Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- The final flight carrying the Marines and Sailors of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines touched down on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, late Tuesday night, signaling an end to their eight-month deployment to Afghanistan where they were deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

As the "tip of the spear" operating in the still-embattled border provinces of eastern Afghanistan, America's Battalion fought to deny sanctuary to Al Queda-affiliated movements while working with the Afghan National Army and police to increase the effectiveness of the Government of Afghanistan's organic forces. They also worked to improve the overall stability and security of the country. America's Battalion Marines said the Afghanistan they left behind was a noticeably different place, staged and ready for the upcoming national parliamentary elections which, in many eyes, will solidify the legitimacy of Afghanistan's first democratically-elected government.

"Our legacy is a significantly changed security environment in places that were once far more volatile; places like the Peche District in Kunar; the Alishang and Alingar Districts of Laghman and the southern districts along the Tora Bora mountains in Nangarhar," said Lt. Col. Norm Cooling, America's Battalion's battalion commander.

Cooling said that America's Battalion's sister battalion, 2/3, will face many of the same challenges his Marines and Sailors faced as they strive to maintain an environment that may ultimately make members of the 3rd Marine Regiment some of the last Marines needed on the Afghan front of the Global War on Terror.

"We killed and captured several insurgent leaders and convinced several others that it was in their best interests to reconcile with the democratically-elected government. We seized the human terrain by winning the support of village populations that in some places were once hostile towards the coalition and in other places had never seen Coalition Forces. We also took a ton of ordnance and ammunition out of the insurgents' reach by collecting and destroying numerous arms caches. And, we increased the proficiency of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police so that they are more capable and more legitimate in the eyes of their people. In short, we brought Coalition Forces in our area of responsibility one step closer to being able to return home."

As Marines continue to fight terrorist movements throughout the Middle East, Afghanistan still poses a particular challenge. The geographic features include wide desert expansions as well as some of the most rugged, perennially snow-covered mountains in the world. The temperature and environmental extremes that Marines were faced with while coping with that rough terrain were compounded by having to fight experienced fighters in their own backyard.

Nevertheless, Marines have performed there duty there faithfully and effectively said Cooling.
"We are the premiere force in this environment. It is in our blood and dates back to the times when our predecessors were writing the Small Wars Manual. We are willing to go into difficult and uncomfortable places for indefinite periods to effect a change in the security environment," he said. 

As the families of America's Battalion begin to transition back to a non-deployed lifestyle, Cooling also said they will face their own, non-combat related challenges.

"It will take them a while to readjust. They have been going at it so long and hard that it will be almost unnatural to decompress. However, they will have an opportunity to do both during a well-earned post-deployment leave period."