Sergeant Derrick Organo, a squad leader and machine-gun

Sergeant Derrick Organo, a squad leader and machine-gun section leader with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, talks to an Afghan Nation Army soldier at a vehicle checkpoint here, May 21, 2013, during Operation Gridlock. “They’re pretty good,” said Organo, a 23-year-old native of San Francisco. “They knew what to do, and they didn’t have to ask us any questions. We’re trying to build their confidence in their vehicle checkpoints. When we have a day like today, they know they did well.”