For Marine battery, a happy return and a brief respite

For Marine battery, a happy return and a brief respite
The 129 Marines and sailors who returned to Camp Pendleton on Tuesday will get a one-month leave, and some much-needed family time, before they begin training for another deployment.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times

August 11, 2010
Reporting from Camp Pendleton — For a brief moment Tuesday afternoon, the cheering of family members of Marines returning from Afghanistan drowned out the echoing sound of artillery blasts from the training exercises of other troops preparing to deploy soon.

The 129 Marines and sailors of Tango battery of the 5th battalion, 11th Marine regiment were home after a seven-month deployment in Helmand province, arguably the most dangerous place in an increasingly dangerous country.

For Tango battery, it was considered a successful deployment: providing missile and rocket-fire to support infantry Marines fighting entrenched insurgents, including during the February battle for the Taliban stronghold of Marjah. The battery suffered no fatalities.
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For Marine battery, a happy return and a brief respite