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The Defense Department is ordering another 2,000 US Marines to Haiti, diverting troops that were on their way to the Gulf and Africa.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2008 – Iraq’s once-deadly Anbar province could within the next few days become the 11th province to be turned over to Iraqi control, paving the way for a reduced U.S. Marine Corps presence there, the Marine Corps commandant said today. Gen. James T. Conway told Pentagon reporters the marked drop in violence in Anbar sets the stage for a drawdown of Marine forces that could be freed up for duty in Afghanistan, if needed. “The change in the al-Anbar province is real and perceptible," with attacks at an all-time daily low of two to three, Conway said....

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has ordered roughly 1,250 Marines serving as trainers for the Afghan security forces to stay on the warfront about a month longer to continue a mission that military leaders say is a top priority, according to a senior military official. In addition, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has authorized the deployment of up to 200 other troops to Afghanistan to support the Marines. That includes eight helicopter crews that could be shifted from Iraq if commanders decide. The senior military official spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement has...

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- U.S. Marines are crossing the sands of southern Afghanistan for the first time in years, providing a boost to a NATO coalition that is growing but still short on manpower. They hope to retake the 10 percent of Afghanistan the Taliban holds. Some of the Marines that make up the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit helped to tame a thriving insurgency in western Iraq. Some 3,500 newly arrived troops hope to move into regions of Afghanistan now controlled by the Taliban. The Marines are working alongside British forces in Helmand province _ the world's largest opium-poppy region...

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan - More than 100 U.S. Marines stood at attention before four empty boots and two sets of dog tags Tuesday to honor the first Marines to die in Afghanistan since their unit's deployment last month. 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante, 35, and Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks, 24, died in a roadside bomb explosion in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province on April 15, said Lt. Col. Ricky Brown, the commander of Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina. Dark, overcast skies, a blustery wind and light droplets of rain reflected...

KABUL (AFP) — More than 2,000 US marines recently deployed in Afghanistan to support a NATO-led military campaign against Islamic rebels have began operations in the country's restive south, the unit said Thursday. The 2,300-strong US Marine Expeditionary Unit was part of Washington's recent contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) efforts to quell a resurgent Taliban insurgency. "The last of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Marines and Sailors are arriving and the unit is beginning operations after weeks of flowing personnel and equipment here," the unit said in a statement. "The Marines have begun their operations in...

Messman with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit tested their Field Food Service System with a chicken lunch here. 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Marines set up their portable food preparation system here Mar. 21. The system is powered by tactical vehicles and can provide food for up to 500 Marines at one time, regardless of location. A BLT 1/6 Marine enjoys his freshly prepared lunch while sitting on a makeshift stool. Cpl. Oates shows off his enticing meal courtsey of the Field Food Service System. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment (BLT 1/6), 24th Marine...

table> A Marine with the 24th MEU's KC-130 detatchment preps his bird for takeoff. The KC-130j crews have flown throughout the country in support of ISAF. Marines from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force, test the controls of a KC-130J prior to a flight. The KC-130J pilots and crew have been crisscrossing the country, flying cargo and passengers for ISAF. US Army soldiers catch a ride on a Marine KC-130j. HMM-365's KC-130 detatchment has been tranporting people and equipment all ove aAfghanistan in support of ISAF since their arival. Marines from...

Marines with MWSS 271, attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force, lay down AM2 matting while in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. This AM2 matting will be essential in the support of aircraft while conducting operations in support of NATO. Marines with MWSS 271, attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, NATO International Security Assistance Force, lay down AM2 matting while in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. This AM2 matting will be essential in for the landing and parking of aircraft while conducting operations in support of NATO. Marines with MWSS 271, attached to the 24th Marine...

24th MEU Press Release Members of the Iraqi SWAT team run to a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter after completing a raid in Jabella, Iraq, Jan. 19. Six CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters ferrying a joint strike force -- composed of elements of the Iraqi SWAT team, the 24th MEU's Force Reconnaissance platoon and U.S. Army troops -- swarmed the target, a crop of houses believed to shelter a number of militants and a stockpile of weapons and munitions. The raid kicked off Operation Checkmate, a fresh offensive aimed at disrupting insurgent activity ahead of national elections later this month. Photo by:...

Tough Duty for Marines Lance Cpl. Wyatt Schertenleib and Lance Cpl. Adam Smith of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit help secure a concertina-wire barrier in a canal, upstream from a recently destroyed bridge in Lutafiyah, Iraq, Nov. 13. They set up the wire to prevent possible floating improvised explosive devices from hampering the MEU's bridge reconstruction efforts. The bridge was severely damaged in repeated attacks by anti-Iraqi militants. Schertenleib, 21, is a Republic, Wash., native and Smith, 21, is a Ripley, W.Va., native. Both are combat engineers with Engineer Detachment, MEU Service Support Group 24. The 24th MEU continues to...

NEAR ISKANDARIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Twenty months after toppling Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), U.S. troops still battling his followers in the heart of Iraq (news - web sites)'s old arms industry are hitting back with a new weapon -- ex-members of Saddam's special forces. For five months, Iraqi police commandos have been based with U.S. Marines in charge of the region along the Euphrates river immediately south of Baghdad, which roadside bombs, ambushes and kidnaps have turned into a no-go area for outsiders and earned it the melodramatic description "triangle of death." The performance of these police is...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 October 28, 2004Release Number: 04-10-70 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE IRAQI SWAT TEAM ROLLS UP 18 INSURGENTS IN NORTHERN BABIL FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – The Iraqi SWAT team, backed by elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, captured 18 insurgents during a sweep through the south-central Iraqi town of Haswah Oct. 27. The operation raised to nearly 500 the number of insurgents caught by Iraqi Security Forces and their Marine allies since the MEU arrived in northern Babil province three...

A soldier, center, escorts a detainee to be questioned about illegal weapons and anti-Iraqi activity. The soldier is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. Forty men were detained during a raid conducted by the soldiers and U.S. Marines Operation Mustang Socko. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Al Barrus U OPERATION MUSTANG SOCKOSoldiers, Marines Make Big Find Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division join forces with Marines to conduct a productive raid in Southern Baghdad. U By U.S. Army Cpl. Benjamin Cossel  / 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGHDAD, Iraq — In order...

  Iraqis, Marines Maintain Pressure on Insurgents Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq -- Iraqi Security Forces and the elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit continued their surge in Northern Babil province today, rounding up 15 more suspected insurgents and seizing additional enemy weapons. In a precision raid 30 miles south of Baghdad, members of the Iraqi SWAT team and the MEU’s Force Reconnaissance platoon captured a man wanted in connection with attacks on Multi-National Forces. During a follow-up sweep through Iskandariyah, Iraqi SWAT members picked up 11 additional individuals from their target list. They also found seven mortar...

Patrolling the Euphrates A Marine attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit watches the shores as his watercraft patrols the Euphrates River outside Forward Operating Base Iskandariyah, Iraq, Oct. 1, 2004. The Marine is with Small Craft Company, attached to Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. The 24th MEU is currently conducting security and stability operations in Northern Babil province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary R. Frank opfopfopfopfopfopfopfopfopfo Preparing to leave dock, Marines attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit make last-minute checks of their crafts before patrolling the Euphrates River outside Forward Operating Base...

Iraqi and U.S. Forces continue pushSubmitted by: 24th MEUStory Identification #: 200410785024Story by - 24th MEU Public Affairs Office FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (Oct. 6, 2004) -- Iraqi security forces, backed by elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, captured 13 suspected militants in the central Iraqi town of Haswah Oct. 6 as the joint force continued to aggressively target anti-Iraqi forces throughout Northern Babil province. The Iraqi SWAT team, an emerging elite force within the ISF, led the afternoon raid in a town where Iraqi and Marine authorities believe AIF have been festering by intimidating the local,...

U.S. Forces Take Strategic Bridge as Major Operation With Iraqi Troops Begins MUSAYYIB, Iraq, Oct. 5 -- U.S. and Iraqi forces fanned out across a vast region south of Baghdad early Tuesday in what U.S. commanders described as a major operation to regain control of lawless areas where insurgents routinely use supply routes to bring weapons and fighters into the capital. More than 3,000 troops will target dozens of insurgents in raids extending west of the Euphrates River, military officers said. On Tuesday, U.S. troops took control of a bridge that insurgents had used to move bombs, money and people...

Another month down As the summer turns to fall back home, the 24th MEU is well into our own Fall Campaign here in Iraq. We’re advancing, steadily but surely, toward three objectives: the restoration of security, the revival of Iraq’s social and economic engines, and the reformation of its political system. All we do here revolves around the central goal of enabling this proud people to overcome decades of tyranny and fear in order to live in liberty and peace. In the nearly 45 days since we assumed operational control of Northern Babil, we have conducted countless patrols, some 30...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 September 18, 2004Release Number: 04-09-61 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 24TH MEU UNCOVERS WEAPONS CACHE IN NORTHERN BABIL FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit uncovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition on Sept. 16, after stopping to investigate a suspected improvised explosive device in the vicinity of Iskandariyah. During a sweep of the area, the Marines from Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines – the MEU’s ground combat element – turned...