The Marines have left the building...

Today, May 13, was the last day of Task Force Lava in Afghanistan. The men of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines cased their colors, and transferred authority to the Army's 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry--a unit that's been in the region since March with the rest of Task Force Spartan. These photos are again those of Lance Cpl Stephen Kwietniak, combat photographer extraordinaire.

The battalions present arms as the national anthem is played. I do realize this may be confusing for awhile, as I jump back and forth between current photos (the past week's memorial and today's transfer ceremony) and ones from a month ago, but I figure it's better than backing everything up.

Marines from the remaining companies of the battalion stand in formation, bowing their heads for the chaplain's prayer. I mentioned the insane heat here, right? The constant 110+ degree highs? Well, it continues...this was held at 8 a.m., and was already sweltering.


There it goes...I could barely stand to watch as the Eagle, Globe and Anchor is taken down and covered. It's back to the never-ending questions I endure in an Army environment: "Why aren't you with the rest of your battalion?" or "So you're a Lieutenant, right?" Knuckleheads.

It's perfectly appropriate, by the way, for a Marine battalion to be sharing their battle space with, then turning it over to, the "Chosin Battalion." As their name implies, this unit's lineage is heavy with battles that were fought alongside Marines, right up through Fallujah in 2004.

There you have it...the colors are swapped out, remarks and kudos complete by all commanders, the plaque is handed over and it's "Aloha time" for the Lava Dogs, as they return to Hawaii. I've really enjoyed my time with them over the last couple of months. And then there was one Marine remaining in all of eastern Afghanistan...