MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq -- Marines from 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion went on a two day patrol to assess force protection at Waleed along the Syrian border and Trebil along the Jordanian border here, March 31 and April 1.
“Our mission was to visit the points of entry at Trebil and Waleed,” said Major John R. Polidoro, 2nd LAR’s executive officer. “While we were there we were able to accomplish a lot of different things.”
The first component of the mission was to inspect the status of the border forts around Western Iraq, speak with the Iraqi Border Police to determine what concerns they had regarding border security and to see how far their training had progressed.
“Overall we got a lot done over a short period of time,” Polidoro said. “We were able to stop at two border forts and meet with the general of the Iraqi Border Police. We had a good meeting with him. He was able to give us a list of his concerns.”
The second portion of the mission assessed the need for force protection measures at Waleed and Trebil.
"By going out there we got a good look at what the force protection concerns were,” Polidoro stated.
The third purpose was to provide the Marines serving in the area with some administrative services from the battalion.
“We brought the chaplain out to do services for the Marines and we were also able to provide basic administrative needs,” Polidoro explained. Most importantly, according to Polidoro, the individual Marines saw their battalion come out to show that they are being supported.
“We needed to show these Marines that we didn’t just send them out a hundred miles away to fend for themselves,” he explained.
An add-on mission brought the Civil Affairs Group onto the scene as they developed projects such as constructing roads, providing water and coming up with ways to help clean up the area.
“We were able to safely and securely accomplish everything and more than we had set out to do,” he stated. “It is always fun to get out and ride in a Light Armored Vehicle and get a little dirty.”