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Afghanistan tour extended for 24th MEU

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s deployment in Afghanistan has been extended an additional 30 days, despite repeated claims by Pentagon officials that the deployment would not extend beyond seven months.

“Their extension comes at the request of [International Security Assistance Force] and with the approval of [Defense Secretary Robert Gates],” said Maj. David Nevers from the Pentagon. “This will afford the MEU the opportunity to continue building on the tremendous success they have achieved during their tour there.”

The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based, 2,200-strong MEU deployed to southern Afghanistan in March for what was to be a “one-time, seven-month” assignment, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said in mid-January as news of the unit’s deployment was released.

The month-long extension means Marines and sailors with the MEU will return home in early to mid-November, Nevers said. It does not apply to about 1,000 members of the Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, an infantry battalion deployed to southern Afghanistan earlier this year to train Afghan forces.

The decision for the 24th MEU comes just weeks after Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters June 10 in Washington that the unit’s deployment would not be extended.

“No intent to relieve them — still a seven-month deployment,” Mullen said at the time of the 24th MEU and 2/7.

In the same news conference, Mullen said more combat troops were needed in Afghanistan, but that they wouldn’t materialize until more withdrawals were made from Iraq.

“For us to generate more forces [into Afghanistan] ... over the next 24 months or so, we’re going to have to reduce the number of forces in Iraq,” he said. “That’s really where they’re available.”

Mullen also heaped praise on the Marines in June, particularly the 2,200 members of the 24th MEU — Marines he said have “had an enormously positive effect, very rapidly.”

Since March, the Marines have fought in places like Helmand province, the world’s largest poppy growing region, pushing Taliban fighters out of areas that have been largely untouched by coalition forces in years.

And while the Corps has been successful in training Afghan security forces, they’ve also suffered significant casualties. At least seven Marines and one Navy corpsman with 2/7 have died in recent weeks, marking the bloodiest period since the opening of the conflict against the Taliban in October 2001.