MARJAH, Afghanistan - Gunnery Sgt. Brandon Dickinson, a Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment comforts an injured child, Feb 14, 2010. The child's home was partially destroyed during a scene of intense fighting when insurgents, one armed with a suicide vest attempted to breach a Marine position the night prior.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Cpl. Nathan Moran, a team leader from Cortland, N.Y., gives the ‘thousand yard stare,' Oct. 18, 2011. During Operation Eastern Storm, Moran and the Marines of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment came under frequent and abrupt attack by insurgent forces in addition to being inserted far beyond friendly lines where they had only what ammunition, food and water the Marines could carry on their person.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment walk past a pair of Afghan men resting in the midday sun, Oct. 29, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Lance Cpl. Nick Morrow, a designated marksman with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment questions a suspected spotter for insurgent forces Dec. 12, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Cpl. Chris Bordoni (left) and Lance Cpl. Joshua Schuler (right), Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment take shelter in an abandoned compound where they enjoy a rare break from the fighting, Oct. 16, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment is pulled down from the roof as insurgents open fire on his exposed position, Oct. 15, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Lance Cpl. Samuel Lian, a machine gunner with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment catches his breath after a brief firefight, Oct. 16, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A family passes a Marine checkpoint on their way home from the bazaar, Nov. 14, 2011.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment provide covering fire as their squad prepares to move to a new position, Jan. 18, 2010.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment open fire on insurgents taking cover in a nearby compound, Jan. 18, 2010.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines and Afghan National Army soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment step out on patrol through the Shorshurak region of Helmand Province, Jan. 29, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan -The 81mm mortar-men attached to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment open fire with their weapons' systems during the initial assault on the Taliban held city of Marjah, Feb. 13, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Sgt. Daniel Pluth, a Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment takes aim as military aged males begin to surround the Marine position in Marjah, Feb. 13, 2010. Over the next several weeks the Marines of B. Co., come under heavy fire each day as they fight to clear the insurgent held city.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment keep low to the ground as a medical evacuation for a critically injured Marine, takes place in Marjah, Feb. 13, 2010. Over the next several weeks the Marines of B. Co., come under heavy fire each day as they fight to clear the insurgent held city.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A Marine walks through the abandoned bazaar in the center of Marjah, Feb. 15, 2010. Normally a bustling center of commerce, most civilians have fled to avoid becoming caught in the crossfire between Marine and Taliban forces.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A young boy sits on his father's fruit stand in the bazaar near the center of Marjah, Feb. 23, 2010. Weeks after the initial assault on the Taliban held city, civilians have begun to return home in the hope that peace has been restored.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - Lance Cpl. Jimmy Borzillieri, an 81mm mortar-man with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment plays with one of the many stray puppies that inhabit the city, May 12, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A boy flashes a smile as a Navy corpsman wraps his friends' foot with a bandage, July. 29, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – Stopping under in the shade, a Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment lights a cigarette while he waits for the patrol to continue moving, Oct. 25, 2011.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - A Marine with the police mentor team attached to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment patrols through a bazaar in downtown Marjah, May 3, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A Marine with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment sprints for cover while his squad-mate opens fire after being ambushed by insurgents in the Polpazai village, Aug. 11, 2011.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A Marine with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment opens fire after their patrol was ambushed by insurgents in the Polpazai village, Aug. 11, 2011.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Marines with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment return fire after being ambushed by insurgents in the Polpazai village, Aug. 11, 2011.
MARJAH, Afghanistan – A Marine with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment shields himself as a helicopter lifts off after performing a medical evacuation during a firefight with insurgents, in the Polpazai village, Aug. 11, 2011.
SANGIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan – A Marine renders a salute to a fallen comrade, Oct. 1, 2011.
SANGIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan - Two Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment steal a few more hours of rest while they wait for the helicopters that will take them on their upcoming mission, Oct. 15, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment take up position and set an ambush for insurgents, Oct 15, 2011. The Marines and sailors of Bravo Co., took part in a large scale operation to disrupt insurgent movement in the area, patrolling through heavily vegetated terrain amidst abrupt ambushes in which they received small arms and indirect fire.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Marines with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment drop to the ground under the weight of their gear, Oct. 15, 2011, which including ammunition, food, water, body armor and weapons, totals more than 100 lbs.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – Marines with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, prepare to bed down for the night, Oct. 15, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A young girl glances toward the camera while her brother stands protectively over her, Oct. 26, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A young girl looks up at a Marine at the bazaar, Nov. 7, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A Marine takes a moment to get the day's thoughts down on paper, Oct. 25, 2010.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – A boy holds the bags of rice and beans he received from Afghan Uniformed Police officers at their compound outside the Kajaki Sofla Bazaar, Nov. 5, 2011. Members of the AUP and their Marine counterparts with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, took part in the Islamic holiday of Eid, which encourages both reconciliation and charitable giving.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Nearing the end of his first deployment, Lance Cpl. Aaron Holland, a Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment counts the days until he can return home, Nov. 9, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A Marine man's a turret during a convoy, occasionally stealing glances at a picture of his girlfriend he's taped to the side of turret, Nov. 11, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A pair of teenage girls steal a glance at a Marine as he mans a checkpoint, Nov. 14, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A teenage boy is apprehended by Marines, during a checkpoint, Nov. 14, 2011. The boy, who was seen at several different improvised explosive device blast sites was suspected of being a spotter for insurgents.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - A group of children nervously watch Marines at a checkpoint along a frequently traveled footpath, Nov. 14, 2011.
SANGIN DISTRICT, Afghanistan - A young girl smiles for a photo while attending a shura, the equivalent of a town hall meeting, at Patrol Base Florida, Dec. 1, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Cpl. Christopher Ginandt, a team leader with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment prepares to step off on a four day operation, Dec. 11, 2011. Marines in his squad will maintain an observation post on the farthest ends of the unit's area of operation.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Lance Cpl. Aaron Holland, a Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment heads back to Observation Post Vegas while an Afghan teenager heads home after finishing his days' work, Dec. 11, 2011.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan - Lance Cpl. Jessie Gann, a machine gunner with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment takes a moment to rest, Dec. 12, 2011.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - An elder stands in front of his home in the village of Galjan, Jan. 20, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - A young girl escapes from the sun under a row of trees on her family's farm, April 23, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - A Marine with Weapon’s Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment jokes with an Afghan boy while out on patrol, April 23, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - An Afghan girl poses for a photo with a scarf that a Marine with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment gave her during their patrol, April 23, 2010.
MARJAH, Afghanistan - A young boy poses with a Marines' Kevlar helmet in the city of Marjah, April 23, 2010.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – Teenage boys take part in a game of soccer, June 6, 2012. The sport was formerly outlawed by the Taliban, but has since returned to it's position as a national past time.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – A Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment plays soccer with the local children of Kajaki Sofla during the first game at Felber field, aboard Patrol Base Pennsylvania, June 6, 2012. Marines, linguists and Afghan National Civil Order Police officers, played soccer with children from Kajaki Sofla and have scheduled games for them throughout the week.
KAJAKI SOFLA, Afghanistan – An adolescent boy poses for a photo as his friends take part in a game of soccer, June 6, 2012.
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier opens fire during a combat marksmanship range, Jan. 5, 2010. Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment trained alongside their Afghan counterparts in the hope of building the strength of the ANA.