Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan — Nasir Aqa, 9, brings food to troops at Bagram air base daily. He fired his first weapon, an AK-47 at age 7, and isn't afraid of the recent bombing by Americans.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Nawabhad, Afghanistan — Abdula Rashid, 70, his son Farooq, 30, and daughter Lina, 2 1/2, are among those who fled Kabul, the Afghan capital.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — At the Kabul Zoo in Afghanistan, a monkey waits for food from visitors. The zoo has been through a very difficult time. Most of the animals have died during the many wars in the region. Few remain in terrible conditions, but there is hope that aid is on its way.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Charikar, Afghanistan — "Do you want such a life for your wives and children?" asks leaflets dropped by American planes in Charikar that show women being beaten by a man. Farid, 16, were among those who collected the leaflets, which were initially thought to be money.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan — A bomb that struck near the Bagram air base sends a plume into the sky.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Post Garari Merza Kabir, Afghanistan — Taliban soldiers wait in a bunker after being taken by Northern Alliance troops at Post Garari Merza Kabir, northwest of the Salang Pass tunnel in Afghanistan.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Two boys peer through shattered protective glass at a security guard station at the Russian Embassy, which Moscow abandoned in 1992.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — A U.S. Marine keeps watch over Kandahar's international airport.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Technicians work to remove and explode ammunition left behind when Taliban and Al Qaeda forces were pushed out of Kandahar's international airport.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Marines on a copter carrying injured colleagues prepare to land Kandahar International Airport.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Marine Cpl. Joshua Rehfeldt of Sacramento stands before a flag that was taken to New York City and signed by relatives of those who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Gunnery Sgt. Vincent Owsley grabs onto an artillery shell while an ordnance team prepares to detonate another load of munitions found around the Kandahar International Airport.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — A woman pleads with a soldier at the scene of two explosions that struck the Afghan capital, killing 10 people and wounding 43 others.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: RICK LOOMIS / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — A soldier takes in the damage caused by two deadly explosions that rocked the Afghan capital.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: RICK LOOMIS / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Nikbarht, 40, weeps at the grave of three of her daughters, who were killed by their brother Hassan Reza, 22. He claimed they were prostitutes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: RICK LOOMIS / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — A young Afghan boy holds on to his toy truck during a drug raid by anti-narcotics police. Two men were arrested for illegal weapon possession.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Zalazha, holding her 1-year-old child Danazia, mourns the loss of the family's opium poppy crop. For poor Afghan families such as hers, opium is an important source of income.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Women pass by campaign posters of President Hamid Karzai and rival candidates.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Milad, 5, stands near the grave of his cousin Raheb Dost, 24, who was killed by Blackwater security contractors.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kunduz, Afghanistan — Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, then commander of coalition forces.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kabul, Afghanistan — Afghan women place their votes in the 2009 presidential election.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — A Black Hawk helicopter lifts off with a patient on board.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Afghan children watch as a joint patrol of Afghan soldiers, national police and U.S. troops make their way through the neighborhood.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Airman First Class Sean J. Vazquez, 20, of Fitchburg, Mass., holds a wreath dedicated to those who died in the war in Afghanistan while members of the Air Force's 451st Expeditionary Wing stand at attention during a Memorial Day ceremony.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — A man pours soda for leaders of a Canadian foot patrol who stopped at his house just outside a military base. When the Canadians promised to pass on his complaints about the need for a school in the neighborhood, he said: "I'm sorry, sir. I've been here six years. I've heard these promises so many times I don't beleive them anymore."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Sgt. Aaron Thomas of Enterprise, Ala., conducts a patrol near an amusement park.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — A transport helicopter takes off from Camp Nathan Smith.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — Afghan national police take part in a drill at Camp Nathan Smith.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — A row of AK-47s sits on a table waiting to be used in training exercises for Afghan national police officers.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kandahar, Afghanistan — The village of Kuhat, where residents were originally unhappy about the position the Army had established above the community. Many later warmed to their constant presence.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Jilga, Afghanistan — Sgt. Steven Peterson and Spec. Tyler Watts have a smoke before heading out on patrol at dawn from Combat Outpost Kuhat.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Maliza, Afghanistan — A Blackhawk medevac helicopter is watched over by an armed escort helicopter while on a mission to pick up an injured Afghan soldier.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kuhak, Afghanistan — A U.S. soldier, right, hands out toys for children during a visit with the village elder.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Kuhak, Afghanistan — Air Force Senior Airman Matt Miller, 23, shoots over the top of another player during some down time at Combat Outpost Winkleman.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
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Washington — Marine 1st Lt. James Byler is welcomed by a crowd at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Washington — Marine 1st Lt. James Byler lost parts of his hands and both his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. His mother, Janet, accompanies him on some of his medical appointments at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Arlington, Virginia — At Arlington National Cemetery, Connor Bunting kisses the headstone of his father's grave. His mother, Nicki Bunting, visits the grave of her husband, Army Capt. Brian Bunting, along with Connor, 3, and Cooper, 1. Placing rocks on top of the headstones symbolizes that a visitor has been there. Capt. Bunting was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in February 2009.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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Dover, Delaware — The body of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared C. Verbeek, killed in action in Afghanistan, is returned to the United States at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware in June.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times
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