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    Photo Essay: Marines fight on in south Afghanistan

    PATROL BASE 302, Afghanistan (AP) — One small U.S. Marine base in southern Afghanistan is surrounded on three sides by bomb-infested farmland and ever-changing Taliban firing positions. The base is reachable only by foot, on the fourth side, by way of a path they call the Serpentine.

    The unit of infantrymen and snipers occupies a traditional Afghan mud-walled compound called Patrol Base 302 in the Gereshk Valley of Helmand province, where fighting persists nearly 10 years after the war began.

    U.S. Marines with 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3/4 Marines are close to the end of their deployment. All have known fellow Marines killed or maimed by enemy explosives and bullets.

    Their only power source is an ATV they have rigged to generate enough power to charge the field radio and the occasional laptop. Helicopters resupply them by dropping pallets of water, food and ammo. Many relish the austere living.

    The Marines here take fire from fighters who use AK-47s and grenade launchers, as well as World War II-era sniper rifles and .50-caliber Soviet Dishkas. New fighters seem to replace those killed, the Marines observe.

    When attacked, the Marines are capable of defending the base with massive firepower. Over a few days in late August, the Marines used M-4 rifles and rapid-fire SAWs, medium and heavy machine guns, Mark-19 automatic grenade launchers, sniper weapons, as well as calling in airstrikes on nearby tree lines.

    The Marines called in attack helicopters, a jet fighter that dropped a 500-pound bomb, and a mobile position several miles away that fired a HIMARS missile at a spot a few hundred yards away.

    Marines fill their days with guard duty, manning a nearby checkpoint, or sleep and workouts in a homemade gym. Some read, some listen to iPods using solar chargers, and write letters.

    __

    The entire collection of photos made by Brennan Linsley can be found at: http://apne.ws/rb3JzI

     

    210 comments

    • kevin  •  8 mths ago
      you anti war nuts will never learn THE STATED GOAL OF THE TALIBAN IS TO CONVERT OR KILL ANYONE THAT DISAGRESS WITH EM
      • A B 8 mths ago
        Hm, and how is that different from US military there????? or anywhere else?
      • kevin 8 mths ago
        The dfferents is we dont want to kill anybody and everybody that diagrees with us we dont stone women to death for gettin raped wqe dont rip little girls toes nails out for whereing toenail polish we dont commint out right acts of terrorism we dont skin people alive for helping
      • John 8 mths ago
        Absolutely right there Kevin we don't do any of that,we give our permission to interrogators to do it,hear of a thing called extreme interragation, ever hear of Water Boarding, ever hear of secret prisons,I doubt it because there are still some of us who wii always accept the brainwashing of the masters over freedom..
    • Alice  •  8 mths ago
      We need to bring these Marines home....
    • Thomas  •  8 mths ago
      Why are our Marines here? Is this a critical piece of ground? What is the motivation? Really...I echo the other comments...save our boys & girls, get them out of that doomed country. Let us not repeat the mistakes of history (USSR knows it well...).
    • Albert  •  8 mths ago
      Yeah! They need 1/4 inch thick solid kevlar suits like "Storm-Trooper" suits
      With a battery powered cooling system with cool water channels in thier underwear.
    • Albert  •  8 mths ago
      Round up the religious leaders and interrogate them..
      Afterall it is a jihad and therefore controlled by the religious leaders..
      If theygot no leaders and no zealots they will be no war...
    • FORGIVENBADBOY  •  8 mths ago
      Think Solyndra could spare a nice solar panel or two for these guys
      w/ the 1/2 of a Billion bucks they got for what ?
    • Neal  •  8 mths ago
      bring the united states armed forces home.
    • Behshahr  •  8 mths ago
      While I commend these (and all) US soldiers fighting in these regions, I have no clue as to what they actually are fighting for. It is not for my (or any American's freedom), our future is not in jeopardy if this region becomes a Taliban stronghold; the only facts are that these (and other) young people are dying for a corrupt, unchangeable regime with no concept of democracy, ancient tribal feuds with no forseeable reduction of blood-wars, stone-age religious concepts and a weak, unorganized military/government.
      Wasted lives, wasted US taxpayer dollars, better directed towards our own real problems.
    • J  •  8 mths ago
      Support the troops by bringing them home immediately, and not letting the politicians from both parties treat them as cannon fodder for corporate greed that exploits people abroad, increases hatred toward Americans, and does not serve average American people.
    • Blt3-1 Vet  •  8 mths ago
      Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Politicians are still selling out our country and veterans.
    • Gen X  •  8 mths ago
      Too bad we don't have the guts to just make a colony out of the place....ALL HAIL PFEIFER!!!!! Our boys kick butt and should be able to have ANYTHING they want over there!!!
    • Gen X  •  8 mths ago
      ALL HAIL PFEIFER!!!!! This is NOT the way to fight a war. Politics. Rules of engagement. Our boys need to be let loose or brought home!!!! Wars are for Kicking Butt - not for politics - not for companies to rake in thre bucks!!!! A war should be fought to conquer - not to back out and "natin build". We are fighting this war politically like a bunch of sissies - AND OUR BOYS ARE NOT SISSIES!!! THEY KICK BUTT!!!! After the war - we should be able to buy property and emigrate there if we so wish!! WE SHOULD RUN THE DNM PLACE - Why did our boys die there???
    • louis tan  •  8 mths ago
      Why are these stupid people still there? Yhey are surrounded, out-numbered and felling miserable. Death appears in their midst every day of their lives stuck in the mud hole. Perhaps one or two might be decorated when they get home but the majority are going to get killed or hurt. Is all this worthwhile? fighting a battle that has been lost but going on only because of the insistence and pride of your military leaders and politicians????
      • Allen Frost 8 mths ago
        They are Americans, they are Marines. Only the ignorant would refer to them as stupid. Only the ignorant would say they are fighting a losing battle. Only the ignorant would give up this fight. OORAH! SEMPER FIDELAS!
      • autumn 8 mths ago
        Mr. Tan... these marines are still there because they are ordered to stay! you stupid moron!!!
      • Jim 8 mths ago
        Well we all know what started this war!!!!!it's really sad we have to go all that way to kick your #$%$
    • Nick718  •  8 mths ago
      It's impossible to secure our borders. First, the politicians won't let us. Second, it's too large. The best way to secure America's borders is to arrest, kill and disrupt threats at their point of origin. Hunkering down in a bunker is just letting your enemy free to find, fix and exploit your weakness. Meanwhile he has no fear of sleeping in his own bed.
    • Russ  •  8 mths ago
      Ok kids, I'm typing this real slow cause i know you can't read fast! You forget why we are over there, I'll simply use this metaphor to help in your understanding...You're having a family BBQ in your front yard and along comes this bully from another neighborhood and he sucker punches your Dad, knocks out all his teeth while he's toiling over your meal,

      Then he walks over to your mama and spits in her face, yanks her hair, and while laughing at her screams of pain slaps her, degrades her, and gives her a black eye, then he pounds and mocks her, and for good measures body slams your dog! then taunts you all with a dare to grow some kahones and meet him in his neighborhood! you call the Mayor and there's no answer, but you call the Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force, and they'll go to his neighborhood for you, while you protest over the violence that's been had,

      and kids, this really happened to us on a day called 9/11. Shut up and let Men do their job while you watch your "real housewives and unreal TV"..."Some Give Some, Some Give ALL"

      Semper Fi!!! / you can now return to your couches...
      • Allen Frost 8 mths ago
        I agree with your overall assessment, but I am retired navy. I am disabled due to my service. I spent 2001-2006 deployed to the middle east. Some of that time with one marine unit or another. I can read without moving my lips. You don't have to talk slow to all of us. Death to terrorists and all that support them or speak in their favor.
      • Russ 8 mths ago
        Thank you Mr.Frost, I am humbled by your reply. Thank you for your service with sacrifice, I pray all is well with you and that we don't take yours and and every fighting man's service and sacrifice for granted. My son is serving in the Marines, with a tour in Afghanistan and I get bugged at some of the posted comments and remarks, some of them think this is going away with a pullout!
        God Bless…
    • David A  •  8 mths ago
      What do you call bombing the hell out of afghanistan??
      Landscaping!!!
      Bring our troops home wherever deployed and put their boots
      on usa soil!!! we need our military at home to fight within our
      borders!! 10 years and counting!! what the hell for??
      If this was a real war it would have over and done long ago!!
      God bless our troops!!
      • Allen Frost 8 mths ago
        I'd rather have our troops fighting over seas than in my home town. Our troops fight overseas just so you candyasses don't have to know the horrors of war.
    • chuckls  •  8 mths ago
      I agree with most comments...end this war and future Muslim encounters....we surely have the weapons,firepower and know how to completely level these `sandboxes` and put a final end to these nut jobs and evtremists...they all claim to be willing to die....so lets give them a hand !!! one or two heavy fly overs dropping napalm, bunker busters etc and a few tomahawks should do the trip...bring these men and women home for Gods` sake !!!
    • Scottie  •  8 mths ago
      d.c.gangs a decade is long enough, bring our American troops home so they can rest, before securing our borders and ports. Our military eyes in space which tax-payers/revenue providers have paid for over and over, can watch our enemies and we can dispatch our defense from utah, cal.,ny. and the rockies. You wasteful spending d.c.gang members, will have turnover in 2012. I hope you can't find a job like you have left most Americans with . . . oh sorry, mickie D's is hiring at minimum wage.
    • Jim  •  8 mths ago
      More war propaganda coming from our fascist government and its media. We should never have invaded Aghanistan, Iraq, Libya, or Pakistan from day one. This is all about powerful influence over our Federal Government, media, and Pentagon by Israeli Lobby. I am so sick of our troops murdering innocent people, and dying for Israel.
    • Angelo  •  8 mths ago
      Semper Fi men! Stay tough, take care of each other and kill everything that moves outside your perimeter. You'll be home to a grateful nation soon!
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