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Drew Brown ©Stars and StripesAfghanistan, July, 2009:A CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, kicks up a huge swirl of dust as it touches down to drop off a 155mm howitzer at a new base near the southern Afghan town of Spin Boldak, on the Pakistani border. U.S. helicopters were playing an increasingly important role in southern Afghanistan, ferrying troops and supplies to far-flung bases, as more U.S. forces deployed to the region.