Cpl. Aaron Rooks, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
2009-09-14

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – 09.10.2009

Members of the International Security Assistance Force in Regional Command South joined together, Sept. 8, to resupply Marines and Afghan soldiers currently serving within the Helmand River Valley.

Members of Camp Shorabak's Afghan national army and their U.K. mentors integrated with a Marine convoy from Camp Leatherneck to Forward Operating Base Dwyer with the goal of delivering building supplies and mechanical parts to their respective comrades.

The convoy, led by Truck Platoon 2, General Support Motor Transport Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, consisted of 40 vehicles, ranging from 7-ton trucks loaded down with metal containers to small pickup trucks operated by the ANA.

Gunnery Sgt. Steven Baker, motor transport platoon sergeant, Truck Platoon 2, described the mission as unique because it was the first ever joint operation between the U.K., U.S. Marines and ANA within the brigade's area of operations in Helmand.

The Marines of GSMT Company have grown accustomed to traveling to FOB Dwyer for resupply missions that can take up the better part of a day. For this trip, they expected the timeline to nearly double due to the large number of vehicles and the possibility of mechanical problems.

"We bring everything so that the infantrymen and other units can function," said Cpl. A. M. Peterson, one of Baker's motor transport operators with Truck Platoon 2. "We bring the ammo and everything else. Time is of the essence because of this. If we can't get the gear to where we are going in a timely manner, the unit waiting for the supplies will have to run with the bare minimum instead of what they need."

Irregular stops occurred within the first few hours on the road as the convoy tackled the challenging terrain. But the push continued, with ANA soldiers quickly reacting and repairing their vehicles, returning to the road unscathed each time.

"The convoy was great!" Baker said. "It went a lot better than I ever expected it to."

The Marines of GSMT Company will now wait at FOB Dwyer for their ANA partners, who continued on another leg of the convoy to another location in the Helmand River valley. Baker applauded all who were involved in the convoy for the amount of success they achieved, saying he hopes the return home to Leatherneck and Shorabak will go as smoothly as the journey south.

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