COMMANDING OFFICER WELCOME ABOARD LETTER
Welcome to 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion. More than two years ago, I assumed command of the WOLFPACK, and it remains my distinct honor and privilege to continue my service in this storied organization as its commanding officer and steward. And it’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. The Marines and Sailors of this magnificent battalion are among the finest in our Corps, and each of them has distinguished himself in peace and war and has greatly added to the rich and proud heritage of the battalion. I know this claim first-hand, as I’ve completed three of the battalion’s five combat deployments to Iraq since 2003, and I have the honor of leading this battalion to Afghanistan in the fall of 2010. Quite simply, my excitement to continue my service in the ranks of the WOLFPACK surpasses expression. My wife, Lisa—a Marine spouse for two decades—shares my enthusiasm and dedication to this battalion and to our families.
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WOLFPACK 6 MONTHLY FAMILY LETTER
March 2011
1. 1. This past month the WOLFPACK celebrated the deployment's halfway point with its traditional "Deployment Cake Cutting Ceremony". Known on our last deployment in Iraq as the Sea Service Deployment Cake, this tradition of mine began when I was a young, rifle platoon commander in 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and it has continued throughout my tenures as a Rifle Company Commander and now Battalion Commander in 3d LAR Battalion. The purpose of the occasion is not just to celebrate the achievement of a milestone---the halfway mark of the deployment---but the event also serves as an opportunity for all of us to assess our individual and collective performances and goals during the first few months of the deployment, and then take the necessary corrective action to improve our efforts during the second half of the deployment. Always looking for an excuse to share in some camaraderie with my Marines and Sailors, the "Deployment Cake Ceremony" materialized. In previous ceremonies, the cake was designed to look like a Sea Service Deployment ribbon, which all personnel receive after their 90th day on the deployment. This year the cakes were designed as replicas of the NATO and Afghan Campaign Medals the battalion will receive following this deployment. Because our companies operate at different locations, we made several cakes this year and delivered them to the Marines and Sailors operating away from our main camp.
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DA WOLFPACK PADRE
March 2010
What a glorious time of the year right now for our WOLFPACK. The snow is completely melted and the birds are beginning to sing. OK, we did not have any snow but if we did, it would be melted. What a nice feeling waking up in the morning seeing the flock of birds flying in formation in the beautiful blue sky as they remind us that spring is arriving. This is the time of the year where our favorite hard ball team (Da Padres if we forgot) are in training camp ready to begin another baseball season. We climbed our halfway hurdle over the deployment hump and now you can begin to see the smiles form upon our warrior's lips as they get nearer each day dreaming of being united with their love ones; but these marines and sailors are more focused than ever. Our mission is not complete and our men know the reason why they are out here and they will continue to perform as the true professionals they are.
WOLFPACK IN THE NEWS
Hide-and-seek in Helmand
Story Courtesy of Adam Pletts on February 05, 2011
The conversation between Captain Allen McBroom of the Marines' 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance and a villager from San Banadar in Afghanistan's Southern Helmand Province was floundering. McBroom was fishing for information about improvised explosive devises (IEDs) planted in the area, but to every question the villager replied with the same flat denial of knowing anything. Just as the conversation was drawing to a close an explosion tore through the morning air: an IED blowing up some 200 meters down the road.
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Marines, ANSF find weapons caches, secure southern river valley
02/04/2011 Story by Cpl. Ned Johnson
"The Jungle" is one of the many Taliban strongholds in the Southern Helmand River Valley.
"The Jungle" is what the Marines call the area due to its dense foliage and brush along the river's edge. The Taliban have been using heavy brush, to conceal their movement and to hide weapons and bomb-making materials, at least up until now.
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'Payne Games' keeps Marines prepared, provides camaraderie
01/30/2011 By Story by Cpl. Ned Johnson, 1st Marine Division
Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge are the five D?s of dodge ball.
But Marines at Combat Outpost Payne have added a letter of their own to the popular playground game: Don?as in don and clear your gas mask.
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Dragoon Devil Doc diagnoses a brighter future for Afghan
01/27/2011 By Story by Cpl. Ned Johnson, 1st Marine Division
Afghanistan— Navy corpsmen are some of the most respected men on the battlefield in today’s fight against the Taliban.
They carry an extra 25 pounds of medical equipment that can save the lives of their Marine brothers in an emergency situation. Their unique mission of counter-insurgency requires them to do so much more, and one corpsman with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward) does all that he can.
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Marines, Afghan Border Police provide security
01/27/2011 By Story by Cpl. Ned Johnson, 1st Marine Division
Much accolade is given to the Afghan National Army, but there is another unit of fellow countrymen that is providing security to their republic – the Afghan Border Police.
The ABP partnered with the Marines and sailors of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), for a patrol through local villages outside Combat Outpost Castle, Jan. 27, 2011.
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CMC brings holiday message to the Wolfpack
01/13/2010 Story by HM1 (FMF/SW/AW) Darnell Mason Photos by Cpl. Michael Conant
COMBAT OUTPOST PAYNE, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Braving the large dust clouds and low visibility, General James Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Sergeant Major Carlton Kent, 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, descended upon Combat Outpost Payne with a personal message for the Marines, sailors and soldiers of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, also known as the Wolfpack, “Thank you.”
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Maintaining 3rd LAR Battalion’s Combat Power
12/28/2010 Story and photos by 2nd Lt. James Sheehan
Marines of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, the Wolfpack, depend on the mobility inherent of their Light Armored Vehicles and motorized assets to conduct daily combat operations across their expansive battle space in southern Helmand, an area larger than San Diego County in southern California.
To capitalize on its organic maneuverability, a group of dedicated Marines within the maintenance section work tirelessly to ensure that all battalion vehicles are ready for the rigors of combat in varying terrain. The southern portion of the Helmand River Valley is characterized by flat desert, rugged hills, farmlands, heavily vegetated areas, and a complex canal system that provides water and crop irrigation to the maze of villages throughout the area.
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The Wolfpack Makes its Inaugural Deployment to Afghanistan
12/01/2010 By Story by 2nd Lt. James Sheehan, 1st Marine Division
The Marines and sailors of 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward), unfurled their unit's colors for the first time during a transfer of authority ceremony with 1st LAR Bn. at Combat Outpost Payne, Nov. 20.
Earlier in the month, the 3rd LAR, also known as the "Wolfpack," deployed from its home station at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
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3rd LAR prepares for OEF with Clear, Hold, Build 3
9/10/2010 By Lance Cpl. M.C. Nerl
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Marines and sailors with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion learned how to properly operate in a defensive stance during part of their Enhanced Mojave Viper pre-deployment training process throughout several training areas here Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.
The Wolfpack refined its skills by standing a unit-sized defense and then pursuing simulated enemy forces until they retreated, said Master Gunnery Sgt. Phillip Bemis, the battalion operations chief.
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PACK PRIDE QUICK TAKES
In February, Marines and Sailors of Task Force WOLFPACK completed Operation BIG VALLEY-a battalion mission to clear the area of stashes of enemy weapons, explosive materials, and drug caches. During the operation, the WOLFPACK partnered with the Afghan Border Police (ABP), who greatly assisted the battalion in its efforts to advance security throughout the southern Helmand River valley. The operation yielded several measurable gains, including the unearthing of dozens of IEDs, the detaining of suspected insurgents, and the discovery of weapons and drug caches.
In mid-February, SgtMaj Elliott and LtCol Kassner celebrated the midway point of their battalion's deployment to Afghanistan by hosting a cake cutting ceremony for the Marines and Sailors of the WOLFPACK. The cakes, which were specially ordered, were decorated as various ribbons and medals the men of 3d LAR Battalion had already earned while on their deployment. Celebrating the halfway mark is a tradition that the battalion also observed last year in Ninewa Province, Iraq.
"In early January, the WOLFPACK completed Operation LONE RANGER to clear a region of its battle space where known and suspected Taliban operated and transited through the area. The operation yielded several dozen IEDs; a few caches of drugs, which are used to finance enemy activities; and the discovery of contraband for the making of explosive devices. The WOLFPACK also detained individuals with links to the Taliban. Most importantly, the operation demonstrated to the local populace that coalition forces and their Afghan security partners were here to protect them by advancing the security environment. In honor and memoriam of Corporal Eric Torbert, who was killed in December, 3d LAR Battalion built and established Patrol Base TORBERT in this region, where enemy forces formally operated and traveled. The battalion will occupy this patrol base with a persistent presence, thereby ensuring that the enemy doesn't return to this key area in the southern Helmand River valley."
Call the WOLFPACK Hotline for more of the latest
updates and information:
1-800-759-7602
Option # 7 then
Option #4
| NCO of the Quarter |
Marine of the Quarter |
 |
 |
Sergeant Jesse Walden
Comanche Company |
Lance Corporal Robert Nitowitz
Comanche Company |
GREY WOLVES OF THE WOLFPACK
Grey Wolves in 3d LAR Battalion are those Marines and Sailors recognized by their leadership as individuals who truly embody the aggressive traits, take-charge attitude, and hunger for responsibility similar to the characteristics of nature’s foremost pack animal—the Grey Wolf. In the wild, the Grey Wolf is the dominant member of its breed and is regarded as a skilled hunter, survivor, and master of its trade. Marines and Sailors in the WOLFPACK are recognized as Grey Wolves due to their leadership, professional competency, commitment to excellence, and loyal dedication to duty. These characteristics separate them from the rest of the Pack and serve as a testament to the opening phrase in 3d LAR Battalion’s motto that the strength of the pack is the wolf.
Promotions
December 2010
WOLF PUPS
A howling welcome to the newest Pups of the WOLFPACK. Congratulations to the parents.
