PARWAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN - MAY 19, 2012. .An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter shoots a hellfire missile into the side of a mountain at the East River Firing range in Bagram district. Even though this area is technically off-limits to the local villagers, there are no visible warning signs in Dari or Pashto, the two most prominent languages in Afghanistan. Moreover, the lack of adequate pasturing grounds for the local goat herders make it an economic necessity for them...
more »

PARWAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN - MAY 19, 2012. .An OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter shoots a hellfire missile into the side of a mountain at the East River Firing range in Bagram district. Even though this area is technically off-limits to the local villagers, there are no visible warning signs in Dari or Pashto, the two most prominent languages in Afghanistan. Moreover, the lack of adequate pasturing grounds for the local goat herders make it an economic necessity for them to cross over to the greener pastures that surround the firing range. ..In addition, what the local de-mining teams call "scrappies" - children who collect shrapnel and scrap metal to sell - walk into this firing range to look for items such as rocket parts, bullet casings and other metal parts, are as a result, are being injured when they encounter live rounds (old soviet anti-personel mines and current 40 mm grenades used by the armed forces out of Bagram airbase when they conduct training on these grounds). (Javier Manzano / For The Washington Post). ..
« less