Afghanistan

So, I would like to know about this image. What is going on here, are the marines protecting those people….And if so….Why??

You have NO IDEA what your Service to our country means to me. I am almost ashamed to say this, but I was very close to joining the Marines. But I backed out at the very last moment. I just decided that I couldn’t do it. I am not proud of it, but the Marine Corps way of life just wasn’t for me.

I salute our flag every time I see one, and personally shake the hand of every Veteran and Thank them for their service to our Great Country.

So this your THANK YOU!! My wife and I will pray for you while you are over seas. You will be in our thoughts and hearts everyday!

May God bless the U.S.A.!!

oops Sorry, in the third Paragraph, I meant to say…”and I personally shake the hand of every Veteran that I run across, and thank them for their service.”

Its is during Operation Whalers in Afghanistan in 2005. Theres actually being a book written about it that comes out in April called Victory Point. We pretty much surrounded the Taliban into the Korengal Valley and forced them out through a small passage in the mountains, where we were also waiting. They had been terrorizing the villagers and we were trying to protect them, also while trying to try and recover the wreckage of the Navy SEAL and Army helicopters that they had shot down. We were on a patrol moving into position before the fighting started when I took this picture. The villagers were very scared because they knew the crap was about to hit the fan right in this area. You can tell by the looks on there faces. I actually think its really cool that there is being a book written about an operation I had such a big part in. If you want to maybe read up a little more on the operation, just go to www.victorypoint.info

And thanks a lot for the kind words, as much as people tell me how much they appreciate the servicemen and women, they dont realize how much we appreciate getting told that. Thanks so much for the warm welcome and hopefully I’ll see ya around :D

Kleeter…what a remarkable image and a remarkable position you’ve been in. I love that you show the family here in the midst of it all…you can tell that their fear is real but not from the marines…instead from what they cannot see.

Thank you for this reminder of what kind of position our forces are so often in. I have a nephew and niece in Afghanistan right now, and a brother-in-law who is home now but served three long tours in Iraq. Thank you for your service.

~Leslie

Nice to see you here on the bubble

look forward to more of your photographs.

I loved your picture on the beach with your sister.

This is Great (meaning it is a great journalistic picture) but it looks like you have an eye for nostalgic photography as well.

This photo is being critiqued in the group Project Warriors, please go here to see the critiques

Excellent shot mate, keep your powder dry dude :-)

STUNNING

respect