Afghanistan from above (Part 1) (29 photos)

Among the thousands of photographs taken in Afghanistan each year during US military operations, the country's beautiful landscapes and scenery are occasionally visible. This issue features aerial photographs of Afghanistan.







1. An Afghan shepherd leads his flock through a breach in a wall in Helmand Province. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)





2. Afghan fields in the volatile Helmand Province. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



3. A .50-caliber machine gun aboard a U.S. military helicopter over opium poppy fields along the Helmand River in Helmand Province. The river irrigates Afghanistan's richest crop—poppy fields—the opium from which is then processed into heroin. These illicit crops near the Helmand River account for the majority of the world's heroin supply. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)



4. The varied landscape of Paktika Province. The province, about the size of Vermont, shares a 600-kilometer border with Pakistan. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)



5. A view of Kunar from a transport plane on December 15, 2009. (TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images)



6. A view of the landscape of Paktika Province from a military helicopter. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)



7. An aerial view of Kandahar during the operation to protect Afghan citizens. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)



8. A view of the diverse landscapes of Paktika Province from a military helicopter. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)



9. Still Paktika Province. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)



10. Chaplain Karl Sabler in a helicopter over the Arghandab River during a transfer between bases where a Catholic service was held for soldiers in Kandahar Province. Military chaplains travel throughout Afghanistan, supporting thousands of soldiers serving far from home in harsh conditions. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)



11. A view of Paktika Province on January 25, 2010. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)



12. An aerial view of the Helmand River from a military medical helicopter. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



13. Afghans stand next to a rickshaw in farmers' fields near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



14. Afghans work in a traditional brick kiln near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



15. Afghans play soccer. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



16. A machine gunner on a CH 53 helicopter during a flight from Faizabad to Sazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban were absent from Badakshan Province until last year, but they began appearing in the region and have since been killing local government officials and attacking German soldiers. (Photo by Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)



17. Part of the Helmand River Valley in Helmand Province. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



18. A CH-53 helicopter flies over the jagged landscape of Farah Province in southwestern Afghanistan. Marines who landed in the area in November 2008 were joined by thousands more American troops as part of the 17,000 additional troops deployed to Afghanistan. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)



19. A Muslim cemetery from a helicopter flight near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



20. A NATO convoy rises in dust clouds in the desert near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



21. A French commander stands at the door of a Caracal helicopter over Kabul. About 70,000 international troops, 40,000 of whom are under NATO command, helped Afghans fight the Taliban, who were driven out of Kabul. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)



22. An Afghan vehicle in the desert near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



23. Camels in the Marjah desert. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



24. An Afghan man leads camels through the desert in Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



25. French troops in a helicopter over Kapisa province. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)



26. Part of the Helmand River Valley in Helmand province. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



27. U.S. Marines gather around a wounded comrade while waiting for a medical helicopter near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



28. The shadow of a medical helicopter landing near Marjah. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)



29. A Marine mans a .50-caliber machine gun on a CH-53 helicopter over Helmand Province. Much of the province was controlled by the Taliban, and it was one of the most violent battlegrounds between militants and soldiers. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)