Combat· Afghanistan War (Op ENDURING FREEDOM)
Battle of Shewan
Shewan was a town in Farah Province known as a Taliban stronghold, the site of a sharp engagement in which a small Marine element fought a much larger insurgent force in a sustained firefight.
A Marine unit moving through the area was ambushed and drew into a prolonged battle against numerous Taliban fighters defending their bastion, the Marines using their training, marksmanship, and supporting arms to break the enemy despite being heavily outnumbered. The action became known for the lopsided result, a small body of Marines inflicting severe losses on a far larger force and fighting their way through the insurgent stronghold. Shewan stood as an example of the combat effectiveness of a disciplined Marine unit against superior numbers in the Afghan fighting. The engagement was one of the notable small-unit actions of the war in the western provinces, a demonstration of how Marine firepower and cohesion could overcome a numerical disadvantage.
Record no. 72