Second Lt. James Salka, a Washingtonville, N.Y., native and platoon commander with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, communicates with supporting Marine elements during an interdiction operation against insurgents near the Bari Gul Bazaar, Nad Ali District, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Dec. 4, 2013. Salka lead his team of Marines during a four-hour firefight with insurgent forces in the area.