from 2nd Bn., 11th Marines fosters the idea that limiting coalition input during training empowers their Afghan counterparts to learn more. Trusting in their predecessor’s hands-on training, the CSAT had a plan to stand back, observe and critique. The plan was for the soldiers with the kandak to work through the preparation and training by themselves, with coalition input only intervening to doublecheck calculations before rounds were sent down range or to steer their Afghan counterparts into the right direction if a persistent problem prohibiting progression was identified.
HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN
INSIDE THE GLOBE
Regional Command Southwest
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HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN
Religious shura in Garmsir Hometown heroes: promotes peace, stability Operation Eagle Hunt's Team 1 CPL. BRYAN NYGAARD
AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY PREPARES FOR AIR INTERDICTION MISSION PAGE 4A
The kandak arrived at an area known as “Range 4,” which is an artillery range roughly nine miles outside the camp. The Afghan soldiers, excited to get started, immediately started laying their artillery pieces into place and cleaning in preparation for the following day’s shoot. Soldiers with 4th Kandak’s engineer tolai peeled off from the group to build targets in the impact zone. The next morning, soldiers pulled their supply trucks to the firing line, and the Afghan artillerymen quickly gathered around to unload ammunition into their ammo pits. A group of Afghan forward observers, their advisers from CSAT, and Marines from 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company headed down range toward the impact area to observe the impacting rounds and to relay adjustments back to SEE ARTILLERY 4A
“Let there be no coercion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” – The Noble Quran 2:256 During the 10 years that the U.S. and its International Security Assistance Forces allies have been in Afghanistan, the fight has not been for cities, hills or some other piece of land that holds strategic value. The fight has been for the minds of the Afghan people. The expression “hearts and minds” has long been dismissed as cliché and hollow, but it embodies the very essence of counterinsurgency operations being conducted to provide stability in a country that has been ravaged by war for more than 30 years.
Afghanistan is a tribally divided, multiethnic country of 29 million people who are united by the religion of Islam. It serves not just as a philosophy, but also as an allencompassing part of their existence. Another trait shared among Afghans is a low literacy rate. According to retired Lt. Col. Pat Carroll, the cultural and governance adviser for stability operations in Regional Command Southwest, illiteracy allows them to be easily influenced by insurgents. “The insurgency puts out a lot of lies, a lot of exaggeration, a lot of false rhetoric that says the ISAF coalition is a bunch of infidels – they are contrary to Islam, they want to get rid of religion … they want to destroy things,” said Carroll. “They’re playing off of illiteracy and lack of education. It’s not surprising that a lot of the Afghan population is influenced by Taliban rhetoric. It’s fertile ground for it.” SEE SHURA 7A
CPL. MARCO MANCHA
2nd Marine Division (Forward)
Operation Eagle Hunt tested both the minds and bodies of the Marines and sailors supporting their Afghan brothers as they worked together to search southern Helmand for insurgents. The recent Afghan-led operation was a small shaping operation to clear the Taghaz area of southern Helmand in preparation for future counterinsurgency operations to expand Afghan-led security. Marines are providing support to the Afghans throughout these operations in order to assist Afghan efforts to expand security, stability and development in the province. The Marines and sailors of Team 1, Border Adviser Team 1, provided support to Afghan Border Police and Afghan Uniformed Police members, who spearheaded the operation, to offer advice when necessary, assist with logistics and accompany their Afghan counterparts on mounted and dismounted SEE HOMETOWN 4A