Photo by Marine Lance Cpl. James W. Clark. Afghan National Army soldiers attached to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment speak with a villager outside his home, while out on patrol through the Shorshurak region of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 29.

Having recently moved into the region, replacing Alpha Company, 1⁄6, the Marines with Charlie Company, conducted census patrols in order to get acquainted with their surroundings, as well as their neighbors. The Marines’ intent to build rapport with local communities is made all the more hazardous and challenging due to near constant harassment and outright attack by insurgents operating in the area.

‘‘It’s a difficult area — it directly borders the Taliban [stronghold] adjacent to us,” said Marine 1st Lt. Aaron B. MacLean, 2nd platoon commander, Charlie Company, 1⁄6. ‘‘It’s stressful, but it’s what we do — pleased to do, to be here at the front of the fight. Our goal, which is to kill the enemy while reducing civilian causalities, is difficult because the [Taliban] know that’s our priority. It’s difficult to go out and be manipulated like we are, but we follow the rules.”

‘‘A lot of foreign fighters have been moved into our area of operations,” said MacLean ‘‘As we flooded in, so did they. The Taliban sent in a crack group of insurgents to counter ours. Their preferred method of killing is through the use of improvised explosive devices. Marines are in heavy combat out here and facing the jihadist A-team, but we’re defeating them regularly and protecting the locals.”

In addition to facing imminent danger, the Marines are finding themselves frequently put in positions where they cannot engage insurgents, due to their enemy’s manipulation of the rules of engagement.

‘‘We’re facing a thinking enemy, they adapt to our tactics in order to counter them,” said MacLean. ‘‘They are very cynically taking advantage of our rules of engagement. We’ve seen them multiple times, fleeing the area with women and children as human shields. Their spotters frequently have kids on the backs of their mopeds to deter us from firing.”

However, for all the difficulties the Marines face due to insurgents in the region, they have been able to positively interact with the civilians in the area who want the Taliban pushed out.

‘‘Some parts of the area of operations you can sit down and hold a shura or speak with key leaders,” said MacLean. ‘‘They want the Taliban gone, but are scared and need them pushed away.”

The Afghan army soldiers are able to represent the government and its role in fighting insurgency in the region.

While meeting with the villagers and taking notes on their concerns and grievances, the patrol served the dual purpose of allowing both parties to get to know one another personally.

‘‘We wanted to let them know we’re here and why, which is to get them the freedom they need, not take their land like the Taliban says,” said Marine Cpl. Jarrod St. Onge, a squad leader with Charlie Company, 1⁄6. ‘‘We were definitely welcomed. The Afghan national army soldiers being there helped to put an Afghan face on our efforts here. Our partnering with them helps to strengthen their faith in the Afghan government.”