US troop surge heading to Afghanistan

A battalion of US Marines and sailors based in North Carolina have boarded flights for Afghanistan. They are the first wave in the surge of 30-thousand military personnel heading for the country.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion are heading for Helmand Province in Afghanistan where they are expected to face a bloody fight with the Taliban insurgency.

Heath Henderson, Marine Major, said, "Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done, so we expect a challenge."

Daniel Angus, Marine Sergeant, said, "It's a jump and run kind of thing. You never know when you are going to go. It is not my first Christmas away from home. It is not going to be my last."

Battling feelings of excitement and anxiety, members of the battalion spent most of Thursday morning checking on weapons and gear before stepping on a scale to have their equipment weighed.

A U.S. Marine with the 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, walks back to his base at dusk, after performing house to house searches in the Garmsir district of Helmand Province December 17, 2009.REUTERS/Adrees Latif