Military Aviation Operations

Images capturing military pilots and aircraft during operations, featuring cockpit views and pre-flight preparations, emphasizing aviation technology.

Sgt. Mason Lamontagne, a UH60 Crew Chief from 1-228th Aviation Regiment, monitors his UH60 Blackhawk during their return flight after the Guatemalan Naval Special Forces conducted FRIES training with the Navy SEALs during CENTAM Guardian 23 in San Jose, Guatemala on March 21, 2023. CG23 is an annual Army-led combined, joint, interagency, multi-national partnership-building exercise designed to build capacity, capabilities and interoperability with Central American partner nations.

020413-A-8359B-173. Base: Antigua Air Station Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: Southwest

U.S. Air Force Capt. Noah Anolick, 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-10 Extender pilot, prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Oct. 24, 2022. The KC-10 not only has the capability of providing air-to-air refueling to aircraft throughout the CENTCOM AOR, but can also receive fuel from other refueling aircraft.

Pilot and Co Pilot of a US Marine Corps UH-1N Iroquois Prepare to Launch the Helicopter for a Close Air Support Mission from Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq

Sgt. Mason Lamontagne, a UH60 Crew Chief from 1-228th Aviation Regiment, monitors his UH60 Blackhawk during their return flight after the Guatemalan Naval Special Forces conducted FRIES training with the Navy SEALs during CENTAM Guardian 23 in San Jose, Guatemala on March 21, 2023. CG23 is an annual Army-led combined, joint, interagency, multi-national partnership-building exercise designed to build capacity, capabilities and interoperability with Central American partner nations.

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 22, 2013) Lt. Stephen Bauserman, assigned to the Providers of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 (VRC-30) out of San Diego Naval Air Station North Island, sits in the pilot seat of a C-2 Greyhound aircraft prior to takeoff. VRC-30 is conducting naval air training operation and procedure standardization check flights, which evaluates airplane readiness and crew knowledge.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Stephen Kent, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 16th Airlift Squadron, flies an aerial refueling proficiency mission near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, June 30, 2022. The aircrew members also performed touch-and-go, assault landings, and combat offload maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their mission readiness.

Lt. Col. Albert Croom, 916th Air Refueling Wing pilot, and Capt. Sonya Alexander, 77th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, taxi on the flight line at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Jan. 5, 2023. Mission Generation Exercise 2023 was about lethality through demonstrating the ability to rapidly position ourselves and joint teammates for maximum effect.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Blaze Belobrajdic, a pilot with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775, Marine Aircraft Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, flies a UH-1Y Venom helicopter during a close air support exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 12, 2022. HMLA-775, along with the other squadrons on Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, provide aviation support that enables I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton tenant commands and visiting units to maintain and enhance their mission capabilities and combat readiness.

Airmen assigned to the 31st Rescue Squadron participate in an exercise, Jan. 19, 2023, Kadena Air Base, Japan. The annual bilateral training exercise strengthens trust and interoperability capabilities between JASDF and U.S. Air Force rescue teams.

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Joshua John Navarro, left, an aerial observer, and Cpl. Jonathan ColoradoEscobar, a crew chief and maintainer, both with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775, Marine Aircraft Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, scan the area for enemy personnel and vehicles during a close air support exercise on Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 8, 2023. HMLA-775, along with the other squadrons on the air station, provide aviation support that enables I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton tenant commands and visiting units to maintain and enhance their mission capabilities and combat readiness.

U.S. Army Spc. Warren Feeley, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25 Infantry Division, looks through a fire control system inside a M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)while engaging targets with .50-caliber Remote Weapons System Sept. 19, 2012, during a live fire training exercise at Pohakuloa Training Area(PTA), on Hawaii. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, "Gimlets" 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25 Infantry Division are conducting a month-long exercise at the PTA which is focused on platoon level collective training with enabler integration. The training will culminate in a combined arms live fire exercise later this month.

A CH-53E Super Stallion prepares before the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration of the 2022 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 22, 2022. The MAGTF Demo displays the coordinated use of close-air support, artillery and infantry forces, and provides a visual representation of how the Marine Corps operates. The theme for the 2022 MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoing modernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. John Beischer, UH-60M Black Hawk Pilot and Mission Planner for Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion, attached to 36th Combat Aviation Brigade (right), and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Frank Bellizzi, UH-60M Black Hawk Pilot and Maintenance Test Pilot for Bravo Company, 3-142nd AHB, conducted hot re-fueling of a UH-60M Black Hawk at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 22, 2022. Beischer and his crew re-fueled the aircraft without shutting down engines, a common practice as it allows the crew to quickly re-fuel and continue on mission. 3-142nd AHB, attached to 36th CAB, currently supports the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve across the Middle East.

S.C. Army Soldiers perform pre-flight maintenance, test flight, and troubleshoots an oil pressure transducer on a South Carolina National Guard CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, in configuration Extended Range Fueling System (ERFS), also referred to as the "Fat Cow," assigned to Detachment 1, Company B, 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command from Greenville S.C., Oct. 10, 2016, . The CH-47D and its crew are staging their base of operations in support of Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Eastover, S.C. Approximately 2,000 South Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were activated in direct support to Hurricane Matthew response efforts since Oct. 4, 2016.

U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen monitor conditions before conducting a military freefall over eastern Africa, Dec 1, 2022. Pararescuemen, or PJs, train regularly on life-saving skills to ensure theyre able to effectively support any humanitarian or crisis response situation.

Staff Sgt Fermin Garcia, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants section Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) operator, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, refuels an A-10 Thunderbolt II during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 12, 2022. As part of Agile Combat Employment, FARP training prepares Airmen to effectively refuel aircraft in austere locations when air-to-air refueling is not possible or when fueling stations are not accessible.

030417-M-0857S-064. Base: Yuma State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Aviation Training Center - Mobile Aircrew - Aftermath and Rescue - 26-HK-279-185. Hurricane Katrina

A Special Missions Aviator from the 352d Special Operations Wing inspects the interior of a CV-22B Osprey at RAF Mildenhall, England, Nov. 11, 2022. The 352d SOW conducted a flyover during the annual Veterans Day ceremony at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.

Missouri National Guards Public Affairs Office (PAO) traveled on a UH 60 Blackhawk to train Soldiers in Mo., Sept. 21, 2022. The Public Affairs team trains units around the state about the fundamentals of social media while giving public affairs guidance to Soldiers and Airmen. (Photo by U.S. Army National Guard Spc. Rose Di Trolio)

During the U.S. - Norway Reciprocal Troop Exchange April 1, 2022, Norwegian and Minnesota National Guard Soldiers were transported to Landing Zone X-5A on Camp Ripley by CH-47 Chinook Helicopter to conduct joint training while Norwegian youth squads took part in aerial training on a UH-60 Blackhawk.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jared L. Reddinger, right, the commanding officer of Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. Jacob P. Glatfelter, a transmissions systems operator, with BLT 2/4, utilize the Network-On-The-Move Air system within a MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in support of MEU Exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 18, 2022. The NOTM-A system provides unit leaders the capability to conduct en route mission planning and execution across several types of operations.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Perkins, CH-47 Chinook helicopter engineer assigned to Bravo Company, 1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Big Windy scans the area during an air movement of a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) from Munich to the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, April 12, 2022. Two CH-47Fs were used throughout the mission to provide precision rotary-wing aviation support and enable the CODEL to observe combined arms training, meet with forward-deployed Soldiers, and receive briefings from key U.S. Army leadership. 12 CAB is among other units assigned to V Corps, America's Forward Deployed Corps in Europe that works alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises, and retains command and control for all rotational and assigned units in the European Theater.

During EXERCISE DESERT RESCUE IX, two U.S. Air Force Pararescue personnel perform a static jump from a 71st Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia based HC-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Desert Rescue IX is the premiere search and rescue (SAR) training exercise involving Navy, Army, Air Force and Marine personnel. It is conducted at the ranges of Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: U.S. Special Operations Command

Search and Rescue Operations - Helicopter - 26-HK-261-4. Hurricane Katrina

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Austin McKinney, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), looks out the back of an MV-22 Osprey aircraft during a flight in support of Exercise Trident at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 16, 2022. The 26th MEUs Aviation Command Element integrated with special operations forces (SOF) to strengthen MEU-SOF relationships prior to the MEUs upcoming deployment.

Command Sgt. Maj. Alvydas Tamošiūnas, senior enlisted leader of the Lithuanian Air Force, tries his hand in the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft boom simulator during his visit to the 171st Air Refueling Wing March 22, 2023, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania National Guard and Lithuania have partnered through the National Guards State Partnership Program since 1993.

CAPT. Mark Sutherland looks for other air traffic while flying an airland mission to Sarajevo. CAPT. Sutherland is assigned to the 165th Airlift Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, Ky. Subject Operation/Series: PROVIDE PROMISE Country: Unknown

Staff Sgt. Amanda Patterson, 3rd Airlift Squadron loadmaster, left, Staff Sgt. Joshua Mitchell, 3rd AS loadmaster, middle, and Capt. Treavor Arias, 436th Operations Support Squadron wing tactician, search for a life raft during Castaway 22-2 near Indian River Inlet, Delaware, Aug. 31, 2022. Castaway is a total force interagency training exercise that brought Airmen from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and Coast Guardsmen from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J. and Coast Guard Station Indian River Inlet, Del., together to train local search and rescue procedures.

U.S. Army jump masters from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and U.S. Air Force loadmasters from the 37th Airlift Squadron prepare jumpers for a static-line jump out of a U.S. C-130J Super Hercules aircraft above Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 13, 2024. The 37th AS facilitated the training for over 200 jumpers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and the German army as a joint training to demonstrate the 86th AWs airlift and airdrop capabilities. Air Force

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Juan Gutierrez from Revere, Massachusetts, a crew chief assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, scans the horizon during Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI) course 1-23 over Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 5, 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.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matt Mascaro, 29th Weapons Squadron, prepares a C-130J Hercules for a mission as part of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., May 11, 2012. The Air Force Weapons School is a five-and-a-half-month training course which provides selected officers with the most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment. Throughout the course, students receive an average of 400 hours of graduate-level academics and participate in demanding combat training missions.

A U.S. Marine assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 and a 356th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 354h Air Expeditionary Wing Airman perform weapons loading procedures during Agile Combat Employment training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, July 6, 2022. Also known as the Bats, VMFA-242 is based at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 12 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Mike Magill, KC-135 Stratotanker pilot assigned to the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, flies within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 29, 2022. The KC-135 provides core refueling capabilities in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Soldiers from the 1-111th Aviation Regiment, Florida Army National Guard prepare for Hurricane Dorian disaster relief operations at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. The FLARNG is always ready, always there. Our year-round training anticipates Florida's needs and challenges before an emergency occurs.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Braden Mileski, a crew chief with the Aviation Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, fires a .50-Cal machine gun off the back of an MV-22 Osprey during a live-fire exercise over the Atlantic Ocean, June 23, 2022. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and Partner interests.

Royal New Zealand Air Force Flight Sergeant Nathan Hodges, a loadmaster assigned to No. 40 Squadron, RNZAF Base Auckland, participates in a familiarization flight on a C-130H(NZ) Hercules during RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1 over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Oct. 7, 2022. The JPARC airspace provides a realistic training environment, allowing Airmen to train for full spectrum engagements, ranging from individual skills to complex, large-scale joint engagements.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Madeline Adkinson, C-130J Super Hercules pilot conducts preflight procedures before a formation flight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 12, 2022. Formation flights can be used as a show of force to project power while defending the base during wartime or contingency operations.

Gulfstream project pilot Tom Horne readies to fly an External Vision System project flight from the backseat of NASA's F-18 Systems Research Aircraft.

030923-F-5281B-013. Base: Tallil Air Base State: Dhi Qar Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: CENTAF

Members of the Utah Army National Guard 2-211 Aviation Battalion battle the Tunnel Hallow fire near Morgan, Utah July 23, 2014. The two HH-60 Black Hawks assisting with the fire were able to drop more than 29,000 gallons of water on the fire.

060507-A-6365W-064. Base: Forward Operating Base Remagen State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Sept. 13, 2022) U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific team members prepare to execute a static line airborne drop above a designated drop zone at Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii, Sept. 13, 2022. U.S. Special Operations Forces maintain proficiency in completing static line and high altitude free fall airborne jumps. SOCPAC serves as the functional component for all special operations missions deployed throughout the Inso-Pacific region.

040513-F-6655M-087. Country: Unknown

U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Perkins, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter engineer assigned to Bravo Company, 1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Big Windy, stows the wheel chocks prior to taking off during an air movement of a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) from Munich to the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, April 12, 2022. Two CH-47Fs were used throughout the mission to provide precision rotary-wing aviation support and enable the CODEL to observe combined arms training, meet with forward-deployed Soldiers, and receive briefings from key U.S. Army leadership. 12 CAB is among other units assigned to V Corps, America's Forward Deployed Corps in Europe that works alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises, and retains command and control for all rotational and assigned units in the European Theater.

U.S. Air Force Capts. Dylan Radka, and Creedance Chambers, C-17 Globemaster III pilots assigned to the 16th Airlift Squadron, flys an airlift mission near Joint Base Charleston, S.C., June 14, 2022. The C-17 is the most flexible cargo aircraft in the airlift force, capable of rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo.

Michigan Air National Guard Staff Tech. Sgt. Rob Akers (left), and Tech. Sgt. Senior Airman Jake Crantas, in-flight refueling specialists of the 171st Air Refueling Squadron prepare to refuel an F-16 over northern Ohio, March 15, 2023. In-flight refueling specialists use steady hands to refuel other aircrafts.

Straight on medium close-up shot from a high angle looking down as US Army troops from the 1ST of the 508th Infantry Airborne Battalion Combat Team (ABCT), 173rd Airborne Brigade, from Vicenza, Italy, jump from a US Air Force C-130 Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as they drop into Bunker Drop Zone at Grafenwohr, Germany for Lion Drop 12 on 09 August 2000. Subject Operation/Series: LION DROP 12 Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Royal Canadian Air Force Captain "Kracko Kane," a pilot assigned to the 525th Fighter Generation Squadron, poses for a photo in the cockpit of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, assigned to the 525th FGS, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Feb. 26, 2024. Captain "Kracko Kane" is the second RCAF pilot to participate in the exchange program, making him one of the few foreign pilots to train with the F-22 Raptor unique to the U.S. Air Force fleet. Air Force

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 29, prepare to embark on a CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron (HMHT) 302, on Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, July 20, 2022. MCAS New River provides aviation support, force protection, infrastructure, and community services to promote the readiness, sustainment and quality of life for II Marine Expeditionary Force and other military forces, tenant commands, personnel and their families.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Foster Griffith, 70th Air Refueling Squadron flight engineer assigned to Travis Air Force Base, California, completes a pre-flight checklist at Eglin AFB, Florida, Aug. 16, 2022. Griffith has been in the Air Force for almost seven years, recently making the transition from active duty to Air Force Reserve.

U.S. Air Force Col. Julie Gaulin (right), Vice Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force Tech. Sgt. Tokita Akihito (left), 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron, prepare to drop a supply bundle from the ramp of a C-130H, callsign Santa-52, as part of Operation Christmas Drop 2022, Dec. 8, 2022. Operation Christmas Drop is the longest running Department of Defense humanitarian mission that delivers critical aid to island communities throughout the western Pacific while also providing an opportunity for aircrew to hone important skills needed for future operations.

A pallet is released from the back of a 352d Special Operations Wing MC-130J Commando II during range training operations, U.K., Aug. 3, 2022. The nighttime training mission included three airdrops, emergency recovery simulation, air-to-air refueling and low-visibility special tactics.

Lt. Col. Dave Gentile, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aircraft commander, and Maj. Alex Boykin, 53rd WRS pilot, steer a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft inside the eye of Hurricane Ian Sept. 27, 2022. The WC-130J is specially equipped with a weather officer pallet, a dropsonde operator pallet, and a stepped frequency microwave radiometer allowing it to collect data in weather events and send it via satellite to forecasters and researches for use.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brendan Gagnon from Dayton, Ohio, a KC-130J Hercules crew chief assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, conducts a pre-flight check before an aerial delivery exercise during Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI) course 1-23, at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, on Oct. 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.

240216-N-FY193-1050 NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 16, 2024) Lt. Christopher Olson, a native of Brentwood, Tennesse, performs preflight maintenance on an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the "Dragonslayers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11, on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Feb. 16, 2024. Truman is the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and is currently underway conducting flight deck certification as part of the basic phase. (

Tech. Sgt. Kevin Foley, a boom operator with the 328th Air Refueling Squadron, New York, refuels a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon, with the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, August 29, 2022 in the Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility. The Poseidon is multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft, specializing in anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and search and rescue.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Tanner Cook, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 15th Airlift Squadron, flies a proficiency mission near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, June 28, 2022. The aircrew members performed nighttime airdrop maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their mission readiness.

040914-F-3208M-013. Base: Unknown Country: United States Of America (USA)

020501-F-8115W-004. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Moron Air Base State: Sevilla Country: Spain (ESP)

110830-N-ZZ999-520PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 30, 2011) Senior Chief Naval Air Crewman Todd Yates, from Granger, Ind., looks out the cabin of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Eightballers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 during a vertical replenishment aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific Ocean and the Arabian Gulf deployment.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jonathan ColoradoEscobar, a crew chief and maintainer with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775, Marine Aircraft Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, observes a map of the area during a close air support exercise on Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 8, 2023. HMLA-775, along with the other squadrons on the air station, provide aviation support that enables I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton tenant commands and visiting units to maintain and enhance their mission capabilities and combat readiness.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Utah Army National Guard, perform the jumpmaster safety checks required before all the jumpers can exit the plane for a friendship airborne operation in Grier Labouihi, Morocco, during African Lion 22, on June 19, 2022. African Lion 22 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, combined 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.

U.S. Air Force Col. Richard McElhaney (right), Commander, 36th Contingency Response Group, takes a selfie with Col. Julie Gaulin (middle left), Vice Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, Japan Air Self-Defense Force Staff Sgt. Ohno Ikkei (middle right), 401st Tactical Airlift Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Tokita Akihito (left), on the ramp of a JASDF C-130H Hercules, during Operation Christmas Drop 2022, Dec. 8, 2022. Operation Christmas Drop is the longest running Department of Defense humanitarian mission that delivers critical aid to island communities throughout the western Pacific while also providing an opportunity for aircrew to hone important skills needed for future operations.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Robby Walling, an instructor pilot with the Advance Airlift Tactics Training Center, observes a crew from the Royal New Zealand Air Forces No. 40 Squadron, during a sortie while attending the Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course, September 21, 2022. The AATTC functions as a clearinghouse for gathering and disseminating airlift tactics information. 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.

ZARQA, Jordan - The Royal Jordanian Armed Forces UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief watches over the drop zone on a combined jump exercise with US Special Forces in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

040816-F-3177P-014. Base: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii (July 17, 2022) U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. James Crawford, a New Orleans native, and flight line mechanic with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, opens an AH-1Z Viper at at Pōhakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, July 17, 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.

US Marine Corps (USMC) GUNNERY Sergeant (GYSGT) Brian T. Rogers, Aerial GUNNER and Maintenance Controller assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron One Six Five (HMM-165), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC)), fires a.50 caliber machine gun from aboard a USMC CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter at a target during a live-fire exercise at the Udairi Range in Kuwait, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Udairi Range Country: Kuwait (KWT)

Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria, U. S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, connects his oxygen mask prior to his final qualifying flight in the F-35A Lightning II Sept. 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Silveria became the first general officer in the Department of Defense to qualify in the fifth generation fighter. He completed his training with back-to-back flights and hot pit refueling.

Search and Rescue Operations - Helicopter - 26-HK-261-5. Hurricane Katrina

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District Operations Division Chief, Waylon Humphrey, briefs Brig. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Commander during a flyover of Buckhorn Lake in eastern Kentucky Aug. 12, 2022.U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division Commander Brig. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, along with staff from the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division and the Louisville District, survey flood damage in eastern Kentucky, Aug. 12, 2022, onboard a UH-60 Black Hawk flown by the U.S. Army Reserve 244th ECAB out of Fort Knox. This flyover allowed division and district leadership to get a true perspective of the extent of damage left behind by the historic flooding, which impacted eastern Kentucky in July 2022.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Julian Larsen, a scout sniper with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, engages a target with an M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System while aboard a UH-1Y Huey during Expeditionary Operations Training Group Sniper Course 22-2 on Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, June 14, 2022. The course provided Marines advanced marksmanship skills and employment techniques to better support the maritime raid force component of the Marine Expeditionary Unit.

U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, unload ordnance from a CH-53 Super Stallion during a Forward Arming and Refueling Point exercise at Ie Shima, Okinawa, Japan, June 29, 2022. FARPs are critical for sustaining the Marine Corps Air Combat Element between mission objectives and their return home. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Army Col. Scott P. Nicholas, commander of Task Force Mustang (36th Combat Aviation Brigade), stands by for his assigned co-pilot prior to take-off in a provided C-12A Huron aircraft at Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Sept. 14, 2022.

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Daren Cagle, Task Force Marauder, Bravo Company, 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion CH-47 Chinook crew chief, scans his sector during a mission over Southern Afghanistan, Feb. 15, 2018. TF Marauder provides medevac, air transportation, over-watch support, and forward arming and refueling point operations for the Train, Advise, and Assist Command - West to assist with ground missions in the region.

220615-N-QI061-1301NORFOLK, Va. (June 15, 2022) Command Master Chief Huben Phillips, U.S. 2nd Fleet, left, and Royal Marines Commando Warrant Officer 1st Class Mick Stanion, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of NATO's Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), fly in an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 during a tour on June 15. Stanion is the senior enlisted leader for MARCOM , the command that run NATO operations in the maritime domains, visited the Hampton Roads area to learn more about the U.S. Navys capabilities and how they integrate within the Alliance.

A UH-60M Black Hawk from 2-158th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade inserts soldiers from Troop Comanche, 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at the Orchard Training Area in Idaho Oct. 24 in support of various field training. The training was part of the Task Force Warhawk High-Altitude Mountainous Environmental Training exercise, where they tested the various components to include the interoperability of multiple airframes, operations of a forward arming and refueling point, communications, medical readiness and logistical support.

A paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division goes over safety procedures on a CH-47 Chinook during the annual St. Michael's Jump on Salerno Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct. 14, 2022. The jump was conducted in honor of the 82nd Airborne Division patron saint.

U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Michael Hefty flies a MC-130J Commando II aircraft assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan, during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-3, August 3, 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.

The 151st Air Refueling Wing and ESGR brought approximately 20 employers on an appreciation air refueling mission here on August 17, 2022. The employers, nominated by their Air National Guard employees, boarded a KC-135R Stratotanker, and witnessed the refueling of three F-16 Falcons and four F-35 Lightings while taking in an aerial view of Utahs West desert.

Spc. Fredrick Jackson and Pfc. Dominick Bricco, assigned to the 3-43 Air Defense Artillery, conduct walkthroughs of the patriot system in order to ensure its properly functioning at March Air Base on Oct. 5, 2022. Project Convergence 2022 is a campaign of events in order to build trust in new technologies with joint and multi-national partners.

030329-A-1526R-019. Base: Albrook Air Base Country: Panama (PAN)

A Polish Paratrooper jumps from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter following fellow Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division onto a drop zone in Błędów Desert, Poland, May 29, 2022. Task Force-82 has been training and working closely together with our NATO Allies to increase interoperability across all domains.

220802-N-DW158-1026 PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 2, 2022) Capt. Fred Goldhammer, commanding officer of the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), prepares an E-2D Hawkeye attached to the Tigertails of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125, for launch on the ships flight deck in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 2. E-2D Hawkeyes perform tactical airborne early warning missions to provide valuable information to Carrier Strike Group 5 as it plans and executes operations. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col William Fullington, 17th Special Operations Squadron AC-130J weapons systems officer and 1st Lt. Matthew Denmark, 17th Special Operations Squadron AC-130J combat systems officer review system operations for the training at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Aug. 17, 2022. The training demonstrates that the AC-130J is suited to support the unique mission requirements in the Indo-Pacific.

220828-N-DM318-1013 AIKAWA TOWN, Japan (Aug. 28, 2022) Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Coleman Krallis, assigned to the Golden Falcons of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12, from Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, looks over Aikawa Town, Japan, while conducting flight operations as part of a bi-lateral emergency rescue exercise with Aikawa Town, Emergency Services. NAF Atsugi supports the combat readiness of Commander, Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW 5), Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron FIVE ONE (HSM-51) and 30 other tenant commands and provides logistic support, coordination, and services to units assigned to the Western Pacific.

A Soldier assigned to 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division conducts a helocast water insertion jump during the brigade Mungadai at the Bellows Beach, Hawaii on Jan. 25, 2022. The brigade Mungadai is a multi-day training event for senior leaders in the brigade designed to test them physically and mentally while building esprit de corps and camaraderie. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Alan Brutus)

U.S. Air Force medical team members assigned to the 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight (EAEF) participate in exercise Reliant Rumble on Camp Lemonnier (CLDJ), Djibouti, May, 04, 2022. This earthquake response exercise provides an opportunity for units across the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and CLDJ to properly coordinate and demonstrate their key duties during and directly after an earthquake.

U.S. Air Force Airman John Schade, an AC-130U Spooky aerial gunner assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron stows 40mm ammunition in racks aboard a AC-130U aircraft during Emerald Warrior, March 4, 2011, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Emerald Warrior is a U.S. Special Operations Command-sponsored, multiservice exercise designed to leverage lessons learned from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders.

U.S. Air Force Capts. Michael Knowles, and Brandon Dumais, pilot a C-17 Globemaster III near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, June 28, 2022. The aircrew members performed nighttime airdrop maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their mission readiness.

070405-N-6278K-082. Base: Fort Story State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

230111-N-EL850-1009 ADRIATIC SEA (Jan. 11, 2023) Aviation Boatswains Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Raymond Brooks, left, and Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Brady Long, both assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), monitor arresting gear systems during aircraft recovery, Jan. 11, 2023. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Forrest Schaffer, 33rd Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot, straps in for an evening training flight at Kadena Air Base, Japan, March 29, 2023. The 33rd RQS maintains readiness for mobilization, deployment and employment of helicopters and rescue of U.S. and allied military members, and civilian personnel.

U.S. Airmen guide a High Multipurpose Mobility Wheeled Vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, May 16, 2022. This tactical command post movement supports the 1st Theatre Sustainment Commands theater optimization strategic plan in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Devon Csendes, a powerline division chief with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, supervises flight line operations at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Jan. 26, 2022. Marines with VMFA-112 are performing unit-level training at Andersen Air Force Base as part of an Aviation Training Relocation Program. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Booker T. Thomas III)

040823-F-3968C-020. Base: Luke Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

020412-A-8359B-025. Base: Bird International Airport Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: USSOUTHCOM

060507-A-6365W-100. State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ)

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