Military Aircraft Operations

Military aircraft preparation and operations during various exercises, showcasing air mobility and support operations for U.S. forces.

A HC-130P Combat King of the 71st RQS at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Brendan Hanson, a KC-130J Hercules loadmaster with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, assists in performing engine starts at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Aug. 28, 2022. VMGR-252 trained in close-air support by using the Harvest Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit. VMGR-252 is a subordinate of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Aircrew assigned to 60th Air Mobility Wing descend from a KC-10 Extender at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 27, 2023. The operation was a celebration of a century of aerial refueling capabilities involving 152 total aircraft, including 82 tankers and 70 receivers, traversing sites across the United States.

Airmen from the 152nd Communications Flight and 152nd Operations Group participate in the Mountain Flag exercise in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. May 25, 2022. The exercise was executed to prepare Airmen for Agile Combat Employment (ACE), an Air Force concept which enables Airmen to conduct operations from distributed locations at higher and faster levels of complexity.

A USAF 86TH Air Wing C-130 taxies, with its rear loading ramp lowered, along the tarmac at Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The 86th is in support of forces involved in Operation Joint Endeavor, which is a peacekeeping effort by a multinational Implementation Force (IFOR), comprised of NATO and non-NATO military forces, deployed to Bosnia in support of the Dayton Peace Accords. (Duplicate image, see also DD-SD-00-00391 or search 960914-F-3939J-505). Subject Operation/Series: JOINT ENDEAVOR Base: Tuzla Air Base Country: Bosnia And/I Herzegovina (BIH)

Three U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 22nd and 6th Air Refueling Wings sit on the flightline on Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, during Operation Noble Eagle 22-4.2 Sept. 12, 2022. Noble Defender is an air defense operation designed to demonstrate the United States and Canada's ability to defend the approaches of North America from current and future cruise missile threats while integrating across domains with partners and allies.

A KC-10 Extender sits on the parking apron as it is prepared for a refueling mission. Joint Task Force 95-3 involved each branch of the armed services and all major units of the US Atlantic Command.(Exact date unknown). Subject Operation/Series: JOINT TASK FORCE 95-3 Base: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Kentucky Air National Guard C-130J-30 Super Hercules arriving at Hohn Air Base, Germany.

030329-F-5040D-017. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Unknown

Flight line personnel load cargo pallets aboard a KC-10A Extender aircraft in preparation for deployment to Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, during the short-term tactical deployment Exercise Crested Cap '87. Subject Operation/Series: CRESTED CAP '87 Base: Nellis Air Force Base State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Army paratroopers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct an Airborne operation with paratroopers from Germanys 26th Airborne Regiment and Italys 4th Alpini Parachute Regiment at Juliet Drop Zone, Italy, Nov. 15, 2022. The paratroopers held a ceremony after jump operations were complete and exchanged airborne badges belonging to their country. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

A C-130 Hercules, from the 133rd Airlift Wing, Minneapolis-Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota, takes off from Young Landing Zone on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, June 13, 2022. The aircraft was supporting Airmen from the 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron who were training on agile combat employment spoke operations in preparation for a near peer conflict.

U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules, arrives at Air Dominance Center, a Combat Readiness Training Center, in Savannah, Georgia, to drop off personnel and load cargo prior to flying to Avon Park Auxiliary Airfield, Florida, July 20, 2022. The C-130J delivered Airmen and cargo to support the AGILE FLAG 22-2 exercise hosted by Air Combat Command. AGILE FLAG 22-2 marks a significant milestone in standardizing the way ACC organizes, trains, and equips for ACE after a period of experimentation.

MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) aircrew assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing test the MAFFS from inside a C130J Super Hercules aircraft during annual MAFFS recertification training at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, April 25, 2022. During the wing's annual MAFFS training. Air National Guard aircrew from the Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard's, 146th Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing, and the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, train together to accomplish their aerial firefighting certification alongside the U.S. Forest Service and other wildfire prevention agencies. In the event of activation during the fire year, First Air Force (AFNORTH), U.S. Northern Command's Air Component Command, is the DoD's operational lead for the aerial military efforts to support USDA Forest Service-National Interagency Fire Center requests for fire suppression support.

DF-ST-87-07836. Subject Operation/Series: BLUE HORIZON Base: Howard Air Force Base Country: Panama (PAN)

030202-F-0193C-005. Base: Charleston Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 127th Wing, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, arrive at Sawyer International Airport, Marquette, Michigan in support of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) training as multi-capable Airmen during the Northern Agility 22-1 exercise, June 27, 2022. Northern Agility 22-1 tests the rapid insertion of an Air Expeditionary Wing into a bare-base environment, to establish logistics and communications and enhance the ability to operate in austere environments.

220705-M-GI936-1296 KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (July 5, 2022) - Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer 7 Danny Fradette, traffic technician, helps unload a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster at Marine Corps Base Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

The 165th Airlift Wing (AW), Georgia Air National Guard's first C-130J Super Hercules, tail number 5975, is staged in front of a Lockheed Martin hangar in Marietta, Ga. Jan. 22, 2024 for a delivery ceremony display. The 165 AW received the first of its eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlift aircraft during a ceremony commemorating a new era in Hercules operations for the wing.

Five C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, taxi on the runway after a large formation flight that showcased the force and the new modifications to the aircraft on September 11, 2022 in Savannah, Georgia. Over the last 18 months, the entire 165th AW fleet of C-130H aircraft was modernized with NP-2000 eight blade propellers and T-56 3.5 engines. The eight-bladed propellers will deliver more power and efficiency while reducing maintenance.

A U.S. Air Force maintainer assigned to the 721st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron marshals a C-17 Globemaster III on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 7, 2022. The 721st AMXS provides en route aircraft maintenance for Air Mobility Command strategic airlift missions through the base to enable Joint operations in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. Saber Junction is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with more than 4,500 participants from the U.S. and Allied and partner nations.

031005-F-5725S-026. Base: Dyess Air Force Base State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Air Mobility Command

Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guards 106th Rescue Wing, load an HH-60 Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter on board a C-17 assigned to the New York Air National Guards 105th Airlift Wing at Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York on August 19, 2022. The aircraft is being sent to Brazil where it will be used to participate in Exercise Tapio, a combined Brazilian- U.S. irregular warfare exercise in Campo Grade, Brazil. The New York Air National Guard is sending 100 Airmen from the two wings to participate as part of the State Partnership Program relationship with Brazil,

DF-ST-88-06796. Base: Marine Corps Air Station,Iwakuni Country: Japan (JPN)

The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, Utah National Guard and the Utah Air National Guard load four AH-64D Apache helicopters onboard a C-5 Galaxy, to be transported to Morocco in support of African Lion 22, a U.S. Africa Command annual exercise on Saturday, June 18, 2022.

A US Air Force C-141 Starlifter takes off from the air base for deployment to the exercise. The Starlifters are airlifting US Army soldiers and cargo to the training area near L'viv, Ukraine, for humanitarian and peacekeeping exercises with the Ukrainian Army. Subject Operation/Series: PEACE SHIELD '95 Base: Rhein-Main Air Base Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

070205-M-3968C-098. Base: Marine Corps Air Station,Miramar State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: VMGR-352

Air National Guard C-130H Hercules during Exercise Air Defender 2023 in Wunstorf, Germany.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (July 25, 2022) U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron conduct MQ-9 Reaper pre-flight and launch checks prior to takeoff during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 25, at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Unmanned and remotely operated vessels extend the capability of interconnected manned platform sensors to enhance the warfighting capacity of multinational joint task forces. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The worlds largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the worlds oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise is in the series that began in 1971.

C-2 Greyhound US Navy

A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is parked at the 33rd Air Base, Powidz, Poland, Sept. 12, 2022. The aircraft and its passengers will take part in the Aviation Detachment Rotation 22-4 training (ADR 22-4). ADRs are bilateral training exercises and deployments designed to enhance partner interoperability, maintain joint readiness, and assure our regional allies.

980620-F-2907C-064. Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 10, 2022. The KC-130J can be configured to provide transport of personnel or cargo.

A French Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft flies a sortie at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, while attending the Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course at the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, September 29, 2022. This was the first aircrew from France to attend the course as well as the first Atlas aircrew. Since 1983 the training center has provided advanced tactical training to airlift aircrews from the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, Air Mobility Command, U.S. Marine Corps and 17 allied nations.

A US Air Force C-141 Starlifter takes off from the air base for deployment to the exercise. The Starlifters are airlifting US Army soldiers and cargo to the training area near L'viv, Ukraine, for humanitarian and peacekeeping exercises with the Ukrainian Army. Subject Operation/Series: PEACE SHIELD '95 Base: Rhein-Main Air Base Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

U.S. Airman marshals a KC-10 Extender aircraft prior to take off at Travis Air Force Base, California, April 12, 2022. Travis AFB executes all four Air Mobility Command capabilities - airlift, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and global reach contingency operations.

A crew chief from the 117th Maintenance Group signals for the KC-135R Stratotankers pilot to stop the aircraft in its parking spot on the flight line while another aircraft behind it continues to tax to its assigned parking spot at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Alabama, Feb. 10, 2024. The mission of the 117th Air Refueling Wing is to provide quality worldwide air refueling, airlift, support, logistics, intelligence, and medical services in support of its community, state, and the nation with its KC-135R Stratotanker fleet. Air National Guard

Bagram, Afghanistan -- A C-130 Hercules takes off out of the Bagram Airfield flightline in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, March 27. The C-130 North Carolina Air National Guard crew is providing critical supplies to replenish U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan.

050107-F-9429S-006. Base: Karshni-Khanabad Air Base Country: Uzbekistan (UZB)

A US Air Force KC-10 Extender from McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, moves into contact position during a refueling mission while deployed to a forward location in the European theatre. This mission is in direct support of Joint Task Force Noble Anvil. Subject Operation/Series: NOBLE ANVIL Country: Unknown

Three C-130 Hercules from the 165th Airlift Wing begin pre-flight engine checks on the flight line in Savannah, Georgia, September 11, 2022. The 165th AW recently completed the second phase of the modernization process that transitioned the C-130s from four-bladed propellers to eight-bladed propellers. The eight-bladed propellers will deliver more power and efficiency while reducing maintenance.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (July 20, 2022) A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules lands on a flight line during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, July 20. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

000321-F-6200T-501. Subject Operation/Series: ATLAS RESPONSE Base: Hoedspruit Air Force Base Country: South Africa (ZAF)

GOTLAND, Sweden (June 8, 2022) A Swedish TP84 Hercules participates in BALTOPS 22. BALTOPS 22 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen combined response capabilities critical to preserving freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea. (Swedish Armed Forces photo by Joel Thungren)

Nine LC130s with the 109th Airlift Wing conducted the units first ever Elephant Walk on September 10th 2022. An elephant walk is a United States Air Force term for thetaxiing of military aircraft in close formation; often employed to project air power through the rapid deployment of multiple aircraft at once.

C-17 crew members and personnel from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron and personnel from nearby Ft. Bragg load the C-17 with equipment, supplies, and trucks to be deployed to Panama. Subject Operation/Series: SAFE HAVEN Base: Pope Air Force Base State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A-10 Thunderbolt Hill Air Force Base Utah USA

Right side front view medium aerial shot as a US Air Force MC-130P "Shadow" from the 67th Special Operations Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, flies over South Africa on its way to perform a reconnaissance mission of damaged roads in Central Mozambique, after departing from Air Force Base Hoedspruit, South Africa, where they are deployed in support of Operation Atlas Response. Operation Atlas Response is a multi-national humanitarian relief mission helping displaced people in Central and Southern Mozambique that have been devastated by recent floods (Floods and victims not shown). Subject Operation/Series: ATLAS RESPONSE Country: South Africa (ZAF)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeff Tschacher, 153rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Wyoming Air National Guard, directs a C-130H Hercules equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System(MAFFS) to start engine two in preparation to fight wildfires burning in Texas, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 19, 2011. MAFFS is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land.

A C-141 Starlifter aircraft takes off for the flight home at the conclusion of exercise Bright Star '80. Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '80 Base: Cairo West Country: Egypt (EGY)

DF-ST-85-13240. Subject Operation/Series: CENTRAL GUARDIAN / REFORGER Base: Siegerland Airport Country: West Germany (FRG)

970711-M-0023H-001. Complete Scene Caption: An RT-4000 forklift is offloaded from the the MV Villars at the port facility in Paldiski, Estonia. The Villars had brought equipment stored in Norway under the Norway Air-Landed Marine Expeditionary Brigade (NALMEB) program to Estonia for BALTIC CHALLENGE '97. BALTIC CHALLENGE is a multinational exercise conducted in the spirit of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) initiative. More than 2600 military personnel from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and the US, will participate in the second "in the spirit of PfP" land exercises conducted in the Baltic region. Co-Commanders for the exercise being held in Paldiski, Estonia are Colonel Oscar Mark, Estonian Defense Forces and Colonel D. L. Andrews, US Marine Corps Reserve. While BALTIC CHALLENGE will conduct training along peacekeeping/humanitarian assistance mission standards, significant US Navy and Marine Corps capabilities never exercised in Europe will be perfo

030805-F-1342R-002. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Unknown

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE (Sept. 28, 2022) The U.S. Naval Academys Training and Research in Oceanic and Atmospheric Processes in Tropical Cyclones (TROPIC) team joined the Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on a mission into Hurricane Ian. The purpose of the TROPIC program is to allow midshipmen and graduate students the opportunity to fly through storms in planes that drop airborne expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) sensors into the ocean, collecting data they produce to include the oceans temperature, salinity, and density changes underneath the storm, while also evaluating the waves themselves for future research.

The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard honors fallen members from USS COLE (DDG 67) at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, as their remains are removed from a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft on October 14, 2000. The sailors were killed in an explosion resulting from a terrorist attack on the COLE in Yemen. Base: Dover State: Delaware (DE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

050119-F-1601R-003. Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Airmen assigned to the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, refuel a C-130H Hercules aircraft on Feb. 14, 2024, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri. Aircrews conducted a 41-hour sortie in which the aircraft engines ran continuously for 45 hours and the aircraft was refueled three times. This type of training enhances the wings warfighting capability by pushing the limits of the aircraft and personnel. Air National Guard

A P-3B Orion aircraft of Naval Air Reserve Patrol Squadron 68 (VP-68) shows off its new paint job on the flight line. VP-68 is in Rota for active duty training. Base: Naval Station, Rota Country: Spain (ESP)

040428-F-4201N-400. Base: Eielson Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A KC-135R from the 161st Air Refueling Wing flies a training mission out of Phoenix, Arizona.

A U.S. Air Force E-3G Sentry on a Red Flag mission.

DF-ST-89-04955. Base: Naval Air Station, New Orleans State: Louisiana (LA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender performs a fly-by during Wings Over Solano at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 14, 2022. The Wings Over Solano open house and air show provided an opportunity for the local community to interact directly with the base and its Airmen and see capabilities on full display at Travis AFB.

020423-F-9082S-002. Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

030312-F-4820A-002. Base: RAF Fairford State: Gloucestershire Country: England / Great Britain (ENG) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

050908-F-2788H-003. Base: Little Rock Air Force Base State: Arkansas (AR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

140309-N-ZZ999-001KADENA AIR BASE OKINAWA, Japan (March 9, 2014) A P-3C Orion aircraft departs from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan to aid in the search efforts of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The P-3C brings long-range search, radar and communications capabilities to the efforts. The flight had 227 passengers from 14 nations, mainly China, and 12 crew members. According to the Malaysia Airlines website, three Americans, including one infant, were also aboard.

040430-M-5607G-006. Base: Mcas, Cherry Point State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron board a C-130 to return to Poland from Ørland Main Air Station, Norway, Sept. 19, 2022. The 90 EFS forward deployed to Norway to conduct an arctic agile combat employment (ACE) exercise with the Royal Norwegian Air Force and NATO Allies and partners. The joint training and integration provided in this ACE exercise improves the resilience and survivability of coalition airpower.

An HC-130 Combat King II search and rescue aircraft assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard, arrives at Campo Grande, Brazil on August 21, 2022 as part of the preparations for Exercise Tapio, a combined Brazilian- U.S. irregular warfare exercise. The New York Air National Guard dispatched 100 Airmen to participate as part of the State Partnership Program relationship with Brazil,

An EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft from the 193rd Special Operations Wing performs a flyover during Community Days at the Lancaster Airport in Lititz, Pennsylvania, Sept.17, 2022. Airmen from the 193rd SOW brought to close a 54-year chapter in the unit history as one of the three EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft delivered its final broadcast during the Community Days Air Show event.

030403-F-6449C-010. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Country: Romania (ROM) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Royal Navy and U.S. Army personnel work on a damaged Royal Navy Sea King Mk4 helicopter to prepare it for loading on the Russian Antonev AN-124-100 "Ruslan" (NATO code name "Condor") in the background. The Sea King sheared its tail rotor as a result of a hard landing on the Fort Bragg, N.C. reservation while participating in Exercise PURPLE STAR (Combined Joint Task Force 96 individual commands used their own code names for the exercise). The U.S. Army units used Exercise "ROYAL DRAGON"; U.S. Air Force units used Exercise "BIG DROP III" as their code name, while the 17,000 British forces involved used Exercise "PURPLE STAR.". Subject Operation/Series: PURPLE STARROYAL DRAGONBIG DROP III Base: Pope Air Force Base State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 36th Contingency Response Group and the 36th Airlift Squadron, load containers onto a C-130 Hercules during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training event at exercise Cope North 15 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, 2015. Exercise Cope North 15 enhances humanitarian assistance and disaster relief crisis response capabilities between six nations and lays the foundation for regional cooperation expansion during real-world contingencies in the Asia-Pacific Region.

971208-F-7902R-005. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH Base: Nav Sup Activity, Diego Garcia Country: British Indian Ocean Territory (IOT) Scene Major Command Shown: AIR COMBAT COMMAND

HC-130J Combat King II aircraft depart Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. The decision was made to relocate the aircraft to areas that would prevent them from being damaged. In less than 24-hours, all of the wing's HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were prepared, pre-flight checked, then flown or loaded to be transported off of the installation. This movement was the equivalent of a rapid deployment of the wing's Personnel Recovery Task Force-Heavy, which utilizes multi-capable Airmen from across the wing to mobilize rapidly for rescue operations around the world.

Air to air front, backlighted, view of Air Mobility Command's 60th Military Airlift Wing's C-5 Galaxy flying over the ocean during training mission out of Travis, AFB, California. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown

A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 328th Air Refueling Squadron, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y., refuels a B-52 Stratofortress from the 93rd Bomb Squadron, assigned to the 307th Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to complete local training requirements August 15, 2022. Establishing, maintaining, and expanding military relationships is vital to mission success, and Barksdale AFB is one of many global partners.

A P-3C Orion aircraft completes retraction of the landing gear as it takes off from the air station. P-3C aircraft of Patrol Squadron 30 (VP-30) and VP-62 are parked in the background on the tarmac. Base: Naval Air Station, Jacksonville State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Pirmann, 414th Combat Training Squadron parachute rigger, drives an all-terrain vehicle from a C-130 Hercules from the Belgium air force's 20 Squadron Feb. 2, 2011, after completing a mission in Red Flag 11-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The C-130 is deployed from Melsbroek Air Base, Belgium, to participate in the combined exercise that provides a realistic combat training environment to the U.S. and its allies.

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 909th Aerial Refueling Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan, sits on the flightline during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-3 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 1, 2022. RF-A is designed to provide realistic training essential to the continued development and improvement of combined and joint interoperability in a simulated combat environment.

040610-F-3488S-010. Base: Eielson Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: PACAF

031023-F-8156G-004. Base: RAF Mildenhall State: Suffolk Country: England / Great Britain (ENG) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

920th Rescue Wing Airmen make final checks for an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, Sept. 26, 2022. In anticipation of Hurricane Ian, the decision was made to relocate the aircraft to areas that would prevent them from being damaged. In less than 24-hours, all of the wing's HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were prepared, pre-flight checked, then flown or loaded to be transported off of the installation. This movement was the equivalent of a rapid deployment of thevwing's Personnel Recovery Task Force-Heavy, which utilizes multi-capable Airmen from across the wing to mobilize rapidly for rescue operations around the world.

U.S. citizens living in Haiti wait to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 at the Port-Au-Prince airport for transport back to the U.S. 15 Jan. 2010. Department of Defense assets have been dispatched to Haiti to assist with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief after a magnitude 7 earthquake hit the country on 12 Jan. 2010.

Airmen from the 191st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard, remove ice from the surface of a KC-135 Stratotanker on Jan. 4, 2024, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan.

Stuart Lockhart, 305th Air Mobility Wing historian, speaks to attendees after the arrival of a KC-10A Extender at the Air Mobility Command Museum on Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, April 26, 2022. This particular aircraft was the first of 60 Extenders that entered the U.S. Air Force inventory. The aircraft was retired to Dover AFB from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to become the 36th addition to the AMC Museum.

A C-130 Hercules assigned to the 7th Special Operations Squadron, Alconbury, England on the ramp at the Goma Airport after arriving with a load of relief supplies for the Rwandan refugees. The U.S. military flew in vital water purification equipment and relief cargoes to assist in the humanitarian effort. Subject Operation/Series: SUPPORT HOPE Base: Goma Country: Zaire (ZAR)

A Nevada Air National Guard C-130H Hercules aircraft flies over Pyramid Lake, Nevada, during an Employers Supporting the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Boss Lift, April, 15, 2022. One of the Nevada National Guards strategic priorities is to be engaged and involved with the local communities, and these flights are one of the ways the High Rollers build support from members of the Greater Reno Area.

A left front view of an OV-10D Bronco aircraft from the 1ST Marine Observation Squadron 1 (VMO-1). Base: Mcas, Cherry Point State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An air-to-air front view of an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft equipped with an AN/ALQ-199 electronic countermeasures pod and an AGM-65 Maverick missile during exercise TEAM SPIRIT '86. The aircraft is assigned to the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '86 Country: South Korea

A U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

A C-17A Globemaster III, waits on the ramp at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, to up-load a variety of power generators to be flown to forward locations, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush initiated Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), fighting terrorism abroad. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Naval Air Station, Sigonella State: Sicily Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

Charleston, South Carolina - A formation of 17 C-17 Globemaster IIIs fly over the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia during low-level tactical training. The C-17s were part of the largest formation in history from a single base and demonstrated the strategic airdrop capability of the Air Force.

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III offloads a LVS Dragon Wagon (MK48), Logistics Vehicle System) towing the Mk14 Container Transporter Rear Body Unit at Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Kandahar International Airport Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, board a C-130 from the 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, May 25, 2022 after participating in the Raging Gunfighter exercise. Raging Gunfighter is an Air Combat Command exercise designed to simulate operating a Lead Wing from an Austere Environment. The purpose of the exercise is to prepare the 366th Fighter Wing and its Airmen for potential future operations in accordance with the National Defense Strategy.

A Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, England.

(U.S Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Scott Warner)

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