In this Sept.15, 2010 photo, a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter from the 101st Airborne Division transports U.S. infantrymen from one position to another in Zhari District, southern Afghanistan. Going increasingly on the offensive in this district near Kandahar City, American commanders are hoping to clear Taliban-held areas and fighting positions in the weeks and months ahead, before President Barack Obama makes a critical assessment in December of the effectiveness of the 30,000-man surge. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)