Posted on 02/07/2008 4:31:37 PM PST by SandRat
AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (Feb. 7, 2008) -- The 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) transferred the responsibility of combat logistics in Iraq’s Al Anbar province to the 1st Marine Logistics Group during a ceremony here Thursday.
In January 2007, the same month the 2nd MLG (Fwd) arrived in theater, President George W. Bush said in an address to the nation that “Al Qaeda has helped make Anbar the most violent area of Iraq outside the capital,” and news reports regularly referred to the “volatile Anbar province” as a stronghold for Al Qaeda and the Sunni insurgency. One year later the province shows a remarkably different face.
“An amazing transformation has happened,” Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, the outgoing commanding general of Multi-National Forces–West and II Marine Expeditionary Forces (Forward), said to the assembled Marines and sailors of the 2nd MLG (Fwd). “You brought a tremendous impact to security and government in Anbar.”
During the past year, attacks against coalition forces have significantly decreased, the roads and cities are safer, and the Iraqi Security Forces have grown in size and capability. The Iraqi army has steadily taken over more battlespace and more challenging missions, while the Iraqi police, provincial security forces and highway patrol in Anbar province have swelled to more than 22,000 members.
“It’s the efforts toward transition and the transfer of battlespace to our Iraqi partners that has been our objective,” said Brig. Gen. James Kessler, 2nd MLG (Fwd) commanding general, “and it has been a pleasure to watch the Iraqi Security Forces grow.”
As Anbar has gone from one of Iraq’s most dangerous provinces to one of its safest, the Marines and sailors of the 2nd MLG (Fwd) have conducted combat logistics support for Multi-National Forces – West. Their mission consisted of supply, motor transport, engineering, maintenance of vehicles and equipment, medical and dental support, and services such as postal and disbursing.
The unit’s servicemembers traversed countless miles of Anbar province taking part in numerous crucial operations, be it the buildup of combat outposts in Amariyah-Ferris or the fortification of joint security stations and Iraqi police stations in Ramadi and Fallujah. Over the course of the year they have worked with the Iraqi security forces to bring medical care to the Iraqi people, kept the combat element of MNF-W moving and processed more than 28 million pounds of mail.
“The Marines are well trained and well disciplined,” said Sgt. Maj. Carl R. Green, command sergeant major of the 2nd MLG (Fwd), of the Marines he observed during the deployment, “A lot are really young but really dedicated to what they do. Our young [noncommissioned officer] corps is probably the best I’ve seen in many years.”
The 1st MLG plans to build upon the successes of the outgoing unit.
“We have big shoes to fill,” Brig. Gen. Robert R. Ruark, commanding general of 1st MLG, said at the ceremony, “but we have been trained well prior to coming to Iraq and well guided by the capable hands of the 2nd MLG (Fwd).”
The petition
We, the undersigned condemn the Berkeley City Council’s treasonous attack on US Marine Recruiters stationed in their city. We ask that Congress cut off funds from any and all municipal entity within the confines of the city of Berkeley, California, until such time as the city council withdraws it’s action.
The City Council has voted to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and “if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests.”
The measure passed last week by a vote of 8-1.
The council also voted to explore enforcing a city anti-discrimination law, focusing on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
In a separate item, the council voted, also 8-1, to give the Marxist protest group Code Pink a parking space in front of the recruiting office once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cutoffberkeleynow
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