AFGHANISTAN. Helmand Province. June 20, 2010.
U.S. marine in Griffin forward operating base, Lance Cpl. William T. Richards.
Six days after this photo was made, Lance Cpl. Richards died on patrol after stepping on an IED.
On Sunday morning, 1st Lt. Scott Cook led a squad in an operation further to the north of Karamanda, still under the control of the Taliban. The squad was fired upon by the Taliban 15 minutes after the Marines had left the base. A four-hour firefight took place to push the Taliban away.
Griffin is a patrol base near the village of Karamanda. The U.S. Marines pushed back the Taliban from the area of the forward operating base on April 1, 2010. The Marines make daily patrols and search for roadside bombs. They also try to have frequent communication with the locals. They have sporadic firefights with the Taliban, who maintain a presence no more than 500 meters away from the forward operating base.