Military Silhouettes at Dusk

Dramatic silhouettes of soldiers in tactical gear against sunset backgrounds, emphasizing their readiness and operational focus.

Silhoutte of a sniper standing against the setting sun.

Silhouette of army special operations forces soldier, elite squad designated marksman, marine rider sniper aiming with optical sight on suppressed service rifle on background of hazed sun. Dawn patrol. Marine rider marksman aiming rifle at night patrol

Silhouette of U.S. soldier with rifle against the sunset.

April 11, 2004 - A U.S. Air Force TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) conducts a patrol with members of the U.S. Army. The area is being cleared of threats so the TACP can call in a air-strike.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joseph Snyder, Joint Terminal Attack Controller assigned to the 66th Weapons Squadron participates in routine training on the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 13, 2022. The NTTR provides warfighters a flexible, realistic and multi-dimensional battlespace to conduct testing, tactics, development, and advanced training in support of U.S. national interests.

Silhouette of modern infantry soldier in tactical ammunition, armed with service rifle, standing in sandy, desert area on sunset or sunrise background. Army ranger patrolling territory at dawn. Silhouette of modern army soldier in dawn patrol

Senior Airman Chris Cabibi checks his gear before patrolling Alpha sector here 2 Mar at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq as the sun sets . SrA Cabibi provides an armed response capability to limit, counteract, and neutralize hostile action directed against the installation and its vital resources. He is a member of the 506 Expedtionary Security Forces Squadron.

Silhouette of rifleman standing on ocean coastline, patrolling at sunset.

private military contractor with rifle against the sun

Pfc. Kevin March, armored crewman, assigned to 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company C., 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stands atop a cliff overlooking the Arghandab River Valley Jan. 31. March, a native of Dodgeville, Wis., was conducting a foot patrol with his squad to search orchards throughout the district and build rapport with the local population. During their patrols, 2nd squad must maneuver their way through the Arghandabs many obstacles, including: farmer-built mud walls, irrigation canals, densely populated orchards, foot-wide pathways through long stretches of boggy flats and even a 30-foot-tall wall they must climb during their patrol.

Silhoutte of a sniper standing against the setting sun.

Silhouette of two soldiers, army rangers or marine riders in tactical ammunition, armed assault rifles, walking in desert on background of rising, goes down sun. Commandos on night patrolling or raid. Soldiers walking in desert during night patrol

Silhouette of a United States Marine aiming an M4 carbine during a combat operation in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Cpl. Jeff Drew, a combat correspondent assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), and native of Simsbury, Conn., scans a village for insurgent activity during the early morning hours of Aug. 5 during Operation Black Sand in the southern portion of the Musa Qalah District, Helmand province. Through the combined efforts of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), Regimental Combat Team 8 and The Republic of Georgias 33rd Light Infantry Battalion, the Ladar Bazaar, which insurgents used to manufacture and distribute improvised explosive devices, was destroyed.

Silhouette of an army soldier with a machine gun on a tank while patrolling, Udairi Range, Kuwait

Silhouette of a United States Marine during a combat patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

Silhouette of Army soldier with rifle against an orange sunset.

POHANG, Republic of Korea (April 17, 2013) U.S. and Republic of Korea Sailors work together to complete a lighterage control center at Dogu Beach. A lighterage control center is used to communicate and direct traffic coming onto the shore.

Silhouette of modern infantry soldier standing with assault rifle on colored background.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (May 29, 2016) Sailors shoot M-16 rifles aboard USS Porter (DDG 78) during low-light gun qualifications. Porter, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is conducting a routine patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

Silhouette of Army soldier with rifle under the cover of darkness and moonlight.

Silhouette of US marine with rifle against the sunset

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class, Robert Russell, platoon sergeant, secures an area during a bridge quality assurance inspection along Highway 1 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2011. Sergeant Russell is a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul's security force and is deployed from the Massachusetts National Guard.

Partially silhouetted U.S. Marine on a bunker in Northern Afghanistan.

Red Sea, January 14, 2012 - A visit, board, search, and seizure team member aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey, moves across the missile deck during a joint-training exercise with U.S. Coast Guardsmen.

Special forces soldier with assault rifle and searchlight in background.

Studio shot of SWAT police operator with sniper rifle. Fire smoke screen background.

U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Devonte Wartell checks his thermal scope on a M249 light machine gun prior to a nighttime live-fire exercise as part of the Lightweight Machine Gun Course at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022. The two-week course culminates in a three day live-fire weapons familiarization in multiple conditions designed to prepare students for day-one mission demands at future assignment locations where this training is not available.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, observe impact zones during a fire support coordination exercise as part of Steel Knight 23 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Nov. 30, 2022. Steel Knight is an annual combined arms live-fire exercise which ensures 1st MARDIV is optimized for naval expeditionary warfare in contested spaces, and is purpose-built to facilitate future operations afloat and ashore.

team of soldiers with weapons silhouetted against the sunset on battlefield

Squad of soldier evacuate the injured fellow in arms hiding in the smoke

May 20, 2011 - U.S. Army Sergeant provides security atop a mountain during Operation Oqab Behar VI in Paktika province, Afghanistan. The mission provided security along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

U.S. Marines with Lima Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, establish communications while conducting Range 400 as a part of Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 3-22 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, April 6, 2022. ITX is a month-long training evolution comprised of multiple ranges to refine combined arms maneuver in offensive and defensive combat operations.

A member of the 341st Security Forces Group guards a missile launch facility during an LF recapture simulation as part of the Grizzly Rampart training exercise March 18 near Malmstrom Air Force Base. The exercise was implemented to evaluate the readiness of the 341st Missile Wing and ensure first-responder Airmen know and follow the standards set in place for real-world events.

France, Brittany, Morbihan, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon on 2022-03-30. Students from the Ecole Militaire Interarmes (EMIA), the military academy responsible for training army officers recruited internally, i.e. from the ranks of non-commissioned officers and other ranks, take part in a training course at Fort de Penthievre, a fortified structure on the Quiberon peninsula that has become a training base. Photograph by Martin Bertrand.France, Bretagne, Morbihan, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon le 2022-03-30. Les eleves de l' ecole militaire interarmes ( EMIA ), l' ecole militaire chargee de la formation des officiers de l' armee de Terre issus du recrutement interne, c'est-a-dire issus des rangs des sous-officiers et des militaires du rang, participe a un stage d'aguerrissment au Fort de Penthievre, un ouvrage fortifie sur la presqu'ile de Quiberon devenu une base d'entrainement. Photographie de Martin Bertrand.

3rd Cavalry Regiment troopers observe a Javelin anti-tank missile live fire while deployed to Iraq, Oct. 4, 2018. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment is deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, working by, with and through the Iraqi Security Forces and coalition partners to defeat ISIS in areas of Iraq and Syria.

FORT HOOD, Texas - Two Soldiers with 2-8 Cav., 1BCT, 1st Cav. Div., reach the turnaround point, June 25, on the battalions 12 mile road march portion of the Iron Warrior Stakes competition.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Basic Cadets from the Class of 2026 complete the assault course at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Jacks Valley in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 12, 2022. Basic Cadet Training (BCT) is a six-week indoctrination program to guide the transformation of new cadets from being civilians to military academy cadets prepared to enter a four-year officer commissioning program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Trevor Cokley)

An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot uses hand signals as he prepares to take off for a night mission during exercise Green Flag-West 13-02 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 1, 2012. The pilot is assigned to the 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard.

Sgt. Steve McCann, a vehicle commander with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and a native of Boston, MA, provides overwatch during a transfer of authority ceremony aboard Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Sept. 13. 1/23, nicknamed The Lone Star Battalion”, handed over responsibility to a wide variety of operations to 1st Bn., 25th Marines after a successful seven-month deployment.

A Russian security guard is seen at sunrise on Monday, Sept. 23, 2013, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for September 26 and will send Expedition 37 Oleg Kotov, NASA Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins and Russian Flight Engineer Sergei Ryazansky on a five and a half-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit hold security during a visit, board, search, and seizure operation aboard USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, June 15, 2022. Conducting these training operations brings the Amphibious Raid Force and BLT 2/5 closer to one cohesive unit under the 31st MEU. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

Special forces operator in black uniform and bulletproof . Special forces operator

031018-F-7234P-010. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 82nd Airborne Division

A silhouetted view of four members of an Air Base Ground Defense team participating in Exercise CROWN DEFENDER. Subject Operation/Series: CROWN DEFENDER Country: Unknown

Backlit silhouette of Army sniper with large caliber rifle standing in the fire and smoke.

Silhouette of a soldier standing with assault rifle in hand against a sunset sky.

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division participate in the 10k Presidents Day Ruck, February 19, 2024. The ruck was hosted by Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and celebrated all 46 of the United States' current and former Presidents. Army

A soldier is silhouetted against the sun while waiting to be airlifted by helicopter during the combined United States/Canadian NATO exercise RENDEZVOUS '83. Subject Operation/Series: RENDEZVOUS '83 Base: Camp Wainwright State: Alberta (AB) Country: Canada (CAN)

A Team Dover member stands guard at sunset during Liberty Eagle Readiness Exercise 2022 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, July 13, 2022. The 436th and 512th Airlift Wings tested their ability to generate, employ and sustain airpower across the world in a contested and degraded operational environment.

Silhouette of a soldier standing amongst smoke, armed with an assault rifle.

030208-N-5319A-004. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown

Airman 1st Class Matthew Perry, right, and Army Sgt. 1st Class Darryl Honick, left, walk back to the Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected, All-Terrain Vehicle after supporting Operation Spartan Shield on Sept. 11, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Perry is a radio operator maintainer and driver with the 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, and Honick is a joint fire observer, 3rd Battalion, 159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Johnathan Flores, 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron KC-10 Extender aerospace propulsion journeyman, tows a case of tools after an engine swap on a KC-10 at Travis Air Force Base, California, Oct. 24, 2022. Airmen assigned to the 660th AMXS maintain, repair and advance Travis AFBs fleet of KC-10 aircraft.

Silhouette of a soldier standing near a fighting vehicle, M3A2 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle

Army elite forces soldier, U.S. marine rider, special security guard in helmet and camo uniform, standing on background of clear blue sky, aiming assault rifle with optical sight at camera. Copyspace. Army special forces fighter aiming gun at camera

VALENCIA, Spain (Sept. 21, 2018) Sailors heave mooring line aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) as the ship arrives in Valencia, Spain, Sept. 21, 2018. Carney, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is on its fifth patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of regional allies and partners as well as U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

060307-N-7711S-087. Base: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)

U.S. Army Troopers of the 3d Cavalry Regiment meet at a remote location of the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, to discus the next phase of the training rotation, creating a defensive posture to test the regiments ability to withstand a large-scale attack May 25, 2022. The regiment is dispersed over a few hundred kilometers, so the squadron and some troop-level leaders met in person.

Security forces silhouette with weapon, studio shot.

Army sniper with large caliber rifle kneeling in the fire and smoke.

Paratroopers assigned to Charlie Troop, 1-73 Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division take part in the Machine Gun Event for the XVIII Airborne Corps Best Squad Competition on Fort Stewart, GA, July 27, 2022. The Best Squad Competition tests squads physical, technical and tactical abilities under stress and fatigue to determine which squad from the XVIII Airborne Corps will advance to the Forces Command Best Squad Competition in the coming months.

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 Oct. 20, 2022, at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Rear view of soldier

A member of the United Nations Command Security Battalion/Joint Security Area (UNCSB/JSA), Scout Platoon, returns from a patrol of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Oct. 20, 1998. The patrol is part of a Quick Reaction Force that is positioned in the DMZ and prepared to respond to any situations that may arise in the Joint Security Area (JSA). Subject Operation/Series: KOREA CD Base: Panmunjom State: Demilitarized Zone Country: Korea

060306-A-1736A-003. Subject Operation/Series: NOBLE SHEPHARD Base: Hohenfels Training Area (HTA) State: Bavaria Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU) Scene Major Command Shown: 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

U.S. Marine Cpl. Ty Smith, a rifleman with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and 2nd Lt. Ronson Gay, a platoon commander with Lima Co., 3rd Bn., 1st Marines, patrol during Steel Knight 23 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 7, 2022. Steel Knight is an annual combined arms live-fire exercise which ensures 1st MARDIV is optimized for naval expeditionary warfare in contested spaces, and is purpose-built to facilitate future operations afloat and ashore. Smith is a native of Queen Creek, Arizona.

Man in military camouflage uniform with airsoft weapon bending down and running during armed conflict, military battle imitation in sandy or desert area. Airsoft player under fire searching cover. Man in military uniform playing airsoft in sands

Silhouette of a soldier sitting on a military land vehicle

Army Reserve Spc. Timothy Brooks, assigned to the 974th Quartermaster Company waits for commands from the range control tower during the Best Squad Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, on May 16, 2022. Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BWBSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of NCO of the Year, Soldier of the Year and Best Squad among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division conduct Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) operations on February 21, 2024. FARP provides fuel and ordnance necessary for fixed-wing operations. Army

Army indirect fire infantrymen assigned to Apache Company, 1st Battalion, 501st parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, operate the M121 120 mm mortar system during live-fire training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 19, 2018. During the live-fire training the paratroopers honed their crew served weapon skills by conducting fire missions at night utilizing the M252 81 mm and M121 120 mm mortar systems.

U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Michael Nelson (right), a Security Force member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah, inspects a member of his team while providing security during a mission in Farah City, Farah province, Afghanistan on May 26. SECFOR is made up of National Guard infantrymen out of Alaska who are responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone assigned to PRT Farah.

Silhouette of U.S. soldier with rifle.

DN-SN-85-00771. Base: Beirut Country: Lebanon (LBN)

An Light Armored Vehicle 25 from Headquarters and Support Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnassaince Battalion, is positioned to provided cover to avenues of approach to the Combat Operation Center during Exercise DESERT SCIMITAR. (Substandard image). Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SCIMITAR Base: Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Recruits with India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, march to chow on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Aug. 13, 2022.

An LAV-25 armament-reconnaissance vehicle prepares to transport Marines, sailors and role players during a personnel recovery exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., April 4, 2012. The Marines and sailors are assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

041112-A-1067B-064. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fallujah State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 2-7 CAV

DN-ST-85-04013. Subject Operation/Series: INTENSE LOOK Base: USS Shreveport (LPD 12) Country: Gulf Of Suez

United States Army ranger machine gunner in the forest.

MLS, RSV, US Marine sitting atop an M998 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), hard shell, manning a pintle mounted .50 caliber M2HB machine gun. Scene is silhoutted by setting sun which is partially visable behind marine. Country: Unknown

Senior Airman Drew Nicholson, of the 451st Expeditionary Support Squadron Security Forces Flight, inspects an M240 machine gun mounted to a common remote operating weapons station at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2016. Security forces members at Kandahar Airfield are responsible for the security of more than 150 aircraft and $2.2 billion of resources.

040909-F-2034C-016. Base: Balad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christian Sullivan, 1st Combat Camera Squadron aerial combat camera craftsman, takes a break after a ruck during Exercise Green Goblin at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Dec. 6, 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.

Black silhouettes of soldiers in the smoke, moving in battle operation.

Close-up portrait of soldier in military helmet with dollar banknote.

An operator participating in joint training between U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) special operations forces, prepares to remove a parachute after landing at Kunsan Air Base, ROK, Sept. 26, 2022. In a typical HALO jump, the parachutist will jump from the aircraft, free-fall for a period of time at terminal velocity, and open their parachute at an altitude as low as 3,000 feet.

U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers participating in the Medical Simulation Training Center's Combat Lifesaver Course train with a New Jersey National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk MEDEVAC helicopter on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, May 25, 2022.

U.S. Marines with India Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, breach a doorway during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 3-22 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, April 18, 2022. During the month-long training evolution comprised of multiple ranges, the Marines incorporated combined-arms maneuver with offensive and defensive combat operations in preparation for future deployments.

Soldier preparation ready for war and combat and eaiting command.

Soldier during assault rappelling exercises with weapons.

Army Reserve Soldiers and competitors listen to a class on rifle marksmanship before the inaugural Army Reserve Small Arms Championship hosted at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, Sept. 22. Approximately 70 Soldiers, making up 14 teams, came from all over the country to compete.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dennis Mansfield, 16th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, uses chains to secure a Humvee to the floor of a C-17 Globemaster III at North Auxiliary Airfield, South Carolina, Oct. 18, 2022. The three-day joint exercise, Operation Rolling Thunder, involved Marines and Airmen working together to further hone the DoDs rapid global mobility capabilities.

An Ecuadorean soldier stands on the river bank looking over at Colombia in Barranca Bermeja, a border town home to an equal mix of Ecuadoreans and Colombians.

Machine gunner shooting out of a window in a ruined building during a firefight

A Republic of Korea Marine rushes off the shore line just before an Amphibious landing at a Jongsa-dong beach in Republic of Korea, Oct. 31, 1998. The Republic of Korea Marines are landing on the beach via Light Armored Amphibious Vehicles (LAV) in support of Foal Eagle '98. Foal Eagle '98 is a deployment exercise that takes place once a year in Korea. Subject Operation/Series: FOAL EAGLE '98KOREA CD Base: Jongsa-Dong Beach Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division participate in the 10k Presidents Day Ruck, February 19, 2024. The ruck was hosted by Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and celebrated all 46 of the United States' current and former Presidents. Army

Soldier fighters standing together with guns. Group portrait of US army elite members, private military company servicemen, anti terrorist squad.. Soldier fighters standing together with guns. Group portrait of US army elite members, private military company servicemen, anti terrorist squad

Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division set up firing positions and pull security during the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) rotation on Fort Polk, Louisiana, Nov. 4, 2022. JRTC Rotation 23-01 serves to enhance brigade and supporting unit's deployment readiness.

U.S. Marines with India Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) 22, exchange ammunition before conducting a platoon live-fire attack during exercise Darrandarra 22, at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia, June 10, 2022. Exercise Darrandarra 22 increases MRF-D 22s readiness to respond to realistic crises throughout the range of military operations within the region.

of 2