Soldier Silhouettes

Striking silhouettes of soldiers against dynamic backdrops, depicting readiness and vigilance, conveying a sense of duty and adventure.

Silhouette of soldier standing with rifle in hands against a moonlit night sky.

French Foreign Legion on patrol in Red River Delta, Vietnam, during the latter stages of the First Indochina War.

Members of the 390th Missile Maintenance Squadron raise a nitrogen tank/pneumatic winch assembly over a reentry vehicle mating sling in preparation for the removal of a Titan II reentry vehicle at site No. 570-5. Base: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colo., observe a CV-22 Osprey during Emerald Warrior 2011, Cannon AFB, N.M., March 1. Emerald Warrior is a U.S. Special Operations Command sponsored, multiservice exercise designed to leverage lessons learned from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders.

An American pineapple - a grenade - is ready to leave the hand of an infantryman in training at Fort Belvoir, Va.

A member of the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, is silhouetted against the sky while acting as a spotter aboard an LAV-25 light armored vehicle during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

U.S. Marines prepare for a patrol during Reconnaissance Certification Exercise at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Jan 17, 2024. RCERT is designed to thoroughly assess Marines' proficiency in ground reconnaissance capabilities in a demanding environment while reinforcing their mental and physical endurance. The Marines are with 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Cole Dossetto, from Detroit, a field artillery officer assigned to Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) listens to radio chatter during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 at Observation Point Sunkist (OP Sunkist), Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, California, Oct. 4, 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.

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

Backlit silhouette of special forces in military kayak with fire explosion in background.

United States Marine Corps M777 Howitzer at a remote combat outpost in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan

U.S. Marines with Light Armored Reconnaissance detachment, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fire at targets during a live-fire range aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in the Atlantic Ocean, July 26, 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.

Spc. Riley Briggs, a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer assigned to Bravo Co., 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion out of Wiesbaden, Germany and hails from Madison, WI, sits on the ramp of his Chinook and looks out over the Bavarian countryside as it returns to Hohenfels training area following a training mission. Briggs took part in a Forward Arming and Refueling Point training exercise during Saber Junction 22. Saber Junction 22 is a multinational rotational exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173d 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. Army's Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas from August 29 to September 20, 2022.

U.S. and Côte d'Ivoirian special operations forces conduct Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) in Jacqueville, Cote dIvoire August 24, 2022. JCETs enhance U.S. relationships with partner nations by developing and maintaining critical military-to-military connections and improving joint and allied readiness and interoperability.

Sniper with large caliber rifle in action on the roof of a riuned building.

Silhouette of an EA-6B Prowler at sunrise on the flight deck of USS Nimitz during Operation Enduring Freedom. Nimitz is operating in the 5th fleet area of responsibility.

Army soldier silhouette

A Marine with India Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, directs Marines on a maneuver path during a vertical assault raid exercise at Udairi Range in Kuwait, Feb. 16, 2015. A contingent of MEU Marines is ashore in Kuwait as part of scheduled sustainment training. The 24th MEU is embarked on the ships of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and deployed to maintain regional security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

A US Marine Corps Aviator Prepares to Launch his AV-8B Harrier from Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq

DN-ST-88-05595. Base: Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Soldiers salute the flag during a ceremony at the 1st Infantry Division Monument in Colleville-Sur-Mer, France, June 5, 2022. The event honored the men of the "Big Red One" who fought in the invasion of Normandy.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Brian W. Cavanaugh, the commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command, converses with Marines from Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 29, Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, Feb. 2, 2023. MAG-29 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). Cavanaugh and respective leadership visited II MEF to tour subordinate commands, discuss capabilities, innovations and meet with Marines.

090307-A-9898L-0006A bonfire lit the sky of Babil Province, as noncommissioned officersfrom the 172nd Infantry Brigade welcomed 22 graduates into the ranks ofleadership at the first-ever Blackhawk Warrior Leader Course in theater.The week-long accelerated training program has a focus on over 20hands-on, performance-based skills ranging from Iraqi securityprofessionalization to fundamental lifesaving skills.

Airmen with multiple Air National Guard security forces units learn squad tactics pulling an ahkio sled Jan. 18, 2023, as part of a 16-day Cold-Weather Operations Course led by the Air Force at Fort McCoy, Wis. More than 50 Airmen are participating in the training from across the Air Force. Besides learning about use of snowshoes and moving as a squad over terrain pulling an ahkio sled in a cold-weather environment, the Airmen also learned about cold-weather shelters, survival techniques, cold-weather uniform wear, and more. Fort McCoy has a long history of supporting cold-weather training. Eighty years prior to this training, in January 1943, the installation hosted winter training for the Army's 76th Division prior to the Division deploying to Europe to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

A member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, 1st Airborne Brigade, dons his gear on the flightline at Yokota Air Base, Japan, prior to a static-line jump, 25 Jan, 2022, as part of Airborne 22. Airborne 22 demonstrates the JGSDF's capability to employ large-scale airborne insertion anywhere. The training event allowed U.S. and Japanese units to work alongside one another while improving the readiness of both forces. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Gustavo Castillo)

Tactical Air Control Party specialists locate targets during a night operation while participating in a field training exercise, or FTX, at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center in Arkansas, April 14, 2018. The FTX, April 13-17, 2018, took place at the end of a two-month Initial Combat Skills Training Course, which is hosted by the 138th Combat Training Flight at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, and is the only one of its kind in the U.S. Air Force.

Sgt. Joseph Elkins, a crew chief with 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conducts an inflight safety check on the Boeing CH-47 Chinook on September 27, 2022. Elkins conducted this check to ensure the Chinook is safe, well-maintained, and productive for their Operation Lethal Shadow mission.

Soldiers from the British Army conduct infantry training during Exercise Eager Lion in Jordan, Sept. 11, 2022. Eager Lion 22 is a multilateral exercise hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, designed to exchange military expertise, and improve interoperability among partner nations.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Sgt. Richard A. Darvial (kneeling), a combat medic from Amery, Wis., takes cover while U.S. Army Spc. Corey C. Canterbury, a mortar man from Ocean Springs, Miss., fires mortars from a mountain top overlooking the Ganjgal Valley in eastern Afghanistans Kunar Province Dec. 11. Both Soldiers are assigned to Bayonet Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force No Slack, and were supporting Operation Eagle Claw II.

Post apocalyptic survivor creature with homemade weapons.

U.S. Army soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment scan their area May 2, 2012, near Combat Outpost Sabari, Afghanistan. The Soldiers began a multi-day air assault mission near the Pakistani border of eastern Afghanistan's Khost province.

Paratroopers across the 82nd Airborne Division execute the 12 mile road march as part of one of the last events in the road to earning their E3B on Fort Bragg, NC, April 8, 2023. 371 Paratroopers and Soldiers across multiple units and locations successfully completed E3B.

U.S. Marines with Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, practice responding to an aircraft fuel fire during an exercise on MCAS Miramar, Feb. 3, 2023. ARFF Marines conduct these exercises to maintain a state of readiness in case of emergency.

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

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- U.S. Air Force Academy cadets check ther scores following combat arms training in preperation for the 54th annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, Oct. 21, 2022. The competition is slated to be held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 2023. The Sandhurst Club prepares for and competes in the worlds premiere international academy military skills competition that inspires excellence through rigorous physical and mental challenges that reflect the tempo, uncertainty and tasks of combat operations.

A U.S. Airman from the 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit prepares an F-15C Eagle for take off during Exercise Pitch Black 2022 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Sept. 1, 2022. PB22 is the latest in long standing, multilateral exercises designed to enhance participating countries air operations. This year, 17 nations are participating in PB22, and is scheduled from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8, 2022.

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Wing and Croatian Airmen assigned to the 93rd Air Wing conduct forward area refueling training on 93rd Air Base Zemunik, Croatia during Exercise Trojan Footprint May 11, 2022. Trojan Footprint is the premier Special Operations Forces (SOF) exercise in Europe that focuses on improving the ability of SOF to counter myriad threats, increases integration with conventional forces and enhances interoperability with our NATO allies and European partners.

DN-SN-88-07087. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Grala, a Security Forces Airman from the 171 Air Refueling Wing, Coraopolis, Penn., provides aircraft security on the flightline during Agile Rage 22 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., June 13, 2022. Agile Rage 22 is a National Guard Bureau-led exercise that provides realistic training opportunities, mimicking current and future combat environments dictated by the National Defense Strategy.

silhouetted hunter with gun

Volunteers Center

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kristopher Tomes, a pararescueman with the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, jumps from a HC-130 following his re-enlistment near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Nov. 19, 2013. Airman Tomes is deployed from the 308th Rescue Squadron and has performed over 150 jumps.

NORFOLK (Jan. 7, 2013) Sailors fake out a mooring line aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

First Lt. Drew Parks grabs equipment from a Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected, All-Terrain Vehicle on Sept. 11, 2012, in Southwest Asia. Parks is a joint terminal attack controller with the 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron.

A stern portside view of an USAF MH-53J Enhanced Pave Low III Helicopter parked on the runway at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The setting sun and clouds silhouette the image. A stern portside view of an USAF MH-53J Enhanced Pave Low III Helicopter parked on the runway at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The setting sun and clouds silhouette the image.

East German policemen stand atop a section of the Berlin Wall at sunset. Base: Berlin Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Silhouette of a soldier with bullpup submachine gun on background of setting sun.

USA, Washington, Seattle. Color guard during Seafair parade (Editorial Usage Only)

Providers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division conduct a UH-60 jump on Fort Bragg, NC, March 30, 2022. The jump serves to bring awareness to the Army's SHARP program.

Paratroopers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division board a C-17 during Operation Falcon Blitz on Fort Bragg, NC, Jan. 28, 2023. Paratroopers will conduct an airborne operation in order to enhance brigade readiness and lethality.

Soldiers carrying backpacks, walking on muddy terrain.

United States Marine Corps combat boots in the desert.

Silhouette of a soldier holding a light machine gun on coastline with sunset sky.

Black silhouettes of pair of soldiers in the smoke fire burning moving in battle operation. Back light. Black silhouettes of soldiers

U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Seiler, an enlisted conductor with Detachment 1, 40th Infantry Division Band, California Army National Guard, conducts a medley from The Lion King during the July 4 Fireworks Spectacular at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, California, July 4, 2018. The installation partners with local communities to present the community's annual fireworks show. The nearly five-hour event featured vendors and military displays, musical performances, and culminated in a 25-minute fireworks show set to patriotic music.

Silhouette of a soldier kneeling in respect for a fallen comrade.

December 6, 2008 - U.S. Army Soldiers board a C-130 Hercules during Operation Toy Drop at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The jump gives Soldiers and Airmen a way to help local families in need over the holidays. More than 3,000 servicemembers donated a toy to win a chance to earn foreign jump wings from a German or Irish jumpmaster.

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

Army Air Crew Silhouetted in the Back of a CH-47 Chinook Flying Toward Kabul

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, facilitates K9 hoist training with the Area Support Group Kuwait Military Working Dog program on February 7, 2024, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Hoisting is an important part of MWD training on getting out of hard-to-reach areas in cases of medical emergencies. Army

DN-ST-88-07624. Base: San Francisco State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A platoon leader conducts a roll call in a hangar before his soldiers board an aircraft bound for the Persian Gulf region for Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Base: Westover Air Force Base State: Massachusetts (MA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Silhouette of Army soldiers crossing a river against an orange sunset.

army, military service and people concept - young soldier or traveler in camouflage uniform with backpack hiking over sky background. soldier in military uniform with backpack hiking

U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Logistics Group, slides down an obstacle during the Iron Mike competition at The Basic School on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 7, 2022. Competitors from across the Marine Corps were given 12 hours to complete the over 20 mile course, which culminated the use of core skills with multiple physical challenges.

Military gas masks strapped to metal framing on pallet rack in the War Readiness Section Warehouse by Material Management Specialists assigned to the 163d Logistics Readiness Squadron, 163d Attack Wing, California Air National Guard, on March Air Reserve Base, Calif., Jan. 6, 2024. Supply personnel are the linchpin of military readiness, orchestrating the intricate logistical web that ensures every troop is armed, provisioned, and ready for combat. Their strategic role, extending from procurement to distribution, is pivotal to sustaining combat power and influencing the very effectiveness and lethality of US Armed Forces.

Members of the 435th Tactical Air Wing, Combat Mobility and Supply Squadron, erect a camouflage net at the processing center in preparation for Marine casualties arriving from Beirut, Lebanon. The casualties are the result of a terrorist bomb attack at the Marine barracks and headquarters building in Beirut, Lebanon. Base: Rhein-Main Air Base Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

Spc. Kyra Davenport of the District of Columbia National Guard provides security during the fireworks at the 4th of July celebration on the National Mall. Over 50 National Guardsmen participated, supporting the United States Park Police.

Silhouette of a special forces soldier holding weapon above head while crossing a river.

Silhouette of a soldier giving hand salute on the shoreline during sunrise.

Soldiers of the Air Force Monitoring (LB) 502 Squadron at their Mitrailur Station with a point 50 Mitrailurer.

A U.S. Marine assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 273 inspects chains suspending a simulated downed aircraft at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, April 28, 2022. MWSS-273 and other squadrons assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) trained to integrate with and support Marine ground units during Service Level Training Exercise (SLTE) 3-22. SLTE is a series of exercises designed to prepare Marines for operations around the globe. 2nd MAW is the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

The fighter of a special unit performs a dangerous mission. Mixed media

Army soldiers near a cannon, German Cannon, German East Africa, 1914

war, army and people concept - close up of young soldier in military uniform

Minuteman Statue, Revolutionary War Site, Concord, Massachusetts, USA

An advanced Air Force Security Forces sniper team observe potential targets during training.

Pair of soldiers waist deep in the water and mud during a river raid in the jungle.

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.

Silhouettes of several soldiers with rifles against a sunset.

Bearded special forces soldier in uniform with weapon

France, Essonne, La Ferte Alais, Airshow 2012. Closeup On A Visitor Photographing The Aerial Demonstrations

A U.S. Army Reserve railway operations crewmember of the 757th Expeditionary Railway Center (ERC) conducts a railway inspection at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, August 6, 2022. The 757th ERC is the Department of Defenses only rail unit, whose mission is to assess rail infrastructure and provide feasibility and rail analysis for military installations both domestically and abroad.

Afghan National Army Soldier and Waving Flag

Training Kikvorsman at Den Oever. Mud Crawlen.

Silhouette of a soldier at dusk, HH-60G Pave Hawk, US Air Force

PRIDE OF NEW YORK, RESILIENCE OF AMERICANEW YORK - Hundreds of Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 26 and sailors from USS New York man the rails as USS New York pulls into New York City Nov. 2. The ship, which has 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center forged in its hull, was commissioned Nov. 7.

MAJ Anthony J. Sheehan, front, and CAPT James R. McNeil, F-100 Super Sabre aircraft pilots, spring from an alert hut to their awaiting strike aircraft. Base: PHAN Rang Air Base Country: Viet Nam (VNM)

Cavalry scouts assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division set up an observation post, aiding in the validation exercise of the joint-precision air drop system, May 19. The OP was emplaced to watch for cargo dropped by an Air Force C-130 aircraft to ensure it landed in the designated drop zone by the use of the automated guidance system controlling the direction of parachutes.

U.S. Soldiers prepare to conduct a training mission near Fort Walton Beach, Fla., March 15, 2010, as part of exercise Emerald Warrior 2010. Service members will participate in the 19-day joint training exercise conducted by U.S. Special Operations Command personnel.

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