![]() ![]() “I’ve seen the sacrifice that the men and women who fought for Fallujah be romanticized time and again and I can tell you now that there was nothing, absolutely nothing that compares to the devastation our forces experienced in the past 11 years during that battle,” said Buhl. Kennedy added that the determination and fierceness that Marines displayed was both heroic and legendary. Junior sailors and chaplains asked a myriad of questions ranging from operational roles to combat action. The seminar continued with an open panel for questions from five subject matter experts that were present during the battle. “It’s imperative to care for one another in an environment that is as harsh as Fallujah was.”īuhl followed by saying that the close working relationship between chaplains and RPs is necessary for the intimate privilege of looking after Marine's spiritual well-being. “Having my mentors, my senior chaplains, set me up for success,” said Kennedy. The cradle of an insurgency that plunged Iraq into years of chaos and bloodshed, Fallujah conjures up images of the brutal house-to-house fighting that occurred during the 2004 U.S. Buhl made an emphasis on establishing relationships within Marine units and mentoring colleagues as a fundamental aspect of being a spiritual care giver. The Second Battle of Fallujah was a major US offensive during the Iraq War.“So many Marines had been disfigured and torn apart that I was hard pressed to push it all aside and focus on guiding them to a place of spiritual peace.”ĭuring the chaplain and RP's seminar, both Lt. 7, 2004: Operation Phantom Fury Begins This Day in History When we got there it was shocking,” said Kennedy. ![]() “I knew what was coming from the reports and stories I heard from that area of Iraq. Ron Kennedy, the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division chaplain recounted his personal experience during the battle and his role as a caregiver and religious guide to wounded Marines. During Phantom Fury, the operation became an iconic battle in Marine Corps history due to the intensity of urbanized combat not seen since the Battle of Huế City in Vietnam in 1968. 18 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., to discuss the roles of religious personnel during times of heavy combat specifically revisiting the 2004 events of the second battle of Fallujah. Navy chaplains and Religious Program Specialists gathered Sept. Buhl, commanding officer for Expeditionary Operations Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The Second Battle of Fallujahcode-named Operation Al-Fajr (Arabic: 'the dawn') and Operation Phantom Furywas a joint American, Iraqi, and British offensive in November and December 2004, considered the highest point of conflict in Fallujah during the Iraq War. The Second Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation Phantom Fury, and Operation al-Fajr was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that lasted roughly six. “I have not spoken of the battle of Fallujah hardly at all during the past 11 years it was an absolutely heartbreaking and horrific event that took a toll on myself and my fellow chaplains and RPs,” said Col.
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