May God bless and protect them.

A 155mm round is fired from a 777 Howitzer canon at insurgents during a firing mission by soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321 Field Artillery Regiment out of Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, July 8, 2011 at Forward Operating Base Bostick in Kunar province, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

1st Lt. Cory Dombrowski, 24, of South Bend Ind., with the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment based in Hawaii, takes position after being dropped off by a Blackhawk helicopter during an assessment mission to Observation Point Mace Saturday, July 9, 2011, days after insurgents attacked four outposts in the area killing some two dozen members of Afghan security forces in Kunar province, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Edward Winkowski (front), squad leader, and 1st Lt. Michael Lopez (rear), platoon leader, patrol to the Tarnek River in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 9.

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Farrell, team leader, crosses the Tarnek River in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 9.

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Steuart, civil engineer, walks with a group of local children during a quality assurance visit in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 8.

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Stuart, civil engineer, speaks with local villagers about a construction site during a quality assurance visit in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 8.

US army soldier SPC Steven Cenni aims his machine gun as he scans the horizon from a watch tower at camp Clark in Mandozai district, Khost province in eastern Afghanistan on July 8, 2011. Security generally is improving in Afghanistan, making it a favorable time to transfer power to the Kabul government and hold peace talks with the Taliban, the UN special envoy to the country said July 7. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

Sgt. Armando Rodriguez, a combat engineer with Company C, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gives an Afghan girl candy during a joint patrol of the Arghandab District, July 2. Soldiers from Company C conducted a partnered patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers looking for improvised explosive devices and weapons caches.

A gunner of U.S. Marines CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter shows beginning of descending during an operation Western Engagement in Garsmir district of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, July 7, 2011. U.S. Marines and Afghan security forces conducted a join operation aiming to extend their presence west of Helmand river. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

U.S. Marines of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines wait for a helicopter during a Western Engagement operation in the Garsmir district of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, July 7, 2011. U.S. Marines and Afghan security forces conducted a joint operation aiming to extend their presence west of Helmand river. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

Drew Daigle, U.S. Marines Lance Corporal of the Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, aims his machine gun during a joint patrol along Helmand river with Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers near the Camp Gorgak in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, July 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)