Engineers build up defenses for MARSOC

Regional Command Southwest
Story by Cpl. Kenneth Jasik

Date: 09.01.2012
Posted: 09.02.2012 11:58
News ID: 94142
Engineers build up defenses for MARSOC

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In one of the most dangerous areas of Helmand province, a lone team of Marines with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command operates daily from a pair of small patrol bases, which, until recently, had known vulnerabilities.

To reduce the risk to service members living aboard the bases, Marines with 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) improved the defenses and completed their mission in support of Special Operations Task Force West, Sept. 1.

“The purpose of this mission was to increase the force protection for the Marines here,” said Sgt. Derek C. Webb, a squad leader with 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st MLG (Fwd). “We rose the walls up higher to give the guys on the base more cover and concealment.”

The combat engineers enjoy supporting special operations forces, who are in turn willing to support the engineers any way they can.
“It’s always a good time when we get to support MARSOC,” said Webb, 23, from Shreve, Ohio. “The guys always appreciate the work we do. We enjoy providing them with a good product because we know everything we do helps them do their job a little bit better.”

The mission was completed by engineers with 8th ESB and Combat Logistics Battalion 2. The 8th ESB Marines are returning home soon, so they passed on the lessons they learned in Afghanistan to the newly arrived CLB-2 Marines.

“We got them to understand the changes in the way we operate, such as the share the road policy,” said 1st Lt. Christopher J. White, a platoon commander with 8th ESB. “I think a lot of my Marines were able to pass on good, tactical knowledge to them.”
The engineers are proud they supported MARSOC, and hope the force protection they set up will help the operators accomplish their mission.

“The Marines performed excellent, as always,” said Webb. “They put up the HESCO real quick. They took a five-day mission and did it in three days.”