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Attacks in Afghanistan: Here are the statistics for RC-Southwest

By Dan Lamothe on January 23, 2013 Afghanistan, Infantry, Kajaki, Marjah, Musa Qala, Sangin

As you may have seen today in this story, Marine officials in Afghanistan released to me statistics outlining enemy-initiated attacks. The numbers compared 2011 and 2012 by district, shedding light on an interesting period of transition in southwestern Afghanistan. My story on the subject is posted here. We’ve also posted the whole slide that I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) released, so you can check out the details yourself. Among the details that stuck out for me: Sangin Lt. Col. David Bradney, head of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, told me in an interview in October that his Marines had “punched them…

2/5 Marines replace 2/4 in Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on March 20, 2012 Afghanistan, Infantry, Kajaki

The Magnificent Bastards are coming home. Second Battalion, 4th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., is returning to the U.S. this week after a seven-month deployment. Most of the unit was based in Musa Qala, but the unit also pressed into neighboring Kajaki district at times as part of an effort to squash the insurgency there. The battalion will be replaced downrange by a sister unit, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. Its Marines will continue to push the Taliban as far as they can from population centers, facing a mix of small-arms ambushes, improvised explosive devices and other threats. For 2/4,…

3/7 and 2/4 Marines prepare for Afghanistan deployment

By Dan Lamothe on August 11, 2011 Afghanistan, Infantry, Sangin

Last summer, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, shifted gears partway through its deployment to Afghanistan. After months in relatively quiet northeastern Nimroz province, the unit moved to Sangin, one of the country’s most violent districts. The differences were immediately apparent to Marines on the ground, as you can see in this video highlighting their deployment. They faced regular firefights as they pushed into Sangin’s Northern Green Zone, and terrain riddled with improvised explosive devices. Several Marines were killed in the first few weeks there, with Lima Company facing a sniper who drew blood numerous times. The unit, out of Twentynine Palms,…

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