A Tour Of Duty In Afghanistan Has Yielded These Photographs (37 Pics)
December 3, 2012 | No Comments » | Topics: main
Patrol
A dismounted patrol moves through a ploughed field prior to maize planting.
Arm Wrestling
To mark the London Olympics (which we missed), we held out own “Patrol Base Olympics”.
Smoke
Smoke is used to call in a Helicopter for extraction from an operation.
Alone
A Soldier sits and rests during an operation.
Angels on our shoulders
An Army Air Corps Apache Longbow provides close air support during an operation.
Stare
A Soldier sits on a quad bike during the closure of a checkpoint.
Shura
A Weekly “shura” with local elders in which we discuss projects for the community, security issues and local problems.
Dove
A Soldier receives a dove statuette from his Girlfriend.
Osprey
A US Marine Corps Osprey lands at the Patrol Base.
A young soldier prepares to go out on patrol
The young pointman of our multiple, carrying a shotgun for the close terrain in the maize fields.
Dust
A Royal Air Force Merlin helicopter lands at the PB with supplies and personnel.
A Soldier takes a break during an operation
On the way back
A Soldier sits in the back of a Chinook following an operation.
A Sniper walks with a local boy
Halcyon
The sun rises over the walls of the Patrol Base.
Kind eyes
An Afghan Policeman
Crossing point
A local child watches as kit-laden soldiers struggle to cross an irrigation stream.
Normality
A Soldier gets a haircut outside the Patrol Base’s makeshift shop
Some days it’s harder to be away from home
A Platoon Sergeant opens mail from home to reveal a Father’s day card from his young son.
Difficult for us all
A search dog shows the strain of working in such harsh conditions.
Poppies
A Royal Air Force Chinook lands in a poppy field to extract us after an Operation
Reflection
A soldier rests during a patrol
Sanctuary
A soldier finds shelter from the summer heat
Chaos
Shock
A soldier rests after a patrol
Victory
Victory cigars after a successful operation
Arcs
The view through a Rifle Sight
Overwatch
A Soldier overwatches friendly forces
Things that go bump in the night
A Mortar fires during the night
Warrior Brother
An Afghan policeman
The hardest route
A soldier struggles to carry a GPMG through a deep irrigation ditch
Lightning
Lightning strikes the camera tower at the Patrol Base
Checkpoint
A Soldier stands guard outside a checkpoint
Sleeping lions
Soldiers catch a moment of sleep during hectic predeployment exercises
The hardest day
Hours before I took this photo on our final predeployment training exercise, we received word that 6 of our colleagues who had deployed ahead of us had been killed in an IED strike.
A Platoon Sergeant takes a cigarette break outside the Operations room on a predeployment training exercise
Coming Home
Soldiers board a C-17 for our flight home.
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