HELMAND PROVINCE – A patrol of Marines and Sailors of Combined Anti-Armor Team 1 and Charlie Co, 1st Bn, 3rd Marine Regt, held their first impromptu meeting with village elders, and only moments later came under hostile fire from Taliban attackers.
Five Points is a small farming community between the cities of Nawa and Marjah where a junction of major roads connects northern Marjah with eastern Helmand Prov. Charlie Co.
During the meeting, 3 elder Afghan men sat down to talk with Marines and said they were glad Marines and ANSF had come to the area. "We're happy you're here for our security," said one of the men. "The Taliban come in our homes and make us feed them. We have barely enough food for our own families. We just want to live in peace."
Marines invited the 3 men and other elders from the area to an upcoming meeting to address concerns from the local population, and begin establishing Afghan governance. One concern immediately brought up was the reopening of the village marketplace, which Marines temporarily closed as they established their encampment nearby.
"We will open the market back up soon, and with your help, we'll bring work and prosperity to this area like we have in Nawa," said Capt. Stephan Karabin, comm. officer of Charlie Co, to the men.
As soon as the group had stood to shake hands and say their goodbyes, machine gun and small-arms fire sounded nearby, and whizzing bullets were heard flying overhead. The elder men quickly left for the safety of their homes as Marines began to fire at the Taliban attackers. The engagement ended soon after when a Marine F/A-18 Hornet flying overhead dropped a 500-pound bomb on the Taliban's position.
"Even though we're not part of the main assault in Marjah, we're fighting the Taliban here," said Cpl. Matthew DeLair, a 21-year-old radio operator with Charlie Co., 1/3. "The morning that the main assaults kicked off in Marjah, we could see and hear bombs hitting targets there, and in a way I wanted to be part of it," said DeLair. "We're Marines; we run toward the sounds of gunfire – we live for that. But I don't regret it, because we're getting some out here every day, and I'm sure we'll see a lot more action."
