Politics & Government
Lt. Hans Beutel of Huntersville, North Carolina, right, gives orders of the day as he prepares his squad for mentoring Afghan National Police near hte village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Members of the 82nd Airborne stand by as they back up Afghan National Police at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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An elderly man eyes Lt. Hans Beutel of Huntersville, North Carolina, as the pair talk via an interpreter at a checkpoint near Kolk, Afghanistan on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Afghan National Police officers wait during a lull in traffic at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Jon Holmes, left, and Lt. Hans Beutel listen as men point out Taliban positions at a chekcpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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An Afghani woman watches from her car as the men of the vehicle are searched at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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An Afghan man yawns as he waits in the shade of his vehicle as the driver is questioned by Afghan National Police at a checkpoint near Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Afghan children wave at smile at Afghan National Polie and U.S. soldiers at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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PFC Trenton Solie stands guard at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Jon Holmes of Huntington Beach, California, keeps an eye on activity through his scope at a checkpoint near Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Patrick Kelhi of Riverside, California, cleans the weapons system on top of his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP) after a day at a forward operating base near Kolk, Afghanistan on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Steven Sachs of Salem, Oregon, photographs a suspicious man at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Jon Holmes of Huntington Beach, California, left, looks over a load of corn stalks as a farmer is questioned by an Afghan National Police officer at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Afghan National Police officer Mahmed Nabi, front, waits with other officers at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Afghan National Police officers and members of the 82nd Airborne are silhouetted as they stand guard at a bunker near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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A rocket from a helicopter explodes during an attack on a Taliban position that ambushed Afghan National Police officers near the village of Kolk, Afganistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Afghan National Police officer Nasrad Wali frisks villagers at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on Novembe 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Steven Sachs of Salem, Oregon, eyes suspected Taliban positions through his scope at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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PFC Timothy St. Hillaire, of Athol, Massachusetts, reads a Harry Potter book during a break at a checkpoint near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 21, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Lt. Hans Beutel of Huntersville, North Carolina, right, and an interpreter speak with an elderly Afghan man. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Jon Holmes of Huntington Beach, California, far left, laughs along with a farmer being frisked by Afghan National Police officer Mahmed Nabi at a checkpoint near Kolk, Afghanistan, on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Spc. Jon Holmes of Huntington Beach, california, stops traffic on Highway 1 near the village of Kolk, Afghanistan, as soldier from the 82nd Airborne and Afghani police officers shut down their checkpoint for the day on November 20, 2009. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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