US Marines of Charlie Co. 1/1 of the 15th MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) carry their fighting weapons, including machine guns with scopes (L) and small missiles (2nd from R), and other battle gar as they cross the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu in the northern Arabian Sea and board CH-53 helicopters for a raid into southern Afghanistan to seize a secret airstrip on November 25, 2001. The operation called "Swift Freedom" involved helicopter borne assault troops and established a significant US military presence in southern Afghanistan. —REUTERS