Marines from Bravo Co., Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, work alongside Iraqi soldiers in a search for weapons caches and insurgents during Operation Koa Canyon along the Euphrates River Jan. 16, 2006. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Al Anbar province with an Iraqi infantry battalion, collectively under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division. - Marines from Bravo Co., Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, work alongside Iraqi soldiers in a search for weapons caches and insurgents during Operation Koa Canyon along the Euphrates River Jan. 16, 2006. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Al Anbar province with an Iraqi infantry battalion, collectively under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division.

AL ANBAR, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Andrew L. Cave, of Cherokee Village, Ark., an artillery forward observer with A Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), carefully sorts mortars discovered in a weapons cache near the Euphrates River during Operation Koa Canyon Jan. 22. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in the Al Anbar province alongside an Iraqi infantry battalion, collectively under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division. - AL ANBAR, Iraq - Lance Cpl. Andrew L. Cave, of Cherokee Village, Ark., an artillery forward observer with A Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), carefully sorts mortars discovered in a weapons cache near the Euphrates River during Operation Koa Canyon Jan. 22. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in the Al Anbar province alongside an Iraqi infantry battalion, collectively under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division.

HIT, Iraq - Pvt. Fernando Tejada, an infantryman with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), reaches out to shake the hand of an Iraqi girl during a patrol through Jan. 26. Tejada, a New York native, is one of approximately 2,300 Marines with the 22nd MEU (SOC) which is conducting counterinsurgency operations with an Iraqi Army battalion under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division. - HIT, Iraq - Pvt. Fernando Tejada, an infantryman with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), reaches out to shake the hand of an Iraqi girl during a patrol through Jan. 26. Tejada, a New York native, is one of approximately 2,300 Marines with the 22nd MEU (SOC) which is conducting counterinsurgency operations with an Iraqi Army battalion under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division.

Cpl. Omar Montanez, a food-service technician and Passaic, N.J., native with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, stares intently in the direction of Hit, Iraq, as he mans an M-240G machine gun atop a seven-ton truck during a convoy, Jan 22. Montanez and BLT 1/2 are deployed with the 22nd MEU (SOC) which is currently in Iraq's Al Anbar province conducting counterinsurgency operations with an Iraqi Army battalion under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division. - Cpl. Omar Montanez, a food-service technician and Passaic, N.J., native with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, stares intently in the direction of Hit, Iraq, as he mans an M-240G machine gun atop a seven-ton truck during a convoy, Jan 22. Montanez and BLT 1/2 are deployed with the 22nd MEU (SOC) which is currently in Iraq's Al Anbar province conducting counterinsurgency operations with an Iraqi Army battalion under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division.

As Marines in a Humvee from Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines provide security, Cpl. Vernon Place, of Yakima, Wash., a combat engineer with MEU Service Support Group 22, sweeps through an Iraqi field looking for improvised explosive device-making materials and weapons caches, Jan. 10, 2006. BLT 1/2 and MSSG-22 are both assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division. - As Marines in a Humvee from Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines provide security, Cpl. Vernon Place, of Yakima, Wash., a combat engineer with MEU Service Support Group 22, sweeps through an Iraqi field looking for improvised explosive device-making materials and weapons caches, Jan. 10, 2006. BLT 1/2 and MSSG-22 are both assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division.

Corporal Michael A. Kelly, of Jacksonville, Fla., a squad leader, points to a delay setting on an 81mm mortar round, Jan. 1, 2006. Kelly is a member of the 81mm mortar platoon of Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which is in Iraq's Al Anbar province conducting counterinsurgency operations with the 2nd Marine Division. - Corporal Michael A. Kelly, of Jacksonville, Fla., a squad leader, points to a delay setting on an 81mm mortar round, Jan. 1, 2006. Kelly is a member of the 81mm mortar platoon of Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), which is in Iraq's Al Anbar province conducting counterinsurgency operations with the 2nd Marine Division.

Corporal Matthew G. Coleman, of San Juan, New Mexico, a combat engineer with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, carefully scoops dirt away from a stack of mortar shells hidden in a rocky hillside by insurgents near Hit, Iraq, Jan. 7, 2006. The cache was one of several discovered by BLT 1/2 during Operation Hedgehog, the most recent counterinsurgency undertaken by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in Iraq. - Corporal Matthew G. Coleman, of San Juan, New Mexico, a combat engineer with Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, carefully scoops dirt away from a stack of mortar shells hidden in a rocky hillside by insurgents near Hit, Iraq, Jan. 7, 2006. The cache was one of several discovered by BLT 1/2 during Operation Hedgehog, the most recent counterinsurgency undertaken by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in Iraq.

A Norsat transmission dish sits atop a building's roof aboard Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, the base of operations for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Jan. 10, 2006. The dish is used to transmit videos, photos, and stories taken by the MEU's Public Affairs and Combat Camera section to a communications company in Atlanta that then makes the footage of the MEU's ongoing counterinsurgency operations available to news outlets throughout the world. - A Norsat transmission dish sits atop a building's roof aboard Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, the base of operations for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Jan. 10, 2006. The dish is used to transmit videos, photos, and stories taken by the MEU's Public Affairs and Combat Camera section to a communications company in Atlanta that then makes the footage of the MEU's ongoing counterinsurgency operations available to news outlets throughout the world.

Cpl. Chad J. Albanesi, of Hudson Falls, N.Y., an administrative clerk with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Command Element, sorts through mail at Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2005. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division. - Cpl. Chad J. Albanesi, of Hudson Falls, N.Y., an administrative clerk with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Command Element, sorts through mail at Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2005. The 22nd MEU (SOC) is conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division.

Members of a Navy and Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) supporting a patrol from Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines take cover behind their Humvee as they destroy an improvised explosive device near Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, Jan. 2, 2006. The patrol, which is part of the ground combat of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), moments earlier discovered the IED and also engaged and destroyed an insurgent IED placement team as part of the MEU's ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division. - Members of a Navy and Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) supporting a patrol from Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 2nd Marines take cover behind their Humvee as they destroy an improvised explosive device near Forward Operating Base Hit, Iraq, Jan. 2, 2006. The patrol, which is part of the ground combat of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), moments earlier discovered the IED and also engaged and destroyed an insurgent IED placement team as part of the MEU's ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq's Al Anbar province with the 2nd Marine Division.