The operation, dubbed "Valiant Guardian", involved nearly 4,000 marines, soldiers and sailors covering most of the 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2) of RCT-2's operating area.
"We uncovered over 250 caches, arrested over 250 suspected insurgents and discovered over 100 improvised explosive devices,” said Lt. Col. Michael Manning, operations officer for RCT-2. "We clearly surprised them, the number of caches and detainees attest to that but more importantly, we let the enemy know that they can’t hide from us."[1]
This marked the first large scale operation for RCT-2 this year, supporting Multi-National Force – Iraq's Operation Farhd al Qanoon and utilizing the surge battalions sent to the Anbar Province. RCT-2's operating area stretches from the Syrian border city of Al Qa’im down to the town of Hit, located northwest of Ramadi.