Marines killing time now in Anbar

[unhappycamper]

Master Sgt. Troy Buss, with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, fishes at a lake at Camp Baharia in Iraq. Buss said he is able to make his weekly trips to the lakeshore because a sharp decrease in operations has occurred since the transfer of provincial Iraqi control to the Iraq government in August.


Marines killing time now in Anbar
By William Cole - The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted : Monday Nov 17, 2008 10:01:56 EST

How quiet have things gotten in western Iraq, once known as the “Wild, Wild West” and one of the most violent regions of the country? Some Hawai’i Marines have hung out the “gone fishin’ “ sign in the Fallujah area where they are based, and report life there is pretty boring.

Camp Fallujah, once bustling with about 20,000 service members in the main camp and at satellite posts, is about to be closed.

Marines also are being moved out of the cities and are being consolidated back at remaining bases.

If it sounds like the Marines are beginning to close up shop, they are.

Counting the so-called “surge forces” that were added to Iraq in 2007, U.S. maneuver battalions in western Iraq have been reduced by half, said Maj. Gen. Martin Post, the deputy commanding general for Multinational Force-West.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/11/marine_leavingfallujah_111708w/%2e