Newsletters

Family, Friends, and Loved Ones:

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as Operation Enduring Freedom, a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States of America. This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terrorism. The purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbour to al-Qaeda.

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit was the first Marine Corps unit to arrive in force, and captured a Taliban stronghold, which they called Forward Operating Base Rhino. Camp Rhino was in use from 26 November 2001 to 1 January 2002. At its peak, the camp contained about 1100 US Marines and sailors. The troops were commanded by Brigadier General James Mattis, USMC. Life at the spartan Camp was rough. There were no showers or wash facilities, no messing facilities (only ration packs), every drop of water had to be flown in, and most troops were simply accommodated in a large, open warehouse building. Troops were either sleeping on the cold cement of the warehouse or on the cold dirt outside the camp. The base was surrounded by extremely desolate desert terrain resembling the surface of the moon.

• Click to Read the Entire Newsletter

Battalion Newsletters

• February 2012 Newsletter

Headquarters and Service Company

Bravo Company Tanks

Charlie Company

Echo Company

Engineer Support Company (ESC)

Mobility Assault Company (MAC)

Viewing of these newsletters may require Adobe Reader. Download it here for free.