Beautiful Photography From Afghanistan: May 2012

US and NATO forces continue to train the Afghan troops in advance of the handover of the country's security in 2014. The US-led war in Afghanistan has cost the lives of around 3,000 US and allied troops, seen thousands of Afghans killed and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. We check in on our soldiers for May (and a little bit of June 2012.) -- Paula Nelson (45 photos total)

A female US marine and members of USN Hospital Corpsman from the 1st battalion 7th Marines Regiment walk at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Jackson also known as Sabit Khadam in Sangin, Helmand Province, June 7, 2012. The US-led war in Afghanistan has cost the lives of around 3,000 U.S. and allied troops, seen thousands of Afghans killed and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. (Adek Berryakek Berry/AFP/GettyImages)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, prepare sandbags at night to reinforce the defenses at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 7, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, prepares sandbags at night to reinforce the defenses at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 7, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, runs across open ground to avoid sniper fire at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 7, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

An Afghan National Army soldier helps his comrade to get onto his position at Chinari outpost in Logar province, east Afghanistan. The months-old outpost was built after a police post at the base of the hill was attacked and destroyed by Taliban forces. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

Afghan National Army soldiers Mohammed Khan, Noor Ali, Abdul Bashir, Noor Alam, wearing the unit's single helmet, and Abdul Basir, stand together at the Chinari outpost in Logar province, east Afghanistan. Most of the troops in this unit say they enlisted because they love their country, and because the $250 monthly salaries offer a way out of poverty. They all say they dream of peace and prosperity for their homeland after 30 years of war. And add they are disappointed that after 11 years and billions of dollars, so little development has taken place, peace has eluded them and corruption is rife among their leaders. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

A clip of .50 calibre rounds are stacked ready for use at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 6, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, keeps watch during guard duty at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King in Kunar Province, June 6, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, eats dinner while on guard duty at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King, June 6, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's Alpha Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, carries out guard duty at Combat Outpost Pirtle-King, June 6, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A member of the Female Engagement Team (FET) US Marines Cpl. Reagan Odhner and GySgt Michelle Hill from the 1st battalion 7th Marines Regiment patrol together with Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soliders in Sangin in Helmand Province, June 6, 2012. (Adek Berryadek Berry/AFP/GettyImages) 

A U.S. Army soldier of the Charlie company from 5-20 infantry Regiment attached to 82nd Airborne Division, walks past his company's kitchen board at Combat Operation Outpost (COP) Pashmul South in Zharay district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, June 6, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

Soldiers from the United States Army's Charlie Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division shave at Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 5, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A member of the Afghan Security Group, a local militia force, sleeps with his weapon at Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 5, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

Members of the Afghan Security Group watch over the Kunar River Valley from Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 5, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A local commander of the Afghan security Group rests at Observation Post Mustang, June 4, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the United States Army's Charlie Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division keeps watch at night at Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 5, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 1-12 Infantry, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division does chin-ups at Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 4, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A helicopter crosses dry creek beds as it makes an approach to a base in Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan, June 2, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

Four United States Army Chinook helicopters are parked on the tarmac at Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan, May 28, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

Afghanistan Uniformed Policemen (AUP) fire a RPK Kalashnikov light machine gun during a group shooting lesson with US Marines at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, June 2, 2012. Training at Camp Leatherneck by the Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest (JSAS) will assist the transition of responsibility from coalition forces to Afghan units. As part of its exit strategy from the Afghan war, the US is helping Kabul build its airforce before most air support from NATO forces is withdrawn along with 130,000 troops by the end of 2014. (Adek Berryadek Berry/AFP/GettyImages) 

A US Marine removes a bandolier of ammunition from around his neck during a group shooting lesson for Afghanistan Uniformed Police (AUP) at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, June 2, 2012. (Adek Berryadek Berry/AFP/GettyImages 

Jake Beaudoin, a U.S. Army Private of 508 BSTB, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, takes cover during a controlled detonation to clear an area for setting up a check point in Zahri district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, May 31, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

A member of the Afghan National Police (ANP) watches from a roof at U.S. army soldiers of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, as they conduct a mission in southern Afghanistan, May 31, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

Justin Muhlbeier, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, reads an e-book during staging at a compound of Afghan security forces before a mission in Zahri district, southern Afghanistan, May 30, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

A United States Army soldier from Task Force Arrowhead holds 5.56mm ammunition as he prepares for a patrol at Forward Operating Base Apache in Afghanistan's Zabul Province, May 27, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog, takes pictures of an Afghan resident during a patrol in a village in Kherwar district in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 27, 2012. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's 1st Platoon, 18th Engineer Company, Task Force Arrowhead wakes from his bed on the back of an armored truck at Forward Operating Base Mizan in Afghanistan's Zabul Province, May 25, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A U.S. Army soldier of 3/1 AD Task Force Bulldog works on his laptop at Combat Outpost (COP) Boston in Kherwar district, Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 24, 2012. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A member of the Afghan security Group keeps watch at Observation Post Mustang in Afghanistan's Kunar Province, June 4, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

A United States Army soldier from Task Force Arrowhead watches the sun set behind the perimeter wall at Forward Operating Base Apache in Afghanistan's Zabul Province, May 27, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters)

U.S. Army armored vehicles are seen in this long exposure at Combat Operation Outpost (COP) Senjaray in Zahri district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, May 27, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

U.S. Army soldiers of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division move to their position for the joint Tor Janda (Black Flag in Pashtu) operation with Afghan security forces, May 24, 2012. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters) 

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog salute during the Memorial Day ceremony at Combat Outpost (COP) Boston in Kherwar district in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 25, 2012. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters) 

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog hold their weapons during the Memorial Day ceremony at Combat Outpost (COP) Boston in Kherwar district in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 25, 2012. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters) 

A soldier from the U.S. Army's 1st Platoon, 18th Engineer Company, Task Force Arrowhead rests at Forward Operating Base Mizan after completing a route clearance patrol in Afghanistan's Zabul Province, May 24, 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters) 

Afghan National Army soldiers watch colleagues play soccer at the 203 Thunder Corps base in Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan, May 14, 2012. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

Afghan National Army soldier Mohammed Zaman lines up with other soldiers prior to a patrol in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan. A small love poem to his country is scratched on the surface of his helmet, May 16, 2012. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

Afghan National Army soldiers walk over M16 rifles placed on the ground during a training at a firing range at the 203 Thunder Corps base in Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan, May 16, 2012. Of the Vietnam-era firearms issued to ANA soldiers, firing range instructor Sgt. Said Aga recalled his M16 jamming in the middle of a fierce firefight with the Taliban. "The Americans have really much better equipment than us," he said. "Our vehicles and weapons are very weak compared to theirs." In Kabul, Lt. Col. Timothy M. Stauffer, U. S. Army Director, Public Affairs, rejected the complaints about aging weapons, saying the Afghans get basically the same firearms as U.S. soldiers have. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

An Afghan National Army soldier shows his destroyed, army-issued boots at a firing range at the 203 Thunder Corps base in Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan. Col. Abdul Haleem Noori observed, "It's only two months old and it is falling apart, and we are told it is supposed to last one year." The footwear was made by a manufacturer under contract to the Afghan Ministry of Defense, May 16, 2012. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

An Afghan National Army soldier wears an old vest with frayed ammunition pouches as he lines up with his colleagues prior to a patrol in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 16, 2012. In conversations with dozens of ANA officers and enlisted men in Paktia and Logar provinces, they said that foreign forces are leaving too soon in 2014 but also expressed a frustration at the quality of equipment being given to the ANA and a feeling that Afghans are being disrespected by visiting troops. (Anja Niedringhaus/ Associated Press)

An Afghan National Army soldier aims his M16 rifle at a firing range at the 203 Thunder Corps base in Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan, zmsy 15, 2012. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

Afghan National Army soldiers rest during a training session at the 203 Thunder Corps base in Gardez, Paktia province, Afghanistan, May 15, 2012. (Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press) 

An Afghan National Army soldier on duty, as a boy riding a donkey passes him during a joint patrol with U.S. soldiers from 3/1 AD Task Force Bulldog, in a village at Kherwar district in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan, May 20, 2012. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters) 

Cpl. Keaton G. Coffey's father, Grant Coffey, pulls together the his son's pallbearers for a hug after a memorial service at Willamette National Cemetery, June 4, 2012, in Happy Valley, Ore. Coffey, 22, of Boring, died May 24 while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (Faith Carthcart/The Oregonian)