Soldiers of the 172nd Infantry Brigade huddle in the warmth of a fire at a temporary combat outpost in the village of Marzak. Rotating in from guard positions on the perimeter, the fire helps defrost the soldiers working through the night in subzero temperatures high in the mountains. A new police checkpoint is being constructed in Marzak to disrupt the movement of insurgent forces through the area, located just 6 km from the site of the Battle of Takur Ghar.