Stories

Lance Cpl. Jonathan Hance, a machine gunner with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, fires his rifle during a combat marksmanship range held aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 20, 2014. Ranges such as this one keep Marines like Hance, a Hickory, N.C., native, on top of their shooting skills and give them the confidence they need while on a patrol. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/released) - Lance Cpl. Jonathan Hance, a machine gunner with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, fires his rifle during a combat marksmanship range held aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 20, 2014. Ranges such as this one keep Marines like Hance, a Hickory, N.C., native, on top of their shooting skills and give them the confidence they need while on a patrol. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/released)

Corporal Domingo Espinal, machine gunner, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, mans a M240B medium machine gun throughout the night from a security post during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 13, 2014. Espinal, a native of Athens, Ga., along with a platoon of infantrymen, provided security at Patrol Base Ouellette, an Afghan National Army controlled-base, during the Afghanistan presidential runoff elections. While International Security Assistance Force stood ready to support as needed, the elections were entirely Afghan led and Afghan conducted. - Corporal Domingo Espinal, machine gunner, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, mans a M240B medium machine gun throughout the night from a security post during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 13, 2014. Espinal, a native of Athens, Ga., along with a platoon of infantrymen, provided security at Patrol Base Ouellette, an Afghan National Army controlled-base, during the Afghanistan presidential runoff elections. While International Security Assistance Force stood ready to support as needed, the elections were entirely Afghan led and Afghan conducted.

Marines with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, practice rappel techniques during the Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques course aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 16, 2014. These Marines were educated on tying knots, fast roping and rappelling from towers and helicopters to become HRST masters. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tony Simmons) - Marines with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, practice rappel techniques during the Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques course aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 16, 2014. These Marines were educated on tying knots, fast roping and rappelling from towers and helicopters to become HRST masters. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tony Simmons)

A Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman, or SARC, kneels in front of a battlefield cross during the 116th Hospital Corps birthday ceremony aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 13, 2014. The battlefield cross was built in memory of fallen sailors and Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Silvano/released) - A Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman, or SARC, kneels in front of a battlefield cross during the 116th Hospital Corps birthday ceremony aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 13, 2014. The battlefield cross was built in memory of fallen sailors and Marines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Silvano/released)

Master Chief Frank Dominguez, left, command master chief, Regional Command (Southwest), leads a formation of sailors on a run aboard Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 17, 2014. The 3-mile motivational run was to pay tribute to those men and women who paved the way for today's generation of corpsmen in honor of the 116th anniversary of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman. - Master Chief Frank Dominguez, left, command master chief, Regional Command (Southwest), leads a formation of sailors on a run aboard Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 17, 2014. The 3-mile motivational run was to pay tribute to those men and women who paved the way for today's generation of corpsmen in honor of the 116th anniversary of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman.

Marines with the Cannons Platoon of Tango Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, observe illumination rounds shot from their M777A2 Howitzer during a fire mission aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, June 13, 2014. The Marines of Tango Battery aboard Camps Bastion and Leatherneck have a unique makeup for an artillery battery, with one platoon of M777A2 Howitzer cannons and one platoon of HIMARS launchers. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By: Sgt. Frances Johnson/Released) - Marines with the Cannons Platoon of Tango Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, observe illumination rounds shot from their M777A2 Howitzer during a fire mission aboard Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, June 13, 2014. The Marines of Tango Battery aboard Camps Bastion and Leatherneck have a unique makeup for an artillery battery, with one platoon of M777A2 Howitzer cannons and one platoon of HIMARS launchers. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By: Sgt. Frances Johnson/Released)

Lance Cpl. Hoa Nguyen, a field radio operator with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Seattle, provides security at a landing zone at night during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 6, 2014. The company conducted disruption operations in a known Taliban bed-down location for two days. During the previous mission May 29, the company discovered a drug production lab and removed more than one metric ton of narcotics from the battlefield.(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Scanlan / released) - Lance Cpl. Hoa Nguyen, a field radio operator with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Seattle, provides security at a landing zone at night during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 6, 2014. The company conducted disruption operations in a known Taliban bed-down location for two days. During the previous mission May 29, the company discovered a drug production lab and removed more than one metric ton of narcotics from the battlefield. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Scanlan / released)

Lance Corporal Justin Countryman, a Tallahassee, Florida, native and rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, provides security during a patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 3, 2014. Security patrols are designed to secure the safety of coalition forces aboard the Bastion-Leatherneck complex. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/ Released) - Lance Corporal Justin Countryman, a Tallahassee, Florida, native and rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, provides security during a patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, June 3, 2014. Security patrols are designed to secure the safety of coalition forces aboard the Bastion-Leatherneck complex. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Dye/ Released)

Afghan National Army soldiers with the 215th Corps work to extinguish a fire while being observed by a Fire/Emergency Response advisor aboard Camp Shorabak, Afghanistan, during a live-fire exercise June 7, 2014. The ANA soldiers are part of the Camp Shorabak Fire Department. The exercise simulated an aircraft crash with multiple smaller fires surrounding the main aircraft fire for the soldiers to suppress. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By: Sgt. Frances Johnson/Released) - Afghan National Army soldiers with the 215th Corps work to extinguish a fire while being observed by a Fire/Emergency Response advisor aboard Camp Shorabak, Afghanistan, during a live-fire exercise June 7, 2014. The ANA soldiers are part of the Camp Shorabak Fire Department. The exercise simulated an aircraft crash with multiple smaller fires surrounding the main aircraft fire for the soldiers to suppress. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo By: Sgt. Frances Johnson/Released)

Sergeant Jacob Smith, a native of Moscow, Tenn., attaches a fueling hose to the refueling panel during an operation aboard Multi-National Base Command Tarin Kot, Afghanistan, June 8, 2014. During the operation, Smith, a crew master with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Regional Command (Southwest), provided needed fuel to MNBC Tarin Kot for their future operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cody Haas/ Released) - Sergeant Jacob Smith, a native of Moscow, Tenn., attaches a fueling hose to the refueling panel during an operation aboard Multi-National Base Command Tarin Kot, Afghanistan, June 8, 2014. During the operation, Smith, a crew master with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Regional Command (Southwest), provided needed fuel to MNBC Tarin Kot for their future operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Cody Haas/ Released)