July 4
U.S. Marines from Task Force Mameluke hold their positions as small arms fire erupts in Khan Neshin, the capital of the Rig District in Helmand Province.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Marine Staff Sgt. Ben Simms of North Carolina talks to troops on his radio as gunfire erupts in Khan Neshin.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Members of Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson's team walk through tall grass in Khan Neshin as part of Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword).
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, left, and U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Tim E. Grattan, III, Commander of Task Force Mameluke, look out at the village of Khan Neshin, the southernmost point in Afghanistan.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Marines get into position as small arms fire erupts near Khan Neshin. In many parts of the Helmand Valley, Taliban members have moved around freely for years because local police units fled.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Marine Lt. Col. Tim E. Grattan, III, Commander of Task Force Mameluke, takes his position and commands his troops as gunfire erupts. Taliban attacks prevented troops from meeting with town elders as they had hoped.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
A helicopter trails Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson ride as he flies to Khan Neshin. Commanders directing the huge Marine security operation said they hoped not to rely on airstrikes, which have resulted in numerous civilian casualties in Afghanistan over the past seven years.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson exits the helicopter as he arrives in Khan Neshin. There was no immediate count of insurgents killed during the opeation, although ground commanders reported that 30 to 40 were shooting from in and around the compound early in the day.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 4
Marine Lt. Col. Tim E. Grattan, left, Commander of Task Force Mameluke, meets Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson as he arrives in Khan Neshin.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
A U.S. Marine yells to his fellow Marines as they take enemy fire during the start of Operation Khanjari in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of an operation to take areas in the southern Helmand province that Taliban fighters have been using as a supply route, and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
U.S. Marines cross an irrigation ditch after unloading from a helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
A U.S. Marine looks to fire his weapon as troops engage the enemy during the start of Operation Khanjari. Marine commanders reported only modest resistance from insurgent fighters as troops poured out of helicopters in the early morning and began conducting patrols.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
A U.S. Marine watches to see where enemy fire is coming from during the start of Operation Khanjari. Some units encountered light small-arms fire Thursday, and one Marine company was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades after it discovered a cache of homemade explosives in a housing compound.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
U.S. Marines walk to their helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari. On Thursday, one Marine battalion moved into the Nawa district of Helmand province, located to the south of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Another battalion established footholds further south, in the district of Garmser.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
An Afghan soldier searches a home after arriving with U.S. Marines during the start of Operation Khanjari.
Joe Raedle-Getty Images
July 2
U.S. Marine Steve Wasko prepares to partake in a large-scale mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Wasko is one of more than 4,000 Marines involved in the offensive, which will be aided by Afghan security forces.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
U.S. Marines listen to instruction in preparation for their expeditionary move into the Helmand River valley. The move has also been dubbed "Strike of the Sword."
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
The operation is intended to stabilize southern Afghanistan, a key region in upcoming elections and a center of Taliban activity.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
U.S. Marines prepare to depart for the Helmand River valley as part of a large-scale mission. An additional 21,000 U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan before the country's upcoming election, pushing totals near 68,000, twice as many as were there in 2008.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
A trio of U.S. Marines prepare for their participation in the mission. British forces took part in a similar mission last week, driving insurgents from the Helmand River valley and nearby Kandahar.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 2
U.S. Marines load into an aircraft as the sun rises on the horizon. The offensive began at approximately 1 a.m. local time.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
Marine 1st Lt. Sam Oliver goes over the mission with his company as they prepare to deploy.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
Before dawn on Thursday, U.S. Marines prepare to deploy on a large-scale mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, that is being seen as the first major test of the Obama administration's war strategy.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
Marines prepare for the early morning mission. According to the military, the soldiers will focus their efforts on protecting civilians from the Taliban, and on restoring Afghan government services, instead of a series of hunt-and-kill missions against the insurgents.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
U.S. Marines prepare to travel to another base in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Corey McCarron, 20, readies his ammunition a few hours before the operation.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
July 1
Marines prepare before the Helmand operation, which, if it succeeds, is viewed as a potentially critical first step in the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
June 30
Marines train with flak jackets and rifles a day before mounting a major military operation in Helmand River valley.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
June 30
Marines spar to prepare for an operation in Helmand province. The Marines, along with an Army brigade that is scheduled to arrive later this summer, plan to push into pockets of the country where NATO forces have not had a presence.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
June 30
At their remote desert base, Marines spar with each other during a training exercise, one day before the operation in Helmand province.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
June 30
U.S. Marine Cpl. Adam Ureche found a comfortable perch in his Humvee, where he slept the night in Helmand province, Afghanistan, following a mission from a neighboring base.
Nikki Kahn-THE WASHINGTON POST
June 30
In the early morning hours on Tuesday, an armored Marine convoy arrives at a remote desert base in the volatile Helmand River valley.
Nikki Kahn-The Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Sam Funt
Text Editor Liz Heron, Dan Greene, Sarah Lovenheim, Heather Farrell
