Afghanistan

By Capt. Jennifer Bocanegra

AFGHANISTAN - Based on the success of Operation Jaeza, Regional Command East is running a second installment of the promotion campaign, encouraging local Afghans to use community safety call-in lines to report on weapons, improvised explosive devices, and criminals in exchange for rewards.

The goal of the program is to provide security to the people of Afghanistan by cutting down the amount of IEDs on the roadways, IED facilitators, key insurgent leaders and their weapons storage areas.

Story by Lance Cpl. Walter Marino

HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – As Route Clearance Platoon 3, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion convoys its way through an Afghan road, young children cry and signal for food.

Some Marines patrolling alongside the vehicles begin passing out oatmeal cookies.

Although the mission of RCP-3 is to rid Helmand province, Afghanistan of IED's, the Marines of RCP3 understand winning the war in Afghanistan is about more than ridding the country of roadside bombs.

PAKTYA PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN - Afghanistan national security forces and their dependants are entitled to free military health care throughout the country, however, this service is not often used by families due to lack of awareness or proximity to a military facility. The Paktya Regional Military Hospital is a fifty-bed inpatient facility which sees hundreds of outpatient visits daily and, of those, almost none are from family members.

By Lance Cpl. Daniel Flynn

CAMP DWYER, Helmand Province, Afghanistan -  What is needed to get through a combat deployment? Some might say the answer is perseverance, determination and motivation. Two Marines with Regimental Combat Team 3, deployed here from 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment based in Okinawa, Japan, have gone out of their way to help bring a little bit of motivation to their fellow Marines and Sailors.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The Afghan government, its citizens and Afghan national security forces throughout Nuristan province are taking full advantage of the skills, training and mentoring provided by Task Force Mountain Warrior service members to improve the security and quality of life for the people in the province.