Commanding Officer's Message

Below is the September update from the commander. Also I have included links at the bottom of the page to some additional articles about the battalion.

It is with great pleasure that I send you my first official newsletter message following our departure from Camp Lejeune and arrival in Iraq. Since our assumption of this Area of Operations from 2d Battalion, 24th Marines, in early August, we have been moving full speed ahead in our mission here. We are intently focused on strengthening the Iraqi Security Forces and enhancing the overall quality of life of the Iraqi citizens, along with supporting gains in economic and governmental development and the Rule of Law. This is complicated yet highly important work – work we have trained for over the past 10+ months – and our Marines and Sailors are taking this mission on with all of the resolve and vigor they can muster, and they are indeed mustering a lot. Our conditions here – living and otherwise – are very good, and I have heard no complaints at all about the quality of the berthing, the food, the water, or any other life-support related issue. Trust me when I say that your Marines and Sailors are getting enough to eat and drink every single day – and while the quality of the food will never measure up to the home cooking that all of us long for, it is a decent replacement and there is plenty of it!

Environmentally, the conditions now are tough. During this time in Iraq, it is consistently very hot but dry, with winds that often pick up and disperse dust and dirt everywhere – but these are the conditions that an infantry Marine feels most comfortable in! Conditions will change over the coming months as the rainy season descends upon us and temperatures drop dramatically, but we are outfitted, in every sense of the word, for all conditions we will face. Despite the tough conditions, our Marines and Sailors, whether they have been here before or not, are taking all of this in stride and smiling along the way. As Sergeant Major Kagle and I travel far and wide to see the men, we consistently see the same high levels of motivation and enthusiasm that have come to characterize all members of 1st Battalion, 2d Marines during my time in command. It is a joy to behold and an even greater joy to be at the helm of an organization of such great young men. My level of pride, respect, and admiration for our Marines and Sailors, already very high because I have watched them perform in tough conditions for months, grows by the day.

I sincerely hope that this deployment progresses quickly for each and every one of you. Now that we are dispersed throughout the Area of Operations and are conducting operations around the clock – seven days a week – I know that the deployment will move along very fast for our Marines and Sailors. Having seen and met so many of the great families of our Marines and Sailors as the companies departed Camp Lejeune, I know that the support network that exists on the home front, both for this battalion and for every Marine and Sailor, is extraordinarily strong. I saw it day after day as the companies departed – and it brought me great joy. I also know that our Key Volunteer Network, guided by Stacey McClellan and a stable of wonderful, dedicated, and highly professional ladies, is working tirelessly to ensure the battalions’ families are cared for throughout. This superb level of support at home allows all members of this battalion to focus on the task at hand here.

I know I don’t need to tell any of you this, but you have every right to be proud of the young men that fill the ranks of 1st Battalion, 2d Marines – they are making all of us extraordinarily proud each and every day. They are making our nation proud. Please keep the packages and the mail coming!

Long live 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, and success to our Corps!

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
LtCol Winand
Commanding Officer,
1st Battalion, 2d Marines


http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil/MNF/mnfw_IM.nsf/(ArticlesRead)/EE57E743D75BB133432574BC003D7BDC

http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil/MNF/mnfw_IM.nsf/(ArticlesRead)/71A4F2E81E5EA2F1432574BC003CC9B1