Lt. Col. Matthew J. Palma. FOB Delhi, Afghanistan. November 2011.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Matthew J. Palma, the commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and native of Bristol, R.I., receives the prayer of a mullah, or local religious leader, in honor of fallen District Chief of Police Lt. Col. Sayfullah Khan Rashidi during his funeral here, Nov. 13. Sayfullah died after his vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device that detonated while he traveled on a Garmsir road, Nov. 6. Two other ANP members were killed in the explosion, which occurred on the first day of the three-day Islamic festival of sacrifice Eid al-Adha. Amidst the challenging circumstances, 25-year-old District Governor Mohammad Fahim said Garmsir’s stability remains unshaken by Sayfullah’s death. “Lt. Col. Sayfullah was brave and it’s unfortunate we lost him, but we still have security and stability in Garmsir — this hasn’t changed,” Fahim said.