 For many people, when the sun goes down, it's time to call it a day. But for some Marines in Afghanistan, the mission is only beginning. Corporal Kevin Maynard takes us to Kandahar, where a group of Marines make life in the dark easier for troops on the ground. The Marines of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, or VMGR 252, prepare for a night mission. Ordnance Marines load a KC-130J aircraft with illumination flares and prep for takeoff. Their mission is to help ground forces in Southern Afghanistan see the enemy in the dark. We illuminate the battlefield. One of the tasks that we do is we provide illumination via flares. We send flares out of the back of the aircraft and we can either send out small quantities, large quantities, wherever the folks need. The pilots up front get the aircraft to the right place at the right time and give the order for Marines in the back to carry out the mission. It consists of taking different kinds of flares, either over or covert flares, moving them from the box into the chute and then dispensing them on the aircraft commander's command so that we can support the mission on the ground. That's going to help the Marines and the other service members on the ground to see the enemy better. They're going to get better depth perception, better color perspective of where the enemy is at so that they can effectively attack them while keeping themselves safe. Different aspects of the Marine Corps come together to help the security of Afghanistan. Marine Corporal Kevin Maynard, Southern Afghanistan. The squadron is made up of Marines from Okinawa and Cherry Point, North Carolina. In addition to aerial delivery, refueling and battlefield illumination, VMGR-252 has a harvest hawk which is capable of firing hellfire and griffin missiles in support of NATO forces on the ground. From Washington, I'm Corporal Nick Nevers.