thedrifter
11-16-08, 07:20 AM
November 16, 2008
Marine: Iraq less dangerous today than 2 years ago
Binghamton resident serves new Mideast tour
By George Basler
Staff Writer
A Marine sergeant from Binghamton has seen marked improvement in Iraq from the last time he was stationed there two years ago.
Violence is down and security has improved, said Sgt. Nicholas Jones, 28, a platoon sergeant who grew up in Whitney Point and now lives in Binghamton.
In the two months he has been back in the country, his unit hasn't come under fire, Jones said. That's dramatically different from two years ago, when the unit engaged insurgents on a weekly basis while stationed in Fallujah.
"It's definitely stabilized here," Jones said.
The Binghamton sergeant is stationed at Al Asad Air Force Base in Anbar Province, about 40 miles northeast of Baghdad. He commands 40 men as a platoon sergeant for Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, a reserve unit out of Albany. Their job is to do daily security patrols around the base.
The U.S. military turned over primary responsibility for security in Anbar to provincial officials two months ago, prompting Marines to downscale their presence. The situation has stabilized enough that forces could be moved to Afghanistan, Jones said. Still, any downscaling of the military presence in Iraq needs to be done carefully, he said.
"If forces are needed in Afghanistan, that's where forces should be," the sergeant said.
At the same time, he thinks the war in Iraq is being forgotten, and that can be discouraging. The war has been going on for so many years that support has ebbed, he said.
One of the most difficult parts of the job is staying focused despite the lull in hostilities, Jones said. "There are still insurgents out there," he said. In fact, three people died last week when a suicide car bomber targeted police in Anbar province.
When he's not on active duty, Jones is a train conductor for the Canadian Pacific. He has a 9-year-old daughter. This is his third tour of duty in Iraq since joining the Marines seven years ago. His current tour in Iraq ends five months from now.
"I'm proud to be with the guys serving under me," he said.
Ellie
Marine: Iraq less dangerous today than 2 years ago
Binghamton resident serves new Mideast tour
By George Basler
Staff Writer
A Marine sergeant from Binghamton has seen marked improvement in Iraq from the last time he was stationed there two years ago.
Violence is down and security has improved, said Sgt. Nicholas Jones, 28, a platoon sergeant who grew up in Whitney Point and now lives in Binghamton.
In the two months he has been back in the country, his unit hasn't come under fire, Jones said. That's dramatically different from two years ago, when the unit engaged insurgents on a weekly basis while stationed in Fallujah.
"It's definitely stabilized here," Jones said.
The Binghamton sergeant is stationed at Al Asad Air Force Base in Anbar Province, about 40 miles northeast of Baghdad. He commands 40 men as a platoon sergeant for Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, a reserve unit out of Albany. Their job is to do daily security patrols around the base.
The U.S. military turned over primary responsibility for security in Anbar to provincial officials two months ago, prompting Marines to downscale their presence. The situation has stabilized enough that forces could be moved to Afghanistan, Jones said. Still, any downscaling of the military presence in Iraq needs to be done carefully, he said.
"If forces are needed in Afghanistan, that's where forces should be," the sergeant said.
At the same time, he thinks the war in Iraq is being forgotten, and that can be discouraging. The war has been going on for so many years that support has ebbed, he said.
One of the most difficult parts of the job is staying focused despite the lull in hostilities, Jones said. "There are still insurgents out there," he said. In fact, three people died last week when a suicide car bomber targeted police in Anbar province.
When he's not on active duty, Jones is a train conductor for the Canadian Pacific. He has a 9-year-old daughter. This is his third tour of duty in Iraq since joining the Marines seven years ago. His current tour in Iraq ends five months from now.
"I'm proud to be with the guys serving under me," he said.
Ellie