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BHS grad commands lead unit in Afghan operation
A Marine commander from Brainerd is playing a key role in the U.S. Marines' massive operation in Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. Bill McCollough, a 1987 graduate of Brainerd High School, is the commanding officer of the Marine battalion that is the vanguard unit of the 4,000 Marines involved in the largest assault by the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
As the Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade prepared to make the sweep in the Helmand River valley, McCollough, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., wrote a letter to family and friends of the unit. The letter, written Wednesday before the operation began by McCollough and the battalion's sergeant major, was released to the Dispatch. It states:
"As I write this letter, your Marines and Sailors are making final preparations for tonight's historic operation. They are checking their weapons and optics one last time, conducting inspections and talking through the battleplan with their squad and platoon mates. Tonight, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines will be the vanguard of the largest Marine Corps operation since the Battle of Fallujah (Iraq) in 2004, and the largest heliborne assault since Vietnam.
"Tonight, nearly 1,000 members of the 1st Battalion will suddenly descend upon key spots throughout the farmland district of Nawa, along the Helmand River. British soldiers, Afghan soldiers and Afghan policemen will fight by our side, and we will overwhelm the Taliban forces who have terrorized this district for the past several years.
"We are prepared. The support we have received from every level has been superb. In the dozen or so engagements we have had so far, your Marines and Sailors have destroyed or sent fleeing every Taliban element that has run up against them. They have done this while protecting the innocent civilians that the enemy hides amongst, and I couldn't be prouder of their actions.
"We have formed a solid partnership with the Afghan forces and the locals. These families of farmers want nothing more than to be set free from the yoke of terror and abuse that the Taliban have laid upon them. Tonight your Marine or Sailor will join that special cadre of Americans that go in harm's way for the sake of our nation. They are well prepared and I am confident that they will perform magnificently.
"You will be hearing about this in the news and will be anxious to hear from us again soon. Know that I will do my best to update you in the days to come. Say a quick prayer for us when you receive this letter, and know that we are saying one for you. Your Marines will dominate the field of battle and the Taliban will be destroyed or flee. There is no doubt about the outcome.
"Semper Fidelis,
Bill McCollough, Commanding Officer, and Tom Sowers, Sergeant Major, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines."
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