![]() ![]() ![]() we got to see all the time how we impacted the mission." he said. "I learned so much while I was there, just from the experience," he said. "I found out things the hard way. Although he worked in comms, the Bakersfield, Calif., native kept in touch with family just like other Marines and soldiers there: Morale-Welfare-Recreation's phone center in tents at Al Asad. Organize a binder of information that he gave to the replacement unit before he and the task force left Iraq. said he didn't worry or dwell too much on his safety through the deployment. Roy Hall originally deployed as the intelligence chief with an advise and assist team. "To be surrounded by people like that, for whatever their real or perceived shortcomings, combat capability and military sophistication people you can break bread with, fight next to, see them suffer losses and continue to drive on, that was pretty inspiring," he said. McDonough said he repeatedly watched 19-year-old soldiers eagerly head into the fight with minimal weapons training and without flak jackets, helmets or any possibility of helicopter medical evacuation. Hardyegritag)Ī Marine explosive ordnance disposal talks with an Iraqi officer at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, in April. Task Force Al Asad is a coalition unit participating in Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve’s Building Partner Capacity mission, which trains and enables Iraqi Security Forces in their fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by focusing on small unit leadership, medical procedures, air-ground integration, and equipping and sustainment processes. Marine Staff Sergeant Brewer, an explosive ordnance disposal technician attached to Task Force Al Asad, converses with an Iraqi EOD officer about the EOD program at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, April 20, 2015. troops would reopen the abandoned Al Taqaddum Air Base in Anbar province to directly support Iraqis in the battle with ISIS, hundreds of Marines landed there within hours. They immediately established a defensive perimeter and began construction of what would become a fulcrum for the Iraqi's fight. When President Obama announced in June that U.S. They also worked side-by-side with America's regional allies to prepare them for the fight. Embassy in Baghdad and remote military outposts, and stood at the ready to recover downed aircraft and pilots at a moment's notice. They directly trained Iraqi soldiers and advised and assisted Iraqi leadership to ensure accurate intelligence and precise airstrikes. ober, for example, Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force–Crisis Response–Central Command flew more than over 8,300 combined flight hours, delivered almost 2.8 million tons of cargo throughout the region and launched airstrikes against ISIS strongholds on a daily basis. to carry out attacks against them.įrom April to Oct. troops, calling on supporters inside the U.S. Last year, the group's so-called hacking division released the names, photos and addresses of 100 U.S. ![]() Robert Neller told Marine Corps Times last month. The Marine Corps' mission in Iraq has been a quiet one, in part because ISIS vowed to seek revenge on anyone responsible for bombing the group's strongholds in places like Iraq and Syria. involvement and a follow-on drive to retake the northern city of Mosul.īut Marines have played a "critical role" in Operation Inherent Resolve, the Defense Department's campaign against the terror group, Marine Commandant Gen. troops over the past decade or more, back from brutal ISIS militants.Īs 2015 drew to a close, the Iraqi army hoisted its flag above the center of Ramadi's city center and declared victory. The seven-month struggle to retake the gateway city in western Anbar province was bloody and costly, but dealt ISIS a strategic blow and proved that the Iraqi military - with coalition air support - is capable of sustained offensive operations. ![]() Hundreds of Marines have been quietly deploying to the war-torn country over the past 16 months to assist the Iraqis fighting to retake hard-won territory, hard won by U.S. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |