U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Alex Puente, a platoon commander

U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Alex Puente, a platoon commander with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, helps one of his Marines scale a wall while clearing two city blocks during Exercise Clear, Hold, Build 1 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 4. The three-day CHB-1 evolution is part of the 35-day Enhanced Mojave Viper training exercise. During EMV, the Marines of 'America's Battalion' are training to kill enemy fighters by solidifying infantry skills and practicing counterinsurgency operations. They're preparing for an upcoming fall deployment to Afghanistan's southernmost Helmand province, where they'll support Operation Enduring Freedom. Puente, 25, is from New Orleans.