October 27, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
World
U.S. Marines and British forces have pulled out of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province in a 20-hour secret process Monday. Soldiers packed all necessary belongings, and burned everything else, including sensitive documents in controlled fires before boarding aircraft and heading out under tight security. 873 U.S. Marines and 350 British soldiers were all that remained in the area. At peak occupancy, about 20,000 Marines were deployed to Helmand when they moved most largely into the area to help British troops in 2008. Approximately 400 British soldiers and 350 Marines were killed in Helmand throughout the 13-year campaign. Spokespersons for the Marines in this time mentioned the adaptability of the force, mainly trained in naval manouvers, to work in a land-locked country. The area continues to remain a point of contention between the Taliban and the Afghan security forces in whose control the province now sits.
