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 'Skid duo' proves to be a lethal combination in Afghanistan skiesSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200462203910Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 22, 2004) -- As the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) entered its second month of operations in Afghanistan, the unit's AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1N Huey flight crews thought they might leave the country without firing a shot. For more than a month, these helicopters were a constant presence overhead as troops on the ground pushed further into central Afghanistan scouring the region for weapons caches and anti-coalition...

KC-130R Hercules detachment proves reliable force multiplierSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200461141248Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF OPERATIONS (June 11, 2004) -- To successfully operate from a remote location such as Forward Operating Base Ripley, deep in the heart of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, a unit requires a steady flow of supplies and personnel. For the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), a key provider of this support since it began conducting combat operations in late April has been a small detachment of Marines and aircraft from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)...

Marines and Sailors save the life of wounded Taliban fighterSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 2004615105521Story by Capt. Eric Dent FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 16, 2004) -- Two hours earlier they were hunting him down and now they were hurrying to save his life. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines and Afghan Militia Forces engaged three enemy fighters on a mountainside June 13. The guerillas were tracking and reporting on the BLT's activities when coalition forces opened fire and wounded at least one of them. Corporal Brad Kerr, originally from Rock Hill, S.C, used...

 22nd MEU (SOC) Harriers join the fight against Taliban insurgentsSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 20046105260Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 10, 2004) -- AV-8B Harrier II attack jets from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) recently conducted ground attack missions against anti-coalition militia in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province in support of the MEU's ground forces. Based out of Kandahar Air Field, the Harriers have seen extensive use flying escort and reconnaissance missions, but the missions beginning on June 2 marked their first true combat sorties since the MEU's arrival in Afghanistan...

Marines Battle Taliban Insurgents Marine Sgt. Ryan West, of Lafayette, Indiana, a squad leader with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) shouts for his Marines to take cover as sniper fire impacts around them during a fight with anti-coalition militia in central Afghanistan. During two days of heavy fighting in early June, three Marines were lightly wounded and at least 25 anti-coalition militia fighters killed. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks llllllllllllll  Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) look skyward for inbound AV-8B Harrier II attack jets...

Marines, Afghan Soldiers Foil Ambush, Kill Taliban Fighters American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 8, 2004 -- Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) continued their assault into the Taliban heartland, where they killed Taliban fighters poised to ambush them in central Afghanistan today. The battle occurred as the Marines and Afghan fighting forces approached a site identified as a likely ambush site. As Marines advanced, an intense firefight ensued. Some enemy fled, and others stayed and continued to fight. Five Marines were wounded in the battle, but all are stable and receiving medical treatment. An...

22d MEU(SOC) Secures Khas OruzganSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification #: 200451783850Story by Capt. Eric Dent KHAS ORUZGAN, Afghanistan (May 17, 2004 ) -- Villagers in northern Oruzgan Province curiously watched as a 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) task force rolled through the dusty, unpaved streets in heavily armed vehicles and established a base of operations at the recently-attacked district headquarters May 8, 2004. Minutes after the task force arrived, MEU helicopters landed nearby and unloaded Afghan National Army (ANA) forces and their equipment as Provincial Governor Jan Mohammed watched from nearby. Marines from the MEU's Maritime Special...

22d MEU (SOC) gets its marching ordersSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification Number: 2004427132457Story by Capt. Eric Dent KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN -- (April 27, 2004 ) -- The MEU commander, standing in front of a giant map nearly two-stories high, looked out into the tri-color wave of Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors and broke the morning silence by telling them that the next few months would be vitally important to the future of Afghanistan. More than 2,300 warriors listened intently as Col. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr, the 22d MEU (SOC) commanding officer, gave the entire MEU an orientation to the...

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A force of 2,000 Marines has begun arriving in Afghanistan as part of a stepped-up mission to crush Taliban-led insurgents and flush out al-Qaida fugitives. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will work a specific area of the country in an attempt to improve intelligence on enemy activity, spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said. He declined to give details, citing security concerns. "The plan is to continue to place pressure on al-Qaida and the Taliban throughout the south and east while providing enduring security," Hilferty said. He said they were not part of a troop rotation, but...

Some 2,200 Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will follow long-established plans and deploy shortly to Afghanistan, Joint Staff officials said here today. The unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., left home Feb. 18 and exercised in Albania. The unit will deploy to Afghanistan and aid other coalition forces there to deny sanctuary to terrorists and to capture or kill al Qaeda or Taliban members. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of special operations. It includes the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced); and Service Support Group 22. The 22nd MEU currently...

22nd MEU better trained, equipped Don Bryan/Daily News Saying goodbye: Cpl. Larry Currie and his wife, Shekinah, left, spend time together while Sgt. Eddie Williams plays with his son, Elijah, as his fiance Lisa Parsley watches. February 19,2004Eric SteinkopffDAILY NEWS STAFF Col. Kenneth Frank McKenzie Jr. stood near Risley Pier on Wednesday and watched with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. The commander of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit was watching his old battalion prepare for another six-month deployment. "I was the commander of that battalion the last time 1/6 left for a float, from November 1998 to May...

22d MEU begins its final pre-deployment examSubmitted by: 22nd MEUStory Identification Number: 200411735518Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks ABOARD THE USS WASP (Jan. 13, 2004) -- After months of intense training and preparation, the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has grabbed the reins of its final pre-deployment training hurdle; the Special Operations Capable Exercise (SOCEX). The current exercise will be 15th such training evolution for the 22d MEU since the Special Operations Capable training program was begun in 1985. To receive its 'SOC' designation the MEU and its major subordinate elements must demonstrate a proficiency in a number...

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FLA. - Marines from North Carolina ended their first live-fire exercise in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday and now will conduct an evaluation to determine if they’ll return. The Marine Corps is looking for new training sites to replace a Navy bombing range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. The Navy closed it in May following a series of protests triggered when errant bombs killed a civilian security guard in 1999. The Marines reported no significant injuries during the six-day exercise here. "Everything went as planned," said Lt. Col. Bryan Salas, a Marine spokesman. "We’re...