Military Training and Competitions

Photos of military personnel during training exercises and competitions, highlighting achievements and teamwork among different units in various environments.

U.S. Army Pvt. Nicholas Irving, an Air Defense Battle Management System Operator, 174th Air Defense Artillery, Ohio National Guard, poses for a photo during exercise Northern Strike 22-2 at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug 12, 2022.Northern Strike is designed to challenge over 7,400 service members with multiple forms of training that advance interoperability across multicomponent, multinational and interagency partners.

U.S. Army Pvt. Nicholas Irving, an Air Defense Battle Management System Operator, 174th Air Defense Artillery, Ohio National Guard, poses for a photo during exercise Northern Strike 22-2 at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug 12, 2022.Northern Strike is designed to challenge over 7,400 service members with multiple forms of training that advance interoperability across multicomponent, multinational and interagency partners.

Pfc. Brian Kneisly, Delaware Army National Guard Alpha Co. 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion Enhanced, poses for a candid portrait during the 2022 National Guard Bureau Region 2 Best Warrior Competition, held May 17-20, 2022, at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia. The Best Warrior Competition is a physically and mentally challenging three-day competition that tests competitors on a wide range of technical and tactical skills relevant to todays combat operating environment. Region 2 consists of competitors from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Regional winners from across the nation will advance to compete at the national-level competition this summer.

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Soldiers and NCOs from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guards compete in their annual Best Warrior Competition, held at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, April 22, 2022. Best Warrior is an annual event where participants compete in a series of military tasks including weapons proficiency, endurance, physical fitness, medical skills, communications, and professional development activities. Winners of the local Best Warrior will compete at the regional level in May, also at Camp Dawson.

U.S. Space Force Spc. 3 Sean Clark, 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron space systems operator, poses for a photo at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, Feb. 2, 2024. Clark started the Colorado Wildland Wanderers group to connect people associated with the military through different events like hiking, skiing, and more throughout the Colorado wilderness. Space Force

Soldiers and NCOs from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guards compete in their annual Best Warrior Competition, held at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, April 22, 2022. Best Warrior is an annual event where participants compete in a series of military tasks including weapons proficiency, endurance, physical fitness, medical skills, communications, and professional development activities. Winners of the local Best Warrior will compete at the regional level in May, also at Camp Dawson.

Sgt. Blakeman from the 960th Brigade Support Battalion, Wyoming Army National Guard, participates in a training exercise in Sheridan, Wyoming, May 17, 2022.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Graves Jr., 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment operator, poses for a photo at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, July 14, 2022. Graves uses the life lessons he's learned from his mother and father to better himself and those around him. Joining the Air Force was in my blood. Both my parents served, my dad did 34 years and retired last year and my mom did 28 years. I was just following in their footsteps. My dad loves and is proud of the career path that Ive chosen. I call back to him almost every week and talk to him about the jobs that Im doing," Graves said. I strive to be better than I was yesterday, which is a lot of what he instilled into me growing up, along with responsibility and integrity. I try to make my dad proud every day.

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

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

Recruits with Mike Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, execute drill movements aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island S.C., Oct. 18, 2022. Close order drill helps to instill self-discipline in recruits as they become U.S. Marines.

Soldiers and NCOs from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guards compete in their annual Best Warrior Competition, held at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, April 22, 2022. Best Warrior is an annual event where participants compete in a series of military tasks including weapons proficiency, endurance, physical fitness, medical skills, communications, and professional development activities. Winners of the local Best Warrior will compete at the regional level in May, also at Camp Dawson.

Lance Corporal Andrew P. Powell, USMC, provides foot security as part of Mobile One. These Marines provide security on main streets at the Naval Support Activity (NAS) as part of the Interim Marine Corps Security Forces Company, Bahrain. The Marines participated in a reationary drill while on duty at the NAS, Bahrain. Base: US Naval Support Activity State: Juffair Country: Bahrain (BHR)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Graves Jr., 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment operator, poses for a photo at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, July 14, 2022. Graves uses the life lessons he's learned from his mother and father to better himself and those around him.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Steven Scher, from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a logistics officer assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 272, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, poses for a photo during an airfield damage repair exercise as part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) 1-23 course, at Canon Air Defense Complex (P111), near Yuma, Arizona, on Oct. 1, 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.

U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Juan Tapiacardona, representing the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), watches the other competitors at the M4 Zero Range as part of the U.S. Army Reserve Best Squad Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin on May 16, 2022. Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Warrior Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BWSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of Best Warrior 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.

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Soldiers and NCOs from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guards compete in their annual Best Warrior Competition, held at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, April 22, 2022. Best Warrior is an annual event where participants compete in a series of military tasks including weapons proficiency, endurance, physical fitness, medical skills, communications, and professional development activities. Winners of the local Best Warrior will compete at the regional level in May, also at Camp Dawson.

A Soldier completes the 12-mile ruck march event Tuesday during the Best Warrior Competition hosted by the 80th Training Command this week at Ft. Lee, Va. Soldiers from multiple divisions have gathered here to complete the 2023 Best Warrior Competition and compete for the German Army Fitness Proficiency Badge.

Paratroopers assigned to Charlie Troop, 1-73 Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division attend the ending ceremony for the XVIII Airborne Corps Best Squad Competition on Fort Stewart, GA, July 28, 2022. During the Best Squad Competition, competitors were tested on a wide range of subjects including land navigation, marksmanship, casualty care, physical fitness, small-unit tactics and endurance.

U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Dewees, with the Reconnaissance and Sniper Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-114th Infantry Regiment, stands for a portrait at the Fort Dix Ranges on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, March 25, 2023.

Maj. Jason Vero, Joint Base Andrews Air Show director poses for a photo on the flight line at Joint Base Andrews, Md., June 28, 2022.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Anderson, 411th Contracting Support Brigade contracting officer, poses at his desk at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 26, 2022. Anderson has spent the last five years working along U.S. Air Force Airmen, including at his last assignment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

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U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Tyler Benner, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron vehicle operator, poses for a photo at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Nov. 30, 2022. Benner faced and survived a rare medical condition that few have encountered after months in the hospital. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus, a common bacteria residing in the mouth, caused his blood to become septic and resulted in the growth of a baseball-sized abscess in his liver.

Spc. Jacob Allard of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Checks his face paint application at the start of Sabre Junction 2022 at Aviano Airbase, Italy. Saber Junction 22 is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Armys 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with more than 4,500 participants from the U.S. and Allied and partner nations at the U.S. Armys Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas from August 29 to September 20, 2022. (U.S. Army Photo SSG Brandon Rickert)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tanner Southwick, a motor vehicle operator with 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, waits for a convoy brief before a Combat Skills Training School Tactical Convoy Course on Camp Pendleton, California, April 29, 2022. The purpose of the TCC is to teach procedures to counter threats and mitigate risks to Marine forces conducting convoy operations.

158th Fighter Wing security forces defender, Staff Sgt. Jacob McNiss, waits inside a building before a tour of the security forces squadron at the Vermont Air National Guard base, South Burlington, Vermont, April 22, 2022. The Vermont Air National Guard resumed their public tour program last month, showcasing equipment and discussing various missions with members of the community.

U.S. Army Cpt. Tony Bernabo, a Nuclear Medical Science Officer assigned to the 102nd Civil Support Team (CST) - Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Oregon Army National Guard poses for a photo with a microscope during a CST demonstration at Panzer Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Members of the West Virginia National Guard CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) participate in a semi-annual Collective Training Exercise (CTE) evolution at Camp Dawson, Kingwood, West Virginia, August 17, 2022. Approximately 193 personnel spent three days in the field learning and refining CERFP capabilities including Command and Control, Mass Casualty Decontamination, Search and Rescue, Communications, Medical Operations, and Fatality Search and Rescue Team functions. (U.S. Army National Guard photograph by Edwin L. Wriston)

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U.S. Army Reserve Soldier Spc. Jaime Casiano, veterinary food inspector with the 422nd Medical Detachment of Veterinary Services based in Rockville, MD, poses for a photo during Global Medic, Fort McCoy, Wis., Aug. 11, 2022. Conducted by the Medical Readiness and Training Command, Global Medic is an annual joint training exercise that provides opportunities for medical personnel to practice critical life saving techniques, in a controlled environment.

Sgt. Juan Thompson, a respiratory NCO with the 7452nd Medical Operations Readiness Unit out of San Diego, Calif., and a San Diego resident, participates in Army Reserve Medical Command's Best Warrior Competition held Mar. 29 - April 3 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

Information Warfare Training Command Virginia Beach (IWTCVB) Commanding Officer, Cmdr. James Brennan, meritoriously advanced Electronics Technician (ET), 2nd Class Andrew Dean to the rate of 1st class petty officer under the Navy's Meritorious Advancement Program.

Chaplain Lt. Col. Jeremy Pedersen, command chaplain assigned to the 34th Infantry Division "Red Bulls" poses for a portrait at Fort Cavazos, Texas Feb. 28, 2024. The chaplain team is headed to the Middle East to participate in Operation Spartan Shield. (Minnesota National Guard

The Interior Alaska Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps visits 168th Wing as part of summer camp and learns about the 168th Wing, pilot, boom operator, aircraft maintenance, security forces, and civil engineering missions. The Interior JROTC cadets are students at West Valley High School Marine Corps JROTC, Lathrop High School Army JROTC, Eielson Air Force Base High School Air Force JROTC, and North Pole High School Air Force JROTC.

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Robert Goettge from Raleigh, North Carolina, an air support officer assigned to Marine Air Support Squadron 1, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, participates in a defense weapon system (DWS) operation during Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI) course 1-23 at Yodaville, near Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 5, 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.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Richard G. Moler, from Clarksville, Tennessee, an expeditionary firefighting and rescue specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, currently supporting the Weapons and Tactics Instructor 1-23 course, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons Squadron One, poses in a P-19R Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle for a feature story highlighting his recent pistol marksmanship accomplishment at Auxiliary Airfield II near Yuma, Arizona, Sept. 26, 2022. Sgt. Moler shot a perfect 400 score on his first time ever qualifying on a U.S. Marine Corps pistol range.

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan - Senior Airman Thompson Kongmany, 374th Maintenance Squadron, stands here at the metals technology shop March 28, 2011. A native of Spring Dale, Ark., Airman Kongmany is a aircraft structural maintenance technician stationed here in Japan and is currently supporting Operation Tomodachi, which kicked off at the request of the Government of Japan to support humanitarian relief efforts for those affected by the earthquake tsunami disaster March 11.

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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Keller, an airfield operations supervisor with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS), stands in front of an MV-22 Osprey on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, Jacksonville, North Carolina, Nov. 22, 2022. Keller, the recipient of this months MCAS New River Go-Getter award, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2021 from Minonk, Illinois.

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More than 500 Airmen assigned to the 324th Training Squadron graduated from Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, July 13-14, 2022. Lt. Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, Sixteenth Air Force Commander, reviewed the ceremony.

KYARNG Sgt. Caleb Willett completes the Leadership course at Camp Nymindegab July 7, 2022. MREP is a program that houses almost 130 participants from 6 different nations, to increase interoperability, strengthen partnerships, and to enhance professional development between allies.

Join us in welcoming newly promoted Sgt. Kenneth Moye!Join us in a round of applause for newly promoted Sgt. Kenneth Moye, who has been an exceptional soldier here at the 1st Theater Sustainment Command!Keep up the great work! #StrongSergeants

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Codileigh Stone, 21st Operational Medical Readiness Squadron warrior care clinic supervisor, is Space Base Delta 1s Outstanding Performer at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, Nov. 1, 2022. In the medical clinic, Stone ensures patients are deployment ready and keeps the clinic running smoothly.

Airman 1st Class Lillian Oliver, a 97th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, stands in the rear-side emergency exit door of a KC-135 Stratotanker during a fire rescue training course at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Sept. 29, 2022. Flight crew members from the 97th EARS trained Turkish firefighters on a variety of aircraft functions to enhance interoperability with U.S. aircrews. This training ensures 39th Civil Engineer Squadron Turkish firefighters can assist in emergency situations enabling the 97th EARS to provide support to allied and coalition partner aircraft and defend NATOs southern flank.

Chaplin Michael Gaulke, battalion chaplain assigned to the 34th Infantry Division "Red Bulls" poses for a portrait at Fort Cavazos, Texas Feb. 28, 2024. The chaplain team is headed to the Middle East to participate in Operation Spartan Shield. (Minnesota National Guard

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Cpl. Louis Pagan, Bravo Troop, 102nd Cavalry Squadron, 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, stands guard at a checkpoint at Forward Operating Base Grizzly, Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Greg Brady, Commanding General of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, speaks air defenders of the 13th Missile Defense Battery during lunch in Israel on June 25, 2022. The 13th MDB, headquartered outside of Tel Aviv, is part of the strong and enduring mil-to-mil partnership between the IDF and the 10th AAMDC built on trust developed over decades of cooperation. The 10th AAMDC and IDF work together consistently to strengthen the interoperability necessary for maintaining and improving Israel's air and missile defense capacity.

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U.S. Army Soldiers from the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct an emergency deployment readiness exercise (EDRE) on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Oct. 8, 2022.

Lance Cpl. Brandon Chase McConnel, a team leader with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment takes a moment to rest while out on patrol in Marjah, Afghanistan, Feb. 17. Several days after coalition forces launched an assault against insurgents taking refuge in the city, the fighting continues to manifest in sporadic outbursts.

Man, army and soldier in home, uniform and duty for pride, respect and country in ready for deployment. Male person, war and hero in barracks with service, camouflage and mirror as recruit or patriot

U.S. Army Soldiers from Operations Group (OPSGRP), National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., receive a familiarization medical rehearsal from 3d Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division; Range Operations and Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) personnel at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Oct. 21, 2022.. JPMRC 23-01 brings Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and 3 additional partner Indo-Pacific nations together to evaluate and provide realistic training in the conditions they will most likely face in a crisis or conflict to strengthen their defense relationships and multinational interoperability.

Born and raised in New Jersey by Guatemalan parents, Sgt. Raul Corea is a 15Y (AH-64 Armament / Electrical / Avionic Systems Repairer) in 46th Aviation Support Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade"My dad taught me that it is very important to serve others, so it brings me great joy and pride to be able to serve my country," Sgt. Corea said. "My parents brought me up in the Guatemalan way, so I speak two languages; it helps me at work because I understand people that come from different cultures better."Since 1775, the U.S. Army has been an institution built by many people of different backgrounds; all able to leverage their heritage to contribute unique perspectives, skills and talents to help us fight and win our nation's wars.

Sergeant Brown, USMC, with Alpha Company, Second Light Armor Reconnaissance Battalion, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) discusses security issues while his Marines disembark at an Afghan observation post near Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Kandahar International Airport Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: 26 MEU

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Nicholas Saunders, an airframes mechanic with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 266, poses for a picture during French-Caribbean exercise Caraibes 22 at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico, June 15, 2022. Caraibes 22 is a French-led, large-scale, joint-training exercise in the Caribbean involving naval, air, and land assets from the French, U.S., and regional forces focused on responding to simulated-natural disasters. VMM-266 is a subordinate unit to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Army Sgt. Austin Manville, assigned to the U.S. Army National Guard, prepares to engage the board panel while competing in the 2022 Best Squad Competition at the Pentagon Library and Conference Center in Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 7, 2022. The competition tests the squads proficiency in their warrior tasks and battle drills and identifies the most cohesive, highly trained, disciplined and fit team - ready to fight and win - while demonstrating commitment to the Army Values and Warrior Ethos.

A Soldier completes the 12-mile ruck march event Tuesday during the Best Warrior Competition hosted by the 80th Training Command this week at Ft. Lee, Va. Soldiers from multiple divisions have gathered here to complete the 2023 Best Warrior Competition and compete for the German Army Fitness Proficiency Badge.

U.S. Army squads from across III Armored Corps compete for the title of the corps Best Squad during a head-to-head competition at the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Jun. 24, 2022. On day three of the competition, the 1st Armored Division squad, based out of Fort Bliss, Texas, was tested on their Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) knowledge and reaction. Pfc. Eric Roediger demonstrates four levels of Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) by wearing different items according to the corresponding level. The III Armored Corps pulled only the best from across its divisions and separate brigades to compete in this years inaugural competition. The best squad goes on to compete in the U.S. Army Forces Command competition at Fort Hood in August.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Job Hoefer, 55th Rescue Generation Squadron aerospace propulsion craftsman, poses for a photo in the HH-60G Pavehawk engines backshop at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, May 19, 2022. Maintenance Airmen troubleshoots, inspects, repairs, and services helicopter aircraft, systems, and related equipment.

Members of 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment retrograde nine UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, Jan. 29, 2024, Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. The Soldiers were deployed to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian, a NATO peacekeeping mission under the Kosovo Force (KFOR). KFORs mission is to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo, in accordance with United Nations Resolution (UNSC) 1244.

JOE ALWYN in BILLY LYNN HALFTIME WALK (2016), directed by ANG LEE.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Spangler, 71st Rescue Generation Squadron dedicated crew chief, and Senior Airman Clark Ivey, 71st RGS assistant dedicated crew chief, pose for a photo in an HC-130J Combat King II on July 12, 2022, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Spangler and Ivey eliminated all discrepancies and defects for the aircraft, putting them in exclusive company as Airmen who have achieved a Black Letter flight.

Soldiers assigned to 101st Airborne Division arrives in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, June 28, 2022. 101st units will support V Corps' mission to reinforce NATO's eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent to reassure our Nation's Allies and deter further Russian aggression.

Highest Physical Training ScoreLawton Fort Sill, Oklahoma - SPC Matthew Westbury was awarded the Highest Physical Training award by Alpha Battery 1-79th Field Artillery Battalion, 434th Field Artillery Brigade on February 16, 2024 for scoring the highest in the battery on the Army Combat Fitness Test during Basic Combat Training.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Cameron Bergeron, 718th Force Support Squadron unit deployment manager from Manchester, New Hampshire was selected as the 18th Wings Airman of the Week at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The Airman of the Week program is an opportunity for outstanding Airmen to be recognized by KAB leadership as well as showcase these young leaders to their peers.

U.S. Army soldiers and Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) service members conduct a class on field artillery as part of exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023, at the 5th Marine Training Center (Puslatpur), Situbondo Regency, East Java, Indonesia, September 2, 2023. Super Garuda Shield 2023 is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the 7 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Bangor, Me - SMSgt Busick smiles for a photo after a brief interview on his time with the MAINEiacs. Busick is returning to his home unit at the 110th WG in Battle Creek, Michigan after spending the last 4 years at the 101st ARW.

U.S. Army Spc. Sam Guerrero, assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, poses for a photo Super Garuda Shield 2023, at the 5th Marine Training Center (Puslatpur), Situbondo Regency, East Java, Indonesia, September 2, 2023. Super Garuda Shield 2023 is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the 7 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Distinguished Honor Graduate Lawton Fort Sill, Oklahoma - PFC Kyle Shieh was awarded the Distinguished Honor Graduate award by Bravo Battery 1-31st Field Artillery Battalion, 434th Field Artillery Brigade on January 26th, 2024 for excelling above his peers during Basic Combat Training.

Air Base 201 welcomes new command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Rex Panting to Niger. His background includes four years as a basic military training instructor, time as an armament maintenance technician, and most recently as a contracting squadron chief. I look back at my career and nobody ever grabbed Sgt. Panting and said Hey! This is the way.. Im trying to give everything I have to the airmen, so I set them up for success. I truly get up every day and do what I do, because I love airmen. That's it.

Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge - New Orleans Flood Operations - Personnel - 26-HK-380-138. Hurricane Katrina

Defenders assigned to the 171st Security Forces Squadron practice hand-to-hand combat with instruction from former professional boxer Josh Himes, Sept. 18, 2022, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Quinton, 1st Aviation Brigade, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., is the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence Noncommissioned Officer Academic Instructor of the Quarter, Jan. 17, 2024.

Staff Sgt. Stephen Hughes, a career counselor assigned to Fort Meade, displays his Retention Excellence Award at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., Feb. 20, 2024. The award recognizes his work helping Fort Meade, Maryland accomplish their retention mission in all categories, resulting in a 168% retention rate. Recently, Hughes was also named the Military District of Washingtons Career Counselor of the Year. Army

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lorenzo Bennett, a wheel and wire technician with the 36th Maintenance Squadron, poses for a photo at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, April 22, 2022. In 2011, Bennett joined the Air Force with little knowledge of the turns his life would take in the near future. He faced a variety of strenuous challenges in the first few years of his enlistment; his grandmothers death, his mothers fight with a grave illness and gradual financial hardship would have an impact on his life. The Air Force Assistance Fund helped alleviate some of the financial burdens, allowing him to spend time with his loved ones during trying times and helping him get his finances back on track. I was able to attend my grandmothers funeral and be by my mothers side as she battled illness, Bennett said. The program is here to help, never be afraid to seek assistance.

Smiling U.S. soldier in the desert smoking a cigarette.

"I grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I was working as a truck driver when I decided to join the Marine Corps. As a truck driver, I was used to being by myself and working on my own. Since the Marine Corps, I've learned to love being with the people I work with. I'm currently the newest person in my unit, and they already feel like a family to me. Everyone in my unit all loves each other and works well together as a team." U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Bailey Morris is a parachute rigger with 3rd Landing Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. The purpose of the exercise was to maintain training and readiness qualifications as well as simulate a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System ammunition resupply via air delivery. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Force's comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of resp

U.S. Air Force Maj. Jesuan Aviles, the wing plans officer of the 156th Wing pauses in front of the Muñiz Memorial at Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Carolina, Puerto Rico, Sept. 16, 2022. Aviles was recognized for helping to save a cyclist's life by providing medical assistance until paramedics arrived.

U.S. Marine Corps Rct. Quinn Carita, a recruit with Fox Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battallion, stands in formation before conducting the confidence chamber at Marine Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., April 4, 2023. The confidence chamber was filled with chlorobenzalmalononitrile, a form of tear gas, to instill confidence in recruits skills and their gear in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. Carita was recruited out of Recruiting Station Oceanside, Calif.

U.S. Army Pfc. Eric Roediger, a scout with 1-6 Infantry Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, waits for orders from his squad leader during the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition at Fort Hood, Texas, June 23, 2022. The III Armored Corps pulled only the best from across its divisions and separate brigades to compete in this years inaugural competition. The best squad goes on to compete at the U.S. Army Forces Command competition at Fort hood in August.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Walling, a dedicated crew chief with the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 33rd Maintenance Group, answers questions during a quarterly DCC competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, July 7, 2022. The competition showcased the knowledge and skills of the DCCs in the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brendyn Franklin, a Brandon, Florida, native and a light armored vehicle technician with 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, poses for a photo on a LAV-25 on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 22, 2022.My experience in the fleet has been pretty fun; the field ops we do are very cool. In the field, youre an active scout until something breaks, so you have to be able to keep up with them, says Franklin. A LAV repairer/technician performs basic automotive duties and tasks incident to inspection, maintenance, and repair of the LAV family of vehicles.

A U.S. Army Soldier, with Bravo Company, 1-114th Infantry Regiment, stands for a portrait at the Fort Dix Ranges on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, March 26, 2023.

Sgt. Brian Knowles, a St. Louis native serving with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, takes a well-deserved break while working on a house in Boston May 5, 2010. Marines with H and S Company assisted Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing for low-income families, by cleaning up the yard and helping construct a house.

U.S. Army Tech. Sgt. Corban Lundborg, a visual information specialist assigned to 4th Combat Camera Squadron, 315th Airlift Wing, participates in a technical skills lane that includes timed events such as creating a portrait, interview set up, and a manuel drawing while competing in the 2022 Spc. Hilda I. Clayton Best Combat Camera Competition at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, May 22, 2022. The annual multi-day competition tests the tactical and technical proficiency of visual information and public affairs specialists across the DOD and participating international competitors.

U.S Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Derek Chicas, clearance delivery marine, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, poses for a photograph at the air traffic control tower on MCAS Yuma, Arizona, Jan. 18 2024. Chicas responsibilities as an air traffic controller are to control aircrafts in an expeditious and safe manner to help facilitate a better fighting force.

011201-F-3329S-016. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM 2001 Base: Landstuhl Army Regional Med Cntr Country: Germany (GER)

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Senior Airman Stephon Westfall, 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, tightens the one of nine guide wires to steady the Collapsible Tube Mast telescoping antenna mast at an air base in Southwest Asia, Feb. 26. When pulled tightly, the nine guide wires will hold the antenna steady and not allow it to move during a wind or sand storm. Airman Westfall is currently deployed from the 141st Air Refueling Wing, an Air National Guard unit, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and is originally from Spokane, Wash.

U.S. Army Spc. Logan Gardiner, a Soldier assigned to the 52nd Ordnance Group participates in the Situational Training Exercise event of the 2022 20th CBRNE Best Warrior Competition, at Fort Indiantown Gap Pa., July 13, 2022.The 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Commands Best Squad Competition and Best Warrior Competition is a single event used to select the best Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Soldier of the Year from Soldiers within the command and its major subordinate commands.

Portrait of Corporal Markeath Evans, USMC, a member of Engineer Platoon, 26th Marine Service Support Group, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) standing guard at the front gate of the forward operating base located at Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Kandahar International Airport Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: 26th MEU (SOC)

U.S. Army Pfc. Antonio Mora, automated logistical specialist, 92A, for Alpha Company, 449th Aviation Support Battalion, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Mustang, 36th Infantry Division, is recognized as Hero of the Week by Task Force Mustang, during a command and staff meeting held at Task Force Mustang headquarters in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Oct. 12, 2022. Mora, native of Laredo, Texas, was recognized for performing duties outside of his primary MOS, involving accurate receipt, storage, issue, accountability, and preservation of numerous individual, organizational, installation, and expendable supplies and equipment, resulting in multiple successes for Alpha Companys area of responsibility.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Samuel Laviolette, CH-53E Super Stallion mechanic, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 366, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, poses for a photo on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Aug. 31, 2022. HMH-366 aviation maintenance Marines conduct routine preventative maintenance on CH-53E Super Stallion to ensure a constant state of readiness. MCAS New River provides aviation support, force protection, infrastructure, and community services to promote the readiness, sustainment and quality of life for II Marine Expeditionary Force and other military forces, tenant commands, personnel and their families.

Contour shot of U.S. Marine in blue dress uniform on black background.

U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Paul Hefner, 20th Fighter Wing chaplain, smiles for a photo at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, April 22, 2022. Hefner earned the Edwin R. Chess Award as the outstanding Company Grade Officer Chaplain within the U.S. Air Force for 2021.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Omar Salih, Safety Manager, 726th Air Mobility Squadron, poses for a photo at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, September 6, 2022. Salih recently won the National Safety Council Rising Stars of Safety Award. The award is given to safety professionals with a proven track record of workplace safety, leadership and dedication to continuous improvement.

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