Military Personnel in Action

Service members engaged in various training exercises, involving refueling practices, communications operations, and a simulated emergency response scenario.

After conducting initial setup of air traffic control equipment, Soldiers prepare for aircraft to arrive that in the event of an actual hurricane would be stowed in a hangar, as part of a hurricane preparedness drill at Fort Rucker, Alabama, September 21, 2022.

Tech. Sgt. William Bryant, III, a petroleum, oil, and lubricants technician with the 442d Logistics Readiness Squadron, practices laying out a forward area refeuling point hose May 19, 2022, on Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. FARP is a key component of agile combat employment, allowing untis to quickly set up operations and conduct missions in austere environments.

Signal Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division conducted proficiency tests on their equipment Aug. 9 at Fort Carson, Colo. Soldiers paid full attention as they used the Tactical Communication Node to acquire a line of sight communications which allows Soldiers to maintain readiness and lethality.

Sgt. 1st Class Ivan Velazquez, an operations sergeant with the 15th Military Police Brigade, is captured, marking the conclusion of the missing inmate exercise. Velazquez was one of two Soldiers who escaped from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks.

Tech. Sgt. Jennel Edwards, a Defender with the 91st Security Forces Group, salutes a flag placed for Suicide Prevention and Awareness month, Sept. 1, 2022. Each of the flags placed during the ceremony represented a member of the Department of Defense who was lost to suicide in 2021.

Security Forces, Fire, and Civil Engineering personnel from 366th Fighter Wing work together to create a cordon during a simulated unexploded ordinance operation as part of exercise Raging Gunfighter 22-2 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, May 19, 2022. Raging Gunfighter is an exercise designed to simulate operating a Lead Wing from an austere environment in preparation for potential future operations.

A four-person team enters a building part of the Defender Challenge event May 17 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Teams competed in various timed challenges related to the security forces experience. The Challenge was part the 96th Security Forces Squadrons Police Week activities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The Joint Base MDL conducted a Postal Warrior Training Mission on 10 August 2022 which was conducted by the 78th Training Division. This training event was on Fort Dix Site IR3C. Multiple Army Reserve Units from the states of New York, Georgia and California were on-site for this training. The U.S. ASA Fort Dix Commander COL Mitchell Wisniewski, Joint Base Commander COL Wes Adams (AF) and the Army Reserve CSM, CSM Andrew Lombardo were in attendance. They all had observed the training from the ground and also in-flight during the soldiers training. The flights were provided by the 773rd Marine Light Attack Helicopter on a UH1 Cobra Helicopter. Postal Warrior is a task-focused exercise for Postal Units to support Postal Operations in a combat area when needed. During this training Units are being prepared for delivering mail during possible small arms or sniper fire from enemy while carrying out their mission. (Images provided by the Fort Dix (TSC) Training Support Center / Dan Amburg /

After conducting initial setup of air traffic control equipment, Soldiers prepare for aircraft to arrive that in the event of an actual hurricane would be stowed in a hangar, as part of a hurricane preparedness drill at Fort Rucker, Alabama, September 21, 2022.

U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers Brig. Gen. Daniel H. Hibner, assigned to the South Atlantic Division, visits Coast Guard members staged in Matlacha Isles, Florida to assist the people of the Pine Island community, who were stranded due to Hurricane Ian on Oct. 4, 2022. The Coast Guard transferred over 700 people and 60 pets and essential goods to the island.

U.S. Navy corpsmen assigned to the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Naval Family Branch Health Clinic and of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members with13th Brigade respond to a simulated mass casualty event during Exercise Active Shield 22 on MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 15, 2022. Exercise Active Shield is a bilateral exercise conducted annually with the Japan Self-Defense Force to better prepare the air stations incident response procedures during base defense operations.

Spc. John Deseo of the Guam National Guard's Task Force Response, assists with traffic flow on the island's first day of COVID-19 vaccine administration in Dededo on Dec. 17.

Cpl. Phillip Darnell, shows military policemen from across the country how to properly investigate traffic collisions during training at Fort Jackson. A similar course is taught at the Joint Service School in Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio.

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Maribeth Ferrer, 633d Air Base Wing command chief, dances to the Cupid Shuffle, alongside other Air Force personnel, at the Connect to Care block party at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Apr. 5, 2023. The block party was a great way for JBLE personnel and family members to come together and celebrate the successful implementation of the Connect to Care program, which strives to take care of both Airmen and Soldiers.

The U.S. ASA Fort Dix Headquarters hosted a VIP Lift on 15 June 2022. The event hosted MGs, BGs, COLs, CSMs, and Chief of Staffs. These VIPs were various leaders from the units of the 99th Readiness Division, 3 d MDSC DCG, 200th Military Police Command, 79th Theater Sustainment Command, 310th ESC, 377th TSC, 81st Readiness Division, 200th Military Police Command, 108th Training Command, 807th MCDS, 416th TEC, 63d Readiness Division, 84th Training Command, 76th ORC, ASA Dix, 377th TSC CG, MIRC, 75th Innovation Command, 85th USARCSC and the Fort Dix in-bound Commander COL Mitchell. The five The UH-60's a lift off located at the Command Pad Area by the Fort Dix Headquarters Wurman Hall. (Photos taken by the Fort Dix TSC Training Support Center)

The Joint Base MDL conducted a Postal Warrior Training Mission on 10 August 2022 which was conducted by the 78th Training Division. This training event was on Fort Dix Site IR3C. Multiple Army Reserve Units from the states of New York, Georgia and California were on-site for this training. The U.S. ASA Fort Dix Commander COL Mitchell Wisniewski, Joint Base Commander COL Wes Adams (AF) and the Army Reserve CSM, CSM Andrew Lombardo were in attendance. They all had observed the training from the ground and also in-flight during the soldiers training. The flights were provided by the 773rd Marine Light Attack Helicopter on a UH1 Cobra Helicopter. Postal Warrior is a task-focused exercise for Postal Units to support Postal Operations in a combat area when needed. During this training Units are being prepared for delivering mail during possible small arms or sniper fire from enemy while carrying out their mission. (Images provided by the Fort Dix (TSC) Training Support Center / Dan Amburg /

Senior Airman Quintana and Staff Sergeant Martinez deliver personal protective equipment to Grants, New Mexico to help support local communities.

030508-M-7690B-080. Base: Mcas, Beaufort State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: MWSS-273

Students with the U.S. Navy Senior Amphibious Warfare Course (SAWOC) receive capability briefs on various technologies and vehicles from U.S. Marines with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 22-23, 2022. II Marine Expeditionary Force showcased its capabilities to SAWOC students in order to familiarize them with the landward environment, planning considerations and exposure to all elements of the Fleet Marine Force.

Port dawgs with the 72nd Aerial Port Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma compete in their annual rodeo April 2, 2022, to determine who has the best aerial porting skills in the squadron.

U.S. Soldiers and Airmen from the Colorado National Guard, along with members of civilian emergency response agencies, distribute sandbags to overly saturated areas of Jefferson County, Colo., due to the downpour of rain that has caused severe flooding in Colo., Sept. 15, 2013. Rescue units have evacuated thousands of people and animals in areas of Colorado that have been devastated by the Colorados record-setting flood.

Soldiers assigned to Task Force South, New Jersey National Guard, assist a Long Beach Islander onto a M939 5-ton 6x6 truck during relief operations Oct. 31, 2012. The New Jersey National Guard is working with Long Beach Island civilian authorities in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

GULFPORT, Miss. (Sep. 28, 2022) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, prep their tools in preparation to lay asphalt for during a parking lot repair onboard Naval Construction Battalion Canter Gulfport. The asphalt repair is the last step in completing a new bathroom installation on base. NMCB 1 is conducting an intense homeport training plan to expand their ability to execute construction, humanitarian assistance, and theater operations.

The Fort Leavenworth Fire Department stopped by the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center headquarters to do a surprise ambush and present Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, outgoing commanding general for CAC and Fort Leavenworth, with some farewell gifts and thank him for his support.

Defenders assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron emergency services team discuss security procedures at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Jan. 10, 2023. EST Airman are responsible for responding to situations involving U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, the 6th Air Refueling Wing and other tenant units.

A U.S. Marine with 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion (AABn), 2d Marine Division destroys a car during Gator Week on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 6, 2023. Gator Week is an annual field meet with physical team building events that increase unit cohesion and commemorates 2d AABns history.

Airmen from the 134th Air Refueling Wing prepare to depart to assist with natural disaster relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The Cat 4 storm devastated the region as it moved across the state of Florida, leaving many without power, water and shelter.

Mississippi National Guard Soldiers put water in the trunk of a person's car at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Mississippi, Sept. 1, 2022. Nearly 600 Mississippi National Guardsmen were set up across seven sites through Jackson for people to collect bottled water and non-potable water from water buffalo trucks. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Connie Jones)

Florida National Guard (FLNG) soldiers with the 50th Regional Support Group (RSG) out of Homestead, Fla., set up cones in preparation for the arrival of soldiers from other states' National Guards in Gainesville, Fla. As Hurricane Ian swept across the state of Florida, not only did FLNG units heed the call to service, but so did units from other states.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Charlotte Velasquez, 88th Diagnostic and Therapeutic Squadron, briefs Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, Defense Health Agency director, and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Gragg, DHA senior enlisted leader, on the drive-thru system outside Kittyhawk Pharmacy at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio on April 12, 2022. Place and Gregg visited the medical center to see its missions and capabilities firsthand.

U.S. Army Aviation maintenance personnel, pilots, and crew chiefs from 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, Assault Helicopter Battalion, attached to the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, work together to properly secure one of the main rotatory blades into a folded position on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter during a blade folding exercise held at Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Nov. 27, 2022. The 3-142nd AHB, attached to the 36th CAB, provides Army aviation operations and support to the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve mission, which is to advise, assist, and enable partnered forces in the enduring defeat of ISIS.

Members of local, state and military police riot training at Camp Fogarty, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, September 11, 2022. Training for local, state and military police members in a simulated riot environment.

U.S. Marines with Headquarters and Support (H&S) Battalion, Marine Corps Installations East (MCIEAST) - Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, set up barricades during Exercise Urgent Response on MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 15, 2022. H&S Battalion Marines conducted identification checks and established vehicle control points in support of Exercise Urgent Response, an installation-wide exercise that plans for and executes anti-terrorism response procedures.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kimberly Carranza, 31st Medical Operation Squadron ambulance services technician, left, briefs Italian host nation providers on 31st MDG ambulance services operations at a 31st MDG Open House event at Aviano Air Base, Italy, June 9, 2022. During the event, host nation partners toured different parts of the 31st MDG facilities and learned about the 31st MDG mission: to supply agile trusted care, sustain ready medics and provide a premier patient experience.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey D. Broadwater, deputy commanding general of V Corps, talks to the pilots of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the end of exercise training for Summer Shield at forward operating site Adazi, Latvia, May 27, 2022. Summer Shield is one of U.S. Army Europe and Africas multinational training exercises in Eastern Europe that make up Defender Europe 22. Defender demonstrates U.S. Army Europe and Africas ability to conduct large-scale ground combat operations across multiple theaters supporting NATO.

Soldiers of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade are assisting with water distribution points throughout Effingham County during Hurricane Matthew relief efforts.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Mohammed Ameen, left, and Cpl. Maliki Lipscomb, right, both motor vehicle operators with Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, load MREs onto a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement during Exercise Shinka 22.1, Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, June 13, 2022. Shinka exemplifies a shared commitment to realistic training that produces lethal, ready, and adaptable forces capable of decentralized operations across a wide range of missions.

U.S. Soldiers with the 108th Public Affairs Detachment, South Carolina National Guard, load their military vehicle to assist Hurricane Matthew response at the McCrady Training Center, Eastover, S.C., on Oct. 5, 2016. Hurricane Matthew peaked as a Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean and was projected to pass over the southeastern U.S., including the S.C. coast. Approximately 1,400 S.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were activated Oct. 4, 2016, to support coastal evacuations after Governor Nikki Haley declared a State of Emergency.

A Mississippi National Guard Soldier directs traffic at the Metrocenter Mall in Jackson, Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2022. Nearly 20,000 cars received water on the first day of the operation, consisting of seven sites through Jackson for people to collect bottled water, hand sanitizer and non-potable water from water buffalo trucks.

The annual full-scale exercise at Fort Drum tested the emergency response capabilities of organizations and units across the installation, and the ability to communicate and work with off-post agencies during a crisis. (Photo by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. José L. Montalván, the district recruiting operations officer for 6th Marine Corps District, addresses Junior ROTC students from Gar-Field High School, Woodbridge, Virginia, and Wayne High School, Huber Heights, Ohio, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, April 7, 2022. The cadets visited MCRD Parris Island to view a snap shot of life as a Marine Corps recruit and learn more about Marine Corps history.

Col. Jesse Curry, commander, Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Field Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, speaks with a teacher from King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina about the USACEs recovery efforts following a pule (prayer) at the school, Jan. 8. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is executing the mission to remove debris caused by the wildfires and preparing the site for the temporary school.

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, and Sailors with Guam Detachment, Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, work together to guide the Palletized Load System Flatracks during exercise Resolute Dragon 22 at Kushiro Port, on Oct. 3, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual exercise designed to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance by exercising integrated command and control, targeting, combined arms, and maneuver across multiple domains. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Forces comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

Capt. Mike Addis, the director of operations for the 442d Logistics Readiness Squadron, practices laying out a forward area refeuling point May 19, 2022, on Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. FARP is a key component of agile combat employment, allowing untis to quickly set up operations and conduct missions in austere environments.

U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard provide military helicopter emergency training to civilian first responders from the counties surrounding Fort Indiantown Gap. The training included orientation to different kinds of helicopters as well as some unique circumstances and considerations for dealing with helicopter emergencies.

Team McConnell Airmen eat lunch at the grand opening for the food truck park at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, April 4, 2023. The food truck park provides a variety of easily accessible food for Team McConnell servicemembers. The area was designated a no hat, no salute area for the grand opening.

Members from the 512th and 436th airlift wings clear M16 rifles at the end of their shift during the Liberty Eagle Readiness Exercise at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, July 13, 2022. Members from both wings participated in a simulated deployment to a forward operating base, located on Dover AFB, July 11-15, 2022. The purpose of this exercise was to validate the 512th and 436th airlift wings' ability to generate, employ and sustain airpower across the world in a contested and degraded operational environment.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Williamson, left, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron engineering technician, speaks with a member of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, right, during an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 20, 2022. Bi-lateral training focused on ACE concepts strengthens mission capability on both sides of the alliance.

Lt. Gen. James A. Jacobson, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, discussed strategic capabilities, operations tempo and future plans for the Wolf Pack with Airmen at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, June 7, 2022. PACAF Airmen work together to ensure a rules based international order.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Patrick Reardon, right, commander assigned to 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, listens to feedback from U.S. Army Col. John B. Mountford, deputy commanding officer for maneuver of the 1st Infantry Division during a tour of the base at Skwierzyna, Poland, August 9, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT 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.

Dr. Czarina Sanchez, M.D., Air Force Maj., 188th Chief of Medical Staff, and Army Maj. Alejandro Saenz, Arkansas National Guard State Partnership Coordinator, meet with Dr. Hernandez, M.D., Epidemiologist and Ph.D. in Public Health, Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Manager, at a medical site in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, on October 25, 2022. Through the State Partnership Program, Arkansas Air National Guard members participated in Continuing Promise 2022 to build and improve interoperability with military and civilian personnel from the U.S. and Guatemala. The mission increases readiness while providing humanitarian assistance with expeditionary medical care, and reflects the United States' enduring promise of friendship, partnership, and solidarity with the Americas.

Security Checkpoint at Homestead Air Reserve Base during Hatian.. Photographs Relating to Disasters and Emergency Management Programs, Activities, and Officials

U.S. Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) attend the first Joint Task Force (JTF) Readiness Rodeo on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC., Nov. 3, 2022. The JTF Readines Rodeo is a one-stop shop for Marines to complete all administrative and medical deployment requirements, ultimately allowing II MEF to deploy as a capable JTF headquarters at a moments notice.

Members of the medical rescue task force discuss a plan of action during a base-wide active shooter exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, June 28, 2022. Simulating a crisis can be used to help evaluate the response of organizations such as security forces, fire and emergency services, the office of special investigations, the medical response team and public affairs.

Chief of Naval Operations ADM Mike Gilday meets with NAVFAC and base leadership and views one of the MILCON projects during his visit to Naval Air Station Lemoore in California on Sept. 12, 2022.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Zubiate, left, and Lance Cpl. Closs, right, military police Marines, detain a role-player during the Sudden Crisis 2022 training exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Oct. 11, 2022. The training event exercised command and control, reporting, interoperability with external organizations, and validated tactics, techniques and procedures, in the event the air station needs to elevate its force protection condition.

Behind the Triad is a new series of videos hosted by Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Steve Messenger, that highlight the hard working behind-the-scenes employees around the installation who help make Fort McCoy the outstanding installation it is today.In Episode 1, Col. Messenger visits the Fort McCoy Wastewater Treatment Plant and learns about the entire wastewater treatment process from Utilities Systems Operator Jon Clark from the Directorate of Public Works.Watch each new episode on the Fort McCoy Multimedia Visual Information Branch page.

Air National Guard Security Forces members participate in a mass casualty event at PATRIOT 24 exercise at Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, Camp Shelby, Mississippi, Feb. 19, 2024. PATRIOT is a Domestic Operations disaster-response training exercise conducted by National Guard units working with federal, state and local emergency management agencies and first responders. (Air National Guard

Arizona National Guard service members prepare and collect COVID-19 test samples July 15, 2020 in Cibecue, Ariz. before transporting them to a state lab for testing. The delivery is part of the Arizona National Guards response to community needs during this COVID19 state of emergency.

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal team set up a static display during the Misawa Air Fest at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Sept. 11, 2022. The air show gave community members an opportunity to see various aircraft, meet military personnel and observe ground and aerial demonstrations, encompassing the power of the joint and bilateral forces. This years aerial demonstrations included the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II, Mitsubishi F-2, a CH-47J and UH-60 helicopter alongside a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Cameron Scungio, right, assists Sgt. Cory Kim, both explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, adjust the EOD bomb suit during a Semper Durus 2023 training event at 16th street base housing, MCAS Yuma, April 11, 2023. Semper Durus 2023 is a regional command post exercise designed to improve regional command and control, enhance interagency coordination, improve installation capabilities to respond to and recover from a crisis event, and to validate installation mission assurance all-hazard plans.

Pvt. 1st Class Gustavo Perez of the 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment provides a Spanish translation during a training scenario for the upcoming opening of the Orange County Convention Center community testing site. The testing site will be a drive-thru operation that allows citizens to stay in their vehicle through the entire process, which is currently being designated for first responders and those over the age of 65.

Robert Nuss, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District mechanic at C.W. Bill Young Lock & Dam, briefs Col. Kimberly Peeples, commander and district engineer of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, on work he and other employees have been doing at the lock in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, April 13, 2022. Nuss led a project to replace more than 700 feet of hydraulic pipes that will save the district more than $150,000 in contracted costs. The hydro lines control the opening and closing of gates and valves for lock operations.

U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard provide military helicopter emergency training to civilian first responders from the counties surrounding Fort Indiantown Gap. The training included orientation to different kinds of helicopters as well as some unique circumstances and considerations for dealing with helicopter emergencies.

U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard provide military helicopter emergency training to civilian first responders from the counties surrounding Fort Indiantown Gap. The training included orientation to different kinds of helicopters as well as some unique circumstances and considerations for dealing with helicopter emergencies.

The Puerto Rico National Guard begin providing support to the Puerto Rico Police bringing security at different gas stations, Sept. 26. More than 60 Citizens - Soldiers and Airmen, commanded by the 92nd MP Brigade were distributed in four regions, San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina and Caguas, covering the main gas stations in those regions of Puerto Rico where the fuel is being rationed by the lack of distributors and the few available stations that were not affected by Hurricane Maria.

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Davidson, an indirect fire infantryman with the Connecticut National Guard's B Company, 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment, loads boxes of food into a car at a drive-through food distribution point for the Farmers to Families Program in New Haven, Conn. Oct. 27, 2020. This ongoing mission is just one of the many ways our Guardsmen continues to serve their communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Senior Airman Jordan Waldson, a defender assigned to the 18th Security Forces Squadron, swings a baton during an Oleoresin Capsicum Spray course, at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Oct. 24 2022. OC spray is an extremely effective less-than-lethal tool that can be utilized to quell a situation without having to otherwise resort to lethal force.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Corey Ewing, 242nd Combat Communications Squadron cyber transport network systems operator, pulls a cable through a window to set up a SpaceX Starlink mobile satellite at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, April 21, 2022. Exercise ARDENT CROSSBOW is the first time the 633d Air Base Wing is conducting agile combat support as an Air Base Squadron as part of Air Combat Commands effort to align into the Air Forces new four-phase Force Generation model (Available to Commit, Reset, Prepare and Ready). Through the stand-up of an Air Base Squadron and a supporting A-Staff, Airmen will be prepared to deploy as task-oriented, high-performing teams who are ready for crisis before crisis emerges.

U.S. Marines assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Task Force Los Angeles, speak with first responders from Torrance Fire Emergency Medical Services at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, during Los Angeles Fleet Week, May 28, 2022. The purpose of Fleet Week is to showcase the capabilities of the Navy-Marine Corps team and give back to the community with events, static displays, and personal interactions between service members and the public.

030318-M-6881W-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: USS Nassau (LHA 4) Scene Major Command Shown: CTF 52.2

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division trade patches with a Swiss firefighter team at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, May 20, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide command and control for rotational and assigned units in the European theater.

NORWICH, NY - New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, conducts food distribution operations, Apr. 23. The Soldiers are currently serving on active duty in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Since beginning the food distribution mission, the Soldiers of Delta Company have assisted the Chenango County Office of the Aging by delivering more than 2800 meals.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery Regiment place sandbags along the levee system near Winchester, Illinois. The Soldiers were called to State Active Duty by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to assist with flood duties along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, speak with Finnish citizens at a static display during the Oripää Airshow at Säkylä, Finland, July 16, 2022. The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and the Pori Brigade of the Finnish army began summer training in Finland to strengthen relations and help build interoperability between the two nations.

MT National Guard Soldiers provide assistance to civil authorities in wake of flooding in south central Montana.

US Air Force members from of the 452nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, deployed from March Air Reserve Base, CA, and US Army members from the 272nd Minimal Care Detachment, deployed from Garden Grove US Army Reserve Center, CA, relocate tent materials and prepare to erect a Mobile Air Staging Facility during Exercise Global Medic 2009, Fort Hunter Liggett, Jolon, CA, June 10, 2009. Global Medic is a United States Army and Air Force exercise testing the readiness of medical units in a joint and training environment, US Air Force

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Gary Heatherly, chaplain, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, gives the invocation during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new fire station at Laurel Bay, South Carolina, Jan. 11, 2024. The new fire station is set to open in the spring of 2025.

220915-N-PI330-1041 Gulfport, Mississippi (September 15, 2022) Construction Electrician 3rd Class Kyra Avery, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133), recieves her household goods from deployment on Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, September 15, 2022. NMCB 133 is at homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi conducting training cycles.

220915-N-PI330-1041 Gulfport, Mississippi (September 15, 2022) Construction Electrician 3rd Class Kyra Avery, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133), recieves her household goods from deployment on Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, September 15, 2022. NMCB 133 is at homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi conducting training cycles.

Airmen from the 2nd Medical Group perform triage on a simulated patient as part of a medical readiness exercise at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, July 13, 2022. Triage is a concept where patients are assigned a level of urgency related to their injuries in order to make life-threatening conditions a priority.

Lt. Col. Karl Palmberg, left, 114th Fighter Wing inspector general, prepares to compete in a tear gas environment by donning his gas mask and getting it checked by Eric Rockwell, Counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) All-Hazard Management Response (CAMR) instructor at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota, Oct. 2, 2022. Airmen from the 114th Fighter Wing competed in an obstacle course set up by members from the CAMR team.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. David Gaedecke, Headquarters Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) Vice Commander, greets U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Evans, U.S. Army North Commanding General, upon his arrival to Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) Aug. 4, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Sgt. Antonio Amaro of the Joint Task Force - Puerto Rico registers a citizen at "Parque del Niño" in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, April 26, 2022. The Puerto Rico National Guard continued its efforts by testing the island's citizens as part of operation Continue Safe.

Defenders with the 8th Security Forces Squadron take a group photo with military working dog Alan before his final salute at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, July 22, 2022. Alan was born on June 22, 2012 and upon certifying as a dual-purpose narcotics and intruder detection dog, Alan was assigned to the 8th SFS. Over his distinguished nine-year career, MWD Alan performed more than 70,000 Search Hours.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Manju Vig, commander of Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, California, walks and talks with Matt Kern, district representative for Sen. David Min and Californias 37th state senate district, as Min and his staff tour the base, Jan. 20, 2023. During the visit, Min and his staff learned about the California National Guard, the installation, its tenants and its missions, and walked through the Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy dormitory and school while learning about the high school credit recovery program. Min and his team also visited a U.S. Army energy resilience project being built on the base.

The MSCT at the Fort Dix Simulations Area completed a Medical Evacuation Training. The training combines both the evacuation of Soldiers from the point of injury to a medical treatment facility staffed and equipped to provide essential care in combat theater and further evacuation for further care for patients to other medical treatment facilities or to staging facilities. Medical evacuation entails the movement of patients on dedicated ground and air ambulances, medically staffed and equipped to provide medical care. (Photos taken by the Fort Dix TSC Training Support Center)

The 84th Civil Support Team and first responder elements of the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, responded to a potential white powder threat on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base, Cheyenne, Wyo.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, hot-pit refuels during Exercise Agile Tiger, April 4, 2022. Exercise Agile Tiger gives us the opportunity to practice operational unpredictability, while assuring our partners and Allies that we are postured to execute nuclear operations and global strike anytime, anywhere.

Army Pfc. Amber Popp, a patient administrative specialist with the Texas Army National Guards F Company, 536th Brigade Support Battalion, inspects the interior of a semi-truck for illegal drugs and other prohibited items while working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Customs and Border Protections Pharr Port of Entry inspection station in Pharr, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. National Guard members throughout the Southwestern states have been working with Customs and Border Protection as part of Operation Guardian Support, assisting in support roles such as aviation, manning viewing observation cameras and vehicle screening and inspection.

Soldiers with the 1-265th Air Defense Artillery (ADA), deliver aid to the community of Charlotte County in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, continuing the relief efforts in the most heavily impacted areas, Englewood, Fla. Oct. 5, 2022. Over 6,000 service members were activated in response to the natural disaster along with both military and civilian support from out-of-statelocations.

U.S. Marines with Headquarters and Support (H&S) Battalion, Marine Corps Installations East, set up barricades during Exercise Urgent Response on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 15, 2022. H&S Battalion Marines conducted identification checks and established vehicle control points in support of Exercise Urgent Response, an installation-wide exercise that plans for and executes anti-terrorism response procedures.

Airmen from the 22nd Security Forces Squadron apprehend a simulated active shooter during an exercise at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, Feb. 6, 2024. Exercising help Defenders maintain readiness for threat response readiness. Air Force

Members of the 239th Combat Communications Squadron display their unit morale flag during Exercise BUMBU 22 at Camp Shelby, Miss., June 4, 2022. BUMBU 22 brings five combat communications squadrons with the 254th Combat Communications Group from their home stations located across the nation together for a consolidated training exercise.

Senior Airman Tracy Mauch, with the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Logistical Readiness Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Brad Schenck, with the 119th Wing's Security Forces Squadron, sandbag a home along the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., June 2.

U.S. Marines, with Mobile Reconnaissance Company, 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Swedish Marines, with 202d Coastal Ranger company, 2d Swedish Marine Battalion, conducts joint training on the RQ-20 Puma unmanned aerial system from a Swedish Combat Boat 90, in preparation for a tactical exercise, during exercise Archipelago Endeavor 2022 (AE22), at Berga Naval Base, Sweden, Sept. 15, 2022. AE22 is an integrated field training exercise that increases operational capability and enhances strategic cooperation between the U.S. Marines and Swedish forces.

Students, or Cadets, from the Appalachian ChalleNGe Academy are all smiles after their ride on one of the Kentucky National Guard's UH-60 Black Hawk at the Army Aviation Support Facility on Boone Center in Frankfort, Ky., Apr. 20, 2022. Each year they partner with the Guard and allow the teens to get a ride over Frankfort in a military aircraft. Something these kids never imagined getting to do and are even scared to do.

A WWII veteran greets the public after arriving at Deauville-Normandie, France, as he prepares to attend D Day ceremonies June 2, 2022. Approximately 30 WWII veterans were flown from the U.S. to Normandy, France, on behalf of civilian benefactors in order for them to attend multiple ceremonies associated with the 78th D Day anniversary. (U.S. Army photograph by Staff Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Orlin Loving, 325th Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance instructor, gives a briefing on the nomenclature of a firearm at an opening ceremony for National Police Week at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, May 9, 2022. Tyndall paid homage to National Police Week during an opening ceremony, complete with equipment displays and law enforcement capabilities demonstrations.

Cpl. Raymond Vázquez, left, and Spc. Innes De La Torres of the Joint Task Force - Puerto Rico, discussed their work in the municipal tracing office in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, May 10, 2022. The PRNG conducted rapid COVID-19 tests as part of Operation Continue Safe, a mission to monitor the health of Puerto Rican citizens.

Pfc. Said Mahamed and Pfc. Leng Yang, infantryman with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team distribute food and aid to citizens of Century Village in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Sept. 14 to help those affected by Hurricane Irma. On Sept. 8, Wis. Gov. Scott Walker signed an executive order, which authorized the adjutant general to call elements of the Wisconsin National Guard to state active duty, as necessary. The 32nd IBCT and select other Wisconsin National Guard units were called to state active duty to assist Florida.

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