U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shares a light moment with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commander, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan and More
Afghan National Army commandos from the 3rd Special Operations Kandak celebrate Eid al-Fitr at Camp Hero in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 10, 2013. Rather than spend the celebration with their families, More
Afghan National Army vehicles are staged near the Afghan National Army's 2nd Special Operations Brigade conference Sept. 4, 2013, at an Afghan base camp in Kandahar. (U.S. Army photo by: Staff Sgt. Brandon McIntosh)
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Habibi gathers his thoughts before addressing district and provincial leaders on behalf of Afghan National Army Sept. 7, 2013, in Kandahar province's Khakrez district. Habibi is the commander o More
Afghan commandos of the 3rd Special Operations Kandak conduct rehearsals Nov. 9, 2013 in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Commandos practiced forming a stack during a “glass house drill.” More
An Afghan National Army special forces leader welcomes soldiers of the 205th ANA Corps, Nov. 17, 2013, in Maiwand district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. These Afghan National Security Forces have proven to b More
An Afghan National Security Forces member guards a marijuana cache seized by ANSF during a clearing operation Feb. 16, 2014, in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, Afghanistan. Members of the Afghan National A More
An Afghan National Army commando of 1st Company, 3rd Special Operations Kandak, provides security Feb. 22, 2014, during a clearing operation in Maiwand District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The commandos ki More
KABUL, Afghanistan (September 3, 2018) – An Afghan National Army Special Operations Command’s School of Excellence instructor addresses new recruits on day one of Commando Qualification Course 26 assessment. In More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 2, 2018) -- An Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC) Commando and School Of Excellence instructor observes a Commando recruit complete individual movement training More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 14, 2018) -- Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC) School of Excellence (SOE) commandant, Afghan Army Col. Ahmad Zekrya visits Commando Qualification Course class 2 More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 14, 2018) -- Afghan Commandos assigned to a Mobile Strike Kandak (MSK) conduct both mounted and dismounted movements towards a training objective during the Cobra Strike Maneuver Cours More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 14 2018) -- An Afghan officer assigned to a Mobile Strike Kandak (Battalion) briefs his attack and maneuver plans to Cpt. Mike, a Latvian mentor with ANASOC CSMC-SOAT during the Cobra More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A member of the Polish Special Operations Advisory Team (SOAT) fires at three targets in a simulated room clearing scenario before moving to his next target during a Slovakian-hosted shoot More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Spanish ANASOC-SOAT mentor listens to a Commando sniper student guide his classmates through scope adjustment procedures during a two-week sniper specialty refresher course near Kabul, A More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Slovak SOAT Commando Qualification Course mentor observes a Commando instructor as he guides a recruit through the M4 carbine rifle malfunction clearing process during near Kabul, Afghan More
Lt. Col. PoPal Abdullah, commander 2nd SOK, far left, and Command Sgt. Maj. James Napolet, NATO Special Operations Command Component-Afghanistan, discuss progress of the Afghan Commandos under the Resolute Supp More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 13, 2015) Coalition forces joined together to remember U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Peter "Drew" McKenna, Jr. during a memorial ceremony at Camp Integrity Aug. 13. The event honored McKenna, 35, More
U.S. Special Forces Soldiers scan the outskirts of a compound during a prisoner recuse operation with their partnered force of Commandos from 7th Special Operations Kandak in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Dec. More
8th Special Operations Kandak Commandos check their night vision equipment while preparing for offensive operations to remove Taliban elements from villages in Logar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 1, 2018. (U.S. A More
Provincial Special Unit-Logar and U.S. Special Operators establish a defensive positions during an operation in Shah Mazar, Logar province, Afghanistan, Apr. 25, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan (July 26, 2018) -- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division participated in training and mission rehearsals alongside Afghan Commandos and U.S. Spe More
HELMAND, Afghanistan (August 3, 2018) - An Afghan Commando from the 7th Special Operations Kandak (SOK) attends to a prisoner freed from a Taliban prison in Kajaki district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Augus More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 10, 2018) -- Chief Logistics Specialist Charles "Chuck" Andreou, a U.S. Navy reservist, takes a moment to photograph the anchor left behind on the mountains overlooking Kabul, Afghan More
URUZGAN, Afghanistan (August 18, 2018) -- An Afghan Mi-17 helicopter prepares to insert Commandos from the 3rd Special Operations Kandak into Tarin Kot district, Uruzgan province, August 18, 2018. Commandos, ad More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 21. 2018) -- Crisis Response Unit (CRU) 222 members secure a building in response to a high profile attack by ISIS-K in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 21, 2018. Originally tasked with pro More
HELMAND, Afghanistan (August 29, 2018) 7th Special Operations Kandak (SOK) Commandos conducted a raid to remove weapons, explosives and materials used to make homemade explosives from Taliban compounds in Sangi More
LOGAR, Afghanistan – An Afghan Special Security Force soldier hones his marksmanship skills during a live-fire range in Logar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 28, 2018. Elements of Afghan Special Security Forces tr More
LOGAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan Special Security Forces conduct a live-fire range in Logar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 28, 2018. Elements of Afghan Special Security Forces train with U.S. Special Operations Force More
LOGAR, Afghanistan – Two Mi-17 helicopters from Special Mission Wing 777 prepare for afternoon training at a range in Logar province, Oct. 9, 2018. MD-530 “Little Bird” attack helicopters and A-29 Tuscano aircr More
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., poses for a photo with constituents from Michigan during his visit to Camp Integrity, Afghanistan, Oct. 24, 2013. While at the bas More
Afghan National Army Capt. Fazil Rahim meets with other 2nd Special Operations Brigade leaders during a conference hosted by the brigade Sept. 4, 2013, at an Afghan base camp in Kandahar. (U.S. Army photo by: More
District elders and leaders met with Kandahar provincial officials Sept. 7, 2013, in Kandahar province's Khakrez district to share security solutions and ideas. (U.S. Army photo by: Staff Sgt. Brandon McIntosh)
An Afghan National Army Special Forces officer leads a brief with commandos of the 3rd Special Operations Kandak during pre-mission exercises, Nov. 9, 2013 in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, Afghanis More
Afghan National Army soldiers of the 205th Corps receive a brief from an Afghan National Army special forces leader (third from left) for an upcoming operation, Nov. 17, 2013, in Maiwand district, Kandahar prov More
An Afghan National Security Forces member pours gasoline on a marijuana cache Feb. 16, 2014, during a clearing operation in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, Afghanistan. Members of the Afghan National Army, More
Afghan National Army commandos of 1st Company, 3rd Special Operations Kandak, search for weapons caches Feb. 22, 2014, during a clearing operation in Maiwand District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. The comman More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 2, 2018) -- A Commando recruit engages targets while moving from cover to cover during M4 rifle training at the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command School of Excellence ne More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 3, 2018) -- Approximately 880 new Afghan Commando recruits fall in at the start of a week-long assessment for Commando Qualification Course (CDOQC) 26.Instructors will identify the fie More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 18, 2018) -- Future Commandos underwent M203 Grenade Launcher training at a range near Kabul, Afghanistan, August 14, 2018. Instructors ensure a recruit properly loads and prepares hi More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A member of the Spanish Special Operations Advisory Team (SOAT) carries a 60 lb. bag simulating a casualty to his next objective during a Slovak shooting competition to commemorate Slovaki More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Spanish mentor assigned to ANASOC-SOAT listens as a Commando sniper student demonstrates the proper variable calculation for a increased accuracy during ANASOC’s SOE two-week sniper spec More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Slovak Special Operations Advisory Team Commando Qualification Course mentor provides marksmanship guidance to Commando recruits during M4 Carbine rifle qualification near Kabul, Afghani More
Second Special Operation Kandak Commandos stand at attention as their commander, Lt. Col. Abdullah Popal enters at Camp McGill, Gardez. The commandos prepare to give a mission brief on an upcoming operation.
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 13, 2015) Brig. Gen. Sean P. Swindell, commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan/NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, praises the personal courage of More
A building explodes after Afghan Commandos assigned to the 7th Special Operations Kandak, with the assistance of U.S. Special Forces, discover homemade explosives during a prisoner recuse conducted in Helmand p More
Commandos from 8th Special Operations Kandak gain access to a compound during an operation to clear a village of Taliban leadership in Logar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 1, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 10, 2018) -- Chief Logistics Specialist Kevin Waldron, a U.S. Navy reservist, a retired Senior Chief Petty Officer working for Warrior Training Alliance (WTA), and Chief Logistics Sp More
URUZGAN, Afghanistan (August 18, 2018) -- A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter prepares for liftoff during offensive operations against the Taliban in Tarin Kot district, Uruzgan province, August 18, 2018. Commando More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 21, 2018) -- An Afghan Air Force MD-530 engages ISIS-K fighters during the response to a high-profile attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 21, 2018. “The speed and professionalism wit More
LOGAR, Afghanistan – An Afghan Tactical Air Controller (ATAC) from General Command of Police Special Unit’s Afghan Territorial Force 888 (ATF 888) based in Balkh province, surveys the training range in Logar pr More
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., speaks with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commander, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan and Special Operati More
An Afghan Special Forces soldier from the Afghan National Army's 2nd Special Operations Brigade attends a conference hosted by the brigade Sept. 4, 2013, at an Afghan base camp in Kandahar. (U.S. Army photo by: More
An Afghan National Army commando checks his radio before continuing a clearing operation, Nov. 11, 2013 in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Commandos of the 3rd Special Operations Kandak More
Afghan National Security Forces patrol to Tutak village during a combat operation, Nov. 18, 2013, in Ghorak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Afghan National Army special forces and soldiers of the 205t More
An Afghan National Security Forces member watches a marijuana cache burn Feb. 16, 2014, after ANSF seized the drugs during a clearing operation in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, Afghanistan. Members of th More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 2, 2018) -- A Commando instructor from Afghan National Army Special Operations Command’s School Of Excellence directs a Commando recruit during individual movement with an M4 rifle tr More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 3, 2018) -- Col. Ahmad Zekrya, Afghan National Army Special Operations Command’s School of Excellence (SOE) commandant addresses approximately 880 new recruits who volunteered to try a More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Spanish SOAT mentor assigned to ANASOC’s School of Excellence provides rear sniper support (spotting) for a Commando sniper student during a two-week specialty refresher course near Kabu More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Two Slovak Special Operations Advisory Team mentors assigned to Afghan National Army Special Operations Command-Special Operations Advisory Team (ANASOC-SOAT), School of Excellence (SOE) C More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 13, 2015) Coalition forces joined together Aug. 13 to remember U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Peter "Drew" McKenna, Jr. during a memorial at Camp Integrity. The event honored McKenna, 35, and his s More
CH-47 Chinook helicopters loaded with Afghan Commandos from 8th Special Operations Kandak and U.S. Special Forces Soldiers prepare to lift-off for a mission in Wardak province, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2018. (U.S. More
An Afghan Police Special Unit officer speaks with a village elder during operations in Logar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 4, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
Provincial Special Unit-Logar and U.S. Special Operators conducted an offensive operation to search for Taliban fighters in in Shah Mazar, Logar province, Afghanistan, Apr. 25, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (August 6, 2018) -- Afghan and U.S Special Operations soldiers depart on a convoy in preparation for a operation against the Taliban in Mohammad Agha district, Logar province, Afghan More
URUZGAN, Afghanistan (August 18, 2018) -- An Afghan citizen has his chains removed by a Commando during offensive operations in Tarin Kot district, Uruzgan province, August 18, 2018. Commandos, advised by U.S. More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 21, 2018) -- Crisis Response Unit (CRU) 222 members prepare to breach and clear a building in response to a high profile attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 21, 2018. Originally task More
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James C. McConville, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force - 101 and Regional Command East, walks with the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D- More
Afghan Special Forces soldiers and Afghan commandos from the Afghan National Army's 2nd Special Operations Brigade attend a conference hosted by the brigade Sept. 4, 2013, at an Afghan base camp in Kandahar. (U More
An Afghan National Army commando takes cover during a firefight against Taliban while a fellow commando fires back with machine gun fire, Nov. 11, 2013 near the Arghandab River Valley in Shah Wali Kot district, More
Afghan National Security Forces stop to check a possible mine while patrolling to Tutak village during a combat operation, Nov. 18, 2013, in Ghorak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Afghan National Army More
An Afghan National Army commando of 1st Company, 3rd Special Operations Kandak, speaks to villagers Feb. 22, 2014, about the importance of standing up against insurgents during a clearing operation in Maiwand D More
KABUL, Afghanistan (August 2, 2018) -- Beginning a drill in the prone position, a Commando recruit jumps to his feet and dashes towards his next cover and concealment station while engaging targets at the Afgha More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 3, 2018) -- Commando recruits carry a weighted make-shift litter up and down a series of hills, an exercise meant to simulate real-life casualty evacuation scenarios and induce physica More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Spanish SOAT mentor assigned to ANASOC’s School of Excellence provides rear sniper support to a Commando student, relaying information on confirmed or missed hits near Kabul, Afghganista More
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A Slovak Special Operations Advisory Team (SOAT) member assigned to the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC) School of Excellence (SOE) observes Commando Qualification More
U.S. Special Forces move to a UH-60 helicopter to conduct air assault training in Logar province, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
An Afghan Police Special Unit searches a villager for weapons while conducting operations in Logar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 4, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James C. McConville, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force - 101 and Regional Command East, speaks with U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committ More
An Afghan National Army special forces team leader discusses security concerns with Tutak village elders, Nov. 18, 2013, during a shura in Ghorak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Afghan National Securi More
An Afghan National Security Forces member smothers a fire with dirt Feb.16, 2014, during a clearing operation in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, Afghanistan. Members of the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uni More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 13, 2015) Brig. Gen. Sean P. Swindell, left, commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan/NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, pays tribute to U.S. Army More
An Afghan Commando from 8th Special Operations Kandak and a U.S. Special Forces operator engage a villager during an offensive operation in Logar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 1, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
An Afghan Commando team leader from 2nd Special Operations Kandak reviews mission plans before operations in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Feb. 7, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, listens to a U.S. service member during a question and answer session with constituents from Michigan at Bagram Air Field, Afghani More
An Afghan National Security Forces agent of the National Interdiction Unit talks to villagers Feb. 16, 2014, during a clearing operation in Kandahar province’s Zharay district, Afghanistan. Members of the Afgha More
KABUL, Afghanistan (Aug. 13, 2015) Brig. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, left, deputy commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, pays tribute to U.S. A More
Afghan Commandos from 2nd Special Operations Kandak pull security while waiting for exfill after an offensive operation in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Feb. 7, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
A Provincial Special Unit-Logar scans his sector during an operation in Shah Mazar, Logar province, Afghanistan, Apr. 25, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Sale)
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., speaks with U.S. service members during a question and answer session with constituents from Michigan at Bagram Air Field, Afghani More
An Afghan National Army Special Forces leader discusses Quran teachings with Tutak village elders, Nov. 18, 2013, during a security shura in Ghorak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The leader explained More
Afghan National Security Forces members move toward a village Feb. 16, 2014, during a clearing operation in Kandahar Province’s Zharay District, Afghanistan. Members of the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uniforme More