WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2011 – About 1,400 service members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will deploy to southwestern Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command officials announced today. The 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines is currently aboard the ships of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group operating in the Indian Ocean. The unit’s home base is Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is the Theater Reserve Force. The unit will go ashore with infantry, aviation and logistics assets. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, requested the extra Marines. He did so after consultations with Afghan government officials. The Marines and sailors...