Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ross | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.05.2012
Marines with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 8, patrol through a poppy field in the Kajaki green zone. An artillery unit by doctrine, Bravo Battery served as a provisional infantry rifle company during their recent deployment and protected the area around the Kajaki Dam....
Photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 02.05.2012
Hialeah, Fla., native Staff Sgt. Maximo Veliz, the Personal Security Detachment commander for 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, provides security for his team during a movement through Marjah district. The PSD provides security for the battalion commander and VIPs visiting the unit’s area of operation, while also building relationships with local citizens when they go out....
Photo by Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 11.22.2011
A Marine with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, prepares a Browning .50-caliber machine gun in the turret of an armored vehicle before a mounted patrol. The highlight of this deployment for the mobile section’s Marines came during the summer when the section was responsible for overseeing security for the construction of Route Alligator, a tactically important road in the......
Photo by Cpl. Jeff Drew | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 09.29.2011
Marines with Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, fire an M982 Excalibur round from an M777 howitzer during a fire support mission. The artillerymen spend hours each day running through dry-fire training drills to keep their skills sharp in preparation for requests for fire support....
Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 09.11.2011
Sterling, Ill., native, Cpl. Rickey Anspach, raises a flag on Sept. 11 following a 9/11 remembrance and memorial ceremony. "I was in my seventh grade class, and the news [of the attacks on 9/11] caused a lot of chaos and panic. That event really changed all of our lives forever."...
Photo by Cpl. Marco Mancha | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 08.06.2011
M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks sit parked under an Afghan sunset. Tankers with Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, regularly perform overwatch missions for their fellow Marines and other coalition forces. An overwatch mission consists of providing security for ground forces working to improve roads, construct needed facilities or any other development projects to build a better future for......
Photo by Cpl. Jeff Drew | II Marine Expeditionary Force | 08.02.2011
Catonsville, Md., native Cpl. Patrick Morgan cuts through scrap metal with a torch. He spends his evenings and early mornings maintaining the vehicles for the Republic of Georgia’s 33rd Light Infantry Battalion. Morgan and seven other mechanics made more than 600 vehicle repairs during their deployment to Afghanistan and were responsible for keeping the unit mobile....
