RAMADI, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2010 – The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force transferred authority of Iraq’s largest province to the Army’s 1st Armored Division in a Jan. 23 ceremony here that marked the end of the Marine Corps’ mission in Iraq.

Before the ceremony, 1st Armored Division’s area of operations, as U.S. Division Center, encompassed Baghdad and its surrounded communities. Now, it extends the throughout Iraq’s Anbar province, a vast landscape spanning more than 53,000 square miles in western Iraq.

“This is a pivotal moment in the history of Iraq,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard T. Tryon, commander of 2nd MEF (Forward), the 2nd Marine Division, and U.S. Force West.

Marines have been at the heart of almost every major Iraq campaign period since February 2004, from the early battles in Najaf and Fallujah, along the western Euphrates River Valley from Qaim to Rawah, and continuing with the pivotal Sunni “Awakening” that many historians and diplomatic experts credit as the turning of the tide against al-Qaida in Iraq.

“Since early 2004, the U.S. Marines serving in Al Anbar have consistently exemplified their motto, ‘Semper Fi – Always Faithful,’” said Army Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., U.S. Forces Iraq deputy commanding general for operations and commander of the Army’s 1st Corps. “They have been especially faithful to the people of Al Anbar, the focal point of their mission in Iraq. Anbaris are resilient people who have sacrificed dearly but now emerge as stronger people.” (continue reading…)

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md., Jan. 25, 2010 – The Defense Department’s Military Health System has never played a clearer or more important role in the security of the nation, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said today.

“I’m very, very proud of the great strides we all have made to date,” Ellen P. Embrey told an audience of more than 3,000 military and civilian medical professionals at the 2010 Military Health System Conference at the National Harbor here.

Embrey cited the medical achievements that have resulted in the highest wartime survival rate in history. Wounded servicemembers receive state-of-the-art treatment and equipment within the first hour of injury, she told the group, with many transported back to the United States within 48 hours.

“That is what has made all the difference,” she said, noting the importance of the physicians and other team members at their side. (continue reading…)

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2010 – Their truck sways from side to side and bumps up and down along a path in Afghanistan. But what would be an intolerable ride for most is just something Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul N. Krist, a dog handler for 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, and his dog, Max, have accepted as part of the job.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul N. Krist enjoys a moment with his bomb-sniffing dog, Max, before beginning a search for homemade explosives in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

“I really enjoy what I do, and the guys I work with,” he continued. “They really care about their job and the safety of others. My drive comes from knowing that we’re keeping people safe, and it’s not long before I go home. I hope I have a chance to do something this relevant in winning the war on my next deployment, and I hope Max can come, too.”