| By Lance Cpl. Robert C. Frenke Marine Corps Base Camp Butler |
| OKINAWA, Japan, Sept. 6, 2007 — More than 130 Marines and sailors from 1st Stinger Battery, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, returned here 1 a.m. Sept. 4 following the unit’s first combat deployment since the start of the war on terrorism. During the deployment, the servicemembers helped secure the movement of more than 100,000 vehicles and personnel while ensuring the safe, uninterrupted flow of personnel, supplies and materiel required for sustaining missions and operations at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, according to Capt. Christopher A. Taylor, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Stinger Battery executive officer. Taylor said a Stinger battery’s primary mission is to provide close-in, low altitude, surface-to-air weapons support in defense of Marine assets, but today’s fight has the units focusing their efforts on another important role. “Since there is no current air threat, the LAAD battalions, including 1st Stinger Battery, have been conducting their secondary mission of providing airbase ground defense,” said Taylor. With virtually no aerial threat in Iraq, the Marines and sailors were tasked with providing security for an area of operations of approximately 155 square miles, which encompassed the main entry control point to the base and some of the most rugged terrain in the vicinity. “Establishing a strong grasp of the (Humvee’s) capabilities mixed with the rugged terrain we were operating in offered significant challenges and kept us on our toes,” said 1st Lt. Jason Pon, 1st Platoon commander of 1st Stinger Battery. “Once we found our battle rhythm, our operations ran smooth and the Marines were communicating without even speaking. When I was able to see my three squads operating like this, I knew it was a true sign of their proficiency.” Throughout the seven-month deployment, the battery performed more than 900 mounted combat and external perimeter patrols in addition to providing security at the air base, Taylor said. “The Marines’ success (during the deployment) came from their team mindset and aggressive patrolling,” Pon said. “We maintained our unit cohesion throughout the deployment.” While performing the patrols, the platoons came in constant contact with Iraqi civilians and worked hard to gain their trust, Pon added. Before long many of the locals felt comfortable enough to report anything out of the ordinary which helped ensure their own safety as well as the Marines'. The Marines often delivered food, water, clothes and toys to some of the local farms and villages, Taylor said. Corpsmen also provided medical care when necessary. |
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| With the deployment behind them, the Marines and sailors arrived to a throng of anxious family members, many wielding homemade signs. And is often the case after a long deployment, there were those who arrived home to family members they have never met. “I’m happy — I’m glad to finally meet him,” said Cpl. Ricardo Padilla as he looked into the eyes of his five-month old son Adrian for the first time. He said his wife Maria kept him up-to-date on the baby’s development via e-mail and a Web camera, but it could not compare to holding him, he said. |
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