Readiness

U.S. Marines Corps Cpl. Christophe Strickland (Left), and Cpl. Ethan Gentry (Right), both mortarmen with 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment (1/23), play with Afghan children on Fort Pickett, Virginia, Nov. 18, 2021. Marines and Sailors of 1/23 recently replaced 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and began to build bonds with Afghan individuals awaiting the next steps in their resettlement process. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Corey Mathews)