Children walk along side coalition force members during a presence patrol in Farah province, Afghanistan, Dec. 9, 2012. Coalition forces were conducting a patrol to assess the Afghan Local Police in the village. Afghan Local Police complement counterinsurgency efforts by assisting and supporting rural areas with limited Afghan National Security Forces presence, in order to enable conditions for improved security, governance and development. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau/Released)