Zabul Redux: Window Seat
October 21st, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
A door gunner in a Chinook in Afghanistan last June – and Sean and I are on our way back to Zabul, via Kabul first.
Zabul Redux: The Hills Are Alive
October 20th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
5/20/09: A young shepherd in the mountains near FOB Baylough in remote, central Zabul Province, Afghanistan – if you want, check out his tunes.
Zabul Redux: Call It In
October 15th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
5/19/09: Sgt. Trent Barnes from Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, calls in a 120mm mortar attack on hills nearby where insurgents are gathering to attack near FOB Baylough, Zabul province.
Zabul Redux: Aftermath
October 14th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
6/6/09: The end of result of this mission – another angle of the new ANP recruit, Atam, who is helping search the remains of a Taliban KIA from the night before. A planned assault by PMT Viper on village occupied by the Taliban had been called off due to rough terrain – but the helicopter escort intercepted a few Taliban fleeing on motorcycles, still carrying their weapons.
Zabul Redux: Entering the Village
October 13th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
05/25/09: Police Mentoring Team Viper’s XO, Staff Sgt. Sean Tremblay, from Williamsburg, Va., prepares to search a building in Kadu, in Afghanistan’s southern Zabul province. It’s remote even by Afghan standards, where villagers have mistaken U.S. forces for being Russian.
Right after Afghan National Police have swept through the village, Tremblay follows close behind. “It’s their country, we’re just escorting them. I’m going in to double-check,” he said. You look for things that may be out of the ordinary for a village, like binos or two-way radios. There is no law against owning them, but it gives you an idea of what you’re dealing with.”
Zabul Redux
October 12th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Sean Naylor and I will will be reporting again from Afghanistan in about a week, so I’ll be posting some pictures this week from our last trip that didn’t get posted last time. We’ll be retracing our steps in Zabul province, and perhaps some other districts – we’ll see as our embed develops….
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June 6th, 2009: Spc. Derek Houser, 26, from Church Hill, Tn., a machine gunner with Bravo Company, 1-4 Infantry, runs to his bunker guard position during a rocket attack at FOB Baylough in the mountains near Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. “I heard the first one come in, and grabbed my kit and started running,” Houser said. “Your training just kicks in.” It was the first time the base had been attacked in almost six months.
Houser – whose estimates that he’s been mortared about 40-50 times -paused briefly for cover behind a Hesco bastion. “I heard the whistle of the second one, and started to watch them walk the rounds in, to see what pattern they were going in. It was about average – four rounds – but they were a pretty good team to get one inside the wire.”
Red Sky at Night
June 12th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Late night helo flights for the LZ at FOB Lagman.
A Hand, Please
June 11th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
Afghans on their way to wedding – more than 15 people packed in and on a small minivan – are randomly stopped and checked for explosive traces near Qalat. The Army uses special equipment to read chemical signatures off of their hands.
Tea Time in Qalat
June 10th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
A local standard – nuts, raisins, and no almonds left during a copious tea time with some Afghans in Qalat.
Illumination
June 9th, 2009 | Photography | Posted by Chris Maddaloni
The mortar team at FOB Lagman mid-launch – sending multiple 120mm illumination rounds up at timed intervals.