That Was Fast
November 28th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
After about an hour and half break from building the FOB, it’s back to work for 4th Platoon, Charlie Co., 1-17 Infantry. Their Thanksgiving meal is quickly worked off by digging out an entrance for the Strykers, filling sandbags, and building guard towers on the compound.
Happy Thanksgiving
November 27th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Members of 4th Platoon, Charlie Co., 1-17 Infantry, eat their Thanksgiving meal after taking over a compound for a brand new FOB near the Argandab valley in Kandahar. Most of the troops said the dinner was decent enough – although there was one loud dissent, “the mashed potatoes taste like shit! And that’s the best part of the meal!” It was universally agreed, though, that flying and trucking in a hot holiday meal was a very, very good thing.
About That Time With The Hot Sauce…
November 25th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Sgt. Ryan Sharp, 21, from Brookfield, Wi. (C), shows the rest of 1st Platoon, Bravo Co., 1-17 Infantry, his share of videos and pictures of the unit before turning in for the night – ranging from their training almost 3 years ago in Ft. Lewis, to their current deployment in the Argandab valley in Kandahar, Afghanistan. “A lot of us went to Basic together, and most of us have been together for a long time. It’s stuff from battle drills, classes, and training – us goofing around. It’s probably the first time a group of us together has seen the collection.”
Ruck Up, Gentlemen
November 24th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Spc. Brandon Trentham, Bravo Co., 1-17 Infantry, prepares to leave COB Outlaw in the Argandab valley in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The company generally rotates out to another FOB a kilometer away every five days, always on foot. He estimates that his bag weighs around 50 lbs. – and with his 240 and body armor, he’s probably carrying at least his body weight in gear. “You kinda get used to it,” he said.
The Forest Planet
November 23rd, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Sgt. Jason Hawkins, Bravo Co., 1-17 Infantry, watches the perimeter on patrol shortly after sunrise in the dense orchards and vineyards of the Argandab valley in Kandahar, Afghanistan. During the summertime, the foliage is so dense that visibility is only around 40 ft. when you’re kneeling. Grunts from across several operating areas have compared it to Vietnam – the daily patrols in a thick belt of green, regular gunfights, explosions heard in distance, and the Kiowas overhead – but minus the naplam, of course.