3,000 Marines headed to Afghanistan... and i'm one of them

[Accord 0]

I haven't been active here on MSH in a while but I just wanted to give you guys an update on me. A lot of you remember back when I joined the Marine Corps, well you've all probably heard on the news about the proposal to send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan, well the proposal was just approved by the SecDef and I am one of those 3,000 Marines who are going.

Our unit was originally a MEU(SOC), we just completed the entire workup and certification exercise for a MEU(SOC) and now all that shit has gone out the window. For the past 6 months we were planning on just going to some exotic libbo ports and going on a booze cruise in the med for 9 months with a humanitarian mission or two mixed in as well as a 3 week stop in Kuwait to train with their military, well all that is now out the window and now we're flying straight to the Ghan and will be in Helmand, the most brutal province in Afghanistan. We will be a part of NATO and our AO is actually controlled by the British, all those crazy videos of the British Royal Marines in Afghanistan you've seen on Youtube, that's where i'll be.

I won't specifically say when we're deploying due to OPSEC but let's just say that we're deploying so quickly that predeployment leave has been cancelled.

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan welcomed on Thursday U.S. plans to send an extra 3,000 troops to fight the Taliban insurgency, but Washington's move highlights divisions between Western allies over how much to commit to the country.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer welcomed the U.S. plans but stressed that a number of European allies had in recent months also added forces there.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was considering sending an additional 3,000 Marines to thwart any Taliban spring offensive, bringing to around 30,000 the number of American troops in Afghanistan.

Around half the current U.S. contingent serves in a 40,000-strong NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), while the rest conduct missions ranging from counter-terrorism to reconstruction to training Afghan troops.

Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Defense Ministry, said a U.S. troop increase would help anti-insurgency operations as the new national army continued to grow.

"As we are in the fight together with the international community, the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan is considered necessary in the current situation," he said.

However, "the Afghan National Army is the answer for the long-term security in Afghanistan to thwart internal and external threats to the country and to maintain the force balance," he said, adding that the number of trained soldiers would grow from 58,000 to 70,000 in the next two months.

Washington, stretched by last year's troop surge in Iraq, has for months been trying in vain to persuade NATO allies to commit more combat troops to Afghanistan to take up the slack.

'CAN DO BETTER'

European governments have been reluctant to increase their operations here and, wary of a big dip in domestic public support for their continued presence, have been scaling back.

Under the U.S. plan, most of the Marines would join British, Canadian and Dutch troops in southern Afghanistan, scene of the worst fighting.

NATO's de Hoop Scheffer pointed to recent smaller additions from countries including France, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland -- which on Wednesday announced it would add 400 troops and helicopters -- to its existing 1,200-strong contingent.

"You cannot say the allies are not active enough, because they are active. ... But I still think we can do better," he told reporters at an event in Brussels, noting persistent shortfalls in NATO's forces.

He also stressed the ultimate answer was not military but a long-term commitment to reconstruction and development.

"The solution for Afghanistan is not pouring in tens of thousands of forces," he said.

While NATO says it thwarted last year's attempted Taliban spring offensive, overall violence is up 27 percent over a year ago and has risen by 60 percent in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said last month.

De Hoop Scheffer argued that much of the good news in the country -- such as what he said was a doubling in the average Afghan personal income from 2001 -- was being overshadowed.

[LkptTiger 1]

Thank you.

[jeffw 1]

Good luck, Accord. We'll be praying for you and your comrades.

[D3nZ 0]

I never say good luck, I always say best of success. Be safe.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Be safe. And Thank You.

[Remman 0]

Fight hard and try to be safe. My old unit is going as well. I got out to start a career. Give 'em hell. Semper Fi

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

John, you'll be in our prayers.

[TBLfan 25]

Be safe man.

Keep us updated, we'll be waiting to see you come back and get back on the ice.

[EBondo 232]

I'll second what Radio said.

Thank you. My Vietnam class has had speakers come in who were involved in first-hand combat during the Vietnam War and it gives me a whole different view on things like this. Be safe, thank you, and you'll be in all of our prayers.

[fatwabbit 93]

Be safe man... watch where you tread...

[kovalchuk71 212]

Thank you John. Stay safe

[Lufria 1]

Hang in there man. I got out of the army in 2006 right before i was assigned to leave for Iraq. Lots of friends of there. Hang in there, stay safe man.

[BK 0]

Its been said, but thank you.

[Sven 1]

Accord, see you soon when you are back. Best of luck.

[Rustyhole 1]

From me and other Canadians... make sure to post when you get back!

Thank you (again & again).

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Godspeed, sir.

And Thank you

[tume 0]

Good luck in your mission, hope everything goes well.

I just finished serving one year in Kosovo KFOR.

[bubber27 0]

Thank you.

And be safe. You will be in our prayers.

Phil

[pwrfwd26 0]

best of success! you all that defend our country r real HEROS!

[Jeff 0]

Accord,

I saw your thread on SF and just wanted to thank you for your service.

God speed and be safe!

[Maka 0]

Stay safe, and thank you for all you do.

[D aka speck 0]

I wish I could be there when you ship out and shake your hand.

More importantly, I wish I could be there to shake your hand when you return.

It can't be stated enough that you and the 2999 other soldiers headed out with you deserve praise and accolades.

Just keep your head on straight and stay safe.

We want to hear from you soon.

[Nov101775 0]

Semper Fi brother...

SSGT Dave Ingram

USMC 1994-2007

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Rath Dé ort ar an mbothair

(the grace of god be with you on the road)

This is what my mother used to say if we were going on a trip, then she would throw a broom behind us, which apparently means we will return safe from our travels (Irish housewives customs are a bit mental)

Anyway, we all returned from where we went, so I am throwing a virtual broom behind you and your fellow brothers on your journey.

Come back safe

[Taoism 0]

Good luck bro, and stay safe as you can. A nice fresh sheet of ice will be waiting for you at home.