Helicopter Operations

Action shots of soldiers exiting helicopters during military operations, showcasing various aircraft in different environments and scenarios.

An Italian Army Agusta AW129 Mangusta attack helicopter at Forward Operating Base Herat, Regional Command West, Afghanistan.

Soldiers exit a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an air assault mission to kick off the 11th Airborne Division activation ceremony June 6, 2022, at Ladd Army Airfield on Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team traded their 25th Infantry Division patches for that of the historic 11th Airborne Division and will serve in Alaska as the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the Arctic Angels, specializing in operations in extreme cold weather and high-altitude mountainous terrain. (Army photo/John Pennell)

060425-A-7969G-008. Base: Fob Summerall State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Airmen assigned to the 169th Security Forces Squadron at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., respond to security threats to an aircraft during joint exercise Operation Rita February 2, 2012, in South Carolina. Security forces were transported by South Carolina Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks to a destination near the alleged activity to begin their reconnaissance mission. Operation Rita was conducted to emphasize the importance of security forces' need to be familiar with Army aviation as well as loading and unloading from active helicopters.

An Italian Army Agusta AW129 Mangusta attack helicopter at Forward Operating Base Herat, Regional Command West, Afghanistan.

030310-F-1404F-017. Base: Krtsanisi Country: Georgia (The Country) (GEO) Scene Major Command Shown: EUCOM

060510-N-5384B-161. Base: USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)

U.S. Soldiers and Airmen, as well as a soldier with the Kosovo Security Force, board a UH-60 Black Hawk as part of the Air Assault course at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 8, 2022. Over 200 Soldiers and Airmen participated in a 12-day U.S. Army Air Assault course held at Camp Dodge, which trains service members in sling-load operations and rappelling as well as being a test of grit.

040724-A-0259W-042. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Airfield State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

DF-ST-87-07546. Subject Operation/Series: GALLANT EAGLE '86 State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team West conducts visit board search and seizure exercises and maritime interdiction operations off the coast of San Diego July, 18, 2022, these exercises are in support of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29-Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The worlds largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the worlds oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Stanton.

Alaska Army National Guard Spc. Samuel A. Vencill leans outside of an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter ahead of a rappel on June 12, 2018 at Camp Rilea, near Warrenton, Oregon. Vencill was one of nearly 40 Soldiers who attended the week-long Rappel Master course where Soldiers are required to complete a number of tasks to ensure that they are able to successfully run rappel operations.

US Army Soldiers boarding a U-60 Black Hawk helicopter after conducting an aerial response force mission, Iraq

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 22, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, prepare to attach a HIMARS launcher pod container to a CH-53E Super Stallion during a helicopter support team training event at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 26, 2022. Landing Support Platoon, with CLB-22, conducted these external lift operations with a helicopter support team to improve their skills and ability to execute potential contingency missions in support of 2nd Marine Division and II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Navy sailors load humanitarian supplies onto a Navy HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter.

Utah Army National Guard UH-60 Black hawks and an Apache AH-64 depart from Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, on Sept. 8, 2022 during a joint force exercise. During the exercise, Airmen were challenged to defuel a KC-135R Stratotanker into an Army Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck to practice Agile Combat Employment. Prior to departure, the Black hawks and Apache received fuel from the HEMTT. This innovative process demonstrates the ability to provide fuel to other vehicles when located in austere conditions in order to complete the mission.

An Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter exits as Rangers begin an assault demonstration at the 6th Ranger Training Battalions open house event May 7 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The event was a chance for the public to learn how Rangers train and operate. The event displays showed equipment, weapons, a reptile zoo, face painting and weapon firing among others. The demonstrations showed off hand-to-hand combat, a parachute jump, snake show, and Rangers in action. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Juan Martinez, 36th Contingency Response Squadron specialized fueling team chief, Staff Sgt. Ryan Merritt, 36th CRS Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of aerospace ground equipment, and Tech. Sgt. Omar Suvia, 721st CRS Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of fuels unit control center readiness from Travis Air Force Base, California, fuel the MH-60 on Tinian, Feb. 12, 2024 during Cope North 24. Members regularly train in locations such as Guam, Tinian, and Saipan to improve our capability and capacity for agile combat employment operations.

An aircrew assigned to U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment- Yakima Training Center prepares to hoist a simulated SKED litter patient with members of the Central Washington Mountain Rescue at Yakima Training Center, Wash. on Aug. 28, 2022. Mount Rainier is visible in the background.

020319-N-4790M-003. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Edwin Andrew Air Base State: Zamboanga Country: Philippines (PHL)

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 19th Special Forces, Utah National Guard retrieve a fast rope after being dropped into a Utah landing zone on the Utah Test and Training Range by an Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter Nov. 9, 2007, during combat search and rescue (CSAR) integration exercise. The training was given by Airmen from the 34th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The exercise's objective was to expand expertise and integration with Utah's 211th Aviation Group AH-64 Apache Joint Rotary Wing, 4th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon Striker assets, 19th Special Operations Forces, and conduct extensive joint CSAR operations against surface to air threats.

A Marine crew chief guides a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter with Helicopter Marine Medium Squadron 365 (HMM-365) (Reinforced) near the Air Command Element Headquarters at Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. A Marine crew chief guides a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter with Helicopter Marine Medium Squadron 365 (HMM-365) (Reinforced) near the Air Command Element Headquarters at Kandahar International Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan, during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

A Georgia Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk from the Marietta based, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, lifts off rapidly after inserting Georgian special forces during an urban operations exercise at the Vaziani Training Area on Aug 5, 2018 during Noble Partner 18. The exercise highlights the 24 years the two militaries have worked together under the U.S. National Guards State Partnership Program.U.S

Soldiers assigned to Task Force 44 and the 924th Korean Medical Hospital, exit a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in the village of Aroki, to conduct a Medical Civil Action Program (MEDCAP), Dental Civil Action Program (DENCAP) and Veterinarian Civil Action Program, during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Aroki State: Kapisa Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

KFOR multinational partners from Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland and the U.S. came together at Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, to participate in additional MedEvac skills training July 19, 2022. KFOR partner nations remain committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo as mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999.

A CH-47 Chinook crew member waits to board simulated patients for medevac on Fort Drum, NY, July 21, 2022. The medevac was part of eXportable Combat Training Capability 22-01.

Senior Airmen Giancarlo Hernandez and John Millan-Irizarry, 51st Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment journeymen, wait to secure an Internal Slingable Unit to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter during an integrated sling load training at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 13, 2022. Sling load operations can be used for contingencies to disperse assets to smaller forward operating locations.

Maintainers from the 151st Air Refueling Wing participate in an unprecedented joint force exercise on Sept. 8, 2022 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The exercise provided an opportunity for cross-platform familiarization training for fuels and crew chiefs who were able to get first-hand experience with multiple platforms they usually would not obtain at their home station, adding to the war fighting efforts.

070130-A-5332O-133. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Logistic Support Area Anaconda Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts pre-flight checks on an AH-64D Apache longbow at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sept. 28, 2022. 12th CAB is among other units assigned to V Corps, America's Forward Deployed Corps in Europe. They work alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises, and retain command and control for all rotational and assigned units in the European Theater.

Soldiers assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment FIRST STRIKE”, 2nd Brigade Combat Team STRIKE”, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion 227th Aviation Regiment BLACKCATS” conduct cold load training, hot load training and elevator drills on July 25, 2022, at Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania. As we have for the last 80 years, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) stands ready to deploy anywhere to support and defend the Nation and our Allies. (U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley, 2nd Brigade Combat Team STRIKE”.)

Members of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) along with 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment conduct helo medical hoisting operations for an Ecuadorian Special Forces partner in Manta, Ecuador, May 21, 2022. Ecuadorian military and US forces are conducting routine military exchanges from May 6-27 between the cities of Manta and Latacunga. Bilateral exchanges allow both militaries to strengthen tactical readiness for future operations maintain readiness and support continue commitment in responding to emerging security crises and natural disasters.( U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Matthew Griffith)

021206-F-6701P-039. Base: Vasiani Country: Georgia (The Country) (GEO)

U.S. Marines, U.S. Army soldiers, and members of the Turkish Air Force load humanitarian aid onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye, Feb. 15, 2023. 1AD CAB provides a dynamic lift capability in direct support of USAID and Turkish relief efforts. 1AD CAB is one of several U.S. military units supporting Task Force 61/2 (TF 61/2), operating under U.S. Sixth Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR), and U.S. European Commanders part of the International Turkish disaster relief efforts.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jordan Utter and military working dog Gary, assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, walk away from a HH-60 Pave Hawk, assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, after completing helicopter acclimation training at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 23, 2023. Helicopter acclimation training ensures the MWD and their handler are comfortable operating in and around helicopters while in a controlled environment.

A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter aircrew assigned to Alpha Company, 2-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade transports U.S. Army Pacific Commanding General, Gen. Charles Flynn, above Baturaja, Indonesia on Aug. 3, 2022.

Soldiers from 5th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment receive their instructions from the U.S. Army soldiers for proper mounting procedures in the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter for their joint training rehearsal as part of Super Garuda Shield 2022 in Baturaja, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022. Super Garuda Shield, a part of Operation Pathways and a longstanding annual, bilateral military exercise conducted between the U.S. military, Indonesia National Armed Forces, has now expanded to a multinational exercise encompassing 14 Nations. This exercise reinforces the U.S. commitments to our allies, and other regional partners reinforcing joint readiness, and the interoperability to fight and win together.

Artillery Soldiers from Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division "Task Force 82," conduct sling-load operations and elevator drills on Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, Jan. 5, 2024. CH-47 Chinooks from 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.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 Super Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, approaches Landing Zone Sandhill during Integrated Training Exercise 3-22 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, April 8, 2022. ITX is a live-fire event that increases unit readiness.  It teaches the tactical application of combined-arms maneuver as well as offensive and defensive operations during combat.

020525-F-2902B-014. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Airfield State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

U.S. Soldiers with Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment (Air Ambulance), Vermont National Guard, perform daily maintenance checks on a HH-60M Black Hawk at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, Oct. 5, 2017. The Guardsmen are supporting recovery efforts following the destruction and devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

U.S. Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visits the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site to receive an orientation on the new UH-60V Black Hawk helicopters and take one for a quick flight. Hokanson has over 2600 flight hours, including 50 combat hours, and has flown the AH-64, OH-58, TH-55, UH-1 and UH-60. Hokanson was greeted by Pennsylvania National Guard leadership, including Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, the Adjutant General, and Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Deputy Adjutant General- Army. EAATS Soldiers and employees led the orientation and briefings.

030114-F-9528H-017. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Country: Unknown

060425-A-7969G-012. Subject Operation/Series: SWIFT SWORD Base: Sukariya State: Salah Ah Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 101ST AB DIVISION

A U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence Soldier prepares to board a UH-60 Black Hawk after refueling April 7, 2022 at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

030303-F-1404F-014. Base: Krtsanisi Country: Georgia (The Country) (GEO) Scene Major Command Shown: EUCOM

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters land at Fort Bragg's training ranges to drop off paratroopers in Company C, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division during an air-assault, live-fire training exercise, April 3, 2009.

United States Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopters of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division transport M777 Howitzers of the Georgia Army National Guards 1st Battalion 118th Field Artillery Regiment during training at Fort Stewart, Ga. Dec. 11, 2018. The 1-118th, and other units of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are preparing for their fourth combat deployment since September 11, 2001.

The Mid-Plains All-Star College Baseball League hosted by the City of Junction City, Kansas, visited the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Riley, Kansas on July 16th, 2022, to learn about Army aviation and the special relationship that Junction City enjoys with its 1st Infantry Division partners. 1st CAB Soldiers taught the players about the different airframes and gave them the unique opportunity to see the aircraft up close.

980311-F-7910D-002. Subject Operation/Series: SOUTHERN WATCH 1998 Base: Camp Doha Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

Tikrit, Iraq - A pair of AH-64D Apache Longbow Block III attack helicopters prepare for takeoff

A member of Btry. C, 1ST Bn., 319th Field Artillery Regt., prepares to attach an M-102 105mm howitzer to a 2nd Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter for airlifting during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

Navy personnel in a HH-60H Seahawk helicopter move in with M-4 Carbine at the ready to extract two survivors during a Combined Search And Rescue (CSAR) scenario for DESERT RESCUE IX exercise. Desert Rescue is the premiere Search And Rescue (SAR) training exercise involving Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine personnel. It is conducted at the ranges of Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers from B Co. 3-2 General Support Aviation Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade participated in the 2nd Infantry Division ROK-U.S. Combined Division wet gap crossing on September 20-21, 2022 by sling loading sections of a pontoon bridge and lowering them into a river. The 11th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade provided the pontoon bridge sections that were used to build the bridge.U.S. Army Photo by Capt. Frank Spatt

Guatemalan Naval Special Forces fast rope from a UH60 Blackhawk for FRIES training during CENTAM Guardian 23 in San Jose, Guatemala on March 21, 2023. CG23 is an annual Army-led combined, joint, interagency, multi-national partnership-building exercise designed to build capacity, capabilities and interoperability with Central American partner nations.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Sept. 13, 2022) U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific team members prepare to execute a static line airborne drop above a designated drop zone at Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii, Sept. 13, 2022. U.S. Special Operations Forces maintain proficiency in completing static line and high altitude free fall airborne jumps. SOCPAC serves as the functional component for all special operations missions deployed throughout the Inso-Pacific region.

031102-F-0881Z-003. Base: Baghdad International Airport Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: ACC

U.S. Marines with 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion attached to Task Group 61/2.4, speak to a UH-1Y crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 before boarding near Saaremaa, Estonia, May 22, 2022. Task Group 61/2.4 provides naval and joint force commanders with dedicated multi-domain reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance (RXR) capabilities. Task Group 61/2.4, under Task Force 61/2, is executing the Commandant of the Marine Corps Concept for Stand-in Forces (SIF) to generate small, highly versatile units that integrate Marine Corps and Navy forces. Task Force 61/2 is deployed in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., Allied and Partner interests.

A U.S. Air Force Airman looks out the window of an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, as it taxis during the Luke Air Force Base Supporter Appreciation Day event, May 13, 2022, at Luke AFB, Arizona. The Airman participated in the event in which a variety of U.S. Air Force aircraft were on display and Airmen, Luke AFB supporters, and civic leaders from surrounding communities were able to engage with each other and bolster partnerships.

Air Force pararescuemen conduct a combat insertion and extraction exercise in Djibouti, Africa.

Marine reservists file off a CH-54 Tahre helicopter after participating in maneuvers at Morris Island. Base: Naval Base, Charleston State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Task Force Saber Command Sgt. Maj. Frankie Woods, conducts his rounds on Forward Operating Base Fenty, Feb. 23. Woods has been a sergeant major for 13 years, and is one of seven task force sergeants majors serving with the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade in eastern Afghanistan.

030330-M-8539K-014. Base: Al Qadisiyah Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 1ST Mar Div DM

DA-ST-88-04966. Base: Darlington County Airport State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Cpt. Wayne Griffin, brigade aviation officer for 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division "Ready First", salutes as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter lifts off from forward operating base Denver at the National Training Center August 4, 2012.

030403-F-2034C-002. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: CENTCOM

U.S. special operations service members participate in Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System (FRIES) training at Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, April 22, 2022. Southern Strike 2022 is a large-scale, joint multinational combat exercise that provides tactical level training for the full spectrum of conflict. It emphasizes air dominance, maritime operations, maritime air support, precision engagement, close air support, command and control, personnel recovery, aero medical evacuation, and combat medical support.

Soldiers assigned to the 13th Air Assault Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps conduct sling load operations on May 15, 2020 near Skopje, North Macedonia. The purpose of this exercise is to present combat credible Army forces in Europe and Africa, and enhance readiness by building airborne interoperability with Allies and Partners and the integration of joint service partnership.

030320-M-8539K-002. Country: Kuwait (KWT) Scene Major Command Shown: 1ST Mar Div

Guests to the Annual Frontiers In Flight Airshow walk by a CH-47 Chinook assigned to the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas, September 24, 2022. The 1st CAB participated in this annual joint-branch event for the local community.

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

U.S. Soldiers attending the Small Unit Ranger Tactics course board a UH-60 Blackhawk at the 25th Infantry Divisions Lightning Academy, Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii, August 1st, 2022. Soldiers were flown around the East Range before being required to navigate the jungle in small teams while conducting tasks and performing under fire.

An SA.330 Puma helicopter of the French army lifts off in a cloud of sand during Operation Desert Shield.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

Maj. Gen. John V. Meyer III, 1st Infantry Division commanding general met with Col. John Gilliam, 3ABCT commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hall along with GREYWOLF battalion commanders and command sergeants major.

U.S. Army Sgt. Keoni Wong, a flight paramedic assigned to Detachment 2, Delta Company, 1-224th Aviation Regiment, gives an all clear to UH-72 Lakota Helicopter pilots during aircraft familiarization training on Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Guam, June 29, 2022. The joint training included familiarization with a UH-72 Lakota Helicopter, safety, emergency shutdown procedures and medical evacuation procedures.

A Dutch Marine with the Netherlands Marine Corps climbs a ladder attached to a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during helocast extraction drills during exercise Tradewinds 2022 (TW22), at Bacalar lagoon, Mexico, May 11, 2022. TW22 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored Caribbean-focused multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains, designed to provide participating nations opportunities to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training focused on increasing regional cooperation and interoperability in complex multinational security operations.

030303-F-1404F-003. Base: Krtsanisi Country: Georgia (The Country) (GEO) Scene Major Command Shown: EUCOM

ESU Incident Command Post New Orleans - Commandant Thomas H. Collins and President George W. Bush Visit - 26-HK-304-48. Hurricane Katrina

220707-N-TL141-1320 KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (July 7, 2022) - U.S. Army and Indian Marine Commandos Special Operations Forces are extracted via a U.S. Army Chinook during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Marines with the Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry a mock casualty to an MV-22B Osprey at Landing Zone 63 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 15, 2014. Members of the 11th MEU inserted by air, secured the area, triaged mock casualties and transported them for medical treatment. These skills assist in the 11th MEUs mission of supporting the theater requirements of geographic combatant commanders.

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (Oct. 4, 2016) U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command arrive in the Cayman Islands aboard two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters ready to support the humanitarian-aid and disaster relief effort to Haiti in response to Hurricane Matthew, October 4, 2016. The SPMAGTF-SC is part of U.S. Southern Command response team staged in the Cayman Islands, ready to support U.S. disaster relief operations in the Caribbean in response to Hurricane Matthew. SPMAGTF-SC deployed to Central America in June to serve as a rapid response force during the hurricane season.

U.S. Marines with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) conduct close air support during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 near Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 24, 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.

Afghan Special Operations Forces Helicopters During an Early Morning Raid in Afghanistan's Helmand Province

U.S. Marines with Detachment 18, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, carry a fuel hose from a MV-22 Osprey to prepare a forward arming and refueling point, on Ie Shima, Japan, June 28, 2022. A FARP is a point of operation used for fueling and rearming an aircraft outside of a forward operating base. The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps' only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premiere crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

020412-A-8359B-019. Base: Bird International Airport Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: USSOUTHCOM

U.S. Army Special Operations Soldeir conduct fast rope insertion training aboard a black Hawk (UH-60) helicopter operated by pilots with the 8-229 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Expeditionary Air combat Brigade, during Operation Viking at Joint Base Cape Cod, Mass.,July 18, 2022

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Miles, Indo-Pacific Command director for command, control, communications and cyber directorate, walks towards a UH-1N Huey during Exercise Yama Sakura 83 at Camp Asaka, Japan, Dec. 7, 2022. As a part of U.S. Army Pacific Operation Pathways, Yama Sakura 83 is the largest and most complex forward U.S. Army and Japan Command Post exercise to date.

US Army UH-60 Blackhawk MEDEVAC Helicopters Prepare to Launch on a Nighttime Mission to Baghdad from Al Asad Air Base in Iraq's Al Anbar Province

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, demonstrates its medical evacuation (medevac) capabilities in conjunction with fellow U.S. Army medics on February 21, 2024, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Aviators on HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters set-up and take off within 15 minutes of receiving a medevac call. Army

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team Rakkasans, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), complete their helocast mission at West Point, Ny., June 24, 2022. Helocasting is an airborne technique used by light infantry units to insert into a military area of operations.(U.S. Army video by Spc. Kelvin Johnson Jr. 40th Public Affairs Detachment)

U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3D Marine Aircraft Wing, refuel a UH-1Y Venom in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force Warfighting Exercise during Service Level Training Exercise 2-24 at Camp Wilson, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Feb. 19, 2024. MWX is the culminating event for SLTE 2-24 that improves U.S. and allied service members operational capabilities and lethality as a MAGTF. Marine Corps

U.S. Soldiers 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 Army National Guard Warrior Training Center based out of Fort Benning, Georgia.

Danish and U.S. Soldiers watch as a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter assigned to 1st Cavalry Division flies over them during a multinational live-fire exercise at Mielno Range, Poland, May 27, 2022. 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 supporting NATO.

The Missouri National Guard asssited Atchison County authorities with personnel and a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter to repair levee L550 near Phelps City as the fight against the flood continues. The Blackhawk was used to move over 145 Sandbags weighing two thousand pounds each onto areas of the levee damaged by overtopping in recent days. The levee is being repaired with the expectation that it will prevent a full breach which would cause more severe flooding and would close state highway 136 located nearby. In this photo, Sgt. Arron Keesler, crew chief, C Co, 1/106th Avn Rgmt and Spc. Shane Anderson, HHB, 1/129th Field Artillery, hook sandbags to the bottom of a Blackhawk flown by pilots Cpt. Adam Freeman, C Co, 1/106th Avn Rgmt and Chief Warrant Officer Four Pat Muenks, 1107th Aviation Group while Staff Sgt. Chuck Call, crew chief, C Co, 1/106th Avn Rgmt checks clearance between the helicopter and the Soldiers.

A U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk, assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, conducts joint service hoist training with U.S. Army Medical Evacuation aircrew members assigned to the 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade on July 6, 2022 at an undisclosed location. Joint service training allows for the sharing of best practices for patient and medic extraction and infiltration.

030827-M-7837W-005. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Blaire Airfield, Al Kut State: Wasit Country: Iraq (IRQ)

060223-N-9500T-114. Base: El Centro State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Soldiers from 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), conduct Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction (FRIES) training out of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to 2-158 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 18, 2022.

A US Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1W Super Cobra Helicopter, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 (HML/A-369), Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton, California (CA), is prepared for a nighttime take off from forward operation base (FOB) Al Qaim, to provide close air support for coalition forces during Operation Steel Curtain under Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Base: Fob Al Qaim State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

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