Free Republic

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 14, 2009 – When the Marines and sailors of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, came to the Now Zad region in Afghanistan, the message they received from outgoing units was simple: Beware of the village of Changwalak. Marines patrol an orchard in Changwalok, Afghanistan, during Operation Cobra's Anger, Dec. 6, 2009. The patrol was tasked with removing Taliban presence from the village and supporting the presence of Afghan national security forces. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Zachary Nola   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “[The outgoing units] wouldn't ever go to Changwalak,"...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2009 – NATO’s International Security Assistance Forces have completed their repositioning from two combat outposts in Nuristan province to other areas in eastern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Militants attacked the two outposts – Keating and Fritsche – in the Kamdesh district Oct. 3 from multiple firing positions in the steep valley. ISAF forces on the ground, assisted by close-air support and attack helicopters, fought the militants, ultimately securing the outposts and killing an estimated 100 insurgents during the battle, officials said. Despite Taliban claims, the movement of troops and equipment from the outposts are a part of...