CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Defense officials and military observers alike have jokingly referred to the Marine Corps’ regional command here as “Marine-istan,” a nod toward the thousands of Marines deployed in the region. There’s a significant division in the two provinces that make up the area of operations, however. When Regional Command-Southwest was established in spring 2010, Helmand province was home to a muscular insurgency, while sparsely populated Nimroz province was relatively tranquil. Two years later, Nimroz has continued to progress. Nestled in the southwest corner of Afghanistan along the Iranian and Pakistani borders, Nimroz doesn’t require the heavy sustained…
Browsing: Delaram
There’s a regimental headquarters overseeing operations in volatile northern Helmand province, Afghanistan. Regimental Combat Team-8, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., took over for Lejeune’s RCT-2 on Sunday. Photographs of the relief in place ceremony are posted here. The regiment operates out of Delaram II, a forward operating base in neighboring Nimroz province. Commanded by Col. Eric Smith, it will oversee operations in most of northern Helmand province, including violent Sangin district, where dozens of Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., have died since October. Other units that fall under RCT-8 include Lejeune’s 1st Battalion, 8th Marines,…
The Marine Corps will begin its leadership transition in Afghanistan’s northern Helmand province soon, with Regimental Combat Team 8, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., replacing Lejeune’s RCT-2, Marine officials said. The RCT-8 deployment will begin this weekend with advanced parties of Marines deploying. They’ll eventually replace RCT-2. For those who lead RCT-8, the assignment won’t be an easy one. It oversees some of the most violent territory that Marines patrol right now, including the contested Taliban stronghold of Sangin. Infantry battalions under RCT-8’s control will include 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; elements of 3rd Battalion, 25th…
