Mojave Viper training - Mortar platoon sergeant
Gunnery Sgt. Todd Leahey, the 81mm mortar platoon sergeant for Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, motions toward impacting rounds while supporting Kilo Company, 3/3, during Exercise Clear, Hold, Build 2 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 16, 2011. The battalion’s line companies — India, Kilo and Lima — each arrived by helicopters or tracked vehicles to clear enemy activity from the village, establish security and re-build rapport with local nationals. During the Enhanced Mojave Viper training exercise here, the Marines of “America’s Battalion” are training to kill enemy fighters by practicing counterinsurgency operations. Next month, they’ll deploy to Afghanistan’s Helmand province to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Leahey, 34, is from St. Peters, Mo. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder / RELEASED). Original public domain image from Flickr