Marines with 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6’s motor transportation platoon and engineers platoon, secure the tow bar on a seven-ton truck, which transported the last remaining sandbags previously protecting Patrol Base Stafford, which is now being de-militarized, or “de-milled”, because of Company C Marines tremendous success in this area of Al Anbar, Iraq. The Company C Marines with the Bn., live in patrol bases, which are nothing more than a rented Iraqi houses, re-enforced by the battalion’s Engineer Platoon. Machine gun posts are located on the roof. Razor wire runs along the high, blast proof barriers that surround the home. They are designed to provide absolute safety to the Marines who live and work out of them. But here, they are going away. - Marines with 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6’s motor transportation platoon and engineers platoon, secure the tow bar on a seven-ton truck, which transported the last remaining sandbags previously protecting Patrol Base Stafford, which is now being de-militarized, or “de-milled”, because of Company C Marines tremendous success in this area of Al Anbar, Iraq. The Company C Marines with the Bn., live in patrol bases, which are nothing more than a rented Iraqi houses, re-enforced by the battalion’s Engineer Platoon. Machine gun posts are located on the roof. Razor wire runs along the high, blast proof barriers that surround the home. They are designed to provide absolute safety to the Marines who live and work out of them. But here, they are going away.

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Chaz E. Wheeler (center), training non-commissioned officer, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, shows a picture to a Marine during a training exercise at the Mobile Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility. Wheeler, along with several other experienced NCO's, served as a role-player to help make the training as realistic as possible. The role-players used the memories of their own experiences in Iraq and applied it to the training scenarios. - MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Chaz E. Wheeler (center), training non-commissioned officer, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, shows a picture to a Marine during a training exercise at the Mobile Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility. Wheeler, along with several other experienced NCO's, served as a role-player to help make the training as realistic as possible. The role-players used the memories of their own experiences in Iraq and applied it to the training scenarios.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, -- Marines with Regimental Combat Team 2’s Aero Scout team rush to search a small Bedouin tent. Aero Scout, technically a large squad of the provisional rifle platoon, is a mix of military occupational specialties ranging from infantry to administration. The team uses helicopters to quickly search areas of interest, and scout out possible targets. Official Marine Corps Photo By Cpl. Ryan C. Heiser. - AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, -- Marines with Regimental Combat Team 2’s Aero Scout team rush to search a small Bedouin tent. Aero Scout, technically a large squad of the provisional rifle platoon, is a mix of military occupational specialties ranging from infantry to administration. The team uses helicopters to quickly search areas of interest, and scout out possible targets. Official Marine Corps Photo By Cpl. Ryan C. Heiser.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Cpl. William G. Sheppard, a technical engineering specialist with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, poses near a bridge that is in danger of collapsing. Sheppard was a part of the survey team sent to inspect the bridge. Photo Courtesy of 1st CEB. - AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Cpl. William G. Sheppard, a technical engineering specialist with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, poses near a bridge that is in danger of collapsing. Sheppard was a part of the survey team sent to inspect the bridge. Photo Courtesy of 1st CEB.

Iraqi men travel quickly through the outer portion of the personnel center of Entry Control Point 5 (ECP 5) on their way into Fallujah here recently. The ECP is placed strategically at one of the largest roads into and out of Fallujah and brings security and safety to both the Fallujah residents and the Marines themselves. Using advanced electronic identification systems, hard work and dedication, the Marines of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, have kept the streets of Fallujah safer, since the battalion arrived in July. - Iraqi men travel quickly through the outer portion of the personnel center of Entry Control Point 5 (ECP 5) on their way into Fallujah here recently. The ECP is placed strategically at one of the largest roads into and out of Fallujah and brings security and safety to both the Fallujah residents and the Marines themselves. Using advanced electronic identification systems, hard work and dedication, the Marines of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, have kept the streets of Fallujah safer, since the battalion arrived in July.

2nd Marine Division - 2nd Marine Division

Cpl. Jordan M. Moehnle, 21, of Los Angeles, takes time out of leading his squad in a patrol through Fallujah's Nazaal district to spend some time interacting with local children. Moehnle, who is on his second tour in Iraq, said the changes he has witnessed since he was last here in 2006 have been dramatic. "The city was like the Wild West, we'd put our heads and and drive down (the middle of Fallujah) and hope not to get shot," he said. "Since we've been here (this year), we can stop and shoot the breeze." - Cpl. Jordan M. Moehnle, 21, of Los Angeles, takes time out of leading his squad in a patrol through Fallujah's Nazaal district to spend some time interacting with local children. Moehnle, who is on his second tour in Iraq, said the changes he has witnessed since he was last here in 2006 have been dramatic. "The city was like the Wild West, we'd put our heads and and drive down (the middle of Fallujah) and hope not to get shot," he said. "Since we've been here (this year), we can stop and shoot the breeze."