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Posted on 08/14/2008 2:16:18 PM PDT by jazusamo
Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan — This British-built fortress, perched on a plateau in southwestern Afghanistan, is well named. Surrounded by miles of open desert, the citadel has its own concrete runway, water supply, sewage, electricity, Level 3 Trauma Hospital, even fire mains — all constructed in the last 30 months.
The heavily-armed camp is home to British, Danish, Estonian and Czech troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It's also home to Task Force 2/7 (T/F 2/7), built around the legendary 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment out of Marine Corps Base 29 Palms, California — a good place to prepare for this austere terrain and oppressive heat. Camp Bastion is an outpost of sanity in an otherwise insane part of the world.
Helmand Province is the heartland of the Taliban — the Islamic radicals who won a bloody civil war to rule Afghanistan in 1996. Once in power, the Taliban imposed strict Sharia law and brutalized the largely impoverished Afghan population. Taliban leaders also provided a haven for Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda to launch the 9/11 attack. In November 2001, when they were deposed by the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance, many of the Taliban fled south to Pakistan and east into Iran. This spring, they came back, intent on overthrowing the democratically elected government of President Hamid Karzi. That's when the Marines of TF 2/7 arrived "in country" to train and mentor Afghan Army and police forces.
It's been a challenging assignment for the 1300 Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen of TF 2/7. The unit's Area of Operations (A/O) is more than 28,000 square kilometers — roughly the size of Vermont. There is only one paved highway. Overland transport to some of the fifteen forward bases and combat outposts...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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BUMP
Ahhhhh, this is beautiful.
Put any US Marines there and they will fight like hell to win just to get out of the place!
Any soldier who can fight in this environment , can fight anywhere.The locals grow up in it. Thats why they are tough. But not tough enough!
Thank you for your Service Marines! Hoooo Ahhhhh!
They will carry out their missions honor bound and to afraid to fail so they will ultimately achieve their goals.
Having served there at 29 Palms [loveingly refered to as the STUMPS] I can apperate what those guys of 2/7 are doing. I was at the stumps for 4 years. We in gun 2, 1st155mm, HowBtry (sp),4thBn,11th Mar[Rein], we refered to the Stumps as the worlds’s largest cat litter box!
I was in 1st Bn 11th Marines. We did so much time in 29 Palms I thought I WAS stationed there. I was comm/FDC though. We just referred to stumps as, “awwww man, not again”. As far as training went, I preferred going there over “backyard” firing at Pendleton.
I spent several training sessions at Ft. Irwin before it was the NTC, I believe it and 29 Palms are a lot alike. :)
The High Desert looks all about the same, and that is why the Military trains out there. Such a wide open spaces and very few civillians in the area that they could blast just about anything they wanted and not worry about the eco-wacco’s getting in the way!
When I had RE-enlisted in 1996 I WANTED to go back to my desert to work. I am one of those people the the desert got into my blood, & I can’t seem to get it out. I miss the smell of the area after a rain, the winds blowing sand at such a force that it would scrach glass, strip paint off of equipment, the warm sun warming your bones on a summer’s after noon, sigh........
I have told my wife that if I ever won the lottery, just foreward my mail to either the Stumps or Yuma, AZ.
I share your fondness of the desert whether it be high or low. I guess I come by it naturally because I was born in Trona, CA on the very edge of Death Valley.
Many people view the desert as a vast wasteland, it’s far from it. Along with the extreme temps it’s clear, crisp and quiet, all things that can’t be found in many other places.
If my better half loved it as I do we’d be retired there but the simple fact is she hates it. I guess you can’t win em all. :)
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