Lt. Col. Sean Riordan, the commanding officer of 1st

Lt. Col. Sean Riordan, the commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, encourages Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, to devote themselves to bettering Garmsir during a relief in place and transfer of authority ceremony here, Nov. 17. Though “America’s Battalion” has been operating in Garmsir for two weeks, the ceremony marked the official turnover of the area of operations between the two battalions. During their deployment, the 1/3 “Lava Dogs” focused on preparing the Afghan National Security Forces to take on a greater role in counterinsurgency operations. The Marines and sailors of 3/3 will continue to mentor ANSF as they progress toward taking lead security responsibility in the district. “We are winning this war,” District Governor Mohammad Fahim said. “I’m optimistic that with the help of the 3/3 Marines, we’ll have peace and stability in Garmsir forever.”