AFGHANISTAN, December 2, 2001: U.S. marines carry their gear nearby marine CH-53 helicopters and smaller CH-46 "birds" parked CLOSE TOGETHER at the U.S. marine base in southern Afghanistan Dec. 2, 2001. The marines of the 15th MEU (marine expeditionary unit) arrived in southern Afghanistan the night of Nov. 25 and took command of an abandoned airfield first taken weeks earlier by an U.S. Army Rangers in a parachute assault. Photo by Jim Hollander 2001 by AFP and ClariNet.