Staff Sgt. Rey Castro, the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of the 1st Marine Division (Forward)'s Personal Security Detachment, ducks his head to avoid rotor wash as a CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter 361, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd), flies away after inserting Marines and geologists at helicopter landing zone Barton, Khan Neshin Ghar, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Centrum Aug. 16. The squadron used two Super Stallions to transport the 17-man security detachment and six geologists into the area in search of rare valuable earth elements, which are used to polish glass, build high-end electronics and construct light-weight metals that can withstand high heat.
<dl><dd>Unit: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar / 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing</dd>
<dd>DVIDS Tags: 3rd MAW; HMH-361; Afghanistan; Marines; HMLA-369; Khan Neshin Ghar</dd></dl>
Cpl. Ryan Rholes
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