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HABBANIYAH, Iraq (June 11, 2008) - Marines of 2nd Battalion,
24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and Company B, 4th
Combat Engineer Battalion, have worked together day in and day out,
searching for weapon caches and disabling the enemy's number one
threat; improvised explosive devices.
The two reserve units, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines from Chicago, and
Bravo Company, 4th CEB from Roanoke, Va., have together uncovered
thousands of pounds of explosive ordinance, ammunition and
explosives throughout the first four months of their seven month
deployment in the Anbar province here.
"We're out there every day digging up areas where we have
intelligence about a cache," said Lance Cpl. Michael W. Lund, a
combat engineer with 4th CEB. "Since we've been here, we've
[together with 2/24] found thousands of pounds of ordinance and
it's important because it takes away weapons that could have been
used against Marines."
On an intelligence driven mission May 30, a section of Marines
from 4th CEB and Company E, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines, swept an area
said to have a bunker of explosives located inside of it. Although
the bunker of weapons was not located, they were able to locate and
destroy a smaller bunker, which could have been used for the future
storing of ammunitions, weapons and explosives.
"It wasn't the bunker we were looking for, but it could have
eventually been used against us," said Lance Cpl. Brad N. Harvey, a
combat engineer from Roanoke, Va. "So we used a little C-4
(explosive) and destroyed it."
Although the Marines go out on several missions per week, trying
to locate weapons, they sometimes do come up empty handed.
"We go out a lot, but we don't always find either what we came
out here for, or find anything at all," said Lund, 20, from
Goldvein, Va. "But regardless, we have to be ready to go out at
anytime. Sometimes they'll call at midnight and we'll need to be
ready to go by [3:00 a.m.]."
Taking any type of weapons system away from the enemy is an
essential part of winning the global war on terrorism. Marines
aboard Camp Habbaniyah know this and are determined to do their
part until their time to leave Iraq and return home.
"We don't want any more Marines to get hurt or killed. No one
does," said Cpl. Isaac H. Flint, a team leader with 4th CEB, from
Natural Bridge, Va. "So we're gong to do everything we can to
prevent the enemy from having that opportunity until we leave."
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