Modern Military Exercises

Images show U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops in tactical exercises, focusing on teamwork, strategy, and real-time operational scenarios in various environments.

Low angle view of special forces soldiers in field uniforms with weapons.

Idaho National Guard 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team's 2nd of the 116th Combined Arms Battalion teamed up with the Idaho Army National Guards 1st of the 183 Assault Helicopter Battalion to conduct medevac training at the Orchard Combat Training Center on March 30, 2022. The training simulated emergency evacuations of sick or wounded Soldiers from a battlefield. Ground medics preformed medical care on the ground before rushing them to the flight medics aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter who continued medical care while they were flown to the nearby medical facility. This training is a portion of combat training the 2nd of the 116th CAB conducted in preparation to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Spartan Shield later this year.

U.S. Army soldiers supervise U.S. and Moroccan personnel loading a tank from the 1-12 Cavalry Squadron, 1st Cavalry Division onto a Moroccan HET at the Port of Agadir, June 3, 2022, Agadir, Morocco. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Commands largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access.

Sgt. Travis Webb helps Spc. Steven Andreini, both with Company C "Chaos," 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, Combined Task Force 4-2, cross the Tarnak River in the Panjwa'i district of Afghanistan, April 10. The soldiers and their Afghan National Army counterparts participated in a two-day clearing mission of the Komandek Ghar area.

Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard standby and gather gear before boarding UH-60 Blackhawks at the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise at Fort Drum, New York. More than 2,500 Soldiers are participating in the training event, which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win.

A team of 91st Security Forces Group Defenders search for threats during Bully Vigilance, an exercise designed to test the 91st Missile Wings readiness to respond to an outside threat at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Oct. 13, 2022. BV is an semi-annual command and control exercise designed to train U.S. Strategic Command forces and assess joint operational readiness.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, prepare to cross a simulated danger zone while participating in urban terrain training during Warfighter Week on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Aug. 16, 2022. Warfighter Week provides the opportunity to train to specific objectives that enhance lethality and sustain readiness.

Joint Terminal Attack Controller and infantry Marines assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division trained during exercise Garnet Rattler at Idaho's premier Orchard Combat Training Center and Saylor Creek ranges April 11-29, 2022. The exercise is a joint mission between the U.S. Marines, Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers, 124th Fighter Wing Guardsmen and 366th Fighter Wing Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base to train and qualify Marine JTACs to be more efficient and lethal in a realistic training environment. Idaho's ranges support this realistic environment. OCTC's 143,000-acre training area, located 18 miles south of Boise, is the Idaho National Guards largest training complex and includes nearly two dozen ranges to prepare units for combat operations.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare for a boat launch rehearsal aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the South China Sea, Sept. 20, 2022. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Devlin Fouser scouts for potential enemy activity during bridge demolition training at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 14, 2024. The training was used to familiarize Marines with basic demolition and ambush tactics, enhancing their ability to safely employ explosives and fight effectively in a jungle environment. Fouser, a native of Pennsylvania, is a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. 2/7 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steve Burton, a team leader assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, participates in a platoon live-fire exercise at Fort Drum, Jun. 29. The battalion is honing its warfighting skills for an upcoming deployment to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, slated for later this summer.

U.S. Air Force Airman Basic Reinaldo Pimentel, Lightweight Machine Gun Course student, aims a truck-mounted M240 B medium weight machine gun while U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Martin Barbosa, LMGC instructor and noncommissioned officer in charge, gives guidance and aiming corrections during a live-fire exercise at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas, Oct. 4, 2022. The two-week LMGC 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 Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, evaluate their scores during a table three through six range at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 8, 2022. The purpose of the range was to improve Marines combat marksmanship in preparation for future operations. 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.

Two MARSOC raiders in full tactical ammunition, wearing woodland camo combat uniform, standing shoulder to shoulder aiming with optical sight on assault rifles during military mission in desert area. Two Marine raiders aiming weapons in sandy area

Fire Control Specialist Sgt. Matthew Potter with Bulldog Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment begins loading a 155mm artillery round during training in Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany April 21, 2022. 7th Army Training Commands Grafenwoehr Training Area provides the highest quality ranges, maneuver areas, training assistance and support to U.S., Joint and Multinational commands enabling them to safely achieve and sustain live-fire qualification gunnery standards and to hone their skills to win in any operating environment.

U.S. Marines assigned to 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division cut contaminated clothing off of a simulated casualty during a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear mass casualty decontamination drill in support of Artillery Relocation Training Program 22.1 at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Hijudai Training Area, Japan, April 25, 2022. The skills developed at ARTP increase the proficiency and readiness of the only permanently forward-deployed artillery unit in the Marine Corps, enabling them to provide precision indirect fires.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 lands to pick up a simulated casualty during a live-fire exercise with Special Warfare Airmen from the 227th Air Support Operations Squadron on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Oct. 24, 2019.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Alexa Barth, a reconnaissance point man with Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force, discusses techniques to sight in during a close quarters range with Indonesian marines as part of Keris Marine Exercise (MAREX) 23 at 7th Infantry Battalion Base, Lampung, Indonesia, Nov. 14, 2022. Keris MAREX is a bilateral exercise hosted by the Indonesian National Military between the Korps Marinir Republik Indonesia and U.S. Marine Corps focused on promoting military interoperability, maritime domain awareness, strengthening relationships, and expanding capabilities among participating forces. Marine Rotational Force Southeast Asia is an operational model developed by Marine Corps Forces Pacific that postures scalable I Marine Expeditionary Forces west of the International Date Line, conducts a series of planned subject matter expert exchanges and enablers, and advances security objectives shared with our Allies and Partners.

The United States Army's most qualified uniformed interrogation teams met at Fort Bragg, North Carolina to compete in the inaugural Army Interrogation Olympics to determine the Army's Best Interrogation Team of the Year. Military Intelligence Soldiers from Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard components met and thrived in an austere field environment while refining and improving individual and collective HUMINT, analytical, leader, and Soldier skills. The competition was hosted by the 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade from August 8 to 10, 2022.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christian Mejia, a motor vehicle operator with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division, fires an M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun during Artillery Relocation Training Program 22.2 at the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, Aug. 28, 2022. The skills developed at ARTP increase the proficiency and readiness of the only permanently forward-deployed artillery unit in the Marine Corps, enabling them to provide precision indirect fires.

U.S. Army Soldiers competing in the Army Best Squad Competition participate in a land navigation course on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Sept. 29, 2022. The Army Best Squad Competition tests Soldiers on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-readiness events that test their physical and mental endurance, technical and tactical abilities, and basic warrior skills under stress and extreme fatigue. (U.S. Army photo Spc. Zachery Frost)

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, conduct a live-fire unknown distance range during Resolute Dragon 22 on Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 3, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral 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.

RAS AL QARAIN, Bahrain (May 11, 2022) - A U.S. Marine assigned to Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Central Command (FASTCENT) participates in a live fire range during exercise Neon Defender 22 in Bahrain, May 11. Neon Defender is an annual bilateral training event between U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Bahrain. The exercise focuses on maritime security operations, installation defense and medical response.

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, maneuver Range 400, a company-level combined arms training event, during Marine Littoral Regiment Training Exercise (MLR-TE) at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Feb. 8, 2023. MLR-TE is a large-scale, service-level exercise designed to train, develop, and experiment with the 3d MLR as part of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, led by 3d Marine Division, operating as a Stand-in Force across a contested and distributed maritime environment.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jami Shawley, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), participates in an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) at CSL Manda Bay, Kenya, June 17, 2022. Shawley flew in with the East Africa Response Force (EARF) to observe and assess the exercise as well as visit with senior leaders and Soldiers. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Jeff Clements)

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Josiah Sharp, an infantry Marine with Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, observes his surroundings during a mechanized raid exercise at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 16, 2024. The mechanized raid was conducted to refine the Marines ability to carry out continuous operations in austere environments and execute strategic plans. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the America Amphibious Ready Group in in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Marine Corps

Sgt. Jace Bennett, a Soldier assigned to the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division engages the target during the International Sniper Competition 2023 at Fort Benning, Georgia, on April 11, 2023. The snipers at the competition had to demonstrate critical battlefield skills, including stealth, reconnaissance, fitness, and the ability to adjust under pressure.

A U.S. Marine with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, participates in bilateral force-on-force training during Resolute Dragon 22 at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 12, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral 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.

U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing prepare to transport infantry Marines with MV-22 Ospreys at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 1, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral 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.

Forward observers stand outside the landing zone as two UH-60 helicopters land to take these soldiers out to an observation point to train on marking targets for artillery during Western Strike 22, June 9, 2022. Western Strike 22 is an eXportable Combat Training Capabilities exercise led by the 65th Field Artillery Brigade, Utah National Guard, that provides National Guard Soldiers immersed training similar to a combat training center and aims to increase participating unit's readiness and lethality.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joseph George, a motor transportation operator with 3rd Transportation Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, conducts a tow bar vehicle recovery drill with a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement during a bilateral vehicle recovery training during exercise Resolute Dragon 22 at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 5, 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.

February 14, 2011, U.S. Marines with Company G, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), provide security during a mock Tactical Rescue of Aviation Personnel (TRAP) mission, in Hat Yao, Kingdom of Thailand, for Exercise Cobra Gold 2011. For three decades, Thailand has hosted Cobra Gold, one of the largest land-based, joint, combined military training exercises in the world. A successful Cobra Gold 2011 results in increased operational readiness of U.S. and Thai forces and matured military to military relations between the two countries.

Marines with second platoon, Bravo Company, Marine Barracks Washington, depart Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in an MV-22 Osprey, April 13, 2022. The Marines traveled to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., where they conducted foot patrols and executed live-fire training with the M136E1 AT4-CS confined space light anti-armor weapon, the M203 grenade launcher, and the M16A4 rifle.

Iron Dragon 22-1 | Combat Logistics Regiment 37 conducts regimental exercise

A U.S. Soldier with Task Force Americal from the 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, trains with an M4 carbine at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sept. 24, 2022. The U.S. Air Forces 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron facilitate and occasionally conduct Joint Force training with the U.S. Army on PSABs firing range. Soldiers and Airmen must undergo routine weapons qualification training to ensure safety and proficiency standards. (U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Noah J. Tancer)

Corporal Gregory Lerebours, assistant operations chief and planning coordinator, takes aim during live fire rifle training on the range aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, September 14. The training helps ensure that Marines maintain warfighter readiness.

An Australian Solider and a U.S. Marine, conducts Individual Movement Techniques with their assigned weapon during Exercise Super Garuda Shield on Dodiklatpur Rindam V, East Java, Indonesia., September 1, 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 6 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open indo-pacific.

U.S. Marines with 3d Platoon, Lima Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) 22, move to contact during a simulated combat defense as part of exercise Southern Jackaroo 22 at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, May 22, 2022. Southern Jackaroo is a multilateral exercise carried out by Marines with MRF-D, the Australian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers, focusing on live-fire and combined arms training.

Col. Trena Savageau, 944th Fighter Wing Vice Commander, receives instruction from Master Sgt. Jeff Seastrand, noncommissioned officer in charge of combat arms with 944th FW Security Forces, on how to shoot an M203 grenade launcher during heavy weapons qualifications at the Arizona National Guard Weapons Training Range in Florence, Ariz., Aug. 5, 2022. The simulated round from the grenade launcher bursts into orange smoke on impact giving the instructor and shooter an idea of where they hit. Savageau is also a Command Pilot with more than 2,300 flying hours, including 80 combat hours.

U.S Marine Corps recruits with Golf Company, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, discuss the basic fundamentals of marksmanship with a range coach on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. April 12, 2022. Recruits shoot at a variety of distances on several targets as part of their marksmanship assessment during Recruit Training.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Martin Derito, an infantry Marine with Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, reassembles an M240B machine gun during a weapon sustainment training aboard the USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), in the Philippine Sea, Feb. 6, 2024. This training helps develop Marines proficiency with machine gun-class weaponry to provide better fire support against heavy enemy infantry or light enemy vehicles. 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. Marine Corps

111214-M-FW664-265GULF OF THAILAND (Dec. 14, 2011) Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU) and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces personnel demonstrate ship boarding techniques during a subject matter expert exchange. The 11th MEU is embarked with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.

U.S. Marines with Helicopter Support Team, 1st Landing Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, stand by for the drop off of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 during the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration of the 2022 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 24, 2022. The MAGTF Demo displays the coordinated use of close-air support, armor, artillery and infantry forces and provides a visual representation of how the Marine Corps operates. The theme for the 2022 MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoing modernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers with Task Force Red Dragon, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), train with members of the French Foreign Legion at the French Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) site, Djibouti, April 15, 2022. Members of CJTF-HOA regularly train with and work alongside Allies, partners and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa.

German Soldiers depart from a German Air Force Airbus A400M at Gaižiūnas Airfield, Lithuania, May 9, 2022. This movement shows allied forces successfully completing an airstrip seizure during Swift Response 22. Exercise Swift Response 2022 is an annual multinational training exercise, which takes place in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics and Balkans from May 2-20. The purpose of the exercise is to present combat credible Army forces in Europe and Africa, and enhance readiness by building airborne interoperability with Allies and Partners and the integration of joint service partnership.

Providers assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division conduct set up and security operations on Fort Bragg, NC, March 28, 2022. The Field Training Exercise ensures Paratroopers stand ready to fight, win, and meet the 18 hour deployment standard.

A U.S. Marines and Republic of Korea Marines take cover during Korea Viper 24.1 at Camp Mujuk, Republic of Korea, Feb. 7, 2024. Urban operations training strengthens Marines' proficiency in navigating and engaging in urban terrain, ensuring readiness through realistic training of close-quarters combat scenarios. In its first iteration, Korea Viper demonstrates the ROK-US Marine Corps ability to respond decisively in the region as a singular, unified force while strengthening relationships and trust between the two allies. The Marines are with 2d Battalion, 7th Marines. 2/7 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Spc. Alex Hammack and Sgt. Peter Ebilane, representing the California National Guards 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, return simulated gunfire and run to a safe location during the mystery event of Cal Guard's Best Warrior Competition March 31, 2021 at Camp Roberts, California

U.S. Marines with Helicopter Support Team, 1st Landing Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, run off the air field after recovering a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration of the 2022 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 22, 2022. The MAGTF Demo displays the coordinated use of close-air support, artillery and infantry forces, and provides a visual representation of how the Marine Corps operates. The theme for the 2022 MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoing modernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

Before entering the shoot house, soldiers from Charlie Company practiced squad movements outside.Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers from Charlie Company, 2-116th Combined Arms Battalion spent a portion of their annual training working inside the Orchard Combat Training Center Shoot House.The Shoot House is not another range but a tactical training environment where soldiers sharpen their skills in entering and clearing a room and various passageways in tight, close quarters areas. The exercise requires squad leaders to clearly communicate directions to identify potential threats and respond strategically and effectively to those threats.Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers are currently preparing to deploy in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

U.S. Army Soldiers, with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, fire a mounted M2 heavy machine gun from a Humvee during a field mission at the Fort Dix Ranges on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, March 25, 2023. The 1-114th Infantry Regiment had a four day drill weekend in preparation for the units rotation to the Joint Regional Training Center.

U.S. Army squads under FORSCOM (Forces Command) compete for the title of Best Squad during a head-to-head competition at the FORSCOM Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022. Soldiers representing the ARCENT squad, compete in the competition. The Best Squad Competition reinforces fundamental Soldier skills and squad level tactics.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Blake W. Dougherty, a rifleman with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) 22, moves through an open breach during exercise Darrandarra 22 at Mount Bundey Training Area, NT, Australia, June 15, 2022. Exercise Darrandarra 22 increases MRF-D 22s readiness to respond to realistic crises throughout a range of military operations within the region.

U.S. Army Special Operations Soldiers conduct fast rope insertion training aboard a Black Hawk (UH-60) helicopter operated by pilots with the 8-229 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Expeditionary Air Combat Brigade, during Operation Viking at Joint Base Cape Cod, Mass., July 18, 2022. Operation Viking is an intense joint task force exercise designed to prepare Soldiers with realistic training simulating deployment of civil affairs units in direct support of contigency operation in Africa.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kendra Llewellyn, 156th Security Forces Squadron, receives a tutorial on the .50 caliber machine gun in Little Falls, Camp Ripley, Minn., Aug. 8, 2022. Llewellyn is receiving familiarizing training to become comfortable with the new tactics in a controlled environment before using them.

A group of modern warfare soldiers is fighting a war in dangerous remote forest areas. A group of soldiers is fighting on the enemy line with modern weapons. The concept of warfare and military conflicts.. A group of modern warfare soldiers is fighting a war in dangerous remote forest areas. A group of soldiers is fighting on the enemy line with modern weapons. The concept of warfare and military conflicts

Paratroopers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division conduct Sustained Airborne Training in preparation for Operation Falcon Blitz on Fort Bragg, NC, Jan. 27, 2023. Paratroopers will conduct an airborne operation in order to enhance brigade readiness and lethality.

U.S. Marine Corps recruits with Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, wait to start their course of fire at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. June 13, 2022. All recruits must participate in the table two rifle qualification course during the 3rd phase of recruit training.

A U.S. Soldier with Task Force Hurricane from the 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alejandro Bachelier, a fireteam member assigned to the 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, hold a simulated ambush position, Al-Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, June 13, 2022. Eight USAF Defenders were invited by the U.S. Army to attend Task Force Hurricanes Platoon Immersion 3 alongside the Royal Saudi Land Force. The immersion allowed the 378th ESFS members a chance to develop as multi-capable Airmen by learning both Joint Force infantry tactics and Partner Nation infantry tactics not commonly taught or practiced by the USAF.

POINT MUGU, Calif. (June 14, 2019) Engineman 2nd Class Christian McCain, from Arlington, Texas, engages opposing forces while dismounted with an M240 machine gun. The Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 1 convoy section is being assessed for measure of performance at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif. CRS-1 is qualifying for future mobilization requirements.

Idaho National Guard 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team's 2nd of the 116th Combined Arms Battalion teamed up with the Idaho Army National Guards 1st of the 183 Assault Helicopter Battalion in the dark hours of the early morning on March 31, 2022, to conduct tactical air insertion missions. By using the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to provide movement of ground-based Soldiers, it allowed the Soldiers to seize and secure terrain on a simulated village located within the Orchard Combat Training Center. Soldiers used night vision goggles to maneuver through the darkness. This training is a portion of combat training the 2nd of the 116th CAB conducted in preparation to deploy to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Spartan Shield later this year.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Eduardo Garrido, a mortarman with 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, loads an M252 81mm mortar system during Fuji Viper 23.1 at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, Nov. 30, 2022. Exercise Fuji Viper exemplifies a commitment to realistic training that produces lethal, ready, and adaptable forces capable of decentralized operations across a wide range of missions. 1/2 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program. Garrido is a native of Miami, Florida.

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Williams, an infantry fire team leader, assigned to 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, peeks to observe targets during a live-fire training exercise near Fort Bliss, Texas, Nov. 1, 2022. Soldiers of the 1-125 IN conducted intense and extensive squad maneuvers during the exercise, using live ammunition to simulate a real-world combat environment, honing their interoperability and lethality.

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, disembark from an MV-22 Osprey at a landing zone in Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 5, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral 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.

Operators from the 20th Special Forces Group conduct an aerial assault mission during a training exercise near Chester Township, Michigan, on August 6, 2022. The mission was part of Northern Strike, an annual multinational joint training event headquartered at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Michigan.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Wilds, left, a motor vehicle operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, operates a medium tactical vehicle replacement MK36 wrecker while under simulated fire during a vehicle recovery at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 21, 2022. II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), in coordination with 2nd MLG, hosted a media day for members of Norwegian media to observe and report on capabilities and training of the MEF.

New Jersey Army National Guard Spc. Joel Yepez assists Sgt. Kevin Abre on rotating the tube of a M119 105 mm Howitzer during field training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., on May 21, 2022. Both Soldiers are part of Bravo Battery of the 3rd Battalion of the 112th Field Artillery, which conducted range exercises on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. (Army National Guard photo by Spc. Francis De Leon)

A U.S. Marine with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 172 ground guides a seven-ton truck during a squadron field exercise (FEX) at Camp Schwab training grounds, Okinawa, Japan, October 2, 2022. MWSS-172 conducted the squadron FEX to emphasize tactics, techniques and procedures in an Expeditionary Advanced Base Operation (EABO) environment in preparation for the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE).

U.S. Marine Corps SSgt. Rodman Charlesworth, a Cape May Court House, New Jersey, native and alauncher chief with 2d Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, checks the control panel of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during Exercise Rolling Thunder 22-2 on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April. 4, 2022. This exercise is a 10th Marines-led live-fire artillery event that tests the unit's abilities to operate in a simulated littoral environment against a peer threat in a dynamic and multi-dominated scenario.

U.S. Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians with Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni search for a simulated reported threat during Exercise Active Shield 22 at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 16, 2022. Active Shield is an annual training exercise that is critical to the air stations ability to maintain mission readiness and enhance bilateral collaboration in order to sustain military operations in support of the U.S.-Japan alliance.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Clayton Hilemon (left) and Sgt. Alexander Locconielsen (right), a low-altitude air-defense gunners with 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion (LAAD), points to a drone during a demonstration with the Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or L-MADIS, at Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic, North Carolina, Oct. 18, 2022. The L-MADIS is an electronic-attack system that counters unmanned-aircraft system by nonkinetic capabilities to destroy or negate aerial threats. 2nd LAAD is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, provide support by fire during an exercise on Range 410 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, June 7, 2022. The 13th MEU is currently conducting Realistic Urban Training exercise to enhance the integration and collective capability of the MEU's command, air, ground, and logistics elements and prepare the 13th MEU to meet the nation's crisis response needs during their upcoming overseas deployment.

A U.S. Marine moves towards an objective during a live-fire and maneuver range as part of Reconnaissance Certification Exercise at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Feb 1, 2024. Live-fire and maneuver ranges give Marines the opportunity to engage and destroy targets in a dynamic environment. RCERT is a battalion level exercise that evaluates Marines on all ground reconnaissance warfighting skills and tactics. The Marine is with 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division. Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jose Raynund-Hamoy, an infantry Marine with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, talks to Mexican Marines and U.S. Marines before conducting their culminating event during exercise Tradewinds 2022 (TW22) at Belmopan, Belize, on May 19, 2022. The culminating event took place at the National Police Training Academy which consisted of various events occurring: riot control, close quarter combat and tactical field care. TW22 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored Caribbean-focused multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains, designed to provide participating nations opportunities to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training focused on increasing regional cooperation and interoperability in complex multinational security operations.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Henderson, an infantry squad leader with 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, and a French soldier with 4th Airmobile Brigade rehearse military operations on urbanized terrain training during Exercise Manticore in France, Sept. 25, 2022. Exercise Manticore is a French Army-led large scale exercise that integrated the Marines into a platoon-sized maneuver element to conduct offensive and defensive operations.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tyrique Bain, a radio operator (left) and Lance Cpl. Jayrell Carter, a transmission systems operator with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, conducts urban patrolling during Warfighter Week, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Aug. 16, 2022. Warfighter Week provides the opportunity to train to specific objectives that enhance lethality and sustain readiness.

U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman Taylor Woodworth ties a tourniquet on a simulated casuality during Professional Training of Midshipmen (PROTRAMID) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, July 20, 2022. PROTRAMID is an eight-week program during the summer months that provides in-depth training to midshipmen in the various communities within the Navy and Marine Corps.

A Taliban soldier stands with a machine gun, Surrender to the allied soldiers, In the desert mountain terrain battlefield A Taliban soldier stands with a machine gun, Surrender to the allied soldiers, In the desert mountain terrain battlefield ,model released, Symbolfoto Copyright: xZoonar.com/WosunanxPhotostoryx 21538125 ,model released, Symbolfoto ,property released

A U.S. Army Soldier from 1st Infantry Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, conducts security on Pohakuloa Training Grounds, Hawaii, Oct. 31, 2022. Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 23-01 is a realistic training rotation allow us to rehearse strategic movement, and train in unique environments and conditions where they are most likely to be employed in the event of crisis or conflict.

A U.S. Marine with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, starts a combat rubber raiding craft engine during a boat launch rehearsal aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the South China Sea, Sept. 20, 2022. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Nick Farrar, motor transport operator, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division operates a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a mounted blank M240 convoy training exercise at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Dec. 7, 2022. The purpose of the training was to sustain and develop basic operator skills critical to survival in an expeditionary maritime environment and learn skills necessary to accomplish regimental mission essential tasks.

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), approach KC-130J Hercules aircraft to conduct static line airborne operations during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23, at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Sept. 30, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, 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.

220427-N-PG340-1072 PORT HUENEME, Calif. (April 27, 2022) U.S. Navy Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 conduct litter bearer training during the battalions second Command Post Exercise onboard Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, California. NMCB-5 is homeported out of Port Hueneme. They train on high-quality construction, expeditionary logistics, and combat operations to execute construction and engineering projects for major combat operations, disaster response, and humanitarian assistance.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 450th Civil Affairs Battalion, (Airborne), and 360th Psychological Operations Company, 11th PSYOP Battalion, conduct a convoy brief prior to a humanitarian assistance mission during a training rotation to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, May 18, 2022. The two units were attached to and enabled 3d Cavalry Regiments ability to win the fight by gaining the support of the local populous.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Homar Vallejo and Staff Sgt. Mason Reynolds from the 53d Air Traffic Control Squadron, Robins Air Force Base act as landing zone safety officers during AGILE FLAG 22-2 at Avon Air Field, Florida, July 20, 2022. AGILE FLAG 22-2 marks a significant milestone in standardizing the way ACC organizes, trains, and equips for ACE after a period of experimentation.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, observe during a defense of the amphibious task force live-fire aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 2, 2022. DATF scenarios focus Navy and Marine Corps forces on defending ARG shipping and the drills allowed the ARG-MEU team to improve their proficiency when integrating fires. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

BABADAG TRAINING AREA, Romania-- Airmen assigned to the U.K. 140th Expeditionary Air Wing conduct area security during personnel recovery training with 3-227 AHB, July 12, 2022.Regular interoperability training with NATO partners and allies builds trust and readiness, increasing the capacity for deterrence and defense.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaxson Caison, a rifleman with Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), communicates usinghand-and-arm signals during an exercise on Hasto Buso Island, Finland, Aug. 11, 2022. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd MEU, under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dillan Shankles, a machine gunner with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, engages targets with an M240B medium machine gun during a course of fire as part of exercise Intrepid Maven 22.4 in the United Arab Emirates, Sept 22, 2022. Intrepid Maven is a bilateral exercise between U.S. and UAE armed forces to train with and strengthen our relationships with allied nations in the CENTCOM area of operations.

U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Trevor, a fire team leader assigned to 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, pauses to scan for enemies alongside other Soldiers of the 1-125 IN during a live-fire training exercise near Fort Bliss, Texas, Nov. 1, 2022. Soldiers of the 1-125 IN conducted intense and extensive squad maneuvers during the exercise, using live ammunition to simulate a real-world combat environment, honing their interoperability and lethality.

Spc. Michael L. Noel, a Personal Security Detail Soldier assigned to the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, scans his sector from inside his gunner's turret during training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011. The 37th IBCT is deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Tyler McGinnis, the gunner for an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle crew assigned to 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, performs clearing operations for his crews Bradley after they fired on a range as part of Table VI during the Sullivan Cup at Fort Benning, Georgia, May 3, 2022. The competition highlights the importance of mastering the fundamentals that we must preserve as a fighting force to maintain a lethal edge over our potential adversaries, using both tanks, and for the first time, Bradleys.

Members of the special unit Zentrale Unterstuetzungsgruppe Zoll (ZUZ) during the welcoming ceremony of the new ZKA President Tino Ingelmann by Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner in Berlin, 03.05.2023. Leon Kuegeler photothek.de, Berlin, Germany, Europe

Tech. Sgt. Abelardojohn Llanesa, 142nd Honor Guard noncommissioned officer in charge, leads a marching exercise during Honor Guard training on Oct. 16, 2022 at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. The Air Force Honor Guard was started in 1948 when national Air Force leadership decided there was a need for ceremonial units.

U.S. Marines with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, prepare to fire the M240B machine gun on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, May 3, 2022. The 7th Comm. Bn. FEX is designed to evaluate and preserve combat readiness and familiarization of weapons systems. III MIG functions as the vanguard of III MEF, operating in the Indo-Pacific regions information environment, and supports Marine Air Ground Task Force operations with communications, intelligence, and supporting arms liaison capabilities

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph Padilla, right, an instructor with Headquarters and Support Battalion's Corporals Course 4-22, talks to a student during a patrol exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 17, 2022. Corporals Course provides Marines with the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful small-unit leaders.

Twenty-two two-Soldier teams from all around the world traveled to Fort Hood, Texas to compete in the finals to be named the Armys Best Medic. The competition is a 72-hour arduous test of the teams physical and mental skills. Competitors must be agile, adaptive leaders who demonstrate mature judgment while testing collective team skills in areas of physical fitness, tactical marksmanship, leadership, warrior skills, land navigation and overall knowledge of medical, technical and tactical proficiencies through a series of hands-on tasks in a simulated operational environment. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Daniel Herman)

U.S. Marine Corps 1st. Lt. Seamus Dwyer, a platoon commander assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), disembarks a Finnish Jehu-class landing craft for a raid training event with Finnish soldiers from the Force Protection Brigade in Uppinniemi, Finland, Aug. 17, 2022. The training was part of a bilateral exercise between the Finnish military and 22nd MEU. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd MEU, under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) march in a parade to celebrate Romania's Great Union Day, at Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest Romania, on Dec. 1, 2022. Soldiers continue to reinforce NATOs eastern flank and reaffirm the commitment to the European continent by engaging in celebrations like the Great Union Day parade, which builds relationships between Allied and Partner nations.

Marines assigned to Battery B, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire 9mm pistols during marksmanship training on the flight deck of USS Rushmore, March 9. Using the M9 Beretta, each shooter went through an entire course of fire on the paper targets. The 15th MEU is deployed as part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group as a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force, providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Dyer, a motor transportation operator with 3rd Transportation Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, is transported to a bilateral vehicle recovery training during exercise Resolute Dragon 22 at Kamifurano Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 5, 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.

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