Photo By Sgt. Dean Davis | Sgt. Thomas Paidousis, an instructor with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade gives an...... read more read more
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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan —
The 1st Marine Division (Forward) recently arrived in southern Afghanistan and wasted no time gaining ground in operations here.
Arriving in late March, the Division Marines and sailors have already made significant progress in the fight against the Taliban by uniting with Afghan security forces to help the Afghan people secure peace and freedom, explained Brig. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, commanding general of 1st Marine Division (Fwd).
"This is really the first major step in President Obama's intent to bring in additional forces in order to make a difference here and bring us up to a point where we have very effective counter-insurgency," Osterman said. "Insurgencies take a long time to defeat. It requires a lot of resources. Their government is just beginning, but they have already made tremendous progress."
The 1st Marine Division (Fwd) will control all Marine ground forces in southern Afghanistan as they operate both independently and alongside their Afghan counterparts. The relationship between these forces will be a key element in reaching success, at all levels of leadership, Osterman explained.
"It's really impressive to see the young Marine out there, able to handle such a wide scope of responsibility," Osterman said. "They are able to apply the appropriate judgment so that they can do the right thing all the time."
Officials acknowledge that victory over the Taliban cannot stem from U.S. forces alone, and that Afghanistan's future rests in the hands of its government, security forces and ultimately, its people.
"We've established a partnership with the 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army, which has been very positive," Osterman said. "They are learning a lot from us; we're learning a lot from them, and it creates a synergistic effect that allows us to get the most out of both forces to fight the insurgency."
The 215th Corps, a unit comprised of more 1,000 ANA soldiers, is the first to be activated in nearly six years.
The Marines of the "Blue Diamond" and Afghan forces will aggressively target Taliban insurgents, but the road ahead won't be trouble free, explained Sgt. Maj. Phillip Fascetti, sergeant major of 1st Marine Division (Fwd).
"There are going to be a lot of challenges ahead ... " Fascetti said. "Marines are resilient and I know we're up for the challenge. We are going to accomplish great things here."
The Marines and Afghans will work to root out insurgents to not only improve the lives of local citizens, but thwart the Taliban's ability to spread violence in other parts of the world.
"We must never forget why we're here," Fascetti added. "This is important not only for what's presently going on here in Afghanistan, but also throughout the world. What we accomplish here will have an effect on terrorism everywhere."
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2010 04:21 |
| Story ID: | 47967 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK |
| Web Views: | 844 |
| Downloads: | 581 |
This work, Blue Diamond Marines partner with security forces for Afghanistan's future, by Sgt Dean Davis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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