Military Leadership and Diplomacy

Images of military leaders and public figures engaging in diplomatic handshakes and discussions, emphasizing collaboration in critical situations.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson greets a helicopter pilot upon his arrival at Osan Air Base outside of Seoul, South Korea, on March 18, 2017.

051224-N-0696M-219. Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, LA, October 8, 2005 -- Former President George H.W. Bush (left) speaks with General Honore (center) and Admiral Allen upon his arrival at the Belle Chase Naval Air Station. President Bush was touring the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines.

010604-D-9880W-276. Base: Incirlik Air Base, Adana Country: Turkey (TUR)

020607-F-3958S-005. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Dover Air Force Base State: Delaware (DE) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The Honorable F. Whitten Peters, Secretary of the Air Force, shakes hands with US Air Force Brigadier General Bob DuLaney, Commander Combined Task Force Operation NORTHERN WATCH upon the Secretary's arrival to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Subject Operation/Series: NORTHERN WATCH Base: Incirlik Air Base, Adana Country: Turkey (TUR)

060829-F-2748E-006. Base: Salt Lake Air Base State: Utah (UT) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall is greeted by 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing leadership at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Sept. 23, 2022. The 480th ISRW is the Air Force leader in globally networked ISR operations, functionally aligned to span the full spectrum of ISR operations, from humanitarian assistance to major world conflict.

Mr. Marv Clark of Lockheed-Martin explains the relationship of military and contract personnel within the same environment of the Jet Engine Maintenance Complex at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Pictured left to right: Brigadier General Walter E. Buchanan III, 325th Fighter Wing Commander (FW/CC); Captain Teister, Executive Officer to Major General Polk; Colonel Armand Grassi, 325th Logistics Group Commander (LG/CC); Marv Clark, Civilian, Lockheed-Martin; Major General Steve Polk, 19th Air Force Commander. Base: Tyndall Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson greets a helicopter pilot upon his arrival at Osan Air Base outside of Seoul, South Korea, on March 18, 2017.

050621-A-4928M-008. Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, joined by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, her son, Jack Schlossberg, and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General of Protocol Kaoru Shimazaki, introduces his cousin, Spencer Abbot, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot, to Marine Corps officers after they welcomed the Secretary after he arrived at the Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station, Japan, on April 10, 2016, to attend a G-7 Ministerial Meeting in nearby Hiroshima.

030430-F-7203T-005. Base: Baghdad International Airport State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne meeting at Main Interior with delegation from the Idaho National Guard

010427-A-4980V-065. Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: FORSCOM

011009-F-3354H-007. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Harrisburg International Airport State: Pennsylvania (PA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: ANG

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne meeting at Main Interior with military delegation

020116-A-2682N-027. Base: Fort Mcpherson State: Georgia (GA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: USARC

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON - (April 7, 2022) - Dr. Sylvain Cardin, (second from left) chief science director of Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio, speaks with U.S. Pacific Fleet Surgeon Capt. Michael McGinnis and other science subject matter experts from Navy Medical Research Center (NMRC) and Navy Medicine on the importance of having an open line of communication between the fleet and the research community during a tour at the Battlefield Health and Trauma Building. This communication ensures that the most updated devices and surgical techniques are responding to fleet requirements. NAMRU San Antonios mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations. It is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordin

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is greeted by U.S. Forces-Iraq Commanding General Lloyd Austin as he disembarks a Dover Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, Apr. 6, 2011.

U.S. military personnel are coined by the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Mr. James A. Hursch at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England, July 20, 2022.U.S. military participation in FIA reaffirms the United States commitment to our partners and allies echoing the fact that no nation can confront todays challenges alone.

060504-N-0696M-289. Base: Atlanta State: Georgia (GA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

030430-A-7317P-023. Base: Baghdad International Airport Country: Iraq (IRQ)

020131-F-8619S-001. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: RAF Akrotiri Air Base State: Sovereign Base Area (SBA) Country: Cyprus (CYP) Scene Major Command Shown: ANG

960827-F-2907C-001. Subject Operation/Series: JOINT ENDEAVOR Base: Sarajevo Country: Bosnia And/I Herzegovina (BIH)

221021-N-UJ449-1028 NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 21, 2022) Shawn Crowley, Chargé dAffaires U.S. Embassy Rome, right, and Capt. Mike Wenke talk with Airmen assigned to 324th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron during a site visit on Naval Air Station Sigonella, Oct. 21, 2022. NAS Sigonellas strategic location enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required, ensuring security and stability in Europe, Africa and Central Command.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall is greeted by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard, while visiting Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, part of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Northern Michigan during exercise Northern Agility 22-2/Northern Strike 22, Aug. 11, 2022. Northern Strike is a multi-component, multinational exercise designed to build readiness and enhance interoperability with allied forces to fight and win. Northern Strike 22-2, Michigans largest and longest exercise designed to validate readiness of the joint reserve force at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.

Maj. Gen. Corey Martin, 18th Air Force commander, speaks with Senior Master Sgt. David Anderson, 189th Logistics Readiness Squadron, during a base visit at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, Aug. 24, 2022. During the visit, Martin was briefed on the importance of vehicle maintenance integration between the 19th Airlift Wing and the 189th Airlift Wing.

Tour of the Naval vessel, USS Normandy, by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides during the Secretary's visit to Virginia

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne meeting at Main Interior with military delegation

Massachusetts Senators Michael J. Rodrigues and John C. Velis speak with Col. David 'Moon' Halasi-Kun, 104th Fighter Wing commander, during a base tour Oct. 4, 2022, at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. Guests were able to learn about the wing's critical role in defending the homeland, providing superior airpower, and aiding neighboring communities.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speaks with International Security Assistance Force member and platoon leader, Lt. Viti, at Combat Outpost Kowall in Afghanistan, March 8, 2011. Defense Department

U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center celebrates its 10th anniversary with a ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Oct. 12, 2022. This event honors the AFCEC mission to deliver civil engineering expertise and services to strengthen installations and enhance combat power.

Congressman Syvestre Reyes (D-TX) shakes the hand of a Soldier with the Army Evaluation Task Force at Ft Bliss, TX, after posing for a group photo on July 12, 2008. The Congressmen were briefed on the Army's plans to accelerate Future Combat Systems technologies to Soldiers in combat.

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne meeting at Main Interior with delegation from the Idaho National Guard

050621-A-4928M-010. Base: Fort Hood State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

General Frederick Woerner, Commander-in-CHIEF, US Southern Command, bids goodbye to US Ambassador Arthur Davis. Base: Howard Air Force Base Country: Panama (PAN)

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUDA BAY, Greece (Jan. 6, 2024) Sailors assigned to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, take a photo with Secretary of State Antony Blinken before his departure from Greece, Jan. 6, 2024. Secretary Blinken arrived to Chania, Crete, Greece, as part of a multi-country trip, to meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for an exchange of views on the U.S.-Greece bilateral relationship, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the NATO alliance. NSA Souda Bay is an operational ashore installation which enables and supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces to preserve security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility.

061018-F-5586B-319. Base: Maxwell Air Force Base State: Alabama (AL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., to view Marine Corps Evening Parade, deliver remarks, and attend reception at the site, a National Historic Landmark

Governor Dirk Kempthorne, State of Idaho, and Mayor Brent Coles, of Boise, meet with Sergeant First Class (SFC) Scott Morgan, USA, of Boise. SFC Morgan, a member of C Company, 145th Support Battalion Idaho National Guard, assigned to guard duty at the Boise Air Terminal. He is part of the contingent of guardsmen, mobilized as part Operation NOBLE EAGLE, helping with airport security. NOBLE EAGLE is a partial mobilization of the reserves for homeland defense and civil support missions in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Subject Operation/Series: NOBLE EAGLE Base: Boise Air Terminal State: Idaho (ID) Country: United States Of America (USA)

020303-F-5701K-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Peter J. Ganci Jr. Air Base State: Chuskaya Oblast Country: Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)

060426-N-0696M-219. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

050122-F-2869F-085. Base: Utapao Naval Air Station Country: Thailand (THA)

220423-N-FB730-1083 TRIESTE, ITALY (April 23, 2022) Capt. Gavin Duff, commander of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), says goodbye to Roberto Dipiazza, Mayor of Trieste, Italy, on the fantail of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), April 23, 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.

KABUL, Afghanistan--Vice-President Elect Joe Biden visited HQ ISAF in Kabul, Afghanistan on Jan 10. Biden had a brief with Gen David McKiernan, COMISAF, and then thanked the troops for their service. ISAF PHOTO by US Air Force TSgt Brenda Nipper. (RELEASED)

030402-M-5865P-007. Base: Mcas, Cherry Point State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

041109-F-1830P-003. Base: Camp Militare Wsa State: Sanem Country: Luxembourg (LUX)

The Secretary of Defense, The Honorable Mr. Donald H. Rumsfeld, DOD, answers a Marine's question about the issues concerning the war on terrorism in the United States during his visit to Camp Pendleton. (DoD photo by Lance CPL. Jason S. Hughes) (Released). The Secretary of Defense, The Honorable Mr. Donald H. Rumsfeld, DOD, answers a Marine's question about the issues concerning the war on terrorism in the United States during his visit to Camp Pendleton. (DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Jason S. Hughes) (Released)

041206-F-0209C-002. Base: Ramstein Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Meeting and press conference in Montgomery, Alabama concerning inter-state water issues arising from the drought affecting the southeastern U.S., with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne joining Alanama Governor Bob Riley, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James Connaughton, and the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp, among other officials

Office of the Secretary - SECRETARY DONALD EVANS AFGHANISTAN TRIP

050220-N-5067K-056. Complete Scene Caption: Former US President William J. Clinton poses with US Navy (USN) CHIEF Operations SPECIALIST (OSC) David C. McAlister (left), and US Marine Corps (USMC) Lance Corporal (LCPL) Angelo D. Jimenez aboard the USN Whidbey Island Class Amphibious Dock Landing Ship USS FORT MCHENRY (LSD 43). USN Sailors and USMC Marines greeted former US Presidents William J. Clinton and George H. W. Bush as they toured various spaces aboard the ship receiving operational briefings on each sections participation in humanitarian relief efforts at Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. FORT MCHENRY is currently operating off the coast of Indonesia in support of Operation UNIFIED ASSISTANCE, the humanitarian relief effort to aid the victims of the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia. Former Presidents Bush and Clinton are touring Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia to see first hand, the effects the Tsunami had on Southeast Asia. Base: USS Fort Mchenry (LSD 43) C

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne meeting at Main Interior with military delegation

030301-F-5040D-008. Country: Unknown Scene Major Command Shown: CENTAF

050114-D-6098A-002. Base: Fort Dix State: New Jersey (NJ) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: NORTHEAST

020427-D-9880W-126. Base: Bagram Air Base State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the U.S. Air Force's Ramstein Air Base, Ramstein, Germany

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Folsom Dam Overlook and surrounding area, Folsom, California, for tours, meetings with Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other personnel on the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project

Gen. Paul Funk, commanding general, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, visited personnel from 128th Aviation Brigade, United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence, April 13, 2022, at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Military delegation visiting Main Interior for Toys for Tots promotional event, meetings with Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and other senior officials

Tom Udall, U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, center, discusses capabilities of a C-130H Hercules assigned to Royal New Zealand Air Forces 40 Squadron with Maj. Haley Ageton, mission commander for exercise Teak Net 22, left, and aircrew from 40 SQ during a visit to RNZAF Base Auckland at the beginning of exercise Teak Net 22, May 3, 2022. Udall was briefed on the capabilities of the airframe and the ability to interoperate with U.S. MC-130J.

Lt. Gen. Robert Miller, center left, the Air Force surgeon general, walks with retired Army Maj. Gen. Peter Aylward, director of the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration, through the Vietnam War Commemoration hallway in the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., March 31, 2022.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld greets service members during his visit to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Incirlik is home to Combined Task Force/Operation NORTHERN WATCH, designed to enforce the no-fly zone over Northern Iraq. Subject Operation/Series: NORTHERN WATCH Base: Incirlik Air Base, Adana Country: Turkey (TUR)

041224-F-5586B-358. Base: Camp Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accepts the "don't tread on me flag" - flown on US vessels in Gulf following 9/11 - from Secretary Kerry Walks With NAVCENT Commander Vice Admiral Kevin M. Donegan before leaving NSA Bahrain in Manama, Bahrain, on April 7, 2016.

President Egils Levits of the Republic of Latvia visits the Regional Command-East Latvian contingent on Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, April 22, 2022. During the visit, Levits met with the RC-East command team, multi-national partner commanders, and Latvian troops who are currently in support of the KFOR mission in Kosovo to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. Matthew Damon)

010502-D-2987S-017. State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

020426-F-5701K-003. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Peter J. Ganci Jr. Air Base State: Chuskaya Oblast Country: Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) Scene Major Command Shown: CENTAF

041217-A-2702F-005. Base: Fort Drum State: New York (NY) Country: United States Of America (USA)

President Ronald Reagan shakes hands with Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Bernhardt, commander of the 1ST Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, prior to boarding Air Force One. The president and first lady are visiting Hawaii while en route to the Republic of China. Base: Hickam Air Force Base State: Hawaii (HI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

061030-F-5586B-014. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

030430-A-7317P-014. Base: Baghdad International Airport Country: Iraq (IRQ)

061019-F-5586B-499. Base: Miami State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

061014-F-0193C-002. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

040413-F-4289G-001. Base: Boise State: Idaho (ID) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino, California, where the Secretary, a San Gorgonio alumnus, delivered the keynote address at the commencement ceremony, and posed with graduates and families

US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Earl B. Hailston greats the Honorable Mr. William Jefferson Clinton, President of the united States, and his daughter Chelsea during his visit to Okinawa, Japan. The president is visiting Japan as part of a multinational summit involving the eight leading industrialized nations. State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

070312-A-1526R-102. Base: Santa Cruz Balanya Country: Guatemala (GTM)

Hurricane Katrina

Pacific Islands Tour: Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides to Guam, U.S. Territory

Deputy Secretary of State Antony "Tony" Blinken signs the guest book at U.S. Forces Korea headquarters before his meeting with General Curtis Scaparrotti -- Commander of United Nations Command, R.O.K.-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea -- in Seoul, South Korea, on February 10, 2015.

Tour of the Naval vessel, USS Normandy, by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides during the Secretary's visit to Virginia

Tour of the Naval vessel, USS Normandy, by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides during the Secretary's visit to Virginia

U.S. Navy Capt. James M. Peugh, the command chaplain with Marine Corps Installations East (MCIEAST)-Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, is congratulated by service members and families during his promotion on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 1, 2022. The chaplain develops personnel and families of the Camp Lejeune community for spiritual and personal readiness through ministries or pastoral.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Marine Corp's oldest post and a National Historic Landmark

10 past Minnesota National Guard service members were honored for their service during the annual Court of Honor induction program ceremony at Camp Ripley, October 2, 2022, near Little Falls, Minnesota. The Court of Honor commemorates the lasting contributions of soldiers who have dedicated their lives to the service of the State and Nation. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh)

U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, right, Pacific Air Forces commander, German Air Force Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, middle, Chief of Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force Air Marshal Robert Chipman, left, Chief of Air Force, speak to members of the local media during a visit to Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Sept. 5, 2022. Leadership spoke on Exercise Pitch Black 2022 interoperability opportunities, and expressed the importance of allies and partners working together to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to the Department of Defense's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany

051223-M-5696S-004. Base: Camp Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with Vice Admiral Walter E. �Ted� Carter, Jr., Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, after delivering remarks at the Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on January 10, 2017. In his speech, the Secretary reflected on his time in the Navy, and its impact on his career in public service and approach to foreign policy.

Tom Cruise visits with Airmen during the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, July 16, 2022. RIAT allowed the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate its strong forward presence in Europe as well as reinforce NATO and other European ally partnerships. The event, which showcased aircraft from across the globe celebrated aviations past and present while inspiring the next generation.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with part of the crew of an Air Force C-17 plane that flew him from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Juba, South Sudan, on May 2, 2014.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to Yorktown, Virginia to deliver the keynote address at the 225th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Yorktown. Among other dignitaries on hand for the commemorative events were Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, former U.S. Army Secretary John Marsh, French Ambassador to the U.S. Jean-David Levitte, and French Defense Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.

040604-M-5523R-006. Base: USS Essex (LHD 2)

SENIOR AIRMAN Adam Seeley, 509 Maintenance Squadron, explains to visiting Missouri Republican Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond, who serves on the Senate Arms Committee, how the Whiteman Air Force Base's B-2 Spirit bombers low observable capabilities work. Base: Whiteman Air Force Base State: Missouri (MO) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

President George W. Bush Visit - 26-HK-6-148. Briefing in ATC hangar--AL Gov. Bob Riley, POTUS & CAPT James Bjostad (CO, Sector Mobile). Hurricane Katrina

030704-F-5344D-101. Base: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base State: Ohio (OH) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AFMC

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, is greeted by U.S. Marine Corps Col. Thomas M. Bedell, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Lacey J. Lewis, acting sergeant major of MCAS Miramar, as he arrives at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 28, 2022. The secretary of defense visited various places on the air station to include MCAS Miramars innovative micro-grid.

Tour of the Naval vessel, USS Normandy, by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides during the Secretary's visit to Virginia

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