MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT – Approximately 1500 Marines and Sailors from Camp Lejeune, part of the recently announced 30,000 troop increase, left for Afghanistan early Wednesday morning.
This is the battalion's third deployment to Afghanistan since 2001. In 2004, the unit deployed to the country's Kandahar, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces as the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In 2008, the unit conducted counter-insurgency operations in the Helmand province as the battalion landing team of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit also deployed to Iraq in 2005.
The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines is commanded by Lt. Col. Calvert L. Worth Jr., who assumed command of the unit in January 2009. The battalion's senior enlisted Marine is Sgt. Maj. Charlie Stanford.
The battalion's deployment is expected to last seven months.