1st Marine division at Camp Pendleton prepares to deploy to Afghanistan
Charles Zuckerman
Friday, March 05, 2010, 10:54:27 PM
1st Marine division at
Camp Pendleton prepares to deploy to Afghanistan
Soldiers from Camp Pendleton will soon be returning to the field, as the California installation recently announced the deployment of the 1st Marine Division to Afghanistan this month.
The 1st, whose nickname is the "Blue Diamond", will assume command of the marine forces in Helmand Province, with Major General Richard Mills and Brigadier General Jo Osterman overseeing the operations directly.
General Mills recently told KPBS that the Marines will continue to improve on gains made earlier in the year in city of Marjah.
"There's a lot of momentum right now in Helmand Province from the Marines that have been there before," said the general. "My job there is to build on that momentum and continue it. It's the 'hold and build' phase and that's the important piece, because that stands up the local governance and the local economy, and it gets the local security apparatus in place so that we can all come home."
Though roughly 800 members of the 1st will head out this month, an estimated 7,000 Marines from Camp Pendleton will take part in this latest deployment, with the bulk remaining in the country for at least seven months.
News brought to you by
PCS-Lodging.com - your one stop shop for
Camp Pendleton lodging