Night Operations and Military Training

Features soldiers and pilots in nighttime activities, utilizing night vision technology. The photos convey a tense, focused atmosphere of military preparedness and security.

A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, posts security during Exercise Bold Quest on Fort Stewart, Georgia, Aug. 9, 2022. Bold Quest is an annual collaborative joint and multinational enterprise in which Nations, Services, and Programs pool their resources in a recurring cycle of capability development to demonstrate a joint capability to link sensors to shooters across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

A U.S. Air Force pilot assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing flies a CV-22B Osprey during nighttime range training, U.K., Aug. 2, 2022. The Ospreys advanced avionics allow pinpoint accuracy, even in very low visibility, low illumination and adverse weather conditions.

Seaman Matthew Cappella, a corpsman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Milltown, New Jersey, provides security from a field during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 15, 2014. The company operated in Larr Village for two days to establish a presence and to disrupt enemy fighters. Throughout the mission the infantrymen conducted several patrols within the village and discovered hazardous materials which could be used to create improvised explosive devices.

000718-N-6097C-043. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH 2000 Base: Camp Doha Country: Kuwait (KWT)

020524-F-9085B-017. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Fob 31 Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, posts security during Exercise Bold Quest on Fort Stewart, Georgia, Aug. 9, 2022. Bold Quest is an annual collaborative joint and multinational enterprise in which Nations, Services, and Programs pool their resources in a recurring cycle of capability development to demonstrate a joint capability to link sensors to shooters across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

050406-A-2611R-030. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Mosul Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 3-21(SBCT)

060103-A-6365W-091. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Loyalty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

A 19th Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician uses a pair of night vision goggles during a Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force (BEEF) training day at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, July 28, 2022. In the night vision goggle portion of Prime BEEF, members were required to go through a pitch black room and accomplish tasks.

011212-F-4177H-005. Base: RAF Feltwell State: East Anglia Country: United Kingdom (GBR) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

060115-A-4545F-025. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Bayji State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040805-F-1351B-009. Base: Sadr City State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: CENTCOM

060615-N-8252B-132. Base: Ash Shumali Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040808-M-2306K-054. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II Base: Najaf Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060103-A-6365W-154. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Loyalty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060423-A-7969G-012. Subject Operation/Series: SWIFT SWORD Base: Mara State: Salah Ah Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AB DIVISION

051201-A-2777C-067. Base: Mosul Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040629-A-3978J-023. Base: Mosul Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 2-3 INF

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2d Marines and Philippine Marines conduct night patrols using night vision optics during KAMANDAG 6 in San Vicente, Philippines, Oct. 4, 2022. KAMANDAG is an annual bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military, designed to strengthen interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. 1/2 is forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific region under 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program.

050926-A-0527A-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Shir Zai State: Kandahar Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

060125-A-1211S-038. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Camp Loyalty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, roll a simulated casualty onto a litter during a night casualty evacuation exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 12, 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. Mohammed Ameen, a motor transport operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, fires his M16A4 service rifle during a table five and six range at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Aug 28, 2022. Ameen, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated from Franklin Learning Center High School in 2020 and enlisted out of Recruiting Substation Tun Tavern in 2020. The purpose of the training was to improve the Marines ability to operate their rifles at close quarters and in low-visibility environments more effectively. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III MEFs comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

US Air Force (USAF) STAFF Sergeant (SSGT) Michael Pemberton, with the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron (ESFS) checks vehicles as they enter the perimeter of Kirkuk Air Base (AB), Iraq, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Kirkuk Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Soldiers of Squad 3, representing the U.S. Army Europe and Africa, stack up to prepare to clear the next room during the first ever best squad competition on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct 4, 2022. Clearing rooms are one of the most dangerous environments soldiers can find themselves in and so it is a crucial skill to have.

U.S. FIFTH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (August 14, 2022) - A U.S. Marine assigned to Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Central Command (FASTCENT) participates in a live-fire drill at a training facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Aug. 14. FASTCENT provides expeditionary antiterrorism and security forces to embassies, consulates and other vital national assets throughout the region.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jared Dinkel, with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducts close quarters marksmanship training at Bagram Airfield, Parwan province, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2013. The unit trained in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Navy SEALS disembark an MC-130E Combat Talon, from the 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida, to provide perimeter security for a maintenance team performing critical repairs to a MH-53J Pavelow Helicopter at a forward deployed airfield. Operation ENDURING FREEDOM is in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), fighting terrorism abroad, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown

A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, posts security during a night raid as part of a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation at Atlantic Airfield, North Carolina, June 13, 2022. This type of training evolution is the culminating event aimed at validating the units readiness to conduct combat operations.

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense specialists from units across the III Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Army 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and U.S. Air Force 18th Civil Engineer Group conduct an extraction while searching for hazardous material during exercise Toxic Bayou at Kadena Air base, Okinawa, Japan, Aug.15, 2022. The Marines conducted exercise Toxic Bayou to refine their skills in Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction operations across unique and challenging environments. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III MEFs comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

A U.S. Air Force Loadmaster with the 352d Special Operations Wing connects a fuel line to an MC-130J Commando II during a Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) capabilities demonstration in Croatia, May 11, 2022. FARP enables the MC-130J to refuel other aircraft in austere locations where traditional refueling is not possible. This demonstration was part of Trojan Footprint, the premier Special Operations Forces exercise in Europe that focuses on improving the ability of SOF to counter myriad threats, increases integration with conventional forces and enhances interoperability with NATO allies and European partners.

U.S. Air Force Jeff Jones, Lightweight Machine Gun Course instructor, checks the functionality of a thermal scope prior to a nighttime live-fire exercise at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022. The two-week LMGC culminates in a three-day live-fire weapons familiarization designed to prepare students for day-one mission demands at assignment locations where this training is not available.

A night scope view of US Army STAFF Sergeant Schante, a Flight Medic for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter (not shown) from the 571st Medical Company, Fort Carson, Colorado, looking through night vision goggles as he prepares to perform a fly by near Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. SSGT Schante is part of the coalition forces of the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing that enforces the no-fly and no-drive zone in Southern Iraq to protect and defend against Iraqi aggression nin support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH Base: Prince Sultan Air Base Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

Capt. Thomas Stengl, an HH-60 Pavehawk pilot with the 33rd Rescue Squadron completes pre-flight checks before heading to mainland Japan here at Kadena Air Base, March 13. The 33rd RQS will be assisting in search and rescue following the earthquake and tsunami that struck mainland Japan, Friday afternoon.

060125-A-1211S-084. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Camp Loyalty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

040622-M-9382M-014. Base: Nagolan State: Kunar Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

US Air Force (USAF) AIRMAN First Class (A1C) George Batts, with the 86th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), Ramstein Air Base (AB), Germany, test fires a FNMI 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) using a night vision scope at the Laughlin Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, firing range. Base: Laughlin Air Force Base State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Marine with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, uses a PVS-14 Night Vision Monocular device to locate and fire at targets for rifle qualification tables 3-6 during Realistic Urban Training exercise at Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms on June 9, 2022. The 13th MEU is currently conducting RUT exercise to enhance the integration and collective capability of the MEUs command, air, ground, and logistics elements and prepare the 13th MEU to meet the nations crisis response needs during their upcoming overseas deployment.

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. Marines with 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, Royal Marines with Y Squadron, 3 Commando Brigade, 30 Commando, Royal Marines and soldiers with 7th Signal Regiment, Australian Army, participate in Radio Reconnaissance Operators Course (RROC) CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter air insertion exercise mission on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 12, 2022. RROC is specifically tailored for Radio Reconnaissance Marines and combines skills taught in various existing signals intelligence, electronic warfare and reconnaissance courses and puts them into an intense training evolution. This is the first time RROC has been conducted on Camp Lejeune with the goal of establishing a training environment beneficial to strengthening relationships with our allies and partners

060423-A-7969G-002. Subject Operation/Series: SWIFT SWORD Base: Mara State: Salah Ah Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AB DIVISION

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Armatage, joint terminal attack controller assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, establishes satellite communications to send medical evacuation requests during Rigid Pulse 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, August 18, 2022. Rigid Pulse 22-1 is a readiness culmination exercise used to validate mission essential task lists to support personnel recovery operations in a deployed environment and to refine and exercise agile combat employment capabilities.

060103-A-6365W-067. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Loyalty State: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

980425-F-7910D-005. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH 1998 Base: Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base State: Al Ahmadi Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense specialists from units across the III Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Army 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and U.S. Air Force 18th Civil Engineer Group search for hazardous material during exercise Toxic Bayou at Kadena Air base, Okinawa, Japan, Aug.15, 2022. The Marines conducted exercise Toxic Bayou to refine their skills in Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction operations across unique and challenging environments. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III MEFs comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

View from the boom operators position through a Starlight system as an F-15C gets an in-flight fillup from a KC-135 during a combat air patrol. This F-15 and several others (not shown) were providing fighter cover for tankers and strike aircraft during the first night of NATO Operation Allied Force. Subject Operation/Series: ALLIED FORCE Country: Unknown

DF-SD-03-06133. Country: Italy (ITA) Scene Major Command Shown: AIR MOBILITY COMMAND

060226-A-5747J-037. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Fob Speicher State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sterling Hall, a pilot with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, pilots a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft above Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 29, 2022.Exercise Pitch Black is the Royal Australian Air Forces largest and most complex Large Force Employment exercise. Pitch Black 2022 is being conducted at RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal, and Amberley from 19 August to 8 September 2022. This Years exercise will host up to 2500 personnel and around 100 aircraft from 17 participating nations from around the globe.Activities such as Exercise Pitch Black recognize Australias strong relationships and the high value we place on regional security and fostering closer ties throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Exercise Pitch Black features a range of realistic, simulated threats which can be found in a modern battle-space environment and is an opportunity to test and improve our force integration utilizing one of the largest training airspace areas in the world. Exe

U.S. Special Operations Forces assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), participate in a combat marksmanship exercise at Panzer Range, in Boeblingen, Germany, Feb. 15, 2024. Combat marksmanship training increases team lethality, builds cohesion, and provides integrated training to new members of the unit. Army

U.S. Special Operations Forces assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), participate in a combat marksmanship exercise at Panzer Range, in Boeblingen, Germany, Feb. 15, 2024. Combat marksmanship training increases team lethality, builds cohesion, and provides integrated training to new members of the unit. Army

2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division host the Week of the Warrior Competition, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea, May 3, 2022. Land navigation is a core military discipline, requiring soldiers to plot coordinate points on a grid map and traverse through rough terrain, adverse conditions, day or night.

030524-M-8683D-044. Subject Operation/Series: COBRA GOLD 2003 Base: Pong Nam Ran Country: Thailand (THA)

030116-F-7203T-003. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Air Base State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, receive a brief during a night casualty evacuation exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 11, 2022. This integrated training establishes confidence and familiarity between the Marines and Sailors for in-flight medical treatment. 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. Marines with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, conduct a patrol during Exercise Bold Quest on Fort Stewart, Georgia, Aug. 10, 2022. Bold Quest is an annual collaborative joint and multinational enterprise in which nations, services, and programs pool their resources in a recurring cycle of capability development to demonstrate a joint capability to link sensors to shooters across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

An F-35B Lightning II jet belonging to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 sits ready for launch aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during night flight operations, Philippine Sea, Jan. 22, 2019. Naval aviators with VMFA-121, the fixed wing component of 31st Marine Expeditionary Units Aviation Combat Element, conduct take-off and landings during fixed-wing flight operations in the Marine Corps newest, most advanced multi-role fighter, the F-35B. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps only continuously forward-deployed MEU partnering with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, 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.

U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort engage in a simulated firefight during the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Lane event for the Corporals Course culminating event at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, Sept. 1, 2023. The IED Lane tested Marines ability to navigate through adverse terrain while avoiding IEDs, transporting gear and performing casualty evacuation. Corporals Course is a month-long professional military education program that develops Marines small unit leadership skills and continues to prepare them to lead Marines.

A night vision image of a U.S. Army MH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot from the 3/160 Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia, adjusts his night vision goggles prior to a night mission during training exercise. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Subject Operation/Series: FOAL EAGLE '94 Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

A U.S. Marine Corps 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Marine conducts a Composite Training Unit Exercise on the flight line at North Auxiliary Airfield, North, South Carolina, Jan. 25, 2022. The mission of COMPTUEX is to enhance combat effectiveness and achieve deployment certification (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bailee A. Darbasie)

U.S. Special Operations Forces assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), participate in a combat marksmanship exercise at Panzer Range, in Boeblingen, Germany, Feb. 15, 2024. Combat marksmanship training increases team lethality, builds cohesion, and provides integrated training to new members of the unit. Army

U.S. Air Force members with the Fly-Away Security Team (FAST) assigned to the 726th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron deplane to establish and provide security around a U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft in Kismayo, Somalia, Jan. 2, 2024. Composed of hand-picked Security Forces Airmen, FASTs travel with air assets, such as cargo planes, to locations where additional security is required.

US Air Force (USAF) STAFF Sergeant (SSGT) Greg Aderhole, with the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron (ESFS) monitors the perimeter of Kirkuk Air Base (AB), Iraq, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Kirkuk Country: Iraq (IRQ)

061205-N-5555T-002. Base: USS Ardent (MCM 12)

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. Marine Corps Capt. Sean Brennan, left, Capt. Zane Pluhar, center, and Capt. John Hay, joint terminal attack controllers with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group use a high-intensity laser to signal aircraft during a nighttime simulated close air assault at Barry M. Goldwater Range, Gila Bend, Arizona, March 30, 2023. 1st ANGLICO utilizes this exercise to enhance their technical proficiency in close air support techniques in conjunction with pilot currency training.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, load a simulated casualty onto a UH-1Y Huey helicopter during a night casualty evacuation exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 12, 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. Army medics assigned to the South Carolina Army National Guard, conduct a final field training exercise during the 68W sustainment course at McCrady Training Center, Eastover, S.C., Dec. 13, 2018. The FTX culminates the 12-day course which maintains medics proficiency in their skills providing tacticalcombatcasualty care.

U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, observe an MV-22B Osprey land after finishing a long-range night assault exercise as part of Assault Support Tactics 4 (AST-4), during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 at Twentynine Palms, California, Oct. 25, 2022. AST-4 provides the prospective WTIs the opportunity to plan, brief, and execute a night, long range battalion air assault to multiple objectives simultaneously in a medium threat environment while conducting five of six functions of Marine Aviation.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Lima Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3d Armor Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi army soldiers with 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Iraqi Army Division conduct an intel driven raid in West Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 12, 2008.

040810-F-3005G-006. Base: Hurlburt Field State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AFSOC

U.S. Air Force Capt. Philip Conte, 535th Airlift Squadron pilot, looks through a pair of night vision goggles during Exercise Global Dexterity 2022 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, May 5, 2022. Exercise Global Dexterity included side-by-side training of C-17s from the U.S. Air Force, Hawaii Air National Guard, and the Royal Australian Air Force to better develop tactics between the three forces.

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. (Jul. 19, 2022) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 assesses the casualties injuries during an exercise simulating a host nation vehicle being attacked and needing support during Operation Turning Point, also known as their Field Training Exercise. Operation Turning Point is an around-the-clock exercise that focuses on constructing advanced bases while maintaining proficiency in tactics and survivability. NMCB 1 is homeported out of Gulfport, Miss. They are conducting an intense homeport training plan to expand their ability to execute construction, humanitarian assistance, and theater operations.

Left and right side profiles, medium close-up shot at nighttime, through a Starlight System as US Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (S.E.R.E.) Instructor SENIOR AIRMAN Chris R. Flamm of the 22nd Training Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington (left), attempts to contact search and rescue (SAR), forces with his "buzzsaw", an infrared nightstick attached to parachute cord as Life Support Instructor MASTER Sergeant Dan P. Svymbersky, is attempting to contact Search And Rescue (SAR), forces using his PRC-112 radio. Desert Rescue is the premiere Search And Rescue (SAR), training conducted at the ranges of Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment prepare to fire the M240B machine gun during night fire operations at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Grafenwoehr, Germany, March 23, 2023. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment provides V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps, with combat-credible forces capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater to defend the NATO alliance.

Recruits with Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, begin the Crucible with a hike at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 12, 2023.The 5-mile hike marks the beginning of their 54-hour Crucible.

A U.S. Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares an I-beam to be attached to CH-53E Super Stallion during a helicopter support team exercise on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 15, 2024. The skilled 24th MEU Marines and Sailors who comprise the flexible sea-based Marine Air Ground Task Force are ready to answer the Nations call to crisis, no matter the clime or place. Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Anthony Delgado, an engineer equipment mechanic with 3rd Landing Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, conducts a night patrol at Eastern Training Area, Okinawa, Japan, July 18, 2022. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III MEFs comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, treat a simulated casualty during a night casualty evacuation exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 11, 2022. This integrated training establishes confidence and familiarity between the Marines and Sailors for in-flight medical treatment. 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.

Soldiers with the 108th Chemical Company and the 43rd Civil Support Team, South Carolina Army National Guard, conduct site survey training for the detection of chemical threats during Annual Training in North Charleston, S.C., Feb. 24, 2016. The training helps Soldiers to remain proficient in sampling and handling contaminated equipment procedures as well as operating the units testing equipment.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Julian Larsen, a scout sniper with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, fires at a target during a night aerial live fire exercise in the Philippine Sea, Sept. 24, 2022. The scout snipers conducted the live fire to hone their skills and maintain proficiency in any environment. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli ARG 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. Marines with Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort engage in a simulated firefight during the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Lane event for the Corporals Course culminating event at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, Sept. 1, 2023. The IED Lane tested Marines ability to navigate through adverse terrain while avoiding IEDs, transporting gear and performing casualty evacuation. Corporals Course is a month-long professional military education program that develops Marines small unit leadership skills and continues to prepare them to lead Marines.

040825-F-5789F-012. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Balad Air Base Country: Iraq (IRQ)

DANDAN, Guam (Sept. 14, 2012) Aircrew members from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 14 confirm the identity of a Sailor prior to recovering him as part of a simulated Combined Search and Rescue (CSAR) operation. HS-14 is attached to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) for Valiant Shield 2012, a biennial joint U.S. military exercise designed to improve communication and teamwork between different service branches.

PHILIPPINE SEA (June 26, 2021) An F-35B Lighting II fighter aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) lands on the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) during night flight operations. America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st MEU, is operating in the U.S. 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.

A U.S. Army Soldier with 95th Chemical Company relays information during a low light training event during exercise Keen Sword 23 at Camp Kinser, Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 16, 2022. Keen Sword is a biennial training event that exercises the combined capabilities and lethality developed between 3rd MLG, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and the Japan Self-Defense Force. This bilateral field-training exercise between the U.S. military and JSDF strengthens interoperability and combat readiness of the U.S.-Japan Alliance.

U.S. Marine Corps 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Marines utilize a computer while conducting a Composite Training Unit Exercise on the flight line at North Auxiliary Airfield, North, South Carolina, Jan. 25, 2022. The Marine units established an expeditionary advance base in support of a pre-deployment training capstone. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bailee A. Darbasie)

980423-F-7910D-008. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH 1998 Base: Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base State: Al Ahmadi Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

An Army Intelligence School student operates a GLQ-3B jammer on a night tactical training mission. Base: Fort Devens State: Massachusetts (MA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

120626-N-ZZ999-001 CARIBBEAN SEA (June 26, 2012) U.S. Navy Search and Rescue swimmers from USS Elrod (FFG 55) pull one of four survivors aboard their rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) during Search and Rescue efforts in the Caribbean, June 26. Elrod received a call from a maritime patrol aircraft about a capsized, partially submerged vessel with possible survivors on board. Elrod made best speed to the reported position, and launched a RHIB to retrieve the survivors. After being checked by a Corpsman, the four survivors were medevac to a hospital in Colombia.

Corporal Stephen P Rutherford, USMC, Radio Operator, 9th Communication BN, Camp Pendleton, CA op checks his PSC-5 Field Radio in support of Combined Joint Task Force, Camp Doha, Kuwait in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Camp Doha Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: MARCENT ASSESSMENT TEAM

Seen through a night scope, MASTER Sergeant Robert Wallace and SENIOR AIRMAN Robert Winner, 51st Security Forces Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, repel an attack by OPFOR personnel on the 51st Communications Group during Exercise BEVERLY MIDNIGHT. The exercise is designed to test people's ability to carry out their wartime tasking, air base ground defense, and ability to recover after attacks. Subject Operation/Series: BEVERLY MIDNIGHT Base: Osan Air Base Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR) Scene Major Command Shown: PACAF

Marines with the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, wait on a C-130 Hercules prior to taking part in night jump training over Yokota Air Base, Japan, Nov. 21, 2013. The training not only allowed the Marines to practice jumping, but it also allowed the Yokota aircrews to practice flight tactics and timed-package drops.

Using a CH-53E Sea Stallion on a small island off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, US Marine Corps (USMC) pilots of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron-367 (HMLA-367) and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-466 (HMH-466), conduct a joint training exercise in order to enhance day and night proficiency in the tactic of inserting and extracting fire teams from a hostile and aggressive landing zone. Country: Japan (JPN)

In the Attack Position (AP) two US Marine Corps (USMC) M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBT) and various other combat vehicles from the 1ST Tank Battalion, Charlie Company, wait in the in the Dispersal Area (DA) near the Iraqi border in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. (Substandard image). Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Kuwait (KWT)

PHILIPPINE SEA (June 15, 2022) Aviation Technician Airman Holden Holland, from Atlanta, signals as the nighttime aircraft handling officer for an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Raptors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

A crew chief aboard a C-130 Hercules with the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing works on an air refueling mission at an undisclosed location, July 7, 2022. She refueled helicopters as part of an international exercise.

As seen through a night vision lens, two 37th Tactical Fighter Wing (37th TFW) F-117A aircraft prepare to taxi onto the flight line during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II aircraft releases airdrop pallets during an aerial operation within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 8, 2023. The HC-130J is a rapidly deployable, multi-capable airframe that performs combat search and rescue, aerial refueling and combat airlift missions within the CENTCOM AOR.

After final preparations, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) wait to reach their drop zone. The jump was part of a joint special operations exercise between the Americans and the British.(Exact date unknown). Subject Operation/Series: ROARING LION Country: Unknown

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