Battalion Commander
Dear Family and Friends of 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion,
We’re now past the half-way mark in our
deployment and our Marines and Sailors continue
to excel in their performance and accomplishments.
We have stayed busy with continuous operations
throughout our Regiment’s area of operations
and in areas beyond. The level of proficiency
and the unique skills of our Marines and Sailors
have enabled success in a wide variety of missions.
Some of you may have noticed 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion in the national news just after New
Years. This battalion led an operation over the
holidays that discovered over 10 metric tons of
insurgent munitions, hidden in caches throughout
a large area south of Fallujah. This publicized
operation has been only one of our many successes.
You may have also followed some criticism and
debate concerning body armor in the media. Let
tell you where we are, the men of 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion have never had better body protection
than they do now, and it’s getting better.
Shortly after arriving in theater we were issued
enhanced ballistic plates, called “E-SAPIs”,
which improved protection to the front and back
of the torso. By the time this news letter reaches
you, we will have also been issued new side protective
plates, called “side-SAPIs”. Yes,
this protective equipment is heavy, but our men
are tough and they can handle the load. Also,
we are completely outfitted with armored HMMWVs.
While none of this makes us invincible, it is
a huge improvement over previous OIF deployments.
Finally, I want to tell you that we are making
progress in Iraq. While I can’t speak to
conditions in all of Iraq, I can tell you that
in our corner of Al Anbar Province the Iraqi Security
Forces are improving daily and taking up more
of the fight. At the same time, the quality of
life for Iraqis is improving and we continue to
chip away at the insurgency. The men of 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion are part of this progress. Stay proud
your Marines and Sailors. They are an exceptional
group of professionals; smart, tough, and courageous.
Your support means a lot and is essential to morale
and esprit.
Semper Fidelis,
LtCol Joseph Marello
Sergeant Major
Things are well in the 1st Recon
Bn area, Morale is high and Your Marines and Sailors
have benefited from your support. I’m amazed
by the accomplishments of our men to include participating
in the elections, security of our patrol bases,
capturing terrorists, discovering hidden weapons
cache, and the endless patrolling.
They accomplish all of this by
grinding out patrols day after day and leave no
stone unturned. The Marines and Sailors willing
seek out anything that may harm coalition forces
or the local population. Their persistent and
dedicated efforts have gone a long way to putting
terrorists out of business.
These men are professionals, and
they can be counted among America’s finest.
You can be justifiably proud of what these men
do and their level of dedication each man has.
It is humbling for me to serve with such an outstanding
Battalion.
I hope this note finds all of
you well and enjoying the New Year! I appreciate
the sacrifice that you all have made, especially
having to endure a Holiday Season without your
husbands.
Know that your husbands are doing
great things here in Iraq, and that they are making
a positive daily impact. They have bettered the
lives of Iraqi citizen and have helped to make
the world a safer place. As I close I would ask
that you keep all the men of Phantom, Nomad, and
Pale horse in your prayers.
Continue
|
