Military Aviation Operations

Images of soldiers in cockpit settings aboard military helicopters and aircraft, emphasizing piloting practices and airborne operations in training scenarios.

April 13, 2007 - U.S. Army Officer speaks to a pilot aboard a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter over Nicaragua during New Horizons-Nicaragua 2007.

April 13, 2007 - U.S. Army Officer speaks to a pilot aboard a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter over Nicaragua during New Horizons-Nicaragua 2007.

A Soldier with 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Nebraska Army National Guard, prepares for a high performance jump from a C-130 Hercules, above Rattlesnake Drop Zone, Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The Soldiers conducted airborne operations with airmen from 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, 137th Special Operations Wing, Oklahoma Air National Guard. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Pfc. Haden Tolbert)

A U.S. Soldier with 12th Aviation Battalion, flies on a UH-60 aircraft to help deploy U.S. Marines with Chemical Biological Incident Response Force to execute a mission readiness exercise at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Jan. 10, 2023. The exercise was conducted in order to practice realistic training to improve, sustain, and develop standards of procedures safely.

U.S. Air Force Capts. Michael Knowles, and Brandon Dumais, pilot a C-17 Globemaster III near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, June 28, 2022. The aircrew members performed nighttime airdrop maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their mission readiness.

030728-F-6701P-035. Country: Unknown

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jack Halovich, a tiltrotor crew chief from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing prepares a GAU-21 .50 caliber machine gun weapon system during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 08, 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.

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 29, 2022) U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Daniel Lauer, from Gurnee, Illinois, left, and Cpl. Samuel Schultz, from Bend, Oregon, assist with flight operations on a CH-53 Super Stallion, attached to the HMH (Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron) 462 as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 29, during an amphibious raid. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three 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.

Reservist from the 300th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., airdropped both the U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue and U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute demonstration teams at the 2022 Air and Space Expo, Sept. 16-18, 2022, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. The airdrop displayed the rapid mobility of the 315th Airlift Wing from Joint Base Charleston to develop and deploy combat ready forces in a joint environment at a moments notice. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Della Creech)

A U.S. Army Special Operations service member jumps from the ramp of an Ohio Air National Guard C-130 aircraft during a static line airborne operation above Le Mont Saint Michel, France, June 9, 2022. This airborne operation comes at the collaboration of French and U.S. allied forces to reinforce strong bonds and clear communication between NATO allies.

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.

A Soldier assigned to 1-229th Attack Bn., 16th Combat Aviation Brigade adjusts his helmet and prepares to ride in an AH-64E Apache helicopter at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. on Apr. 20, 2022. The Apache does not have enlisted crew members that accompany the aircraft during flight, making this reward for for high-performing Soldiers a special and uncommon event.

Greek Air Force Captain Tsamidis Nektarios photographs cargo releasing over a drop zone in Romania. It is part of the Partnership for Peace Exercise COOPERATIVE KEY '96 taking place at Otopeni Air Base, just north of Romania's capitol. The mulinational Air Force training will deal with operational and logistical interoperability procedures based on a humanitarian relief scenario. Participating NATO Air Forces from Greece, Italy, Turkey and the United States will join the nations of Slovakia, Muldavia, Czech Republic and the host nation Romania. Subject Operation/Series: COOPERATIVE KEY '96 Base: Otopeni Air Base, Bucharest Country: Romania (ROM)

051012-A-1327A-059. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Islamabad Country: Pakistan (PAK) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF-76

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Troy Fidacaro, crew chief, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides aerial support for a combined forces event during exercise Alexander the Great 2022, Skyros, May 16, 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.

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, LA, September 5, 2005 -- Local residents rescued by FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force members are transported via a military helicopter to a staging area for residents impacted by Hurricane Katrina to go to shelters. Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Reservist from the 300th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., airdropped both the U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue and U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute demonstration teams at the 2022 Air and Space Expo, Sept. 16-18, 2022, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. The airdrop displayed the rapid mobility of the 315th Airlift Wing from Joint Base Charleston to develop and deploy combat ready forces in a joint environment at a moments notice. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech Sgt. Della Creech)

U.S. Air Force personnel at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, load fire retardant onto a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft bound for Israel, Dec. 4, 2010. The fire retardant is part of a joint U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. European Command effort to assist the Israeli government in fighting wildfires in its country.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Wesley Zech, a loadmaster assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Force Base, Japan, assists airborne operations aboard a C-130J Super Hercules during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-2 above the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, June 15, 2022. This exercise provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases.

SGT Brian Stumpf, 20th Special Operations Squadron, mans an M-2 .50-caliber machine gun at the door of an MH-53 Pave Low III helicopter during the ground base defense exercise Foal Eagle '91.. Subject Operation/Series: FOAL EAGLE '91 Country: South Korea

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Austin McKinney, a crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162), sits in the back of an MV-22 Osprey during hoist/helicopter rope suspension techniques training in Norfolk, Virginia, Nov. 1, 2022. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162) Reinforced, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), integrated with special operations forces (SOF) to strengthen MEU-SOF relationships while building upon individual and collective level skills prior to their upcoming deployment as the aviation combat element for the 26th MEU.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Matthew Jensen, CH-53E Super Stallion crew chief, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 366, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, fires a mounted M2A1 .50-caliber machine gun on a CH-53E Super Stallion on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Aug. 31, 2022. HMH-366 aviation maintenance Marines conduct routine preventative maintenance on CH-53E Super Stallion to ensure a constant state of readiness. MCAS New River provides aviation support, force protection, infrastructure, and community services to promote the readiness, sustainment and quality of life for II Marine Expeditionary Force and other military forces, tenant commands, personnel and their families.

U.S. Army Spc. Derek Laguana, a member of the Guam Army National Guard and security force team member for the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) assigned to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah, Afghanistan, provides security from an M1151 up-armoured humvee gunners turret during a mission outside the wire to assess the progress of the Shaikh Mahmood Canal Road construction project, Dec. 28, 2009. When it is finished, the 37 mile long Shaikh Mahmood Canal Road will connect the villages of Jorg and Koksheb, as well as provide access to maintain the Shaikh Mahmood Canal which supplies water to the nearby farms.

Cpl. Bradley Patterson, flight engineer from B Company, 2-3 General Support Aviation Battalion, rides the rear of a CH-47 Chinook at Guardian Response 22 in Muscatatuck, In on May 8, 2022. Flight engineers play valuable roles during the operation of CH-47 Chinook helicopters, providing information to the pilot from the rear. Guardian Response 22 is a homeland emergency response exercise that provides realistic disaster response training to sharpen the skills and increase the capabilities of U.S. Army Soldiers.

U.S. Army Spc. Sean Miller, crew chief with Alpha Company, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, looks out the side of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as they fly over the 28th ECAB's area of operations in the Middle East.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kristopher Goyen, an 8th Special Operations Squadron special mission aviator, looks out of the back of a CV-22 Osprey during a flight exercise near Montgomery, Ala. Jan. 25, 2023. The primary mission of the 8th SOS is insertion, extraction, and resupply of unconventional warfare forces and equipment into hostile, or enemy-controlled, territory using airland or airdrop procedures.

NORFOLK, Va. (Nov. 26, 2012) Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class Stuart Thompson, center, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9, communicates with the crew during a flight aboard an MH-60S Sea Hawk.

US Marine Corps aviator prepares to launch a Marine Corps AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter from Al Asad Air Base, Al Anbar Province, Iraq

A soldier monitors a radio as he drives an M998 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) along a road following Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Kuwait(KWT)

Special operations troops perform an airdrop from a C-130 Hercules aircraft during Exercise Solid Shield '89. The exercise is being conducted on the East Coast of the United States by approximately 30,000 military personnel from all services. Subject Operation/Series: SOLID SHIELD '89 Country: Unknown

Army Airborne Paratroopers prepare to exit 136th Airlift Wings' C-130 J Model aircraft via static line during Exercise Falcon Leap onto Hechtselse Heide Drop Zone, Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium, Sep. 13, 2022 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. More than 1000 Paratroopers from all over the world, 13 different nationalities, multiple airdrops per day, and training with each other equipment for two weeks. this is NATO's largest technical airborne exercise.

A CH-53E Super Stallion aircrewman flies with the Marine Air-Ground Task Force demonstration of the 2022 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California, Sept. 22, 2022. The MAGTF Demo displays the coordinated use of close-air support, artillery and infantry forces, and provides a visual representation of how the Marine Corps operates. The theme for the 2022 MCAS Miramar Air Show, Marines Fight, Evolve and Win, reflects the Marine Corps ongoing modernization efforts to prepare for future conflicts.

A U.S. Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) salutes his fellow Soldiers while jumping out of a C-130 Hercules aircraft over a drop zone in Germany, Feb. 24, 2015.

DA-SC-86-10658. Country: Unknown

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II pilot, copilot and navigator assigned to the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS) fly over the Red Sea, Sept. 7, 2022, during a tactical air refueling mission. The 81st ERQS is a rapidly deployable combat search and rescue force that can conduct tactical air refueling, airdrop and airland of personnel and/or equipment during day or night operations in support of combat personnel recovery within Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa area of responsibility.

A U.S. Marine with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron (HMLAT) 303, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, returns to refuel on Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, Oct. 16, 2022. HMLAT-303 Marines and state, federal, and private agencies utilized long line external lift capabilities via UH-1Y Venom helicopters to conduct various resupply and search missions through a mountainous environment. Due to the rugged terrain, Marines of HMLAT-303 executed advanced landing techniques.

U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 and Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 272 load a container onto an MV-22B Osprey at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Jan. 30, 2023. VMM-261 trained to support Marine ground units during Service Level Training Exercise 2-23, a series of exercises designed to prepare Marines for operations around the globe. VMM-261 and MWSS-272 are subordinate units of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Armando Martinez, 33rd Rescue Squadron special mission aviator, looks out the gunners window as an A-10C Thunderbolt passes, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 15, 2014. The A-10 provided cover for rescue aircraft during a combat search and rescue task force exercise.

Tech. Sgt. Dylan Richardson, 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-10 Extender boom operator, helps guide the aircraft commander during air-to-air refueling operations from a KC-135 Stratotanker over an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Oct. 24, 2022. The KC-10 not only has the capability of providing air-to-air refueling to aircraft throughout the CENTCOM AOR, but can also receive fuel from other refueling aircraft.

030501-F-2034C-022. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Tallil Air Base State: Dhi Qar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Master Sgt. Phil Harris and Staff Sgt. Mateis Maehler, 192nd Airlift Squadron C-130H loadmasters, prepare for a drop of a training cargo load above Amedee Army Airfield, Herlong, California June 24, 2022. The cargo was dropped during a three-ship tactical flight which involved low-level flying and touch and go landings

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Charles Kirk, a CH-47 Chinook standardization instructor with the 1-169th Aviation, and Staff Sgt. Allan Brookshire, a CH-47 Chinook flight engineer with the 1-169th Aviation, maintain airspace surveillance while in flight to Alexandria, LA, Sept. 1, 2023. The flight crew departed for Alexandria in order to help suppress wildfires in the Alexandria region.

Afghanistan, 04/30/2013. Transfer in convoy with aerial accompaniment of Tigre Chinookl and Cougart helicopters from the Qala I Naw base to the Herat air base through the Sabzak gorge of part of the Spanish contingent stationed in Afghanistan. Photo: Jaime García. ARCHDC.

Pararescuemen assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron jump from the back of a C-130J Super Hercules for over-water personnel recovery operations during Exercise Pacific Angel, near Kuantan Air Base, Malaysia, Aug. 17, 2022. The objective was to reach a Rigging Alternate Method Boat, or RAMB, which is a deflated Combat Rubber Raiding Craft that can be dropped by parachute into the water and inflated upon landing.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade provide UH-60M Black Hawk support to the 10th Mountain Light Fighters School on Fort Drum, NY Aug. 11, 2022. Soldiers from 10th CAB were also in the course to qualify for their Air Assault badge.

U.S. Marines with 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, conduct a static-line jump during cold weather training on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 9, 2022. This training was conducted to enhance the units combat effectiveness in extreme cold weather as they prepare for an upcoming deployment to Marine Corps Forces Europe-Africa theater of operations.

050908-A-0575B-047. Subject Operation/Series: EDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Airfield State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF76

Senior Airman Jolan Besse and Staff Sgt. Georgeanne Heck, 535th Airlift Squadron loadmasters, observe container delivery system bundles exiting a C-17 Globemaster III during an airdrop training exercise at Kanes Drop Zone, Kahuku, Hawaii, Aug. 24, 2022. Aircrew from the 535th Airlift squadron conducted training by performing an airdrop of container delivery system bundles of supplies.

U.S. Marine Corps Avionic technicians with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461), 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, troubleshoot the blade fold system in the cockpit of a CH-53K King Stallion on Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina June 22, 2022. HMH-461 aviation maintenance Marines go through vigorous training and testing to ensure that aircraft aboard MCAS New River are ready to fly and support all missions safely.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Wiggins, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flight engineer from the 8th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) "Black Birds," pre-flights his plane Jan. 26, 2011, before a local training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Osprey's primary mission in the 8th SOS is insertion, extraction, and re-supply of unconventional warfare forces and equipment into hostile or enemy-controlled territory using airland or airdrop procedures.

(Right to left) U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pall and Airman 1st Class Riley Henagar, both 36th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130J loadmasters, confirm a location route over the Northern Mariana Islands, Dec. 1, 2022, during Operation Christmas Drop 2022. Yokotas C-130J crew members practice skills that enable effective dynamic delivery in support of future operations.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Pearl Christensen, battalion commander of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, participates in a flight simulation on Fort Riley, Kansas, June 30, 2022. Flight simulators aid in training pilots for missions, flying in battle, recovering in an emergency, and coordinating air support for ground operations.

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the 1-21st Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, conduct a battalion air assault exercise for a platoon situational training exercise (STX), on Oahu, Hawaii, May 24, 2022. The STX emphasized aspects of loading and unloading from aircraft then utilizing small team strategies to reach a destination in low visibility.

An Army Reserve Soldier from the 341st Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge), out of Fort Chaffee, Ark., plunges into the Arkansas River during a training exercise known as a helocast at Fort Chaffee, Aug. 1, as part of Operation River Assault. The entire River Assault training exercise lasted from July 28 to Aug. 4, 2015, involving one brigade headquarters, two battalions and 17 other units, to include bridging, sapper, mobility, construction and aviation companies.

030501-F-2034C-017. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Tallil Air Base State: Dhi Qar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

Container Delivery System bundles exit a C-17 Globemaster III during an airdrop mission.

A straight on medium shot from the back. F-15E crew chief SENIOR AIRMAN Bennie Vaughn, from the 60th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida, "recovers" a jet after a mission during exercise "Roving Sands 99, " June 21, 1999. Roving Sands is a one-of-a-kind event that is the world's largest Joint Tactical Air Operations exercise. It melds the Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Elements; Air Defense Artillery; and Aircraft; of the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Multinational Forces, into a Joint Integrated Air Defense System (IADs). Subject Operation/Series: ROVING SANDS '99 Base: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base State: Arizona (AZ) Country: United States Of America (USA)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --3/13/2011 - A joint team of U.S. Air Force and Marine search and rescue look over the disastrous after-math of Sendai Airport here March 13. They are part of the American disaster relief forces here to assist with Japan's earthquake and tsunami recovery effort.

050908-A-0575B-029. Subject Operation/Series: OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Bagram Airfield State: Parwan Country: Afghanistan (AFG) Scene Major Command Shown: CJTF76

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Lauren Hotaling, 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in-flight refueling specialist, refuels an E-3 Sentry over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, April 7, 2022. The refueling sortie marked the last deployed KC-10 Extender flight flown by a crew deployed from McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. McGuire AFB will cease their KC-10 deployments as the base is transitioning to fly the KC-46 Pegasus.

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 26, 2022) U.S. Army Capt. Brian Cheung, from New York City, New York, left, and U.S. Army Capt. Zane Amrein, from Winnemucca, Nevada, both assigned to 8th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment (FRSD), transport a simulated patient on the flight deck of U.S. Navy Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) in support of a joint-service medical training exercise during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 26, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three 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.

980622-F-9580Z-058. Base: Mcchord Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A view from the Tactical Coordinator's position aboard a U.S. Navy S-3B Viking aircraft, showing the Pilot and Co-Pilot manning their positions during a pre-flight check as the aircraft taxies into launch position on the flight deck aboard the Aircraft Carrier, USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67).

U.S. Air Force Capt. Matthew Millikin, 9th Air Refueling Squadron evaluator pilot, parks a KC-10 Extender at Travis Air Force Base, California, July 4, 2022. The training flight provided an opportunity for aircrew to maintain proficiency and included a fly-over supporting two fourth of July parades.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samuel Leal, a UH-1Y Venom crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167, observes the landscape during a familiarization flight near Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, Aug. 6, 2022. HMLA-167 trained with U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Air National Guard units during joint exercise Northern Strike 22-2. HMLA-167 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

A Soldier assigned to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment "FIRST STRIKE", 2nd Brigade Combat Team STRIKE”. 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) observes a Ch-47 Chinook assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division as it carries a High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle on July 28, 2022, at Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania. 101st units will support V Corps mission to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank and engage in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent to reassure our Nations allies.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 29, 2020) A U.S. Marine with the All-Domain Reconnaissance Detachment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fast-ropes from a Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 during training aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8). The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 15th MEU are currently conducting at-sea training events in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.

Airmen from the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, lookout upon the Islands of Yap prior to pushing a box of humanitarian assistance goods out of a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules call sign Santa 23” to its drop-zone during Operation Christmas Drop, Dec. 14. Operation Christmas Drop is the Air Force’s longest-running humanitarian which began in 1952. Airmen today continue the tradition delivering supplies to remote islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Yap, Palau, Chuuk and Pohnpei.

050509-F-9629D-066. Base: Kirkuk Country: Iraq (IRQ) Scene Major Command Shown: U.S. AIR MOBILITY COMMAND

040426-F-7289C-072. Base: Spangdahlem Air Base State: Rheinland-Pfalz Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron - 772, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserve in support of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force UNITAS LXIII, conduct a forward arming and refueling point operation at Santa Cruz Air Force Base, Rio De Janeiro, during exercise UNITAS LXIII, Sept. 6, 2022. UNITAS develops and sustains relationships that improve the capacity of our reemerging and enduring maritime partners to achieve common objectives. Additionally, the military-to-military exchanges foster friendly, mutual cooperation and understanding among participating Navies and Marine Corps.

Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Tyler Cason, assigned to the Vanguard” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14), monitors flight operations inside an MH-53 Sea Dragon” helicopter during the squadron’s last flight Dec. 8, 2022.

040605-F-3886C-031. Base: Omaha Beach State: Normandy Country: France (FRA)

A CH-47 Chinook assigned to Army Aviation Support Facility #2 (AASF #2) flies over Michigan on Nov. 14, 2022. The AASF #2 was stood-up on Sept. 22, 2002, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Harrison Township, Michigan.

111220-N-XX999-168 FORT PICKETT, Va. (Dec. 20, 2011) U.S. Navy SEALs jump from a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter during training near Fort Pickett.

QUEENSLAND, Australia (July 12, 2019) A crew chief assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 85 scans the skies while on a mission to emplace U.S. and Australian special operations forces during Talisman Sabre, July 12, 2019. Talisman Sabre is a bilateral exercise that tests the two forces combat training, readiness and interoperability.

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 21, 2022) - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday arrives on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 21. 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.

DM-ST-88-07848. Base: Virginia Beach State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Special Forces Team Sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), casts teammates aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter near Key West, Florida, May 3, 2022. Helocast, or free-drop from a helicopter, is a means of inserting combat swimmers/divers and maritime mobility craft into a waterborne environment. (DoD photo)

A U.S. Marine with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing prepares MV-22 Ospreys for takeoff at Camp Okadama, Hokkaido, Japan, Oct. 5, 2022. Resolute Dragon 22 is an annual bilateral exercise designed to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the U.S.-Japan Alliance by exercising integrated command and control, targeting, combined arms and maneuver across multiple domains.

Members of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, prepare to exit the ramp of a C-130 Hercules aircraft on a night jump, with oxygen and equipment, from 25,000 feet above Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station, Puerto Rico. State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Maj. Taiki Sakata (right) observes from the flight deck of a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules during Operation Christmas Drop 2022, Dec. 6, 2022. Operation Christmas Drop is the longest running Department of Defense humanitarian mission that delivers critical aid to island communities throughout the western Pacific while also providing an opportunity for aircrew to hone important skills needed for future operations.

The LANG sent one LUH-72 Lakota to assist the U.S. Border Patrol by providing air support along the Texas-Mexico border, May 23, 2018. The LANGs Lakotas are equipped with a mission equipment package that includes a WESCAM infrared camera for night time operations and camera recording capabilities.

Illuminated by his armored vehicle's green combat lights, Spc. Tom Tienda, a military policeman assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, tests the truck's communications system before leaving Camp Taji, Iraq, Dec. 2. The MPs rolled out long before sunrise to patrol roads outside the camp to ensure the safety of 2/82 convoys traveling through the area from Baghdad. The 2nd Brigade is the last brigade in Baghdad and is facilitating the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. Tienda is a native of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Spc. Jackson Shoening, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, Iowa National Guard, completes safety checks while testing as a Rappel Master inside a UH-60 Black Hawk at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Sept. 14, 2022. Nearly 30 Soldiers and Airmen participated in a Rappel Master course at Camp Dodge. The course was taught by a mobile training team from the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center in Fort Benning, Georgia.

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Maria Ortiz-Montoya, 483rd Area Clearance Platoon combat engineer, records a controlled demolition explosion from inside a bunker with a smart phone at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, July 26, 2022. U.S. Army Combat Engineers (12B) are trained to build bridges, clear barriers with explosives and help detect and avoid mines and other environmental hazards in austere locations.

An Airman with the 621st Contingency Response Wing secures a MRZR vehicle before takeoff during Turbo Distribution 22-2 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, July 15, 2022. Turbo Distribution is a joint task force-port opening exercise designed to train U.S. Air Force and Army personnel on how to rapidly respond to humanitarian aid and disaster response missions. (U.S. Air Force by Staff Sgt. Scott Warner)

220421-N-SS350-1041 SAN DIEGO (April 21, 2022) Navy EOD technicians exit the back of a C-2A Greyhound, assigned to the Providers of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, during a static-line training jump run by Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 1, April 21, 2022. EODTEU-1 develops and provides realistic training to Navy EOD, and mobile diving and salvage forces to prepare them to support the fleet and joint force in accomplishing national objectives.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Isaiah Daniels, crew chief, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides aerial support for a combined forces event during exercise Alexander the Great 2022, Skyros, May 16, 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. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ken Geier, left, and Staff Sgt. Dakota Dennis, right, special missions aviators assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, conduct a post-flight check on an HH-60 Pave Hawk during a combat search and rescue exercise at an undisclosed location, July 5, 2022. Air Force Central Commands ERQSs are organized, trained, equipped and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations within the Central Command theater of operations. Special warfare operators assigned throughout the combined joint operational area conduct operations in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve.

U.S. Marines assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), wait to conduct static line airborne operations on a KC-130J Hercules during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 over Yuma, Arizona, Sept. 30, 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.

A U.S. Army Soldier sits on the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook assigned to the B Company Sugar Bears 1-52 Aviation Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, during a flight from Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in support of the Department of the Air Force civic leader tour hosted by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 23, 2022. Clear SFS serves as home to Arctic Airmen and Guardians assigned to the 13th and 213th Space Warning Squadrons, providing 24/7 missile warning, missile defense, and space domain awareness.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Midsi MartinezVasquez, a UH-1Y Venom crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 167, talks to the pilots while flying over Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Jan. 26, 2023. HMLA-167 trained to increase proficiency during a unit-level deployment for training (DFT). The purpose of the DFT was to increase the squadrons proficiency in expeditionary close-air support, shore-based operations, and defensive-air maneuvering. HMLA-167 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force.

First Sgt. Samuel Agostine (left) and Sgt. Christian Blackmon sit on the ramp of their CH-47F Chinook helicopter April 27, 2022. The Sugar Bears of B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment fly out of Talkeetna, Alaska, each spring to assist the National Park Service by inserting equipment, supplies and personnel for the NPS base camp on Kahiltna Glacier for climbers attempting to summit Denali. (Army photo/John Pennell)

010920-F-3961R-003. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Charleston Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Marines with Operations Licensing and 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Combat Logistics Regiment, 1st Marine Logistics Group (MLG), and Dutch Royal Marines with 2nd Marine Combat Group prepare to drive during a tactical vehicle familiarization course at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Oct. 19, 2022. 1st MLG accepted the Dutch Royal Marines request to train with U.S. Marines tactical vehicles to familiarize themselves with Marine Corps vehicles so they can be equipped to utilize U.S. equipment should the need arise.

Right side rear view medium shot as US Army Sergeant Jemery Cowham, Jumpmaster with the 1ST of the 508th Infantry Airborne Battalion Combat Team (ABCT), 173rd Airborne Brigade, from Vicenza, Italy, prepares to jump from a US Air Force C-130 Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as he and his unit drop into Bunker Drop Zone at Grafenwohr, Germany for Lion Drop 12 on 09 August 2000. Subject Operation/Series: LION DROP 12 Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Marc Alfonso Ganir, 154th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion craftsman, inspects a C-17 Globemaster III engine Jan. 17, 2019, during exercise Southern Strike at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Miss. Southern Strike 19 is a total force, multi-service training exercise hosted by the Mississippi Air National Guards Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport and Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center near Hattiesburg, Miss. from Jan. 15 through Jan. 30, 2019. The exercise emphasizes air-to-air, air-to-ground and special operations forces training opportunities.

of 3