Marine battalion returning to NC

CAMP LEJEUNE — Members of a Marine reconnaissance battalion are returning to their North Carolina base from a seven-month deployment in Iraq where some of its members battled oil smugglers.

About 500 Marines from the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion are scheduled to return to Camp Lejeune throughout the day Thursday. The rest of the 800 Marines will return later in the week.

The battalion’s Web site said Marines from Delta Company were assigned to intercept oil smugglers in Anbar province. They detained one smuggler and several trucks. Marines also engaged in firefights with insurgents and were attacked with roadside bombs.

The battalion is part of the Lejeune-headquartered 2nd Marine Division.

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