http://www.erintrieb.com/fighting-the-caliphate daily 0.75 2021-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427905092-6GQ5M2MVIEVU7MQ4OERB/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-11.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427905092-6GQ5M2MVIEVU7MQ4OERB/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-11.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/5445de92e4b01029184da645/56f5422e07eaa0478b316f97/1620660314828/ Fighting The Caliphate - The Peshmerga The Kurdish word “Peshmerga” translates as “one who faces death” – it’s also the name of Iraqi Kurdistan’s military force. After the so-called Islamic State or ISIS militants attacked Iraqi Kurdistan, drastically changing the autonomous region’s stability in 2014, the Peshmerga have played a major role in defending Kurds, Arabs and refugees alike. Peshmerga soldiers, some as young as 17, fight ISIS with very little supplies often using archaic, Russian-made weapon systems dating from the 1950’s. A soldier will typically make about $300 USD a month - many of them send their earnings home to support their wives and children. Because of a lack of funding from the government they most often buy their rifles with their own money on the black market, while many of them use their own vehicles in the conflict, driving their personal cars to the front line or riding in the flat bed of unarmored trucks. Since the battlefield often leaves no time for sleeping, soldiers take short naps during the day in between heavy episodes of fighting. Regarding his units’ shortage of body armor and helmets due to a lack of funding, one soldier stated, “This is war. If God wills us to die in war, we will die. Body armor won’t stop that.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427772995-EJEKGWDY3JUM2E66FFQY/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-2.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427868334-JJ247BZWA6T2RTSEGISI/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-8.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427897224-N5W90RW8K8R438OMQ0KU/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-10.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420427948320-UOVJG3PEGB42I2FFF2NZ/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-14.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428018499-KWMRN5QIG7LY092O521Y/Peshmerga-PRJ-website-17.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428149295-STRWL6CHC5EKHMKH8G2Z/Peshmerga-WP-website-9.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428046704-KDZAGSXFA8WG6J7QUIYS/Peshmerga-WP-website-4.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428119385-OTQ5UGRJQRHJICFOH8R1/Peshmerga-WP-website-8.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428168136-2VS8G4HVVENDWBYIU9B3/Peshmerga-WP-website-11.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428176397-TCEYJPERLCUA22WHR7PO/Peshmerga-WP-website-12.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1420428059332-SKH62KONU85IP551F1Q6/Peshmerga-WP-website-3.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458825056742-PZWRFEKDBNYWTKBNIBNO/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-26.jpg Fighting The Caliphate An Assyrian Christian woman shows her cross necklace at a Christian revival in Dohuk, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/5445de92e4b01029184da645/56e00548044262cdb879dca7/1620660315081/ Fighting The Caliphate - At War In The Garden Of Eden The Nineveh Plains in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan serve as home to some of the oldest continuous religious communities in the world, including the Assyrians and the Yezidis, who are indigenous to the region. In 2014 when ISIS or the so-called Islamic State began moving across the province targeting and persecuting Yezidis, Assyrian Christians, and the region’s other minority groups, many locals retaliated by forming small militant rebel factions, such as the Christian Dwekh Nawsha militia, the NPU (Nineveh Plain Protection Units), and the Yezidi YBS, or Sinjar Protection Units (an offshoot of Syria’s YPG). Parts of Northern Iraq now remain a battleground where religion, faith, hostility, violence and infighting over territory collide on ancient land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409061090-NHGRO2N5A3GPO4NRZYIC/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-2.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Flowers and radios adorn the walls at a Dwekh Nawsha military base near Baqofah, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409260924-Z6HKT3CI5ABWK43PVVWY/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-5.jpg Fighting The Caliphate An NPU militia soldier shaves, looks at his phone and smokes a cigarette at an NPU military base near Sharafiyah, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409179045-2BL3XNF8KXUT0DKONOA1/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-1.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Dwekh Nawsha soldier Marcus Nissan poses for a portrait in Baqofah, Ninevah Province, Iraq. The Dwekh Nawsha (in Syriac "one who sacrifices") is a military organization created in mid-2014 to defend Iraq's Assyrian Christians from ISIS, and possibly retake their lands currently controlled by ISIS. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409676014-KN8TJ8VYDY9WGVNL9C1K/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-10.jpg Fighting The Caliphate A Christmas tree at St. George's Chaldean church in the village of Baqofah, which was abandoned after it was attacked by ISIS militants. Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409734836-GY94WP0F6IEI97M4NTT4/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-11.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Dwekh Nawsha soldier Marcus Nissan jokes around with a fellow soldier while driving to their unit's base in Baqofa, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409835562-PLCOE4DA84Z5FAGD1RG4/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-12.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Sundis Ziad Hassan wears a white gown, a Yezidi tradition, as she walks to pray at the Lalish temple, the most sacred and only Yezidi temple in the world, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410157517-L6R85N8XPK2AKUXEVX9H/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-18.jpg Fighting The Caliphate A woman attends mass at a Catholic Church in Dohuk, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410043265-V73KQO2H2R2609KA87DF/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-15.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Children participate in a religious Yezidi ritual by kissing holy scarves as way to make a wish in a temple at Lalish, the most sacred and only Yezidi temple in the world, in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410409287-T6EINAR3DPO9H5XA2E24/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-22.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Girls carry food and other items down a staircase at Lalish, the most sacred and only Yezidi temple in the world, in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410193035-TGZFHWBT17J6X16JGUXI/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-19.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Girls sing in a choir during Catholic mass at church in Dohuk, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410052374-5EX8PLNP0KP8IQ010HBC/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-16.jpg Fighting The Caliphate A bird flies out of Lalish temple which features a stone black snake on it's wall in Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. Lalish is the most sacred and only Yezidi temple in the world. According to legend, the snake was once a live serpent but was transformed it into a solid fixture by Sheikh Adi when it attempted to scale the wall of the temple. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456409891098-WJC7I249SJAT680NDNRV/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-14.jpg Fighting The Caliphate Two birds fly in a room adorned with crosses at St. George's Chaldean church in the village of Baqofah, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456410531013-NBN1HPYB18NSVU5BVKNK/Web+Garden+Of+Eden-25.jpg Fighting The Caliphate A statue of Mary and the Christ child is covered in plastic bubble wrap in the convent of St. George's Chaldean church in the village of Baqofah, Northern Iraqi Kurdistan. The convent was ransacked and looted by either ISIS militants or Peshmerga soldiers which damaged many of the church's religious icons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456400833011-8OWWJQSPVBLR6R64ND9A/Web+Iraq+B-ball-5.jpg Fighting The Caliphate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1620009018420-OIK7B3PT1YRO12YAIXUV/Mosul-1.jpg Fighting The Caliphate http://www.erintrieb.com/afghanistan-2009 daily 0.75 2016-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365144974-IG7BXODDVKFIK2PAOZSK/Afghanistan-Trieb-1.jpg Battle Company A view of Afghanistan's mountains in Logar Province from a blackhawk helicopter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365144974-IG7BXODDVKFIK2PAOZSK/Afghanistan-Trieb-1.jpg Battle Company A view of Afghanistan's mountains in Logar Province from a blackhawk helicopter. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/54aa1928e4b037e9bad08230/56f5463cb09f955f052e5e56/1458916867456/ Battle Company - Battle Company During the height of the anti-coalition insurgency in Afghanistan in 2009, US Infantry soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division were deployed in eastern Afghanistan’s Logar and Wardack Provinces. Various units, including soldiers from the 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry Regiment, the 4th Batallion 25th Field Artillery Regiment, and the 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment’s “Battle Company”, endured some of the region’s heaviest fighting that year. Many soldiers who joined the army post 9/11, wishing to fight the “war on terror”, had trouble seeing how their role in the most remote parts of eastern Afghanistan could further their country’s security thousands of miles away. These soldiers lived on small, remote COPs (Combat Operation Posts), often located in the middle of nowhere and lacked basic utilities and materials such as electricity, heat and running water. Exhausted from daily eight to ten hour-long patrols across rugged terrain, the soldiers often found solace among the small pleasures of COP life – like playing cards or receiving care packages - which served as a distraction from the battlefield and a way to endure the endless boredom inside the wire. As dozens of soldiers had been injured or killed 6 months in to the deployment and troop morale was low, the reality of war continued to resonate when soldiers battled fiercely with Taliban insurgents. By the fall of 2009, Battle Company’s platoons were at half strength due to the amount of injured troops, and the end of the war was nowhere in sight. The following images were produced with a holga - a small, plastic film camera. The holga camera distorts light and yields an infinite perspective of depth, which is intended to represent themes of warped reality, distorted romanticism, and the blurry disenchantment often experienced in the theatre of war. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365153467-DI30M51AX7BW3GRAY2F2/Afghanistan-Trieb-2.jpg Battle Company US infantry soldiers of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division patrol through the remote countryside in the south of Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365150914-6VVP6DNCZ1HUP3HZP6GO/Afghanistan-Trieb-3.jpg Battle Company US infantry soldier SPC Daniel Brand, left, lights a cigarette at COP Charkh in the south of Logar Province, Afghanistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365159074-CZIHV506TF2SPCDYMGBI/Afghanistan-Trieb-4.jpg Battle Company SPC Adam Ramsey, SPC Aldin Zukic, and SPC Jason Vann open mail and care packages at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365161199-3046DJL17J10Z5Q347L0/Afghanistan-Trieb-5.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365173479-U96IQQOAYLUG9EKKHG74/Afghanistan-Trieb-6.jpg Battle Company US military police practice drills at a Combat Operating Post in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365176055-L2KU29WIH11YUKTNRVQQ/Afghanistan-Trieb-7.jpg Battle Company SGT Michael Irwin, SPC Daniel Brand, and SGT Daniel Hernandez shave and wash their faces using bottled water and side view mirrors taken off of MRAP vehicles at Combat Operating Post Charkh in Logar Province. Remote COPs in Afghanistan lack common utilities like running water and electricity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365185734-EH7OI3HFG35AYRDANUOF/Afghanistan-Trieb-8.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365185095-QUD8DX6O31ROAF5TCH67/Afghanistan-Trieb-9.jpg Battle Company SGT Michael Irwin relaxes on his bed at a COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365195103-LO9VIPU64HO7QAGJW75J/Afghanistan-Trieb-10.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365198524-1YNGVF5GEYHPLKXF360R/Afghanistan-Trieb-11.jpg Battle Company Graffiti scratched in to the side of a dirt wall by a US infantry soldier in Wardack Province, Afghanistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365214060-7PB642JEXG3H42OQX8C4/Afghanistan-Trieb-12.jpg Battle Company SSG Cody Anderson is exhausted after a patrol in the Tangi Vally, Wardack Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458996354819-98QCOBDSLFU9Q8HPZTOZ/Afghanistan-Trieb-36.jpg Battle Company SPC Matthew Ledford rests his head in his hands, exhausted, at COP Charkh after a firefight which took place on patrol Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458996510550-SVCU5W22YPKKTR6K5L7T/Afghanistan-Trieb-39.jpg Battle Company SGT John Virgadamo, SPC Matthew Ledford, and SPC Brian Lucey watch SPC Adam Ramsey, right, jump onto a pile of mattresses at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365220584-8FKT3Y7YJ65I8AZNH28J/Afghanistan-Trieb-15.jpg Battle Company SPC Dirk Terpstra, left, practices a high kick with SPC Darren Stovall, right, at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365221245-NYW8R1VGF6LA56HEPV7Z/Afghanistan-Trieb-16.jpg Battle Company A soldier watches movies on his bed at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365230730-DZ55WZMKJ2M93CCUGMVZ/Afghanistan-Trieb-17.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365228890-E308DYI337G3OXAYRBCN/Afghanistan-Trieb-18.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365240471-CJLJNJKA7F69659ESTJL/Afghanistan-Trieb-20.jpg Battle Company SPC Christopher Ostrander is wounded after an IED detonated under his MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle while on patrol in Logar Province. Ostrander incurred several injuries to the head including a Traumatic Brain Injury and cracked skull. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458996302484-P2807G5BD2BO8FC2DB31/Afghanistan-Trieb-37.jpg Battle Company SPC John Alamo directs fire toward Taliban insurgents after being fired upon while on patrol in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365246698-K7N115QTB7VQN8TNPWUZ/Afghanistan-Trieb-21.jpg Battle Company SPC Justin Rottenberry sleeps while taking a break from patrolling in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365258903-OSC9ZGQ8V3B4H5ASDQMM/Afghanistan-Trieb-23.jpg Battle Company A soldier looks at the Sport's Illustrated magazine swimsuit issue at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365249529-HUGGKIVR1P6X55FY3MT5/Afghanistan-Trieb-22.jpg Battle Company SPC Chris Cooley digs through his duffle bag on his bed at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365261899-Y9N6AOE7YODIIPST313Q/Afghanistan-Trieb-24.jpg Battle Company A soldier eats candy while on guard duty at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365264608-TV6NI917IXIYY5G2WTWF/Afghanistan-Trieb-25.jpg Battle Company SGT Brian Cattaneo, center, and SPC Joseph Pohl, right, play poker at a COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365276203-6YTB58Z7AFZA58VWM7P0/Afghanistan-Trieb-27.jpg Battle Company PFC Michael Mackey gets his hair cut at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365272320-KUCOF2JQ6PV6QLDLO7IS/Afghanistan-Trieb-26.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365279620-RS7M94C9DVB3O3630KEU/Afghanistan-Trieb-28.jpg Battle Company Soldiers of Bravo Company, 1-32 Infantry Regiment sit in the cafeteria during a mission briefing at COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365292242-9JLSNL849KGV0OUY5YIZ/Afghanistan-Trieb-30.jpg Battle Company PFC Cody Marshall smokes a cigarette at a COP Charkh in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458996395696-HHTKULKEMFJJ7PMX72G9/Afghanistan-Trieb-38.jpg Battle Company A soldier engages in a firefight while on patrol in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1458996516042-SZHMHS8RTZYIOX42OMO5/Afghanistan-Trieb-40.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365297198-P17146757N9WLE1030VK/Afghanistan-Trieb-31.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365300068-A0UELBRM9EULL42M8DIN/Afghanistan-Trieb-32.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365303925-FCBDR1LRB0GS5I1UJD8P/Afghanistan-Trieb-33.jpg Battle Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365312770-AWBNFTCRAO1RHCDEB350/Afghanistan-Trieb-35.jpg Battle Company SPC Chris Conte stands guard while on patrol in Logar Province. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423365304104-RII5VMMREIUX9DPUNLC9/Afghanistan-Trieb-34.jpg Battle Company http://www.erintrieb.com/the-war-at-home daily 0.75 2021-05-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382467046-GC5YWOACIZRD9GJ3MJJW/THCP-web-50.jpg The War At Home SPC Ryan Cooley smokes a cigarette while on a break during training drills at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382467046-GC5YWOACIZRD9GJ3MJJW/THCP-web-50.jpg The War At Home SPC Ryan Cooley smokes a cigarette while on a break during training drills at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/54aa1954e4b0e845494416c7/56f5540becb9287a70160294/1458922071524/ The War At Home - The War At Home The US military and its veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer repercussions as devastating and traumatic as war itself. They wage a war of inner-conflict and mental trauma - the damage, irreversible, and often going undetected for years. Of the 2.6 million U.S. service members deployed to war since 9/11, 1/3 of those treated by Veteran's Affairs have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 1/4 with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), while nearly 56% of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans have been diagnosed with at least one mental health condition (according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as of 2014.). Symptoms and effects of PTSD and TBI include depression, anxiety, insomnia, substance abuse, and violent behavior, while the most extreme cases can result in suicide. In 2009, the rate of suicide among US service members began surpassing the number of those killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Today, one US veteran commits suicide roughly every hour (22 per day). PTSD goes beyond society’s stereotype of soldiers simply experiencing flashbacks and bad dreams. Trauma or an event that causes a brain injury can create lasting changes in different regions of the brain, including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala, which are responsible for regulating negative emotional responses like fear, decision-making, and memory functions. Beyond the surface of these rattling statistics war can change an individual’s identity, perspective, and view of one’s place in the world - creating an aftermath of vast separation between them and civilians. The War At Home chronicles this change – the trauma, loss, courage, and struggle so many service members experience after exiting the battlefield. *The War At Home is a part of The Homecoming Project, a public service campaign using visual journalism, photography, and media to raise awareness of veteran issues related to war. The Homecoming Project was founded in 2011 by Erin Trieb after documenting the war in Afghanistan and the effect of trauma on US military service members and veterans. The Homecoming Project collective includes work by 30 other photojournalists along with art, writing and works created by military and veteran contributors, and is exhibited at events geared toward illuminating key issues affecting today’s veterans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382578051-61BJEBAR5JCE5XARKTWM/THCP-web-55.jpg The War At Home Soldiers of Bravo Company, 1-32nd Infantry Regiment have a snowball fight after being released for the weekend at the 10th Mountain Division base, Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381709751-V6RD0KADZWSKTA1987EV/THCP-web-2.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey, 22, sleeps in his locker before physical training before dawn at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. While serving a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan Ramsey was diagnosed with PTSD. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381686308-E9VIXLOMEI2QZ7GNJFJX/THCP-web-1.jpg The War At Home SPC James March wears his Class A uniform before going home on leave, January, 2010. After serving in Afghanistan March suffered from depression and in February 2015, at age 31, he took his own life in Painesville, Ohio. March loved animals, music, and spending time with his brothers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381730571-TYRLHIUG7EJGDJ5IEWK6/THCP-web-4.jpg The War At Home SPC Ryan Cooley and SPC Adam Ramsey smoke cigarettes in the barracks at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382269932-X5Q8YBM12K7H42J0J9P3/THCP-web-39.jpg The War At Home SPC Daniel Brand brings cases of beer from the store to the barracks at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382603483-K0PEFAXYU16ZTZ3NNXCS/THCP-web-57.jpg The War At Home A US soldier is restrained after getting in a fist fight at Maggie's bar in Watertown, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381770471-JD5IJHF9E7CJ9KS6PLLP/THCP-web-5.jpg The War At Home Soldiers of Bravo Company, 1-32 Infantry Regiment lift weights in the gym at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382339191-P6D6OVEG9WWTUS155HTE/THCP-web-43.jpg The War At Home A soldier lifts SGT James Nunley to do a keg stand at a party in Watertown, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381757138-9ZGOZVQ3S1VP05C0QVER/THCP-web-6.jpg The War At Home Soldiers wrestle in the barracks at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382264478-MZ9262QGJMUMS6YDJ6BO/THCP-web-38.jpg The War At Home Veteran William Martinez is overwhelmed by the choices of products during his first visit to a Walmart after returning home from serving 12 months in Afghanistan; Corpus Christie, Texas, 2010. Martinez can only stay in stores for a few minutes before undergoing an anxiety attack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382195995-XPYBOW78R4Z7GE0TWCVV/THCP-web-35.jpg The War At Home US veteran William Martinez has trouble sleeping late at night in Corpus Christie, Texas, 2010. Martinez suffers from PTSD and insomnia, both common for veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382232549-Q57O8X4JL28C5FA6X6HB/THCP-web-36.jpg The War At Home Veteran William Martinez and Larissa Garza visit the grave of soldier Rogelio Garza in Corpus Christie, Texas, 2010. Garza, belonged to the 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment and died in Afghanistan in 2006. After finishing his service in the military, Martinez visited Garza's grave in Texas for the first time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382231846-IB1WSGD6J1CKW1WPU7TM/THCP-web-37.jpg The War At Home Veteran William Martinez comforts Larissa Garza whose brother Rogelio Garza was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan; Corpus Christie, Texas, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381780579-6AVAOE7330WOWKETDFD4/THCP-web-7.jpg The War At Home Two soldiers from Alpha Company, 2-87 Infantry Regiment, touch the dog tags of SSG Cody Anderson at his memorial at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. After serving in Afghanistan Anderson was diagnosed with PTSD and bi-polar disorder. On the morning of Jan. 14, 2010, Anderson was found dead in his apartment. Although the Watertown newspaper first claimed his death was an "unknown suicide," police later stated that Anderson died of acute pneumonia. It is unclear whether Anderson's death was also related to the medications prescribed to him by Fort Drum's Behavioral Health Department. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381805530-H752L9XPSHHDJA716JH4/THCP-web-9.jpg The War At Home Stefanie Strausser cries under a "welcome home" sign she made for her fiancé SSG Cody Anderson, 25, who was found dead in his apartment in Watertown, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381829282-20HSY5NFOMZTQPMWL84B/THCP-web-8.jpg The War At Home Photographs of Stefanie Strausser at her home in Watertown, New York, 2010. The day after he returned from Afghanistan SSG Cody Anderson, Strausser's fiancé, blacked out from intoxication and assaulted Strausser, giving her a severely bruised eye and several lacerations. Anderson was later diagnosed with PTSD and bi-polar disorder, for which he was receiving treatment at Fort Drum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382665106-I898RY7DDXN9EPXEN29U/THCP-web-60.jpg The War At Home SPC Austin Murphy shows a scar on his neck where he was stabbed by fellow soldier Zachary Higgins in the barracks at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. Murphy was on guard duty when Higgins, a soldier in his platoon, approached him from behind and stabbed him in the face and neck several times. Higgins, who had been diagnosed with PTSD, was mixing medications prescribed to him by the Fort Drum Behavioral Health department with alcohol. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382671115-IH918EPWV2BTBPHLZLW3/THCP-web-61.jpg The War At Home A soldier points to the spot where Zachery Higgins stabbed fellow soldier Austin Murphy in the face and neck. After the stabbing, Higgins awoke restrained in a hospital with no memory of the incident, and claims that he had blacked out. Higgins was sentenced to three years at Fort Levenworth military prison. Over- prescribing medications such as anti-depressants and anti-psychotics is a trend on many military bases in the United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381847194-TQIPWYY2DVW09F4J47CU/THCP-web-11.jpg The War At Home Family members mourn the death of SPC Dirk Terpstra, 26, who committed suicide shortly after returning home from Afghanistan; Ft. Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan, 2010. His family said that Terpstra experienced depression and had previously attempted suicide before deploying, but that his depression grew much worse after having served in Afghanistan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381822530-CEHUQXZBNUGY9C8ZPVNV/THCP-web-10.jpg The War At Home National Guard soldiers fold a flag at the funeral of SPC Dirk Terpstra who committed suicide shortly after returning home from Afghanistan; Ft. Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan, 2010. The night of his death, Terpstra visited a bar with friends where he became drunk and then shot himself in a neighbor's front yard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381870613-KB2S6AS06FG0802E1XP7/THCP-web-13.jpg The War At Home Family members shovel dirt over the ashes of SPC Dirk Terpstra at Ft. Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381906437-DGR7ESSWSK7G83CT5UPW/THCP-web-12.jpg The War At Home Tess Terpstra comforts her brother, Brandon, after the funeral of their brother SPC Dirk Terpstra at Ft. Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382372664-JL2QSM7421BBU8ZF8RLP/THCP-web-45.jpg The War At Home A soldier's journal entry about SPC Dirk Terpstra, who took his life in February, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381891550-M6X0OHC0K5LX18E5HGH8/THCP-web-14.jpg The War At Home The patch of ground where SPC Dirk Terpstra committed suicide on Feb. 24, 2010, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382040324-HGWLU9OF2G8RYBKIQY4R/THCP-web-23.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey, 22, looks out the bedroom window as he experience a psychotic episode in Carson City, Nevada, 2010. Ramsey served 12 months as a 240 machine gunner in Afghanistan. After returning home he became severely depression and began having psychosis and and suicidal thoughts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382028695-8FRGZR33J8IBPCLY2D5Y/THCP-web-24.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey, his tattoo reading "adapt and overcome", on his bed in the barracks at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381950077-O1PRB28YM3HLTIKPL748/THCP-web-18.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey takes prescription medication he received from the Fort Drum Behavioral Health clinic; Carson City, Nevada, 2010. At one point Ramsey was taking 13 different prescription medications given to him by Fort Drum doctors, including several anti-psychotics - with which he was suppose to be closely monitored, but was not. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381985675-H11R85TQKX4KEKYBDNO9/THCP-web-21.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey experiences a psychotic episode at his sister's home - he often had hallucinations that told him to hurt others or else he, himself, would be harmed; Carson City, Nevada, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381967858-RF4OES68J5B0DI2JEVVK/THCP-web-19.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey rubs his eyes after having an anxiety attack at his sister's house in Carson City, Nevada, 2010. While on leave in Nevada Ramsey experienced hallucinations, depression, and suicidal thoughts; he self-medicated by mixing prescribed medications with alcohol, a common practice among soldiers with post-deployment anxiety. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425381994590-3LTW8IH494CZ6Q1VGTR2/THCP-web-20.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey shows where he has cut his legs using a knife; Carson City, Nevada, 2010. After coming home from Afghanistan Ramsey's mental disorder caused him to self-medicate by cutting his arms and legs, a practice that released adrenaline and helped him manage his anxiety. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382002740-XWXXF27P4L860YWPR3IR/THCP-web-22.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey lies in bed with friend, Savannah Gordon, after taking opioids at his sister's house in Carson City, Nevada, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382104864-A1ID0UI7PG2O1JIRE3LZ/THCP-web-26.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey checks himself into a hospital after seriously contemplating suicide in Watertown, New York, 2010. Ramsey was diagnosed with PTSD and schizoaffective disorder at a military hospital in Afghanistan, but was sent back to his combat post to continue his deployment. Back at his combat post he overdosed on prescription pills and was revived by a medic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382090966-FDNLKYL019CCVHCTQ3Z5/THCP-web-28.jpg The War At Home After checking himself in to a hospital, SPC Adam Ramsey examines the lacerations on his arm where he cut himself; Watertown, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382112707-3RYNLYHYVQNKUG3MK6YT/THCP-web-29.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey packs his belongings as he prepares to leave Watertown, New York. After checking himself in to a hospital, Ramsey spent several weeks at a mental health facility. By 2011 he had been medically discharged from the military and began a new life with plans to move to North Carolina with his wife. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382146576-MNXWY792XQ4MD52SGDTM/THCP-web-30.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey kisses his wife, Elisha, as he prepares to leave the army and move from Watertown, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382133198-TRARGP7B6DF5GMGFPS3D/THCP-web-31.jpg The War At Home SPC Adam Ramsey lies exhausted on his air mattress bed with his prescription medications after packing to leave Watertown, New York in January 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382053591-5XE3PWQ85X6LGFRMYD5H/THCP-web-25.jpg The War At Home The barrack hallways stand deserted while soldiers are on leave; Fort Drum, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382315294-WEZV5IXXNZN7SNQ5MNIR/THCP-web-41.jpg The War At Home Soldiers play volleyball during a backyard BBQ in Watertown, NY, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382596055-FC419GNIZ81CFRX7UEST/THCP-web-56.jpg The War At Home Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division and civilians drink and dance at Maggie's bar in Watertown, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382292574-4G5630AT6JEBH0B1IE24/THCP-web-40.jpg The War At Home Two soldiers kiss after getting married at the City Hall in Watertown, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382355533-UDGSRMA8SVEU3TJ38ZIZ/THCP-web-44.jpg The War At Home SPC Brian Lucy is hugged by a fellow soldier during training drills at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382401910-I2IJ61HPFVJYH6VG1PTZ/THCP-web-47.jpg The War At Home Soldiers participate in training drills at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382390074-D0HS4Q30I5G7EHE64FND/THCP-web-46.jpg The War At Home Soldiers participate in training drills at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382508232-0139EERRH06P3Q9X7UE5/THCP-web-52.jpg The War At Home LT John Cote swims with a log during a training drill at Fort Drum, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382556623-2BJ2A5CAUUBIX2SWF5C1/THCP-web-54.jpg The War At Home Cadets participate in a graduation ceremony at West Point Military Academy, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382643373-4T78IYAM5TLFDZ2EXDL9/THCP-web-59.jpg The War At Home SPC Matthew Ledford sits at home with his wife, Scarlett, and their children at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. Ledford suffers from PTSD and anxiety. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382629485-HPKTGJN7WVVX0LALC7UZ/THCP-web-58.jpg The War At Home SPC Matthew Ledford tucks his daughter in to bed at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382692989-6WN7V170KQ551DH23AP3/THCP-web-63.jpg The War At Home Wives and their children watch their husbands leave for Afghanistan at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382724589-GVZW47YMDW92X1RW0T11/THCP-web-62.jpg The War At Home Two soldiers naps on their duffle bags before deploying to Afghanistan at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382715667-MKTA08G4SIRBHJ2Z088O/THCP-web-64.jpg The War At Home Soldiers say goodbye to their wives before deploying to Afghanistan at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382738313-HO4NG6EALW73NZ4WFZKI/THCP-web-65.jpg The War At Home Soldiers pose for pictures before they deploy to Afghanistan at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382786113-QT6EAFO83LWCU2SHSKH3/THCP-web-66.jpg The War At Home A young woman sits quietly in a locker room before her boyfriend deploys to Afghanistan at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382539439-35ZVV5WTF57TFLRGNMJU/THCP-web-53.jpg The War At Home Cadets salute during a graduation ceremony at West Point Military Academy, New York, 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425382784739-PUUFYOMTWMW8NN4K6I1J/THCP-web-68.jpg The War At Home A soldier waits on a bus before deploying to Afghanistan, at Fort Drum, New York, 2011. 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Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456503672166-PUHY226WJH5R9F8FF20D/TS+Rolling+Stone+Guns-4.jpg Tearsheets Rolling Stone https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456503259515-0Z3EV20E0L4KAA188Z6J/TS+Rolling+Stone+Guns-1.jpg Tearsheets Rolling Stone https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456503263550-MUNXRH127NWBKABWKTJN/TS+WashPost+Peshmerga-2.jpg Tearsheets The Washington Post https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456498622225-IA30KXJA24RLHEDOFMA9/TS+WashPost+Peshmerga-4.jpg Tearsheets The Washington Post https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456503533153-J009CK61NDGCATKZ7GMX/TS+WashPost+Peshmerga-7.jpg Tearsheets The Washington Post https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1429606519939-AAA5PFR66NOL9V78L14M/TS+FP-US+Soldiers-1.jpg Tearsheets Foreign Policy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1429606967570-CMC1RCTKAMUK46W5H7X4/TS+FP-US+Soldiers-3.jpg Tearsheets Foreign Policy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1429606828578-YON2ZE6MAS486G3WO3PM/TS+FP-US+Soldiers-2.jpg Tearsheets Foreign Policy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456501110711-7K11VYKR91O4Q54MA2N9/TS+Denison+THCP+2010-1.jpg Tearsheets Denison Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456501106683-3C535TT1304R8U3VOE6O/TS+Denison+THCP+2010-3.jpg Tearsheets Denison Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456500406706-KS3CFJ6CRXZAG8UNWJF4/TS+Newsweek+Bosnia-2.jpg Tearsheets Newsweek https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456503240963-RQ3QVA7ERHQPUI8B2AWC/TS+Newsweek+Bosnia-3.jpg Tearsheets Newsweek 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Located on a dusty, remote military base called FOB Shank in the heart of Logar Province, the FST unit - consisting of five medics, five nurses, four technicians and two chief surgeons - treat anyone seeking medical attention including US troops, Afghan National Army soldiers and Afghan civilians. As medevac blackhawk helicopters leave the base to pick up casualties, the clinic's gurneys continue to fill with patients, which include US soldiers injured in IED explosions, Afghan soldiers with gunshot wounds, and even wounded Taliban insurgents. It is typical to find over 30 medical personnel in the tent, working frantically to stop arterial bleeding, move patients in to the surgery theatre and simply comfort those in pain. Captain Michelle Racicot, the FST's Emergency Room RN, describes her job as "tough and busy", explaining that the staff often work through the night in order to treat the wounded and sustain life. During their five-month deployment in Afghanistan in 2009, the 8th FST treated over 400 patient cases. "This job is the most challenging I have ever had because of the reality of the situations we run across, but it is also the most rewarding," Racicot says. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423369381897-A4EC2OLTZWR4PT4797HO/Afghanistan-ER-2009-Trieb-2.jpg Behind The Frontlines https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423369384711-CWAMJXMP7IL5AVRZN642/Afghanistan-ER-2009-Trieb-4.jpg Behind The Frontlines https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423369387306-54V3N9TAGH52PRG4NTJ7/Afghanistan-ER-2009-Trieb-5.jpg Behind The Frontlines https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423369387179-SPTQSYXD9PU55E3QUVOJ/Afghanistan-ER-2009-Trieb-6.jpg Behind The Frontlines https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423369390304-OCE6HS2DM060HT654L3S/Afghanistan-ER-2009-Trieb-7.jpg Behind The Frontlines 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1423437823411-TRZ327UELXWEJYW82RQN/Afghanistan-Zhari-2010-22.jpg Behind The Frontlines http://www.erintrieb.com/the-ypj-syrian-kurds daily 0.75 2021-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1439463394514-GV625T14J8GHVKFUOTVP/portfolio-4.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A Kurdish YPJ soldiers waves at carloads of refugees escaping ISIS near the town of Til Kocer on the Syrian-Iraq border. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1439463394514-GV625T14J8GHVKFUOTVP/portfolio-4.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A Kurdish YPJ soldiers waves at carloads of refugees escaping ISIS near the town of Til Kocer on the Syrian-Iraq border. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/5445de2ee4b08a04cf7c5b16/6098d2af7c4462042bbca298/1620628884237/ Kurdish Guerrillas We Are The YPJ Along Syria’s northeastern border thousands of female soldiers are fighting an incalculably dangerous war. They are the Women's Protection Unit, the YPJ - an all-female Kurdish guerrilla military in Syria, formed as an off-shoot of the PKK to defend their people against warfare led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ISIS. For the YPJ fighting is a means necessary for survival, while choosing the lifestyle of a female soldiers breaks down gender and female-Muslim roles solidified by centuries. ISIS militants believe they will be deprived of heaven if killed by a woman; the YPJ take great pride in killing ISIS militants for this reason. Although the United States’ special forces units trained and equipped the YPJ with weapons to fight militants during the height of Iraq’s fight against ISIS, many countries, including neighboring Turkey, consider the YPJ a terrorist group. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1620627771905-UQ6J1DVZBUR24ZS5IDSB/Screen+Shot+2021-05-10+at+1.27.43+AM.png Kurdish Guerrillas Young YPJ recruits participate in drills at dawn near Derek City, Syria. The YPJ schedule is demanding and discipline driven - new recruits get 6 hours of sleep and wake at 4 AM for physical training; afterwards, their day consists of drills and classroom lessons. Before joining the YPJ many of the girls had never participated in physical activity or exercise before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380512722-F8WTEQ2LAK3HWEH9DST2/YPJ-forwebsite-9.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ soldier Shavin Bachouk sleeps at an abandoned army post on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. Many YPG / YPJ soldier stake out at on the Syrian-Iraq border to fend of ISIS attacks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380454653-6XZ0DIO2HEZSFQIBCCY9/YPJ-forwebsite-2.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A young YPJ recruit, center, arrives on her first day to the YPJ training base near Derek City, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456153832857-JJ609ASDM6KU8EDNZDM1/YPJ-portraits-9.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Evin Ahmed, 28. "We defend everyone in Rojava no matter what race or religion they are. We are very strong women, we aren’t afraid of anything. I love being a YPJ soldier, I love the other soldiers, we are closer than sisters. This is the only life for me. I can’t imagine living any other way.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380604471-CDUKYOGKZ1D8QH2PUW8Y/YPJ-forwebsite-17.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ soldiers have breakfast at their military post near the Syrian-Iraq border in Til Kocer, Syria. YPJ meals are modest since most of their supplies and food are donated from local community members. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/5445de2ee4b08a04cf7c5b16/56f5364527d4bdc80a696c18/1620619575507/ Kurdish Guerrillas - We Are The YPJ In the dry and desolate terrain along Syria’s northeastern border, thousands of female soldiers fight an incalculably dangerous war. They are the Women's Protection Unit, locally called the YPJ - an all-female Kurdish guerrilla unit in Syria formed in 2012 to defend the local population against warfare led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the al-Nusra Front (an al-Qaeda affiliate), and ISIS. What started as a small offshoot of the PKK has now grown to over 24,000 members. For the YPJ, the soldier’s life is a means necessary for survival, while the lifestyle breaks down stereotypical gender and female-Muslim roles solidified by centuries. ISIS militants, who believe they will be deprived of heaven if killed by a woman, fear being killed by the female YPJ more than they do male soldiers. The United States trained and aided the YPJ in Syria, despite that many countries, including neighboring Turkey, consider them a terrorist group. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380465119-4Z4V8SGYW12EX8K6HCBV/YPJ-forwebsite-6.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Young YPJ recruits fix their hair at 4:30 AM before training drills near Derek City, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456482336280-QZ13HCRDC9P4VXTW18ZJ/Web+PKK-31.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ soldiers cook dinner at their base near Sinjar, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456151371475-17Z989MFK9NUHCXS8PMB/YPJ-portraits-3.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Hasrat Sahad, 23; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456151452015-X92FJXTLNVWR83CKG54M/YPJ-portraits-5.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Zevin Botan, 20; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456252863790-6PM8T0SAG5T1WH7IVIAV/YPJ+statement+for+Web-8.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456482054135-7MBYWFUE2KI2FRDQB7YH/Web+PKK-27.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas PKK guerrilla Zin Roken, 24. When ISIS attacked Sinjar in 2014, killing and capturing thousands of Yazidis (an ethnic and religious minority in Iraq) while additional tens of thousands were forced to flee, the PKK guerrillas took up arms to defend the Yazidis and their homeland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380391749-TRB2Y7XUWCI66OSO2B52/YPJ-forwebsite-1.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Jin, left, a YPJ soldier, is hugged by her mother, Amina, at their home in Girke Lege, Syria. Although she lives at a YPJ base near her mother’s home, Jin had not seen her mother in months because of the YPJ’s demanding training schedule. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380424124-L1XIUN4JH61C0INRLWQY/YPJ-forwebsite-4.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ soldier, Amara, wears a red, yellow and green patch, the official flag of the YPJ, on her uniform near Girke Lege, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456155217390-7K7TVWYJRH18HIFOP0XB/YPJ-portraits-13.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Shavin Bachouk, 26; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456155216769-QRZYETLOL19VXPKCP99P/YPJ-portraits-14.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Shavin Bachouk, 26; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456482293313-K8I6K0MVZJGU286BN7UM/Web+PKK-30.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A PKK guerrilla is bandaged after being wounded by shrapnel while fighting ISIS militants in Sinjar, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380597695-2TX8SZQPZWHD7BOS3C8V/YPJ-forwebsite-16.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A family mourns for a YPG soldier who was killed in action while fighting against ISIS along the Syrian-Iraq border. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380682566-YGPHJ6MQUYCFSQO3ZGXG/ypj-forwebsite-23.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ members carry the coffin of a fellow soldier who was killed by ISIS at a funeral along the Syrian-Iraq border. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456151420734-0S7GPDN9GK6RRSPO7MDK/YPJ-portraits-2.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Narlene, 20; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456153754288-59M2GOH0J5JY5WI4R3MU/YPJ-portraits-7.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Avinar Kolcer, 26; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456179836333-XVLDLTIQDLTM50MPU1IK/YPJ-portraits-18.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Mizguin Ronahi; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456481924419-4O3CBG4QSTDD9R2AUW84/Web+PKK-25.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A YPJ Soldier cradles two pet bunnies, Sinjar, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380546900-U2GYULID296OT5SQCFBH/YPJ-forwebsite-11.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Nuhad Kocer, 29, sits near the television; on the left, a doll nicknamed "Azadi", in Til Kocer, Syria. "Azadi the doll" was named after YPJ soldier Azadi Ristem, pictured in the photo frame on the left, who was killed by sniper fire by Jibhad L'Nasra, a faction group of Al Quaeda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380625218-VNGGCPMT61OI0XKLXTO7/YPJ-forwebsite-18.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ recruits exercise at dawn, near Derek City, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380566453-BBIQ83NO450F0DU7MXCK/YPJ-forwebsite-13.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Captain Ronahi Anduk, 34, left, Gian Dirik, center, and Dirsim Judi, 18, right, fix the DShK weapon at a YPJ military base in Til Kocer, Syria. The DShK weapon is a Soviet machine gun typically used as an anti-aircraft wepaon, but the YPJ use it to fight ISIS. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456179847642-KFPDVMMOGJSEHMPD6ORU/YPJ-portraits-16.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas General Zelal, 33; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456155270627-W4PMRHT8ISLURO79R817/YPJ-portraits-15.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas General Zelal, 33; photographed on the outskirts of Raabia, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380569972-70NHYUK4HRQBS9DGAO0W/YPJ-forwebsite-14.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Azadi Qamishlo, 22, has her eyebrows plucked by a fellow soldier at a YPJ military base in the town of Til Kocer, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456154553066-52GKRH54SFX21PQIIWNH/YPJ-portraits-12.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas Hevedar Mohammed, 12. “One day I went home and told my mother that I wanted to join the YPJ. At first she said no, because I was too small, but she finally said I could. My father said he was very proud of me. All of the soldiers tell me they love me very much, that I am not just their friend but that I am also their sister.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456482612805-ZW53O4Q7DB50X2UV0T4B/Web+PKK-32.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas PKK guerrillas eat dinner at their post near Sinjar, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1456482183020-HOKMVI6AVN669W9B80OE/Web+PKK-29.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas PKK guerrillas at their base near Sinjar, Iraq. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1425380630717-DY6YRUFPGC4GY5Z2SLJD/YPJ-forwebsite-19.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas YPJ recruits dance and sing traditional Kurdish songs at dawn near Derek City, Syria. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/529d39b2e4b0178dbdf37354/1620619911221-8RMIIH5OW6QS5R95PA4T/Web-YPJ-additionalpics-10.jpg Kurdish Guerrillas A PKK guerrilla with grenades in Sinjar, Iraq. 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