The final Marine Corps contingent remaining in southern Afghanistan departed the region today to begin the journey home.
The lift-off came the day after Marines transferred their last remaining base in the country, Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, to Afghan National Security Forces. The move signaled the completion of the Marines' combat mission in Afghanistan. British troops in Helmand also departed the region today, having handed off the Bastion airfield
Marine officials in Helmand said elements of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; Combat Logistics Battalion 1; and Marine Aircraft Group — Afghanistan were present for the handoff. They did not immediately specify how many troops departed Helmand today.
According to 1st Lt. Skye Martin, a spokeswoman for Regional Command Southwest in Helmand, the Marines, sailors and British troops remaining in the province today were flown to Kandahar Airfield, where they will complete the remainder of their deployments before returning to their home stations.
In yesterday's ceremony, International Security Assistance Force Commander General Joseph Campbell commended the coalition troops on their work in what has been one of the most volatile and costly battlegrounds over the course of the war.
"Helmand, as you know, has been a very, very tough area," Campbell said in a Marine Corps news release. "We feel very confident with the Afghan security forces as they continue to grow in their capacity and they continue to work better between the police and the army."
Leatherneck and Bastion will remain under the control of the Afghan National Army's 215th Corps. According to media reports, the U.S. military also leaves behind $230 million worth of buildings, equipment, and infrastucture for the Afghan troops as they continue to battle insurgents in the region.
