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[Pete Richards]

Room for one more? Stunning pictures of U.S. troops crammed into military plane as they fly out to Afghanistan

U.S. troops sit tightly beside one another in a packed aircraft as they await their departure to Afghanistan, in stunning pictures taken today.

The servicemen sit aboard the military plane at the U.S. Transit Centre in Manas, 30 km outside Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek.

The onward movement of personnel to and from Afghanistan is one of the four mission pillars of the centre that is used as a transit hub for about 15,000 troops, planes and 500 tons of cargo a month. The other three are airlift, aerial refueling and humanitarian assistance.



Tight: US servicemen inside a military plane before their departure to Afghanistan from the US transit center in Manas, 30 km outside Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, on March 27, 2012

[Pete Richards]

Natural: The servicemen talk to one another and stare up at the cameras before their departure to Afghanistan

[Pete Richards]

Joking: The men pull funny faces as they await their deployment in Afghanistan where dozens of Americans are killed each month

[Pete Richards]

Waiting: The onward movement of personnel to and from Afghanistan is one of the four mission pillars of the U.S. Transit Centre

[Pete Richards]

Close-up: Dozens of U.S. servicemen interact with each other while holding their rifles and belongings

[Pete Richards]

Thumbs up: Some soldiers listen intently to the in-flight announcements while others continue talking to one another

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