Security in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan has improved greatly in the past year and its capital, Lashkar Gar, is on track to be handed over to the Afghan Army and police next month. But the war is far from over in Helmand, once the most dangerous and deadly province in the country.
Seventy-eight U.S. troops have been killed in Helmand this year – 24 of them since June 1. While that number is much lower than 2010, when 290 service members were killed, respectively, the fight continues in Helmand, even as President Barack Obama prepares to begin withdrawing troops from the country.