Marines with India Battery, 3rdrd Battalion, 12thth

Marines with India Battery, 3rdrd Battalion, 12thth Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, patrol to several locations along the Helmand River’s green zone to clear openings in tree lines, Sept. 11, after routinely spotting and engaging the enemy from nearby observation posts. Instead of clearing the tree lines the traditional way with a chain saw, they used explosives. Although the green zone looks to be a farming community, it is also a known Taliban traveled area where they often try to stay in the tree lines and fields to stay out of view of near by observation posts. “The enemy uses the tree lines as rat lines to move improvised explosive devise material,” said Capt. Thomas Kearns, the India Battery executive officer. “We made this hole in the tree lines to be able to gain positive identification on individuals moving IEDs and weapons to engage our patrols. “However, we did then go in with chain saws once the explosives went off and cut up the debris and left it there so the local populous could use the wood for cooking fires,” added Kearns, from Bordentown, N.J.