Pat Dollard

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U.S. Marine Sgt. Craig Purdy scans the area before setting up a blocking position here, Sept. 5. Purdy, a native of West Salem, Ohio, is an advisor with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Embedded Training Team. The blocking position was part of the five-day, battalion-sized clearing operation recently conducted in the Northern Battalion Security Area of 1/3′s area of operations. The partnered operation focused on clearing roads and searching villages where the concentration of coalition forces is low.

U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Ryan Anness speaks to local man while Afghan National Army soldiers search his compound here, Sept. 3. Anness is an artillery officer with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. Searching compounds was one of the many focuses of the five-day, battalion-sized clearing operation recently conducted in the Northern Battalion Security Area of 1/3′s area of operations. The partnered operation focused on clearing roads and searching villages where the concentration of coalition forces is low.

A squad of Afghan National Army soldiers with 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps return to the rest of their patrol element after searching several compounds here, Sept. 3. Searching compounds was one of the many focuses of the five-day, battalion-sized clearing operation recently conducted in the Northern Battalion Security Area of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment’s area of operations. The partnered operation focused on clearing roads and searching villages where the concentration of coalition forces is low.

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Mustapha Mussa momentarily halts with an improvised explosive device detector dog while clearing a road here, Sept. 4. Mussa, a native of Michigan City, Ind., is the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment kennel master and an advisor with the battalion’s Embedded Training Team. Clearing roads was one of the many focuses of the five-day, battalion-sized clearing operation recently conducted in the Northern Battalion Security Area of 1/3′s area of operations. The partnered operation focused on clearing roads and searching villages where the concentration of coalition forces is low.

An Afghan National Army soldier with 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 215th Corps momentarily halts while on patrol here, Sept. 4. The patrol was part of the five-day, battalion-sized clearing operation recently conducted in the Northern Battalion Security Area of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment’s area of operations. The partnered operation focused on clearing roads and searching villages where the concentration of coalition forces is low.