Marines battle the elements while facing insurgents and improvised explosiv [Image 5 of 9]

AL QA'IM, IRAQ

06.20.2006

Photo by Spc. Antonio Rosas 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

Lance Cpl. William D. Hyden, a 21-year-old Marine from Little Rock, Ark., overlooks the Euphrates River valley through his rifle's scope during a patrol through western Al Anbar Province, Iraq, June 20, 2006. Hyden is part of a Mobile Assault Team with the Twenty-nine Palms, Calif.-based 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, which arrived near the Iraqi-Syrian border in March to provide security to the region. The Marines, who operate out of small outposts along the Euphrates River villages in Iraq's western Al Anbar Province, patrol the region daily to provide security to local towns and villages. The Marines face everything from occasional mortar attacks and roadside bombs to temperatures well in the 100s in Iraq. "The heat is not so bad if you're inside the truck and the truck actually has air-conditioning," said Hyden. "But if you're in the turret in the direct sunlight, you're hurting." Greeted by locals everywhere they go near this region in western Al Anbar Province, the Marines are usually swarmed by children, who ask the uniformed men for candy, toys and soccer balls. Still, Marines say the friendly atmosphere the locals provide simply masks the fact that this is still a dangerous area. Just several weeks ago, a team of Marines killed an insurgent who was planting roadside bombs on one of the main roadways in broad daylight. The battalion will be replaced by another southern California-based Marine Corps unit in the Fall. (Photo by Cpl. Antonio Rosas)

• Date Taken: 06.20.2006
• Date Posted: 07.06.2006 11:47
• Photo ID: 25199
• Resolution: 1200x787
• Size: 433.85 KB
• Location: AL QA'IM, IQ