Afpak Photo War
Archive 11

U.S. army soldiers secure a road as a fuel truck burns outside Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. A supply convoy of NATO and coalition forces was attacked by militants near Jalalabad city, two of the tankers were set on fire and three others damaged. AP

U.S. Army Pvt. John Stafinski fires his M-249 squad automatic weapon, during a three-hour gun battle, with insurgent fighters, in Waterpur Valley, at Kunar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. Stafinski is an infantryman, with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colo. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Spc. Thomas Upton watches for anti-Afghan forces, during a gun-battle, in Waterpur Valley,at Kunar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. Upton, and fellow members, of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, have been providing security and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people since arriving last June. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Sgt. John Stone, a squad leader, assigned to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, scans his sector for fleeing enemy combatants, in Lagham province, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2009. Stone, and his platoon provided extra security in a recent fire fight. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Sgt. John Lopez, a forward observer, assigned to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, alerts other members of his platoon, of a bomb an Air Force A-10 Warthog dropped, in Lagham province, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2009. Lopez, and his platoon provided extra security in a recent fire fight. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Sgt. John Lopez, a forward observer, assigned to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, takes a rest, as his platoon moves to support a unit engaged in a conflict, in Lagham province, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2009. Lopez, and his platoon provided extra security in a recent fire fight. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Emond operates the Virtual Secure Internet Protocol Router, Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Access Point, as well as other internet provider systems, to free up more U.S. Soldiers for combat operations, at Combat Outpost McClain, Afghanistan, Oct. 14, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. 1st Class Melissa Stewart/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

Mine resistant, armor protected vehicles from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division stand ready to escort supply trucks leaving Albakir Air Field in Balad, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2009. DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Steven King, U.S. Navy. (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers, from Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, watch the surrounding hills for insurgents, while fellow U.S. Soldiers, of Charlie Company, race to their position, dodging heavy sniper fire, during a three-hour gun battle, with insurgent forces, at Waterpur Valley, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. The 4th Infantry Division Soldiers have been battling insurgent forces in the Waterpur Valley since arriving in Afghanistan last June. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division take an overwatch position on a mountain top as the sun rises in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. AP

A U.S. soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division takes an overwatch position on a mountain top as the sun rises in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. AP

SFC Korey Staley, right, a U.S. soldier from Atlantic, Iowa and the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division takes an overwatch position on a mountain top as the sun rises in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. AP

A US Army Chinook helicopter lands on a hill in Kabul on November 7, 2009. A search operation continued for two US paratroopers missing in remote northwest Afghanistan as NATO said 25 soldiers were wounded during the hunt following a clash with militants. Getty

A NATO French Foreign Legion soldier is surrounded by goats at a joined NATO Afghan National Army and police checkpoint set up outside the Rocco combat outpost in the Surobi disctrict, some 50 kms northeast of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday Nov. 6, 2009. AP

A young Afghan boy who was in a car stopped at a joined NATO Afghan National Army and police checkpoint, listens to the Foreign Legion officer near the Rocco combat outpost in the Surobi disctrict, some 50 kms North-East of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday Nov. 6, 2009. AP

Honor guard members carry the remains of Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell at his burial service at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. , Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. According to the Department of Defense, Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, Ohio, died Oct. 26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Mitchell was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. AP

U.S. Marines, from Embedded Training Team 1-12th, Afghan National army soldiers, and U.S. Army Soldiers, walk down the mountains, over the Depak Valley, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Marine Capt. Patrick Francescon, originally assigned to Combined Joint Task Force 82nd, and attached to Embedded Training Team 1-12th, takes a rest after climbing up a mountain, to set up an overnight observation post, during a 2-day mission in the Depak Valley, at Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 30, 2009. Francescon decided to spent his 4-day leave with the Marines, in Wardak province. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

A water wheel used to generate electricity can be seen by Afghan National Army soldiers and U.S. Marines with Combined Anti-Armor Team 2, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment as they patrol in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2009. The Marines are deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James Purschwitz/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

A water pumping system can be seen by Afghan National Army soldiers and U.S. Marines with Combined Anti-Armor Team 2, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment as they conduct a patrol in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2009. The Marines are deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James Purschwitz/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment patrol Omar Zai, Zabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. The Soldiers are deployed to Forward Operating Base Wolverine, Zabul, to conduct counterinsurgency operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

[Above and below] U.S. Marines with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment watch a baseball game at a Marine welfare and recreation center on Forward Operating Base Now Zad, Afghanistan, Nov. 3, 2009. The center provides the Marines with a place to watch TV and use the internet during their down time. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel M. Moman/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

A U.S. Marine Corps mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, equipped with a mine roller, is parked at the Combined Anti-Armor Team 2's patrol base in the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment are deployed in the area with Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. James Purschwitz/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

Italian medical personnel carry a girl during a cooperative medical engagement near the Afghan National Army's (ANA) Camp Zafar, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2009. The medical engagement was a joint effort between the ANA and coalition forces. Afghan citizens received treatment for coughs and colds, seasonal allergies, aches and pains, high blood pressure, parasites and infections. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Marc I. Lane/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Victoria Sherwood, of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade Female Engagement Team (FET), gives candy to women and children during a populace engagement in the Helmand province of Afghanistan July 23, 2009. The Marines are executing controlled population engagements to collect atmospherics and show American support for Afghan women and their families. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sarah Furrer/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009 [11/5/2009]

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Mike Kuiper, with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, teaches English letters to Afghan kids at Forward Operating Base Cherokee in Nawa district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. The 1st Battalion is one of the ground elements of Regimental Combat Team 3, which conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Freddy G. Cantu/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

From left, U.S. Marine Capt. Patrick Francescon, reporter Elliot Woods, Capt. Ryan Malloney and his interpreter Wakil, drink shia tea and eat bread offered by a local villager during a patrol through the Depak Valley, Afghanistan, Oct. 30, 2009. Marines are assigned to Embedded Training Team 1-12th working with the Afghan National Army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tim Necker, with Combined Anti Armor Team 1, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, mans a Mark 2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun at a vehicle checkpoint at Nawa district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2009. Marines and the Afghan army set up vehicle checkpoints to counter trafficking of weapons and drugs throughout Afghanistan. The 1st Battalion is one of the combat elements of Regimental Combat Team 7, which conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg/Released) Date Posted: 11/4/2009

U.S. Air Force Capt. Dana Arrieta, a surveillance officer with the 7th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron, manages the radar aboard an E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft in Southwest Asia on Oct. 24, 2009. The JSTARS is an airborne battle management, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform deployed in support of operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Barney, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Marines with Gun One, November Battery, 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment reload a M777 A2 lightweight howitzer during a calibration shoot at Fire Base Pico in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Nov. 2, 2009. The unit is attached 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment and is deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher R. Rye/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. David Wilson, left, first sergeant of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, and Col. Randy Newman, commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 7, brief Rep. Brian Bilbray, of California, about the Nawa district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. The 1st Battalion is one of the ground elements of Regimental Combat Team 3, which conducts counterinsurgency operations in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Freddy G. Cantu/Released) Date Posted: 11/5/2009

British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, center, answers journalists questions with Afghan police commander Mir Wais Norzai, left, and Afghan Army General Sher Mohammad Zazai at the British base in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 after five British soldiers were shot dead in an attack. The five soldiers, three from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military Police, were killed in the Nad-e'Ali district of Helmand Province on Nov. 3, where they were training and operating with Afghan security forces, when an Afghan policeman opened fire on them inside a checkpoint. AP

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Monteforte, a combat engineer with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, and a U.S. Airman use C-4 plastic explosives to destroy unuseable ordnance in Golestan, Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2009. The ordnance is destroyed to prevent incidents and safely remove it from the area. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Chad J. Pulliam/Released) Date Posted: 11/4/2009

U.S. Marines and Sailors with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment transport an injured Afghan boy for medical treatment at Forward Operating Base Golestan in the Helmand province of Afghanistan Nov. 1, 2009. The boy fell from an unknown height and was in critical condition. (DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Chad J. Pulliam, U.S. Marine Corps/Released) Date Posted: 11/4/2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/business/04oshkosh.html

A Pentagon Contract Revives Jobs at Oshkosh

OSHKOSH, Wis. — United States Patent No. 5,820,150, for a particular design of independent truck suspension, is just one of the dozens of patents the Oshkosh Corporation has filed in recent years. But as the military shifts its focus to Afghanistan from Iraq, that single invention is proving to be worth billions of dollars to the company and a potential lifesaver for American troops in Afghanistan. The special suspension is being used in new armored trucks, now being rushed to the front, that are nimble enough to veer off road and avoid the homemade mines that have killed or injured hundreds of soldiers. The win by Oshkosh is the latest example of how the Pentagon is shifting its focus to more practical equipment and weapons to help troops in the field immediately, rather than investing in high-tech programs with long lead times. As a result, companies like Oshkosh are better positioned to beat the biggest contractors for new business.

The Pentagon is buying the new off-road vehicles because it is scrambling to adjust from urban fighting in Iraq to the dirt roads and mountains in Afghanistan. It spent $26 billion to buy 16,000 larger trucks — called mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, or MRAPs — for Iraq. But most of them are too bulky to climb mountain passes, and are prone to toppling over on Afghanistan’s steep and rutty roads. As the threat increases from so-called improvised explosive devices, Oshkosh’s lighter and more agile truck, called an MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV, will be able to go off road to avoid the bombs and chase insurgents. The trucks, which can carry five soldiers, are capable of driving up 60-degree inclines, in either forward gear or reverse, and can lean as much as 30 degrees to the side. The suspension system keeps the axles from breaking by allowing each wheel to slide up or down as much as 16 inches as the truck drives over rocks or through ruts.

Oshkosh's MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle can drive up 60-degree inclines and veer nimbly off road to avoid land mines. Darren Hauck for The New York Times Twitter

Ashton B. Carter, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, poses in front of the new all-terrain, mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle during a static demonstration event at the Pentagon Nov. 2, 2009. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Molly A. Burgess, U.S. Navy/Released) Date Posted: 11/3/2009

Two mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles (MATVs) wait to be transported onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft Sept. 30, 2009, at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. The MATVs will be transported to Afghanistan to support combat missions. The C-17 is based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by James M. Bowman/Released) Date Posted: 10/5/2009

[Above and below] A US Army (USA) Solider assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (SFG), rides an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), into a cave to check for munitions, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Photographer's Name: SRA BETHANN HUNT, USAF. Date Shot: 7/19/2002. Date Posted: unknown

Light enhanced photography, fisheye lens view, showing two US Army (USA) Soldiers from 2/187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), operating an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) near the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. Soldiers from the 101st are conducting Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) missions as a part of Operation Mountain Lion, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Photographer's Name: SGT RONALD A. MITCHELL, USA. Location: unknown. Date Shot: 6/2/2002. Date Posted: unknown

A ramp loader lowers the transfer cases containing the remains of Marine Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz of San Antonio, and the remains of Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper, 20, of Merced, Calif. , front, upon their arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del. , Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. According to the Department of Defense, Ruiz died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Hopper died while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. AP

The family of Lance Corporal Joseph Ward (center) lays hands on him during a group prayer before Marines in the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, prepare to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom November 3, 2009 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His family includes (L-R) sister Veronica Warner, mother Edna Ward, wife Phylicia Ward (at his side) and Mother-in-law Phyllia Hick. Once in Afghanistan, the unit will fall under the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade -Afghanistan. Their mission will be to support combat operations as an artillery battalion. Getty

Darlene Thomas (R), the sister of Sapper Steven Marshall, grieves after placing flowers on his casket at the Canadian Forces Base Trenton, November 3, 2009. Sapper Marshall was killed October 30, 2009 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol, southwest of Kandahar City Afghanistan. Reuters

A security guard stands guard as UN staff carry coffins containing bodies of the UN workers during a ceremony to transfer the remains of 2 UN staff members who were killed when gunmen attacked a guest house used by U.N. staff 6-days ago, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. UN chief says world body's work will continue in Afghanistan despite recent UN staff killings. AP

Melanie Champnase (R) spends time with her husband Jesse Champanse as friends and family say goodbye to Marines in the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom November 3, 2009 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Getty

French military officers, wearing a bullet proof vest, listen to the speech of French Interior Ministor Brice Hortefeux on November 3, 2009 at the French gendarmerie headquarters in Satory, southwestern suburb of Paris. France is to deploy some 150 French gendarmerie members in Afghanistan where they will train and back Afghan police forces. Some 3,000 French soldiers are currently in Afghanistan. Getty

A French military officer poses with an assault rifle and a bullet proof vest at the French gendarmerie headquarters in Satory, southwestern suburb of Paris on November 3, 2009. France is to deploy some 150 French gendarmerie members in Afghanistan where they will train and back Afghan police forces. Some 3,000 French soldiers are currently in Afghanistan. Getty

U.S. soldier PV2 John MacIntosh takes cover in farm field and scans the ridge line as Taliban fighters ambush U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 4th Engineer Battalion render a final salute to four fallen brothers at a memorial service at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Oct. 19, 2009. More than 300 Soldiers are attending the memorial of Staff Sgt. Glen Stivison, Spc. Jesus Flores, Spc. Daniel Lawson and Pfc. Brandon Styer. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte/Released) Date Posted: 11/3/2009

U.S. Marine Sgt. Oliver Ventura, assigned to Embedded Training Team 1-12th, runs with his armor plate carrier as a way to boost his cardiovascular conditioning inside Forward Operation Base Airborne, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/3/2009

A U.S. Marine Corps TOW gunner with Combined Anti-Armor Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment mans his weapon system during a patrol through the Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 26, 2009. Marines conduct security patrols to decrease insurgent activity and gain the trust of the Afghan people. The Marines are deployed with Regimental Combat Team 3 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg/Released) Date Posted: 11/3/2009

U.S. Marines with November Battery, 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment carry powder charges at Forward Operating Base Payne in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009. Their unit is attached to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment and is deployed with Regimental Combat Team 7 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Christopher R. Rye/Released) Date Posted: 11/3/2009

U.S. soldier SFC Henriques Ventura, left, stays low as fellow soldiers runs for cover as Taliban fighters ambush U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

U.S. Army SFC Henriques Ventura takes cover after dashing across an open area under Taliban gun fire as Taliban fighters ambush U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

Cpl. Casey Liffrig, left, leaps for cover as Lt. Thomas Goodwin gets down as Taliban fighters ambush U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

Spc. Henry Schorsch of Jourdanton, Texas, runs for cover as Taliban fighters ambush U.S Army soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division return fire after their patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province was ambushed by Taliban fighters Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

Rockets fired by U.S. helicopters strike Taliban positions as U.S. Army Spc. Henry Schorsch of Jourdanton, Texas, takes cover from incoming Taliban gunfire in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division were ambushed during a patrol in the valley and fought their way out with small arms fire, mortars fired from nearby bases, and air support. AP

U.S. soldier from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division take cover and return fire on Taliban positions as they are ambushed by Taliban fighters during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. From right to left are, SPC Thomas Upton, CPL Casey Liffrig, and PV2 Kasey Winborne. AP

U.S. Army PV2 John MacIntosh flips his sunglasses down as they fog over while returning fire as Taliban fighters ambush U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division during a patrol in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

U.S soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division watch as a U.S. helicopter arrives to resupply them with ammunition during battles with the Taliban in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. AP

Afghan commandos from the joint force stop a suspected militant at their fighting position, Wardak Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Lovelady/Released) Date Posted: 11/2/2009 [The suspected militant appears wounded in the face and bleeding at the shoulder.]

U.S. Marines with Combined Anti Armor Team1, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (1/5) scan the area for enemy combatants during a security patrol through the Nawa district of the Helmand province of Afghanistan Oct. 28, 2009. 1/5 is deployed with Regimental Combat Team 3 to conduct counterinsurgency operations with Afghan National Security Forces in southern Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Artur Shvartsberg/Released) Date Posted: 11/1/2009

U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, walk through a Afghan cemetery during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released). Date Posted: 10/29/2009

An impact crater in the side of a protective wall, where a Taliban rocket struck during an enemy barrage, sits inside a base held by U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. AP

U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division fire mortars from their base on enemy positions during a battle in the Pech Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar province, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. AP

Family members of Lieutenant Justin Boyes follow the hearse carrying his casket, at Canadian Forces Base Trenton October 31, 2009. Lieutenant Boyes was killed October 28, 2009 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol, south-west of Kandahar City Afghanistan. Reuters

Taliban fighters pose with weapons in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan October 30, 2009. The Taliban have called on Afghans to boycott the election run-off and have vowed to disrupt the poll, their threat underlined on October 28 by a suicide attack on a Kabul guest-house used by the United Nations in which five foreign U.N. staff were killed. afpak-fun-04u-ure taken October 30, 2009. Reuters

Taliban fighters pose with weapons in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan October 30, 2009. The Taliban have called on Afghans to boycott the election run-off and have vowed to disrupt the poll, their threat underlined on October 28 by a suicide attack on a Kabul guest-house used by the United Nations in which five foreign U.N. staff were killed. afpak-fun-04u-ure taken October 30, 2009. Reuters

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld (front-right), U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Lt. Gen. John Craddock (front-right), senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense, and staff, are flying aboard a C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft, from Charleston Air Force Base S.C. to Afghanistan, on Dec. 4, 2003. (DoD Photo by Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway, U.S. Air Force) (Released) Date Posted: unknown

A Taliban fighter poses with weapons in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan October 30, 2009. The Taliban have called on Afghans to boycott the election run-off and have vowed to disrupt the poll, their threat underlined on October 28 by a suicide attack on a Kabul guest-house used by the United Nations in which five foreign U.N. staff were killed. afpak-fun-04t-ure taken October 30, 2009. Reuters

Taliban fighters pose with weapons in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan October 30, 2009. The Taliban have called on Afghans to boycott the election run-off and have vowed to disrupt the poll, their threat underlined on October 28 by a suicide attack on a Kabul guest-house used by the United Nations in which five foreign U.N. staff were killed. afpak-fun-04t-ure taken October 30, 2009. Reuters

Ahmed Wali Karzai speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's younger brother offered Friday to take a polygraph test to deny reports he's on the CIA payroll and said in an interview with The Associated Press it's time for his detractors to prove their allegations against him. AP

A Marine Corp carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley of Rosanky, Texas during casualty return at Dover Air Force Base, Del. on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Department of Defense announced today the death of Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. AP

In this undated photo provided on Thursday Oct. 29, 2009 by the Griffin family, U.S. Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind. , middle, is seen with his parents Gene and Dona Griffin. Sgt. Dale Griffin was the son of a Mormon bishop, a champion wrestler and college student who was struggling to find his way in the world when he turned to the military. Killed Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the body of the Army sergeant deployed with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. , came home in a line of flag-draped coffins saluted in Thursday's pre-dawn darkness by President Barack Obama at Dover Air Force Base. AP

An undated photo issued by the British Ministry of Defence of Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. A leaked memo from the most senior British officer killed in Afghanistan shows he warned superiors about a dangerous shortage of helicopters several weeks before his death. Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe was the highest ranking British officer to die in combat since the 1982 Falklands war when he was killed in a roadside bomb explosion in July. The memo published Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, shows that Thorneloe warned in June that British forces did not have enough helicopters and as a result were exposed to an increased number of roadside bombs. AP

U.S Army Spc. David Oliver, of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, is enjoys his last cigarette before going out on a mission at Forward Operating Base Lane in Zabul province, Afghanistan, Oct. 11, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe is deployed throughout southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tia P. Sokimson/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

Members of an Afghan and international joint security force receive hostile fire at their ambush position in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. They killed one militant and wounded a second. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Lovelady, U.S. Air Force/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

Members of an Afghan and international joint security force receive hostile fire and kill a militant armed with an AK-47 rifle, pistol, fragmentation grenades and communication gear in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Lovelady, U.S. Air Force/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

An Afghan commando with a joint security force engages an enemy militant element in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Lovelady, U.S. Air Force/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

Afghan commandos with a joint security force wait to be airlifted out of Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Lovelady, U.S. Air Force/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

The joint security force heads toward the Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ) in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 22, 2009. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Matthew Friberg/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

An Afghan-international security force detained four suspected militants after searching a series of buildings known to be used by a senior Taliban commander operating in the Wardak Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 22, 2009. (U.S. Army Army Photo Sgt. Matthew Friberg/Released) Date Posted: 10/30/2009

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stephen Barnes continues with his mission even thought the crotch of his pants were ripped off during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan Aug. 29, 2009. Barnes is a squad leader assigned to 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

U.S. Army Spc. Michael Riley, a radio traffic operator, smokes a cigarette while taking a break with fellow Soldiers during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. All Soldiers are assigned to 1st Platoon and 3rd Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, cross a river during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

A hailstorm falls over Combat Outpost (COP) Tangi in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

U.S. Army Spc. Polacek from 1st Platoon and 3rd Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, patrol a street near the bazaar in the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

U.S. Army Sgt. Josh Engbrecht, his interpreter and other Soldiers assigned to 1st Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, negotiate the price for a stack of Roshan cell phone prepaid cards with a local Afghan salesman while patrolling the bazaar in the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. All Soldiers from Apache Company are stationed at Combat Outpost (COP) Tangi, which lacks a Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center with phones or internet. This situation forces Soldiers to call home using their pre-paid phones. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

Coalition forces soldiers provide an overwatch position from Combat Outpost Lowell while a group of Afghan commandos patrol the village below, Oct. 16, 2009, in Afghanistan. Commandos and coalition forces traveled to the outpost to clear the villages below of any remaining Taliban still in the area following an attack two weeks before. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Casey Ware/Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009

U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance and disposal technicians, and U.S. Army Sgt. Zachary Cleland, a combat engineer assigned to Alpha Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, talk after finding an improvised explosive device during a patrol in the streets of the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009