A view of the Bala Murghab Valley, as seen from Combat

A view of the Bala Murghab Valley, as seen from Combat Outpost Cougar, one of 16 COPs in the Bala Murghab Valley, Badghis Province, Afghanistan. International Security Assistance Force soldiers have had a presence at Forward Operating Base Todd in Bala Murghab for years. During ISAF-led Operation Bonjourno, soldiers (primarily 82nd Airborne, scouts from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, and Italian Alpini soldiers) extended a security bubble over much of the valley, allowing displaced villagers to return as insurgents were gradually routed from Bala Murghab. COP Cougar is the southern-most COP in Bala Murghab and acts as an overwatch position protecting COP Delorean and as a roadblock, preventing insurgents from entering the valley from the south.