Marines train for Afghan mission ‘with a combat mindset’

By

Jeff Schogol

A Marine with Task Force Southwest reloads an AK-47 during foreign weapons and familiarization training at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 17, 2016. Task Force Southwest is comprised of approximately 300 Marines whose mission will be to train, advise and assit the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police. The unit is scheduled to deploy in the Spring. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Lucas Hopkins)

Roughly 300 Marines are preparing to train Afghan troops and national police in marksmanship, indirect fire and small-unit tactics when they deploy to Helmand province this spring, officials said.

These Marines will make up Task Force Southwest, and will train Afghans at the battalion-level while advising and assisting at the brigade and division level, said Maj. Kendra N. Motz, spokeswoman for the task force.

About 300 Marines with Task Force Southwest prepare to deploy to Helmand province, Afghanistan this Spring. This will be the largest number of Marines operating in Afghanistan since 2014. (Marine Corps video)


As they train at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, ahead of their deployment, the Marines are familiarizing themselves with Russian-made weapons, including the AK-47, PKM, DShK and RPG-7, Motz said.

The task force consists of experienced, senior Marines, many of whom have deployed to Afghanistan before, said Col. Matthew Reid, Task Force Southwest’s deputy commander.

“Make no mistake: Though we are no longer in a combat role in Afghanistan, it is still a combat environment,” Reid said. “As Marines, we train and deploy with a combat mindset.”

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Jeff Schogol