Dear families of MSSG 31,

Well, a lot has gone on in the short space between now and my last update. The battle for Fallujah has been fought and as I write, operations continue to secure the city to allow for the rebuilding effort to begin. Your Marines and Sailors played a large part and continue to support the success the Marine Corps has experienced, and you should be proud of them. Each and every one of them is a brave young man or woman who want only to go out and get the job done. There professional determination is awesome to watch.

Everyone contributed during the fight. The communications section stayed on top of our command and control infrastructure, making sure we could talk with everyone who was out from the MSSG as well as higher and adjacent units. The communications officers always tells me communications is the key to success on the battlefield and his Marines worked hard to ensure we could talk. Motor transport and military police worked hand in hand to make sustainment convoys happen, sometimes on short fuse, and always ready to go in either the day or the night. The engineers have been digging in units to enhance survivability, building whatever the supported units called for in the construction shop, pumping fuel and water, and working with engineer ordnance disposal to destroy captured arms and ammunition. Our corpsmen provided medical coverage for the MSSG as expected, but then went two steps further in pushing critical medical supplies out to forward aid stations and working to provide dressing changes to wounded Marines, Soldiers, and Soldiers of the new Iraqi Army.

Marines in the headquarters detachment accomplished all the planning up front to set the unit up for success during the fight and then kept track of requirements as it all unfolded. Headquarters Marines also worked areas such as ammunition supply, certainly a critical asset. Supply build stockpiles of items critical to the support of the fight and they were readily available when they were needed for the attack. In short, there was not a Marine or Sailor who did not do their share.

As I wrap up this update, I?d be at fault if I didn?t mention the support the MSSG gets from the families back home. Letter mail, e-mails, and care packages are guaranteed to bring a smile to a Marine or Sailors face. I?d also be remiss if I did not mention how much everyone appreciates the huge effort the key volunteers mustered to put together cookies and snacks for the single Marines and Sailors, box them up and send them out to us. The first part of this shipment has just arrived and trust me, the Marines devoured them! Thanks so much!

As always, I?m proud and you should be proud of the Marines and Sailors of MSSG 31. It is an honor to serve with them.

Thanks for all your support

Sincerely,

J. Alex Vohr