My week embedded with US Forces in Afghanistan (photos from Australian photojournalist)

Herald Sun ^ | 12th June 2010 | Gary Ramage

[naturalman1975]

HIS has been one of the deadliest weeks on record for coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan.

Two Australian soldiers were killed in Tarin Kowt on Monday; seven US soldiers and one contractor were also killed.

Two more US Marines died the following day in Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, when seven Marines were brought down by an IED blast.

Two of those casualties were later confirmed to be the result of ''angels'' - the call sign for friendly KIA (Killed In Action) incidents.

The remains of one of the dead Marines were unable to be located. It is assumed that he took the brunt of the blast.

To date, a total of 1814 NATO soldiers have died whilst serving on the frontline in Afghanistan since 2001, 1022 of whom were US service personnel. Australia has lost 13 men.

I was in Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province on Monday, embedded with the Dustoff crews from Charlie Company 6th Battalion Combat Airmobile Brigade (CAB) of the 101st Airborne Division.

[naturalman1975]

The carnage in Afghanistan's Helmand province continues as more US troops are killed on the battlefield. A badly injured US Marine is carried by his comrades to a waiting Dustoff Blackhawk helicopter. Three Marines were injured when their vehicle hit an IED in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[Marie Antoinette]

Phew. It’s surreal, I’m sitting at my computer goofing off, listening to my kids playing, and half a world away these men are fighting for their lives and the lives of others...

I also want to thank you all for being such great allies. I only just this year learned about the ANZACs at Gallipoli. I game online with NZers, and on ANZAC day they posted in commemoration. I was happy to learn more world history. Brave men in every generation, makes my heart swell.

[Frantzie]

Intel from the Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood moles in the Pentagon, DOD and govt leaking intel back to the Taliban and Al Queada. Yet some idiots here think LTC Lakin is wrong.

Our guys are being conned by muslim. This is chickensh*t since Bush left office. The Joint Chiefs and SCOTUS are cowards. Meanwhile the sheep support TV which empowers the one. Fools.