GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan - Navy Chief Petty Officer William Stewart speaks to sailors with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment during a command battlefield trip here, Aug. 6. Stewart, a native of Houston, is the division medical planner for 2nd Marine Division (Forward). During the visit, the 2nd MarDiv (Fwd) commanding general and staff asked Marines with 1/3 about progress and challenges in Garmsir. First Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghanistan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.