Cpl. Ryan Thayer, a squad leader of 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, and Cpl. Jonathan Roblespaul, a section leader with Alpha Co., duck while firing an illumination round from their M224 60 mm light weight mortar firing tube at Combat Outpost Cafferetta, June 26, to light the sky and expose any enemy fighters from planting improvised explosive devices nearby. “In Now Zad, we have been getting hit with improvised explosive devices along our resupply routes. Last night an observation post reported seeing some suspicious activity,” Thayer said. “We fired illumination rounds to let them know we see them, and if they want to keep putting IED’s in the ground, we are going to take them out.” Photo by Cpl. Daniel Blatter