A Message From the 3/3 Marines

You can read the whole thing here and I highly recommend this report from "The Tip of the Spear".

“Be optimistic and you will find the good things.”

This is the notion of a prominent sheik in the city of Karmah, Iraq, who is working with Marines from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, to create a peaceful today and a thriving tomorrow for a city that’s weighted down by conflict.

During July, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines, RCT-6, completed their tour and relinquished control over the battle space in and around the city where they had fought to dispose of the enemy seeded in the area.

“We’re falling in on the tail end of that so that we can bring the population to the next level and help get the economy moving again,” said Memphis, Tenn., native Capt. Quintin D. Jones, the commanding officer of Company L. “We are transitioning away from the kinetic fight and trying to help the local governance.”

While his Marines continue counterinsurgency operations, Jones is trying to kick start the city’s economy again hoping to tie it all back into larger levels of government.