Story by Lance Cpl. John McCall
Marines with Co B, 1st Bn, 5th Marine Regt, RCT 3, run for cover during a fire fight in Nawa District, Helmand prov., Oct. 2. Marines were attacked while conducting a security patrol in the area. They suffered no casualties after exchanging fire with enemy insurgents for nearly 2 hours.
NAWA DISTRICT, Helmand province – "I could hear the bullets flying over my head," said Lance Cpl. Michael Estrada, 20, a team leader. "They were impacting right in front of us."
Marines conducting a security patrol were attacked by enemy insurgents hiding on the outskirts of a nearby village. "We were patrolling through an area that's known to be used by the enemy," said Sgt. Matthew Duquette, 23, a squad leader. "We were moving across this small field on our way back to the patrol base, and we started taking fire."
Caught in an open field, Marines rushed for what little cover they could find, attained positive ID of the enemy, and began returning fire. "They were firing at us from a few different positions. Most of it was coming out of a small village directly in front us," Duquette explained. "Once we identified their positions, we returned fire. We knew where they were so we had no reason to leave."
"You could see a few guys poking their heads out along with the muzzles of their rifles," Estrada recalled. With the sun beginning to set, the enemy continued to harass the Marines from various positions. The insurgents put themselves between the bright sun and the Marines in a failed attempt to stifle them. "They try to use the sun to their advantage," Estrada explained. "The enemy will attack a lot when the sun sets or when it rises, since it's hard to see anything with the sun in your eyes."
"The shots kept coming so air support was called in for us," Duquette said. "I'm glad the plane came when it did because it seemed like the enemy's shots started getting a lot more accurate as the fight went on. Once we had support from the air, the enemy retreated and stopped firing."
The gunfire ceased after 2 aircraft made their gun runs, laying down fire on the insurgent positions. After the fight, the Marines found hundreds of enemy bullet casings in many different buildings in the area. Fortunately, the Marines had suffered no casualties during the fight.
Lance Cpl. Roy Aeschilmann returns fire. Aeschilmann is a 24-year-old rifleman.
Sgt. Matthew Duquette checks his squad to see if anyone is injured.
Marines take cover in a trench after receiving indirect fire.
Pfc. Travis Preciado runs for cover. Preciado is a 21-year-old rifleman.
Pfc. Preciado returns fire.
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DoD Imagery
Marines Facilitate Veterinary Care for Afghan Farmers Story by Sgt. Scott Whittington
Army Capt. John Winston III, 28, veterinarian with the 993rd Medical Det Veterinary Services, injects a local farmer's cow to treat for parasites, Oct. 9. Winston participated with civil affairs Marines from 2nd Bn, 8th Marine Regt in the veterinarian project that provided free medical care for livestock.
GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province – The expression "goat rope" usually refers to something unorganized, but service members here helped local farmers with their roped goats, sheep and cows with free medical treatment. "It's not just something nice to have," said Capt. Micah Caskey IV, civil affairs officer. "This is the people's livelihood."
More than 60 farmers, and a local veterinarian, brought 717 animals – sheep, goats and cows – to the market to get complimentary veterinary treatment to treat and prevent worms and illnesses. Two military animal doctors from the U.S. Army and British Royal Army provided their assistance for the civil action project.
Capt. John Winston III, 28, one of the 2 veterinarians, thought the clinic "was fantastic. We directly engaged with and helped the Afghan people," he said. The plans for the project began in July. Part of the coordination was a meeting between Caskey, local elders and other community members to ensure it didn't impinge on the local veterinary supply store or veterinarians. "The last thing we want to do is adversely affect the local economy," said Caskey. "We bought medicine from the store and gave it out."
When the Marines arrived at the front of the market to set up the animal pens, some locals didn't know what was happening, but as animals began lining up for treatment, they got the idea and helped spread the word. "The people are feeling happy," said local fabric dealer Sheer Mohammad through an interpreter. Mohammad spread news of the 1-day clinic to some of his friends who, in turn, brought their animals for treatment. "It's a good thing you're doing this." Mohammad added he was surprised to see a foreign military giving free medicine for livestock. He couldn't recall any previous foreigners providing this type of service for the community.
"The volume of animals in such a short time was a bit of pressure," said British Royal army Capt. Miles Malone, veterinarian. "Having another vet there was key to its success."
Capt. John Winston III and his vet assistant, Spc. Keron Croft, de-worm and treat a herd of sheep.
An Afghan boy waits his turn.
An Afghan girl waits her turn.
British Royal army Capt. Miles Malone, veterinarian, injects a local farmer's cow to treat for parasites.
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DoD Imagery
Downtown Asadabad Photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert
A local Afghan farmer in Asadabad watches from his apple stand, as members from the PRT-Kunar SECFOR from Camp Wright, walk past, Oct 11. The SECFOR, along with Civil Affairs members from the PRT, walked the area talking to locals about current living conditions and villagers' basic needs.
Two Afghans restaurant workers prepare a soup lunch for sale to locals in the Asadabad Bazaar. U.S. Sgt 1st Class Cameron Anderson, assigned to the PRT-Kunar SECFOR, along with Civil Affairs members, stopped and bought several servings for an impromptu lunch.
A local Afghan farmer tends to his stand.
Army Sgt. Raymond Barquin maintains a security posture while local children cautiously make conversation just outside the village of Dam Kalay, Oct. 11.
A young Afghan boy holds his pet monkey while watching SECFOR members. This boy and his pet monkey stayed with the team the entire time chatting about his pet, his family and school.
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DoD Imagery
NMCB-74 Det KAF Builds SWA Hut (Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey)
Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos Gonzalez, builder, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Stanley Lawrence, builder, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Bn 74, Det Kandahar, measure a piece of lumber. Seabees, Gonzalez and Lawrence are part of a detail building a Southwest Asia Hut, which will serve in humanitarian ops center for Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Derrick Holt, steel worker, Petty Officer 3rd Class Stanley Lawrence, builder, and Petty Officer 3rd Class April Richardson (right), builder, work as a team to install a plywood ceiling.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Shurtz, builder, shows Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Rick West the project site during a tour of the base in Kandahar. Afghanistan is West's third stop during a visit to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
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DoD Imagery
Brothers Reunited in Kandahar, Afghanistan
(Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Lindsey)
Seaman David Vermillion (right), 22, culinary specialist, attached to Naval Mobile Construction Bn 74, and Army Pfc. Matthew Vermillion, 24, a food service specialist attached to the 4th Engineer Bn, are reunited in Kandahar. The brothers had not seen each other in 2 years.
Seaman David Vermillion (right), and Army Pfc. Matthew Vermillion reunite.
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Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq
Micro-grant Follow-up
(Photos by Spc. Canaan Radcliffe)
U.S. Soldiers and an IA officer speak with a local mukhtar.
Army Pfc. Matthew McPherson (right), assigned to 1st Bn, 8th Cav, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav Div, sits along a wall next to an Iraqi soldier during a mission to follow-up on micro-grant payments in Lazaka, Oct. 2.
Staff Sgt. Adam Rondon, and Staff Sgt. Semeli Toilolo, from Pago Pago, American Samoa talk with locals.
Pfc. Matthew McPherson speaks with Iraqi soldiers.
A local Iraqi man and his daughter take a moment to pose for the camera.
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Multi-National Corps Iraq Public Affairs
Iraqi Engineers Continue to Take the Lead Story by Spc. Amburr Reese
Iraqi Maj. Gen. Amir, chief of staff, Iraqi Ground Force Command, leads discussions at the IGFC Engineering Conference held at Camp Iraqi Hero, Sept. 29.
CAMP IRAQI HERO - "Today we're here to learn from the Iraqis about their successes and problems, and then learn what we can do to enable and help them as partners," Maj. Bill Redding, Iraqi Ground Force Command liaison officer said. "This is the first time that the Iraqis have brought in the agenda, the discussion points and they're bringing up issues, concerns and successes," Redding said.
The conference was designed to bring IGFC and field engineering regt cmdrs to one location to talk about personnel, ops and logistics of the Iraqi engineering regts. "The leadership here is all Iraqi; the conference is being facilitated by them. U.S. Forces are really just here as partners to answer any questions that we can, and to help facilitate any problems," Redding said.
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Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq
Joint Planning Conference Photo by Staff Sgt. Luke P. Thelen
Iraqi Army Command, Sgt. Maj. Ahamed discusses calendar events with U.S. Soldiers from the 65th Engr Bn, 130th Engr Bde, 8th Theater Sust Command, during a joint planning conference on COB Spider, in northern Iraq, Oct. 5, 2009. The purpose of the conference was to teach the Iraqi soldiers how to develop quarterly training plans based off resources on hand and training requirements needed to complete specific mission sets.
Army Capt. John Charles Sivley (center), Cmdr, 95th Engr Co, 65th Engr Bn, speaks with IA Lt. Col. Shibeeb (right), Cmdr.
Soldiers from the 65th and Iraqi soldiers participate in a joint planning conference. on Contingency Operating Location Spider, in northern Iraq, Oct. 5, 2009.
Lt. Col. Scott Petersen, Cmdr, 65th Engr Bn, speaks to leadership within his unit and IA soldiers.
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Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula
U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers Bring Backpacks to Baghdad Kindergarten An Iraqi SOF Soldier hugs a kindergarten student after backpacks were handed out to children during a visit to a local school in Baghdad, Sept. 28. The visit was organized by ISOF's 1st Bde and Special Ops TF - Central Soldiers.
A classroom of kindergarten students takes their seats after receiving backpacks.
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