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These photos of US troops hammering ISIS in Syria and then playing baseball are straight outta 'Apocalypse Now'

These photos of US troops hammering ISIS in Syria and then playing baseball are straight outta 'Apocalypse Now'

Here's part of the base, which appears to be surrounded by a sand barrier for protection.

And US troops are firing M777 howitzers.

As well as M109 Paladins.

Read more about the Paladin here, and watch a demo video of it firing from inside here.

Here's a wide shot of how the M777s are set up.

But US troops are not alone at the base as they're operating alongside Iraqi forces.

"Iraqi commanders normally select the targets," NPR's Arraf said. "The strikes are mostly in remote areas. The U.S. military says it takes care to avoid civilian casualties."

Here's a shot of one of the Paladins at night.

And an M777 firing at night too.

The 155mm rounds "weigh about a hundred pounds each," Sgt. Jason Powell told NPR. "And sometimes we get up to 12-round fire missions. So with your gear on and hauling these rounds, these guys are fricking animals."

Source: NPR

Here's the first shot released a couple weeks ago of the troops playing baseball.

"I think Fourth will be good spent playing ball," Private Clayton Mogensen told NPR. "We've got a few baseballs here, and we take the handle from a pickaxe and set bases up and just have a good time."