The rocky, rolling desert landscape of southern Helmand province sees little traffic other than the occasional farmer with a tractor load of firewood, late model pickups ferrying fuel to isolated villages, and shepherds with small flocks of sheep and goats, but through this austere environment trickles the lifeblood of the area’s insurgency – narcotics, weapons and bomb-making materials.

Video by Defense Media Activity - Marines

The morning of March 18 started out like any other day for the 7th Sustainment Brigade personnel security detachment team. Get to the trucks by 7 a.m., draw weapons and conduct a convoy brief. The convoy commander, Sgt. 1st Class Michael Griffin, accounts for all personnel riding that day and gives the order to move out.

In an effort to safeguard the Libyan populace and infrastructure in and around the city of Ajdabiyah from further attacks by regime forces, 26th MEU, as part of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, launched a second round of strikes by AV-8B Harrier jump jets, March 20.

Afghan and coalition security forces killed one insurgent and detained several during a clearing operation in Burkah district, Baghlan province today.

The clearing operation targeted a senior leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Taliban liaison along with several other insurgents in northern Afghanistan.

The combined Afghan and coalition forces security team located suspected insurgents in a field. The suspected insurgents ran to a nearby house while firing at the joint security team.

As part of an international coalition force aimed at stopping the violence against Libyan civilians, U.S. military ships, submarines and aircraft commenced strikes against military sites and surface-to-air defense systems along the Libyan coast March 19.

The purpose of these strikes is to set the conditions for the international coalition to establish a no-fly zone over Libya and to take measures to prevent attacks on the Libyan people, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

Article by American Forces Network Iraq

Afghan National Security and International Security Assistance Forces captured a Taliban leader and detained numerous suspected insurgents during security operations in Kajaki District, Helmand province, yesterday.

The leader provided support to the Taliban by running drug trade and smuggling operations. He operated in the Kajaki and Sangin areas of northern Helmand as a financier and facilitator and reported to senior Taliban leaders. He had significant influence over the Sangin Taliban and direct ties with the deputy insurgent leader.

No one has ever claimed that conducting convoy operations through Afghanistan is a piece of cake. Soldiers who’ve only been deployed to Iraq quickly learn a valuable lesson once they land on the ground here: the rules in Baghdad or Mosul don’t apply.

The only constant in this region’s unforgiving landscape is change: that is, change in weather, routes and road conditions. This was a lesson soldiers of the 131th Transportation Company learned after they spent 25 consecutive days on the road this winter.