Afghanistan, Feb. 24, 2010: U.S. soldiers are pelted by snow and debris as a Chinook helicopter lands to pick them up after a mission in Wardak province. Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed at Combat Outpost Nerkh hadn’t fired a shot in their nearly 3-month-old mission. Instead, they had been trying to make inroads with traditionally hostile villagers to the west of their small, tented compound.

Read the full article on the attempt at thawing relations here.

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• From the archives, 2010 | Thawing relations: US works to win over Wardak residents during lull in combat