Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center

Twentynine Palms, California 92278 Public Affairs Office

(760) 830-3760 Fax: (760) 830-5474

For Immediate Release

Release No: PR-120911-HG1

1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Marines Return to Combat Center from Afghanistan Deployment
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Sept. 11, 2012) The Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, are scheduled to return to the Combat Center throughout September and October from a successful seven-month deployment to Afghanistans Helmand province. The purpose of being in Sangin, Afghanistan, was to facilitate the successful transition of the Sangin District Afghanistan to Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) control, said Lt. Col. David Bradney, commanding officer, 1/7. We also spent considerable amount of time building relationships, a sense of cooperation and trust between our Afghan counter-parts and within the coalition and civilian forces. The unit coordinated combat operations to strengthen the security hold throughout the District and attempted to interdict the insurgents ability to freely move around, to deny them their traditional safe-havens and to uncover their logistical caches, Bradney said. The battalion assumed an area previously occupied by three full infantry battalions due to recent draw-down efforts. They also de-militarizes five forward operating bases and re-scoped four additional bases so the Afghan Security forces could adequately occupy them. The Sangin District is as secure as it has ever been, Bradney said. These Afghan forces are more capable than they have ever been. These efforts have provided a much higher level of security for the people, it has given them opportunities for prosperity they have not seen in decades and have given them a voice. The unit was a part of Regimental Combat Team 6. RCT-6 falls under 1st Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the GIRoA to conduct counterinsurgency operations. -30-

Media Advisory: There are several opportunities for coverage. Media wishing to cover the units next upcoming return should RSVP no later than noon on Thursday (Sept. 13) by emailing 1stLt Sin Carrano, at sin.y.carrano@usmc.mil. Coordinating instructions for this return and all others will be provided by follow-on email.