Military Aircraft Operations and Training

Air Force personnel engaged in loading weapons and maintaining aircraft, emphasizing teamwork and operational readiness in various training exercises across the U.S.

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load weapons into a B-1B Lancer during a weapons loading competition at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., July 22, 2022. Each team was given 25 minutes to load one inert GBU-38, one inert GBU-54, and one GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

Staff Sgt. Jason Ramirez with Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division participate in the 2022 Jumpmaster Competition on May 17th, 2022, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The competition consists of an intense physical fitness session, a board - testing their knowledge, aircraft inspection, jumpmaster personnel inspection (JMPI), and drop zone safety officer duties.

Members of Team Osan pull down their targets for scoring after the M4 portion of the excellence in competition event May 11, 2022 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Competitors fired the M4 carbine during the competition, which has been used for U.S. military applications since 1994.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. William Lake, a motor transportation mechanic with Combat Logistics Battalion 1, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, troubleshoots the wiring of a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement during Integrated Training Exercise 3-22 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California April 2, 2022. ITX is a live-fire event that increases unit readiness. It teaches the tactical application of combined-arms maneuver, offensive and defensive operations during combat.

Staff Sgt. Hayden Fredrickson, 80th Fighter Generation Squadron weapons load crew member, secures a GBU-38 bomb during the 3rd Quarter Load Crew Competition at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21, 2022. During the competition, two teams competed for the wings best load crew.

SrA Vince Hill, from the 111th Fighter Wing, ARS Willow Grove, PA, mounts BDU-33 bombs on the bottom of an A-10 jet at MacDill Air Force Base. The A-10, from the 103rd Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, ARS Willow Grove. is competing in the Weapons Delivery Compilation at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.

Two sailors from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and a loadmaster from the 41st Airlift Squadron conduct a Hot Pit refueling on a C-130J Super Hercules during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness training exercise at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, November 3, 2022. The 61st and 41st Airlift Squadrons worked hand-in-hand with all branches of the Department of Defense throughout the exercise.

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, load munition from a Block 50 F-16CM Fighting Falcon assigned to the 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 5, 2022. The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen are deployed out of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, but small groups of munition specialists travel monthly to the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, KSA, to train and stay qualified on fighter jet armament. The training is intended to create multi-capable Airmen able to safely load munitions onto multiple airframes anywhere in AFCENTs area of responsibility, instead of being bomber or fighter specific.

U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 167th Airlift Wing Munitions Flight perform a periodic distress signal kit inspection at the 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Virginia, February 3, 2024. Munitions specialists are responsible for the safety, security and accountability of all nonnuclear munitions and related components on the installation. From small arms ammunition to distress signal kits and aircraft flares, these Airmen work with high attention to detail as they store, assemble, inspect, account for and transport weapons systems to complete mission across the world. Air National Guard

U.S. Soldiers and Airmen refuel a C-130 Hercules aircraft in support of Valiant Shield on Palau, June 7, 2022. Exercises such as Valiant Shield allows the Indo-Pacific Command Joint Forces the opportunity to integrate forces from all branches of service to conduct precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

011101-F-4406B-001. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Naval Air Station, Sigonella State: Sicily Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

030107-A-1526R-012. Base: Fort Buchanan, San Juan State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

020814-F-3838S-011. Base: Spangdahlem Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Richard Pantoja, a 3rd Maintenance Squadron accessories and propulsion flight chief, expands a tent as part of a solar-powered integrated structure during Polar Force 22-4 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 31, 2022. Polar Force 22-4 is a local training exercise primarily focused on Agile Combat Employment and builds on other regularly scheduled exercises such as Northern Edge, Pacific Iron, and Red Flag to support the mission of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces.

MARINES CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan - Tech Sgt. Chris Geisler, 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, removes a fuel nozzle from C-17 Globemaster III here March 25. The C-17 flew from Yokota Air Base 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.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gerado Favilla, a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) operator with Fox Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, attaches snow chains to the tires of a HIMARS vehicle before commencing a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration, also known as a HIRAIN, during exercise Arctic Edge 2024 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Feb. 24, 2024. The HIMARS weapon system is a crucial component of the Ground Combat Element in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). HIMARS play a pivotal role in providing long-range precision fires to support the MAGTF's objectives, from expeditionary operations to sustained combat in all terrains and climate. Arctic Edge 2024 (AE24) is a U.S. Northern Command-led homeland defense exercise demonstrating the U.S. militarys capabilities in extreme cold weather, joint force readiness, and U.S. military commitment to mutual strategic security interests in the arctic region. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Soldier, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, lifts the hood of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle for inspection during Motorpool Monday. Motorpool Monday is conducted weekly to ensure all vehicles are working efficiently.

Marines and sailors pull on a cargo strap to swing and align a hoisted section of a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter onto an awaiting truck. The halved helicopter was cut to make removal from Kaneohe Bay easier after it was forced to make an emergency landing March 29 which killed one Marine and injured three others and terminally damaged the aircraft.

Airmen assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing connect a fuel nozzle to an F-15E Strike Eagle during a Multi-Capable Airman exercise at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Sept. 12, 2022. Airmen participating in the exercise were taught how to do basic tasks outside of their usual specialty to become more well-rounded.

061206-A-5168K-006. Base: Logistical Storage Area Anaconda State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Airmen assigned to the 374th Medical Group assist a simulated casualty during a mass aeromedical evacuation training scenario, Oct. 17, 2022, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The training scenario was part of a Samurai Readiness Inspection, aimed at enhancing the bases preparedness and ability to respond to any real-world contingency.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade participate in the U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration training. 3-27 FAR partnered with members of the U.S. Air Forces weapons school as part of its semi-annual training exercise.

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 996th Engineering Company, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, conduct the final stages of their bi-annual Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services during exercise Platinum Wrench, Aug. 17, 2022, on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Each Soldier must know how to complete a full PMCS to ensure that the vehicles are safe and mission capable. Platinum Wrench gives maintenance and supply Soldiers the opportunity to perform hands-on maintenance and repair of equipment and vehicles to enhance their technical skills while working on real-world missions.

061206-A-5168K-007. Base: Logistical Storage Area Anaconda State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Col. Elizabeth Sumner, commander of the 124th Mission Support Group, learns about the solar power system of the 124th Services Flights new disaster relief mobile response kitchen, April 29, 2022, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. The DRMR kitchen is a rapidly deployable mobile kitchen, capable of feeding up to 1,000 people in less than 90 minutes, which is designed to be transported via C-130 or a standard pick-up truck.

U.S Army Staff Sgt. Jared Blacketer (bottom left), an instructor assigned to the 128th Aviation Brigade, supervises students loading a weapons system on a Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter simulator at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 22, 2022. The 24 week-long school provides initial training in the 15Y Military Occupational Specialty, providing armament, electrical and avionics systems repairs for twin-engine attack helicopters.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Johnathan Green, a Field Craft Hostile instructor, conducts vehicle rollover training during FCH at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on to Aug 1, 2022. FCH is a pre-deployment course directed by the 421st Combat Training Squadron, that teaches basic combat skills to over 5,000 U.S. Air Force, Joint and NATO personnel annually.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jakob Moore, a conventional maintenance crew chief assigned to the 4th Munitions Squadron, prepares munitions during an annual load crew competition at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, on February 23, 2024. Every year, a load crew from each unit goes head-to-head in a competition that tests their dress and appearance, weapons knowledge and speed and accuracy of loading munitions on an F-15E Strike Eagle. Air Force

020108-F-0526K-004. Base: Aviano Air Base State: Pordenone Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Members of the West Virginia National Guard CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) participate in a semi-annual Collective Training Exercise (CTE) evolution at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, August 17, 2022. Approximately 193 personnel spent three days in the field learning and refining CERFP capabilities including Command and Control, Mass Casualty Decontamination, Search and Rescue, Communications, Medical Operations, and Fatality Search and Rescue Team functions. (U.S. Army National Guard photograph by Edwin L. Wriston)

Smoke rolls out of an expended artillery round as Sgt. Flint Elsik extracts the shell from a Howitzer during a live fire training exercise, Aug. 24. Paratroopers assigned to B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducted defensive live fire exercises during the Brigades week-long field training exercise in preparation for a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation in October. As part of Americas Global Response Force, the Paratroopers of the 82nd Abn. Div. consistently train to be prepared to conduct any type of mission anywhere in the world on short notice.

040702-M-7514K-026. Base: Camp Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Joshua Kniera, a construction equipment repairer assigned to the 996th Engineering Company from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, scrapes off residue from the wheel bearing of a humvee, during exercise Platinum Wrench, Aug. 17, 2022, on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. During a full preventative maintenance checks and services inspection, the wheels and engine are removed from the vehicle to make sure the vehicle is operating safely.

US Air Force STAFF Sergeant Barry Mueller and USAF SENIOR AIRMAN Paul Kaehler, weapons loaders from the weapons standardization section, 48th Operations Group, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, load a laser guided GBU-24 on the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. (Duplicate image, see also DF-SD-02-02637 or search 010119-F-4177H-004). Base: Raf Lakenheath State: East Anglia Country: England / Great Britain (ENG)

011103-F-4406B-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Naval Air Station, Sigonella State: Sicily Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

Soldiers assigned to 16th Combat Aviation Brigade recover equipment from the Port of Tacoma, Wash., and perform preventative maintenance checks and services prior to movement back to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on October 5, 2022.

Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Clavette, brigade master driver manager and unit safety officer, 646th Regional Support Brigade, Mobilization Support Brigade, goes over the pre-trip inspection items prior to the on-road portion of the bus driver training course, Fort Cavazos, Texas. Clavette has trained 41 bus drivers since October 2023 and looks forward to training additional Soldiers while his unit is mobilized to the Great Place. Army

Senior Airman Grady Mark (left), 735th Air Mobility Squadron, describes the innovative Spotty Bar to Lt. Gen. Ricky N. Rupp, U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on April 4. The Spotty Bar, when welded to a Tunner 60K Loader, improves safety for Airmen using the equipment.

Airmen from 379th Expeditionary Readiness Squadron and 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron move a pallet of munitions onto a K-loader Sept. 20, 2022 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 379th ERLS ground transport team moved munitions from the munitions storage area to a staging area where they were later loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

040823-F-3968C-004. Base: Luke Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLTON, California (July 11, 2022) - U.S. Navy Gas Turbine System Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew Smart, left, and Aviation Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Mike Strober, both assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5, secure a Light Armored Vehicle, July 11. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is currently embarked aboard the USS Makin Island conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet.

Airmen from the 139th Civil Engineer Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard, prepare heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units for tents to camp in as part of a mass training exercise during this months mega drill, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 30, 2022. Various units and squadrons around the base will be completing specialized training exercises to ensure mission readiness.

U.S. Marines with 12th Marine Regiment prepare documents for a Marine Air-Ground Task Force deployment operations center (MDOC) inspection at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, June 29, 2023. As a part of a strategic mobility exercise (STRATMOBEX), III Marine Expeditionary Force MDOC inspected cargo that will be used in upcoming exercise Resolute Dragon 23.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joshua Dolan, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, recovers a C-17 Globemaster III following Hurricane Ian at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Oct. 1, 2022. Base personnel executed the rapid recovery of the C-17s, ensuring the continuation of Team Charlestons rapid global mobility mission.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joshua Dolan, 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, recovers a C-17 Globemaster III following Hurricane Ian at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Oct. 1, 2022. Base personnel executed the rapid recovery of the C-17s, ensuring the continuation of Team Charlestons rapid global mobility mission.

Maj. Kyle Schafer, 22nd Operations Group KC-46A Pegasus pilot, carries the hose of an R-11 refueling truck for the first overseas KC-46A hot pit refuel at Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 10, 2022. Hot pit refueling uses a single-point refuel pump, allowing an aircraft to be refueled immediately after landing, with the engine running. This procedure is more frequently used with fighter jets, but is newer to the KC-46A, making it essential to practice and increase capabilities available to the Pacific Air Forces.

Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Blassi Shoogukwruk, a crew chief with the 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, describes the capabilities of the HC-130J Combat King II aircraft to a young spectator at the 2022 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering at the Palmer Municipal Airport in Palmer, Alaska, May 7. The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is an annual two-day event that features indoor and outdoor static aircraft, and national and international exhibitions that promote general aviation in Alaska. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda ONeal)

The Honorable Doulgas Bush, U.S. assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology, looks inside of a U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams battle tank with the tanks armor crewman, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 68 Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during the 30th annual International Defense Industry Exhibition at Kielce, Poland, Sept. 7, 2022. Trade shows like MPSO provide a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Defense and defense industry to engage with Allies and partners, and demonstrate some of its capabilities.

U.S. Navy Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Miguel Soto, from San Angelo, Texas, makes an announcement over the ships internal microphone to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), aboard the ship, in Newport News, Virginia, Feb. 2, 2022. The John C. Stennis is in Newport News Shipyard working alongside NNS, NAVSEA and contractors conducting Refueling and Complex Overhaul as part of the mission to deliver the warship back in the fight, on time and on budget, to resume its duty of defending the United States. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication 3rd Class Daniel Tillie)

1st Sgt. Christopher Price, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry speaks during a change of responsibility ceremony at Ft. Carson, Colo., May 16. During the ceremony, 1st Sgt. Christopher Price relinquished responsibility of the company to 1st Sgt. Jaime Natividad. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Jason Elmore.

920th Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen offload equipment from the back of an HC130J Combat King II aircraft during exercise Distant Horizon at Bradshaw Army Airfield, Hawaii, Aug. 4, 2022.Distant Horizon is an exercise designed to validate tactics, techniques, and procedures of personnel recovery and agile combat employment in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nova Noon, 517th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, prepares to offload an HH-60G Pave Hawk at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 22, 2024. During peacetime, the HH-60G's primary tasks include civil search and rescue, emergency aeromedical evacuation, disaster relief and international aid.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, assess a simulated casualty during a night casualty evacuation exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 12, 2022. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

35th Fighter Generation Squadron team members assemble a GBU-38 bomb a during the 3rd Quarter Load Crew Competition at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21, 2022. In addition to bomb loading, the weapons load competition also included a written test as well as dress and appearance evaluation.

060216-N-9174G-002. Base: USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

GULFPORT, Miss. (Sep. 29, 2022) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, collect concrete break test samples prior to pouring concrete at the Port of Gulfport. A concrete break test is a compressive strength of concrete using a destructive approach by crushing concrete cylinders or cubes and measuring the pressure until it breaks. NMCB 1 is conducting an intense homeport training plan to expand their ability to execute construction, humanitarian assistance, and theater operations.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (April 2, 2011) - Capt. Donna Buono (left), the commander of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and an AH-64 Apache pilot, introduces Afghan Air Force Maj. Gen. Abdul Razik Sherzai, the commander of the Kandahar Air Wing, to the helicopter during the general's visit with Task Force Thunder here April 2. Sherzai met with Col. Todd Royar - the task force commander - and his subordinate leaders to discuss future partnering opportunities between their two units. Task Force Thunder comprises the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade and its subordinate battalions, which are deployed from Fort Campbell, Ky., along with MEDEVAC additions from Alaska and Germany, Chinook assets from the Hawaii National Guard and Australia, and the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Regiment, from Fort Hood, Texas.

Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen, assigned to Joint Task Force-Alaska, fill and place sand bags to reinforce the Koyuk Native Store warehouse for Operation Merbok Response in Koyuk, Alaska, Sept. 28, 2022. More than 130 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount)

U.S. Army soldiers conceal an M1A3 Abrams Tank with camo netting before departing from the Port of Agadir during the African Lion 22 exercise, June 4, 2022, Agadir, Morocco. The U.S. tanks were transported by both U.S. and Moroccan military transport vehicles from the port to their staging area in Tifnit, Morocco. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Commands largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.

Soldiers assigned to Apex Company, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Corps Brigade partnered with Soldiers From the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade to air insert two Terrestrial Transmission Line Of Sight radios (TRILOS) on June 7, 2022. During their training, Apex Company Soldiers conducted platoon validations on Command Post Nodes (CPN), Joint Network Nodes (JNN), and TRILOS to test their expeditionary signal communications and further support XVIII Airborne Corps and all its mission command systems. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. Maxine Baen)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Virgilio Viduya, 86th Materiel Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment craftsman, works with a Luxembourger contractor to inspect a piece of equipment at the Warehouses Service Agency in Sanem, Luxembourg, Feb. 8, 2024. Viduya is responsible for ensuring the proper function of thousands of pieces of equipment, including more than 1,000 pieces of AGE equipment and ensures they are ready to be sent anywhere in the European theater. Air Force

Senior Airman Connor Ferraro, 31st Munitions Squadron precision guided munitions crew chief, prepares a DSU-38 fuze at Aviano Air Base, Italy, August 9, 2022. The preparation of the fuze is to assemble the GBU-54.ISOs were packed by 731st MUNS assigned to Camp Darby and simulated as shipped to a forward operating location to exercise ACE capabilities.

240215-N-VC599-1011 U.S. NAVAL BASE GUAM (Feb. 15, 2024) - Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Erasmo Cardoza, from San Benito, Texas, assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760), secures a torpedo-mounted dispenser to a Mark 48 torpedo during a weapons load with Sailors from the Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) at U.S. Naval Base Guam, Feb. 15. Annapolis is one of several submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron (CSS) 15. CSS-15 is located at Polaris Point, U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG). NBG is strategically located to support all submarines deployed to U.S. 7th Fleet and is home to several Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines. Navy

Military members and their families visit a booth during National Night Out at Crossroads Elementary School on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Aug. 2, 2022. National Night Out is a nationwide event that allows emergency response personnel to heighten awareness and encourage crime prevention. The goal is to strengthen community spirit and send a message that neighborhoods are organized and prepared to observe, report, and remain vigilant. The event was hosted by Security Battalion, with support from Marine Corps Community Services Quantico.

U.S. Army Spc. Stephen Hernandez, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 252nd Quartermaster Company, performs maintenance checks and services on a vehicle to ensure is safety and operability. The 252nd QM CO is in Fort Hood preparing for a deployment to the Middle East.

Mississippi National Guard Soldiers put water in the trunk of a person's car at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi, Sept. 1, 2022. Nearly 600 Mississippi National Guardsmen were set up across seven sites through Jackson for people to collect bottled water and non-potable water from water buffalo trucks. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Connie Jones)

U.S. Navy Sailors with Logistics Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 22, explain the capabilities of mobile field hospitals to U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka (left), deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), at Robertson Barracks, NT, Australia, Aug. 25, 2022. U.S. INDOPACOM and Marine Corps Forces Pacific deputy commanders toured Robertson Barracks to observe the capabilities of the rotation and reinforce the U.S.-Australia alliance.

U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 773 Detachment A, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve, conduct maintenance on an AH-1Z Viper during exercise Gunslinger 22 at Salina, Kansas on June 20, 2022. Routine aircraft maintenance is required to ensure the aircraft is operating within optimal flight conditions.

U.S. Air Force loadmasters remove a countermeasure munitions mod from a C-130J Super Hercules at Ali Al Salem Air Force Base, Kuwait, Jan. 26, 2022. The Airmen of the 386 EMXS/MXMW perform semi-annual 100% stockpile inventory to account for assets worth an estimated $109 million to ensure the correct munitions and serviceability for all aircraft and personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daira Jackson)

Sgt. Jose R. Velasquez ground guides Pvt. Seojin Park during a weeklong forklift training course at Fort Bragg, N.C., June 15, 2022. The Soldiers are assigned to the 330th Movement Control Battalion.

A U.S. Air Force medical squadron technician assigned to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility delivers equipment to a medical clinic at an undisclosed location Feb. 22, 2024. Medical personnel routinely use and test their equipment to make sure it is properly working in order to ensure the care and safety of service members in the USENTCOM AOR. Air Force photo)

HOBOKEN, N.J. (Nov. 3, 2012) Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) and Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) haul up a 500-pound I-beam cut from a damaged ferry slip brace at Hoboken Transit Terminal, N.J. Wasp, USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) are positioned in New York City harbor to provide relief support to areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Preston Toogood, an infantry Marine with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducts misfire procedures with a M240B machine gun aboard USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5), in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 13, 2022. BLT 2/5 conducted weapons training to further educate their Marines on different weapons platforms. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of Amphibious Assault Ship USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Logistics Battalion, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, inspect an unmanned underwater vehicle during a joint explosive ordnance disposal exercise at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Sept. 24, 2022. EOD technicians around the joint force conducted a week long joint-service level exercise where service members cohesively integrated, trained, and competed with one another while utilizing experimental technology. The training demonstrated progress in the U.S. Marine Corps Force Design 2030 efforts.

Spc. Robert-Lee Pass, a Heavy Expanded Mobility Truck Wrecker operator with the 1166th Combat Heavy Equipment Transportation Company, an Army National Guard unit based out of Massachusetts, attached to Third Army, performs preventative maintenance checks and services on his HEMT Wrecker. The 1166th plays a critical role in Third Armys support of the Responsible Drawdown of Iraq by transporting heavy equipment from Iraq to Kuwait, for refurbishment and retrograde for future operations in Central Commands area of operation.

U.S. Army Pfc. Joseph Abeyta, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion enhanced satellite communications system operator and maintainer, sets up an antenna during exercise Heavy Rain III at Sembach Army Base, Germany, Sept. 14, 2022. This exercise challenges service members' ability to detect and resolve communication interference as they move through plans to validate communication efforts.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Derek France, Third Air Force commander, gets fitted with aircrew flight equipment at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Jan. 23, 2024. As U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africas only numbered air force, the NAFs command staff provides support for all of Third Air Force, which consists of 10 wings with more than 32,000 Airmen across two continents.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Charles Ferguson, 81st Security Forces Squadron unit training manager, tours the cockpit of a C-130 during a joint training with the Biloxi Special Weapons and Tactics team at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, May 9, 2022. Security forces and Biloxi SWAT members trained together on aircraft anti-hijacking procedures.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Zandra Roblez, an embarkation specialist with 1st Landing Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, checks a gear list during exercise Native Fury 22 at Yanbu Commercial Port, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Aug. 2, 2022. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enables the U.S. Marine Corps Central Command and U.S. Central Command to receive and employ forces and resources rapidly in the region through a growing network of western geographic access and staging points.

Soldiers with the Florida National Guards Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) unit, conducts pre-inspection of their rescue equipment ahead of Hurricane Ian's arrival, Sept. 26, 2022. The CERFP unit utilizes varying skills to provide assistance following natural disasters. (Florida National Guard photo by, Staff Sgt. Christopher Vann, released.)

Senior Master Sgt. Donald Roos talks with member of 132d Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group about how the 57th Munitions Squadron operates during annual training at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 18, 2022. Members of the 132d ISRG spent two weeks at Nellis AFB for their annual training showcasing their ability to standup operations anywhere in the world.

U.S. Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Cory Schmidt, aircrew flight equipment technician, 114th Fighter Wing, completes a preflight inspection of a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 2-22 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., April 7, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

September 6, 2011 - CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew prepare to install the Bambi Bucket on the aircraft. Texas National Guard crews launched out of the Austin Army Aviation Facility to fight wild fires threatening homes and property near Bastrop, Texas.

SrA Jacob ybarra from the 509th Munitions Squadron shows Sgt. Maj. Howard kreamer, U.S. Strategic Command Senior Enlisted Leader conventional munitions at Whiteman Air Force Base, Aug. 02, 2022. The munitions squadron showed Kreamer thier conventional munition capabilities in support of the B-2 mission.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly (center), commander of Air Combat Command, is given an overview of the power plant generators by Master Sgt. Dan Raile (right), an electrical power production NCO in charge with the 225th Support Squadron, during a visit to the Western Air Defense Sector, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Dec. 4, 2022. WADS is an Air National Guard unit assigned the mission of defending Americas skies 24/7/365 as part of Operation Noble Eagle.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Braden Huppert and Staff Sgt. Alex Sawyer, munitions flight specialists with the 378th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, show Royal Saudi Air Force service members the proper alignment to assemble American Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-38s at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2022. The host nation integration bomb building and other partnership training help the USAF and RSAF forge a resolute partnership while showing potential regional aggressors PSABs capabilities and how together the sum is greater than the parts.

U.S. Air Force Airman Declan Tighe, 319th Logistic Readiness Squadron cargo processing technician, stacks mobility bags onto a cargo pallet Sept. 27, 2022, during Readiness Exercise Validation Global Griffin 09-22 on Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. More than 150 airmen from the 319th Reconnaissance Wing participated in the five-day, multi-phase exercise.

A 43rd Fighter Generation Squadron weapons load performs pre-loading checks during the units competition Oct. 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Two teams competed to see who could load an AIM-120 and an AIM-9 onto their F-22 Raptor the fastest and with the fewest errors.

Alaska Army National Guard Pfc. Paulina Frydrych, from Palmer and an electrician with the 207th Engineer Utility Detachment, 297th Regional Support Group, accepts help from a Tununak child loading road building materials as part of Joint Task Force - Bethel in Newtok, Alaska, as part of Operation Merbok Response, Sept. 22, 2022. More than 130 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kelly Willett)

Alaska Army National Guard Pfc. Paulina Frydrych, from Palmer and an electrician with the 207th Engineer Utility Detachment, 297th Regional Support Group, accepts help from a Tununak child loading road building materials as part of Joint Task Force - Bethel in Newtok, Alaska, as part of Operation Merbok Response, Sept. 22, 2022. More than 130 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kelly Willett)

Florida Army National Guard Soldiers from the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2-124 Charlie Co., Ocala, Fla., load food in to a local citizens vehicle during Hurricane Michael disaster relief, Panama City, Fla., Oct. 13, 2018. Soldiers respond in communities throughout the panhandle in conjunction with civilian emergency services.

Two Marines work inside an AAVC-7 tracked command landing vehicle during exercise Ocean Venture '88. Subject Operation/Series: OCEAN VENTURE '88 Base: US Naval Station, Roosevelt Road State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Members of the 325th Security Forces Squadron discuss the use of a police grappler bumper during a base security demonstration with U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark D. Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Jan. 24, 2022. Kelly visited the 325th Fighter Wing to witness first-hand its strategic importance as the Air Forces home of air dominance and to gain perspective on its ability to train and project unrivaled combat airpower as the Department of Defenses Installation of the Future. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Betty R. Chevalier)

Airmen prepare to attach a cargo net to a simulated-cargo pallet during the 15th Wings Multi-Capable Airmen Tier 1 training event at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 19, 2022. Tier 1 training provided Airmen with a baseline set of advanced expeditionary training tasks that all MCA will receive.

030304-M-0367H-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Coyote Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 7th Marines

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. William Telschow, left, and U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Miguel Gibson, center, 31st Fighter Wing Flight Safety managers, show Lt. Col. Francesco Mini, Italian air force flight safety commander, some equipment that the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard team recently upgraded at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Oct. 18, 2022. These cannons work on their own to swivel and shoot small bursts of air that help us clear the flightline before take-offs.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, carry a combat rubber raiding craft at Kin Red Harbor, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 21, 2022. Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force Expeditionary Operations Training Group Amphibious Raids Branch designed a littoral maneuver training package for 1st Bn., 2nd Marine, to prepare for future operations in littoral environments. 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, is forward deployed to III MEF under the unit deployment program.

020809-F-8425S-003. Base: Aviano Air Base State: Pordenone Country: Italy (ITA)

220729-N-XB010-1003 EAST CHINA SEA (July 29, 2022) Corporal Trevor Oliver, from Plano, Texas, assigned to the 21st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), secures a joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV) on the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) well deck. New Orleans, part of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st MEU, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

AMN Greg Gray fixes a heating unit in a barracks building on the Rebuplic of Korea, K-2 Air Base, Taegu, on Oct. 16, 1998. Gray, of the 374 Civil Engineer Squadron, is preparing the barracks for the arrival of hundreds of airmen, marines, and soldiers, in support of Foal Eagle '98. Foal Eagle is a deployment exercise that takes place once a year in Korea. Subject Operation/Series: FOAL EAGLE '98KOREA CD Base: K-2, Taegu Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

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