Photos

Corporal Paul A. Spies, 23, from Corvallis, Ore., a combat engineer with Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), glances at a wall adorned with framed photos of fallen brethren at the Regional Command Southwest headquarters building at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, June 23. Spies is the brainchild of the ‘Afghan Adopt a Road Initiative,’ an initiative that, if approved, could help counter the number one threat to coalition forces – IEDs. In exchange for Afghan villagers helping to reduce or eliminate IEDs on their roads, they would receive incentives such as medical and dental care, as well as infrastructure support in the form of schools, wells and irrigation. Upon further review, commanders will decide whether or not to launch the AARI program.