Aircraft Carrier Operations

Silhouettes of aircraft on a carrier deck at sunset, showcasing military aviation with a dramatic sky. Scenes feature helicopters and fighter jets in active settings.

An AH-2 Sabre at sunset in Natal, Brazil.
An AH-2 Sabre at sunset in Natal, Brazil.
157 assets in this story
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Long exposure photo of an MQ-9 Reaper on the 361 Expeditionary Attack Squadron flight line at an undisclosed location, August 6, 2022. The MQ-9 is an unmanned aircraft capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight. The 361 EAS operates them in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
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114th Fighter Wing pilots walked to their assigned aircrafts during the night flying operations at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota, October 26, 2022. Night flying operations are done to maintain the readiness of our pilots and maintainers.
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DF-ST-86-07966. Base: Cairo West Country: Egypt (EGY)
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U.S. Airmen perform a foreign object debris walk before the flight line opens for daily operations for Checkered Flag 23-1 arrivals at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 28, 2022. Checkered Flag is a large-force aerial exercise held at Tyndall which fosters readiness and interoperability through the incorporation of 4th- and 5th-generation aircraft during air-to-air combat training.
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A left side view of a P-38 Orion aircraft of Naval Air Reserve Patrol Squadron 68 (VP-68), silhouetted against the rising sun. VP-68 is in Rota for active duty training. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Base: Naval Station, Rota Country: Spain (ESP)
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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Dominick Kirk, MV-22 Osprey crew chief assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163, sits on the ramp during taxi on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, July 13, 2022. VMM 163 deployed to Camp Lemonnier in support of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa by providing capabilities for personnel recovery and casualty evacuation of U.S. forces throughout East Africa.
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A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew observes a mission ready HC-130J Super Hercules prior to takeoff in Clearwater, Florida, Oct 1. 2022. Coast Guard assets are conducting search and rescue operations in response to the damages caused by Hurricane Ian.
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SOUTH CHINA SEA (Jan. 24, 2021) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Jan. 24, 2021. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest forward deployed fleet, with its approximate 50-70 ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and 20,000 Sailors in the area of operations at any given time, U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests throughout a free and open Indo-Pacific area of operations to foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict alongside 35 other maritime nations and partners.
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Multiple U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, park on the Air Dominance Center flight line on Nov. 6, 2022 during an agile combat employment exercise that was conducted by the 307th Fighter Squadron, the 414th Fighter Group maintenance and operations Airmen. This exercise is the first total force integrated ACE exercise that the units have done together. The goals of this exercise are to verify ACE concepts between the maintenance and operations groups as well as conduct unique flight training for our pilots and weapons system operators in the nearby airspace, said Maj. Timothy Shinol, a weapons systems operator from the 307th Fighter Squadron.
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An F-16 Falcon, deployed to a base at a forward location, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown Scene Major Command Shown: ACC
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060813-N-5914D-010. Base: USS Boxer (LHD 4) Country: Pacific Ocean (POC)
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An Airmen walks past multiple C-17 Globemaster IIIs at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Feb. 21, 2019. Exercise Patriot Sands was a joint-service exercise coordinated by the Air Force Reserve, designed to integrate first responders from federal, state, local agencies and the military by providing quick response training in the event of a regional emergency or natural disaster.
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Silhouette of an attack helicopter firing flares, storm is coming
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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- A C-17 Globemaster III sits on the flight line after arriving from Guam with supplies here March 29. The 374th Contracting Squadron has worked around the clock with the U.S. Government to have these supplies purchased in support of Operation Tomodachi.
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sept. 14, 2012) An F/A-18 Hornet assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, is illuminated by fireworks during the 2012 Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show. The show is currently in its 54th year, and this year celebrates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.
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A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft assigned to the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron conducts aerial refueling operations in the U.S. Air Forces Central area of responsibility June 22, 2022. The 335th EFS delivers airpower and showcases U.S. commitment to deterrence and regional stability.
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Air to air front view of Special Operations Wing AC-130 Hercules gunship on a training mission over the Gulf of Mexico. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown
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MARINES CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan - Senior Airman Kristina Cyphert, 535th Airlift Squadron, directs a forklift on board a C-17 Globemaster III to download its cargo here March 25. The C-17 flew into Marines Corps Air Station Iwakuni to pick up marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 to drop off them at Sendai Airport. MWSS-171 where heading to Sendai Airport to setup portable showers to bring humanitarian assistance to Japan in part of Operation Tomodachi.
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US Air Force (USAF) Technical Sergeant (TSGT) Cameron Hess and AIRMAN First Class (A1C) David Eiler, left, with the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron (ECES), Airfield Lighting Electricians, maintain runway lights for all of Baghdad International Airport (BIA), Iraq, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad International Airport Country: Iraq (IRQ)
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U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Lt. Col. Steven, 325th Weapons Squadron Director of Operations, wait for preflight checks to be completed before a Weapons School Integration exercise sortie at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 1, 2022. The role of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau is to serve as a military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and is the Department of Defenses official channel of communication to the Governors and State Adjutants General on all matters pertaining to the National Guard.
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U.S. Army Sgt. Derick Bauman, left, and Spc. Nathan Hensal, crew chiefs with Bravo Company, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade watch the sunset from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as it flies over the 28th ECAB's area of operations in the Middle East.
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Sailors assigned to the Vanguard of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14), participate in the squadrons last flight Dec. 8, 2022.
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220409-N-IV962-3014PACIFIC OCEAN (April 9, 2022) - An MV-22 Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362, idles on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), April 9. Pilots perform deck landing qualifications to practice shipboard takeoffs and landings. Makin Island is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet.
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PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 16, 2018) Sailors conduct a foreign object and debris walk-down around an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.
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Marines with Guard Company, Marine Barracks Washington, embark upon MV-22 Ospreys during security forces training, at Washington D.C., Aug 3, 2022. The Marines participated in an air insert with MV-22 Ospreys, and implemented their infantry training tactics by conducting land navigation and performing casualty evacuation scenarios.
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Illumination Round Falling During Live Fire Close Air Support Training
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U.S. Marines with 12th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division, load gear onto a Japan Self-Defense Force CH-47JA helicopter in support of Keen Sword 23, on Okinawa, Japan, Nov 11, 2022. Keen Sword is a biennial training event that exercises the combined capabilities and lethality developed between 3d Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and the Japan Self-Defense Force. This bilateral field-training exercise between the U.S. military and JSDF strengthens interoperability and combat readiness of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
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A night scope aerial view of the North Ramp at night, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, during Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Personal working at the North Ramp are a part of the coalition forces of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing that enforces the no-fly and no-drive zone in Southern Iraq to protect and defend against Iraqi aggression. A night scope aerial view of the North Ramp at night, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, during Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Personal working at the North Ramp are a part of the coalition forces of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing that enforces the no-fly and no-drive zone in Southern Iraq to protect and defend against Iraqi aggression.
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Djibouti, Africa, June 29, 2006 - A CH-53E Sea Stallion sits parked on the flight line at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, while undergoing routine maintenance.
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36th Airlift Squadron C-130H Hercules' line the runway at Yokota Air Base, Japan waiting for the next mission, Dec. 23, 2016.
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From the March 2000 AIRMAN Magazine article "No More Guessing Games." AIRMAN at Hill AFB, Utah supported the December swapout of F-16s deployed to Southwest Asia with Aerospace Expeditionary Force 1. A solid schedule, designed by airmen to better serve theater commanders, gives each airman a set time for rest at home after contingency support duty. Base: Hill Air Force Base State: Utah (UT) Country: United States Of America (USA)
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ARABIAN GULF (Jan. 4, 2016) Sailors transport ordnance on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations, and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
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030713-F-6701P-048. Base: Lungi Country: Sierra Leone (SLE) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE
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U.S. Air Force troops from Joint Base Charleston participate in an Operational Readiness Exercise (ORE) at the Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, MS on Oct. 27. The ORE evaluates airmen with mission readiness in preparation for real world deployments.
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Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers, assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, wait on a taxiway at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a Bomber Task Force mission June 8, 2022. Bomber Task Force missions strengthen the collective ability of the U.S. and our allies and partners to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
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NASAs SpaceX Crew-5 Splashdown. Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina is helped onto a helicopter onboard the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon shortly after she, along with NASA astronauts Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, landed while onboard SpaceX Dragon Endeavor spacecraft in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, Saturday, March 11, 2023. Mann, Cassada, Wakata, and Kikina are returning after 157 days in space as part of Expedition 68 aboard the International Space Station.
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230410-N-XK462-3099 PHILIPPINE SEA (April 10, 2023) A U.S. Navy Sailor launches an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
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A group of soldiers from SFIR-3 rise in, in a Boeing CH-47D Chinook transport helicopter.
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Marine One is ready to depart Andrews AFB for the White House after President Barack Obama and his family returned from their vacation on Martha's Vineyard Aug. 30, 2009.
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An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367 conducts a memorial flight in memory of Capt. Travis W. Brannon, Oahu, Hawaii, Apr. 12, 2019. Capt. Brannon, HMLA-367 and Maj. Matthew M. Wiegand, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, were killed as a result of an AH-1Z Viper helicopter crash aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma training grounds, March 30, 2019, during routine training at the semi-annual Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course hosted by MAWTS-1.
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Fireworks explode behind a C-130J Super Hercules at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 4, 2022. The fireworks show was part of the Independence Day celebration hosted by the 374th Force Support Squadron.
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Just before sunset, the Orion crew module is being moved by crane from its crew module recovery cradle and will be placed in the crew module transportation fixture at the Mole Pier at Naval Base San Diego in California. The fixture has been secured on the back of a flatbed truck. Orion is being prepared for the overland trip back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion was recovered from the Pacific Ocean after completing a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. NASA, the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin coordinated efforts to recover Orion. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and pre-transportation efforts.
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U.S. Air Force aircrew members assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and U.S. Army Soldiers discuss load plans on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in Syria, Jan. 3, 2022. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
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U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Antonio Orona III, 16th Training Squadron Marine liaison, stands at the position of attention in front of a POW/MIA memorial for POW/MIA Recognition Day at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Sept. 16, 2022. The purpose of POW/MIA Recognition Day is to ensure that Americans remember and show that they stand behind those who serve, and to make sure those who have not returned are accounted for.
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U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cy Snyder III and Senior Airman Naden Lindstrom, C-130 Loadmasters from the 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Illinois, work with Crew Chiefs from 124th Fighter Wing, Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho, loading a MHU-141 trailer into C-130H Hercules aircraft on the flightline during Agile Rage 22 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., June 9, 2022. Agile Rage 22 is a National Guard Bureau-led exercise that provides realistic training opportunities, mimicking current and future combat environments dictated by the National Defense Strategy.
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U.S. Air Force Capt. Brennan Sumpter, right, 60th Air Mobility Wing deputy inspector general, and Master Sgt. Joshua Thompson, 60th AMW inspection general team manager, prepare to throw a smoke grenade during a Major Accident Response Exercise at Travis Air Force Base, California, April 28, 2022. The MARE scenario simulated an aircraft mishap and included coordination with outside agencies to realistically train Travis Airmen to respond in the event of an accident.
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An airman watches as 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F aircraft prepare to depart for Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Base: Raf Mildenhall Country: Great Britain / England (GBR)
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A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing makes an evening landing after completing an exercise sortie. Global Guardian is designed to exercise the ability of USTRATCOM and its component forces to effectively deter a military attack against the United States and employ forces as directed by the National Command Authority. Subject Operation/Series: GLOBAL GUARDIAN Base: Whiteman Air Force Base State: Missouri (MO) Country: United States Of America (USA)
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President Joe Biden and First lady Jill Biden arrive on the Ellipse via Marine One in Washington, D.C. following a trip to Delaware, Sunday, April 18, 2021.
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Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter assigned to the 301st and 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron sit on the flightline at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 21, 2022 during the Japanese-American Friendship Festival fireworks display. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, this year festival marks the first time Yokota has held the annual event since 2019. The festival is aimed at increasing bilateral relationships between U.S. and Japanese communities and allows people to see U.S. and Japanese military capabilities first-hand.
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220602-N-N3764-1002CARIBBEAN SEA (June 9, 2022) Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class Jesse Maldonado (left) and Aviation Machinist Mate Second Class Eulises Bacerra conduct maintenance on the MQ-8B Fire Scout aboard Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15), June 2, 2022. Billings is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force Souths mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
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120215-N-DR144-018 ARABIAN SEA (Feb. 15, 2012) Aviation ordnancemen transport an air-to-air missile on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
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A U.S. Army M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle assigned to "Chaos" Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fires its M242 Bushmaster chain gun during a night gunnery table VI at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, July 27, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps in Europe.
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120309-N-IR734-050EVERETT, Wash. (March 9, 2012) Sailors man the rails as the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) pulls into its new homeport at Naval Station Everett, Wash. The arrival at Everett marks the successful completion of the shipÕs first sea trials since finishing its docked planned incremental availability.
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A memorial display honors the 10 fallen aircrew members of Talon 13 during a remembrance ceremony Aug. 5, 2022, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. All 10 aircrew members of Talon 13 paid the ultimate sacrifice following a crash that occurred while conducting a training flight Aug. 7, 2002, in Puerto Rico.
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U.S. Army Soldiers from 58 Military Police Company, 25th Infantry Division, stand by for a mission during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) on Helemano Military Reservation, Hi., Nov. 2, 2022. JPMRC 23-1 trains the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Warriors, 25th Infantry Division in realistic conditions, ensuring they are prepared for crisis or conflict.