HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2010 – Their truck sways from side to side and bumps up and down along a path in Afghanistan. But what would be an intolerable ride for most is just something Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul N. Krist, a dog handler for 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, and his dog, Max, have accepted as part of the job.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Paul N. Krist enjoys a moment with his bomb-sniffing dog, Max, before beginning a search for homemade explosives in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

“I really enjoy what I do, and the guys I work with,” he continued. “They really care about their job and the safety of others. My drive comes from knowing that we’re keeping people safe, and it’s not long before I go home. I hope I have a chance to do something this relevant in winning the war on my next deployment, and I hope Max can come, too.”

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan, March 10, 2009 – Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment — the ground combat element of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan — now have a special group of people to help them complete their mission in Afghanistan.

The task force’s all-female Marine team is interacting with the Afghan female population in southern Afghanistan — a task considered culturally unacceptable for the male Marines operating there.

A similar program has been used in combat operations in Iraq, but this is the first time Marine forces in Afghanistan have employed the concept, officials said.

Marine Corps Capt. Mike Hoffman, commanding officer of 3/8′s Company I, said the all-female team is an important asset for his Marines.

“[The team] provides us access to half of the population that we normally do not have access to,” Hoffman said. “They did extremely well interacting with the female villagers.”

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Johanna Shaffer, the team leader, said their first mission, a cordon-and-search operation in support of Operation Pathfinder, was very successful. (continue reading…)

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Feb. 12, 2008 – Regardless of what job Air Force members have, being an airman comes first. And in today’s Air Force, being an airman sometimes means doing a job normally performed by soldiers.

Before she went to Fort Bragg, N.C., for predeployment training, Air Force Senior Airman Vanessa Velez thought her yearlong deployment to Afghanistan would be spent maintaining vehicles.

“I was told, ‘You won’t be working vehicle maintenance; you will be a driver,’” she said. “At Fort Bragg, I found out I wouldn’t be driving shuttles, distinguished visitors or commanders around in a car or bus like I was mistakenly told at my duty station. I would be driving a fully loaded Humvee outside the wire in enemy territory at least five times a week.”

The airman said Army Lt. Col. Bobby Robinson, who would end up being her provincial reconstruction team commander, told Velez’s team they would be living in tents and riding outside the wire.

“That’s when reality set in,” she said. “At first, I was shocked and couldn’t believe that a girl from the Bronx, N.Y., was about to be a driver in a hostile situation.” (continue reading…)