Afpak Photo War
Archive 15

A member of the Afghan National Police enjoys the remains of an American Thanksgiving Day meal complements of the U.S. Army's Blackfoot Company 1st Battalion 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment on November 26, 2009 in Matakhan, Afghanistan. The soldiers and there Afghan guests were served pre-packaged turkey breasts, cranberries, potatoes, stuffing and pie. Getty

A view the interior of a cave allegedly used by Taliban militants at a militant stronghold in Kot Kai in Pakistan's tribal area of Waziristan along the Afghanistan border on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. In Pakistani tribal areas security forces are engage with Taliban and al-Qaida militants, Hundreds of thousands people fled their villages due to fierce fighting. AP

U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry tries to get down from a vehicle that was decorated as a turkey during Thanksgiving Day at the U.S. hospital in Bagram U.S. base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009.

U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry shakes hand with Dalton Lox, a wounded U.S. soldier during a Thanksgiving Day visit, as Eikenberry's wife Ching, left, looks on at the U.S. hospital at Bagram base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Lox was injured during combat in Helmand province, a few days ago. AP

U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry talks with U.S. wounded soldier Philip Evans on Thanksgiving Day at the U.S. hospital at Bagram base north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Evans was injured after his vehicle was hit by a road site bomb in Arghandab district of Kandahar province. AP

U.S. wounded soldier Anthony Pickens speaks with the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry, unseen, on Thanksgiving Day at the U.S. hospital at Bagram base, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Pickens was injured during an indirect shooting in Khost province last Sunday. AP

Secretary of the Army visits Germany. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren visits wounded warriors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, Sept. 14. Photo by U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christina M. O'Connell. September 17, 2007

Secretary of the Army visits Germany. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren presents the Purple Heart to Spc. Jonathan Pruschner at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, Sept. 14. Photo by U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christina M. O'Connell. September 17, 2007

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army chief of staff, consoles a young girl during the "Time of Remembrance" ceremony, May 20. Photo by Melinda L. Larson. May 21, 2007

Spc. Daniel Camino, left, and Staff Sgt. Cody Collins, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, stop a local boy riding his donkey near a meeting with local leaders in Afghanistan's Jalrez Valley, Wardak province, March 12, 2009. The patrol secures the area for the meeting and is watchful of attacks in one of the most dangerous valleys in the province. By Fred W. Baker III. Apr 01

Command Sgt. Maj. Mario Vigil (left) with members of his team and members of the Northern Alliance west of Konduz Afghanistan in late 2001. By Courtesy photo. Jan 07.

Command Sgt. Maj. Mario Vigil deep within Afghanistan in late 2001. Vigil was part of the initial force sent to Operation Enduring Freedom. By Courtesy photo. Jan 07.

[Above and below] Members of Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) recon the remote Shok Valley of Afghanistan where they fought an almost seven-hour battle with terrorists in a remote mountainside village. Photo by Sgt. David N. Gunn. December 15, 2008

Soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group patrol through Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in their Ground Mobility Vehicle, Oct. 15, 2007. Photo Credit: Spc. David Gunn. Oct 26.

Soldier awarded Silver Star for heroism in Afghan battle. Master Sgt. Sarun Sar takes a break while conducting combat operations in Eastern Afghanistan. Photo by Army. January 06, 2006.

A child watches as soldiers belonging to the Able Troop 3-71 Cavalry Squadron patrol in the village of Hawas Kheyl, Baraki Barak district, Logar province, Afghanistan Wednesday Nov. 25, 2009. This is Logar province: scene of a major U.S. military surge, fuel for the argument by senior commanders that more troops and aid infusions could reverse Taliban gains in other areas of Afghanistan and ultimately culminate the war in victory. AP

In this undated photo released by the U.S. Army, Spc. Jason A. McLeod is shown. McLeod, 22, of Crystal Lake died Monday west of Pashmul, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire. He was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson in Colorado. AP

A transfer case containing the remains of Army Spc. Jason A. McLeod, left, and Army Sgt. James M. Nolen, right, sit on a loader, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. According to the Department of Defense, McLeod, 22, of Crystal Lake, Ill. , died Nov. 23 west of Pashmul, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with mortar fire and Nolen, 25, of Alvin, Texas, died Nov. 22 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. AP

An Air Force carry team removes a transfer case containing the remains of Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Hand, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, as a transfer case containing the remains of Army Pfc. Marcus A. Tynes sits on a loader at Dover Air Force Base, Del. According to the Department of Defense, Hand, 20, of Kansas City, Mo. , died Nov. 22 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan and Tynes, 19, of Moreno Valley, Calif. , died Nov. 22 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. AP

U.S. Army soldiers belonging to the 1st Platoon, Able Troop 3-71 Cavalry Squadron and members of the South Carolina National Guard, prepare to board their vehicles at the Joint Command Outpost near the town of Baraki Barak, Logar province, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. AP

First lady Michelle Obama (L) and President Barack Obama await the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister at the North Portico of the White House November 24, 2009 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted their first State Dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur of India. Getty

Christina Schmid, widow of army bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmid who was killed on October 31, 2009 in Helmand province in Afghanistan, speaks during his funeral service at Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, southwest England November 24, 2009. Reuters

The coffin of army bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmid who was killed on October 31, 2009 in Helmand province in Afghanistan, is carried into Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, southwest England November 24, 2009. Reuters

Four-year-old Sydney Edmunds hugs her dad Sgt. Andre Edmunds as he arrives at Edmonton Garrison from Afghanistan November 24, 2009. Family and friends on Tuesday welcomed home the last group of Edmonton-based soldiers returning from Afghanistan, at Edmonton Garrison. Reuters

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter prepares to evacuate two Soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division after the Soldiers were struck by an improvised explosive devicein Arghandab, Afghanistan, Nov. 5, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Francisco V. Govea II/Released) Date Posted: 11/9/2009

U.S. Army Pvt 1st Class Kyle Lamse, left, U.S. Army Sgt. Andrew Eubanks, and U.S. Army Pvt. Thomas Young, right, unload a patient, off a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, during a medical evacuation, at Forward Operating Base, Lagman, in Zabul province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2009. All Soldiers are from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe. Alpha Company is deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kris Eglin/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Marine Capt. Patrick Francescon and Capt. Ryan Malloney, both from Embedded Training Team 1-12th, observe the funeral of a war casualty, conducted by local Afghan villagers, on the outskirts, of the mountains, in the Depak Valley, of Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009. It was later confirmed by intelligence reports that the deceased man was a Taliban ring leader. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Soldiers, Marines from Embedded Training Team 1-12th, Afghan National Army soldiers, and civilian reporter Elliot Woods, right, sit down and eat, at an overnight observation post, during a 2-day mission, in Depak Valley, at Wardak province, Afghanistan, Oct. 30, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade/Released) Date Posted: 11/6/2009

U.S. Army Spc. Alex Bentley, left, a medic, from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe, conducts a needle chest decompression, during treatment on a local Afghan man, in a medical clinic, near Forward Operating Base Mizan, in Zabul province, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kris Eglin/Released) Date Posted: 9/9/2009

President Barack Obama meets with his national security team to discuss Afghanistan in the Situation Room of the White House, Nov. 23, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza) Hi-rez

Sgt. William Olas Bee, a U.S. Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire near Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan May 18, 2008. The Marine was not injured. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic.

Members of a US Navy (USN) Seal Team explore the entrance to a cave used by Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Zhawar Kili area of Eastern Afghanistan. During their search and destroy mission USN Special Operations Forces (SOF) discover 70 caves while conducting missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Photographer's Name: UNKNOWN. Date Shot: 1/14/2002. Date Posted: unknown

During a search and destroy mission members of a US Navy (USN) Seal Team discover a large cache of Al Qaeda and Taliban forces munitions in a cave in the Zhawar Kili area of Eastern Afghanistan. USN Special Operations Forces (SOF) are conducting missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Photographer's Name: UNKNOWN. Date Shot: 1/14/2002. Date Posted: unknown

During a search and destroy mission members of a US Navy (USN) Seal Team discover a prison cell deep in the heart of a cave used by Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Zhawar Kili area of Eastern Afghanistan. USN Special Operations Forces (SOF) are conducting missions in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Photographer's Name: UNKNOWN. Date Shot: 1/14/2002. Date Posted: unknown

US Army (USA) Soldiers assigned to A/Company, 2-504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division, on patrol during a search and destroy mission in the mountains of Adi Ghar, Afghanistan, during Operation Mongoose. Photographer's Name: SFC MILTON H. ROBINSON, USA. Date Shot: 3/27/2003. Date Posted: unknown

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1-32 Infantry, prepare for movement in the Pech Valley, Afghanistan on Apr. 9, 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Joshua Balog) (Released) Date Shot: 4/9/2006. Date Posted: unknown

Members of the medical team from the 452nd Combat Support Hospital prepare to do a CT scan on a wounded American soldier in the trauma unit at Sunday Olawande Memorial Hospital on forward operating base Salerno November 22, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan. The soldier was one of two brought in by helicopter with shrapnel injuries from indirect fire. The 452nd is made up mostly of reservists from Minnesota and Wisconsin.	Members of the medical team from the 452nd Combat Support Hospital work on a wounded American soldier in the trauma unit at Sunday Olawande Memorial Hospital on forward operating base Salerno November 22, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan. The soldier was one of two brought in by helicopter with shrapnel injuries from indirect fire. The 452nd is made up mostly of reservists from Minnesota and Wisconsin. Getty
The bloody clothing of a wounded soldier lies on a stretcher outside the trauma unit at Sunday Olawande Memorial Hospital on forward operating base Salerno November 22, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan. The soldier was one of two brought in by helicopter with shrapnel injuries from indirect fire.

U.S. Army soldiers of A-BTRY 2/377 PFAR Task Force Steel fire a 105mm Howitzer during a fire mission at FOB Tillman, Afghanistan, November 22, 2009. Reuters

US. President Barack Obama departs from the White House for a golf outing in Washington, November 21, 2009. Reuters

Senior Airman Lisibeth Payano closes the door of a transfer vehicle holding transfer cases containing the remains of Army Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, left, and Spc. Daniel A. Frazier Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. According to the Department of Defense, Cleaver, of Marysville, Wash. , and Frazier, of St. Joseph, Mich. , died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. AP

Mary Hargrove and her daughter Kelli Hessenauer hold the flag that draped her son's casket, Lance Cpl. Justin Hargrove during his funeral in Westminster, Calif. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Hargrove of Anaheim, died last week in southern Afghanistan. Several hundred attended the funeral in Westminster. AP

[October 21, 2009] Spc. Justin Slagle returns to Forward Operating Base Lane in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter after an air assault mission in the Zabul province of Afghanistan, Oct. 15, 2009. Even as leaders in Washington struggle with the next steps in Afghanistan, troops there are moving to better protect the Afghan people by separating them from Taliban influence and intimidation. Photo Credit: Spc. Tia P. Sokimson

[October 16, 2009] Staff Sgts. Danieto Bacchus, left, and Robert Newman, both with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, take a quick break near Forward Operating Base Baylough, Zabul, Afghanistan, earlier this year. The Army is now poised to introduce a plate-carrier vest to provide Soldiers more light-weight gear in the challenging operational environments of Afghanistan. Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

[July 17, 2009] Spc. Gareth Warner drops a 120mm mortar round into the tube while Spc. Ricky Olivo keeps the gun on target during a fire mission on Combat Outpost Zurok in the Paktika province of Afghanistan, July 13, 2009. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is considering proposals to temporarily expand the Army to relieve stress on the force as we draw down in Iraq and continue to add forces in Afghanistan. Both soldiers afpak-fun-05t-ured are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 509th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

[July 16, 2009]

Sergeant Garry Thompson, 549th MP Co., embraces Sgt. Paul Helm, his driver in Afghanistan upon returning to Hunter’s Truscott Air Terminal, July 12. Sergeant Thompson returned from Afghanistan May 28, 2008, after combat wounds left him paralyzed from the knees down, and a fire blast took his right index finger. Photo Credit: Nancy Gould, Hunter Public Affairs

[July 16, 2009] Sergeant Garry Thompson, 549th MP Co., wheels himself through the USO and Red Cross welcome line after his comrades' return from Afghanistan to Hunter Army Airfield, July 12. Sergeant Thompson returned from Afghanistan after an injury sustained on May 28, 2008. He attended the homecoming at Hunter and Fort Stewart as an active member of the MP company. Photo Credit: Nancy Gould, Hunter Public Affairs

[May 7, 2009] A supply convoy snakes its way through the mountains of Afghanistan. The danger faced by the Soldiers and civilians driving and guarding these convoys stresses the need for fuel saving technologies like foam insulation. US Army

[March 27, 2009] Lt. Col. Phyllis M. Evans, 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command Staff Judge Advocate, works at her new station in the 143d's Joint Sustainment Operations Center, which officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 16 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The new workspace in the JSOC will help facilitate the 143d's responsibilities in Afghanistan to manage supply and personnel movement into and throughout Afghanistan. By MAJ Sheldon Smith

[April 2, 2008] BAGRAM AIRBASE, Afghanistan- 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Commander Col Christopher K. Haas and CJSOTF-A Support Command Sgt. Major, Command Sgt Maj. Edward A. Bell, pay their respects to their fallen comrades Staff Sgt. William Neil, Special Forces engineer and Tech. Sgt. William Jefferson Jr and Air Force Combat Controller, during a memorial ceremony at Bagram Airbase, March 27. Both men died in combat March 22, 2008 while conducting combat operation near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan. (CJSOTF-A photo by SSG Marie Schult)

[March 20, 2008] Pvt. Corey Rodriguez pulls the lanyard on the M-777A2 during the first firing of the Army\'s new GPS-guided Excalibur Round Feb. 25 at Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Henry Selzer

[March 11, 2008] Nearly camouflaged against the rocky terrain, Soldiers of Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, conduct a patrol in the Jamachgal-Khwar Valley in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan March 1. Photo by Sgt. Henry Selzer

[January 30, 2008] Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sammy Rodriguez of U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (left), helps prepare a damaged vehicle for recovery to a forward operating base in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Eric Hendrix