Description
Book SynopsisIn 2004, most areas of Al Anbar province in Iraq exploded into widescale insurgencies and attacks on US and allied forces. In both Fallujah and throughout Al Anbar province, elements of the 1st Marine Division engaged in a wide range of operations, ranging from control of border crossings in Western Iraq, to infantrycentered urban combat in Ramadi, the provincial capital. Unique to many of these actions was the use of the Marine Corps' Light Armored Vehicle, the LAV 25. These vehicles screened large areas of desert, searched for hidden IEDs along highways, and provided extra firepower for infantry units in combat. Using LAVs, the 1st LAR Battalion, with attached infantry company Echo 2/7, patrolled large stretches of the borders with Syria and Jordan as well as highways used for commerce and smuggling. In addition to providing camp security and raid elements for the 1st LAR Battalion, Echo Company also dispatched two infantry platoons to supervise border crossings with Jordan. During