Military Operations in the Middle East

Images of soldiers engaged in military operations across desert terrains, reflecting training and preparedness during conflict situations.

U.S Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment move into position to support Afghan National police who are moving in to apprehend a suspect during a cordon and search of Pana, Afghanistan, June 9, 2007.

030301-M-5150A-021. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Coyote Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 7th Marines

030301-M-5150A-023. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Coyote Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 7th Marines

060322-F-7823A-066. Base: Tall Afar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

030224-M-8539K-044. Base: Camp Matilda Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 1ST Marine Division

Spc. Justin Dreyer from the Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is instructed how to fire a rocket-propelled grenade launcher by a Soldier in the 341st Romanian Infantry Battalion during a cross-training event at the Bardia Firing Range near COB Adder, Iraq.

A Marine from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force holds an M-60E3 machine gun as he rides in the back of a truck during the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Kuwait (KWT)

U.S Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment move into position to support Afghan National police who are moving in to apprehend a suspect during a cordon and search of Pana, Afghanistan, June 9, 2007.

040603-F-0193C-008. Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

041007-A-9039F-006. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Nowabab Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

041225-F-2034C-035. Base: Unknown Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Balad Air Base Iraq

U.S. Army Sgts. Brandon Velasquez and John Eckert and Spc. Morgan provide fire support from a roof top during a gun battle in Al Doura, Baghdad, Iraq, March 5, 2007. The Soldiers are from Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Mackey from Fairbanks, Alaska, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division inspects a weapon found in the Udaim River Valley, Dec 11, 2008. The U.S. Army is partnering with the Iraqi army to clear the Udaim River Valley and disrupt al Qaida networks and weapons caches in the Diyala province of Iraq.

Air Force Master Sgt. Jeffery Needham, staff platoon sergeant attached to Laghman Provincial Reconstruction Team, fires his MK-48 machine gun at wooden targets while practicing at the off-base firing range near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam Aug. 6. Members from the PRT and the Security Forces Assistance Team traveled to the range to practice with crew serve, primary and secondary weapons, along with M-203 grenade launchers.

030827-M-7837W-035. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Blaire Airfield, Al Kut State: Wasit Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Blackwood, of Cleveland, Ala., points to an area that will be tested for radiation as the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Operations (CBRN) / Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) team from the 17th Fires Brigade conducts an assessment of the Hamden Scrap Metal Yard in Basra, Iraq March 23, 2010. Blackfoot, with the Army National Guard from Athens, Ala., is assigned to the 203rd Military Police Battalion, attached to the 17th Fires Brigade.

Alaskan National Guard Staff Sgt. Brandon Amarone, Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, provides security for a site survey at Kandahar University June 6, 2012 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Kandahar PRT is a joint team of U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy service members and civilians deployed to the Kandahar province of Afghanistan to assist in the effort to rebuild and stabilize the local government and infrastructure.

Afghanistan (November 21, 2018) - Raide rBrigade Troopers from 2nd Squadron, 1st Calvary Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division secure a landing zone for a CH-47 Chinook during combat operations.

Pfc. Justin Waller, a dog handler with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a 23-year-old native of Pleasanton, Calif., provides security over watch while his fellow Marines search a local shop in the Qasim Bazaar, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 17, 2014.

051114-A-4545F-002. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Forward Operating Base Speicher Country: Iraq (IRQ)

041209-M-0036Y-034. Base: Ar Ramadi State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040323-A-6414T-001. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM State: Uruzgan Province Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Lance Cpl. Cassidy Zacharyasz provides overwatch for International Security Assistance Forces as they conduct a district transition assessment visit with Nawa District officials at the Nawa District Government Headquarters, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 29, 2013. The visit helped address issues within the police, military, and governance as coalition forces proceed with the draw down in the area.

030408-M-4779G-030. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Army Sgt. Jonathan Sweetnan, Bulldog Troop, White Platoon, looks through his rifle scope to scan for insurgents during a reconnaissance patrol near Combat Outpost Delorean, Bala Murghab, Baghdis Province, Afghanistan Jan. 9, 2011. Sweetnan led one of the four fire teams on the patrol and all four teams came under accurate small-arms fire. Insurgents also launched a large-scale attack on COP Delorean Jan. 6 from this field and two other areas. The Soldiers patrolled to reconnaissance the area and search for evidence.

060410-A-6365W-076. Base: Narwan Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Air Force members assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing execute fire team tactics maneuvers during a training course at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, April 14, 2022. Airmen assigned to the security forces, logistics readiness, and operational medical readiness squadrons participated in a four-week long training course with the objective to diversify their skillets with one anothers specific career fields. (U.S. Air Force photo Tech. Sgt. Sergio A. Gamboa)

030319-M-4779G-027. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: RCT-1

U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, wait for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter to land so they can depart from an air-assault mission to search Khost province, Afghanistan, during Operation Champion Sword, July 28. Afghan national security forces and International Security Assistance Forces teamed up for the joint operation focusing on specific militant targets and safe havens within Sabari and Terezai districts of the province in eastern Afghanistan.

030217-M-5150A-001. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Coyote Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 7th Marines

030413-F-2034C-018. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Tallil Air Base State: Dhi Qar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

031006-M-1623M-004. Base: Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Airborne Division's Long Range Surveillance Detachment, fires a 5.56mm M-4 carbine down range during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Airfield State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

040411-M-5440-001. Base: Al Mahmudiyah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040328-M-5753Q-093. Base: Haqlaniyah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

030717-A-3596L-011. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040715-M-5505M-012. Base: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060706-A-0559K-055. Subject Operation/Series: STARLIT Base: Cob Speicher State: Salah Al Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: SOUTHEAST

Marines with Bravo Company, 2nd Platoon, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct a live fire exercise with members of the Omanian Army April 11. This range allowed the Marines to fire a series of drills with their Omanian counterparts allowing both forces the chance to become familiar with each other's weapons systems.

041002-F-2034C-017. Base: Samarra State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Members of the 49th Security Forces Squadron push a military vehicle during the Defender Challenge at the Security Forces Training Complex May 11, 2022, on Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The course consisted of a series of challenges that tested both the mental and physical aspects required to be a Defender.

070322-M-9876R-001. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Haditha State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: RCT-2, 2/4

September 7, 2013 - U.S. Army soldier pulls security while an Afghan National Policeman establishes an entry control point in Bagram, Parwan Province, Afghanistan.

060320-A-7969G-028. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Bayji State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST

040608-M-0706S-055. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Al Kharma State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 1/5, B Co.

030414-F-1644L-033. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060424-A-7969G-001. Subject Operation/Series: SWIFT SWORD Base: Sukariya State: Salah Ah Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AB DIVISION

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Andrew Rangel, a machine gun section leader with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, loads an M240B medium machine gun during exercise Intrepid Maven 22.4 in the United Arab Emirates, Sept 22, 2022. Intrepid Maven is a bilateral exercise between U.S. and UAE armed forces to train with and strengthen our relationships with allied nations in the CENTCOM area of operations.

030213-M-5150A-005. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Coyote Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 7th Marines

U.S. Army Soldiers of Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Brigade engage Taliban forces during a halt for a disabled vehicle near the village of Allah Say, Afghanistan, Aug. 20, 2007.

A Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment provides security while out on patrol in Marjah, Afghanistan, Feb. 17. Several days after coalition forces launched an assault against insurgents taking refuge in the city, the fighting continues to manifest in sporadic outbursts.

U.S. Marines during combat operation in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Pfc. Charles Hollembeak, a 101st Airborne Division infantryman, fires an M4 carbine during partnered live-fire range training May 29, 2015, at Tactical Base Gamberi in eastern Afghanistan.

Corporal Eric Dominguez, radio operator, bridge platoon, 8th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), walks along the flooded banks of the Helmand River during a bridge retrieval mission in the Sangin District, Helmand province, Afghanistan, December 7th, 2010. 8th ESB Marines conduct engineering operations for coalition forces and local nationals in support of the International Security Assistance Force.

U.S. Army Soldiers along with Iraqi police officers clear and patrol the town of Aswad in the Diyala Province of Iraq Feb. 19, 2008.

1st Lt. Colin Duffy, Police Mentoring Team commander and Thousand Oaks, Calif., native, stands on the back of Indianapolis, In., native Sgt. Mathew Roell, so he can look over the wall into a compound being cleared by Marines and Afghan Border Police Sept. 7, 2009, here.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Bradley Erickson, a corpsman with 3rd Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, reacts to an explosion outside of Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 14. The troops from 3/6 and soldiers from the Afghan national army have been conducting The ANA soldiers and Marines from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, have been conducting Operation Moshtarak to eliminate Taliban presence and intimidation from the city of Marjah.

040715-M-5505M-008. Base: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

041207-M-2583M-039. Base: Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

051016-A-9297R-011. Base: Bagram State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: NORTHEAST

First Lieutenant (1LT) James Bourie looks through binoculars for a route up the ADI Ghar mountains, while Radio operator, Private First Class (PFC) Thuam Nguyen with "A" Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), stands-by, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Air Force and Slovakian explosive ordnance disposal technicians unload a trailer and carefully place ordnance for a controlled detonation June 12, 2013, near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Air Force, Army, Slovakian and Australian EOD technicians participated in a joint mission to dispose of military ordnance.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division provide security during a cordon and search operation in Al Adhamiya, Iraq, Feb. 22, 2007.

U.S. Army Spc. Albert Snow a Cavalry scout with 1st platoon Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron of the 172nd Cavalry Regiment and a Putney, Vt., resident provides security for his fellow soldiers during a visit to an Afghan National Police (ANP) outpost in the Jabal Saraj district, Parwan province, Afghanistan, Oct. 8, 2010. Bravo troop visits the ANP outpost to check on the security forces, and to conduct an area recon.

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 35th Infantry Division conduct M17 and M4 individual weapons qualification ranges at Udairi Ranges, Kuwait, Sept. 22, 2022.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, conduct mission specific training to maintain their specific skills as part of the Quick Reaction Force at Jalalabad Airfield, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan June 7, 2013.

031007-M-8703S-007. Base: Magtftc Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: 4-Mar

031211-M-9362G-015. Base: Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: 3/7, India 1 plt, 1 squad

050623-A-9039F-015. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Operatinig Base Speicher State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AA)

040812-M-0095Z-068. Base: Fob Duke, Najaf Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Army Soldiers cut a wire surrounding their objective during a training mission near Camp Ramadi, Iraq, Sept. 25, 2007.

040513-M-2900S-028. Base: Al Asad State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060317-A-5745M-005. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Camp Liberty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 10TH MTN DIV

060225-A-7969G-031. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Summerall State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: C1-187

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Mason Lembke of West Union, Iowa, an infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Ironman, a part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Task Force Red Bulls, and Afghan National Army soldiers provide security during a dismounted patrol through Mangow village Jan. 21. TF Ironman pulled security while members of 319th Tactical Psychological Operations Company, Task Force Stingray, talked to villagers about security within their village.

040602-M-8096M-004. Base: Zabol Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: 22ND MEU (SOC)

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 7th Special Forces Group train with British Soldiers assigned to 4th Rangers, during Project Convergence 22 at Fort Irwin, California, Oct. 31, 2022. Project Convergence 22 experimentation incorporates technologies and concepts from all services and from multinational partners, including in the areas of autonomy, augmented reality, tactical communications, advanced manufacturing, unmanned aerial systems and long-range fires.

Marines with Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, train in combat marksmanship during Enhanced Mojave Viper (EMV), on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 20, 2012. The Marines participate in EMV in order to build unit cohesion and tactical proficiency in preparation for deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Marine Air Ground Task Force.

030105-M-7514K-005. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown

060327-A-1211S-014. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Forward Operating Base Gabe Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: A

Lt. Col. Mark O'Donnell, right, commander of 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, makes his way to a firing position to talk to Soldiers on Vehicle Patrol Base Badel, Konar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 14. O'Donnell and his Command Sgt. Maj. were on a routine mission to communicate face to face with their junior leaders.

AL HAMRA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (June 19, 2022) - U.S. Marines assigned to Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Central Command and the United Arab Emirate Presidential Guard conduct weapon drills during exercise Iron Defender 22 at Al Hamra training camp, UAE, June 19. Iron Defender is an annual bilateral training event between U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and forces from the United Arab Emirates. The exercise focuses on maritime security operations, mine countermeasures and harbor defense.

Two soldiers in the mountains during a military operation.

Kentucky U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), conduct squad live-fire exercise in Djibouti at Arta range complex, Djibouti, June 8, 2022. CJTF-HOA, operating from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is a dynamic operational headquarters, supporting missions to counter violent extremist organizations, responding to crises and enhancing stability in East Africa.

030410-M-4419R-001. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 5th Marines

030729-A-8982M-003. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Mosul Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Din Mohamad, an Afghan National Army soldier, fires a 60 mm high-explosive mortar round at Range Juarez, Afghanistan, during a mission rehearsal Aug. 28, 2010. The rehearsal with mortarmen from Combined Action Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, was the first time any of the Afghan soldiers had fired high-explosive rounds.

030217-M-3692W-077. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: Echo Co

030317-M-4419R-014. Base: Camp Bear Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 5TH MARINES

U.S. Army Cpl. Brandon Bregel, team leader, secures a construction site during a quality assurance visit in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 8. Bregel is a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul's security force and is deployed from the Massachusetts National Guard.

U.S. Marines and Tunisian Armed Forces advance through a valley during rehearsal for a live-fire exercise as part of African Lion 22 in the Ben Ghilouf Training Area, Tunisia, June 24, 2022. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.

060420-A-5043I-039. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Mahmudiyah State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST ABD

031029-A-8255A-016. Base: Orgun-E State: Paktia Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

September 21, 2011 - U.S. Marine scans his area while on patrol during Exercise Clear, Hold, Build 3 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A U.S. Army Paratrooper from 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, secures the landing zone during an air-assault mission to search the area of Khost province, Afghanistan during Operation Champion Sword, July 29. Operation Champion Sword is a joint operation involving Afghanistan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces focused on specific militant targets and safe havens within eastern Afghanistan.

Iraqi soldiers and paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade fire at paper targets, with a variety of weapons during the opening of the Anbar Operation Center's new range in Ramadi, Iraq, Sept 10. With a long history of supporting U.S. military operations in Iraq, the 2/82 and it's paratroopers are enabling the withdraw of U.S. military forces in Iraq.

050630-A-9930K-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF-76

Armed with 5.56mm M4 Carbine, STAFF Sergeant (SSG) Matthew Duesbery directs his soldiers from "A" Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), during a search for Taliban fighters, in support of ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, detonate an expedient charge during a multilateral training event with Urban Military Breaching Charges here, May 14, 2012, as part of Exercise Eager Lion 12. Eager Lion 12 is taking place throughout the month of May and is designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships of over 19 participating partner nations. This is the second major exercise for the 24th MEU who, along with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is currently deployed to the U.S Central Command area of operations as a theater security and crisis response force.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Bradley Erickson, hospital corpsman, assigned to 1st Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, cleans facial wounds for Lance Cpl. Timothy Mixon after an improvised explosive device attack during a patrol. The unit is deployed supporting the International Security Assistance Force.

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