Task Force Leatherneck Explained

Unit Name:Task Force Leatherneck
Branch:United States Marine Corps
Country: United States of America
Command Structure:Regional Command Southwest
Size:10,700
Dates:2009-2014
Type:Marine Expeditionary Brigade
Garrison:Camp Leatherneck
Role:Expeditionary combat forces
Battles:
Decorations:Presidential Unit Award
Commander1:Brigadier General Lawrence D. Nicholson
Commander1 Label:Task Force Commander

Task Force Leatherneck or MEB-Afghanistan was a Marine Air-Ground Task Force that operated in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The name was originally given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during its 2009-10 operations for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. On July 3, 2010, it was renamed as Regional Command Southwest, RC(SW)|, and in January of 2015 it was renamed Train Advise Assist Command - Southwest (TAAC-SW) under the new NATO mission RESOLUTE SUPPORT.[1] It is also the name used by the 1st Marine Division and 2nd Marine Division during their deployments to Afghanistan. Task Force Leatherneck was commanded by Brigadier General Lawrence D. Nicholson with the command element at Camp Leatherneck. The task force took over the battlespace from Special Purpose MAGTF-Afghanistan on May 29, 2009.[2] In July 2009, Task Force Leatherneck participated in Operation Strike of the Sword (Operation Khanjar), the largest Marine Corps operation since the Battle of Fallujah, and then in February 2010 an even larger battle, the largest of the Afghan Campaign, Operation Moshtarak (Operation Together).[3]

Order of battle

Task Force Leatherneck comprised two regimental combat teams and four separate battalions with approximately 10,700 personnel.[4]

Operation Enduring Freedom 9.2

5th Battalion 10th Marines (5/10th Marines) - Brigade Headquarters Group (BHG)

Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 10th Marines (HQ Battery 5/10th Marines) - Headquarters and Service Company (H&S Company)

F Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines (Fox 2/10th Marines) - Tactical Combat Force (TFC)

R Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marines (Romeo 5/11th Marines) - Tactical Combat Force (TFC)

Military Police Company, (MPC) Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division(HQ Battalion 2nd Marine Division) - Police Mentoring Teams (PMTs) and Provost Marshal Office (PMO)

34 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment (34 Squadron RAF Regiment) - Force Protection Company (FP Company)

3rd Marine Regiment (RCT 3)

2nd Battalion 3rd Marines (2/3rd Marines)

1st Battalion 5th Marines (1/5th Marines)

2nd Battalion 8th Marines (2/8th Marines)

3rd Battalion 11th Marines (3/11th Marines)

BATTERY N 5th Battalion 14th Marines (N/5/14th Marines)[5]

Company D, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion (D/2nd AAB)(MRAP Company)

Detachment L, 4th Civil Affairs Group(L/4th CAG)

2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (-) (2nd LARB)

Detachment, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion

Detachment, 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (2nd ANGLICO)

Detachment, 3rd Radio Battalion

Marine Aircraft Group 40(MAG 40)

Combat Logistics Regiment 2(CLR 2)

Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division(HQ Battalion 1st Marine Division)

2nd Battalion, 11th Marines(2/11th Marines)

3rd Combat Engineer Battalion(3rd CEB)

1st Reconnaissance Battalion(1st Recon Battalion)

2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment(2/9th Marine Regiment)

2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment(2/6th Marine Regiment)

3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment(3/3rd Marine Regiment)

1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion(1st LARB)

Combat Logistics Battalion 1(CLB 1)

1st Battalion, 8th Marines(1/8th Marines)

2nd Battalion, 5th Marines(2/5th Marines)

1st Battalion, 7th Marines(1/7th Marines)

31st Georgian Battalion

Operation Enduring Freedom 10.1

5th Battalion 10th Marines (5/10th Marines) - Brigade Headquarters Group (BHG)

Headquarters Battery 3rd Battalion 10th Marines (HQ Battery 3/10) - Headquarters and Service Company (H&S)

Company A, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (Alpha 4th LARB) - Tactical Combat Force (TFC)

Military Police Company, Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division - Police Mentoring Teams (PMTs) and Provost Marshal Office (PMO)

3 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment (3 Squadron RAF Regiment) - Force Protection Company (FP Company)

7th Marine Regiment (RCT 7)

1st Battalion 3rd Marines (1/3rd Marines)

3rd Battalion 4th Marines (3/4th Marines)

2nd Battalion 2nd Marines (2/2nd Marines)

3rd Battalion 7th Marines (3/7th Marines)

3rd Battalion 10th Marines (3/10th Marines)

Company B, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion (Bravo 2nd AAB) (MRAP Company)

Detachment M, 4th Civil Affairs Group (M/4th CAG)

4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (-) (4th LAR)

Detachment 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion

Detachment 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO)

Detachments 1st & 3rd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO)

Marine Aircraft Group 40 (MAG 40)

Combat Logistics Regiment 2(CLR 2)

Commanders

External links

Notes and References

  1. Canals, Meghan. "Task Force Leatherneck Deploys to Afghanistan", Leatherneck, (July 2009), p. 18.
  2. R.R. Keene (editor). "The War on Terror", Leatherneck, vol XCII, no. 11 (November 2009), p. 30.
  3. Gal Perl Finkel, Back to the ground?, Israel Hayom, November 8, 2015.
  4. http://www.isaf.nato.int/subordinate-commands/rc-southwest/index.php RC – Southwest | ISAF - International Security Assistance Force
  5. MARADMINS Active Number: 615/12
  6. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/67091/task-force-leatherneck-changes-hands-ceremony Task Force Leatherneck Changes Hands in Ceremony