CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province - The Marines, who were awarded the NATO Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal, traveled to Helmand prov. in early July after serving in Iraq's Al Anbar prov. for more than 4 months while assigned to Combat Logistics Bn 4, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Fwd).
According to 1st Sgt. Charles Hutto, CLC-151 1st sgt, the logistics co. from CLR-2, MEB-A, came to Afghanistan with a smaller than normal staff, but soon realized that certain conditions required more maintenance Marines.
A harsher-than-expected environment, coupled with damage caused by combat ops, led MEB-A leaders to conclude additional assistance was needed, and they turned to Marines serving in Iraq for support.
"The Marines who came from Iraq allowed us to push a larger percentage of our Marines out to the FOBs as maintenance teams," Hutto said. "This helped prevent units from being forced to send their gear all the way back to Camp Leatherneck."
Col. John Simmons, the com officer of CLR-2, expressed gratitude to the Marines of CLB-4 for the assistance they were able to provide during a time when the operational tempo was at its peak.
The Marines from CLB-4 that were sent here are trained in all facets of maintenance, with expertise in vehicle, generator, heavy equipment, electronics, and weaponry maintenance. Some of them even joined those of CLC-151 on trips out to various FOBs and COPs during their time in the bde's area of ops.
"We were stoked," said Cpl. Kevin Delancey, a generator mechanic who came from Iraq. "This is the hot spot for the action right now. This is where everyone in the Marine Corps wants to be."
