Combat· Iraq War (Op IRAQI FREEDOM)
SA Chesty Opens
This record marks the establishment of Support Area Chesty, one of the logistical bases the Marines set up along their axis of advance during the 2003 invasion to sustain the rapid drive toward Baghdad.
Named in the Marine tradition for the legendary Lewis "Chesty" Puller, the support area served as a refueling and resupply point, one of the forward logistical nodes that kept the fast-moving armored and mechanized columns supplied with the fuel, ammunition, and water they consumed at a tremendous rate. Establishing such bases far forward and on schedule was essential to the momentum of the invasion, since the advance could only proceed as fast as its logistics allowed. The opening of Support Area Chesty was a logistical milestone rather than a battle, part of the unglamorous but vital effort that made the speed of the march to Baghdad possible. It reflected the reach of Marine combat logistics in the campaign.
Record no. 743