'Darkhorse' Battalion And The Afghan War Nearly 1,000 U.S. Marine officers and enlisted men deployed to restive Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in September 2010. By the time their tour ended seven months later, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment — known as "Darkhorse" — suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit during the past decade of war. NPR tells the story of the 3/5 — both in Afghanistan and back home.
Special Series
'Darkhorse' Battalion And The Afghan War
NPR tells the story of this unit's seven long months at war in Afghanistan and at home.
Lance Cpl. Jake Romo does physical therapy at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Calif. He lost both legs in an explosion in Sangin, Afghanistan, in February 2011, while serving with the 3/5 Marines. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Kait Wyatt carries her 1-month-old son, Michael, at the burial for her husband, Marine Cpl. Derek Wyatt, at Arlington National Cemetery, Jan. 7. Wyatt was killed Dec. 6, 2010, in Afghanistan. Kait Wyatt, who was pregnant at the time of her husband's death, was induced the day after he was killed so she could attend the service. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption
Amy Murray at home with her daughter Harper in Oceanside, Calif. Her husband, Capt. Patrick Murray, with the Darkhorse battalion, returned home from Afghanistan, in April 2011; 25 Marines from his unit did not.
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U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment and the Afghan National Army provide cover as they move out of a dangerous area after taking enemy sniper fire during a security patrol in Sangin, Afghanistan, in November 2010. During its seven-month deployment, the 3/5 sustained the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit during the Afghan war, losing 25 men.
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Lt. Col. Jason Morris pays his respects at a memorial service in Sangin, Afghanistan, on Nov. 26, 2010, for three Marines who were killed: Lance Cpl. Brandon Pearson, Lance Cpl. Matthew Broehm and 1st Lt. Robert Kelly. Morris commanded a battalion in volatile Helmand province that suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit in the Afghanistan War.
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Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, kneel before battlefield memorials for their fallen brothers during a farewell ceremony, Oct. 30, 2010.
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