Explosives and Tactical Training

Visuals highlight soldiers during tactical exercises, including carrying explosives and practicing crowd control scenarios in diverse environments.

Sgt. Christian Stafford, an Infantryman with the Ohio National Guards A Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, takes part in the stress shoot during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on May 12, 2022. The annual competition tests the military skills, physical strength and endurance of the top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio National Guards. The winners will move on to compete in the National Guards competition on July 20-30, 2022, at Camp Smyrna, Tennessee. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Sgt. Bob Brown.)

Soldiers with the 61st Troop Command carry explosives to the demolition site in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, May 15, 2022. Engineers conduct route clearance operations training to uncover improvised explosive devices in a controlled environment.

Staff Sgt. BIll Cenna, 212th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, briefs Staff Sgt. Jason Ruiz, 212th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, on his patient's status during training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on September 21, 2011. The training focused on quick-care-under-fire and also gave training to Baker Company, 3rd Platoon, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), on how to react when pararescuemen arrive.

Staff Sgt. Bounsou Douangsouphonh clears Cpt. Scott Takahashi, both with 555th Engineer Brigade, before allowing him onto the range to participate in First Corps marksmanship competition on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Feb. 27, 2024. The Brigade, coined as "Triple Nickle," has participated in the marksmanship competition every year since its' conception. Army

Soldiers of the 2nd of the 151st Infantry Battalion, from the Indiana Army National Guard, practice crowd and riot control tactics with the German Bundeswehr(Army) at Hohenfels Training Center, Germany, on October 7, 2022. Task Force Nighthawk is training to be the 31st rotation of U.S. forces to support Operation Joint Guardian in Regional Command East, KFOR in Kosovo.

Members of Squad 10, representing Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, communicate during an event on day 3 of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Best Squad Competition 2022, Sept, 14, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. TRADOCs Best Squad competition highlights 10 squads from across the enterprise. This competition shows each team's ability to complete common Soldier tasks and skills as a cohesive, ready, and resilient team, while facing stiff competition from other TRADOC centers of excellence. The competition is from Sept. 12-16, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion 503 Infantry Regiment (A CO. 2-503 IN) secured an landing zone after dismounting a Black Hawk helicopter during Exercise Saber Junction 22 at Hohenfels Training Area, Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) In Hohenfels, Germany, Sept. 9, 2022. Saber Junction 22 is a combat training rotation designed to assess the readiness of the 173rd IBCT (ABN) in executing operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating allied and partner nations.

Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company RENEGADES, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment STRIKE FORCE, 2nd Brigade Combat Team STRIKE, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conduct weapons drills on Aug. 9, 2022, at Mielec, Poland. 101st units will support V Corps mission to reinforce NATOs eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent to reassure our Nations allies.

Staff Sgt. Jack Schuler, an observer coach/trainer for 1st Training Support Battalion, 383rd Infantry Regiment, 181st Multifunctional Training Brigade, observers Soldiers of the 384th Military Police Battalion, 300th Military Police Brigade, 200th Military Police Command, prepare to breach a building as part of Spartan Warrior III June 21, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. Spartan Warrior III gave the 300th MP Brigade the opportunity to practice multiple levels of military police procedures across two weeks.

U.S. Army Georgia Amy National Guardsmen, Spc. Robert Sewell and Spc. Andrew Deya, both indirect fire infantrymen, with the Winder-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, adjusts mortar fire during a live fire training exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga. on June 16, 2022. XCTC is the U.S. Army National Guards program of record that enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained Platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win battles throughout the world. The XCTC exercise will include approximately 4,400 brigade personnel from throughout Georgia.U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tori Miller.

Sgt. Christian Stafford, an Infantryman with the Ohio National Guards A Company, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, takes part in the stress shoot during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on May 12, 2022. The annual competition tests the military skills, physical strength and endurance of the top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio National Guards. The winners will move on to compete in the National Guards competition on July 20-30, 2022, at Camp Smyrna, Tennessee. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Sgt. Bob Brown.)

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 (MWSS-171), 1st Marine Air Wing and U.S. sailors with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five (EODMU 5), prepare for rapid explosive hazard mitigation (REHM) training during Valiant Shield 2022 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 7, 2022. The training focused on the rapid clearing of unexploded ordnance in response to a simulated airfield attack allowing for safe airfield repair and continued operations.

Guard members from the 181st Brigade Support Battalion take part in a medical evacuation and field hospital exercise during their annual training on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. July 20, 2022. Nearly 240 Guard members from the 181st are supporting Officer Candidate School Phase III while also training on field craft and strengthen their MOS skill sets.

Airmen from the 8th Security Forces Squadron compete in the DefenderChallenge during Police Week 2022 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea,May 17, 2022. National Police Week pays special recognition to lawenforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for thesafety and protection of others.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John Sciara, a squad leader assigned to Chaos Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, yells commands at his squad during a squad live-fire exercise at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, July 13, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jose Diaz, 483rd Aera Clearance Platoon combat engineer, prepares a drop-shot demolition, linking multiple M112 demolition blocks together with detonation cord. The 483rd ACP hands-on demolition operations and training increases the combat engineers readiness and confidence needed in austere environments.

Staff Sgt. Marquice Wilson (right), human resources specialist, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, participates in a patrol base training on Fort Knox, Kentucky on May 12, 2022.

A 189th Security Forces Squadron defender guides rounds into a M240B machine gun Feb. 24, 2016, at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Ark. The M240 has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the late-1970s. It is used extensively by infantry, most often rifle companies as well as ground vehicles, watercraft and aircraft.

A team of Soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division confirm their zero during a M240B machine gun competition Ivy Week 2022, May 24, 2022, Fort Carson, Colorado. Ivy Week is an opportunity for Soldiers past and present to celebrate the 4th Inf. Div. legacy.

Sgt. Tracey Long grades a candidate during scenario-based testing for the Expert Infantry Badge for infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Divisions 1st Brigade Combat Team, Feb. 1, 2011, at Fort Bragg, N.C. The EIB was created in 1943 as a means to recognize excellence among the infantry.

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), conduct an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) at CSL Manda Bay, Kenya, June 17, 2022. During the EDRE, the East Africa Response Force (EARF) forward deployed from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, to Manda Bay to exercise its capability to provide security augmentation while Soldiers with the EARF and CJTF-HOA security forces conducted presence patrols with Kenya Defense Forces and responded to multiple injects that included base defense drills.

U.S. Army spur candidates of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, review a map during the air assault mission part of a Spur Ride at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, June 25, 2022. Soldiers from various units participated in the Spur Ride, a challenging event where physical fitness and teamwork are needed to emerge and earn their spurs.

An instructor at the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center based out of Fort Benning, Georgia, holds a cable as U.S. Soldiers and Airmen line up to rappel from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 14, 2022. Nearly 30 Soldiers and Airmen participated in a Rappel Master course hosted by a mobile training team from the WTC based out of Fort Benning, Georgia.

U.S. Army Spc. Alexandero Del Torro, assigned to 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, prepares belts of 7.62 ammunition in preparation of M240b machine gun training at Grafenwoehr Training Area, 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.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conducted M240 weapons familiarization for a CH-47 Chinook aerial gunnery evaluation at Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 26, 2022. The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) prepares for full-spectrum combat aviation operations in support of the United States Army, the United States Army-Europe and other designated combined joint task force headquarters.

Army Staff Sgt. David Murn gets help removing gear from other Soldiers after a ruck march for the Kentucky National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Ky. on Nov. 11, 2022. Murn and other competitors are required to ruck 12 miles in order to get a chance to represent their state at the regional competition.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 466th Area Medical Company, load a gurney from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at the Floyd Bennet Memorial Airport, Queensbury, N.Y., Oct. 22nd, 2022. Medics with the 466th and flight crews with C Company, 1-171 General Support Aviation Battalion, conducted joint training for unloading/offloading wounded soldiers.

U.S. Marines with 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, 2d Marine Division, prepare to detonate a 40-pound shaped demolition charge during the Sapper Leaders Course on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 6, 2022. The Sapper Leaders Course provides combat engineer squad leaders with the technical and tactical proficiency required to provide mobility, counter mobility and survivability to infantry company commanders.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Joseph LeVeille, left, and Tech. Sgt. Corban Lundborg, visual information specialists assigned to 4th Combat Camera Squadron, conduct a Soldier's Skill Lane during Day 1 of the 2022 Spc. Hilda I. Clayton Best Combat Camera Competition at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, May 19, 2022. The annual multi-day competition tests the tactical and technical proficiency of visual information and public affairs specialists across the DOD and participating international competitors.

A 353rd Special Operations Support Squadron Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element team member, gets briefed by a Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 MV-22 Osprey pilot before boarding the aircraft for a nighttime helicopter assault force raid training mission at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan, May 12, 2022. The training rehearsed Special Forces Foreign Internal Defense through combined assault forces with assets including a Joint Terminal Attack Controller, Signals Intelligence and Multi-Purpose Canines. Integration of Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force components increased interoperability and preparation for operations in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. This photo has been edited for security purposes.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, and French Army soldiers participate in a combined arms live-fire range as part of the culminating event of Exercise Burmese Chase on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 26, 2022. Exercise Burmese Chase is a longstanding fire support exercise hosted by 2nd ANGLICO focused on improving combat readiness and strengthening relationships with allies and partners.

A U.S. Army fire support specialist, Pfc. Noah Arms, assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Brigade, assembles the base for a M249 Light Machine Gun during weapons qualification event of the 7th Army Training Command and V Corps Best Squad Competition, Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, July 12, 2022. Squads tested their marksmanship during the weapons qualification event of the competition. Winners of this best squad competition will advance to the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition in August.

Spc. Cody Matonik, a Soldier a part of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force Africa (SETAF), carries his squad leader Staff Sgt. Thomas Schneider, squad leader, as Spc. Matthew Orth provides security during a team based buddy carry event during the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad competition, Grafenwohr, Germany, Aug. 11, 2022. Teams from across USAREUR-AF test their tactical proficiency, communication and overall cohesion as they compete for the title of Best Squad. Winners of this competition will advance to represent USAREUR-AF at the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina later this year.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st. Class Anthony Sanchez, left, and 1st. Lt. Mitchell Ziegler, middle, both assigned to Viper Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), exchange patches with a Finnish conscript assigned to Jaeger Brigade at Rovaniemi, Finland, August 9, 2022. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) trained in Finland to strengthen relations and build interoperability between the two partner nations.

During day two of the first-ever U.S. Army Japan Expert Soldier Badge competition training week, soldiers enhanced patrol techniques and knowledge at Sagami General Depot, Japan April 12.Supporting cadre are with units out of Hawaii, Republic of Korea, and Japan, who are current badge holders which offered expert knowledge on moving under direct fire; tactical handheld radio operations; defense advanced GPR receiver operations; camouflage and visual signaling techniques; chemical and biological operations; military maps; claymore mines; tactical searches; and maintaining a shotgun. The grueling competition is spread out over two weeks including a week of candidate training and a week of testing which are designed to identify the most knowledgeable and competent experts in warrior tasks and drills. Training and testing are designed to be tough, realistic, and mission-focused

Combat engineers with the 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion participated in their annual training of demolition and explosive breaching through doors and wall structures on May 6, 2022. Combat engineers provide support of mobility, counter mobility and survivability for Soldiers within the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team during combat missions. Our job is to make sure that we proficiently enable our combat personnel to move from point A to point B, said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Smith, platoon sergeant with the 116th BEB. Counter mobility is to keep the enemy from moving forward, so that we can move forward with our mission. We go in and get the good guys if they are trapped or we go in where there are bad guys behind a door, and it is imperative we do this safely with maximum survivability.

U.S. Army Spc. Daniel Reading, an infantryman with Maryland National Guards D Company, 1-175th Infantry Regiment, has a 200 pound litter hooked to his belt to be dragged during the 2022 ARNG National Best Warrior Competition at the Volunteer Training Site in Tullahoma, Tenn., July 28, 2022. Reading enlisted in the National Guard in 2019 and holds a bachelors degree in political science and minor in history from Mount Saint Marys University.

U.S. Soldiers with Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment breach a building during the Pioneer Challenge at Tower Barracks Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 13, 2022. Pioneer Challenge is a physically demanding training event that incorporates military tasks and skills specific to the RES to promote cohesion and esprit de corps among the Pioneer formation and their German partners.

Soldiers from 11th Airborne Division tie their rappel seat as part of their Air Assault Class on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK June 15 to become Air Assault qualified with instructors from 25th Infantry Divisions Lightning Academy. (Photo taken by Staff Sgt. Christopher Dennis/11th Airborne Division Public Affairs Office)

Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), 4th Air Support Operations Group Operating Location Alpha and the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, conduct medevac training on Nov. 1, 2022, in Romania. 101st units will support V Corps mission to reinforce NATOs eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent to reassure our Nations allies.

Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard conduct a Live Fire Exercise on July 12, 2022 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.

From left, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Peter Simotas, a platoon sergeant assigned to 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and U.S Army Capt. Evan Kraemer, commander of Charlie Company, 1-68 AR wait with radios for the start of a situational training exercise at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, June 16, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners.

Sgt. William Sievers, an observer coach/trainer for the 4th Cavalry Multifunctional Training Brigade observes Soldiers of the 231st Inland Cargo Truck Company, 377th Sustainment Command, conduct movement drills during Army Warrior Tasks training as part of Warrior Exercise 78-22-02 July 19, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wis. The 78th Training Division will conduct WAREX 78-22-02 from July 16-30 at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, in order to build Warfighter collective readiness and prepare units to execute mission in support of Unified Land Operations.

U.S. Army soldiers getting there individual brief for daytime land navigation for the Best Squad Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconson on May 15, 2022. Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation travelled to Fort McCoy, Wisconson, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Warrior Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BWBSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of NCO of the Year”, Soldier of the Year” and Best Squad” among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

Dark Horse medics carry a casualty onto a UH-60 Black Hawk during 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalrys Air Medical Evacuation at the Expert Field Medical Badge site, July 24, 2008.

Soldiers assigned to 1-229 Attack Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade refuel, rearm, and repair AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and other vehicles at the Forward Arming and Refueling Point on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Oct. 20, 2022.

Soldiers from 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, currently deployed In the Republic of Korea Assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, host a Spur Ride, on the 7th-8th of Apr. 2022, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea. The Spur Ride is an event which tests a soldiers physical and mental strength and the ability to operate as part of a team under high levels of stress.

U.S. Army Soldiers compete in the Best Medic Competition for Medical Readiness Command, East on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Nov. 7, 2022. The competition included a 4-mile road march, nighttime land navigation, daytime land navigation, a stress shoot and a health service support brief on the second day.

A U.S. Soldier performs weapon maintenance on a MK19 Grenade Machine Gun to earn the U.S. Army Expert Soldier Badge (ESB), Sept. 13, 2022, in Vilseck, Germany. The ESB is a U.S. Army special skills badge awarded to all Soldiers, except those in Infantry, Special Forces and Medical Career Management fields, after demonstrating individual Soldier competencies and abilities to perform challenging, realistic and mission-focused skill level 1 warrior and brigade commander-selected tasks.

Staff Sgt. Philip Amick studies his compass while participating in land navigation, an event part of Best Squad competition, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin on May 15, 2022.Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation travelled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Warrior Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BWBSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of NCO of the Year, Soldier of the Year and Best Squad among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

Combat medic attached to 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division assess casualtys injuries while Soldiers recovers a downed aircraft at Fort Carson, Colorado, Aug. 24, 2022. The combat medics attached to 404th ASB trained on providing medical treatment and care during the training exercise.

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Kurtzhals, command sergeant major assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division speaks with a U.S. Soldier following their M1 Abrams tank platoon situational training exercise at Bucierz Range, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, May 4, 2022 in preparation for Defender 22. Defender Europe 22 is a series of U.S. Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercises in Eastern Europe. The exercise demonstrates U.S. Army Europe and Africas ability to conduct large-scale ground combat operations across multiple theaters in support of NATO.

Guard members with 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment take part in a direct fire exercise as part of their annual training on June 21, 2022 at the Yakima Training Center, Yakima, Wash. Soldiers conducted volley fire with multiple guns to demonstrate the precision of the M777 Howitzer.

U.S. Soldiers with Palehorse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment get familiar with tactical watch ahead of a training exercise on Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, Jan. 10, 2023. 2CR provides V Corps with a lethal and agile force capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater in order to assure allies, deter adversaries, and when ordered, defend the NATO alliance.

U.S. Soldiers with 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division tie off the detonation cord to am improvised brazier charge during a demolition range in Zagan, Poland, Aug. 30, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Coats, an operations non-commissioned officer, assigned to 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, demonstrates how to set up an improvised silhouette demolition charge during a demolition range at Zagan, Poland, Aug. 30, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe.

U.S. Army Sgt. Nicole Ineson, 456th Medical Company Area Support of the U.S. Army Reserve, counts down to surprising U.S. Army Spc. Peter Vanechanos with a makeshift graduation ceremony while on a training mission to support Defender 22 at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, May 23, 2022. Training and Readiness are key in being ready and able to respond to any threats from our adversaries and provide support to our allies.

U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade test their medical skills during the week-long training as part of the Expert Infantryman Badge, Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Field Medical Badge training at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Oct 28, 2022. Soldiers must complete a number of prerequisites and pass a battery of graded tests on basic Infantry skills. The purpose of this training is to build confidence and competence within our formations on basic Soldier skills and tactics, and help sustain the Army's role as an organization of lethal, disciplined and professional soldiers. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen, with 171st Air Refueling Wings Emergency Management section coordinate with the 171st Security Forces Squadron while on a reconnaissance training mission during a large-scale readiness exercise at the base in Pittsburgh, March 11, 2023. The multi-day large-scale readiness exercise involved Guardsmen from multiple sections on base working together to build skills needed to maintain readiness.

U.S. Marines assigned to 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines practice squad movement tactics with Soldiers from St. Lucia and Mexico at the National Police Traning Academy in Belmopan, Belize as part of the TRADEWINDS22 exercise May 12, 2022. Tradewinds 2022 is a multinational exercise designed to expand the Caribbean regions capability to mitigate, plan for, and respond to crises; increase regional training capacity and interoperability; develop new and refine existing standard operating procedures; enhance ability to defend exclusive economic zones; and promote human rights and adherence to shared international norms and values; fully integrate women into defense, peace and security missions; and increase maritime domain awareness to deter illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activities.

Service members from Norway conduct crew-served weapons qualification at Camp Ripley, March 30, 2022. (Minnesota National Guard Photo by Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh)

U.S. Soldiers and a Bosnian soldier conduct medical evacuation training during Exercise Combined Resolve 17 (CbR 17) at Hohenfels Training Area, Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany, May 26, 2022. CbR 17 is a United States Army Europe-Africa directed, 7th Army Training Command executed exercise that takes place at JMRC from May 20 to June 19, 2022. The event is designed to evaluate and assess a unit's ability to conduct operations in a complex, multi-domain simulated battle space. The focus of the rotation is to exercise combined arms operations in a multinational environment.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Shawn P. Coover (center right), Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor, with II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, instructs students during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) course on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 18, 2022. The intent of MCMAP is to develop the moral, mental and physical resiliency of individual Marines and ultimately the unit as a whole.

Artillery Soldiers from Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division "Task Force 82," conduct sling-load training and elevator drills on Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, Jan. 5, 2024. CH-47 Chinooks from the 3rd Attack Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, supported the 101st Airborne Division by moving M777 howitzers by air to increase readiness and proficiency in air assault operations.

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 172 prepare to pour concrete 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. military forces compete to earn the German Shutzenschner at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo August 27, 2022. The Shutzenschner, or German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency, is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany worn by enlisted Soldiers.

U.S. Army Col. Michael Kloepper, commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher D. Clapin move toward an objective after exiting a U.S. Air Force 86th Air Wing C-130 Hercules aircraft during airborne operation at Juliet Drop Zone, Pordenone, Italy, Oct. 5, 2022. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Move a simulated casualty on a stretcher during a medical lane during the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Squad Competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Aug. 9, 2022. Teams across U.S. Army Europe and Africa test their tactical proficiency, communication, and overall cohesion as they compete for the title of Best Squad. Winners of this competition will advance to represent U.S. Army Europe and Africa at the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina later this year.

Sgt. Joshua Kleinhans of Kiel, Wisconsin, a Fire Control Specialist with the Wisconsin National Guards B Battery, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery Regiment, fires a M240B machine gun during the Region IV Best Warrior Competition May 11-15, 2022 at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. The annual competition tests the military skills, physical strength and endurance of the top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio National Guards. The winners will move on to compete in the National Guards competition on July 20-30, 2022, at Camp Smyrna, Tennessee. (Minnesota National Guard photo by Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh)

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 1st Infantry Division Artillery take the final exam of a combat lifesaver course at Forward Operating Site Adazi, Latvia, June 4, 2022. The 1st Infantry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces.

U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division conduct sustained airborne training at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, Jan. 22, 2024. The paratroopers completed the training in preparation for an airborne operation that marked the start of Operation Devil Strike. 1st BCT conducted Devil Strike to validate their preparedness for their upcoming ration at the Joint Readiness Training Center on Fort Johnson, Louisiana, and test their readiness to deploy, fight and win anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

From left, U.S. Army Col. Geoffrey A. Norman, 1st Infantry Division Deputy Commanding Officer for Support, speaks with U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Selby, commander of 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, as they observe U.S. Soldiers as they demonstrate an M1A2 Abrams tank power pack installation as part of the Abrams Operations Summit at Bucierz Range, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 27, 2022. The 1st Infantry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces.

Army Reserve 2022 Best Squad competitor Spc. Ethan Allen, representing the 7252th Medical Support Unit, receives support from medics after finishing the 12 mile ruck march, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, May 17, 2022. Approximately 40 Soldiers from across the nation traveled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of "Best Warrior" and "Best Squad" among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue. (Army Reserve photo by Spc. Brandon Levy)

U.S. Army Sgt. Jesse Brown, left, commander of an M1A2 Abrams tank, assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, confirms pre-combat checks with U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Chris Mason, first sergeant of Bravo Company 1-68 AR as part of Defender Europe at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, May 24, 2022. Defender Europe 22 is a series of U.S. Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercises taking place in Eastern Europe. The exercise demonstrates U.S. Army Europe and Africas ability to conduct large scale ground combat operations across multiple theaters in support of NATO.

Combat medics with the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment and 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry Regiment, came together to conduct task familiarization and a litter obstacle course during the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team annual training on June 12 at Fort McCoy, Wis. This training was geared towards gaining knowledge and skills while also encouraging these soldiers to consider pursuing the Expert Field Medical Badge during their careers as medics.

A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, scans his sector during a company training exercise at Fort Drum, Jun. 30. During the exercise Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, occupied and defended a position against a hostile force. The 69th Regiment is conducting pre-mobilization training at Fort Drum in preparation of an upcoming deployment to the Horn of Africa.

Members of the Idaho Army National Guards Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st of the 148th Field Artillery Regiment conducted air medical evacuation and casualty treatment, along with members of Detachment 1, Company Golf, 1st of the 168th General Support Aviation Battalion at the Orchard Combat Training Center, May 17.

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 8, 2d Marine Logistics Group coordinate with a U.S. Army pilot before they load a M777 towed 155 mm howitzer during exercise Rolling Thunder on Fort Drum, New York, March 27, 2023. This exercise is a live-fire artillery event that tested the 10th Marine Regiments ability to operate in a simulated littoral environment against a peer threat in a dynamic and multi-domain scenario.

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 1-114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, resupply a 120mm mortar weapon system during training on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, June 3, 2022. Mortar Systems provide the maneuver commander rapid, responsive, indirect fires in support of combat operations.

Soldiers of the 2nd of the 151st Infantry Battalion, from the Indiana Army National Guard, practice crowd and riot control tactics with the German Bundeswehr(Army) at Hohenfels Training Center, Germany, on October 7, 2022. Task Force Nighthawk is training to be the 31st rotation of U.S. forces to support Operation Joint Guardian in Regional Command East, KFOR in Kosovo.

U.S. Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, conduct a live-fire unknown distance range during Warrior Shield 24 at Cherokee Range, Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, Republic of Korea, Feb. 29, 2024. 9th ESB conducted the live-fire training to sustain tactical proficiency and combat marksmanship skills in a wide range of scenarios. Warrior Shield 24 is an annual joint, combined, exercise in the Republic of Korea that strengthens the combined defensive capabilities of ROK-U.S. Forces. This routine, regularly scheduled, field training exercise provides the ROK-U.S. Marines the opportunity to rehearse combined operations, exchange knowledge, and demonstrate the strength and capability of the ROK-U.S. Alliance. Marine Corps

Oregon National Guard Soldiers fire M9 pistols during The Adjutant General marksmanship competition, known as TAG Match,” at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Oregon, May 30. The Oregon National Guard TAG Match is a two-day competition held annually to promote marksmanship training.

Sgt. Dylon Evans directs Pfc. Aaron Bartholomew, both combat engineers from 833rd Engineer Company, Iowa National Guard, during the detonation of C4 explosives as part of Western Strike 22, June 10, 2022 at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho. 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 Lance Cpl. Cameron Roof, a machine gunner with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a native of Pittsboro, Indiana, observes as a Philippine Marine disassembles a U.S. M240B machine gun in Claveria, Philippines, Oct. 3, 2022. The bilateral training was conducted as part of KAMANDAG 6 to share tactics, techniques and procedures. 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 shared experiences.

Staff Sgt. Miguel A. Martinez-Velazquez, chaplain's assistant noncommissioned officer in charge, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, shelters 3rd BCT Brigade Chaplain Maj. Paul Jaedicke from incoming fire during the role play training for chaplain and chaplain's assistants Aug. 3rd at the Joint Readiness Training Center. The chaplains and thier assistants are training for an upcoming deployment in support of the war on terror.

Staff Sgt. Daeyvon Jones (left), observer, coach/trainer, 188th Infantry Brigade, uses event grader Sgt. 1st Class Logan Krul's (right) arm to demonstrate his ability to control bleeding during a Best Warrior Competition scenario at Fort Knox, Kentucky, March 31, 2022. The winners of the competition were Spc. Adriel Torres Vasquez, an information technology specialist assigned to U.S. Army Human Resources Command; and Sgt. 1st Class Mark Webb, with U.S. Army Cadet Command. Jones was the standout competitor for First Army Division East.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Platoon, Argonaut Troop, Regiment Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, build a brazier demolition charge at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Oct. 15, 2022. 2nd Cavalry Regiment provides V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps in Europe, with combat-credible forces capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater to defend the NATO alliance.

Soldiers of the 2nd of the 151st Infantry Battalion, from the Indiana Army National Guard, practice crowd and riot control tactics with the German Bundeswehr(Army) at Hohenfels Training Center, Germany, on October 7, 2022. Task Force Nighthawk is training to be the 31st rotation of U.S. forces to support Operation Joint Guardian in Regional Command East, KFOR in Kosovo.

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)

13F advanced individual training students of Bravo Battery, 1-78th Field Artillery Battalion, conducted their culminating training exercise on 14 February on top of OP Andrews. CPT Ryaan Villagomez, the Bravo Battery Commander coordinated with the C-UAS school house and drone pilots to provide the students with a demonstration of a new UAS/UAV platform.

Pfc. Carbel Fares, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, claps while singing the Army song to Lt. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, V Corps commanding general, after participating in a demonstration of U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams tanks during the Abrams Operation Summit at Bucierz Range, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 25, 2022. The 1st Infantry Division is among other units assigned to V Corps, America's forward-deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide command-and-control for rotational and set units in the European theater.

4th Infantry Division Soldiers prepare to move a simulated casualty care training aid onto a UH-60 Blackhawk as a part of Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) training on Pershing Field at Fort Carson, Colorado, April 27, 2022. Soldiers are expected to provide aid to battle buddies while on the battlefield if injured, and will call in transportation to help move personnel.

Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and NATO partners and allies conduct DV Day as part of Justice Eagle 22 on Sept. 19, 2022, at Smardan Training Area, Romania. Our commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and we will continue to bolster our posture to better defend our NATO allies. (U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley, 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs.)

FORT BRAGG N.C. - Medics assigned the 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division conducted a simulated casualty evacuation exercise on June 29, 2013 during the Joint Operational Access Exercise on Holland Drop Zone.

Lt. Col. Eric Megerdoomian assesses the spur ride candidates, also known as "shave tails," before they board a CH-47 helicopter.

94th Security Forces Squadron Airmen carry a simulated wounded Airman to cover during an exercise at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga, Sept. 22. Dobbins ARB hosted, coordinated, and participated in a base-wide exercise from Sept. 19-25 called United Force 22-01 to test readiness capabilities.

U.S. Army Pfc. David Thomson and Cpl Vail Forbeck, mass communication specialists with the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, conduct a video interview during a training exercise during Annual Training at Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA. July 20, 2022. Public Affairs Soldiers are a vital flexible asset and excel at telling the Army story.

Guardsmen assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing participate in a simulated car accident scenario, May 15, 2022, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The simulated car accident was both a training exercise for students of a Combat Lifesaver Course as well as a simulated mass casualty scenario during a Nuclear Operational Readiness Exercise.

Army Staff Sgt. Dirk Omerzo, an instructor with the Pennsylvania Army National Guards 3rd Battalion, 166TH Regiment (Regional Training Institute), laces up his boots prior to taking part in the ruck march event in the 2016 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Concord, Mass., Thursday, June 23, 2016. Omerzo would go on to win the competition, along with Army Sgt. Calvin Koziol, who was named the winner in the SOldier category.The competition is a mentally and physically challenging three-day event that tests Soldiers on a variety of tactical and technical skills to determine the Army Guards Soldier and noncommissioned of the year. The winners move on to compete in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition, battling it out with Soldiers from throughout the Army to be named the Armys Soldier and NCO of the year.

An M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams tank crew assigned to 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, carry one of their crew members during the casualty evacuation portion of Operation Thunder Run, the final event of the Sullivan Cup, on Fort Benning, Georgia, May 6, 2022. The Sullivan Cup requires mastery of individual tasks, technical and tactical competence, and the ability to demonstrate an array of maneuver, sustainment and gunnery skills.

Soldiers compete for recognition as the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Best Warrior / Squad. Over 15 Soldiers in Europe competed to secure a spot on the largest American Military Medical Centers Best Squad, April 25-27.

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