Colin Kelly

Next stop: Trek Nawa, Helmand province

By Dan Lamothe on October 21, 2012 Afghanistan, Embedded journalism, Infantry, Marjah, Trek Nawa

COMBAT OUTPOST PASERLAY, Afghanistan — Once again, it’s time to get dirty. Marine Corps Times arrived at this dusty outpost today, moving in on a convoy from nearby Forward Operating Base Geronimo. That capped a 12-hour period that also saw photographer Colin Kelly and I hop a helicopter to Geronimo from Camp Leatherneck, the Corps’ largest base here in Helmand province. We’ve definitely moved to a place where things should be interesting. Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., is based here in Trek Nawa, a volatile rural section of Helmand nestled between Marjah and Nawa…

Dog on patrol: Meet Crank, the bomb-sniffing, cigar-eating wonder

By Dan Lamothe on October 11, 2012 Afghanistan, Animals, Embedded journalism, Infantry

COMBAT OUTPOST TAGHAZ, Afghanistan – I was lifting weights Tuesday night in the dusty, prison-inspired gym here when Cpl. Byron Willis ran up to two of his fellow Marines. “The dog ate all the cigars!” he exclaimed. Willis, 24, was referring to Sgt. Crank, the improvised explosive device detector dog on post. Willis, Crank’s handler, and the black Labrador retriever are assigned to Weapons Company 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The back story: A sergeant had teased Crank with a toy football earlier in the day but wouldn’t let him have it, Willis said today. When…

Afghan police commander faces tough job

By Dan Lamothe on October 7, 2012 Afghanistan, Allies and training, Embedded journalism

KHANASHIN, Afghanistan – From behind his wooden desk, Lt. Col. Rasoul held court for hours today, answering Marine questions about everything from his unit’s recent operations to insurgent activity in the region. The short, bearded commander of the Afghan Border Police unit here meets with Marine Border Adviser Team 1 regularly near the village of Taghaz, discussing the way ahead as their partnership evolves. The advisers –- attached to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines -– are gradually pulling back from assisting with day-to-day operations for the ABP battalion as the U.S. drawdown continues, and Rasoul knows it. Photographer Colin Kelly and…

On to life on Afghanistan’s frontier at COP Taghaz

By Dan Lamothe on October 6, 2012 Afghanistan, Embedded journalism, Infantry

COMBAT OUTPOST TAGHAZ, Afghanistan – If you’re going to spend a month in Afghanistan, you may as well visit the frontier while you’re there. Photographer Colin Kelly and I moved across Helmand province’s Khanashin district today, hopping a long convoy ride here from Combat Outpost Payne. We rolled through the desert with Marine Border Adviser Team 1. The unit is attached to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., but primarily comprises Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and other West Coast installations. BAT-1 – and yes, they use a bat signal as a logo some of the time…

On to life on Afghanistan’s frontier at COP Taghaz

By Dan Lamothe on October 6, 2012 Afghanistan, Embedded journalism, Infantry

Initial impressions from Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on October 2, 2012 Afghanistan, Battle Rattle, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Infantry

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – The more things change, the more they stay the same. That holds true on this vast forward operating base, which photographer Colin Kelly and I arrived at this afternoon. It still serves as the main hub of Marine operations in Afghanistan, even after thousands of Marines were withdrawn from Helmand province this summer. We flew here on a British C-130, spending more than an hour in the air from Kabul International Airport. The flight included about 30 British troops and a handful of Estonians, among others. After spending all of April and part of May embedded…

Marine Corps Times back on the ground in Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on October 1, 2012 Afghanistan, Embedded journalism

KABUL, Afghanistan — Once again, it’s time to get to work. Photographer Colin Kelly and I arrived here in Afghanistan this morning on overnight flight from Istanbul, eventually making our way over to the military side of Kabul International Airport. It’s one of the main camps here for the International Security Assistance Force overseeing the war, but it also serves as a transit trip for folks like us, who are heading farther out into the war zone. This marks the third trip for both Colin and I. We had a laugh this morning discussing how nervous we both were on our…

Marine Corps Times to embed in Afghanistan in October

By Dan Lamothe on September 27, 2012 Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, Embedded journalism, Infantry

It’s that time again: Marine Corps Times is heading back to the Sandbox. In coming days, I’ll be embedding with Marine forces in Afghanistan with Colin Kelly, a senior videographer and photographer on staff. It’ll mark the third trip for each of us to Afghanistan, and my second in Helmand province this year. It’s a key time to visit the war zone for several reasons, as pointed out in this new story I put together after interviewing several deployed general officers. In recent days, the U.S. has completed its drawdown to about 68,000 troops across Afghanistan, ending a two-plus year…

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