SITREP-Summer Ops LAR

Marine Corps Times:Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of 1st Marine Division (Fwd):

First Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., will assist conventional infantry forces in Marjah this summer, covering the Sistani Desert to the west, Nad Ali to the east, and other nearby areas that 1/6 and 3/6 don’t have enough manpower to control, Osterman said. The Taliban use these and other spots around Marjah to launch ambushes, frequently using beat-up motorcycles to make their getaway.

In southern Helmand, Pendleton’s 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion continues to patrol sprawling desert areas that lead to the Pakistan border. The speed and firepower of its light armored vehicles allow Marines there to hinder insurgent movement.

“That’s perfect open hunting ground for those guys,” Osterman said. “They’re capable of highly mobile dispersed operations, which is exactly what that area requires.”