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COURTESY CORPORAL JUSTIN L. SCHAEFFER / U.S. MARINE CORPS Pvt. Aaron Holmes of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, patrolled the Khost province of Afghanistan on Dec. 1.

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Marines to hunt
Afghan militants

Kaneohe Marines assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, are now part of Operation Thunder Freedom in Afghanistan, which in part entails hunting Taliban and al-Qaida militants through the Afghan winter.

The operation is being conducted by Combined Task Force Thunder, led by Col. Gary Cheek, who heads the 25th Infantry Division's artillery unit.

"The operation is designed to capitalize on the success of the Oct. 9 Afghan presidential election and continue that success through parliamentary elections scheduled for the spring," the Army said.

Army leaders believe that traditionally, fighters in Afghanistan lay low during the harsh winter months and come back out in the spring.

Maj. Gen. Eric Olson, who as commander of the 25th Division also commands Combined Joint Task Force-76, told reporters last month that the operation would include a redeployment to tighten security on the border with Pakistan and raids by special forces to snatch rebel leaders.

Olson, the top operational commander on the ground in Afghanistan, said soldiers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom shouldn't discount the resilience of the enemy, even during the winter.

"I don't think we should underestimate what's left of al-Qaida," he said. "The al-Qaida itself is still a viable organization. In some instances, they may be more dangerous because of their need to launch some kind of high-visibility success, which may cause some to revert to desperate acts."

The operation is also aimed at persuading militants to take up an offer of amnesty from the coalition and the Afghan government.

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An Atlantic-based nuclear submarine, USS Oklahoma City, made a rare port visit to Pearl Harbor on Monday. It is only the third submarine to make the under-ice transit. The first submarine to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific under the Arctic was USS Nautilus in 1958. The USS Alexandria was the second submarine to sail coast-to-coast through the Arctic in June and was the first such voyage of a Los Angeles-class submarine.

"There was a need for more submarines to deploy into the Western Pacific," said Cmdr. Chris Williams, the Oklahoma City's commanding officer. "This transit demonstrates the mission of the submarine force to send submarines anywhere regardless of where they are stationed."

The submarine, which is based in Norfolk, Va., has operated in the Pacific since its transit under the Arctic ice in August.

Master Chief Machinist's Mate Eric Antwoine, chief of the boat, said, "The Pacific is harder to navigate because it is shallow in certain areas, so you have to pay very close attention."

Moving up

» Pearl Harbor: Cmdr. Logan Jones has assumed command of the frigate USS Reuben James, relieving Cmdr. John Figuerres.