Steadied by a strand of steel rebar, a child stands quietly above a dirt walkway in the mountain village of Saw on Jan. 31, 2010. In Afghanistan, major infectious diseases such as malaria and typhoid fever have produced one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. For every 1,000 births, an estimated 150 infants die within their first year of life.

Boys crowd together while waiting for the distribution of humanitarian goods by the Afghan National Army in the mountain village of Saw on Jan. 31, 2010. Afghanistan is experiencing a dangerous youth-bulge, with nearly half of its population under 14 years old.

Against the odds, a girl attends class at the Abd Rahm Nazi High School in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, on Jan. 21, 2010. Since 2006, guerrilla fighters have targeted more than 1,000 schools. Nearly half of these violent attacks occurred at schools attended by girls.

A truck driver waits to be searched at a roadside checkpoint operated by the Afghan National Army, Kunar province, on Feb. 7, 2010. Checkpoints are located along major traffic routes in the province.

An Afghan National Police recruit waits for his target to be scored during weapons training at Forward Operating Base Bostick, Kunar province, on Feb. 4, 2010. Currently, recruits are required to complete eight weeks of training before serving in the ANP. Poor performance could prove deadly for some recruits. In the past year, more than 600 ANP were killed in the line of duty. In addition to the threat presented by criminals and guerrilla fighters, the ANP is facing a critical shortage of qualified foreign trainers.

Walking his beat, a patrolman with the Afghan National Police attracts the attention of several children near a mosque in the village of Saw on Jan. 31, 2010. According to soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force, institutionalized corruption has eroded local confidence in the national police.

Uniformed visitors attract children to the edge of a rain-soaked rooftop in the Afghan mountain village of Shirigal, Kunar province, on Feb. 6, 2010. A thorough search of the village by dozens of Afghan national security forces uncovered a pair of old rifles and a small amount of ammunition.

Dozens of village elders attend a Jirga with their elected national government representatives at the Naray District Center in Kunar province, on Feb. 2, 2010. During the meeting, many of the elders spoke openly about security concerns and the continued need for public development projects. According to International Security Assistance Force representatives, this large assembly indicates the growth of local government within the district.

An International Security Assistance Force platoon follows a patrol led by the Afghan National Army through the village of Shamaser Kalay on Feb. 1, 2010. According to ISAF soldiers from Forward Operating Base Bostick, the ability of the ANA to conduct independent military operations will become critical when ISAF begins to withdraw from Kunar province. ‘They must maintain their skills and be prepared to use them when we are gone,’ said Sgt. Luis Corral, 3rd Platoon, Apache Troop, 3-61 Calvary.

Armed with only snowballs, soldiers in the Afghan National Army prepare to pick a fight with their comrades at Forward Operating Base Bostick on Jan. 29, 2010. In the coming months, when the mountain passes are clear of snow and ice, guerrilla fighters will likely return to this river valley from the tribal lands in nearby Pakistan.

Lacking job choices, many local Afghans take work as day laborers on the isolated roads of Kunar province. While at work near Combat Outpost Pirtle-King, Wahidullah Noorakber was caught in the crossfire between International Security Assistance Forces and guerrilla fighters. One stray bullet slammed into his right knee. After the gun battle, ISAF drove the wounded laborer to Forward Operating Base Bostick for emergency medical treatment.

A group of boys look through the window of a classroom at the Najmul Jahad Rotary School in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, on Jan. 24, 2010.

Sgt. Mohammad Sadiq, a soldier in the Afghan National Army, believes that a premature withdrawal of international security forces would be a mistake. ‘Afghanistan needs help for a long time,’ explained Sadiq, while serving in eastern Afghanistan on Jan. 17, 2010.

Near dusk a boy runs along a stagnant irrigation canal choked with sediment in the village of Sra Kala, Afghanistan, on Jan. 23, 2010. According to International Security Assistance Forces, development in the area has been stalled by recent roadside bombings near the village.

Sgt. Fazal Rahma, a soldier in the Afghan National Army stationed at Forward Operating Base Airborne, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008. ANA soldiers, like Rahma, are often paid less than guerrilla fighters in the region.

Inside the kitchen at Forward Operating Base Airborne, Afghan National Army soldiers wait for hard-boiled eggs, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008.

Alongside a display of magazine clippings, a pair of Afghan National Army soldiers rest inside of their barracks room at Forward Operating Base Airborne, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008.

Officers in the Afghan National Army play a card game inside their barracks at Forward Operating Base Airborne, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008.

Soldiers in the Afghan National Army play volleyball near a prefabricated barrier blast wall inside of Forward Operating Base Airborne, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008.

Abdul Qader, a soldier in the Afghan National Army, watches a hillside near the Hindu Kush mountain range from a guard tower at Forward Operating Base Airborne, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on March 15, 2008.