thedrifter
09-25-08, 07:52 AM
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 Last modified: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 3:07 PM PDT
Welcome home, grunts
By Cpl. Nicole A. LaVine / Special to The Trail
MCAGCC — Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, and 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, re-turned to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center from Iraq all last week.
Each unit had deployed to Al Anbar province in Iraq for approximately seven months in support of the Global War on the Radical Islamic Movement.
The Marine Wing Sup-
port Squadron and 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marines de-ployed in February while the engineer battalion followed suit in April.
More than 1,200 service members will have re-turned home after the final wave from 3/4 arrives this weekend.
The 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion was reactivated as a fully-operational unit in November and focuses mainly on mobility and counter-mobility, but has added humanitarian assistance, civic action oper-
ations and disaster relief to its list since its reactivation, according to 1st Sgt. Manuel Colon.
The 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment was replaced by 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in Al Anbar province earlier this month.
One of their last acts in Iraq was to familiarize their replacements with the local operating procedures and introduce them around.
The 3/4 conducted a patrol this month with Marines and sailors from the 3/7 to introduce them to key leaders in the area and promote camaraderie, said Capt. Scott J. Anderson, who commands Company L.
While serving in Iraq, the mission of 3/4 was to train Iraqi military forces and law enforcement personnel in tactics, techniques and procedures that will allow them to regain control and authority in their country.
MWSS-374, which is one of three 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing units headquartered in Twentynine Palms, provided aviation ground support to infantry battalions and responded to aircraft and fire emergencies while in country, said Lt. Col. Timothy B. Seamon, squadron commanding officer, in a September Key Volunteers letter.
Both the MWSS-374 and 3/4 commanding officers expressed gratitude in each newsletter and Key Volunteers letter to families and loved ones of service members for their unwavering support.
Many spouses, parents, children, siblings and friends gathered under the shelter at Victory Field as they awaited the arrival of their service members.
Family members like Venita Doe, mother of Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Doe Jr., a corpsman with Weapons Company in the 3/4, and Aleasa Mathews, wife of Lance Cpl. Toby Mathews, also with Weapons Company, said they were joyful just to have their men return home safely with their unit.
Patrick Bell, father of Weapons Company’s Lance Cpl. Brian Bell said he was ecstatic to have his son return home from his first deployment.
“It’s comforting knowing he was in good hands the whole time,” said Bell. “But having him back in our hands personally is going to be better.”
Deborah, Bell’s wife, agreed, saying she received much comfort from the news made available in the Key Volunteers Network and commander’s newsletters, voicemail services and Web sites.
Ellie
Welcome home, grunts
By Cpl. Nicole A. LaVine / Special to The Trail
MCAGCC — Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, and 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, re-turned to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center from Iraq all last week.
Each unit had deployed to Al Anbar province in Iraq for approximately seven months in support of the Global War on the Radical Islamic Movement.
The Marine Wing Sup-
port Squadron and 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marines de-ployed in February while the engineer battalion followed suit in April.
More than 1,200 service members will have re-turned home after the final wave from 3/4 arrives this weekend.
The 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion was reactivated as a fully-operational unit in November and focuses mainly on mobility and counter-mobility, but has added humanitarian assistance, civic action oper-
ations and disaster relief to its list since its reactivation, according to 1st Sgt. Manuel Colon.
The 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment was replaced by 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in Al Anbar province earlier this month.
One of their last acts in Iraq was to familiarize their replacements with the local operating procedures and introduce them around.
The 3/4 conducted a patrol this month with Marines and sailors from the 3/7 to introduce them to key leaders in the area and promote camaraderie, said Capt. Scott J. Anderson, who commands Company L.
While serving in Iraq, the mission of 3/4 was to train Iraqi military forces and law enforcement personnel in tactics, techniques and procedures that will allow them to regain control and authority in their country.
MWSS-374, which is one of three 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing units headquartered in Twentynine Palms, provided aviation ground support to infantry battalions and responded to aircraft and fire emergencies while in country, said Lt. Col. Timothy B. Seamon, squadron commanding officer, in a September Key Volunteers letter.
Both the MWSS-374 and 3/4 commanding officers expressed gratitude in each newsletter and Key Volunteers letter to families and loved ones of service members for their unwavering support.
Many spouses, parents, children, siblings and friends gathered under the shelter at Victory Field as they awaited the arrival of their service members.
Family members like Venita Doe, mother of Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Doe Jr., a corpsman with Weapons Company in the 3/4, and Aleasa Mathews, wife of Lance Cpl. Toby Mathews, also with Weapons Company, said they were joyful just to have their men return home safely with their unit.
Patrick Bell, father of Weapons Company’s Lance Cpl. Brian Bell said he was ecstatic to have his son return home from his first deployment.
“It’s comforting knowing he was in good hands the whole time,” said Bell. “But having him back in our hands personally is going to be better.”
Deborah, Bell’s wife, agreed, saying she received much comfort from the news made available in the Key Volunteers Network and commander’s newsletters, voicemail services and Web sites.
Ellie