Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (CNN) -- On a base accustomed to deploying Marines into some of the most hostile war zones, you would expect some hesitancy when units from here were asked to surge into some of the worst fighting since the start of the war in Afghanistan.



This week, the first of 1,500 Marines will be part of the initial wave of President Obama's surge plan to head to Afghanistan's restive provinces to support Marines and soldiers fighting a dug-in Taliban force.



However, many Marines we talked to in this coastal, scrub pine-covered North Carolina base are more than excited to go, despite the dangers that await them.



"I'm absolutely ecstatic about the situation. I've got a good group of Marines that are behind me, so I'm real excited about the deployment," said Sgt. Jason Bendett of the 3rd Platoon, A Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, based at Lejeune.



But combat deaths in Afghanistan are up -- 305 this year, from 155 during 2008 -- giving pause to even the most motivated Marines.



"I think I wouldn't be human if I wasn't worried, obviously this being my first combat deployment, but the Taliban are an experienced group of fighters, and I'm not taking that for granted," 2nd Lt. John Auer, also of the 3rd Platoon, said during some of his final rifle range training before he deploys.



Members of this unit say they have been waiting and waiting as they watched fellow Marines deploy ahead of them this year, and they say they are more than ready to go.



They were supposed to go to Iraq in June, but as priorities shifted, they were reassigned to Afghanistan's Helmand province, where Marines are in daily battles with the Taliban.



"Having months to train and putting Marines out in the elements in Southern California, where we train, gives them a chance to see what the atmospherics are going to be like and to work as a team, so this is perfect, and we are really looking forward to this," Auer said.



"These guys have a lot of training under their belts, more than Marine units typically get in this situation. Senior military leaders have a lot of big expectations for this team," said the unit's first sergeant, Ronald Neff.



Last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, gave some of the deploying Marines an impassioned speech about what they will face.



"We don't have a lot of time. The slope on this insurgency is going in the wrong direction, and it has picked up, three years, each year to a significant degree," Mullen said, describing the deteriorating security situation.



"I believe the strategy that the president laid out, the decision that he's made, is the right decision. Both those are right, and we will now move out, given our orders, and we'll carry them out. And again, I couldn't be more confident and more pleased that you are going to be at the core of that," he told the hundreds of Marines in attendance.



Many of the Marines there are young and are facing their first combat deployment. Although all the bravado of a newly minted Marine ready for combat looks and sounds ready to fight, their eyes showed worry and concern for the unknown as they listened to Mullen.



"Best thing you can hope for is that you personally know yourself, that you're not going to freeze up," Lance Cpl. Matthew Jenkins said after Mullen's speech.



"We'll see how I react when it goes down in a couple weeks," said Lance Cpl. Joshua Williamson.



Questions remain, however, about how so many Marines without combat experience in Afghanistan can jump into a heated combat zone.



Mullen admitted some concerns.



"We're obviously not in an ideal situation with respect to that. I understand that, but I have a huge amount of confidence in our Marine Corps based on their ability to adapt, what they did
Who is sending the marines? Where are marines being sent? Where do the marines head to this week? What branch of the military is being sent to Afghanistan? Who is ecstatic about the sitaution? Who was the part of the initial surge plan? Who says he is ecstatic about the situation? Who is part of initial wave?
President Obama's hostile war zones, Afghanistan's restive provinces 1,500 Marines will be part of the initial wave of President Obama's surge plan Sgt. Jason Bendett 1,500 Marines Sgt. Jason Bendett 1,500 Marines
question: Who is sending the marines?, answer: President Obama's | question: Where are marines being sent?, answer: hostile war zones, | question: Where do the marines head to this week?, answer: Afghanistan's restive provinces | question: What branch of the military is being sent to Afghanistan?, answer: 1,500 Marines will be part of the initial wave of President Obama's surge plan | question: Who is ecstatic about the sitaution?, answer: Sgt. Jason Bendett | question: Who was the part of the initial surge plan?, answer: 1,500 Marines | question: Who says he is ecstatic about the situation?, answer: Sgt. Jason Bendett | question: Who is part of initial wave?, answer: 1,500 Marines