This Thursday on HBO, there is what appears to be a good documentary of the February 2010 Battle for Marjah, Afghanistan. Check out the trailer. Formerjughead this is motivational sheet! YUT! [video]http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/index.html#/documentaries/the-battle-for-marjah/video/trailer.html/eNrjcmbOUM-PSXHMS8ypLMlMDkhMT-VLzE1lzmcu1CzLTEnNh8k45+eVpFaUsDFyMjKySSeWluQX5CRW 2pYUlaayMQIAUmYXOA==[/video]
The Battle for Marjah started in February 2010 and is the largest offensive operation of the war in Afghanistan (about 15,000 troops). It targeted the population center of Marjah and the surrounding Nad Ali District of Helmand Province. Forces included: British Troops 1st BN Coldstream Guards Battle Group 1st BN Grenadier Guards Battle Group 1st BN Royal Welsh Battle Group *Tasked with assaulting the surrounding areas, Nad Ali District* U.S. Marines 1st Battalion 3rd Marines 1st Battalion 6th Marines 3rd Battalion 6th Marines 2nd Amphibious Tractor Bn *Tasked with assaulting Marjah* 3rd Battalion 10th Marines (Artillery) 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion USMC *Supporting all assets* 2nd LAR BN USMC *Tasked with screening West and South of Nad Ali District to prevent escape or reinforcement of Taliban.* French and Canadian Forces Trained a portion of the ANA Forces and served as advisors for these forces. @2500 ANA/ANP forces. US Marine Corps, US Army, Canadian and British aircraft supported the operation. They air assaulted in on the first day, the Canadian portion was the largest air assault ever by Canadian Helicopters. After the initial combat phase ended, 1/6, 3/6 and ANA/ANP forces remained for long term operations. 1/6 was replaced by 2/6 in July 2010, 3/6 was replaced by 2/9 in early August 2010. Monday, January 31, 2011 2/9 Marines Complete Mission in Marjah 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment leaves Northern Marjah a safer place by Lance Cpl. Andrew Johnston RCT-1MARJAH, Afghanistan - Nearly one year ago, Marjah was the scene of some of the deadliest fighting since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. Now, after the persistence of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, the area is lauded as proof that counterinsurgency operations can work. Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, visited 2/9 in December and compared the battalion’s success to the victories in Fallujah and Ramadi. “You have snow-plowed the enemy out of the northern part of Marjah!” said Amos, quoting Maj.Gen. Richard Mills, the commanding general of Regional Command Southwest. When 2/9 replaced 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Lt. Col. James R. Fullwood, commanding officer for 2/9, gave his word to the people of Marjah. He said his Marines would stand up to all opposition to peace and prosperity for the Afghan people. As months passed, the once empty streets of northern Marjah became full of life again. Officials said clearing operations were vanquishing the Taliban and interdicting their logistical routes. The Marines were having an effect on the enemy and locals noticed the change. School attendance skyrocketed and people went back to work, something locals said they thought would never happen. The battalion spent countless hours on the battlefield, fighting against the insurgents for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, whose perception of coalition forces was tarnished by years Taliban propaganda. In the first months of their deployment, 2/9 undertook the task of reconfiguring their battle space and redistributing troops to increase security and push insurgents out of the area. In addition to the construction of numerous patrol bases and vehicle checkpoints, the unit increased the frequency and distance of their patrols. According to 2/9, the redistribution and construction projects worked. The number of direct fire and improvised explosive device attacks dropped 75 percent from the time they arrived. The attacks remain comparatively low, allowing further and faster progress in the region – progress that spans governance, infrastructural development, and reconstruction in the area. Marines with 2/9 began to collect census data from the locals. During this process, the battalion demonstrated that they were there to help – not occupy the region -- by refurbishing mosques and building new public schools, wells and clinics. The unit tackled issues like the growth of opium and hosted an anti-drug summit, which was the largest in Marjah’s history. The summit resulted in a unified plan for all farmers in the region to halt the growth of illicit plants. The agreement was a huge step for Afghan government officials, who attributed nearly all problems in the area to the illicit drug trade. The battalion partnered with the local government and began distributing vegetable and wheat seeds to thousands of farmers in the area. The seed and fertilizer drive allowed farmers to give up the growth of illegal crops and still maintain a livelihood. The influence of 2/9 extended beyond Marjah. In December 2010, Echo Company, 2/9 was ordered to support combat operations with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, in Sangin, Helmand province. Through a month and half of operations in Sangin, Echo Company carried on the battalion’s legacy in what Mills’ described, in the Jan. 25 issue of the Los Angeles Times, as the last major Taliban stronghold in Helmand province. Throughout the deployment, 2/9 had 15 of its brothers give the ultimate sacrifice. These Marines left a lasting legacy that will reside in the minds of every Marine and sailor in the battalion, Fullwood said. As 2/9 prepares to reunite with loved ones back home, 2/8, a fellow battalion from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., looks to carry on their tradition in northern Marjah.
I caught the program last night and DVR'd it. Watched it today with my older son and we both thought it was really well done. He said there were many things that reminded him of his time in Iraq. I talked with my dad this morning and he really liked it also, he said he was impressed with the young Marines, and reminded him alot of the Marines he served with in Vietnam, "The uniforms and gear changes but the Marine wearing it is the same". If you get the chance to watch it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Nice post I wonder what thier shooting at or even if they hostiles. Military documentarys never lets me down.
