May 22, 2011

Weekly report
The following content depicts a week’s worth of activity from Regional Command Southwest, commanded by Maj. Gen. John
Toolan and covering Helmand and Nimruz Provinces, Afghanistan. The content was created by Marine Corps Combat
Correspondents, Combat Camera and personnel with UK media operations under Task Force Helmand. Feel free to forward our
stories to family, friends and loved ones supporting those who are deployed.

Featured Stories

Sgt. Maj. Kent Spends Final Days of

Farewell Tour with Marines in
Afghanistan

There is a certain presence around the Marine who

has led hundreds of thousands of men and women
throughout the past 35 years … (Read Story)
Story by Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano, RC(SW)

Linguists ‘Essential Part of Female

Engagement Team Mission
Members from both the U.S. and U.K. Female
Engagement Teams met for training at the Afghan
Cultural Center here, May 16. The purpose of the
meeting was to share information, advice and
experiences... (Read Story)

Story by Lance Cpl. Katherine M. Solano, RC(SW)

 Pendleton Helicopter Squadrons
Transfer Authority in Afghanistan
The Vipers of Marine Light Attack Helicopter
Squadron 169 are scheduled to transfer their
responsibility of providing close air support in
Regional Command Southwest to HMLA-267…
(Read Story)

Story by Cpl. Rashaun X. James, 2nd MAW (Fwd.)

RC(SW) Commanding General Visits

Georgian Soldiers
Maj. Gen. John A. Toolan, commanding general of
Regional Command Southwest, visited Combat
Outpost Shukvani to meet with key leaders… (Read
Story)

Story by Lance Cpl. Bryan Nygaard, RC(SW)

400 U.K. Personnel to Leave

Afghanistan by New Year
This comprises personnel released by the end of the
task for HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps planned
for February 2012, the return of RAF Regiment
personnel from the Kandahar Airfield force
protection task… (Read Story)

Story courtesy of Task Force Helmand

 Through the Ranks:
Lance Corporal

Rocks crunch under the boots of a Marine walking

a seemingly endless patrol route. He scans 360
degrees for suspicious activity as the sun slides
beneath the horizon. It’s getting late; if he wasn’t
on patrol it would be dinner time… (Read Story)
Story by Cpl. Colby Brown, Regional Combat Team 1

Task Force Belleau Wood, Afghan

Partners Help Villagers Open School

Marines from 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine

Regiment, stationed out of Houston, work
alongside Afghan National Army soldiers and
other coalition forces to help the village of Now
Abad open its first school… (Watch Video)
Story by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ross, RC(SW)

British, Afghan Soldiers on Five-day

Patrol

Before sunrise, A Company, 4 SCOTS, and their ANP

counterparts set off from their base at Checkpoint Said
Abdullah carrying everything they would need for the
duration of the operation, including kit, ammunition,
water and food... (Read Story)

Story courtesy of Task Force Helmand

Afghans Trust ISAF with their
Children

A three-year-old Afghan boy and a 14-year-old girl

were treated and medically evacuated from the district
of Sangin by coalition forces Tuesday... (Read Story)
Story by 1st Lt. Timothy Irish, Regional Combat Team 8

Realizing the American Dream in the

Marine Corps

Sgt. Ivan Vega-Pacheco, a fire team control chief with

2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, moved to
Chicago’s Humbolt Park... (View Video)
Story by Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Wulz, RC(SW)

New Weapons Instructor Course Holds Hope for

Self-sufficient Afghanistan
The sound of an M16 rifle, its functions, parts and operations is
anything but unfamiliar to Marines. However, to the Afghan National
Army soldiers enrolled in the Small Arms Weapons Instructors Course,
they are learning the sound for the first time aboard Camp Leatherneck,
May 1 – June 16… (Read Story)

Story by Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Wulz, RC(SW)

 Joint Engineering Effort Builds
Bridges Between U.S. Army, Marines

In early February, Marines from the 3rd Light

Armored Reconnaissance Battalion found
themselves in a difficult predicament with a vehicle
stuck in the rising waters of Afghanistan’s Helmand
River… (Read Story)
Story by Cpl. Rashaun X. James, 2nd MAW (Fwd.

Congress Gets Acquainted with MLG

Congressional representatives from different states

visited the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward)
aboard Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, May 16 to
meet with military leaders and local government
officials to discuss…(Read Story)
Story by Staff Sgt. Theresa Seng, 2nd MLG (Fwd.)

For additional stories from around Regional Command Southwest,

see the links below:

Regional Command Southwest

2nd Marine Division
RCT-1
RCT-8
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Marine Logistics Group
Task Force Helmand
Task Force Helmand on Facebook
Task Force Belleau Wood on Facebook
Regional Command Southwest FaceBook