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    As Ramadan comes to an end, coalition forces support the celebration of Eid Il-Iftar

    HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

    09.03.2011

    Story by Cpl. Colby Brown 

    I Marine Expeditionary Force

    GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan — The end of the Ramadan, a solemn, monthlong Islamic holiday, marks the beginning of the three-day celebration of Eid Il-Iftar.

    Marines with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment supported the celebration ‘to break the fast’ Aug. 31- Sept. 2, partnering with Afghan National Security Forces to provide security and distribute gifts to the local population.

    Less than two years ago, strong insurgent presence stopped open celebrations in Garmsir. Now, bazaars are full of people who can openly celebrate. Some shot off fireworks, while others rode a homemade Ferris wheel.

    At the end of each day of Eid, Marines shared dinner with their brothers-in-arms. At patrol bases and combat outposts throughout Garmsir, Marines served dinner or were invited to share the evening meal with people local to their areas of operation.

    Partnering with Afghan National Army soldiers or members of the Afghan National Police, 1/3 Marines also assisted in distributing gifts to the local community.

    “Handing out gifts allows a chance for ANA soldiers, ANP members and Marines to go out into the local communities and interact with the local people in an intimate, positive and constructive way,” said Capt. Joshua Cavan, assistant operations officer for 1/3 and a native of Amherst, N.Y.

    A large quantity of small gifts and school supplies were mailed from families of 1/3 Marines and sailors to handout to the roughly 15,000 children of Garmsir. Navy Lt. Carl Rhoads, the battalion chaplain, ensured that each company in 1/3 received at least one pallet of gifts.

    “People have given what they are able to give,” said Rhoads, a native of Weippe, Idaho. “You can tell each package or item had a lot of thought go into it. It’s very humbling to be able to give these gifts for the people who sent them.”

    “We definitely couldn’t do this without the support from the families back home,” Rhoads added. “You can’t buy some of the things sent [in Garmsir] or order them from supply, they have to be sent form home.”

    The Embedded Training Team’s experience handing out gifts to the local children was one of happy pandemonium. Although the Marines of ETT only assisted while their ANA counterparts handed out volleyballs and pencils, they witnessed smiling children racing each other to the gift handout; something that had not been seen in the district only two years before.

    “It was very good to see the ANA soldiers interacting with the children and feeling comfortable while doing so,” said Capt. Daniel Petronzio, the 1/3 ETT commander and a native of Beverly, Mass. “Our soldiers are from the northern mountainous region of Afghanistan, not from the desert. But the shared experience of Eid bonds them with the local people. It’s like taking a kid from Texas and having him celebrate New Year’s Eve with a bunch of New Yorkers. The kid from Texas maybe a stranger, but after News Year’s he will have a better acceptance of the New Yorkers because they shared bringing in the New Year.”

    Petronzio may have enjoyed the Eid celebration more than some of his fellow Marines, given that he experienced the self-sacrifice of Ramadan first hand.

    “I fasted alongside the ANA soldiers, so I have been able to understand and sympathize with them why they want three days to celebrate Eid,” said Petronzio. “It’s hard not to feel charitable during this time.”

    Eid is one of the largest celebrations in the Islamic religion. The people of Garmsir celebrate openly, indicating the undeniable security and infrastructural progress their district continues to make.

    Editors note: First Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 2nd 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 Afghanistan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.03.2011
    Date Posted: 09.03.2011 01:30
    Story ID: 76368
    Location: HELMAND PROVINCE, AF

    Web Views: 331
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN