Helicopter Training and Operations

Diverse images of military helicopters in training and operational settings, focusing on troop transport, demonstrations, and specialized missions.

Soldiers and units from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conduct sling load operations with CH-47s from Task Force Apocalypse, 3-501, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Romania on Oct. 27, 2022. The training built proficiency for PZ and sling load operations with numerous types of equipment in support of future collective training events and contingency operations. The United States commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and the United States will continue to bolster our posture to better defend our NATO Allies. (U.S. Army photos by MAJ Brett Sullenger, 2nd Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE" Public Affairs Officer)

A Soldier begins shutdown procedures on his UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters after a 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.)

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

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

U.S. Marines from Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), board a CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, MAG-39, 3rd MAW, at Camp Roberts, San Miguel, California, Aug. 4, 2022. Marines were transported to a forward arming and refueling point in support of exercise Summer Fury 22. Summer Fury 22 is designed to enhance Marine-Air-Ground Task Force integration and increase aviation operations proficiency with realistic, relevant training to ensure the Marine Corps largest aircraft wing remains operationally excellent, interoperable, deployable on short notice and lethal when called into action.

Soldiers and units from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) conduct sling load operations with CH-47s from Task Force Apocalypse, 3-501, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Romania on Oct. 27, 2022. The training built proficiency for PZ and sling load operations with numerous types of equipment in support of future collective training events and contingency operations. The United States commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and the United States will continue to bolster our posture to better defend our NATO Allies. (U.S. Army photos by MAJ Brett Sullenger, 2nd Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE" Public Affairs Officer)

Members of the Special Support Units (SSU) of Bosnia-Herzegovina State Investigation Protection Agency (SIPA) rehearse loading and unloading drills into a UH-1 Huey with tactical movements while using security methods during exercise Brutalist Tornjak in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Oct. 17, 2022. The SIPA SSU and the U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) trained together with elements of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in an interagency joint exercise focusing on direct action in close environments to secure high value targets.

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

220609-N-LI114-1088 PHILIPPINE SEA (June 9, 2022) A member of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5, attached to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, deployed aboard the U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), conducts a simulated Helicopter, Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

Retired Master Sgt. Christopher Corbin, a wounded warrior with Troops First, takes a last look around before departing Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, July 10, 2014. Operation Proper Exit provides an opportunity for wounded warriors to return to theatre and exit on their own terms in order to aid in the healing process.

U.S. Marines with Fox Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit board a MV-22 Osprey during an Air Raid course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 17, 2022. The purpose of the Air Raid course is to test and refine unit standard operating procedures, enhancing tactics and techniques in order to prepare units for expeditionary operations.

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 pull a rope from a UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 469 during a Fast Rope Masters Course (FRMC) at Landing Zone Sterling, Okinawa, Japan, July 27, 2022. Fast roping allows Marines to enter landing zones that are too dangerous for helicopters to safely land. Fast Rope and Helicopter Rope Suspension Training teaches Marines proper knots and rappelling techniques, and builds confidence for maneuvering from air to ground.

Operators from the 20th Special Forces Group exit the area on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after assaulting an objective during a live fire training exercise near Chester Township, Michigan, 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. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Hudson, right, 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment flight instructor, teaches medics and military police how to safely load a UH-60 Black Hawk May 23, 2022, at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. The load training was part of Resolute Sentinel 22, a multi-national training opportunity that offers real-world benefits to U.S. and partner nation military personnel and the people of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize by promoting well-being and readiness in addition to building long-term partnerships.

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.

U.S. Army Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers with the Lawrenceville-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, practice transporting a casualty to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during Exportable Combat Training Capabilities Exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga., June 21, 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.

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466), refuel a CH-53E Super Stallion at a forward arming and refueling point during Balikatan 22 at Cagayan, Philippines, March 29, 2022. Balikatan is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, is a longstanding bilateral exercise between the Philippines and the United States highlighting the deep-rooted partnership between both countries. Balikatan 22 is the 37th iteration of the exercise and coincides with the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation.

Navy SEAL instructor fast ropes 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.

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division conduct Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) operations on February 21, 2024. FARP provides fuel and ordnance necessary for fixed-wing operations. Army

Soldiers train potential real life military medical tasks and situations to include medical evacuation scenarios during Pacific Medics Lift. A team of Soldiers off-load a patient from a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter during training on Camp Humphreys in May. The patient was transported from a simulated battlefield scenario to a higher level of care under realistic and stressful conditions.

920th Rescue Wing Pararescuemen transport a simulated patient to an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter during a simulated combat search and rescue training event during exercise Sunshine Rescue at Townsend Bombing Range, Georgia, Jan. 26, 2023. This exercise trains Airmen on leading edge Combat Search and Rescue capabilities for next generation warfighting. During this exercise, Tactical Air Control Party and Pararescuemen will use advanced communication and command and control technologies interlinked with A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to simulate warfighting in highly contested environments.

South Carolina National Guard Soldiers, Chief Warrant Officers 2 Benji Long and James Honour, conduct pre-flight checks before lifting off with senior leaders from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol to observe lane reversals of South Carolina Interstates 26, 77 and Highway 501 as Hurricane Florence heads towards the Carolinas' coasts Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018.

Soldiers of Squad 12, representing U.S. Army Military District of Washington, exit a UH-60 Black Hawk during the Army's first-ever Best Squad Competition held on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct. 3, 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, evaluating their physical endurance, technical skills, and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, rehearse movements during fast rope training aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 5, 2022. Fast roping allows for fast inserts in a contested area. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, prepare to board an MV-22 Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 during a Joint Air-Ground Task Force Demonstration as part of the 2022 Kaneohe Bay Air Show, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 13, 2022. The air show provided an opportunity to showcase the aircraft, equipment and capabilities of the armed forces to the local community. The Kaneohe Bay Air Show, which contained aerial performances, static displays, demonstrations and vendors, was designed to celebrate MCBHs longstanding relationship with the local community.

U.S. Army Soldiers transport a trauma victim to a U.S. Army medical helicopter in Tarmiyah, Iraq, Sept. 30, 2007. The Soldiers are working with local Iraqi hospital personnel in administering aid to trauma victims following an explosion caused by insurgents, which wounded several civilians. The Soldiers are from Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Ft. Lewis, Wash.

U.S. Army Soldiers from 3-25 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 25th Infantry Division, unload a CH-47 after their flight during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) at Schofield Barracks, Hi., Nov. 1, 2022. The 3-25 GSAB is tasked to refuel AH-64 Apaches during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center.

SAMESAN, Thailand (Feb. 9, 2010) - Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (BLT 2/7), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), provide security for the landing zone after exiting a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during a helicopter raid, Feb. 7. The MEU is currently participating in exercise Cobra Gold 2010 (CG 10). The exercise is the latest in a continuing series of exercises design to promote regional peace and security.

Members of 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment retrograde nine UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, Jan. 29, 2024, Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. The Soldiers were deployed to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian, a NATO peacekeeping mission under the Kosovo Force (KFOR). KFORs mission is to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo, in accordance with United Nations Resolution (UNSC) 1244.

BAB AL MANDEB (June 4, 2022) Sailors assigned to the Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat squadron (HSC 22) perform pre-flight checks on a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter aboard littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), June 4. Sioux City is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466), refuel a CH-53E Super Stallion at a forward arming and refueling point during Balikatan 22 at Cagayan, Philippines, March 29, 2022. Balikatan is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared experiences. Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, is a longstanding bilateral exercise between the Philippines and the United States highlighting the deep-rooted partnership between both countries. Balikatan 22 is the 37th iteration of the exercise and coincides with the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation.

Sea of Japan (Sept. 28, 2022) Sailors and Soldiers conduct flight deck operations with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade aboard Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) in the Sea of Japan on Sept. 28, 2022. Chancellorsville is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and is assigned to Commander, Task Force 70, a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of its allies and partners in the region.

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 2d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, secure a landing zone at the Joint Multinational Training Command's (JMTC) Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Aug. 13, 2013, during an Air Movement Training as part of their preparation for their upcoming deployment.

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, observe a CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced), 31st MEU, set down a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during helicopter support team training at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, July 19, 2022. The HST enables the setup of an expedient landing zone for aircraft, and are able to secure equipment such as JLTVs and howitzers for pickup. 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.

Chief Master Sgt. Chad Clark and Maj. Patrick Gruber hang from an HH-60G Pave Hawk after the successful recovery of a mock crash victim during a combat search and rescue exercise April 17, 2014, at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Clark is the superintendent of the 56th Rescue Squadron and Gruber is the 56th RQS director of operations. The honorary commanders witnessed the training firsthand during a tour.

An MV-22B Osprey disembarks Marines Dec. 9,2013, at Baker runway on Tinian's North Field during Exercise Forager Fury II. Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Aircraft Group exercises and training on Guam and within the Mariana Island Range Complex demonstrate the Aviation Combat Element capabilities of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Aviation capabilities enable the MAGTF to project force or respond to crises throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The Osprey is with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36 currently assigned to MAG-12, 1st MAW, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

DF-ST-85-13530. Subject Operation/Series: WOUNDED EAGLE '83 Country: Unknown

U.S. special operations service members with 2d Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment participate in medical evacution (MEDEVAC) training at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Mississippi, April 24, 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.

Combat engineers from the 251st Engineer Company (Sapper) of the Maine Army National Guard wait to do a cold load onto the Detachment 1, Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 142nd Aviation Regiments UH-60 Blackhawk at Camp Petersville, New Brunswick, Canada August 19, 2017. This cold load is a training procedure used to prepare the soldiers for a real combat pickup by the 142nd. This effort is all part of the units' annual training this year. (Maine Army National Guard

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

Battery Command and Staff from 1-265th Air Defense Artillery (ADA), dismount a UH-1 Iroquois piloted by members of the Charlotte Sheriffs Department, back from conducting a survey of Charlotte County and assessing the extent of the devastation of Hurricane Ian. Port Charlotte, Florida. Oct. 4, 2022. Over 6,000 service members were activated in response to the natural disaster along with both military and civilian support from out-of-state locations.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5 and the Maritime Raid Force, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit enter a MV-22 Osprey with Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.) to conduct fast roping drills aboard Amphibious Assault Ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7), in the Philippine Sea, Sept. 24, 2022. The fast rope, shooting drill combo prepares Marines for inserting to a contested area. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

A U.S. Army Soldier from 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat team, 1st Armored Division, pulls security during the Pre-Ranger course at Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA), Bulgaria, Feb. 14, 2024. Over eight days, the Pre-Ranger course evaluated the Strike Brigade Soldiers' skills that are needed to succeed at Ranger School and to enhance lethality on the battlefield. Army

PETTY Officer 2nd Class Jeremy Moore (right) with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 5 (HS5), Jacksonville, Florida, is moved to the HH-60H by the Navy Seals during a survivor retraction exercise in participation with DESERT RESCUE IX. 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,. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

US Army soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY, disembark from a UH-60 Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter. American and Canadian forces seized the Belet Uen airfield earlier today. Subject Operation/Series: RESTORE HOPE Base: Belet Uen Country: Somalia (SOM)

020413-A-1526R-028. Base: Bird International Airport Country: Antigua And Barbuda (ATG) Scene Major Command Shown: Southwest

U.S. Air Force Aircrew members from the 55th Rescue Squadron, assigned to the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, reload an HH-60G Pavehawk gun at Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Idaho, Sept. 15, 2022. Terminal employment familiarizes Airmen with advanced air to ground gunnery training and decision making around a survivor during a combat search and rescue mission.

MIHAIL KOGĂLNICEANU, Romania-- Spc. Jenkins, crew chief with Bravo Company, 3-227 Assault Helicopter Battalion, instructs UH60M Black Hawk load procedures during air movement and air assault training with the Romanian 9th Mechanized Brigade. Regular interoperability training with NATO partners and allies builds trust and readiness, increasing the capacity for deterrence and defense.

Soldiers of the joint force brace themselves against the CH-47's rotor wash at the HLZ, Zanakhan District, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2009.

Aviators participate in a hurricane preparedness exercise on Fort Rucker, Alabama, September 21, 2022.

A Soldier from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, prepares to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air movement to a live fire exercise during Joint Readiness Training Center Rotation 23-04, Feb. 19, 2023. United Arab Emirate soldiers from the 11th Mountain Battalion are participating in the training rotation alongside U.S. Army Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade. UAE Soldiers will train alongside a U.S. Army brigade throughout this JRTC rotation to increase tactical interoperability and readiness.

U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter crew chiefs with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 469 prepare to take off during a Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques (HRST) Master Course at Landing Zone Sterling, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 14, 2022. Fast rope and helicopter rope suspension training teach Marines proper knots, rappelling techniques and build confidence for maneuvering from air to ground.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion 503 Infantry Regiment (A CO. 2-503 IN) conduct an air assault using Black Hawk helicopter and secured an landing zone 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.

Ukranian Special Forces Soldiers use a fast rope insertation technique to assualt and secure a building during a rehearsal for the opening exercise of Jackal Sone 10.

030904-F-7685H-172. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Baghdad International Airport Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Marines carry luggage onto a Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 162 (HMM-162) CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter on the grounds of the U.S. Embassy during Operation Sharp Edge. The helicopter will carry a group of civilians fleeing Liberia's civil war to one of the ships of an amphibioius ready group on station off the Liberian coast. The ready group is also helping to evacuate civilians caught in Liberia's civil war. Subject Operation/Series: SHARP EDGE Base: Monrovia Country: Liberia (LBR)

U.S. Marines assigned to Golf Battery, Ground Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, retrieve supplies from a CH-53E Super Stallion during Exercise EFES 2022 (EFES 22), near Izmir, Turkey, May 28, 2022. EFES22 is an international Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise focused on increasing force readiness, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and interoperability between the U.S., Turkey, and allied nations.

The Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC) provides realistic medical training to both medical and non-medical Soldiers in the Active, Reserve and National Guard. MSTCs provide hands-on instruction on the latest battlefield trauma and critical care techniques. These soldiers are from various units are here at Fort Dix, NJ at the Fort Dix MSTC in the Simulator Area. These instructors are training soldiers for a Medical Evacuation Training Event.

U.S. Marines with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, rehearse movements during fast rope training aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Sea of Japan, Sept. 5, 2022. Fast roping allows for fast inserts in a contested area. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, talk about the capabilities of the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter during an equipment demonstration aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 11, 2022. Apache Company and VMM-262 shared their equipment's capabilties to further improve unit cohesion. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Darren Bushey, a landing support specialist with 3rd Transportation Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, and Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division gives hand and arm signals during Helicopter Support Team training at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Apr. 21, 2022. The training utilized a CH-53 Sea Stallion with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 to conduct on-load and offload drills of an M777 howitzer artillery piece. 3rd MLG, based out of Okinawa, Japan, is a forward-deployed combat unit that serves as III Marine Expeditionary Forces comprehensive logistics and combat service support backbone for operations throughout the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Federico Marquez)

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lifts off a runway near Mang Bang Ri Beach, South Korea after inserting troops and equipment during an airborne amphibious assault raid as part of Exercise Team Spirit '93. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '93 Country: Korea

ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 5, 2019) Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 19.2 (SPMAGTF-CR-CC), load onto an MV-22 Osprey aboard the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) in the Arabian Gulf, Dec. 5, 2019. SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a quick reaction force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, wait for their relay during a day and night fast roping exercise aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in the South China Sea, Sept. 15, 2022. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

U.S. Marines with Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) conduct Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques (HRST) Masters' course at Stone Bay, on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 29, 2022. HRST prepares Marines for helicopter-borne insertion and extraction operations as well as certifies Marines as HRST Masters allowing them to oversee HRST operations with their respective units. The HRST Masters Course is one of several Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG) taught courses that the Marines and Sailors of the MEU receive as they prepare to deploy next year.

U.S. Soldiers with 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, dismount a Finnish army NH-90 helicopter during Vigilant Fox, a joint training exercise including Finnish soldiers and British soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, Rifles Regiment, at Niinisalo, Finland, July 27, 2022. The 3/4th 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.

020729-A-4385T-002. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Keyki Country: Afghanistan (AFG)

Marines with Transportation Support Detachment, Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, attach an oversized tire to a CH-46E Sea Knight assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 during helicopter support team training aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., July 25, 2013. The team of 10 practiced aerial lifts well into the night, lifting a cargo net filled with more than 700 pounds of oversized tires to help keep their skills sharp.

An explosive ordnance disposal technician fast ropes from a U.S. Air Force MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter while other members of his team watch. Subject Operation/Series: BELL THUNDER '95 Base: San Clemente Island State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter piloted by aviators from Company C, 2-82 Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade sling-loads an M119A3 Howitzer belonging to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division while a paratrooper from the battery receives mission details on the radio during an air assault and live-fire exercise held Oct. 24, 2018 on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The operation tested the paratroopers and aviators abilities to integrate their capabilities while demonstrating their technical expertise and tactical capability to provide lethal fires.

U.S. Soldiers hook up a military vehicle to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for sling loading during a U.S. Pathfinder course at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 8, 2022. Nearly 30 Soldiers graduated the course, which was taught by a mobile training team at the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center in Fort Benning, Georgia. Army Pathfinders are trained to provide navigational aid and advisory services to military aircraft in areas designated by supported unit commanders. During the Pathfinder course, students are instructed in aircraft orientation, aero-medical evacuation, close combat assault, ground to air communication procedures, control center operations, all three phases of a sling load operation, helicopter landing zone and pick up zone operations, and drop zone operations dealing with U.S. military fixed and rotary wing aircraft for personnel and equipment.

U.S. and Colombian Army Soldiers conduct an air inserstion kicking off the final assault operation of Exercise Southern Vanguard 23 at Tolemaida Military Base, on Nov. 14, 2023. Exercise Southern Vanguard is U.S. Army South's premier training exercise taking place at the operational and tactical levels intended to increase interoperability between the United States and Western Hemisphere forces. This year's iteration, Exercise Southern Vanguard 23, involves Soldiers from U.S. Army South and the U.S. Army National Guard training alongside Colombian Army soldiers in varying terrain while conducting weapon familiarization lanes culminating in a bilateral military training operation.

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Chad Hearn (left), and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jonathan Vue (right), with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines run to a simulated causality while performing a medical evacuation rehearsal with support from the Japan Self-Defense Force during Artillery Relocation Training Program 22.2 at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Aug. 26, 2022. ARTP is an exercise held to strengthen the defense of Japan and the U.S.-Japan Alliance as the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Hearn is native to Stuart, Florida. Vue is native to Appleton, Wisconsin.

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 131st Rescue Squadron and emergency medicine residents from the 60th Medical Group offload from an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter to assist in the medical evacuation of simulated casualties during a mass casualty exercise at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 17, 2022. Military and civilian emergency medicine residents of David Grant USAF Medical Center and UC Davis Integrated Emergency Medicine Residency Program were exposed to Travis en route patient staging system (ERPSS) from the point of injury (POI) to transport by the Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT).

030204-M-7031A-022. Base: Marine Corps Base, Ternate State: Cavite Province Country: Philippines (PHL) Scene Major Command Shown: 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines

220802-N-GF955-1267ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 2, 2022) Chief Boatswains Mate Derek Russell, from Kansas City, Mo., observes vertical replenishment (VERTREP) training as the flight deck officer on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Aug. 2, 2022. Paul Ignatius, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, 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.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- During the second stage of a simulated emergency, known as Mode 4, the KSC rescue team carries an "injured" astronaut toward one of five helicopters participating in the exercise. The triage area was set up at Helipad 8, located near the fire station between Launch Pads 39A and 39B. The emergency exercise began on Launch Pad 39A. The participants were helped off the pad and taken to the triage site. The KSC rescue teams are practicing emergency procedures in the unlikely scenario of a mishap on the pad during a launch sequence. The exercises are standard training procedures to assess and prepare emergency personnel, procedures and hardware.

Soldiers from the Headquarter and Headquarters and Charlie Company, 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Hawaii Reserve and French soldiers work together to evacuate locals on Huahine, French Polynesia, May 16, 2022. Marara 22 allows U.S. and partner forces to exercise humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts and interoperability to prepare for and recover from the devastating effects of natural disasters.

U.S. Army Pacific Best Warrior competitors conducted Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction Systems training June 7 during the 2022 USARPAC Best Warrior Competition at the 25th Infantry Division's Lightning Academy, Schofield Barracks East Range, Hawaii. The USARPAC BWC 2022 is an annual week-long competition consisting of competitors from multiple USARPAC units across the Indo-Pacific. The noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted Soldiers are evaluated in several categories such as general military knowledge, basic Soldier skills, and physical fitness.

Recruits from Company H. Recruit Sustainment Program based in Woodstock, Illinois, line up to board a CH-47F Chinook at Lake of the Hills Airport June 11.

U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), attach cargo to a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey, during a Helicopter Support Team (HST) training exercise on Okinawa, Japan, April 13, 2022. Marines conduct HST training in order to increase proficiency in logistics tasks and enhance the ability to execute potenitial contigency missions carried out to be the 31st MEU. 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.

A Soldier assigned to 16th Combat Aviation Brigade performs maintenance on an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on Nov. 8, 2022. Mount Rainier is visible in the background.

U.S. Marine Corps bulk fuel specialists with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), and a crew-chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd MAW, oversee the offloading of fuel at the forward arming and refueling point at the Inyokern Node during exercise Steel Knight 23 on Inyokern Airfield, California, Dec. 3, 2022. Exercise Steel Knight 23 provides 3rd MAW an opportunity to refine Wing-level warfighting in support of I Marine Expeditionary Force and fleet maneuver.

A soldier from the New Jersey Army National Guard's 1-114th Infantry secures a rally point after an air insertion by Marine Aircraft Group 49 UH-1Y Huey helicopters during a joint training exercise on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Jan. 10, 2017. The Marine Corps Reserve provided airlift and close air support to Alpha Company soldiers of 1-114. The 1-114, which is part of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is participating in a series of training events that will culminate this summer at an eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise on Fort Pickett, Va. The Army National Guards eXportable Combat Training Capability program is an instrumented Brigade field training exercise designed to certify Platoon proficiency in coordination with First Army.

060617-F-2114K-083. Base: Fort Gordon State: Georgia (GA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

050622-A-0363C-005. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Kandahar Airfield Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF 76

050622-A-0363C-005. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Forward Operating Base Danger State: Salah Ad Din Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: 4TH IRAQI ARMY DIVISION

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, board a CH-47 for an Airborne operation at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on Sept. 10, 2022. The unit conducted non-tactical airborne operations at the Army Aviation Facility in order to maintain mission readiness and proficiency among their paratroopers with the assistance of two CH-47s out of Virginia.The Army Aviation Facility was created through a MILCON effort valued at 11.7 million dollars and made possible by the joint effort of ASA Fort Dix and the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Aircraft Group 49. The 2100 square foot building is host to an Army Ramp Management Area which provides a wide range of capabilities for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft such as the C-130, CH-47S, and UH-60S.

U.S. Army Cpl. Devante White, assigned to Bulldog Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment looks at an AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter flying over at Mielno Range, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, May 14, 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.

U.S. Soldiers undergo sling-load training using a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 on Chabelley Air Field in Djibouti July 14, 2008. The Soldiers are part of a joint combat search and rescue team with 4th Platoon, Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, and they apply the training to aircraft and personnel recovery missions.

U.S. Army Maj. Kandy Heekin, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Tracy Ackermann, CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilots with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, sit atop a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Muir Army Airfield.

U.S. Marines assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to gather cargo brought by a CH-53E Super Stallion for helicopter support team training during exercise Alexander the Great 2022, Lido Beach, Greece, May 11, 2022. Alexander the Great 22 strengthens interoperability and force readiness between the U.S., Greece, and Allied nations, enhancing strategic defense and partnership while promoting security and stability in the region.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 12th Combat Aviation Brigade load 30mm ammunition into 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.

U.S. Navy Corpsman with Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D) 22, carry U.S. Marines Corps Lance Cpl. Michael Define, an optics technician with Headquarters and Support Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, Ground Combat Element, MRF-D 22, roleplaying as a friendly casualty, to an MV-22 Osprey with the Aviation Combat Element (ACE), MRF-D 22, during a long-range casualty evacuation as part of exercise Southern Jackaroo 22 at Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), Queensland, Australia May 24, 2022. The MRF-D 22 ACEs MV-22 Ospreys traveled from Darwin, NT, Australia to SWBTA to conduct the long-range CASEVAC drill.

U.S. Marines with with 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) load into a CH-53E Super Stallion during ANGLICO Basic Course (ABC) Infantry Week on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Aug. 31, 2022. ABC is a four-week-long training event designed to integrate newly joined Marines with their assigned teams.

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class David Samuels, a flight medic assigned to Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, Task Force Aviation MedEvac, hoists Cpl. Rebecca Rotolo, a communication specialist with RC-Easts Task Force Med, into a UH-60 Black Hawk MedEvac helicopter, using a high-performance rescue hoist, or HPU, during a vehicle and building extraction training exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, July 6, 2022. The HPU allows MedEvac crews to extract individuals from areas where landing an aircraft isnt safe or possible.

U.S. Army Spcs. Megan Weir, an AH-64 Armament/Electrical/Avionic Systems Repairer, from Lancaster, Penn., and Frank Garcia, an Army AH-64 Helicopter Repairer, from West Covina, Calif., both assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion (Attack), 3rd Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, sit for a break before crowds gather on top of their AH-64D Apache attack helicopter during the 30th annual International Defense Industry Exhibition (MSPO) at Kielce, Poland, Sept. 7. The Soldiers participation demonstrates the U.S. commitment to supporting modernization programs of Europes land forces, and interoperability between the U.S. and its allies that helps strengthen European security.

Florida Army National Guard Soldiers load a pallet of water into a Chinook Helicopter Oct. 3, 2022, Fort Myers, Florida. Pallets of water are being transported to Sanibel, Captiva and Pine Islands, Florida in response to Hurricane Ian.

Litter bearers at Fleet Hospital Six carry a patient off of an Army UH-60A Black Hawk (Blackhawk) helicopter during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Awali Country: Bahrain(BHR)

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

051012-A-1327A-122. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Islamabad Country: Pakistan (PAK) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF-76

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