The first planeload of Royal Marines from 40 Commando touched down at Exeter Airport this afternoon, Tuesday 8 April 2008, following a successful six-month tour of duty in southern Afghanistan.
Based in Helmand province, the Bravo Company Marines deployed in October 2007 in support of 52 Infantry Brigade as part of a UK Army-led multi national force. They have been an integral part of providing security for reconstruction and have led several highly successful operations to clear pockets of Taliban resistance.
The Brigade Commander of 3 Commando Royal Marines, Brigadier David Capewell, who greeted the returning Marines as Exeter Airport, said:
"40 Commando have served with distinction in Helmand Province. They have had a superb tour which has made a significant contribution to security and stability in Afghanistan and made a huge difference to the lives of the local people. Ultimately we will all be more secure as a result of the difficult job they have done.
"My considerable pride at their performance is also tinged with sadness for the losses that 40 Commando have suffered. All our thoughts are very much with the families of the Marines seriously injured whilst serving their country, but particularly the families of Corporal Mulvihill, Marine Marsh and Lieutenant Thornton who were killed in action."
Bravo Company is amongst the first of 40 Commando to arrive back in the UK. They were stationed around the town of Sangin, a vital conduit between the areas of Musa Qaleh, Kajaki and Gereshk, where their mission was to improve security in the area and help kick-start regeneration.
Officer Commanding Bravo Company, Major Dan Cheesman RM, developed a long-term plan for the area, taking with him a specialist team of Civilian Military Cooperation experts:
"As a result of Bravo Company's efforts, the Taliban have been pushed out of the area almost completely," Maj Cheesman said. "There are now no safe havens within 5km of the District Centre of Sangin in any direction and it is almost never attacked.
"Throughout, the Marines of Bravo Company have been magnificent, robust, aggressive and tactically exceptional when required, they have also had the intelligence and maturity to see how every interaction, no matter how small, with the local population is the difference between success and failure in Afghanistan. Fighting men, thinking soldiers, do not get any better."
The success of their work can clearly be seen on the streets of Sangin today. The bazaar, practically desolate when the Royal Marines arrived, now teems with people, and local children attend the recently reopened school, while others are in the process of being built. Locals are involved in reconstruction projects across the town and the Marines patrol alongside their colleagues from the Afghan National Security Forces.
Bravo Company saw their fair share of action having been involved in two of the largest-scale operations seen in Helmand. Code-named Operation GHARTSE DAGGER Stab 1 and 2 where the Marines deployed in Viking armoured vehicles to the villages of Sapwan Qala and Malmand, to the north and east of Sangin respectively where they discovered and destroyed a drugs factory containing 1.5 tonnes of the precursor to heroin.
Heather Palmer, aged 27 a nurse in the RAF, was at Exeter today to meet her husband, Leading Medic Alastair Palmer. With her was daughter Abigail who had her first birthday last week. Heather said:
"I'm very pleased he's coming back. The six months has gone very quickly, but sometimes it did drag and I wished he was here. I've tried to keep busy to make time go faster. I wasn't able to speak to him much, as they only get five minute calls, so we didn't talk much about work, mainly Abigail and how she's doing. He will be amazed how much she's changed in the six months he's been away.
"I know he often went out on patrols and was occasionally shot at. He has been treating local Afghans and he's also been setting up a clinic for the locals out there."
Leading Medic Palmer added:
"I'm very glad to be back. It's been a very dangerous time, but as a medic it was my mission to bring every one of Bravo company back safely and I achieved that. Now I'm just going to celebrate being back with family, especially Abigail who has changed so much."
Returning from his first operational tour, Marine Michael Harding, aged 26, from Bodle Street near Hailsham in East Sussex, said on his return today:
"It's very good to be back. I'm looking forward to a long rest, sleeping in a comfortable bed, going out for a beer and good food. We worked very hard - we did a very worthwhile job. We have been making things better in Sangin, we've been providing security in the district centre. People are coming back to live in Sangin. Shops are opening, schools are opening and clinics are being set up, all with the Marine's help."
Marine Harding was met by his Dad, Charles, brother, Richard, cousin, Felicity, and Mum, Margaret, who said:
"He has been doing really well. We have really missed him - I cried for joy when I knew he was back safely."
Also on his first tour, Marine Tom Elliott, aged 22 from Windermere in the Lake District, was with the Fire Support Group, operating heavy weapons:
"It's very good to be back and meet my family again," he said. "Out in Afghanistan it was very full on at times. We made regular contact with the enemy and we were fired on regularly. Sangin is a much better place than when we got there. We made it much more difficult for the enemy to move around and they made themselves scarce, so the locals have moved back in. It was tough - as tough as I'd heard about. I'm most looking forward to a comfy bed and proper food."
Bravo Company leave behind a Sangin that has changed dramatically during their tour, with an increasingly confident population getting involved in Afghan-led rebuilding and redevelopment as the Afghan National Army and Police take on responsibility for security.
This is the first group of Royal Marines from 40 Commando, who are based in Taunton, Somerset, to return home to the UK. The rest of the unit will return over the coming weeks.
Unquote
Here`s to them and those who didn`t make it.
Bravo Zulu Royal
welcome HOME gents 
You don`t say 
