A Marine with Regimental Combat Team 5, looks out from his turret while on patrol near the city of Fallujah. The battalion recently finished their seven month deployment to Iraq. During their time here the Marines successfully secured the city for two democratic elections, conducted numerous operations to rid the city of insurgents and provided invaluable training for the Iraqi Security Forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Zahn Mission (Almost) Accomplished -- Captain's Journal
In a sign of the evolving state of affairs in Iraq’s Anbar Province, Camp Fallujah is soon to close to U.S. forces.
When Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly deployed to Iraq in February, the violence had fallen so low in Anbar province that he began figuring out how to start closing bases and prepare to go home.
In the last 10 months the Marines in Fallujah have done what was unthinkable before the surge began — they have quietly transferred out of one of Anbar province’s largest cities. FOX News has learned in an exclusive interview with Kelly from Fallujah that 80 percent of the move is complete. In February there were 8,000 Marines living at Fallujah base. Now there are about 3,000 left. By Nov. 14 there will be none.
“We will shut down the command function here and I will move; my staff has already started to move,” Kelly, the commander of Multinational Force-West, told FOX News in an exclusive interview via satellite. “We will turn the lights off here.”
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My Comment: Herschel Smith is on the money again. Sharing his emotional feelings when talking about his son's experiences in Anbar is a must read.
I have been following his blog "The Captain's Journal" for a long time now .... his posts are getting better and better with each passing month. His blog should be on everyone's blogroll.