Military Meetings and Diplomacy

Discussions between defense officials in various locales. Meetings highlight military cooperation and strategic dialogues between nations.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Italian Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini engage in a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 14, 2022.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, second from left, speaks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles during a meeting at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., July 13, 2022. Kendall and Marles discussed partnership between their military services.

CRYSTAL CITY, VA. (July 18, 2022) - Lt Gen Michael Schmidt, Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, meets with the Greece Minister of Defense and members of the Greek delegation during an office call in Arlington, VA. The F-35 Joint Program Office is the Department of Defense's focal point for the 5th generation strike aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 is the premier multi-mission, 5th generation weapon system. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a force multiplier that enhances all assets in the battle-space: with stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity, and range. The F-35, which has been operational since July of 2015, is the most lethal, survivable, and interoperable fighter aircraft ever built.

011115-D-9880W-018. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Italian Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini engage in a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 14, 2022.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks hosts South Korean Vice Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-chul at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 15, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)

Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, left, Chief of Space Operations, speaks with the news media during the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference in London, England, July 14, 2022. During the GASCC, Raymond served as a keynote speaker and discussed maintaining our edge in space as well as the Department of the Air Force commitment to NATO allies and European security.

021114-D-2987S-019. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, Royal Air Force Chief of the Air Staff, and Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, are interviewed by news media during the Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference in London, England, July 14, 2022. During the GASCC, Brown, who served as a keynote speaker, discussed the Department of the Air Forces commitment to its allies and partners globally.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. speaks with members of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce during a meeting at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., March 30, 2023.

010423-D-2987S-005. State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin participate in a 2+2 meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, in Tokyo, Japan on March 16, 2021.

Spaceflight participant Hazzaa Ali Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates, Expedition crewmembers Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and Jessica Meir of NASA talk to officials in charge after having their Sokol suits pressure checked a few hours ahead of their launch on a Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Meir, Skripochka, and Almansoori will launch on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station.

970717-D-9880W-027. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

060314-N-0696M-046. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and President of Latvia Egils Levits hold a meeting at Riga Castle in Riga, Latvia, August 10, 2022 (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Julian W. Kemper)

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo participates in a U.S.-Poland Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Polish National Defence Minister Mariusz B_aszczak, in Warsaw, Poland, on August 15, 2020.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosts Jordan's King Abdullah II for talks at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2022. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

Mr. Patrick Dedham, Deputy to the Commanding General U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, receives a 2d Theater Signal Brigade Mission Overview from 2d TSB leadership and staff during a visit to USAG Wiesbaden Germany, Oct. 25, 2022. Mr. Dedham manages and provides strategic direction for NETCOM activities to lead global operations for the Army's portion of the Department of Defense Information Network and to ensure freedom of action in cyberspace while denying the same to our adversaries. U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command leads global operations for the Army's portion of the DODIN, ensuring freedom of action in cyberspace while denying the same to our adversaries in support of multi-domain operations.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Hungarian Defense Minister Tibor Benko in Budapest, Hungary on February 11, 2019.

021025-D-9880W-020. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Czech Minister of Defense Jana Cernochova conduct bi-lateral meetings in Prague, Czech Republic, Sept. 9, 2022. Austin is visiting the NATO ally after hosting the Ukraine Defense Contact Group with other NATO and international counterparts at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. This is the the fifth such meeting of defense leaders from around the world since Russias unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - PHOTOS OF BRIGADIER GENERAL JACK KELLY AND CHINESE DELEGATION

UK Army, Brigadier General Will Cook (right), presents an Implementation Forces (IFOR) election briefing to Representative John Murtha, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and a US Presidential delegation, in support of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. Seated at the table (clockwise from closest), Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald, International Police Task Force (IPTF); Representative Peter King; Ambassador John Kornblum; French Army Lieutenant General Jean Heinrich, Implementation Forces, Deputy Commander; Ambassador Richard Holbrooke; United States Navy Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, Allied Forces Southern Europe, United States Naval Forces Europe and Implementation Forces Commander; Representative John .... Complete Scene Caption: UK Army, Brigadier General Will Cook (right), presents an Implementation Forces (IFOR) election briefing to Representative John Murtha, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and a US Presidential delegation, in support of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR. Seated at the table (clockwise from

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his fellow foreign ministers meet for a NATO-Ukraine Commission Session at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 1, 2014.

Royal Canadian Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Eric Kenny speaks with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin during a meeting at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., Jan. 24, 2024.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks at the eighth Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Jan. 20, 2023. The meeting brought together representatives from more than 50 nations and organizations to determine the best way to get the military capabilities that Ukraine needs to repel Russian forces from their sovereign territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is greeted by newly arrived U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher R. Hill, Deputy Secretary James Steinberg, Commanding General, Multi-National ForceIraq Commanding General Raymond T. Odierno, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey D. Feltman.

031114-F-2828D-202. Base: Andersen Air Force Base State: Guam (GU) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Left to Right: General Creighton Abrams, George Ball, Assistant Press Secretary Tom Johnson, General Maxwell Taylor, McGeorge Bundy, General Matthew Ridgway, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Dean Acheson, President Lyndon B. Johnson, General Omar Bradley, Ambassador Averell Harriman, Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford, Cyrus Vance, Walt Rostow, Secretary of State Dean Rusk.

Army Medicine hosted its first inaugural Military-Civilian Partnership (MCP) Summit

Secretary of State Atony J. Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet with NATO Secretary General Jans Stoltenberg in Brussels, Belgium on April 14, 2021.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., center right, speaks with Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, during a meeting at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., June 30, 2022. Brown and Folland discussed partnership between their services.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis host Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Chief of the People�s Liberation Army�s Joint Staff Department General Fang Fenghui for a working dinner at the Blair House in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2017.

020918-D-9880W-025. Base: Pentagon State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

President Barack Obama chairs a meeting at the Pentagon of the National Security Council and receives an update from his national security team on the campaign to degrade and destroy the ISIL terrorist group.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright speak to members of the press about the fiscal year 2010 budget during a joint press availability at the Pentagon, April 6, 2009.

060827-F-0193C-012. Base: Fairbanks State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram engage in a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 16, 2022.

220428-N-DM318-1025 NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan (Apr. 28, 2022) Rear Adm. Carl Lahti, commander, Navy Region Japan/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, Capt. J M Montagnet, Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi commanding officer and Samuel J. Robinson, command Master Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, Navy Region Japan prepare for a video teleconference call. NAF Atsugi supports the combat readiness of Commander, Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW 5), Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron FIVE ONE (HSM-51) and 30 other tenant commands and provides logistic support, coordination, and services to units assigned to the Western Pacific.

HAKODATE, Japan (Oct. 7, 2022) Cmdr. Marcus Seeger, commanding officer of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65), meets with Kudo Toshiki, mayor of Hakodate, during a scheduled port visit, Oct. 7. U.S. Consulate General Sapporo Principal Officer Mark Wuebbels joined themeetings. Benfold 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.

030317-F-1698N-017. Base: Lajes Field Country: Azores (AZR)

010607-D-9880W-103. Base: Brussels Country: Belgium (BEL)

230131-N-ON904-1006 YOKOHAMA, Japan (Jan. 30, 2023) - Rear Adm. Carl Lahti, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan / Navy Region Japan, meets with Yuji Kuroiwa, governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, and Maj. Gen. Joel B. Vowell, Commander, United States Army Japan, during roundtable talks Jan. 30 at Kanagawa Prefectural Government (KPG) headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. The roundtable talks are an annual meeting between Kanagawa prefecture government officials and U.S. Navy and Army forces in Japan, and are designed to offer an opportunity to discuss current events and relations between the U.S. military and the people of Kanagawa Prefecture.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - PHOTOS OF BRIGADIER GENERAL JACK KELLY AND CHINESE DELEGATION

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David G. Bellon, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South and Marine Forces Reserve, attends a media interview with Brazilian press during exercise UNITAS LXIII in Rio de Janeiro, Sept. 17, 2022. UNITAS is the worlds longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise that focuses on enhancing interoperability among multiple nations and joint forces during littoral and amphibious operations in order to build on existing regional partnerships and create new enduring relationships that promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the U.S. Southern Commands area of responsibility.

221004-N-OX321-1249 NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (Oct. 4, 2022) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and Mrs. Linda Gilday speak with command leadership and ombudsman during a roundtable held at the NAS Sigonella Ristorante Bella Etna galley, Oct. 4, 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 Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar engage in a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza)

U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, U.S. Space Command commander (right), and Poland Air Force Lt. Gen. Tadeusz Mikutel, General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (left), discussed the ongoing space partnership between the United States and Poland at Space Symposium 37, Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 6, 2022. Strengthening and expanding relationships contributes to a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. Space Symposium is an opportunity for spacefaring nations and sectors of the space enterprise to promote dialogue and focus attention on critical space issues.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevl�t �avu_o_lu on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministerial in Riga, Latvia, on December 1, 2021.

Sergeant Lauren Aldaco, 217th Military Police Detachment, sits and answers questions in front of the Soldier of the Year Board at the Best Warrior Competition on Fort Lee, VA., September 28, 2009. The board is an evaluation of the soldiers knowledge and composure under pressure.

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan meets with State Secretary, Minister of Defense Janis Garisons at the Latvian War Museum in Riga, Latvia on February 22, 2018.

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish S. Vazirani hosted a Military Service Organization/Veteran Service Organization roundtable with Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón "CZ" Colón-López at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Dec. 7, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)

Attendees take notes during the Ambassadors Day event at Union III forward operating base in Baghdad, Iraq, April 21, 2022. During the CJTF-OIR-hosted event, representatives from more than 25 Coalition countries discussed the CJTF-OIR mission and broad efforts to tackle enduring regional security and stability challenges.

Attendees of the Naval Infantry Leadership Symposium - Africa (NILS-A) 2022 talk to one another in Dakar, Senegal, July 7, 2022. NILS -A is a multinational, Africa-focused forum, designed to bring together partner nations with marine forces and naval infantries to develop interoperability, crisis response capabilities, and foster relationships which will improve Africas maritime domain security.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service - Assistant Secretary Veterans Employment Meet and Greet

Members of the delegation from China enjoy cocktails with their host, flag officers of the U.S. Navy. The delegates are touring various naval installations. Base: Naval Air Station, North Island State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Soldiers from Charlie Company, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division visit a local sheik's house in Samarra, Iraq, to discuss plans for the new year on Dec. 30, 2008.

Annalena Baerbock (Buendnis 90 Die Gruenen), Bundesaussenministerin, aufgenommen waehrend einem Pressestatement nach ihrer Reise nach Israel und Aegypten in Kairo, 14.10.2023. Baerbock reiste nach ihrem Besuch in Israel kurzfristig weiter nach Aegypten

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks with Latvian Minister of Defense Dr. Artis Pabriks ahead of a meeting at the Latvian Ministry of Defence in Riga, Latvia, August 10, 2022 (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Julian W. Kemper).

220403-N-CM110-2001 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 3, 2022) - Capt. Joel Lang, commanding officer of amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), answers questions during an interview with civilian Media aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), April 3. Reporters embarked Tripoli for a tour and to observe the U.S. Marine Corps Lightning carrier concept demonstration. The Lightning carrier concept demonstration shows Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships are capable of operating as dedicated fixed-wing carrier platforms, capable of bringing fifth generation Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft wherever they are required.

DA-SC-7-10016. Country: Unknown

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with Combatant Commanders and senior military leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House, May 15, 2012.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken conduct a bi-lateral meeting with President João Lourenço of Angola at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Dec. 13, 2022. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)

nhq201707070002 (July 7, 2017) --- Flags representing the United States, Russia, Italy, NASA, ESA, and the Roscosmos Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) are seen on table during the Expedition 52 Soyuz qualification exams, Friday, July 7, 2017 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia.

040728-N-8796S-128. Base: Da Nang Country: Viet Nam (VNM)

President Bush with current and former Secretaries of State and Defense

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosts Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur during a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Oct. 18, 2022.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with the North Atlantic Council, in Brussels, Belgium, October 18, 2019.

220805-N-JO823-1087 PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 5, 2022) Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, Vice Adm. Tatsuya Fukuda, Commander, Fleet Escort Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and members of CTF 70 and JMSDF, have lunch in the flag mess aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during an embarked tour in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 5. Fukuda and his staff, as well as members of the Japan Ministry of Defense and media personnel, observed flight operations and toured various parts of the ship during their time aboard. 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.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, for tours, discussions with local officials

PHILIPPINE SEA (April 23, 2022) Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa exchange gifts aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Office of the Deputy Secretary (David Sampson) - Deputy Secretary with Marine Corp Visiting Majors

North Carolina National Guard leader U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff, right, and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, listen to legal experts via translators at the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Womens Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo participates in the Counter Terrorism Ministerial in Bogot�, Colombia, on January 20, 2020.

Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, right, are seen during the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch of Expedition 65 to the International Space Station, Thursday, April 8, 2021 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The trio are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9.

220917-N-GF955-1013RIGA, Latvia (Sept. 17, 2022) Key leaders with the U.S. Embassy to Latvia are welcomed in the wardroom by leadership of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) during a tour of the ship in Riga, Latvia, Sept. 17, 2022. Paul Ignatius is part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis co-host the High-Level Opening Session of the Inaugural U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad al-Atiyah at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on January 30, 2018.

Visit of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and aides to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, for tours, discussions with local officials

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Nov. 30, 2022) Dr. Daniel Rivera, Dominican Republic Minister of Health, left, Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, left-center, Lt. Gen. Carlos Diaz-Morfa, Dominican Republic Minister of Defense, right-center, and Alexander Titolo, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, attend the opening ceremony for the Dominican Republic portion of Continuing Promise 2022, Nov. 30, 2022. Continuing Promise 2022 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.

040304-F-5168L-001. Base: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base State: Ohio (OH) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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

DD-SN-85-09961. Base: Arlington State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

050623-F-0193C-054. Base: Washington State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Space Force Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, Chief of SpaceOperations, signed its great to be back! in the U.S. Forces Japan headquarters sign-in book at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Oct. 4, 2022. During his visit, Raymond met with senior leaders, toured the base and met with Guardians assigned to the 374th Airlift Wing.

Director J.D. Dillard, Leading Actor Glen Powell, and other select cast and crew from the movie "Devotion" tour the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Nov. 18, 2022.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin lll, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov attend the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 8, 2022. Austin met with NATO counterparts and over 40 other nations to discuss both the current and future defense needs of Ukraine.

DN-SC-89-03230. Base: Nouakchott Country: Mauritania (MRT)

U.S. Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, meets with Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida during his visit to Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 3, 2022. Adm. Aquilino met with senior Government of Japan leaders to reaffirm the alliance between the United States of America and Japan to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. JaNae Jensen)

PEARL HARBOR (July 7, 2022) Capt. Benjamin Allbritton, commodore, Amphibious Squadron Five (CPR 5), is interviewed by international media aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 7, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Marines enjoy Mess Night hosted by Headquarters and Service Battalion. Members of the head table include from left to right: 1ST SGT. Michael R. Shew (HQ CO, 1ST SGT.), CAPT. Markham B. Campaigne, Jr. (CO, Service Co.), LT. COL. Roxanne W. Cheney (XO, HQSVCBN), SGT. MAJ. Charles L. Brown (Depot SGT. MAJ. and Guest of Honor) and SGT. MAJ. Michael W. McClure (SGT. MAJ. HQSVCBN). State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

TOKYO (Oct. 5, 2022) U.S. Space Force Gen. John W. Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, left, speaks with Japan Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, right, during his visit to engage with senior officials from Japans Ministry of Defense, in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 5, 2022. Raymond reinforced the United States ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance following a North Korean ballistic missile launch that passed over northern Japan on Oct. 4th.

TOKYO (Oct. 5, 2022) U.S. Space Force Gen. John W. Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, left, speaks with Japan Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, right, during his visit to engage with senior officials from Japans Ministry of Defense, in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 5, 2022. Raymond reinforced the United States ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance following a North Korean ballistic missile launch that passed over northern Japan on Oct. 4th.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov attend the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 8, 2022. Austin met with NATO counterparts and other nations from 50 countries to discuss both the current and future defense needs of Ukraine.

031019-F-5253G-140. State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AFRC

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in a moderated conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2021.

U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Clearfield, deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, speaks with Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Capt. Higina Das Neves, Chief of Navy Timor - Leste, during a bilateral meeting at the eighth iteration of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in Tokyo, Japan, June 14, 2022. PALS consists of discussions and presentations which facilitate meaningful dialogue on key aspects of amphibious operations, capability development, crisis response and interoperability. This years symposium brought together senior leaders from 18 participating delegations who are committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, with the objective of strengthening and developing regional relationships.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Czech Minister of Defense Jana Cernochova answer questions at a joint press conference in Prague, Czech Republic, Sept. 9, 2022. Austin is visiting the NATO ally after hosting the Ukraine Defense Contact Group with other NATO and international counterparts at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. This is the the fifth such meeting of defense leaders from around the world since Russias unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)

Madrid, 03/01/2016. Security Councilor Javier Barbero, at the inauguration of a Municipal Police training course. Photo: Ernesto Agudo ARCHDC.

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