MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. − Dozens of friends and families gathered at the 22 Area parade deck to welcome home more than 230 Marines and sailors with Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, at a homecoming, here, Feb. 7.
As the buses approached the parade deck, loved ones welcomed home their troops with teary eyes and open arms.
“I was so excited to see him,” said Guadalupe Murillo, wife of Staff Sgt. Norberto Murillo, an operations chief deployed with CLR-15. “I cannot express how grateful I am to have him back. It was hard without him, but things will be better now.”
While deployed, CLR-15 served as the Logistics Combat Element for Regional Command Southwest in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The unit planned and coordinated 535 combat logistics patrols, delivered more than 1.2 million gallons of bulk fuel throughout 60,345 miles of road littered with improvised explosive devices, and supported 152 helicopter missions.
Ultimately, they helped establish security-force operations in the Helmand and Nimroz provinces to effectively prepare the Afghan National Security Forces to maintain the lead.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work our Marines and sailors did,” said Col. Stephen Sklenka, commanding officer, CLR-15. “Our goal was to provide uninterrupted logistics support that maintained the operational momentum of the [International Security Assistance Force Marine Air-Ground Task Force]. I’d like to think we did just that.”
The next goal for the Marines and sailors of CLR-15 was to spend quality time with their families.
“[This homecoming] means a lot to us,” said Kendra King, wife of Lance Cpl. Travis King, a maintenance Marine deployed with CLR-15. “Our son is about to be 15 months. It is so great to finally have him back and have our family complete.”