Letter from the Commander #3

Good Afternoon,

Below is a message from the battalion commander:

Happy Holidays to our family and friends back home.

It's been a little over a month since my last letter. Since then, we celebrated Thanksgiving and are now getting ready for Christmas. Our Thanksgiving meal was surprisingly pretty good. Additionally, because we have local nationals (our interpreters) who live and work with us on a daily basis, many Marines have taken to the "local cuisine". Most, if not all, of the interpreters are "accomplished" cooks, at least in our minds. They make a delicious rice mix, with goat or sheep meat when available, and flat bread.

What have we been doing? 4th LAR is the southernmost unit in Afghanistan. We are in a very remote area consisting of predominantly farmlands along the Helmand river. Our daily tasks are patrolling the villages along the Helmand river in order to meet the people, get to know them, identify what they need and assist them in any way possible with improving their way of life. Essential services out here are basically non-existent. What coalition forces bring to the table, the Taliban do not. To date, we have done this very well. Your son/brother/husband/friend has done a superb job getting to know their area and the local people. At this point, local Afghans come to us when they have a problem and need assistance. This is what we want and speaks volumes to how well we're doing after only 5 weeks of operating in southern Afghanistan.

I know it's challenging for all back home to completely enjoy the holiday season while your loved one is deployed. I received an email from my mother the other day stating "this was the first time you've been away for Christmas and New Years"...(which happens to be my birthday). I had to laugh because...she's wrong (sorry Mom). In 1992 I was deployed for 6 months to the Mediterranean from Oct to March. My point is 5 to 10 years from now this deployment will be viewed as nothing more than a "speed bump" in the bigger picture of life. I ask that we continue to support our Marines and Sailors with positive thoughts and encouragement during this time of year; we too miss being with our families. The support and encouragement from home is appreciated and good for the morale of Iron Horse Marines and Sailors.

I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday.

Semper Fi,

LtCol Mike Martin