FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan –A day in the life of Cpl. Patrick Wantuch, who drives a forklift in support of 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. He is the only forklift operator on base and is in high demand.

 

A thin layer of dust covers his uniform. In the corner sits his Kevlar helmet and a hard hat - his daily headgear. It’s not even 9 a.m., but he’s already needed in three different places.

 

SANGIN, Afghanistan — Sgt. Johnathan Cook leads his squad of Marines through the narrow alleys and dusty compounds in this district’s dangerous “Fish Tank” region, facing insurgents armed with grenades, machine guns and improvised explosive devices.

 

During these patrols, Cook hears similar complaints from the villagers he meets. They’re worried not only about the Taliban, but also the local Afghan authorities. They tell him the Afghan Uniformed Police unit is crooked and violent. Farmers and shepherds accuse the AUP’s officers of beating women and children, levying steep unauthorized taxes, and even kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young boy, Cook said. The allegations make him uneasy about working alongside the AUP on partnered patrols, and whether Afghan villagers will brand Marines guilty by association.