
Pfc. James Wood of the 82nd Airborne guards the perimeter of a position as part of Operation Achilles in the Ghorak Valley, Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, March 21, 2007.

Members of the 82nd Airborne hunt for the Taliban in a remote mountain region of Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Sunday, March 25, 2007.

Private Dan Burris, right, of the 82nd Airborne gives a cigarette to an Afghan villager in Kshahah Lakhchack after searching his home in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Monday, March 26, 2007.

Sergeant Jeremy Johnson of the 82nd Airborne holds a Saddam Hussein poster he discovered while searching the village of Kshahah Lakhchack, in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Monday, March 26, 2007.

Sergeant Nathan Robertson of the 82nd Airborne kicks down a door while searching for the Taliban in the village of Kshahah Lakhchack, in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Monday, March 26, 2007.

Captain John Pelikan of the 82nd Airborne gathers intelligence on the Taliban from the villagers of Kshahah Lakhchack in a remote mountain region of the Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Monday, March 26, 2007.

A US Army humvee and Afghan National Army truck lie in ruins at Forward Operation Base Diablo after driving over landmines in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

Members of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508 Parachute Infantry Regiment rally in a field after staging a nighttime air assault into Sangin, the largest air assault since the beginning of the war, in the Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007

Sargeant Lawrence Buckius, right, of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, Alpha Company, Third Platoon directs his squad during an air assault into Sangin, the largest air assault since the beginning of the war, in the Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007

Private Dan Burris of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, Alpha Company, Third Platoon kicks in a door after staging a nighttime air assault into Sangin, the largest air assault since the beginning of the war, in the Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007.

Pinned down under enemy fire with his face bloodied by shrapnel, Sargeant Michael Clark of the 82nd Airborne, 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon searches for the enemy position in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007.

Pinned down under fire members of the 82nd Airborne, 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon scramble for cover in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007.

As their command post comes under attack, Specialist Adam Holmgren, left, yells instructions to his weapons teammate, Private Michael Newton, right, of the 82nd Airborne, 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007. The firefight, less than 24 hours into the air assault on Sangin, raged for over five hours.

The grenadiers of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon fire at the enemy in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007. The firefight, less than 24 hours into the air assault on Sangin raged for over five hours.

Sargeant Ryan Doolittle of the 82nd Airborne, 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon returns fire in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Thursday, April 5, 2007.

The American special forces and ANA soldiers are in a fire fight with the Taliban in northern Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, April 7, 2007.

A 2000 pound bomb has just been dropped by plane by the Americans because a fight with the Taliban was getting out of hand, in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Saturday, April 7, 2007

Soldiers on patrol at in Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Saturday, April 7, 2007.

Sgt. Jon Lipinski from the 82nd Airborne's Charlie company searches a house in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan looking for Taliban and arms, on Saturday, April 7, 2007.

Alpha Company from the 82nd Airborne searches all the shops and houses of Sanguin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, looking for Taliban and arms, on Saturday, April 7, 2007

Lieutenant Dan Rix leads the 82nd Airborne's 1/508, Alpha Co., Third Platoon through Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, April 7, 2007

Sargeant Michael Clark of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508, Alpha Company, Third Platoon takes a break from searching homes in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Monday, April 9, 2007.

Sgt. Jon Lipinsky from Charlie company walks through a poppy field in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Monday, April 9, 2007

Alpha Company clears houses looking for Taliban or weapons in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Alpha company is clearing houses looking for Taliban or weapons in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 10, 2007. The dog was killed as they fired on the door to open it.

Alpha Company clears houses looking for Taliban or weapons in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 10, 2007. For two years, Helmand province has been looked after by the British part of the NATO forces; however, after many operations, the British left Sangin, and the area was reclaimed by the Taliban. In the effort to secure the road between Sangin and Kajaki, where there is a dam producing enough electricity to power all of Helmand, the British called on the Americans for help. This marked the start of Operation Achilles. There was a massive air assault on southern Sangin, and now slowly, the soldiers are heading north, fighting with the Taliban for every kilometer.

The Taliban launched a rocket on an American Humvee in northern Sanguin, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, April 10, 2007. The firefight lasted 3 days and nights

Under enemy fire, Lieutenant Dan Rix of the 82nd Airborne's, 1/508 PIR, Alpha Company, Third Platoon sprints to a new position near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 11, 2007.

A captured Taliban gestures to a US Army interpreter during questioning near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 11. 2007.

Photos of his Taliban fighter sons are found in the home of a captured Taliban near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 11. 2007.

Photos of Taliban fighters are found in the home of a captured Taliban near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 11. 2007.

After a day of walking, searching, and fighting Taliban forces in very hot and humid conditions, Sargeants Jeremy Johnson, left, and Ryan Doolittle, right, take a break near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, April 11. 2007.

Scout Platoon is under heavy fire at the frontline in northern Sangin, Afghanistan, Thursday, April 12, 2007. Sgt. Eric Henne is getting ready to shoot back.

Sargeant Jeremy Johnson of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508 Alpha Company, Third Platoon washes his uniform after more than ten days in the field near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, April 14, 2007.

Private Timmy Mitchum of the 82nd Airborne's 1/508 Alpha Company, Third Platoon comforts an Afghan child while searching his home near Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Sunday, April 15, 2007.