WEBVTT

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July 2 , 2009 , under the cover of

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darkness in the heart of the Taliban

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insurgency , the Helmand River Valley

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became the stage for the largest aerial

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insurgen of United States Marines since

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the Vietnam War . Its name , Operation

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Kangjar , strike of the sword , led by

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Brigadier General Lawrence Nicholson ,

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4000 Marines from the 2nd Marine

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Division , a part of 2nd Marine

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Expeditionary Brigade , descended into

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the dust of southern Afghanistan ,

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whose mission to reclaim a valley lost

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to the enemy for years . The strategy

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had 3 key movements . It began with

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vertical assaults where helicopter

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insurgents bypassed IED riddled roads ,

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dropping Marines directly into the

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districts of Nawa and Garmser . From

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there , Marines moved deep into the

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green zone , lush farmland where the

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Taliban hid among the local population .

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But the real shift came when these

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Marines didn't just sweep through ,

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they stayed , building combat outposts

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to provide permanent security . The

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conditions were brutal . In 110 degree

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heat , Marines waded through irrigation

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canals and navigated a landscape

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saturated with explosives . It was a

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battle of endurance . By living

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amongst the people and engaging with

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local elders , the 2nd Marine Division

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began to break the Taliban's grip .

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Operation strike of the sword proved

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the marines could project power into

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the most unreachable corners of the

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world . It remains a gold standard for

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marine air-ground task force operations .