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Colonel takes over Marine Corps air operations in Afghanistan

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By on Afghanistan, Aviation, Battle Rattle, Camp Leatherneck

A new commander is taking charge of Marine air operations in Afghanistan. Col. Scott Jensen took command of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD) from Brig. Gen Gary Thomas, Dec. 9 during a ceremony aboard Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Jensen, who was the unit’s assistant wing commander, will run operations through February when 3rd MAW will take over in preparation for the final withdrawal of U.S. forces next year. As operations are curtailed and Afghan forces assume more responsibility for local security, Marine units like 3rd MAW are adapting their command structures. “Over the past several months, significant gains…

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Chow hall cutbacks in Afghanistan spark anger for some Marines

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By on Afghanistan, Camp Bastion, Camp Leatherneck, Infantry

Check out this photograph above. It shows the modest chow hall at Combat Outpost Taghaz, a small combat outpost in Afghanistan where I lived with Marines for about a week last fall while gathering information for a couple of stories. The adviser team shared the base with a platoon from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, which provided overwatch security in the region. I bring this up after reading today that some service members at Camp Leatherneck, the Marine Corps’ largest base in Afghanistan, are angry that commanders have apparently decided to dump the midnight ration service and 24-hour sandwich bar in…

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Meet Maj. Gen. John Toolan, your new Afghanistan commander

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By on Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry, Leadership

As Marine Corps Times forecasted in a story Saturday morning, Maj. Gen. John Toolan has taken over as commander of II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) and Regional Command-Southwest. The transfer of authority from Maj. Gen. Richard Mills and I MEF (Fwd.) puts Toolan in charge of more than 20,000 Marines, primarily in volatile Helmand province. I had the opportunity to interview Mills last week by telephone before he stepped down as commander. He was candid in offering perspective on where things have improved, but also warned that Marines will face another push from the insurgency this spring. “He defended all…

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Camp Leatherneck gym controversy heats up, then cools down

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By on Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – I went to the gym today at 3 p.m. That may not exactly sound like breaking news, but the time signifies something bigger: Camp Leatherneck’s gym controversy is finally over. About a week ago, Capt. Thano Pravong, Leatherneck’s camp commandant, made the decision to close the gym from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. after it was discovered that the midday temperature inside was edging toward 120 degrees.  Helmand province cracks triple digits regularly now, and when you add in a few hundred men (and a few women) pumping iron in an enclosed tent, it can get…

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Now reporting live from Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan

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By on Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Marjah

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Good morning, friends. Photographer Tom Brown and I successfully hopped a CH-53 flight night last night from Camp Hanson in Marjah to Camp Leatherneck. While that means our time with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, has come to a close, we’ll be posting a variety of photographs and blog entries in the next few days in this space that shows what life is like for those Marines, who took great care of us while we were embedded with them. We’ll also be blogging about life here at Leatherneck again and pointing out some of the more serious…

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Check out the new ‘Battle Rattle’ logo

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By on Afghanistan, Battle Rattle, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Just wanted to take a second to point out that the Military Times art department has put together a pretty sweet graphic to serve as Battle Rattle’s new logo. I’m a big fan, as you might expect. I’m heading down to the flightline at nearby Camp Bastion shortly to try and get down to Marjah once again. We’re flying space-available today, so keep your fingers crossed for us. There are about 15 things that could keep us grounded again, including if there are more pressing operational matters. In the meantime, consider following us on Facebook and/or Twitter,…

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