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FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan - Marines and sailors with Regimental Combat Team 6 celebrated the Afghan New Year, Nowruz, with Afghan citizens and soldiers at the base chapel on Tuesday.
The celebration was part of the relationship building process between the Afghans and coalition forces.
“We wanted the Marines to come. We wanted to thank them for all that they have done. It means a lot to us that they would come celebrate our new year,” said Ata Haider, command translator, RCT-6. “Happy New Year.”
The Marines and Afghans celebrated the New Year by having lunch together and listening to cultural music. The musician, Mohammad Musa Hussein played a harmonium and sang a patriotic song, Maihan and a love song (translated) “Give me a drink/kiss from your lips.”
A slide show containing pictures of Afghanistan and its citizens scrolled on the projector screen behind Hussein.
“I want to thank the Afghans for putting on the celebration today, we really appreciate the invitation to experience the New Year with them,” said Col. John Shafer, 48, commanding officer, RCT-6. “They’re always very open, and events like this help to strengthen our relationship. We look forward to repaying them by sharing our culture.”
According to tradition, Nowruz is celebrated for two days and can be celebrated for up to two weeks in some parts of the country. Many festivals take place during this time and certain food are prepared specifically for this holiday.
“It’s very important to us to share this day, it’s very nice of the Marines to come,” 1st Lt. Azizullah Azizi said (translated), 21, from Bagghis, Afghanistan. “We’re happy and thank you.”
Nowruz, falls on the spring equinox. At this time, the sun is considered to be directly over the equator and sunlight is evenly divided between the north and south hemispheres. Even though the day for the New Year is different, the Afghan year is a solar based year, with twelve months and 7-day weeks.
E-mail Staff Sgt. Robert M. Storm at robert.storm@afg.usmc.mil
Editor’s note: Forward Operating Base Delaram II currently houses Regimental Combat Team 6 of 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 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 ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 03.21.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2012 02:39 |
| Story ID: | 85520 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AF |
| Web Views: | 255 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marines celebrate Afghan New Year, by GySgt Robert Storm, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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