The PPCLI had been in Salavat, Central Panjwai for a couple weeks. It was late 2009. They knew the enemy were in Salavat too, but they couldn’t find them. A night patrol was ordered. The photo above came during a break in the patrol, actually taken in pitch black darkness, as two soldiers sat sheltered inside an abandoned compound and took a smoke break. The image may be slightly ruined by the accidental inclusion of my photo bag (rear, left) which I could not see in the frame because it was so dark. I set the camera on a pile of bricks to stabilize it and took a long exposure. This is a lucky shot. Shortly after this, the patrol moved off for several more hours of fun and intrigue in the darkness.
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