Story by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.01.2012
The blades of a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter stirred up the Afghan dust as it came in to land. The Marines inside heard the echo of the churning wind reverberate off the ground, and they knew they were close. The Marines flipped their night-vision goggles down, setting the nocturnal optic in place over their dominant eye in preparation to launch Operation Double Check....
Story by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.01.2012
MUSA QAL’EH DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Michael S. Ussery and his older brother dreamed of a life bigger than what they believed the small town of Rochelle, Ga., had to offer. After weighing his options, Ussery found a path which not only allowed him to chase his dreams, but also gave him the opportunity to help others chase theirs....
Story by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.01.2012
When the “Magnificent Bastards” with Echo Company are not actively engaged in seeking out and destroying the enemy, they do a number of things to take their minds off of the war and help their Afghan counterparts. Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, are partnered with Afghan National Security Forces to bring the fight to the enemy, but they also take time to......
Story by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 01.25.2012
Marines with Echo Company and members of the Afghan National Security Forces are participating in Operation Double Check, an operation to promote legitimate governance within the Musa Qal’eh district. This operation further spread the influence of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to untouched areas and provided an opportunity for Afghan forces to take on a greater role......
Story by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 01.25.2012
Lance Cpl. Michael S. Ussery walked into the Echo Company headquarters to begin his morning routine as one of the company clerks and didn’t pay much attention to who was in the office. Then he heard a voice that made his body lock into place and stare into the abyss like a recruit during his first few unsure moments aboard a Marine Corps recruit depot. An all-too-familiar voice belted, “I......
Story by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 12.10.2011
Commerce and travel through the District of Musa Qal’eh just became easier with the completion and grand opening of the Musa Qal’eh Wadi Crossing, Dec. 9....
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Russ Stewart | Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 | 12.09.2011
In a crowd of dignitaries and elders the Musa Qal’eh crossing built by Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 was blessed and declared open to the public in a ceremony held atop the roadway, Dec. 9, 2011....
Story by Spc. Ken Scar | Combined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan | 09.28.2011
To the U.S. infantry soldier north-eastern Afghanistan is unforgiving on many levels - extreme weather, isolation and xenophobic tribes ... but the true suffering begins and ends with the rugged, soul-sapping terrain. It is a country of severe alpine landscapes that seem to go on forever in merciless, jagged waves of cliff faces, boulder fields and stony hillsides – and yet somehow life took......
