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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Aug. 6, 2009 – U.S. forces in Afghanistan are spread throughout the desert, countryside and mountainous terrain at small forward operating bases. Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, lay concertina wire to improve security at Forward Operating Base Baylough in the Deh Chopan district of Afghanistan’s Zabul province. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisebet Freeburg  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. At Forward Operating Base Baylough, infantrymen from 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, are tasked with patrolling the Hindu Kush Mountains in the Deh Chopan district of Afghanistan’s Zabul province. Along with that mission, they also...

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 18, 2005) – Soldiers in Abu Ghraib district clean up a local soccer field for the children in their sector July 29. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducted the humanitarian effort. “It’s really sad when you see kids walk around barefoot playing soccer in a trash-filled lot,” said Spc. Jake Butler of 2/130th Infantry. Armed with two trailers, shovels, rakes, and trash bags, the Solders of 2/130th Infantry began the task of clearing years of neglect from the small lot. Many...

Troops participating in Operation Shadyville searched 244 houses and netted several suspected insurgent supporters, two IEDs, and 50 AK-47 assault rifles. SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq, July 7, 2005 — Many young men who join the United States Marine Corps during their late teenage years may often fantasize about saving a comrade’s life while fighting a war overseas. Although this 20-year old Bessemer, Ala., native is no longer an adolescent, that dream became reality June 29 when he unearthed an insurgent-made improvised explosive device. “The IED we found was an HE (high explosive) 155mm artillery shell,” explained Cpl. Patrick Jernigan. “I was walking...