Photo and caption by Leslie Alford

My soldiers and I were in southern Iraq in April 2010 and were away from our home base on a mission. A sandstorm blew in over most of the region, and we were unable to fly back out, so for a couple of days, we waited - in the sand and desert sun, under a couple of palm trees - hot and dirty and ready to get back "home". I think this photo captures the feel of patience and companionship we had. A good team, a successful mission, the relentless desert, and infinite patience of soldiers.

Location: Southern Iraq