Policemen with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Afghan National Civil
Policemen with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Afghan National Civil Order Police Brigade, speak with an Afghan boy during a late afternoon patrol Nov. 6, 2010, with U.S. Special Forces in Zhari District, Kandahar province,... More
Abdul Samat Durrani, the district governor of Maruf,
Abdul Samat Durrani, the district governor of Maruf, and Nader Khan, the Afghan National Police chief for Maruf District, and members of Special Operations Task Force - South headed up efforts to clean the baza... More
An Afghan Commando from 4th Commando Kandak prepares
An Afghan Commando from 4th Commando Kandak prepares to board an MH-47 Chinook helicopter enroute to the Arghistan District Nov. 7, on an operation to rid insurgents from the area and disrupt Taliban supply lin... More
An Afghan soldier with 3rd Commando Kandak provides
An Afghan soldier with 3rd Commando Kandak provides overwatch security during an operation to rid insurgents from Arghistan District, Nov. 7, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The Commandos are supported by so... More
An Afghan Commando, from 2nd Commando Kandak, displays
An Afghan Commando, from 2nd Commando Kandak, displays his national pride on his helmet while on patrol outside the village of Shey Habad during a cordon and search operation in Ghazni province, Nov. 7.
A Marine finishes flipping a tire over during a competition
A Marine finishes flipping a tire over during a competition at Camp Lawton, Afghanistan, Nov. 7. It's a weekly competition open to all Marines at Camp Lawton to promote physical training and esprit de corps am... More
Afghan Commandos from 2nd Commando Kandak, advised
Afghan Commandos from 2nd Commando Kandak, advised by U.S. Army Special Forces, from Special Operations Task Force - East, patrol outside the village of Shey Habad, during a cordon and search operation in Ghazn... More
A member of the Afghanistan National Army's 9th Commando
A member of the Afghanistan National Army's 9th Commando Kandaks fires his M-4 carbine assault rifle at a target during their tactical maneuver training session at a firing range outside their compound in Herat... More
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force-East walk
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force-East walk along the perimeter of Jan Qadam village, Bagram District, Parwan province, Afghanistan while conducting a patrol, Nov. 10. SOTF-E soldiers talked to the lo... More
Afghan Gen. Dadon Lawang, 1st Commando Brigade commander,
Afghan Gen. Dadon Lawang, 1st Commando Brigade commander, places an AIDO (Afghan Information Dissemination Operation) tab on one of the Commandos who graduated from the Basic AIDO Course at Camp Morehead, Afgha... More
A Dutch physical therapist shares laughter and smiles
A Dutch physical therapist shares laughter and smiles to uplift the spirits of a recovering Afghan boy who suffered burns on his back and arm. The Dutch visited the Tarin Kowt Forward Surgical Team to conduct c... More
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force - East
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force - East convoy through the mountains separating Paktia and Logar provinces Nov. 12. The convoy was returning from escorting a cellphone tower to Forward Operating Base Sharana.
Children running through traffic with bags of rice
Children running through traffic with bags of rice on their heads stop to give a thumbs-up to a convoy of soldiers from Special Operations Task Force - East Nov. 12.
Afghan Col. Bismellah Wazari, 1st Commando Brigade
Afghan Col. Bismellah Wazari, 1st Commando Brigade G3, briefs at the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan Nov. 6 at Camp Julien in Kabul, Afghanistan. Col. Bismellah went over the progress Afghan Natio... More
An Afghan soldier with 3rd Commando Kandak makes adjustments
An Afghan soldier with 3rd Commando Kandak makes adjustments to his mounted night vision device while fellow Commandos and U.S. soldiers with Special Operations Task Force - South conduct final mission preparat... More
Staff Sgt. Erick Horsley, armory chief, Marine Special
Staff Sgt. Erick Horsley, armory chief, Marine Special Operations Command, welds a mount together for a camera to help improve security for base defense Nov. 17, at Camp Lawton, Afghanistan.
A member of the Afghan National Police prepares to
A member of the Afghan National Police prepares to serve tea to guests at the Khakrez District Center, Nov. 19, 2010, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Abdul Qayum Khan, the district governor, hosted area mull... More
U.S. Army Special Forces from Special Operations Task
U.S. Army Special Forces from Special Operations Task Foce East and Afghan Commandos from 2nd Commando Kandak break ground for a new observation post on a mountain top in Gardez, Paktia province, Nov. 21, 2010.
Afghan National Army commandos, trained in Afghan
Afghan National Army commandos, trained in Afghan Information Dissemination Operations, speak to shopkeepers on behalf of “Radio Heela” (“hope” in Pashtu), a local Afghan-run radio station for regional music an... More
Members of the U.S. Special Forces talk with two men
Members of the U.S. Special Forces talk with two men before a security Shura in Gereshk, Gereshk District, Helmand province, Nov. 24. Members of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, alongside ... More
Convoy in Kandahar, Afghanistan
A U.S. Army Special Forces medical sergeant with Special Operations Task Force - South mans an M249 squad automatic weapon while pulling rear security during a convoy, Nov. 24, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
An Afghan child enjoys an American peanut butter cup
An Afghan child enjoys an American peanut butter cup given to him by a U.S. Army soldier with Special Operations Task Force - South, Nov. 27, in Maiwand District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
An Afghan man displays toys given to him from Afghan
An Afghan man displays toys given to him from Afghan Commandos from 2nd Commando Kandak, and U.S. special operations forces from Special Operations Task Force - East, in the village of Mari Kheyl during Operati... More
Soldiers with 2nd Platoon, 814th Engineers, Multi-Role
Soldiers with 2nd Platoon, 814th Engineers, Multi-Role Bridge Company, position bridge decking so they may launch it over a canal during a Dry Support Bridge emplacement near the village of Hyderabad, Gereshk D... More
Afghan soldiers with 3rd Commando Kandak and U.S. soldiers
Afghan soldiers with 3rd Commando Kandak and U.S. soldiers with Special Operations Task Force - South meet outside The Sayeed Shied Bacha School before heading inside to distribute jackets, bookbags and other s... More
Spc. Nolan R. Barbone, rigger, Special Operations Task
Spc. Nolan R. Barbone, rigger, Special Operations Task Force – South, prepares fuel drums for an aerial resupply Dec. 14 at Kandahar Air Field, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Barbone, who hails from Crown Poi... More
Commandos with the 3rd Afghan National Army Commando
Commandos with the 3rd Afghan National Army Commando Kandak stand with their backs to incoming aircraft prior to loading for a two-day operation Dec. 19 and 20, in Zhari District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan... More
Sgt. Diatullah, a 39-year-old native of Afghanistan's
Sgt. Diatullah, a 39-year-old native of Afghanistan's Parwan province and squad leader with the 3rd Afghan National Army Commando Kandak, directs his squad into security positions during a two-day clearing oper... More
Afghan national army commandos and special forces stand
Afghan national army commandos and special forces stand in formation prior to their graduation ceremony at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan, Dec. 23.
Commando Radio-Kabul's newest DJ, Pashtana Shenwari,
Commando Radio-Kabul's newest DJ, Pashtana Shenwari, speaks to listeners on-the-air from the radio station at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan, Dec. 24. Pashtana is the radio station's first female DJ and brings a fr... More
Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of Marine Corps, speaks
Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of Marine Corps, speaks to a group of Marines and sailors at Special Operations Task Force West headquarters at Camp Lawton, Afghanistan on Dec. 26. Amos expressed his appreciatio... More
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas T. Emmons, a builder
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas T. Emmons, a builder and a Seabee from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, builds a desk Dec. 27, 2010, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. Emmons, 22, from Selmer, Tenn., i... More
An Afghan Commando briefs his display of weapons and
An Afghan Commando briefs his display of weapons and equipment to Maj. Gen. Hans-Werner Fritz, Commander ISAF Regional Command-North, during his visit to Camp Morehead, Afghanistan Dec. 27, 2010.
Afghan Commandos, from 3rd Company 6th Command Kandak,
Afghan Commandos, from 3rd Company 6th Command Kandak, prepare to enter a compound during close quarter battle training at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan Jan. 1.
A veterinarian with coalition special operations forces
A veterinarian with coalition special operations forces teaches a local villager how to administer medication to his donkey during a veterinary seminar in Chora district, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 1-5... More
Afghan National Police help transport an injured citizen
Afghan National Police help transport an injured citizen from eastern Kandahar province's Maruf District to a hospital in Kandahar City, Afghanistan, Jan. 3. The District Governor, Abdul Samat Durrani, provided... More
Afghan Special Forces candidates take an assessment
Afghan Special Forces candidates take an assessment exam at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan Jan. 3.
Commandos from 1st Company, 6th Commando Kandak practice
Commandos from 1st Company, 6th Commando Kandak practice night movements utilizing night vision goggles at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan, Jan. 4, 2011.
Soldiers and Marines walk through rotor wash from a
Soldiers and Marines walk through rotor wash from a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter as they move toward a Coalition Base in the village of Darrah-I-Bum, Badghis province, Afghanistan Jan. 4. The cadre of personnel a... More
Afghan national policemen Rasul Jan (left) and Daru
Afghan national policemen Rasul Jan (left) and Daru Khan practice using a rocket-propelled grenade in Maruf District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5. The ANP in Maruf District are advised by members of ... More
A C-17 Globemaster III aircraft drops supplies to members
A C-17 Globemaster III aircraft drops supplies to members of Special Operations Task Force – South working in eastern Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2011.
Soldiers and Marines walk through rotor wash from a
Soldiers and Marines walk through rotor wash from a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter as they move toward a Forward Operating Base in the village of Darrah-I-Bum, Badghis province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5. The cadre of p... More
Man shot by insurgents medically evacuated in eastern Kandahar
Afghan National Police treated and helped medically evacuate an Afghan man shot by insurgents in eastern Kandahar province's Maruf District, Jan. 8. Prior to MEDEVAC, the injured man was given immediate care by... More
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to the 1st
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to the 1st Company, 6th Commando Kandak, fire M4s during a range session on Camp Morehead, Kabul, Jan. 8, 2011.
A team of commandos assigned to the Afghan National
A team of commandos assigned to the Afghan National Army's 3rd Company, 6th Commando Kandak, clear room at a training facility, Jan. 11, at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan. The Commandos are trained by U.S. Special... More
A member of the Forward surgical team takes X-rays
A member of the Forward surgical team takes X-rays of an Afghan's arm after getting his cast removed to ensure the bone had healed properly in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan Jan. 10, 2011.
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to 3rd Company,
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to 3rd Company, 6th Kandak provide area security after securing a training building Jan. 10 at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan. The Commandos are trained by U.S. Special Forc... More
Ashraf, a 22-year-old Afghan National Policeman from
Ashraf, a 22-year-old Afghan National Policeman from Zabul province, helped locate 27 improvised explosive devices in Kandahar Province's Maruf District during a three-week period in autumn 2010. He is pictured... More
A U.S. Army Cultural Support Team soldier, assigned
A U.S. Army Cultural Support Team soldier, assigned to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, takes aim during maneuvers at a range on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Jan. 15.
An Afghan farming instructor at the Arghandab District
An Afghan farming instructor at the Arghandab District Agricultural Center, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, pours water over a seedling bed during a training seminar, Jan. 15, in which area farmers converged to... More
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force-East distroy
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force-East distroy a homemade explosives lab in Mohammad Ali, Paktika province Jan. 15.
Local Afghans work to build a new barracks building
Local Afghans work to build a new barracks building for the Afghan National Army Commandos living at Outpost Talawka, Kunduz province Jan. 15.
The Baki Kheyl District sub-governor distributes
The Baki Kheyl District sub-governor distributes humanitarian aid to the villagers through the village elders in Baki Kheyl District, Paktika province Jan. 16.
A U.S. Army sergeant looks through a Long Range Thermal
A U.S. Army sergeant looks through a Long Range Thermal Viewer while training for an upcoming mission, Jan. 17, at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The conventional force infantry soldiers are assigned to Speci... More
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to the 3rd
Afghan National Army Commandos assigned to the 3rd Company, 6th Commando Kandak are counseled on their urban operations training at Camp Morehead, Kabul, Jan. 18. The Commandos are trained by U.S. Special Force... More
Doctors stationed at the Kandahar Air Field Role III
Doctors stationed at the Kandahar Air Field Role III hospital prepare to deliver an Afghan baby via emergency cesarean section Jan. 20 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The mother was flown in from northern Kh... More
Lt. Col. John Pelleriti, director of operations for
Lt. Col. John Pelleriti, director of operations for Special Operations Task Force - East, briefs Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, director of the Army National Guard, on Camp Montrond, Bagram, Afghanistan Jan. 22. ... More
ANA Commandos, US Forces, partner to complete mission
Afghan National Army Commandos and U.S. Forces off-load from a CH-47 Chinook after completing a mission in the Tangi Valley designed to uproot insurgent forces in the area. More than 100 ANA members, U.S. Speci... More
A member of the Afghan National Police awaits his turn
A member of the Afghan National Police awaits his turn to fire an AK47 assault rifle during a weapons familiarization course taught by members of Special Operations Task Force – South in Khakrez District, Kanda... More
Lt. Col. Donald Lovelace and Command Sgt. Maj. David
Lt. Col. Donald Lovelace and Command Sgt. Maj. David Wolff, command team for Special Operations Task Force-East, greet Brid. Gen. Edward Reeder Jr., commanding general U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Camp M... More
A group of Afghans observe as an aerial resupply, destined
A group of Afghans observe as an aerial resupply, destined for U.S. service members with Special Operations Task Force - South, falls towards the earth, Jan. 23, in Khakrez District, Kandahar province.
Afghan National Army Commandos listen to the Afghan
Afghan National Army Commandos listen to the Afghan Information Dissemination Operations course overview on the first day of class Feb. 12, at Camp Morehead. The AIDO course is a four-week course that teaches C... More
Nearly 20 children attended their first day of classes
Nearly 20 children attended their first day of classes at a newly-opened school in Maruf District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 26. There have been no schools in Maruf since the Taliban closed them appr... More
ANA communications officers gather to forge way ahead
Gen. Dadon Lawang, 1st Commando Brigade commander, speaks of the importance of communication during a communications officer conference Jan. 29, at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan. The conference purpose is to iden... More
Sgt. Heather Blake, who serves as a medic with Combined
Sgt. Heather Blake, who serves as a medic with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Afghanistan, listens to the heartbeat of a small boy at the free clinic at Bagram Air Field's Korean Hospital Jan. 2... More
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter with the 101st
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) approaches a remote location in northern Khakrez District en route to dropping off mail and various other sundries to servicem... More
A member of the Afghan National Police provides overwatch
A member of the Afghan National Police provides overwatch security during a meeting between the Khakrez District Gov. Haji Qayum Kham and the District Chief of Police Mullah Gul, Feb. 1, 2011, in northern Kanda... More
Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais, Michigan's adjutant general,
Maj. Gen. Gregory Vadnais, Michigan's adjutant general, tries on a traditional Afghan hat during a trip to the bazaar on Camp Montrond, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Feb. 3. Camp Montrond is home to Special Oper... More
Wardak governor, USSF form bond for future
Wardak Provincial Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai meets with Special Forces members assigned to the Camp Morehead Advanced Operations Base Feb. 5, at the governors compound in Maidan Shar. The governor met with U... More
A U.S. Special Forces soldier with Special Operations
A U.S. Special Forces soldier with Special Operations Task Force – South conducts a pre-operation brief Feb 8, 2011, with Afghan Commandos with 2nd Company, 3rd Commando Kandak, before embarking on a clearance ... More
Early Morning Patrol in Northern Kandahar
Soldiers with the Afghan National Army return from an early morning security patrol near the Khakrez District Center, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in preparation for a visit by representatives from the Gover... More
Early Morning Patrol in Northern Kandahar
Soldiers with the Afghan National Army return from an early morning security patrol near the Khakrez District Center, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in preparation for a visit by representatives from the Gover... More
A shipment of palettes await to be transported to CJSOTF
A shipment of palettes await to be transported to CJSOTF soldiers in need of supplies on Feb. 13, 2011 on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
Silver Star Medals wait to be pinned on the chest of
Silver Star Medals wait to be pinned on the chest of Sgt. 1st Class Chad E. Lawson, communications sergeant, Operational Detachment Alpha 3116, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.... More
A U.S. Special Forces team member signals to his team
A U.S. Special Forces team member signals to his team to load onto a CH-47 Chinook Feb. 15 at Camp Morehead, Afghanistan. A team of more than 100 USSF and Afghan National Commandos recently completed a mission ... More
A U.S. special forces soldier assigned to Special Operations
A U.S. special forces soldier assigned to Special Operations Task Force – South moves down a pathway during a security patrol Feb. 17, 2011 in Panjwai District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The SOTF-South Sp... More
Women in southern Afghanistan meet with Special Operations
Women in southern Afghanistan meet with Special Operations Task Force – South female Cultural Support Team servicemembers Feb. 17, in order to talk about medical needs and development projects for families in P... More
Command Sgt. Maj. Michelle Fournier, Afghan doctor
Command Sgt. Maj. Michelle Fournier, Afghan doctor Aisha Daley and 1st Lt. Jennifer Arnold introduce themselves to the midwives, nurses and doctors attending the first-ever regional medical seminar in Mazar-e S... More
A U.S. Special Forces communications sergeant assigned
A U.S. Special Forces communications sergeant assigned to Special Operations Task Force – South proceeds up a steep footpath during a security patrol Feb. 20, 2011 in Panjwai District, Kandahar province, Afghan... More
Staff Sgt. Kevin Dias, an intel analyst for Special
Staff Sgt. Kevin Dias, an intel analyst for Special Operations Task Force - East, checks biometrics on participants of the first-ever regional medical seminar in Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh province Feb. 20. The five... More
Maruf District Gov. Abdul Samat Durrani, center, attends
Maruf District Gov. Abdul Samat Durrani, center, attends the model farm demonstration outside the Maruf District Center, Afghanistan, Feb. 23 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Durrani was on hand as Maruf’s m... More
A U.S Army Special Operations Task Force - soldier
A U.S Army Special Operations Task Force - soldier provides security during a foot patrol in Panjwai District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 23, 2011. SOTF-South soldiers conduct regular patrols alongsid... More
Friba Majeed, right, director of women's affairs in
Friba Majeed, right, director of women's affairs in Balkh province, speaks with a class of midwives about the future of Afghan women in medicine during the first-ever regional medical seminar in Mazar-e Sharif,... More
U.S. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander, U.S. Special
U.S. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, speaks with members of the all-female Cultural Support Team with Special Operations Task Force - South, during a Feb. 24 visit to Khakre... More
Sgt. Naseem, a 22-year-old native of northern Afghanistan's
Sgt. Naseem, a 22-year-old native of northern Afghanistan's Balkh province and member of 1st Battalion, 1st Afghan National Civil Order Police Brigade, helps direct security while on patrol with a U.S. Special ... More
A platoon leader from Task Force Iron Ranger stops
A platoon leader from Task Force Iron Ranger stops during a foot patrol to buy cookies from the Tanar village bakery in Khas Konar district, Konar province, Feb. 28.
A military information support operations team leader
A military information support operations team leader under Special Operations Task Force - East buys lunch, consisting of flat bread and crispy meat with corn and spices, from a merchant in the Tanar village b... More
Using words as a weapon
Ismail Khan started an English school in Jalalabad that teaches both boys and girls in the same class, and now works as an interpreter with U.S. Special Forces in Konar province, what he considers his duty to A... More
A squad leader from Task Force Iron Ranger fixes a
A squad leader from Task Force Iron Ranger fixes a ladder that cost seconds during a surprise battle drill on a firebase in Khas Konar District, Konar province March 1.
A U.S. soldier assigned to the Afghan National Army
A U.S. soldier assigned to the Afghan National Army Special Operations Advisory Group reads a plaque during the dedication ceremony of the ANA Hall of Valor March 5, 2011. The Hall of Valor is a parting gift fr... More
Afghan National Army Commandos from 3rd Commando Kandak
Afghan National Army Commandos from 3rd Commando Kandak listen to a pre-operation briefing from a U.S. Special Forces Soldier from Special Operations Task Force – South prior to operation execution, March 6, in... More
Afghan villagers draw boundaries of their farm lands
Afghan villagers draw boundaries of their farm lands in the rural farm region of Kandahar Province's Panjwai District, March 6, before a shura with District Governor Haji Faizluddin Agha.
Gifts for the Afghan National Army commandos graduating
Gifts for the Afghan National Army commandos graduating from the Afghan Information Dissemination Operation course lay on a table at Camp Hero, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, March 6. The AIDO program is a fo... More
A member of the cultural support team from Special
A member of the cultural support team from Special Operations Task Force - East addresses more than 200 students, teachers and government officials at the Tanar village School for Girls to celebrate Khas Konar ... More
A U.S. Special Forces intelligence sergeant provides
A U.S. Special Forces intelligence sergeant provides security overwatch as a Special Forces engineering sergeant, both assigned to Special Operations Task Force – South, climbs over an irrigation wall during a ... More
The 6th Commando Kandak commander orders his platoons
The 6th Commando Kandak commander orders his platoons to proceed to the objective during a training operation March 8 in a valley in eastern Afghanistan. U.S. Special Forces oversaw the training operation which... More
The ceremonial ribbon inaugurating the road-improvement
The ceremonial ribbon inaugurating the road-improvement project of Route Highlife, a 20-mile long road which connects Khakrez district to Kandahar City, stands ready to be cut, March 10, at the Khakrez District... More
A U.S. Army Special Forces communications sergeant
A U.S. Army Special Forces communications sergeant adjusts a fellow Special Operations Task Force - South service member's equipment moments before beginning an operation to impede insurgent activity in norther... More
A member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police
A member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police talks to store owners at a bazaar in Panjwai District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, March 15. The ANCOP, supported by members of Special Operations Task For... More
The Darvishan Boys’ School sits ready for students
The Darvishan Boys’ School sits ready for students March 16, 2011 in Khakrez District, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. District Gov. Hajji Abdul Qayum Khan, as well as service members from Special Operations Ta... More