Military Helicopter Operations

Helicopters in flight against a cloudy sky, showcasing military air operations. The mood reflects a sense of duty and readiness in military aviation.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) staff conduct sling load operations and a 6 mile ruck march at a forward operating site in Romania on Oct. 26, 2022. The purpose of the exercise was to increase the knowledge and appreciation for air assault operations and build camaraderie amongst the staff. The United States commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and the United States will continue to bolster our posture to better defend our NATO Allies. (U.S. Army photos by MAJ Brett Sullenger, 2nd Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE" Public Affairs Officer)

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) staff conduct sling load operations and a 6 mile ruck march at a forward operating site in Romania on Oct. 26, 2022. The purpose of the exercise was to increase the knowledge and appreciation for air assault operations and build camaraderie amongst the staff. The United States commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and the United States will continue to bolster our posture to better defend our NATO Allies. (U.S. Army photos by MAJ Brett Sullenger, 2nd Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE" Public Affairs Officer)

War album 44, picture 12227a.

110511-N-YC050-055ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 11, 2011) A Sailor assigned to the damage control division of the engineering department aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) checks the counter measure washdown system on the ship's flight deck. George H.W. Bush, the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

War album 45, picture 12268a.

War album 46, picture 12707a.

Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment search the beaches of the North Shore Jan. 17, 2016 for debris of two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, which went missing Jan. 14, 2016 North of Oahu, Hawaii, . The aircraft are from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, MAG 24, 1st MAW from Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

An inert Guided Bomb Unit 12 delivered from an F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 hits its designated target at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, June 28, 2022. This training marked the first-ever live close air support missions in Japan with an F-35B. U.S. Marine Corps Joint Terminal Attack Controllers with 3d Battalion, 2d Marines coordinated the close air support with VMFA-242. 3/2 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program.

DF-ST-89-00981. Subject Operation/Series: SHADOW HAWK Base: King Faisal Air Base, Al Jafr Country: Jordan (JOR)

War album 39, Figure 10695F.

War album 45, Figure 12317B.

Panorama of Artillery Observers ¤ 1136 Cimone West, Part 3.

War album 45, picture 12317a.

War album 45, picture 12465.

War album 45, picture 12256a.

221205-N-IT121-1081 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 5, 2022) An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, taxies on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet.

War album 88, Fig. 25651A.

U.S. Marines 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division and members of the Northern Army, Japan Self-Defense Force, conduct force-on-force training as a part of Resolute Dragon 22 at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 12, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral exercise designed to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance by exercising integrated command and control, targeting, combined arms, and maneuver across multiple domains.

221015-N-XK462-1001 PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 15, 2022) Dolphins swim next to the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108). Wayne E. Meyer is currently operating with Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in preparation for an upcoming deployment.

The Memorial Squadron flight of 18 various aircraft approaches Travis Air Force Base, California, May 29, 2022. The 18-ship flyover took place in honor of Memorial Day to respect and remember our fallen service members. The aircraft are piloted by prior military and general aviation pilots.

041109-F-9528H-005. Base: Charleston State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Division, 2d Marine Division, hike to an objective during Spanish FLOTEX-22 near Rota, Spain, June 22, 2022. This exercise features tactical level actions ashore, combined with joint training and planning, aimed at increasing overall bilateral interoperability between nations.

A U.S. Soldier with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont National Guard, climbs an ice wall at Smuggler's Notch in Jeffersonville, Vt., March 5, 2016. Soldiers performed basic and advanced mountain warfare skills including ice climbing, mountain movement techniques, and nighttime navigation as part of their mountaineering winter bivouac.

A sign showing the location where Richard Montgomery, a brigadier-general in the Continental Army (during the American Revolutionary War) fell whilst leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada. The invasion was the first major military initiative by the newly-formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadians to join the revolution on the side of th

Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, operating as the opposing forces, load on to a Light Medium Tactical Vehicle to conduct a patrol March 31, 2023 in Yukon Training Area for Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02. JPMRC-AK 23-02 is a regional combat training center rotation focusing on large-scale combat operations including situational training and live-fire exercises designed to build cold weather and mountain-proficient forces prepared for employment within the U.S. Army Pacific area of responsibility.

A bundle drop zone is identified by a flag during Operation Christmas Drop at Murilo, the state of Chuuk, Micronesia, Dec. 6, 2022. Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-130H aircrew conducted airdrops while honing skills needed for effective dynamic delivery to non-surveyed drop zones, a method that incorporates real-time decision making within a challenging mission environment.

U.S. Army Sgt. Sean Bean, a Nodal Network Systems Operator assigned to U.S. Army Network Enterprise Center Belgium, 39th Strategic Signal Battalion, performs a ruck march as he competes in the unit's quarterly Best Warrior Competition, on Chièvres Air Base, Belgium, Dec. 08, 2022.

War album 40, Figure 10964B.

Royal Australian Air Force Leading Aircraftwoman Maddison Scott, No 464 Squadron Military Public Affairs, documents aircraft during Cope North 24 on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 2, 2024. Cope North participants exercise interoperability during CN24 through agile, integrated generation of airpower from dispersed locations across the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating Allied airpower resilience and survivability in a contested environment. Air Force

Aircrafts - Sand Baggers - 26-HK-57-34. Helicopter flying over waterfront --050929. Hurricane Katrina

Ships of Naval On-call Forces Mediterranean, Task Force 432, are underway in formation during Exercise Deterrent Force 2/90, a part of Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DETERRENT FORCE 2/90DESERT SHIELD Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

U.S. Marine Skis at the U.S. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center

Airmen from the 820th Base Defense Group, MacDill AFB, Nellis AFB and Langley AFB conduct pre-Ranger Assessment Preparation Course training, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, October 31-November 4, 2022. The candidates executed a variety of tasks that they'll be expected to perform at Ranger School such as an official Ranger Physical Fitness Test, a Combat Water Survival Test, day and night land navigation, weapons firing, and a 9-mile ruck. The course is designed to equip Ranger School candidates for the physical and mental elements of the U.S. Army Ranger Assessment Course.

War album 45, picture 12310.

Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) members enter a simulated suspected human trafficking facility during a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) culmination exercise in Nassau, The Bahamas. Training with our partners in their homeland allows U.S. Special Forces the opportunity to train and prepare in various environments.

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division, process notional High Mobility Artillery Rocket System fire missions from a concealed position on Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 28, 2022. The training demonstrates the joint forces ability to integrate command and control, expand battlefield awareness, and conduct long-range precision strikes as an enduring, stand-in-force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ujian Gosun)

View from the artillery observer. Field Guard No: 8 at Trögl-Rockspitz against Malurch, Pontafel-Pontebba. .

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Republic of Korea Marines provide security during amphibious operations during KAMANDAG 6 at Naval Education, Training, and Doctrine Command, Zambales, Philippines, Oct. 7, 2022. This combined interoperability event also involved members of the Philippine Marine Corps and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. KAMANDAG is an annual bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades shared experiences.

Panorama seen from the Wischberg.Artillery observer. .

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides to Pima County, Arizona for tours of the Mexican border area, discussions with local Interior staff and Customs and Border Patrol personnel

Lee Taylor, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist assigned to the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing safety office, uses a flashlight to search for a small mammal briefly seen during a nighttime wildlife survey at Air Base 201, Niger, Jan. 17, 2024. The wildlife survey is part of the Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard program to monitor and deter animals that could be a threat to aircraft and the airfield environment.

Clouds of smoke from Mount Pinatubo descend upon Clark Air Base as the volcano erupts for the first time in over 600 years. Over 20,000 evacuees are being removed from the area during the U.S. military's Operation Fiery Vigil.. Subject Operation/Series: FIERY VIGIL Base: Clark Air Base State: Luzon Country: Philippines(PHL)

Three C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 17th Tactical Airlift Squadron prepare to depart during exercise BRIM FROST. The snow-covered Chugach Mountain Range is in the background. Subject Operation/Series: BRIM FROST Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-85-03585. Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '82 Base: Wadi Seidna Air Base Country: Sudan (SDN)

Georgia, Andersonville, Andersonville National Historic Site, site of the fist Civil War-era Prisoner-of-War camp, military cemetery

DM-ST-88-07847. Base: Virginia Beach State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Members of the Malawian Maritime Force move towards their objective during a culmination exercise during a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) in Monkey Bay, Malawi, June 22, 2022. JCETS enhance U.S. relationships with partner nations by developing and maintaining critical military-to-military connections and improving joint and allied readiness and interoperability.

Blackhawk helicopter

U.S Marines with 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, 2d Marine Division, post security during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 1, 2022. The purpose of a MCCRE is to formally evaluate the units combat readiness in preparation for deployment.

DN-SC-88-07645. Base: USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Country: Pacific Ocean (POC)

ISS015-E-05481 (28 April 2007) --- Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crewmember on the International Space Station. The Patuxent River Naval Air Station - or NAS Patuxent River -- is located on a small peninsula, bordered by the Patuxent River to the north-northeast and Chesapeake Bay to the east and southeast. The air station was commissioned in 1943, replacing farmlands that had occupied the peninsula less than a year earlier. The primary purpose of "Pax River" (as the site is known by the US Navy) was to consolidate geographically-dispersed air testing facilities that existed in the US prior to World War II into a central location. The NAS Patuxent River is now the primary center for naval air technology research, development, testing, and support, as well as being the location of the Navy Test Pilot School. The NAS Patuxent River is used frequently as a geographic reference point and training target by station crew

France, Brittany, Morbihan, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon on 2022-03-30. Students from the Ecole Militaire Interarmes (EMIA), the military academy responsible for training army officers recruited internally, i.e. from the ranks of non-commissioned officers and other ranks, take part in a training course at Fort de Penthievre, a fortified structure on the Quiberon peninsula that has become a training base. Photograph by Martin Bertrand.France, Bretagne, Morbihan, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon le 2022-03-30. Les eleves de l' ecole militaire interarmes ( EMIA ), l' ecole militaire chargee de la formation des officiers de l' armee de Terre issus du recrutement interne, c'est-a-dire issus des rangs des sous-officiers et des militaires du rang, participe a un stage d'aguerrissment au Fort de Penthievre, un ouvrage fortifie sur la presqu'ile de Quiberon devenu une base d'entrainement. Photographie de Martin Bertrand.

An Alouette III of 300 squadron sneaking over the Veluwe. Image in mirror image !!!

Austrian soldiers swept away by an avalanche in the Italian Alps; during world war one 1916

Military installation in Jebel Shams, the highest mountain of the Hajar range, Sultanate of Oman.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Chaos Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1 ABCT) operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID), provides covering fire for advancing units during a live fire exercise in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Dec. 8, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1 ID, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

The sun sets over South Post on Sept. 10, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. Fort McCoys motto is to be the Total Force Training Center. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching ftmccoy, and on Twitter by searching usagmccoy.

Troops at Fort McCoy, Wis., for training work on equipment and vehicles on North Post on Sept. 10, 2022, at the installation as the sun sets for the day. The troops were on post for weekend training. During September 2022, thousands of troops trained at Fort McCoy for institutional training and extended combat and weekend training. Fort McCoy's motto is to be the Total Force Training Center.”

The sun sets over South Post on Sept. 10, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. Fort McCoys motto is to be the Total Force Training Center. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching ftmccoy, and on Twitter by searching usagmccoy.

View of the former battlefield at LINGEKOPF from World War I, Museum of the Lingekopf Memorial, Orbey, Alsace, France, Europe

Joint Task Force - Aviation arrives in Newtok, Alaska, via a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, to transport service members back to JTF - Bethel, after they assisted with storm debris removal as part of Operation Merbok Response, Sept. 23, 2022. Approximately 100 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda O'Neal)

U.S. Marines and sailors aboard a medium-lift, dual rotor CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 774, attached to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010, conduct a site survey via a medium-lift, dual rotor CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 774, attached to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force CP10, in the area of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Nov. 6, 2010, to gather an understanding of the damage caused by Hurricane Tomas. If tasked, the USS Iwo Jima will conduct humanitarian relief operations in support of the government of Haiti, MINUSTAH and USAID. Service members and civilians are deployed in support of CP10 providing medical, dental, veterinary, engineering assistance and subject-matter exchanges to the Caribbean, Central and South America.Beyers/Released)

DA-ST-90-01556. Base: Fort Greely State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A CH-47F Chinook helicopter sits nestled in the Alaska Range to offload National Park Service equipment, supplies and personnel on Kahiltna Glacier April 27, 2022. The Sugar Bears of B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment fly out of Talkeetna, Alaska, each spring to assist the NPS setting up a base camp for climbers attempting to summit Denali. (Army photo/John Pennell)

Troops at Fort McCoy, Wis., for training work on equipment and vehicles on North Post on Sept. 10, 2022, at the installation as the sun sets for the day. The troops were on post for weekend training. During September 2022, thousands of troops trained at Fort McCoy for institutional training and extended combat and weekend training. Fort McCoy's motto is to be the Total Force Training Center.”

Anti Tank Cubes and Type 25 Pillbox. This is at Kimmeridge, Dorset, England, United Kingdom. These were to help repel a possible German invasion.

A survival, escape, resistance and evasion specialist helps a simulated survivor into the rescue strop during a combat search and rescue task force exercise, Oct. 15, 2014, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The two-week exercise provides 33rd RQS aircrews to train for combat missions and prepares them for rescue missions in hostile territory.

USA, Alaska, Kodiak. View from inside a WWII Distant Electrical Control (DEC) Bunker at Fort Abercrombie.

The sun sets Sept. 10, 2022, at Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport at Fort McCoy, Wis. Fort McCoys motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

The sun sets over South Post on Sept. 10, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. Fort McCoys motto is to be the Total Force Training Center. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984. Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching ftmccoy, and on Twitter by searching usagmccoy.

Lytle Creek Shooting Area in San Bernadino National Forest, CA.

Soldiers and Airmen perform the night land navigation portion of the Utah National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Williams, Utah, Oct. 18, 2022. The Utah National Guard Best Warrior Competition is an annual event that brings together Soldiers and Airmen from the major commands to compete for the title of Soldier/Airman-of-the-Year, Noncommissioned Officer-of-the-Year and Senior NCO-of-the-Year. The Army winners of this competition will represent the Utah Army National Guard at the Region VII Best Warrior Competition next spring. (US Army National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. William D. Cowley)

221208-N-YS933-1018 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 8, 2022) A U.S. Navy Sailor looks out to the Pacific Ocean from aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is underway conducting routine operations.

Militairy tanks destructed in the desert at sunset

Lance Cpl. Riley Remoket, with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, fills a water bull at a water distribution site during typhoon relief efforts in Saipan, Aug. 19, 2015. The Marines and sailors of the 31st MEU were redirected to Saipan after the island was struck by Typhoon Soudelor Aug. 2-3.

Members of the 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion transport an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter to Bethel from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson April 11, 2022, for their annual training this spring.

A view of Broadway Highway looking toward the town and harbor, during Exercise Kennel Bear '4-82. Subject Operation/Series: KENNEL BEAR '4-82 Base: Tinian Island Country: Northern Mariana Islands (MNP)

Indonesia, June 8, 2012 - The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) sits off the coast of the Sangihe Islands to support Pacific Partnership 2012.

The sun rising over Camp Able Sentry guard tower number six. Subject Operation/Series: ABLE SENTRY Base: Skopje Country: Macedonia (MKD)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joseph Norris, a team leader with 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, holds security during Mountain Training Exercise 5-23 at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, California, Sept. 1, 2023. MTX gives Marines the opportunity to hone their combat and survival skills in an austere mountain environment.

An Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter with 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment dips a 2,000 gallon capacity Bambi Bucket in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area in order to support firefighting efforts on the Whitewater Fire on August 5, 2017. The Oregon National Guard was called upon following Gov. Kate Brown's emergency order on August 2, two Chinook helicopters are currently assigned to the fire.

A Marine rifleman from India Company, Third Battalion, Eighth Marines lies over a large rock ready to fire his weapon during cold weather training at Silver Creek. Base: Bridgeport State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

010816-F-1631A-004. Subject Operation/Series: TACTICAL FIGHTER WEAPONTRY01 Base: Tranum Country: Denmark (DNK) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Israel, Golan Heights, MItzpe Quneitra, turret of Israeli tank points to Syrian town of Qunietra

ESU Incident Command Post New Orleans - Katrina Sector - 26-HK-306-23. Hurricane Katrina

With Gold Dust Peak in the background, members of the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 7 members from San Diego, California set out on the Zodiac boat to gather data during their initial search for the four missing 500 pound Mark 82 bombs carried by the A-10 that crashed near Gold Dust Peak. New York Lake is the first of six lakes in the Gold Dust Peak that will be searched. Base: New York Lake State: Colorado (CO) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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