thedrifter
05-06-09, 06:00 AM
Local Lima Marines get ready for Iraq deployment
By Brian Bishop
Press Staff Writer
bbishop@johnsoncitypress.com
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The need for soldiers on the ground in Iraq has not gone away and a Marine Corps rifle company from our area – 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, an infantry/rifle battalion made up of five companies – will head off to answer the call Thursday.
“Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines has headquarters in Bridgeton, Mo., of course that is the parent unit,” Lt. Col. James Watson said. “There are five companies spread out across the U.S. Lima Company is one of five that will be heading out Thursday.”
The 24th Marine regiment was originally formed Feb. 1, 1943, and entered combat in February 1944. The campaign that included fighting on Saipan and Iwo Jima left the 24th Marines with victory at a cost of 652 dead and 1,053 wounded. The company’s motto is “Always Ready.”
In more recent history, these Marines have seen action in Kuwait and Iraq as part of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
“Lima Company is a Marine company, it is an infantry company. They do basically whatever they are asked to do, security missions, raids if necessary,” Watson said. “Primarily, I think with the drawdown in Iraq they will just be a security force.”
About 130 soldiers will leave from the Gray Armed Services Reserve Center at 8 a.m. Thursday. With such an established history as an active front-line combat regiment, it stands to reason, this is not the first time many of these men have been in harm’s way.
“The last time this company deployed was in 2004,” Watson said. “In fact about 35 percent of the company has a previous deployment under their belt, whether it was with the company or from previous active duty experience. There were some Marines that went from here back in 2006 with a sister battalion from Michigan.”
The soldiers of Lima Company will depart on a flight to Camp Pendleton, Calif., this week to begin a journey that will put them, once again, in a war zone.
“They will go to California on Thursday. They will stay there until September and then they will receive orders as to where they go next,” Watson said. “Currently the plan is for them to go to Iraq and then they will fall in on an RCT which is a Regimental Combat Team, in Iraq.”
Training at Camp Pendelton is designed for the specific types of missions the Marines with Lima Company can expect.
“Pre-deployment training. They will be shooting, working with communications, doing maneuvers and doing insurgent training, those kinds of things. Basic block training,” Watson said.
Ellie
By Brian Bishop
Press Staff Writer
bbishop@johnsoncitypress.com
Printer-friendly version
Email Article
The need for soldiers on the ground in Iraq has not gone away and a Marine Corps rifle company from our area – 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, an infantry/rifle battalion made up of five companies – will head off to answer the call Thursday.
“Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines has headquarters in Bridgeton, Mo., of course that is the parent unit,” Lt. Col. James Watson said. “There are five companies spread out across the U.S. Lima Company is one of five that will be heading out Thursday.”
The 24th Marine regiment was originally formed Feb. 1, 1943, and entered combat in February 1944. The campaign that included fighting on Saipan and Iwo Jima left the 24th Marines with victory at a cost of 652 dead and 1,053 wounded. The company’s motto is “Always Ready.”
In more recent history, these Marines have seen action in Kuwait and Iraq as part of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
“Lima Company is a Marine company, it is an infantry company. They do basically whatever they are asked to do, security missions, raids if necessary,” Watson said. “Primarily, I think with the drawdown in Iraq they will just be a security force.”
About 130 soldiers will leave from the Gray Armed Services Reserve Center at 8 a.m. Thursday. With such an established history as an active front-line combat regiment, it stands to reason, this is not the first time many of these men have been in harm’s way.
“The last time this company deployed was in 2004,” Watson said. “In fact about 35 percent of the company has a previous deployment under their belt, whether it was with the company or from previous active duty experience. There were some Marines that went from here back in 2006 with a sister battalion from Michigan.”
The soldiers of Lima Company will depart on a flight to Camp Pendleton, Calif., this week to begin a journey that will put them, once again, in a war zone.
“They will go to California on Thursday. They will stay there until September and then they will receive orders as to where they go next,” Watson said. “Currently the plan is for them to go to Iraq and then they will fall in on an RCT which is a Regimental Combat Team, in Iraq.”
Training at Camp Pendelton is designed for the specific types of missions the Marines with Lima Company can expect.
“Pre-deployment training. They will be shooting, working with communications, doing maneuvers and doing insurgent training, those kinds of things. Basic block training,” Watson said.
Ellie