Japanese WWII flag, taken as a war trophy, returns in friendship

A Rising Sun flag — taken from a dead Japanese soldier on Tinian island in 1944 — sat in a box at Kenneth Udstad’s home for 68 years.

US medevac crews still play a major role in Afghan conflict

At a time when much of the ground-level U.S. role in Afghanistan is receding, medical evacuation crews continue to play a major part in the conflict, providing a service that Afghans appear incapable of fielding on their own.

GALLERY

Bamiyan: Rugged, poor and endlessly beautiful

Beyond the famous Buddhas and their infamous demise at the hands of Taliban soldiers lie a city and a province steeped in history and struggling with the present.

GALLERY

Photos of the week: Marines

Our staff-selected photos of the week of the Marine Corps in action.

Stripes iPad app now offers 7-day preview

The Stars and Stripes Tablet Edition iPad app now offers a free 7-day preview.

GALLERY

In void where Buddhas were, Afghan province imagines a future

Once a favorite destination for travelers on the Hippie Trail, this idyllic provincial capital high in the Hindu Kush mountains is now famous for what’s not there. Three glaring holes in the cliffs that rise over the town tell the story of what Bamiyan lost 12 years ago.

GALLERY

Band-i Amir: Afghanistan’s lone postcard destination

In Afghanistan, where conservation has taken a backseat to war for 35 years, a “national park” designation is largely conceptual: People acknowledge the place is beautiful and deserves preservation, but the details remain fuzzy.

GALLERY

Photos of the week: Coast Guard

Our staff-selected photos of the week of the Coast Guard in action.

Top shots: The best in news, sports and military photos

Stars and Stripes Tablet Edition subscribers get exclusive access to galleries of the most provocative photography around. From unparalleled war photography, to touching memorial coverage, or the most exciting sporting events, every gallery is hand-picked by Stars and Stripes staffers around the world. This gallery is a preview of some of the photography in the Tablet Edition.