Approximately 2,300 Marines and sailors will be returning home to Southern California, including the Twentynine Palms Combat Center Friday, October 23, after a 6-month deployment to Iraq. The troops formed the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force—Crisis Response—Central Command, 15.2. The Marines and sailors of 15.2 were sent in April to advise and train Iraqi soldiers and coalition partners as part of U.S. Central Command and Marine Corps Forces Central Command in several Middle Eastern countries. An F/18 Marine pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron-232 was killed yesterday when his plane crashed shortly after take-off in England. The squadron is based out of Miramar but was attached to 15.2 and is returning home after its deployment. Due to operational security concerns, the time of the Marines’ return will not be announced.
