A 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, Charlie Company first lieutenant stands guard as U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers build the perimeter of checkpoint 2 along Route Chicken as part of Operation Fairbanks, Sept. 24 in Zabul province. Operation Fairbanks was a route clearing and stability operation to reclaim a major trade route between Qalat and Mizan that had been held by the Taliban for the past year. Afghan troops will be stationed at the checkpoint and provide security for the road and region.