HELMAND PROVINCE - Capt. Bill Hefty, co. cmdr. of India Co, 3rd Bn, 6th Marine Regt, discusses strategy with soldiers from the ANA through an interpreter, Feb. 5, 2010. India Co arrived at their current location by a combination of land and air transportation, after securing a landing zone in the Afghan desert.
HELMAND PROVINCE - Capt. Stephan Karabin, 30, comm. officer, Charlie Co, 1st Bn, 3rd Marine Regt, gives directions to units on 2 different radios from a rooftop during a firefight at the center of "Five Points," a key intersection of roads linking the northern area of the insurgent stronghold of Marjeh with the rest of Helmand prov. Marines conducted a helicopter-borne assault Feb. 9 to seize the area.
A Marine with Weapons Plt, Charlie Co, sprints down the line of heavy machine guns to deliver a map after a firefight with Taliban insurgents.
Lance Cpl. Zachary Tutt, a 19-year-old machine gunner with Weapons Plt, runs a wheelbarrow full of gathered cinderblocks back to his gun's location, while Lance Cpl. Jutstin Hughes, a radio operator with Weapons Plt, provides security between firefights with Taliban insurgents.
Lance Cpls. Keith Lawson, 25 and Spence Press, 20, scout snipers attached to Charlie Co, work together to identify targets as Taliban fighters approached from Marjeh toward their position at the "Five Points" intersection.
Cpl. Joshua Villegas, 22, a radio operator watches nearby farms for insurgent activity, from a building rooftop in the center of "Five Points."
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In another op in Helmand Feb. 11, a combined force searched a small compound in a rural area in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district, after intel confirmed militant activity. During the search, the force detained several suspected militants and found several rocket motors. In other ops Feb 11: - In Kandahar, an Afghan-ISAF searched a compound in the Arghandab district after intel indicated militant activity. The force captured a small group of insurgents, including a Taliban subcmdr responsible for weapons trafficking, and attacks against coalition and Afghan troops. The force found several weapons, including automatic rifles. - In Khost, a combined force searched a compound in the Sabari District after intel found militant activity. The force detained several insurgents and found multiple weapons, including automatic rifles and a large amount of ammo. - In Zabul, an Afghan-ISAF searched a compound in a rural area west of Qalat City after intel confirmed militant activity. The force captured a Taliban sub-cmdr involved in small-arms and IED attacks on coalition and Afghan troops. The force also recovered multiple weapons, including automatic rifles and pistols.
Medical Teams Render Aid After Afghanistan Avalanche
(AF photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeromy Cross)
BAGRAM AIRFIELD - AF Master Sgt. Jan Fink holds a young avalanche survivor who was medically evacuated to Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield, Feb. 9, 2010. Dozens of Afghans were taken to Bagram Airfield after avalanches struck a mountain pass in Parwan prov.
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Solano said Birbiri does more than just supervise his team and act as a liaison between them and their military partners; he has also gone out on nearly every convoy. Birbiri said he does his best to help out the Army, and the Army has done a great job looking after his team and keeping it safe. He said that he can't recall a time when he was put in harm's way since starting the job. "This contract started in 2005 and not one thing has happened," he said.
Spc. Caleb Morgan observes students from the Criminal Justice Center as IP forces run through a training scenario that focuses on security ops during an election. Army NG Soldiers with the 217th out of Prattville, Ala., run the course that trains IP forces in security ops.
Spc. Stevens McClellan of 217th MP observes students.
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Color, Beauty Made in Desert
(Photos by Spc. Anita VanderMolen)SCANIA - Sgt. Moises Becerra of Eugene, Ore., an infantryman and team leader with A Co, 2/162 Inf., 41st IBCT, 13th ESC, paints a unit barrier displaying the uniqueness of its co., bn., and home state as a postcard. The bn crest is the stamp for the postcard. Painting blast barriers is a common site in Iraq and can be seen on every base. It's the signature that the unit has been in that area.
Sgt. Becerra paints a unit barrier.
The beaver ducks are the mascots for the Oregon universities.
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By Staff Sgt. Mike Alberts