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Military Personnel and Aircraft Operations

Silhouettes of military personnel conducting inspections and maintenance on aircraft at sunset, creating a dramatic and focused mood featuring warm colors.

Baqubah, Iraq - Silhouette of a Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher

Tech Sgt. Evan Henry, 911th Maintenance Squadron crew chief, drives a maintenance lift up to the engine of a C-17 Globemaster III at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, Jan. 5, 2024. Crew chiefs conduct routine pre-flight inspections before every flying mission ensuring the aircraft's operational readiness.

DF-ST-89-00963. Subject Operation/Series: SHADOW HAWK Base: King Faisal Air Base, Al Jafr Country: Jordan (JOR)

DN-ST-88-03100. Base: USS Okinawa (LPH 3)

Tech. Sgt. Amanda Geray wipes down her aircraft's canopy during post-flight inspections at Daytona, Fla., Oct. 13, 2012. Geray is a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird crew chief.

Paratroopers across the 82nd Airborne Division execute the 12 mile road march as part of one of the last events in the road to earning their E3B on Fort Bragg, NC, April 8, 2023. 371 Paratroopers and Soldiers across multiple units and locations successfully completed E3B.

020131-F-8619S-013. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: RAF Akrotiri Air Base State: Sovereign Base Area (SBA) Country: Cyprus (CYP) Scene Major Command Shown: ANG

A crew member runs past one of the Mk 7 16 inch gun mounts aboard the battleship USS IOWA (BB 61). Base: USS Iowa (BB 61) Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

DN-ST-85-00692. Base: USS Nassau (LHA 4) Country: North Sea

050723-F-9712C-063. Base: Camp Cooke (TAJI) State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 1 AD

Baqubah, Iraq - Silhouette of a Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, has its pre-flight checks accomplished by maintenance technicians prior to a flying mission Nov. 23, 2010, while deployed at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

001011-N-0989T-001. Subject Operation/Series: UNIFIED SPIRIT 2000 Base: Uss Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

221205-N-IT121-1157 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 5, 2022) Aviation Machinists Mate 3rd Class NAME Welch, from Greensborough, N.C., performs pre-flight checks on an F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet.

970419-F-8006R-002. Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS 97 Base: Roswell State: New Mexico (NM) Country: United States Of America (USA)

060323-N-8726C-001. Base: Sigonella State: Sicily Country: Italy (ITA)

U.S. Marines with Headquarters Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Support Battalion, warm up with dynamic exercises prior to a unit physical fitness event Sept. 29, 2022, at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan. The Marines worked on their hand-to-hand combat capabilities to strengthen camaraderie and build confidence.

An operator secures the room following a firefight during a training exercise in Battle Creek, Michigan, August 10, 2022. The operation integrated guardsmen from the Birmingham, Alabama-headquartered 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to infiltrate a complex building, neutralize enemies, rescue hostages and recover hazardous materials. The event was part of Northern Strike 22, a joint, multinational all-domain warfighting exercise hosted out of Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jael Laborn, an aerial combat camera craftsman assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, scans the horizon from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III above South Carolina, Feb. 8, 2023. Aircrew members assigned to the 15th Airlift Squadron conduct training missions to hone global reach and combat readiness to be able to respond to Air Mobility Command objectives at a moments notice.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Damien Bowling, left, from Amelia, Ohio, a radio operator assigned to 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and Lance Cpl. Anthony Moore, from Corpus Christi, Texas, a radio operator assigned to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group listen in for radio communication during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 at Observation Point Sunkist (OP Sunkist), Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, California, Oct. 4, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, 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.

Khavejeh Molk, Afghanistan, December 13, 2010 - Active duty and reserve component Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalions, secure and fortify a remote combat outpost on the eastern edge of Khavejeh Molk, Afganistan. The village is located approximately 25 miles north of Kandahar and is being used as a patrol base for the U.S. Army. Combined efforts by joint forces will restrict movement of Taliban insurgents and help secure the self-governing efforts in Afghanistan.

Photos from Aviation Training Center, Mobile - 26-HK-428-6. Hurricane Katrina

PEARL HARBOR (Feb. 05, 2015) Sailors cross the brow of the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) after arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a seven-month deployment to the western Pacific region. Halsey and its crew of nearly 280 Sailors conducted various theater security operations and goodwill activities with partner nations.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Paul Chaplain, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) noncommissioned officer in charge, pilots an unmanned aircraft during a training event at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Sept. 11, 2022. The sUAS is a multi-purpose aircraft, used to provide reconnaissance and intelligence as well as to rapidly analyze airfield damage.

Airshow attendees salute during the National Anthem during the Shaw Air and Space Expo at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, April 3, 2022. The 20th FW honored 20 individuals, nominated by their peers, for their tireless work within their communities to make them safer and improve the lives of those around them.

PHILIPPINE SEA (Nov. 14, 2013) Sailors conduct a post-flight safety check of the catapults on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is en route to the Republic of the Philippines to support Operation Damayan, the humanitarian efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan.

110707-N-HM829-030ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 15, 2010) Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Donald Livingston stands watch on the fantail aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility on its first operational deployment.

220706-N-SI601-1088 PHILIPPINE SEA (July 6, 2022) Boatswains Mate 3rd Class Craig Godineaux, from New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, handles a line connected to the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202) aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during a replenishment-at-sea. During the evolution, Yukon transported cargo and fuel to Ronald Reagan via vertical and connected replenishment. 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.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Andrew Schubauer, a pilot with the 328th Air Refueling Squadron, New York, flies a KC-135 Stratotanker August 31, 2022 over southeastern United States. The Stratotanker and crew were flying to meet and refuel F-15E Strike Eagles with the 335th Fighter Squadron, North Carolina.

111201-N-DR144-224 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 1, 2011) Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Nathan Rings bows his head in prayer before presenting cremated remains for committal during a burial at sea ceremony for 20 former service members aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are underway on a western Pacific deployment.

MARSOC Marines juggle pins during some much needed down time at a Garrison in Farah Province March 8.

SENIOR CHIEF Machinist's Mate Dennis Cutler watches the sun rise over the Sinai Peninsula from the deck of the guided missile destroyer USS WILLIAM V. PRATT (DDG-44). The PRATT, flagship of the Maritime Interdiction Force, has been enforcing U.N. trade sanctions against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Red Sea

Signal flags fly aboard the destroyer tender USS PUGET SOUND (AD 38). Base: Naval Air Station, Norfolk State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

220425-N-EE352-1015 PACIFIC OCEAN (Apr. 25, 2022) An EA-18G Growler, assigned to the Vikings” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, launches from of the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), April 25. Vinson is currently underway conducting routine maritime operations in the Pacific Ocean.

A flight deck crew member conducts a preflight check on the tailplane of a Fighter Squadron 74 (VF-74) F-14A Tomcat aircraft aboard the aircraft carrier USS SARATOGA (CV-60) as the vessel is underway in support of Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Red Sea

Uk, Hampshire, Southsea, Fireworks Over Southsea Castle For D Day Commemoration.

110208-N-7004H-055ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 8, 2011) Seaman Apprentice Ryan Wetzel stands fantail lookout watch aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting a composite training unit exercise.

A U.S. Air Force jumpmaster assigned to the 320th Special Tactics Squadron inspects a fellow 320th STS Airman prior to the next static line jump over Ie Shima, Japan, March 29, 2023. Jumpmasters must be proficient in every component of the jump process, from ensuring equipment is donned properly to coordinating with aircrew during the release so jumpers land on the designated drop zone.

221203-N-XK462-1124 NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. (Dec. 3, 2022) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) departs San Diego. Nimitz is underway conducting routine operations.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Wyatt Halsey, a UH-1Y Venom crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167, provides elevation guidance for preparation to land at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, Aug. 17, 2022. HMLA-167 trained with U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Air National Guard units during joint exercise Northern Strike 22-2. HMLA-167 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Air Force maintenance Airmen assigned to the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron talk with an F-22 Raptor pilot after landing at Łask Air Base, Poland, Aug. 17, 2022. The 90th EFS forward deployed to Łask Air Base, Poland to enhance the defense posture on NATOs eastern flank.

Two people standing at the concrete monument, Monument of the Negev Brigade, Sun in the evening, Be'er Sheva, Israel, Asia

Col. Matthew Jensen, the 149th Fighter Wing Commander, and Instructor pilot, Air National Guard, conducts preflight checks prior to launch during Coronet Cactus, Apr. 4, 2023, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The annual training event deploys members of the 149th Fighter Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, to another environment in order to familiarize them with accomplishing mission objectives in an unfamiliar location.

030623-F-1443F-018. Base: Aviano Air Base State: Pordenone Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Flight deck personnel direct an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron Three One Two (VMFA-312) on the flight deck of USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) as it prepares to be launched from the waist catapult sunset. Truman is on station in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH Base: USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)

220704-N-YQ181-1055 PHILIPPINE SEA (July 4, 2022) - Sailors aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan conduct a night time live-fire exercise. 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.

Soldiers with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force conduct an amphibious insertion using combat rubber reconnaissance crafts during Exercise Iron Fist 2014 aboard Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., Jan. 29, 2014. Iron Fist is an amphibious exercise that brings together Marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, other I Marine Expeditionary Force units, and soldiers from the JGSDF, to promote military interoperability and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic training.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zach Bondi, a special missions aviator assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, checks the rear of an HH-60 Pave Hawk during a combat search and rescue exercise at an undisclosed location, April 28, 2022. Air Forces Central Command's ERQSs are organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations within the Central Command theater of operations.

Special Warfare candidates compete in early morning exercises during Prolonged Resiliency Training (PRT) on March 23, 2023, on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. PRT simulated the stressful and long hours of an operator in the field, testing candidates' endurance and ability to work as a team while, simultaneously, preparing them for the rigors of the training pipeline ahead.

230329-N-OB471-1072 ATLANTIC OCEAN (March 29, 2023) amage Controlman 1st Class Marissa Scholtes, from El Paso, Texas, facilitates a general quarters drill on the mess decks aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). IKE is underway conducting routine operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

Independence Day events around the Department of Interior headquarters building and the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Senior Airman Angel Peydon, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron Tactical Air Control Party Precision Strike Team member, takes a picture of acting opposition forces at Fort Stewart, Ga., August 16, 2022. The 15th ASOS was conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance training in order to hone command and control capabilities. TACP Precision Strike Teams gather intel to relay to the Combined Force Air Component Commander for informed airstrike decision-making.

120618-N-TU894-039 ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 18, 2012) Sailors exercise in the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean.

Black and white silhouette image of a gun and his dog, United Kingdom, Europe

Soldiers of the Guard Battalion of the German Armed Forces, taken during the reception of the Prime Minister of Italy at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, 03.02.2023., Berlin, Germany, Europe

GULF OF OMAN (Feb. 1, 2014) Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Timothy Lumpkin practices "Taps" on the aircraft elevator of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman, flagship for the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, supporting theater security cooperation efforts and supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Dylan Jess, 446th Security Forces Squadron Phoenix Raven, looks out the window of a C-17 Globemaster III on Sept. 24, 2022, after it landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The 349th Air Mobility Wing performed a three-day mission to move humanitarian cargo to Haiti. Through the Denton Program, three school buses donated from San Diego Unified School District were transported from March Air Reserve Base, California, to Haiti. (1st Lt. Daniel Phelps)

A ground crewman, using illuminated wands, marshals a C-141 Starlifter aircraft into a parking position. The aircraft, from the 438th Tactical Airlift Wing, is returning troops from exercise Team Spirit '80. Bi-monthly Aerospace Audio Visual Service PHOTO Contest, B&W Entry, Jul. 1980, "Night Block". Base: Kadena Air Base State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)

Members of a U.S. Navy construction battalion use a John Deere 670 motor grader to construct a runway during Operation Desert Shield. An OV-10D Bronco aircraft stands on the airfield in the background. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

A U.S. Air Force Airman conducts marshaling procedures as a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron returns from a multinational formation over Guam, Feb. 6, 2024. Our network of alliances and partnerships remains the backbone of global security. Air Force

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division (1AD CAB), enters the live-fire range with an AH-64D Apache Longbow to conduct the night iteration of aerial gunnery Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, Oct. 25, 2022. The 1AD CAB is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

Captain Kimberly Toone, commanding officer Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC) arrives at Aviation Survival Training Command (ASTC) Jacksonville for a tour of the facilities and construction projects currently underway to update and modernize the facility under her command. ASTC JAX is one of eight ASTC training facilities that are encompassed by the Navl Aviation Survival Training Institue (NSTI). NSTI, a detachment of NMOTC, specializes in training the pilots, aircrew, and service members whosupport other specialized communities in survival skills and technique to survive aviation emergencies.Students and service members who complete training and courses will be equipped, with anunderstanding of stressors placed on the body, the rigors of egress and techniques for survival insituations of hostile and austere environments. Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC)is comprised of six nationwide detachments that offer specialized medical training in the fields of

U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrew Vega(left) and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Huffstetler, both pilots assigned to the 317th Airlift Squadron, fly into position to be refueled by a U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft, assigned to the 63th Aerial Refueling Squadron, during proficiency sortie over South Carolina, Jan. 27, 2022. A proficiency sortie is a routine training flight aircrew conduct in regularly order to maintain readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Taylor Crul)

A female Navy Flying Rifles Drill Team member

120827-N-SR846-063ARABIAN SEA (Aug. 27, 2012) Sailors exercise in the hangar bay aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Material from Vice Admiral Allen - Post-Katrina - 26-HK-374-142. Hurricane Katrina

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy McCracken, 169th Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion mechanic, checks heat levels in the exhaust tunnel of the 'Hush House' at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, September 16, 2022. The 'Hush House' is a facility where aerospace propulsion mechanics can openly observe a jet engine while it is running to ensure operational Safety and functionality.

Russian Search and Rescue teams deploy by helicopter from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 to prepare for the Soyuz MS-05 landing with Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA and Flight Engineers Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Bresnik, Nespoli and Ryazanskiy are returning after 139 days in space where they served as members of the Expedition 52 and 53 crews onboard the International Space Station.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Hunter Czech, a KC-135 Stratotanker crew chief assigned to the 22nd Air Maintenance Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, conducts maintenance on a KC-135 Stratotanker during RED FLAG Alaska 23-1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 11, 2022. The Indo-Pacific is a top priority for the United States and the DoD; exercises like Red Flag-Alaska display a commitment to ensuring U.S. forces are capable and ready to face the evolving challenges in the region.

A B1-B Lancer aircraft takes off at night toward the Las Vegas Strip during exercise Green Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. 30, 2012. The aircraft is assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Austin Pyatt, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, communicates with Airmen in the fuselage of a B-1B Lancer after a Bomber Task Force mission at Andersen AFB, Guam, Nov. 5, 2022. These missions enhance readiness, to include joint and multi-lateral, to respond to any potential crisis or challenge in the Indo-Pacific.

Master Sgt. Garrett Wake, assigned to the 152nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office communicates by radio with MAFFS lead airplane at Hot Tea drop zone near Gowen Field Air National Guard, Idaho, April 26, 2022. The MAFFS units are training for a U.S. Northern Command mission. In the event of activation during the fire year; First Air Force (AFNORTH); U.S. Northern Command's Air Component Command; is the DoD's operational lead for the aerial military efforts to support USDA Forest Service-National Interagency Fire Center requests for fire suppression support.

The 145th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) Small Air Terminal team stands in the Caribbean sunset during their mission to the U.S Virgin Islands, while at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas, USVI, Nov 2, 2017. The 145th LRS Small Air Terminal team helped to move 282 passengers and 1.1 million pounds of cargo and vehicles in support of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Emily Farnsworth, 1st Combat Camera Squadron combat camera journeyman, takes pictures of a simulated IED strike during Exercise Green Goblin at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Dec. 7, 2022. This four-day exercise provides relevant and essential night-vision training to prepare combat camera Airmen with enhanced photographic and video capabilities required to capture imagery in low-light and no-light environments.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jaymes Trimble, 50th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, flies a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing during the 6th ARW Agile Combat Employment capstone exercise, Aug. 23, 2022. The ACE concept underpins the Air Forces ability to mitigate the risks of adversarial technological advances through maneuverability and speed to prevail in conflict. The capstone exercise included 72-hours of continuous air refueling operations and a historic 56-hour KC-135 flight in a simulated contested environment focused on a notional theater of operations.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brandon Davis, 305th Aerial Port squadron air transportation, prepares an upload of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System munitions at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Aug. 11, 2022. The munitions cargo is part of an additional security assistance package for Ukraine. The security assistance the U.S. is providing to Ukraine is enabling critical success on the battlefield against the Russian invading force.

A U.S. Airman in an all-terrain 10K forklift, assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing, positions a pallet of cargo in eastern Europe, April 29, 2022. The 621st Contingency Response Wing recently deployed Airmen as a Contingency Response Element to move resources in support of U.S. European Command operations.

120406-N-DR144-153INDIAN OCEAN (April 6, 2012) An aircraft director signals to the pilots of an F/A-18C Hornet as the aircraft taxis to launch from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

U.S. Army Spc. Eric Littlefield, a crew chief with the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, Charlie Company, looks for obstacles as his crew lands on the helicopter landing pad at Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, April 14th, 2018. Along with the 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion, the two UH-60 Blackhawk crews conduct a medical evacuation validation for Exercise Eager Lion 2018. Eager Lion is a major Exercise with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, designed to exchange military expertise and improve interoperability among partner nations.

Participants in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition fire at targets as the night sky is illumintated with simulated munitions, adding a breath of realism to the night fire event. The competition was held at Sept. 27-Oct. 2 at Fort Lee, Va. (photo by T. Anthony Bell)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Travis Hunt, a tactical air control party officer with Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, is pulled by a snow machine while skijoring along the Denali Highway, Alaska, during Operation Agipen 2, Jan. 29, 2023. Agipen 2 was an unsupported, sustained cold-weather operation designed to validate equipment and previous arctic training in austere conditions. During the multi-day training exercise the 3rd ASOS special warfare Airmen conducted a long-distance, overland ski movement that included pulling individual pulk sleds by incorporating cross country skiing and skijoring. Hunt is from Peoria, Ariz.

A drill instructor with Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, prepares to interduce himself to his new recruits on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Sep. 2, 2022. Lima Company will spend Forming Day learning the rules and regulations of recruit training.

U.S. Air Force personnel are seen at the base of Air Force Twos stairs as Vice President Kamala Harris aboard Marine Two prepares to land, Friday, June 25, 2021, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

220923-N-GF955-1256BALTIC SEA (Sept. 23, 2022) U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) fire flares during training, Sept. 23, 2022. Paul Ignatius, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is 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.

A collection of toy army men

221208-N-YS933-1040 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 8, 2022) A U.S. Navy Sailor dons a firefighting ensemble in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during a general quarters drill. Nimitz is underway conducting routine operations.

Airman 1st Class Jeremy Hunt inspects the wing of an F-16 Fighting Falcon March 2, 2011, during Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Airman Hunt is a crew chief assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C.

220124-N-GF955-1040COLON, Panama - (Jan. 24, 2022) -- Chief Fire Controlman Michael Skow assigned to the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15), heaves around a line during sea and anchor detail as the ship arrives at Colon, Panama, Jan. 24, 2022. Billings is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force Souths mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aaron Lau/Released)

Providers assigned to the 223rd QM, Field Feeding Company, Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division prepare meals for Paratroopers on Fort Bragg, NC, March 29, 2022. The Field Training Exercise ensures Paratroopers stand ready to fight, win, and meet the 18 hour deployment standard.

The bombardier seat encircled by large clear dome on the front of a B-17 Flying Fortress from the Commemorative Air Force while on display in Sioux City, Iowa on July 25, 2022. The aircraft is one of only 5 remaining active Flying Fortress aircraft remaining. U.S. Air National Guard photo Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

H. S. Vanderbilt, Mrs. HSV, Winthrop Aldrich, T. Taylor, Toni Frissell, Antoinette Frissell Bacon, Antoinette Frissell

DN-ST-88-05581. Base: Naval Submarine Base, Bangor State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

6:35 a.m., September 15, 2013 - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry climbs the steps of his Air Force jet for a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, to Tel Aviv, Israel, and a meeting in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on final status negotiations with Palestinian leaders.

230325-N-NH267-1174 ARABIAN SEA (March 25, 2023) The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) conducts a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with the replenishment oiler USNS Amelia Earhart, March 25, 2023 in the Arabian Sea. Paul Hamilton is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 23, 2022) A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk performs night-time deck landings aboard Royal Australian Navy landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three 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. (Photo by Royal Australian Navy Petty Officer Christopher Szumlanski)

Tribute in lights to 184 killed at the Pentagon

Helicopter Gunships Attacking a Ground Target During Live Fire Close Air Support Training

YOKOSUKA, Japan (July 4, 2022) Fireworks are displayed during the Independence Day celebration at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. For more than 75 years, Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet's forward-deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families. (U.S. Navy Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Conner Houghtaling)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Austin Sondergard, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, performs pre-flight checks on a KC-10 extender at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2022. Sondergard received brain surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation, and later suffered losses to both memory, speech, and motor skills due to a stroke. Recovered, Sondergard returned to his duties as a Crew Chief and hobby as an avid powerlifter.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 22, 2013) Damage controlmen observe an aqueous film forming foam wash down in the hangar bay aboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). Bataan is in the Atlantic Ocean undergoing equipment demonstrations for a Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).

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