Military Helicopters in Action

Dynamic images of various military helicopters flying in different environments, showcasing operational readiness and aerial maneuvers.

U-60 Black Hawk helicopter preparing to pick up the soldiers

020416-A-1526R-006. Base: Camp Barbuda Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: USSOUTHCOM

South Carolina National Guard Soldiers, Chief Warrant Officers 2 Benji Long and James Honour, conduct pre-flight checks before lifting off with senior leaders from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol to observe lane reversals of South Carolina Interstates 26, 77 and Highway 501 as Hurricane Florence heads towards the Carolinas' coasts Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018.

030204-M-7031A-025. Base: Marine Corps Base, Ternate State: Cavite Province Country: Philippines (PHL) Scene Major Command Shown: 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines

Four 51st Wing's HH-60G helicopters during a Search & Rescue training mission flying near Osan Air Base. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing conduct landing drills with a CH-53E Super Stallion at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Sept. 30, 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.

Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters take part in a minesweeping drill during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Unknown

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lowers an M-998 high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle into a landing zone during Exercise Imminent Thunder, part of Operation Desert Shield.. Subject Operation/Series: IMMINENT THUNDERDESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

Soldiers and units from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conduct sling load operations with CH-47s from Task Force Apocalypse, 3-501, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Romania on Oct. 27, 2022. The training built proficiency for PZ and sling load operations with numerous types of equipment in support of future collective training events and contingency operations. 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)

040410-M-8703S-017. Base: USMC Air Ground Combat Center State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: 3rd Battalion 1ST Marines

U-60 Black Hawk helicopter preparing to pick up the soldiers

DN-ST-86-02277. Subject Operation/Series: OCEAN VENTURE '84 Base: Vieques Island Country: Puerto Rico (PRI)

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing transports Marines with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division to a landing zone during Resolute Dragon 22 at Shikaribetsu Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 5, 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.

An HH-60G Pave Hawk takes off from Camp Bastion, Afghanistan

060328-N-6074Y-106. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION FOAL EAGLE Base: Osan Air Base Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

U.S. Marines with Marine Light Helicopter Attack Squadron (HMLA) 775, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, prepare to take off in a UH-1Y Venom at a forward arming and refueling point (FARP) during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 4-22 at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. on July 21, 2022. A FARP is a temporary facility organized, equipped and deployed to provide fuel and ammunition necessary for the employment of aviation maneuver units in combat. ITX provides the Marine Corps Reserve an opportunity to conduct force deployment planning, mobilization rehearsals, Active Component integration and increase combat readiness for all elements of the MAGTF.

Ryan Halsey, White Sands Missile Range Army Air Detachment flight engineer, conducts a pre-flight inspection of a UH-60L Black Hawk at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The Army Air Detachment is responsible for conducting flying operations for Army, Department of Defense, foreign government and other commercial customers operating in the Holloman-WSMR area.

U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines conduct an external lift of an M777 Howitzer with a CH-53E Super Stallion during a training event at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 3, 2022. The training increased battlefield proficiency and combat readiness across Marine Air-Ground Task Force units while expanding the ability for commanders to relocate artillery assets in austere terrain.

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 fires at a target during Resolute Dragon 22 at Yausubetsu Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 6, 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.

Slow Motion United States military helicopter in Vietnam

DA-ST-87-12924. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '87 Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- Two Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters prepare for landing at forward operating base Kalagush September 7, 2008. The Black Hawks are used for a variety of missions including medical evacuation, air assault, personnel transport and airlift.

DF-ST-87-07550. Subject Operation/Series: GALLANT EAGLE '86 State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An Mi-35 attack helicopter operated by the Afghan National Army Air Corp at Kunduz Airfield, Northern Afghanistan.

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261) takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock USS AUSTIN (LPD-4) during a simulated tactical recovery of aircraft personnel (TRAP) mission. Country: Adriatic Sea

The pilot and co-pilot of an SH-2F Sea Sprite helicopter of Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) do a preflight check of the aircraft at Naval Air Station Norfolk as they prepare for a training mission. Note their large flight helmets, which contain additional sound suppressors for the noisy helicopter cockpit. Base: Norfolk State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A 33rd Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk lands on a U.S. Naval vessel on the Pacific Ocean, June 17, 2022. The U.S. Navy and the 33rd RQS routinely conducts training in the Pacific region to help support our allies and to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

An AH-64E Apache attack helicopter assigned to Alpha Company, 1-229 Attack Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, flies near Ellensburg, Wash. on Jun. 9, 2022. Brigade Commander Col. Shane Finison and Executive Officer Maj. Merritt Thomas were piloting the aircraft returning to Joint Base Lewis-McChord from Yakima Training Center.

One of several UH-1H Iroquois helicopters of Alpha Company 2/228th Aviation Battalion, Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, lands at the 108th Air Defense Artillery filed position. Alpha Company and their helicopters provide aeromedical evacuation and distinguished visitor transportation during this interservice, multinational exercise which will test the ability of participating units to fight in a desert environment. Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS '95 Base: Biggs Army Air Field, El Paso State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-86-10435. Subject Operation/Series: OPPORTUNE JOURNEY 85-3 Base: Wheeler Air Force Base State: Hawaii (HI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-ST-85-01944. Country: Unknown

DA-ST-86-06265. Country: Unknown

DN-ST-90-02385. Base: Gaeta Country: Italy (ITA)

An aircrew with the Wisconsin National Guards 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment operates a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Nov. 16, 2022, at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport at Fort McCoy, Wis. Members of the unit regularly complete training operations at Fort McCoy and the unit also supports numerous training events at the installation each year. According to the Army fact sheet for the Black Hawk, its mission is to provide air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support to combat, stability, and support operations. The UH-60 also is the Armys utility tactical transport helicopter. The versatile helicopter has enhanced the overall mobility of the Army due to dramatic improvements in troop capacity and cargo lift capability over the years as well.

An Army combat engineer from Breacher Company, 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, jumps from an Army CH-47F Chinook during helocast training at Clunie Lake, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 29, 2022. The combat engineers conducted the helocast operations to build confidence and familiarize themselves with future training they will encounter. Army aircrew from the B Company, 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion provided air support for the training.

U.S. Army AH-64 Apache assigned to 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, conducts flight operations aboard the USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) off the coast of the Philippines during Balikatan 22, March 31, 2022. The Miguel Keith, a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Mobile Base Ship, is a highly flexible platform that provides logistics movement from sea to shore supporting a broad range of military operations. Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder,’ is a longstanding bilateral exercise between the Philippines and the United States highlighting the deep-rooted partnership between both countries. Balikatan 22 is the 37th and largest-ever iteration of the exercise. BK22 coincides with the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippine security cooperation and a shared commitment to advancing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

DA-ST-87-12922. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '87 Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the 101st Airborne Division "Air Assault" arrives at the Millington-Memphis Airport to conduct refueling and resupply on January 13, 2024, during a Large-Scale Long-Range Air Assault into the Joint Readiness Training Center on Fort Johnson, LA. This exercise is intended to test and strengthen the unit's readiness. Close to 80 U.S. Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, KY will stop at several locations throughout the flight path to refuel and resupply before they assault onto the training objectives at Fort Johnson, LA. There are four forward arming and refueling points (FARPs): Millington, TN, Oxford, MS, Moroe, LA, and Alexandria, LA.

An Army AH-1 Cobra helicopter during the Air Warrior 85-12 exercise. Subject Operation/Series: AIR WARRIOR 85-12 Base: Fort Irwin State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

041023-F-2034C-053. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Mckenzie Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, insert onto Landing Zone Falcon with Marines from 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division during exercise Resolute Dragon 22 at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 1, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual 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.

A CH-47 Chinook from Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation, closes rear door during departure during a notional mass casualty evacuation mission at the Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., Saturday, July 23, 2016. The aviation unit, which includes aircrews from both the New York and Maryland Army National Guard, joined more than 5,000 Soldiers from other state Army National Guard units, active Army and Army Reserve troops as part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Task Force Hunter, July 9-30, 2016.

A former Soviet Hip helicopter operated as an aggressor simulating enemy helicopters at Nellis AFB during a Red Flag or Weapons School event

041209-M-5607G-006. Base: Starlight Training Site State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), prepares to conduct an external lift during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 2-22, at Auxiliary Airfield II, at Landing Zone Bull (LZ Bull), Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, California, on April 2, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, 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.

A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying Pakistani civilians is shown during an evacuation flight over a mountain pass in Pakistan Aug. 5, 2010. Humanitarian relief and evacuation missions are being conducted as part of the disaster relief efforts to assist Pakistanis in flood-stricken regions of the nation.

An SH-3 Sea King helicopter assigned to Commander, Seventh Fleet, is about to land on board the flagship USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19). The helo is transporting dignitaries to the ship to take part in an ecumenical memorial service in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Base: Coral Sea Country: Pacific Ocean (POC)

Italian Air Force AB212 helicopters.

A HH-60 Blackhawk, C CO, 2-4 GSAB, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, provides support of the Jack L. Clark Jr., Army Best Medic Competition at Fort Hood, Texas 27 Jan.

A US Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 4 (HS-4), Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., lands in the desert of New Mexico to pickup the survivors of a simulated F-18 crash during the annual air defense exercise. Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS '95 Base: Roswell State: New Mexico (NM) Country: United States Of America (USA)

020421-A-9157N-003. Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: USSOUTHCOM

050110-F-6335P-132. Base: Sultan Iskandar Muda Afb State: Sumatra Country: Indonesia (IDN)

Sikorsky Military Helicopters Aviat HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue USAF U.S. Air Force dust

HH-60G Pave HawkUS Air National Guard

A left side view of three CH-47 Chinook helicopters flying in formation during exercise Ocean Venture '82. Subject Operation/Series: OCEAN VENTURE '82 Base: Eglin Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CH-53 Bundeswehr Bundeswehr CH-53 in flight during a maneuver with vehicles and soldiers Copyright: xZoonar.com/ThomasxFuhrmannx 20907062

An Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to B Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, flies over Bryant Army Airfield at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 7, 2022. The 2-211 GSAB supported a helicopter jump for the U.S. Air Force Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron on Geronimo Drop Zone, maximizing total-force training to demonstrate short-notice mission readiness in an arctic environment.

Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), conduct Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction (FRIES) training out of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to 2-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 18, 2022.

A UH-1 Iroquois air ambulance helicopter lands for the evacuation of "wounded" from the Medical Clearing Company during exercise Patriot Samaritan. Base: Macdill Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A ground guide watches as a UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter touches down near a medical facility during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

Alaska Army National Guardsmen with the 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion travel from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Nome, Alaska, via UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter April 11, 2022. The UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters will remain in Nome for Golf Company, Detachment 1, 2-211th GSAB to conduct annual training and aide in River Watch if needed this spring. Should there be significant flooding or other emergency in the vicinity, the helicopters will provide support as requested by the State. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda ONeal)

View of a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter during Ocean Venture at Mount Training Facility. Subject Operation/Series: OCEAN VENTURE State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

030517-M-5266H-009. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: HMM-364

Two Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters prepare to land during a Swift Response 22 joint forcible entry exercise at the Krivolak Military Training Center in Negotino, North Macedonia, May 12, 2022. Exercise Swift Response 22 is an annual multinational training exercise, which takes place in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics, and Balkans from May 2-20, 2022. The purpose of the exercise is to present combat credible Army forces in Europe and Africa, and enhance readiness by building airborne interoperability with Allies and Partners and the integration of joint service partnership.

040322-F-2185F-001. Subject Operation/Series: RED FLAG Base: Nellis Air Force Base State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

BlackhawksIraq

April 5, 2007 - A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies out of an emergency landing zone after retrieving two patients during a medical evacuation exercise at the school construction site in La Calera, Nicaragua, during exercise New Horizons-Nicaragua 2007.

A member of the 53rd Medical Support Unit guides a UH-1 Iroquois air ambulance helicopter onto a landing pad, for the evacuation of "wounded" from the Medical Clearing Company during exercise Patriot Samaritan. Base: Macdill Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Mi-8 "Hip" helicopter simulates an attack while being scoped by a Dutch Stinger Missile Platoon (Not shown) on McGregor Range, New Mexico during Roving Sands '99, June 21, 1999. Roving Sands is a one-of-a-kind event that is the world's largest Joint Tactical Air Operations exercise. It melds the Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Elements; Air Defense Artillery; and Aircraft; of the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Multinational Forces, into a Joint Integrated Air Defense System (IADs). Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS '99 Base: Mcgregor Range State: New Mexico (NM) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Two U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawks assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron prepare to take off for a night operation during a mission rehearsal in support of Exercise Agile Spartan within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 21, 2023. Exercise Agile Spartan is a combined, joint training exercise that enhances international partnerships and regional security in the USCENTCOM AOR.

Two U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters prepare to land during Stand-in Force Exercise on Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 7, 2022. SiF-EX is a Division-level exercise involving all elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force focused on strengthening multi-domain awareness, maneuver, and fires across a distributed maritime environment. This exercise serves as a rehearsal for rapidly projecting combat power in defense of allies and partners in the region.

CH-47 pilots from B Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, NY National Guard prepares to take off from Greater Rochester International Airport, Rochester NY, Sept. 28 2022. Soldiers and crew were called up in support of emergency measures in Florida, brought on by Hurricane Ian. Air National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Jason Carr

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Flying Over The Desert Of Kandahar Province, Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan

050711-F-7564C-114. Base: Volk Field State: Wisconsin (WI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Rear Adm. David N. Rogers, commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command Rear, boards an SH-3 Sea King helicopter at Dhahran Air Base. Base: Dhahran Air Base Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

A close-up view of a Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 5 (HC-5) HH-46A Sea Knight helicopter as it hovers over a ship while conducting a vertical replenishment during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Unknown

Sikorsky Military Helicopters Aviat UH-60A Black Hawks silhouette

DN-ST-85-04014. Subject Operation/Series: INTENSE LOOK Base: USS Shreveport (LPD 12) Country: Gulf Of Suez

A German Army CH-53G helicopter during firefighting operations in Germany.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Motycka, a CH-53E Super Stallion co-pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 464, observes the helicopters rotors at an undisclosed location, Oct. 11, 2022. HMH-464 provided assault support for Marine Forces Special Operations Command during Exercise Raven 23-1 to enhance combat readiness in an unfamiliar expeditionary environment. HMH-464 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jason Motycka, a CH-53E Super Stallion co-pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 464, observes the helicopters rotors at an undisclosed location, Oct. 11, 2022. HMH-464 provided assault support for Marine Forces Special Operations Command during Exercise Raven 23-1 to enhance combat readiness in an unfamiliar expeditionary environment. HMH-464 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Bölkow BO-105C helicopter. Exercise together with the Royal Netherlands Army.

Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), conduct Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction (FRIES) training out of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to 2-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 18, 2022.

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lands at an airfield in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Hurghada Country: Egypt (EGY)

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)

Two CH-53E "Super Stallions" with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 circle the hills of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton March 4. The flight was part of a training mission which transported more than 100 Marines.

DF-ST-87-08512. Subject Operation/Series: BRIM FROST Base: Fort Greely State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

ESU Incident Command Post New Orleans - Miscellaneous - 26-HK-308-108. Hurricane Katrina

An HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron taxis during Red Flag 23-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Feb. 8, 2023. Red Flag takes place over the Nevada Test and Training Range and provides the warfighter a flexible, realistic and multi-dimensional battle space to conduct advanced training of U.S. military services and coalition forces throughout the year.

DA-ST-88-03370. Subject Operation/Series: ADVANCED CAMP Base: Fort Lewis State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An Army UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, with acting patients aboard, arrives in air transportable hospital during Exercise Wounded Eagle '82. Subject Operation/Series: WOUNDED EAGLE '82 Base: Fort Irwin State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers from Hunter Army Airfield, G.A., conduct a training flight over Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., May 20, 2022.The training provided soldiers with additional flight hours as well as an opportunity to view the depot from a birds eye view.

A US Marine Corps (USMC) CH-46 Sea Knight Helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Two Six Five (HMM-265) flies over a green mountainous region, during a simulated troop insertion exercise, at Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan. (Substandard image). State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing prepares to land during Stand-in Force Exercise on Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 10, 2022. SiF-EX is a Division-level exercise involving all elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force focused on strengthening multi-domain awareness, maneuver, and fires across a distributed maritime environment. This exercise serves as a rehearsal for rapidly projecting combat power in defense of allies and partners in the region.

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, observe a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, lift a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle off the ground during helicopter support team training at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, July 19, 2022. The HST enables the setup of an expedient landing zone for aircraft, and are able to secure equipment such as JLTVs and howitzers for pickup. 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 premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter, assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, engages simulated targets during Balikatan 22 at Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base, Philippines, March 31, 2022. Balikatan is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. Balikatan 22 is the 37th iteration of the exercise and coincides with the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation.

The Second Indochina War, known in America as the Vietnam War, was a Cold War era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the U. S. and other anti-communist nations. The U. S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and part of their wider strategy of containment. The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U. S. , and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U. S. puppet state. U. S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U. S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U. S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U. S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Operations

Idaho National Guard 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team's 2nd of the 116th Combined Arms Battalion teamed up with the Idaho Army National Guards 1st of the 183 Assault Helicopter Battalion in the dark hours of the early morning on March 31, 2022, to conduct tactical air insertion missions. By using the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to provide movement of ground-based Soldiers, it allowed the Soldiers to seize and secure terrain on a simulated village located within the Orchard Combat Training Center. Soldiers used night vision goggles to maneuver through the darkness. This training is a portion of combat training the 2nd of the 116th CAB conducted in preparation to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Spartan Shield later this year.

DA-SC-86-04476. Subject Operation/Series: ORIENT SHIELD Base: Marine Corps Base, Camp Fuji State: Honshu Country: Japan (JPN)

of 3