Driving the roads here in Afghanistan is quite a different experience from Iraq, according to Sgt. 1st Class Kelvin Windham and Staff Sgt. Davis Miranda of the 109th Transportation Company.

"There are a lot of unimproved roads here, and the elevation is different. You're literally going up the side of a mountain with a lot of the routes we traverse... no guardrails or anything, so these drivers have to be very proficient in their skills. Any mistake out here is not forgivable," Windham said.

A March in Hell
In the period May 1966 to March 1967 the men of Special Forces Detachment A-302 were awarded one Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, twelve Silver Stars, eleven Bronze Stars for Valor, and seventeen Purple Hearts, making it quite possibly the most decorated small unit in U.S. Army history. This for a unit that seldom had more than nine men operational at any given time.

Poised on the austere airfield of an isolated forward operating base, they wait. Hoping for the best, they are prepared for the worst. Their mantra: "A slow day for the Pedros is a good day for coalition forces."

The 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron's dual-role mission of conducting personnel recovery and casualty evacuation operations for Regional Command East is a source of pride for the unit, as are the Pedro patches they wear on their shoulders.

Afghan and coalition forces captured a Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, or HIG, leader for Khugyani District along with one suspected insurgent and killed a local who threatened the security force during a security operation Nangarhar province, Feb. 17.

Coalition forces conducted a precision airstrike killing Salem, a Haqqani Network improvised explosive device cell leader and facilitator, along with two insurgents in Terayzai District, Khost province yesterday.

Salem operated out of the district where he utilized his technical expertise to instruct other insurgents to build remote-controlled IEDs. He also provided various components necessary to build IEDs and had ties with other Haqqani Network leaders and facilitators in the area.

Afghan and coalition forces detained two Hezb-e Islamic Gulbuddin, or HIG, leaders in separate operations in eastern Afghanistan yesterday.

In Charikar District, Parwan province, Afghan and coalition forces detained the media emir for the HIG insurgent group along with another insurgent leader during a security operation.

As Iraqi Army battalions continue to train at the Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center near Mosul, U.S. instructors adapt classes to best aid the current unit's future operational needs.

U.S. mentors from 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, adjusted class schedules, focusing on room clearing and techniques for military urban operations for Iraqi soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, Feb. 6.

Afghan and coalition forces detained a Haqqani Network facilitator along with numerous suspected insurgents during a security operation in Sabari district, Khost province yesterday.

The facilitator operated in the district where he was responsible for transferring weapons and ammunition from weapon caches to Haqqani Network insurgents for attacks against Afghan National Army and coalition forces. He was directly involved in supplying explosives to senior level Haqqani Network leaders in the province.

From Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, Soldiers with Company A, 299th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center continued their role advising and assisting the Iraqi Army units within the Baghdad area by conducting classes on internal and external supply management policies and procedures.