Local News

800 New England Marines to deploy to Afghanistan

Posted: 05/02/11 at 4:45 pm Updated: 05/02/11 at 7:30 pm

DEVENS, Mass. -- Although US Troops are pleased with the news of bin Laden's death, many say it does not change their mission overseas. 800 Marines from New England are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan this summer.

“I got a news alert on my iPhone and I turned on the TV,” said a Marine.

“I was crashing on my friend’s couch and my cell phone just started exploding,” said Lance Corporal Daniel Gwak.

“Just about to head to bed and all of a sudden my phone starts going crazy,” added a Marine.

Osama bin Laden’s death is definitely being talked about at Fort Devens. The men are with the 1st Battalion, 25th Marine, and they got the news just like many Americans did.

Coincidentally their company activated the same day bin Laden was killed. More than 800 Marines will be headed to Afghanistan in August.

The battalion commander, Lieutenant Col. Brian O’Leary says justice has been served, but his Marines military orders will not be changing.

“There is still uncertainty in Afghanistan,” said Lieutenant Col. O’Leary. “We still have a mission to conduct in Afghanistan, and I don’t think anyone’s under any illusions that that some way is a game-ender.”

He says the battalion will go to a province in southwestern Afghanistan. It will be Sergeant Jeffrey Lilley’s second deployment.

“A little surreal, going to bed…this all happened in one day, but my friends and family were like, especially my mom, ‘What does this mean?’” said Sergeant Lilley.

Lance Corporal Daniel Gwak is a member of a gun team and will be patrolling the province they’ll be in. He says he is still very focused.

“If the Taliban comes out waving white flags - awesome. But I have a feeling our mission is going to continue the way it is,” said LCPL. Gwak.

The Marines were saying they don’t actually need any pictures or video to prove this death. They say they take the president’s word for it.