The road to a better AfghanistanTech. Sgt. John Morgan patrols specific locations Sept. 25, 2011, to provide quality assurance for road projects in Qalat City, Afghanistan. Morgan is a civil engineer with Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras)
Braving the elementsMaj. Gen. Russ Handy braves a sandstorm at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 27, 2011. As the commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and director of Air Component Coordination Element- Iraq, the general is the senior U.S. Air Force representative in Iraq and represents the combined force's air component commander to the commanding general of U.S. Forces-Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)
Aid awayStaff Sgt. Peter Jensen collects straps that restrained airdrop bundles in the back of a C-17 Globemaster III on Sept 30, 2011. Jensen and the crew of the C-17 air dropped 40 bundles to a remote outpost in Afghanistan. Jensen is a loadmaster assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen)
Local visitA young boy leans over a wall trying to get the attention of Lt. Col. Jayson Allen as he hands out school supplies to a group of children Oct. 14, 2011, in Laghman province, Afghanistan. The PRT traveled to the village of Deh E Ziarat to meet with the village elder and the people to talk about their community. Allen is the Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane)
Purple HeartMaj. Michael Epper was one of 12 service members recognized for actions taken Oct. 26, 2011, when his convoy was ambushed twice while traveling through Afghanistan's Tangi Valley. The team successfully overcame a 45-minute complex attack in which insurgents used rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms fire and roadside bombs. Epper is from Byram, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kat Lynn Justen)
Supplying the force Supplies are air dropped Nov. 26, 2011, into Afghanistan. Supplies were frequently air dropped at remote locations to sustain forward operating bases, combat outposts and the service members living at those locations. (Defense Department photo/Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras)
Parwan villages receive emergency relief from Bagram Soldiers, AirmenPARWAN DISTRICT, Afghanistan -- Airmen and Soldiers form a human chain to move boxes of supplies from a relief truck here. The servicemembers are part of a team delivering humanitarian aid to snow-bound villages. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Catie Hague)
Airmen track terrorists offbaseNEAR BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Airmen of Task Force 1041 patrol the local area. The task force is a self-sustaining unit and has medical staff, personnelists, information managers and other specialists who are all trained to be defenders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Mike Buytas)
Operation Iraqi FreedomSOUTHWEST ASIA -- A final memorial tribute to Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson sits at the base chapel Oct 6. The helmet and identification tags represent the fallen servicemember, the combat boots signify the final march of the last battle and the inverted rifle with a bayonet symbolize a time for prayer and a break in the action to pay tribute to a fallen comrade. Airman Jacobson was deployed to a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and was killed in the line of duty Sept. 28. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Campbell)
Handing out school suppliesPARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Chief Master Sgt. Debra Ballentine and others help distribute school supplies during an adopt-a-village visit here. The Chief is deployed to Bagram Air Base from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus McDonald)
Always on alertSenior Airman Chris Cabibi checks his gear before beginning his morning patrol at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. Security forces there provide an armed response capability to limit, counteract and neutralize hostile action directed against the installation and its vital resources. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bradley A. Lail)
Spreading some joyDOD civilians and coalition servicemembers play with local refugee children in Dar Ul Aman, Afghanistan, in support of a volunteer community reach program. During the visit, some 200 bags of clothes, shoes and toys were distributed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)
Getting an early startAirmen from the 820th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., board a two-ton truck in Buena Vista, Nicaragua, shortly before departing for a clinic construction site during New Horizons-Nicaragua 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason T. Bailey)
You'd better come out!Staff Sgt. Bryan Garcia (left) and Master Sgt. Ronald Thompson make their way up a flight of stairs to the attic to clear a target building during a training session at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell)
Honoring fallen heroes Staff Sgt. Robert Culbertson pays his respects during a Final Guard Mount ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The ceremony recognizes fallen security forces Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Levi Riendeau) Staff Sgt. Robert Culbertson pays his respects during a Final Guard Mount ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The ceremony recognizes fallen security forces Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Levi Riendeau)
'Hang on, we're almost there'Senior Airman Dwight Funk, a pararescueman from the 58th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., transports a "survivor" during a training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina D. Ponte)
Paying respect Airmen at a base in Southwest Asia held a "final guardmount" ceremony May 15 to honor those who have fallen in combat. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Domonique Simmons)
Waiting for the signalAs he "clears" rooms during the Emerald Warrior Exercise at Hurlburt Field, Fla, a member of a deployed aircraft ground response element from the 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron peers though a hole in the building. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)
Be preparedPararescueman Senior Airman Dan Warren rises from the waters of the Banana River in Florida. He is a member of the 920th Rescue Wing, and he and his fellow pararescuemen must locate, rescue and provide medical treatment to astronauts in the event of an emergency during launch or landing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie Davis III)
Deliver with careStaff Sgt. William Lawson, a pararescuemen with the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, keeps an eye on the countryside as he cares for a wounded Afghan National Army soldier from the Hemland Province, Afghanistan. Sergeant Lawson will provide care to the injured soldier until he is safely delivered to a hospital. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller)
From dirt to runway, the RED HORSE wayAirman 1st Class Davis Smith carries a guide used in airfield construction Sept. 9, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Dwyer, Afghanistan. He is part of a team preparing the area for a runway that will allow C-17 Globemaster IIIs to deliver cargo and people directly to FOB Dwyer. Airman Smith is assigned to the 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller)
Follow the flareTech. Sgt. Wes Hufnagel signals during a rescue training mission March 9, 2009, at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. He is a pararescueman assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)
You can't hideA pararescueman provides security during an Exercise Patriot Archangel tactical rescue scenario Oct. 24, 2009, at an undisclosed location in the U.S. The exercise hones Guardian Angel combat operations in "hostile" urban environments and increases combat effectiveness for pararescuemen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Robertson)
A long day is done...Soldiers and Airmen return to base after a patrol Nov. 1, 2010, near the city of Qalat, Afghanistan, in the Zabul Province. They are part of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
Ever so gentlyStaff Sgt. Matt Skelton (left) and Staff Sgt. Charles Hodge prepare to detonate old 120-mm Russian mortar rounds April 13, 2010, in a desolate area of Iraq. The two explosive ordnance disposal NCOs are with the 506th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew D. Leistikow)
Defense at the readyStaff Sgt. Alfonte Thomas provides security during a foot patrol while attending the Combat Leadership Course at Camp Bullis, Texas, Nov. 9, 2010. Airmen attending the course gain leadership experience from classroom and field training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder)
Balancing actStaff Sgt. Steven Doty, a combat photographer for the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team, snaps a photo of the rest of the team crossing a river near Sundurwa village, Afghanistan, March 3, 2010. The Nuristan PRT went to Sundurwa village to conduct an engineer assessment on a retaining wall to protect the village against future flash floods. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne)
Hey, stop there! Master Sgt. Douglas Clayton puts his training to use during the 75th Security Forces Squadron Combat Readiness Training course at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Oct. 18, 2010. The one-week course physically and mentally prepares Airmen for deployments. Sergeant Clayton is the flight chief for the squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brittany Barker)
On our wayAirman 1st Class Claudia Segovia boards a Boeing 737 en route to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Airman Segovia is assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Eboni Knox)
