Military Events and Ceremonies

Photos capturing military ceremonies, gatherings of service members, and community engagement events emphasizing awards and recognition.

Inter-American Defense College Staff, Faculty and Students tour Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pa., Sept. 23, 2022. The Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. There are 43,000 American Civil War artifacts that are displayed in the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. The Visit It is an academic field study that is part of the master's program offered by the college.

While in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard and drummers from The U.S. Navy Band visited with over 200 JROTC students from Sierra Vista High School and Bonanza High School. The color guard shared their experiences in the military and why they continue to choose to serve. Students also had the chance to ask the service members questions and get some tips and tricks about presenting the colors.

Members assigned to the 17th Training Wing applaud retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson, guest speaker and former 17th TRW commander, during the annual Air Force Ball, at the McNease Convention Center, in San Angelo, Texas, Sept. 17, 2022. More than 350 people attended the ball.

221201-N-MR862-022 OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (01 Dec. 2022) Capt. Robert "Skillz" Majoris, commodore, Strategic Communications Wing (SCW) 1, gives opening remarks, to sailors and families, at the command holiday party, Dec 01, 2022. SCW-1 is a tenant command at Tinker Air Force base, ensuring National Security through the deterrence of adversarial nuclear ambitions.

Inter-American Defense College Staff, Faculty and Students tour Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pa., Sept. 23, 2022. The Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. There are 43,000 American Civil War artifacts that are displayed in the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. The Visit It is an academic field study that is part of the master's program offered by the college.

Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) - Marine Safety Office St. Louis - 26-HK-122-60. Hurricane Katrina

More than 600 Airmen assigned to the 321st Training Squadron graduated from Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, August 3-4, 2022. Lt. Col. Jeremy Stowers, Commander, 321st Training Squadron, reviewed the ceremony.

Members of the Misty Forward Air Controllers spoke to Eglin Air Force Base personnel during a tour to celebrate the 55-year reunion of the volunteer pilots at Eglin AFB, Florida, Oct. 14, 2022. Misty FACs were an all-volunteer group of fighter pilots whose primary objectives were to locate and mark targets for other aircraft and support rescues to recover downed aircrew during the Vietnam War.

Educators from 8th recruiting district, receive a brief on prohibited items during an Educators Workshop at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, May 3, 2022. Educators were welcomed to the depot to receive a first-hand experience on what recruit training is like.

220330-N-SS900-1021 PACIFIC OCEAN (March 30, 2022) Master-At-Arms 1st Class Kale Pemberton, a native of Huntsville, Texas, spells a word during a spelling bee in the hangar bay of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), March 30. Vinson is currently underway conducting routine maritime operations in the Pacific Ocean.

030320-F-3715H-009. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Incirlik Air Base, Adana Country: Turkey (TUR) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Justin Griffin, military police, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, teaches the class about vulnerabilities his group found during a Department of Homeland Security Surveillance Detection course at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, Oct. 4, 2022. The course provided skills to service members to detect a potential hostile threat within a crowded area and how to locate vulnerabilities on a building.

PHILIPPINE SEA (MAY 6, 2022) Cmdr. Jermaine Brooms, from Chicago, the commanding officer of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105), presents a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal during an all-hands awards quarters. Dewey is assigned to Commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navys largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th fleets principal surface force.

U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Carmelo Gonzalez, an aircraft maintenance chief with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, Marine Aircraft Group 12, center, watches as Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society volunteers are presented with awards at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 23, 2024. The MCAS Iwakuni NMCRS hosted a luncheon to recognize volunteers for their service to the community and celebrates the 120th birthday of the organization.

Wounded Warrior Regiment Action Officer, Kerri Rogers, receives a gift from the staff and athletes, before the closing ceremony for the 2022 DoD Warrior Games in Orlando, Fla. on Aug. 28, 2022. The annual event celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured U.S. Service Members and veterans.

220914-N-UB993-1167NORFOLK, Va. (Sept. 14, 2022) Evelyn Honea, Navy Ombudsman-at-Large, speaks with local command Ombudsmans in an effort to assist the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea improve the quality of life for Sailors and their families at Naval Station Norfolk, Sept. 14, 2022. MCPON Honea conducted his first fleet visit to answer questions and discuss his priorities of warfighting competency, professional and character development, and quality of life.

Retiring Japanese base employees attend the retirement ceremony.

Chris Majewski, a lead tour guide with MCCS Tours+, briefs Marines with Food Service Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3d Marine Logistics Group, before a cave crawling tour, on Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan, Sep. 9, 2022. During the tour, Marines were taught how cave systems were used during the Battle of Okinawa. 3d MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Forces comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Paul Hauter and Master Sgt. Ben Graser, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) with 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, IL., mission plan for Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Airmen participating in Agile Rage 22 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., June 7, 2022. Agile Rage 22 is a National Guard Bureau-led exercise that provides realistic training opportunities, mimicking current and future combat environments dictated by the National Defense Strategy.

220414-N-SY758-1001 ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 14, 2022) Sailors aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) celebrate Catholic Holy Thursday, April 14, 2022. George H.W. Bush provides the national command authority flexible, tailorable war fighting capability through the carrier strike group that maintains maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

Col. Edgardo Ramirez, commander of the 14th Field Hospital, receives a promotion and reaffirms the Oath of Commisioned Officers during a ceremony at Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe Garden on Fort Stewart, Georgia, Jan. 20, 2023. The 14th Field Hospital was activated on Fort Stewart on Aug. 17, 2021, reflagging from the combat support hospital located at Fort Benning, and its mission is to provide an expeditionary Role 3 health service support, including early-entry hospitalization, rapidly employable resuscitation and surgery to increase personnel survivability.

Admiral Collins Visit - 26-HK-3-32. Admiral Collins talking with active-duty USCG in JFO-type building. Hurricane Katrina

The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform their demonstration at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, March 24-26, 2023. This year marks the Thunderbirds 70th anniversary, and the team is slated to perform 63 demonstrations across 32 locations.

Joint Security, Law enforcement, fire and emergency services exercise

The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Ambassadors Rock Band performs at the Przemyskie Centrum Kultury i Nauki Zamek in Przemyśl, Poland, Oct. 20, 2022. The USAFE Band partnered with the U.S. Consulate-Krakow to travel across southern Poland from Oct 11-20, 2022, conducting performances that celebrated the shared spirit of freedom and enduring friendship between the U.S. and Poland. By transcending language and cultural barriers through the universal power of music, military bands promote peace, build relationships, and strengthen unity among people.

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Ramon CZ Colon-Lopez (back middle) poses with 31st Medical Group personnel at Aviano Air Base, Italy, October 12, 2022. The SEAC serves as a spokesperson to the total enlisted force and travels to bases helping mentor and develop Airmen while maintaining readiness.

221103-N-TR141-1115 SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (Nov. 3, 2022) Rear Adm. Douglas W. Sasse, III, Reserve Vice Commander, U.S. 4th Fleet, participates in a discussion with community leaders about gender-based violence at a Women, Peace, and Security symposium during Continuing Promise 22, at the Centro Cuidad Mujer, in San Pedro Sulas, Honduras, Nov. 3, 2022. CP22 is a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

DF-ST-87-07390. Base: Beale Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Stephen Sullivan, the Chief Financial Officer and Director for Resources, Installations, and Materiel for the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve, participates in a tour of facilities April 25, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis., as part of an official visit with Fort McCoy Garrison officials. Sullivan visited Fort McCoy from April 25-27 to learn more about the installation and see facilities throughout the post. The visit included an initial overview briefing by Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss with other members of the Fort McCoy Garrison command team as well as several Fort McCoy workforce leaders and members. The visit also included tours of barracks buildings and dining facilities used for the Operation Allies Welcome mission at Fort McCoy between Aug. 15, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2022. And Sullivan received an aerial tour aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk that showed him the entire installation from north to south and in between.

North Macedonia commemorates its NATO accession at the Department of State on March 27, 2020.

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, are provided an operational overview of the Long Range Discrimination Radar by senior hardware engineer Sonya Read on Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, May 4, 2022. The leadership team traveled to Clear SFS to meet with leaders and tour the Upgraded Early Warning Radar and LRDR under the purview of Clear SFS. Clear SFS has been a vital part of the integral deterrence in support of NORADs mission of Homeland Defense since the U. S. Air Force set up Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems and became fully operational in November of 1961. (Department of Defense photo by Chuck Marsh)

220704-N-CY569-1016 ADRIATIC SEA (July 4, 2022) Sailors watch Top Gun 2: Maverick” in the hangar bay of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), July 4, 2022. The Harry S. Truman 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.

The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Ambassadors Rock Band performs at Bielskie Centrum Kultury in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, Oct. 17, 2022. The USAFE Band partnered with the U.S. Consulate-Krakow to travel across southern Poland from Oct 11-20, 2022, conducting performances that celebrated the shared spirit of freedom and enduring friendship between the U.S. and Poland. By transcending language and cultural barriers through the universal power of music, military bands promote peace, build relationships, and strengthen unity among people.

Guests of graduating Sailors react as divisions enter Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall during a pass-in-review ceremony inside Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall at Recruit Training Command, Jan. 18, 2024. Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) James Bisesi, seated, addresses newly enlisted junior Marines during the 19th Annual Salute to the Veterans event at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center, Havelock, North Carolina, May 10, 2022. The event was intended to foster the community relationship between Havelock and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and honor service members for Military Appreciation Month.

U.S. Army MSG Courtney Weisert, Retention and Recruiting, Vermont National Guard, speaks to local community members about opportuinites in the guard in Burlington, Vermont, Febraury 16, 2024. All members of the Vermont National Guard, spoke with other New Americans living in Vermont about their experiences serving in the Vermont National Guard.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Frederick L. Hall, State Aviation Safety Officer for the District of Columbia Army National Guard, celebrates over 28 years of service with a retirement ceremony at the 260th Regional Training Institute, Fort Belvoir, Va., Jan. 5, 2024. Gordon joined the D.C. National Guard in 2008, after first enlisting in 1995 and serving as a Black Hawk crew chief. CW5 Hall also provided 13 years of active duty service.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Greg Gadson speaks during a leader and professional development session at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 6, 2023.

Sasebo Mayor Norio Tomonaga speaks with other guests during the Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo Holiday Reception at CFAS Dec. 11, 2022. For 75 years, CFAS has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services to empower forward-deployed U.S. and Allied Forces while providing superior support to their families and the community.

230408-N-WM182-1160 PHILIPPINE SEA (April 8, 2023) U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Andrew Johnson, from Roswell, N.M., sings during Easter mass in the fo'c'sle of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Recruits take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America during a naturalization ceremony inside the Recruit Memorial Chapel at Recruit Training Command (RTC). Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, Life Skills, teamwork and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navys only boot camp.

The 45th Medical Group held a Readiness Training Day Rodeo at Patrick Space Force Base, Fla., July 15, 2022. During the training, medical personnel rotated through four stations: litter-carries, mock code blue, radio etiquette, and active shooter. (Space Force photo by Senior Airman Dakota Raub)

Recruits with Hotel Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, arrive aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 23, 2023.The receiving process includes a phone call home, gear issue, haircuts and initial administrative processing.

Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Fords (CVN 78) commanding officer, greets educators, first responders and business owners in the in port cabin during a ship visit, Oct.11, 2022. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) is deployed in the Atlantic Ocean, conducting training and operations alongside NATO Allies and partners to enhance integration for future operations and demonstrate the U.S. Navys commitment to a peaceful, stable and conflict-free Atlantic region.

U.S. service members deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, applaud an Operation Laughter comedy routine, Aug. 16, 2022. Operation Laughter was brought to PSAB by Armed Forces Entertainment in coordination with the 378th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron. AFE and the 378th EFSS share a mission of raising troop morale and mental health within USCENTCOMs area of responsibility.

221014-N-FN963-1116 NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan (Oct. 13, 2022) Guests dance to live music during Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi Navy Birthday Ball. NAF Atsugi supports the combat readiness of Commander, Fleet Air Western Pacific, Commander, Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW) 5, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 51 and 23 other tenant commands, and provides logistic support, coordination, and services to units assigned to the Western Pacific.

221028-N-BR419-1015 PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 28, 2022) Yeoman 2nd Class Jamarrie Milton, from Savannah, Georgia, performs during a talent show hosted by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) committee aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the Philippine Sea, Oct. 28. 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.

Joint Security, Law enforcement, fire and emergency services exercise

Airmen of the 139th Airlift Wing put on a career fair for high school students at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri, Sept. 20, 2022. The students learned about the Air National Guard and the various careers offered on base.

Members of U.S. Navy Band Country Current greet audience members and answer questions about their service after the bands performance at the historic Lincoln Theater in Marion, Va., on their 2022 national tour.

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Mississippi (Oct. 7, 2022) - Rear Adm. John Okon, Director, Warfare Integration Directorate, N2N6I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, presided over the retirement of Lt. Cmdr. Kabran KJ Johnson at NASA Stennis Space Center, Mississippi Oct. 7, 2022. Johnson enlisted in the Navy in 1992, and graduated the from Aerographers Mate (AG) A-School in 1993 before being selected for Chief and eventually earning a commission. His efforts in support of various Fleet and Naval Special Warfare commands worldwide over the course of his 30-year career were highlighted by colleagues and family at the ceremony. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally-distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to make better decisions faster than the adversary.3

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - ASSUMPTION OF COMMAND CEREMONY AND RECEPTION

NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), Roscosmos, along with Russian Search and Recovery Forces, meet to discuss the readiness for the landing of Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017. Bresnik, Nespoli and Ryazanskiy are returning after 139 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 52 and 53 crews onboard the International Space Station.

030115-F-8290C-083. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown Scene Major Command Shown: CENTAF

R. Lee Gunny” Ermey, seated, speaks to fellow participants of the Marine Corps Identity Cause rally at Bullfeathers of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2010.Marine Corps Identity Cause is a grassroots effort founded in 2009 to give Marines equal status to the Navy. The initiative, sponsored by the Marine Corps League, has one simple goal: to change the name of the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.” Two bills supporting this cause are currently in Congress.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (January 16, 2024) - Capt. Les Sobol, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, speaks to the people attending the Keema Halberd 174 Curry Tasting event onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY). For more than 75 years, CFAY has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet's forward-deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Casey Janusz, 50th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, receives a distinguished graduate award during an Airman Leadership School graduation at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Feb. 8, 2024. The award is given to an Airman in the top 10% of the class and is selected by peers. Air Force

The Wyoming Outriders held a special presentation during the deployment ceremony for the loss of one of their Soldiers, CW2 Issac Hubenthal. The personalized shadowbox was presented to his parents to honor Issac and his family.

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Andrew Erp, the aviation unmanned aircraft systems operations officer for the 1st Infantry Division shares a brief history of the Warrant Officer Corp during a cake cutting ceremony celebrating the 104th birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps at Poznan, Poland, July 9, 2022. U.S. Army warrant officers make up less than three percent of total Army strength, and continue to train, advise and serve as the Armys technical experts and trusted advisors.

220428-N-BP862-2143 ADRIATIC SEA (April 28, 2022) Prime Minister of The Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša, left, and Rear Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, speak in the in port cabin aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), April 28, 2022. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of U.S., Allied and partner interests in Europe and Africa.

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 102nd Cavalry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, initiates their deployment at the 102nd Cavalry Regiments fairwell ceremony at the Westfield Armory, Westfield, New Jersey, on Jan. 14, 2024. More than 1,500 NJARNG Soldiers will deploy in support of U.S. Central Commands Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve. CJTF-OIR advises, assists, and enables partnered forces until they can independently defeat Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - ISIS - in designated areas of Iraq and Syria, in order to set conditions for long-term security cooperation frameworks. It is the largest deployment of New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers since 2008.

220815-N-UF592-1037 PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 15, 2022) Master Chief Damage Controlman Paul Green, from Granite Falls, Washington, conducts In-port Emergency Team training in the First Class Petty Officers Mess aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 15. Ronald Reagans IET team members are the first responders to damage control incidents on the ship or pier while in-port. 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.

030206-F-6701P-009. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Memphis, Tenn. (June 13, 2022) Sailors assigned to the Navys eSports team answer questions from students at The Technical Training Center of The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis during Navy Week Memphis. Memphis Navy Week is one of 14 Navy Weeks in 2022, which brings a variety of assets, equipment, and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America's Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people -- about half the U.S. population.

Members of the delayed entry program (DEP) were sworn into the Air Force at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Oct. 5, 2022. The swearing in ceremony took place as part of the 75th Anniversary of the Air Force and 50th Anniversary of the Balloon Fiesta.

Recruits take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America during a naturalization ceremony inside the Recruit Memorial Chapel at Recruit Training Command (RTC). Boot camp is approximately 10 weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes five warfighting competencies of firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship along with physical fitness and lessons in Navy heritage and core values, Warrior Toughness, Life Skills, teamwork and discipline. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navys only boot camp.

USO representatives and Status of Forces Agreement personnel converse during an Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at USO Futenma on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2022. Members with USO Futenma hosted a ceremony to commemorate the 77th anniversary of Okinawa Memorial Day, paying respects to the 240,000 lives lost during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

Members of the 252nd Quartermaster Company, 213th Regional Support Group, Pa. National Guard, stand in formation before their friends and family during their deployment ceremony at the Southampton Roads Armory June 3 in Philadelphia. The support from families is vital to deploying Soldiers and helps to keep them focused and motivated while conducting missions throughout the world.

110327-N-9626Y-020PACIFIC OCEAN (March 27, 2011) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Carlee Udischas, from Chicago, stands in line during a warfare day to get signatures for her personal qualification standard (PQS) book aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). Warfare days provide Sailors with the training to become enlisted surface and enlisted aviation warfare specialists. George Washington departed from her forward operating port of Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka in response to the complex nature of the disaster that struck Japan on March 11.

Members of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Leadership Gulf Coast tour a C-130 aircraft at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Nov. 9, 2022. Forty local business and community leaders and emerging leaders also toured the air traffic control course.

U.S. Army Veteran, Dr. Rory Cooper, left, director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Research Foundation, speaks to U.S. Army Spc. Gerald Blakley, during the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, Aug. 20, 2022. Hosted by the U.S. Army at the Walt Disney World Resort, this years Warrior Games sees service members and veterans from across the DoD competing in a variety of adaptive sports alongside armed forces athletes from Canada and Ukraine.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Altan Kandiyeli, an infantry officer with Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command, Headquarters and Service Battalion, explains the proper way to replace vehicle brakes during a professional military education (PME) class on vehicle maintenance at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Auto Hobby Shop, Virginia, June 23, 2022. Marines attended a PME class regarding automotive maintenance to increase their understanding and become proficient in basic automotive care. NAS Oceana Auto Hobby Shop provides military members with the facility, tools, expert advice and customer service needed to conduct maintenance on their vehicles.

Family, friends and guest along with local officials listen to remarks by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Raymond F. Rees during renaming ceremony at the Raymond F. Rees Training Center, Umatilla, Oregon, on Sept. 29, 2022. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Raymond F. Rees is a retired Oregon Guardsman and served as The Adjutant General, Oregon for more than 16 years, retiring from military service in 2013, and later worked as a civilian as the Deputy Secretary of the Army. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

Rothenburg Police School

220918-N-LY160-1184 PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 18, 2022) - Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Deion Johnson, from Temecula, California, hosts a talent show aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7) Sept. 18, 2022. Tripoli is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Marines with Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic (FMFLANT), Marine Forces Command (MARFORCOM), Marine Forces Northern Command (MARFOR NORTHCOM) and civilians gather to attend the 247th Marine Corps Birthday Ball hosted at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Norfolk, Va., Nov. 2, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the service members of FMFLANT, MARFORCOM, MARFOR NORTHCOM have not celebrated the Marine Corps anniversary since 2019. The birthday ball is a celebration of Marine Corps tradition and the legacy across generations from the past to the future of the warfighting organization.

031108-M-7502M-002. Base: Camp H. M. Smith State: Hawaii (HI) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: MarForPac

A Team Dover member reads a program pamphlet during a religious service aboard a C-5M Super Galaxy at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, April 9, 2023. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the 436th Airlift Wing Chapel team hosted 130 Team Dover members aboard a C-5 for a religious service.

Sergio Matias Chontal-Harter interviews Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Messenger on Feb. 12, 2024, at the garrison headquarters at Fort McCoy, Wis. Matias, 6, interviewed Messenger as part of a school project. Matias is the son of a Fort McCoy employee, and he also experienced what it's like to participate in the Army Combat Fitness Test and how to participate in retreat at the end of the duty day. Army

Personnel conduct an inspection at Officer Candidates School barracks, Quantico, Virginia, Feb. 9, 2024. MCICOM has directed a wall to wall environmental, health, and safety inspection of all Marine Corps barracks to ensure a safe, secure, clean, and consistent living standard for all military living quarters branch wide and set the conditions for implementing the provisions of Barracks 2030. The inspection is slated to be completed by all installations no later than March 15, 2024. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Cpl. Tiffanie Johnson, left, and Pfc. Corine Hamilton, center, share a laugh while in-processing, August 16, during the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games. The DoD Warrior Games are conducted August 16 - 28, hosted by the U.S. Army at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Men and women from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and U.S. Special Operations Command are joined in competition by athletes with the Canadian Soldier On organization for a variety of adaptive sports ranging from archery to wheelchair rugby.

Incident Command Post - Control Post - 26-HK-153-12. Hurricane Katrina

U.S. Air Force Col. D. Landon Phillips, 501st Combat Support Wing commander, right, speaks with distinguished guests after a Ceremony of Remembrance at Stanwick Lakes, England, Feb. 22, 2024. U.S. and U.K. leaders gathered to honor 17 Airmen who died in a midair collision on Feb. 22, 1944, involving B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 303rd Bombardment Group at RAF Molesworth and the 384th Bombardment Group at RAF Grafton Underwood. The Airmen were part of Operation Argument, or "The Big Week," targeting enemy industrial sites and aircraft facilities in Central Europe to secure Allied air superiority for the upcoming landings in France in June 1944. Air Force

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) analyst Mr. Tim Kelliher conducts an interview with a possible eyewitness during a site survey in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on Jan. 13, 2024. Interviews are a critical component to the investigative process, often giving DPAA teams a better insight on what conditions may have looked like during the time of the incident as well as how weather may affect possible recovery missions in the future. Approximately690 unaccounted-for American personnel from World War II are believed to be located within modern-day PRC.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic cadets from the class of 2026 learn military-style grooming regualtions at the U.S. Air Force Academy during in-processing (I-Day), on June 23, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo. I-Day marks the start of their journey of becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.

Laura Orr, Director of Education and Darcy Sink, Volunteer Coordinator at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, provide an orientation aboard the Battleship Wisconsin to area Chief Petty Officers in preparation for the museums CPO Heritage Days training event scheduled for September 19-21, 2022. The museums CPO training event is the largest and longest running event of its kind in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area for newly selected Chief Petty Officers and is held aboard the Battleship Wisconsin and the Nauticus campus in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia.

An Airmen assigned to the 353rd Recruiting Squadron waves his unit's guidon during the evening dinner and awards ceremony at the annual Air Force Reserve Recruiting Deployment for Training event Nov. 8. More than 400 Airmen from across the Air Force Reserve Recruiting Service attended the annual DFT program Nov. 5-9, 2022 in Orlando, Fla.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., retired Lt. Col. James Harvey, documented original Tuskegee Airman, and Maj. Saj El-Amin, Accelerating the Legacy moderator and C-17 pilot, participate in a fireside chat during the ATL 2023 banquet in Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 16, 2023. The event is a platform for minority Airmen to learn from experienced leaders and mentors, connect with other Airmen from different backgrounds and career fields, and gain valuable career insight.

RENO, Nevada (Sept. 10, 2022) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday is presented a gift as the guest of honor at Tailhook 2022 at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada. Tailhook is the largest annual Naval Aviation conference with this years theme being: 100 Years of Carriers. Gilday traveled to Nevada and California, Sept. 8-13, for Sailor and leadership engagement.

221006-N-VX158-1150 SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 6, 2022) From the left, Lt. Jarred Reid-Dixon, Public Affairs Officer for San Francisco Fleet Week (SFFW), Justin J.D. Dillard, director of the film "Devotion," and Bruce Dillard, a native of Philadelphia, Penn., answer service member questions after a private screening of Dillards new film. SFFW is an opportunity for the American public to meet their Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard teams and experience Americas Sea services. During Fleet Week, service members participate in various community service events, showcase capabilities and equipment to the community, and enjoy the hospitality of the city and its surrounding areas.

Polish Army Capt. Grzegorz Lach, a chaplain, leads a Catholic Mass service Easter Sunday for U.S. Soldiers with 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (3/4th ABCT) and 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 17, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces; execute joint, bilateral and multinational training exercises; and provides command and control for rotational and assigned units in the European theater.

16th Air Force Command team receive a brief from 690th Cyberspace Control Squadron Airmen on the Air Force Mission Assurance Center operations floor Sept. 8, 2022 at Port San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Air Force Maj. Temesha Christensen, 690th Cyberspace Control Squadron director of operations, and Air Force Mission Assurance Center chief opened the brief about the AMAC mission with U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, Sept. 8, 2022 at Port San Antonio, Texas. Wingmen at the AMAC have exposures to every mission across the Air Force and coordinate Air Force-wide on enterprise operations.690th Cyberspace Control Squadron Cyber Operations Control Cell Crew Commander U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Chris Sholz, U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Alexander Parker, non-commissioned officer-in-charge Network Operation Control Cell and U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Francisco Beltran, Security Operations Control Cell analyst, also provided a mission brief to the 16th Air Force Command team.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan Goss, 68th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, talks to The Great Texas Airshow visitors aboard the C-5M Super Galaxy at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, April 23, 2022. Airshows provide community members an opportunity to better understand U.S. military capabilities and meet the service members who carry out the mission. Approximately 550,000 people attended the two-day event, which was held for the first time since 2017.

Soldiers assigned to the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and their families celebrate the Army's 247th Birthday with a Festival on Fort Myer, VA, on June 12, 2022. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Gen. James A. McConville, and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston hosted the event.

221111-N-CO548-1085 SAN DIEGO (Nov. 11, 2022) Musician 3rd Class Taylor Johns, left, from Cleveland, and Musician 2nd Class Will Camps, from Charlotte, N.C., from Navy Band Southwest, play music at a pre-game brunch prior to the 2022 Armed Forces Classic - Carrier Edition, held on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) while in port at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., Nov. 11, 2022. The ESPN Armed Forces Classic is an annual series of college basketball games held near Veterans Day on military bases as a tribute to U.S. service members.

U.S. Air Force Col. William Hunter, 81st Training Wing commander, talks with guests at the 81st TRW Holiday Open House at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Dec. 11, 2022. Both the 81st TRW and Second Air Force hosted a Holiday Open House to celebrate training developments and the bases partnership with the local community.

A member of the British-American Committee (BAC) reacts to a briefing given by members of the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (ERS) at Marston Meysey Village Hall, England, Feb. 2, 2024. The 99th ERS collaborated with the BAC to educate the local community on the U-2 Dragon Lady while promoting friendship, understanding and mutual support between American military, civilian personnel and the British people among whom they live and work. Air Force

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Elizabeth Helbig, left, and Sgt. Jonah DaSilva, right, recruiters with Recruiting Sub-Station Santa Rosa, talk to fair attendees during a Marine Corps pull-up challenge at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California August 5, 2022. The Marines of Recruiting Sub-Station Santa Rosa hosted a pull-up challenge and talked to fair attendees interested in learning more about the opportunities available within the Marine Corps.

221115-N-XM133-0015 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (Nov. 15, 2022) Navy wounded warriors (NWW) assigned to various commands around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam participate in painting as part of the 3rd annual NWW R.E.S.E.T. event sponsored by the Navy Wounded Warrior program in commemoration of Warrior Care Month. In 2008, the Secretary of Defense designated November as Warrior Care Month in order to inform members of the military and their families and communities about the programs and initiatives currently being provided through the Warrior Care system and the forthcoming improvements.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Lance J. Langfeldt, center, 6th Marine Corps District commanding officer, stands with the Recruiting Station Commanding Officers of 6MCD at the annual 6MCD Career Recruiter Training Event in New Orleans, Louisiana, Oct. 5, 2022. The four-day CRTE joins together the RSCOs, career recruiters, and career recruiter applicants for professional development in all aspects of recruiting and Military Occupational Specialty progression. The Career Recruiter MOS 8412 and Recruiting Officer MOS 4810, are lateral career options for successful Marine Corps recruiters to apply for as staff sergeants or gunnery sergeants. (Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Phommachanh)

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