Operation Khanjari in Afghanistan

U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. move into position while they were under enemy fire on July 17, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. use a machine gun after taking enemy fire on July 17, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. runs across a field as he moves into position while under enemy fire on July 17, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. yells for other Marines after an IED exploded while they were under enemy fire on July 17, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. takes up a defensive position after they came under enemy fire on July 17, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A Marine raises his weapon during a search after seeing suspicious activity near a U.S. base in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. conduct a search after seeing suspicious activity near their base in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of Operation Khanjari, which was launched to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. relax with a calf that has taken up residence at their base in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Afghan men walk past U.S. Marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. as they patrol in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan . The Marines are part of Operation Khanjari which was launched to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Naval corpsman Marquevis Chance, of Augusta, Georgia, conducts a patrol in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. James Simmons, of Orlando, Fla., greets Afghan children during a patrol in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Pfc. Dustin Watkins pets Tank, a bomb detecting dog, in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Cpl. Dominique Clifton, left, from Los Angeles, Pfc. Paul Rosales, from Staten Island, New York, and others with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. relax with a game of cards in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. conduct an operation to clear a village of Taliban fighters on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan. The Marines are part of Operation Khanjari which was launched to take areas in the Southern Helmand Province that Taliban fighters are using as a resupply route and to help the local Afghan population prepare for the upcoming presidential elections.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. move across an open field to search a compound on July 4, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. fire a mortar after Marines came under fire on July 8, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. during a firefight on July 9, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. cross a canal as they conduct a sweep of a compound on July 4, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. conduct an operation to clear a village of Taliban fighters on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. takes up a defensive position as they cross a field on July 4, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. looks around the corner of a building during a patrol on July 6, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. covers the doors and windows of a building as they clear it on July 9, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. clear a compound after coming under fire on July 9, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. meet with Afghan villagers who returned after the Marines drove Taliban fighters from the center of the village on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Breen, left, of Chicago, from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. searches an Afgan man as they conduct a search of an area where shots were fired toward the Marines on July 6, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. wears a belt of ammunition around his neck on July 6, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. rests after a fire fight on July 9, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Cpl. Taly Ramirez, of St. Paul, Minnesota, uses some downtime to fish in a canal on July 7, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Pfc. John Lutz does a canon ball as he and Cpl. Evan Steele of the U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. use a canal to wash themselves for the first time after clearing a village of Taliban fighters on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris from Yadkinville, North Carolina of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. hands a plate of tea cups to a child after the he asked for them because the Marines are staying in his family’s home on July 7, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. conduct an operation to clear a village of Taliban fighters on July 5, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.   (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. run through a door that they had to blow open with explosives after taking fire from inside the compund on July 4, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. react to incoming rounds during a firefight on July 4, 2009 in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. shoot at enemy targets during a firefight on July 3, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

U.S. Marines from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. take cover as a 500 lb bomb explodes on a compound after the Marines took two days of enemy fire from the position on July 3, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A U.S. Marine from 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, RCT 2nd Battalion 8th Marines Echo Co. takes up a fighting position after off loading from a helicopter during the start of Operation Khanjari on July 2, 2009 in Main Poshteh, Afghanistan.  (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)