Garmser District

Marines of the Commanding General’s Personal Security Detail, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), roll through a busy bazaar during a mounted patrol through the Garmser district of Helmand province, Afghanist More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Afghanistan — Lance Cpl. Jarred Billy, a native of Dilkon, Ariz., motions for a vehicle to slow down during a joint patrol conducted by 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Pfc. Clark Kirkley, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., diligently scans his surroundings while standing post here, April 29. Kirkley, a member of More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan — Sgt. Kimberly Nalepka, a Coral Springs, Fla., native, speaks to a teacher about the day’s lesson plan at a local school April 30. Nalepka is More

Sgt. Kimberly Nalepka, a Coral Springs, Fla., native, crosses a canal after visiting a local school, April 30. Nalepka, team leader of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Female Engagement Team, visits medic More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - A color guard stands at attention moments before the Transfer of Authority Ceremony between 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and 1st Batta More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Carter Malkasian speaks to Lance Cpl. Eric Raines while showing him around the district center here, May 11. Raines, a native of Williamsbur More

Marines and sailors with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, sit aboard an Air Force C-17 transport aircraft on the flight line here, before departing for Camp Dwyer, Afghanist More

U.S. Marine Sgt. Maj. Dwight D. Jones, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment sergeant major from Detroit, and a formation of Marines and sailors from 1/3 and 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, watch the Commandan More

A member of the Afghan National Police searches a local elder as he enters the district center here for the funeral of District Chief of Police Lt. Col. Sayfullah Khan Rashidi, Nov. 13. Sayfullah died when his More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Joshua Melendez, 26, a squad leader with Guard Force Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a native of Anaheim, Calif., walks past the Garmsir distr More

U.S. Marine 1st Sgt. Wesley Misenhimer, the Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment from Castro Valley, Calif., calls off the names of Marines killed during combat More

Lt. Col. Sean Riordan, the commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, encourages Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, to devote themselves to bettering Garmsir during a relief in plac More

U.S. Navy Seaman Chris Mesnard, a 22-year-old corpsman with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, from Omaha, Neb., peers through the scratched lenses of an oxygen-restricting tr More

Cpl. Axel Benitez (left), a radio operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 1, poses for a picture with his brother Cpl. Luis Benitez, a data network specialist with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment here, Nov. More

Afghan elders and U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, wait for a shura to begin at a local residence here, Nov. 22. Following their recent assumption of security responsibility in Garmsir, the More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Isaiah Schult, a dog handler with Jump Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 20-year-old Indianapolis native, jokes with Afghan children while More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Adam Schoeller, a helicopter crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, mans a machine gun from the ramp of a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter while transporting Marines from 3rd Batt More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. John Hagan, a 23-year-old team leader with Guard Force Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Philadelphia, relays a message to his squad leader during a security patr More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett Reed, a 22-year-old squad automatic weapon gunner with the 81 mm Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Plano, Texas, and Afghan Nation More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Oliver, a 20-year-old mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Sacramento, waves a red flag signaling for a passing motorcycle to stop at a More

Sayed Gul stands with his father Alai Noor after talking to U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during their visit to the Baluch Jan village here, Dec. 2. Gul, the 15-year-old More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jon Lyman, a 21-year-old mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Oregon City, Ore., hands a piece of candy to an Afghan child during a security pa More

Afghan students participate in a video teleconference with students from Lejeune High School on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., at the Garmsir Agricultural High School here, Dec. 8. The VTC, the second of More

U.S. Marine Sgt. Matt Garst, a 23-year-old squad leader with 2nd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Charlotte, N.C., pauses during a security patrol here, Dec. 12, along the More

U.S. Marine Sgt. Aaron Sarinana (left), from El Paso, Texas, and Cpl. Exxon Suarez, from Portland, Ore., food service specialists with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment serve More

Afghan National Army soldier Moben walks through a field during a partnered security patrol with Marines from 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment here, Dec. 18. On the patrol, the ANA More

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U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment play Scrabble in the chow hall to pass time during a sand storm here, Dec. 21. The down time was an exception to the short time th More

U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment play Scrabble in the chow hall to pass time during a sand storm here, Dec. 21. The down time was an exception to the short time th More

U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment play Scrabble in the chow hall to pass time during a sand storm here, Dec. 21. The down time was an exception to the short time th More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Angel Cabrera, a 24-year-old administrative specialist with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Amsterdam, N.Y., prepares promotion warrants for p More

U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, greets 1st Sgt. Wesley Misenhimer, Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, after arriv More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Martin Argueta, a 19-year-old rifleman with 2nd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and Yuma, Ariz., native provides security while helping Afghan National Army sol More

Afghan National Army Sgt. Shah Baaz uses a metal detector to sweep the ground under the watch of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary Fisher, a 22-year-old fire team leader with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battal More

Afghan National Army soldier Taza Khan enters a local elder's home while clearing compounds with U.S. Marines from 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during Operation Tageer Shamal ( More

An interpreter and a local elder watch as Afghan National Army soldier Abdul Karim and U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Alex Puente, the 25-year-old commander of 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment More

U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Ryan Gulliksen, a 26-year-old logistics officer with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Ormond Beach, Fla., spends each of his days on deploy More

Afghan National Police patrolman Mir Wali scans the surrounding area while standing guard duty at a position shared with U.S. Marines from 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, here, Ja More

Afghan National Army soldiers with 4th Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, fire a Howitzer D-30 during an artillery demonstration for government officials and local elders from districts across southern Helmand h More

An Afghan man prepares a mixture of mud and concrete while constructing the ceiling to a school building here, Jan. 19. Twelve permanent schools are currently under construction by local contractors in Garmsir More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Jason Misener, a 21-year-old rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Embedded Training Team, and a native of Hackettstown, N.J., performs squats with Afghan National Army soldiers More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Jason Misener, a 21-year-old rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Embedded Training Team, and a native of Hackettstown, N.J., performs squats with Afghan National Army soldiers More

Afghan National Army Sgt. Khal Mohammad (fourth from left), a 22-year-old infantryman with 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, and a native of Badakhshan province, speaks with his soldiers and an interpreter More

Afghan Border Police Sgt. Khan Jan, a patrolman with 2nd Tolai, 2nd Kandak, Helmand ABP, holds security with U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Medina, a 21-year-old machine gunner with Combined Anti-Armor Team 2, More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Edward Knudsen, a 25-year-old mortarman with Headquarters Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a native of Rapid City, S.D., studies a mathematics textbook in More

Afghan National Army Sgt. Achmed, a non commissioned officer with 4th Tolai, 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, helps U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua Holden, a section leader with 81mm mortar platoon, Weapons More

Country music star Rodney Atkins (right) and guitarist Liam Bailey perform a song for U.S. Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during a United Service Organization-sponsored concert in More

Afghan Border Police with 4th Tolai, 2nd Kandak, Helmand ABP, and U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, board a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter near Combat Outpost Torbert here b More

U.S. Marine 1st Lt. David Rooks, an operations advisor with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Embedded Training Team, and 32-year-old native of Garland, Texas, uses binoculars to determine target placement More

Garmsir District Governor Mohammad Fahim speaks to a crowd of approximately 200 elders, Afghan military leaders and U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during a shura here, Feb. 23. Fahim aske More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpls. Leonardo Espitiarobles (right), 19, from Anaheim, Calif., and Michael Mundy, 19, from Shelter Island, N.Y., riflemen with 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, d More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Devin Deweerdt, a 20-year-old mortarman with 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Riverton, Utah, writes his wife a letter in his sleeping area after a d More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Deweerdt, a 20-year-old mortarman with 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Riverton, Utah, shaves in the hygiene area before beginning his d More

U.S. Marine 2nd Lt. Robert Hindle (left), the officer in charge of Garmsir district’s operational coordination center, and a 23-year-old native of Baltimore assigned to Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine R More

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Maxwell McGill, a 25-year-old corpsman with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment battalion aid station, and native of Englewood, Fla., checks the compass reading of Afghan Na More

Malim Wazir, the head teacher of Safar School, speaks about the crucial role of education in Garmsir district’s future to Safar elders during a shura outside the school here, March 18. Approximately 40 elders a More

Afghan National Police patrolman Charyogli Allahberdi searches a local man at a vehicle checkpoint outside the Hazar Joft Bazaar with U.S. Marines from Guard Force Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, d More

U.S. Marine Cpl. George Eifert, a wrecker operator with Trucks Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 22-year-old native of Cambridge, Minn., flushes gear oil out of the hub of a wrecker truck while c More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Robert Garcia (right), a radio operator with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 21-year-old native of Lake Forest, Calif., and Army Sgt. Pedro Reyesmontie More

Local children interact with Afghan National Army Pvt. Barad (left), a soldier with 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, while he provides security outside a compound as fellow soldiers and U.S. Marines with 3 More

Afghan children walk alongside U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob Kartchner, a team leader with 4th Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 28-year-old native of Long Beach, Calif., in the hope More

U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. David Berger (left), the commanding general of Task Force Leatherneck, 1st Marine Division (Forward), speaks with Capt. Brian Blaine, the Kilo Company commander for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Mari More

An Afghan National Army soldier with 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps, celebrates after earning a point during a game of volleyball with fellow soldiers following a day of duties here, April 13, 2012. Afgha More

Afghan policemen prepare to search a room for possible insurgent materiel while clearing a compound with U.S. Marines from 1st Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during Operation Zema P More

Afghan men travel to the Garmsir Agricultural High School to vote in district community council elections under the safe watch of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Eric Chrivia, a mortarman with 4th Platoon, Kilo Company, More

An emotional Afghan National Policeman recovers outside the battalion aid station here after he was injured in an attack by a suicide bomber in Helmand province’s Garmsir district, April 19, 2012. The 3/3 corps More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert, Jr., a 25-year-old combat engineer from Lancaster, Pa., was killed by an improvised explosive device while supporting 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion on a night patr More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Javier Garza, a machine gunner with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 22-year-old native of Donna, Texas, interacts with Afghan children while halted dur More

U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Luke Forelle, the 3rd Platoon commander for India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a 28-year-old native of New York City, walks through a farming village during a security pa More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Vincent Goitortua, a Squad Automatic Weapon gunner with 1st Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 19-year-old native of San Diego, scans for potential threats wh More

Afghan National Policeman Abdul Khaled (left) provides security outside the Garmsir Agricultural High School while fellow policeman Sher Agha (right) searches local elders waiting to vote in district community More

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ronald Valdez (left), a corpsman with 1st Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 30-year-old native of Waipahu, Hawaii, extends a helping hand to Marin More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Garrett Carnes, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 22-year-old native of Mooresville, N.C., speaks with Ramsay Wharton, a reporter with Hawa More

U.S. Marine Cpl. Garrett Carnes (in wheelchair), a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 22-year-old native of Mooresville, N.C., begins a motivational run with f More

U.S. Navy corpsmen with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment battalion aid station test Afghan National Army soldiers on medical knowledge during the final examination of an eight-week ANA medic course here, More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Afghanistan — Cpl. Ryan Baker, a San Antonio native, provides security during a joint patrol conducted by 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Reg More

Sgt. Kimberly Nalepka, a Coral Springs, Fla., native, and Lance Cpl. Victoria Rogers, a Splendora, Texas, native, speak to students at a local school, April 30. Nalepka and Rogers, members of the 1st Battalion, More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand Province, Afghanistan - Navy Lt. Carl Rhoads gives the opening prayer during the Transfer of Authority Ceremony between 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine More

GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Local village elders listen to members of the District Support Team during an informal community council here, May 11. The DST regularly par More

Lance Cpl. Barney Oldfield, a rifleman with Jump Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, uses a bottle cap to mark the location of a mock improvised explosive device durin More

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Sean Riordan, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment commanding officer from Montclaire, Va., uses a Ka-Bar kinfe to slice a birthday cake for Marines and sailors of 1/3 and 3rd Battalion, 3rd More

Afghan National Police member Abdul Nabi provides security under the watchful eye of U.S. Marine 2nd Lt. Brenton Mastro, 24, the Guard Force Platoon commander for Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion More

Lance Cpl. Andrew Gray, 20, a team leader with Guard Force Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Brandon, Miss., jokes with a local boy about bartering for More

A formation of Marines with 1st and 3rd Battalions, 3rd Marine Regiment, honor coalition forces killed in Garmsir district with two minutes of silence during a remembrance service at the FOB Delhi Memorial here More

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Sean Riordan and Sgt. Maj. Dwight D. Jones, the commanding officer and sergeant major of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, retire their battalion battle colors to make way for those of 3r More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Dominic Evola, a 29-year-old rifleman with Jump Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, from Medford, N.J., greets an Afghan boy by “pounding fists” More

Afghan elders and U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, wait for a shura to begin at a local residence here, Nov. 22. Following their recent assumption of security responsibility in Garmsir, the More

On duty, U.S. Navy Seaman Chris Mesnard, a 22-year-old corpsman with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, from Omaha, Neb., tends to sick and injured Marines at the battalion ai More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Philip Munro, a 19-year-old intelligence specialist with Guard Force Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Erie, Pa., provides security outside the district center he More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Penwitt, a 22-year-old mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and native of Manhattan, Ill., examines the documents of an Afghan man at a vehicle check More

Sayed Gul, a 15-year old Afghan amputee, holds himself up with a pair of thin steel crutches during a visit from U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, in the Baluch Jan village More

Afghan National Army soldier Abdul Malik and U.S. Marine Pfc. Garrett Reed, a 22-year-old mortarman with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Plano, Texas, wait for orders to press More

An Afghan student listens to an interpreter translate the words of a student from Lejeune High School on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., during a video teleconference at the Garmsir Agricultural High Scho More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpls. James Blomstran and Ryan Gerrity, an improvised explosive device detection dog handler and fire team leader with 2nd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Blomst More

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Zhouyong Zheng, a 23-year-old radio technician with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Lakeland, Fla., eats lunch after serving his fellow More

U.S. Marine Sgt. Jeremy Holsten, a 25-year-old squad leader with 3rd Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Albuquerque, watches over a field while halted during a partnered sec More

U.S. Marines with 1st Platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment play Scrabble in the chow hall to pass time during a sand storm here, Dec. 21. The down time was an exception to the short time th More

U.S. Marine Sgt. Joseph Bussanich, 23, the assistant data chief for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Tuscumbia, Ala., sends an email while maintaining the battalion’s communication networks here More

U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, speaks to Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment during a Christmas Day visit here, Dec. 25. Crammed inside th More