A compelling photo essay on one of the world’s most inhospitable places – Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley.
Check out the Marine SSgt with the Dragunov sniper rifle in panel #14. Must be a story there.
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Looks like it’s one of the Afghanis who has the Drag. He’s got a mustache, the helmet donned by the Afghanis in other pictures, and he’s wearing a keffiyeh around his neck. His camo doesn’t look like MARPAT to me, either.
Then again, maybe he’s just trying to blend in?
Yeah, but it looks to me like he’s wearing pixellated BDUs vice the woodland pattern the ANA wears. Plus, I think he’s the same guy from panel 10, id’d as SSgt Joeseph Dubose, lacking a helmet cover in both pics. Same wristwatch, same shemagh.
Looks like the same Marine Staff Sergeant in photos #10 and #12. Different weapon.
Wow – brings into sharp focus what our warriors are facing out there. They redefine courage in the face of adversity.
The photographer in me can’t help but comment on the images themselves: gorgeous lighting, the composition is sublime. In equally inhospitable circumstances that should make it impossible to achieve successful images like these, Mr. Moore is capturing the very essence of what our warriors do and endure. Wow.
On all counts. Wow.
Where’s the 10th “Mountain” Div these days? Still in Afganistan, or back in Rome, NY?
Virgil,
The 10th hasn’t been a “Mountain” division since WWII. It has a purely conventional organization. It retains the title “Mountain” as a historical recognition of its predecessors unique contributions to military history.
the goat was kinda cute.
..speaking of which, BEAT NAVY.
Links at the bottom picture sequence deserve exploration. The Wike article has more pics, and background info…
I thought the monkey photo was nice.
Those guys are definitely in “the shit”.
Looks like mountain sheep hunting territory. Except those sheep have beards and shoot back. Those who can see farthest or through the night, win.
b2
I think the Marine with the Dragunov Is a special operator…I could be wrong, but hes wearing an arab head covering around his neck and a lot of other non-conventional things on his uniform…just thinking, maybe…
I agree on the Dragunov guy, I think he’s SOF of some type, the newspaper may well have mislabeled him as a Marine.
Was the artillery piece some kind of modified M-198? The barrel and muzzle brake look like an M198, but the rest is quite different. Is that the new M777? At any rate, great shot, I love shots that capture the shell leaving the gun.
No, he’s not SOF – he’s a Marine. IMHO, he’s probably using the Drag with it’s more powerful scope to check out the countryside for Taliban. In pic #12 you can clearly see the nametag on his trousers – SOF would use “clean” uniforms – if they even wore them at all; usually they prefer to go in whatever’s the most comfortable/inconspicuous, so i doubt they’d choose MARPAT – esp. green ones.
Larry- yes, that is the new M777.
Thank you, sir!
MajHarvey, are there any limitations placed on what a Marine (or soldier, for that matter) can use as far as a personal weapon? Is using the Dragunov any violation of regulations?
technicality alert for a toad-ish response to Larry’s question!!
ANY weapon/system utilized by US Forces will have undergone legal review, the better to establish that it doesn’t inadvertently violate any provisions of Geneva (proportionality, blinding, poisoning, etc..)…
except under dire circumstances, US Forces use enemy weaponry at their own risk.
I’d like to build on your question Larry for the Major:
Granted I’m an Army cadet, I was wondering about the regulations on personal sidearms, specifically if I can use my own?
/Sigarms .40 s&w that I love to death
//hate the m9
First, I believe that the 10th Mountain is in Iraq; Michael Yon just mentioned them in one of his reports.
Second, as a Soldier’s Angel, I have actually sent many care packages to guys stationed at Korengal Outpost. Lex, I owe you for this photo essay more than you know.
Moore did a great job getting these shots. The howitzer pic (#6) is perfect.
WRT the weapon in the photo. It’s impossible to know who’s who and who knows what on web postings, but: there are a couple people who offer what appear to fairly credible comments on some of the postings at the linked photo essay website.
Including: “It’s a Romanian PSL. Same round as the Dragunov (7.62×54R mm) but a completely different mechanical system. The PSL has the same gas piston setup as the AK-47, whereas the Dragunov uses a short-stroke gas piston mechanism”. There’s more for anyone interested in such.
The Marine SSgt is with an Embedded Training Team (ETT) supporting the ANA. Many advisers take liberties with uniform regs since they’re away from any Marine “flagpoles”. We certainly did when I worked for MiTT 3/5 in Iraq. We had a lot more ability to make concessions to practicality out there, like the SSgt wearing his green utilities instead of the deserts, partially rolling his sleeves, etc. I would guess that he “borrowed” the SVD (PSL, what-have-you) from the ANA since its optic has a higher magnification than the 4X32 ACOG.
Fetherston, personally owned weapons are not allowed in theater. Does it still happen? I’m sure it does, but the official answer is no.