Military Operations & Training

Service members engage in various military exercises, focusing on logistics, aircraft maintenance, and artillery operations, showcasing teamwork and tactical skills in diverse environments.

On Sept. 8, 2022, more than 200 service members across four major commands participated in an unprecedented joint force exercise at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. 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. The fuel from the HEMTT was then used to fuel multiple aircraft and Polaris Military RZRs.

Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 109th Artillery Regiment, 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, move from cantonment into the field May 16, 2022, in Pabrade, Lithuania, to conduct live-fire artillery exercises with the M109A6 Paladin. The Soldiers are deployed to Lithuania in support of Defender Europe 22 and NATO exercise Flaming Thunder.

Service members participate in an agile combat employment 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.

2nd Lt. Brilee Vargason, a Mount Pleasant, Iowa, native and platoon leader assigned to Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Iowa Army National Guard, and Staff Sgt. Joshua Pauley, a Madrid, Iowa, native and infantryman assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, IANG, work together to hook up cargo 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

Senior Airman Stephen Ingram, 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron electrical and environmental apprentice, and Master Sgt. Trevor Kuhns, 22nd Operations Support Squadron Agile Combat Employment program lead, check the fuel levels during a hot pit refueling mission Oct. 13, 2022, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Airmen from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, traveled to Japan to participate in an offsite training focused on ACE initiatives.

On Sept. 8, 2022, more than 200 service members across four major commands participated in an unprecedented joint force exercise at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. 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. The fuel from the HEMTT was then used to fuel multiple aircraft and Polaris Military RZRs.

Airman 1st Class Dawson Morris, 366th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, holds a hose on Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Oct. 18, 2022. Polaris utility vehicles improve response time with the ability to reach locations where cars, trucks, and helicopters cannot operate. The Polaris carries water and aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) to smother fires.

Staff Sgt. Justin Douglas, a gunnery sergeant assigned to B Battery, 3-29 Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, poses for a photo in front of Bad Batch,” an M109 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer on display at Eurosatory 2022 June 14, in Paris, France. I was selected to attend Eurosatory 2022 as the subject matter expert when it comes to the M109 Paladin,” Douglas said. Lethality and timely fires make us an asset on the battlefield. We are a max-casualty producing weapon and that’s what makes us so valuable.”Articulate subject matter experts are integral in effectively communicating U.S. battlefield capabilities, building trust with our NATO allies and furthering our efforts for interoperability - the ability of our Soldiers and systems to operate effectively in conjunction with those of our partner nations. The Army is dedicated to its modernization strategy, making units more lethal, to win our nation’s wars and return home safely.

U.S. Army Cpl. Andre Frassier, assigned to Alpha Battery, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, performs simulated artillery fire as part of his qualification training while U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared Weeks, also assigned to Alpha Battery, grades the task during qualification training at Forward Operating Site Adazi, Latvia, July 1, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps in Europe.

U.S. Army Warrant Officer Brent Barr, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, performs systems checks on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter before a flight training exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap. Pa, July 17, 2022. (Photo by U.S. Army National Guard Spc. John Trapani)

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Eliseo Velasco, an infantry Marine with Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, sights in through a small opening during a live-fire range on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jan. 6, 2024. Marines with the scout sniper platoon conduct drills to improve individual proficiency firing from unconventional positions. 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.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Oliver Wendland, right, and Tech. Sgt. Daniel Middaugh, left, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron forward area refueling point operators, race a fuel hose and fire extinguisher during Exercise Agile Angel at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Feb. 20, 2024. The fuel hose weighed approximately 70-80 pounds. Air Force

Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and a C-130 aircrew from the 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas load cargo as part of their redeoyment process at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, May 25, 2022 after participating in the Raging Gunfighter exercise. Raging Gunfighter is an Air Combat Command exercise designed to simulate operating a Lead Wing from an Austere Environment. The purpose of the exercise is to prepare the 366th Fighter Wing and its Airmen for potential future operations in accordance with the National Defense Strategy.

New York National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 152nd Engineer Battalion as Search and Extractors double check their equipment during a Homeland Response Force validation exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA on September 10, 2022. The Soldiers were tasked with rappelling into a confined space to rescue casualties during the exercise. (New York National Guard photo by SSG Matthew Gunther)

Spc. Amber Washington, Company A, 1st Battalion, 204th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 66th Troop Command, Mississippi Army National Guard, checks the water buffalo truck at Smith-Wills stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, Sept. 1, 2022. Nearly 600 Mississippi National Guardsmen were set up across seven sites through Jackson for people to collect bottled water and non-potable water from water buffalo trucks. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Connie Jones)

U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class Richard Tunison, a logistics embarkation specialist with 1st Landing Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, secures a quadcon dry freight container in preparation for exercise Native Fury 22 at March Air Reserve Base, California, July 21, 2022. Native Fury 22 is a biennial exercise focused on the demonstration of the rapid offload and integration of a Maritime Prepositioned Force (MPF) in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of regional security, crisis response, and contingency operations.

Airmen assigned to the 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, load an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile while competing in a timed F-22 Raptor load crew competition at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 7, 2022. Load crew competitions provide the 3rd Maintenance Groups weapons loaders an opportunity to showcase their speed and efficiency, while honing teamwork as an integral component of the U.S. Air Forces Fly, Fight, Win mantra.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division prepare a TOW missile system at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, May 10, 2022. This exercise tested and strengthened the Marines ability to conduct distributed operations, while demonstrating their readiness to rapidly secure and defend key terrain to maintain regional security. 1/3 is forward-deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marines as a part of the Unit Deployment Program.

PUTLOS, Germany (Sept. 13, 2019) An explosive ordnance disposal technician assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8 sets up an EOD remote controlled robotic for a mission on a simulated maritime improvised explosive device (IED) during exercise Northern Coasts in Putlos, Germany, Sept. 13, 2019. Northern Coasts provides the opportunity for participating nations to engage in realistic maritime training, to build experience and teamwork, and strengthen our interoperability as we work toward mutual goals.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. William Wagner, left, and Lance Cpl. Zachary Conley, both mortarmen with Golf Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/4, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, simulate firing a M224 60mm mortar system during a mechanized raid course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, May 10, 2022. The raid course was a one week program designed to improve the Marines ability to plan and conduct limited scale raids utilizing ground movement while forward deployed in the Indo-Pacific region.

An Airman assigned to the 104th Maintenance Group, Massachusetts Air National Guard, attaches a generator to a tow point on the flightline during exercise Eagle Claw, a readiness exercise, June 11, 2022, at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. The exercise assessed Barnestormers ability to maintain air dominance in a simulated contested, degraded, and operationally limited environment and test their implementation of the Agile Combat Employment deployment concept.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Terence Bowe, a fuels craftsman assigned to the 175th Mission Support Group, Maryland Air National Guard, fills a fuel truck with fuel at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Md., June 23, 2022. Nearly 1,500 Airmen are assigned to the 175th Wing and serve in a wide range of career fields, like cyber, civil engineering, aircraft maintenance, logistics, intelligence, medical, security, administration, and more.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Joint Communications Support Element work to load a generator on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft headed to Haiti for earthquake relief efforts Jan. 15, 2010 at MacDill Air Force Base Fla.

U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Macias, an infantryman and commander's gunner assigned to the 2nd Squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment, fires at enemy targets downrange while being tested on marksmanship for the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition, at Fort Hood, Texas, June 24, 2022. The III Armored Corps pulled only the best from across its divisions and separate brigades to compete in this years inaugural competition. The best squad goes on to compete at the U.S. Army Forces Command competition at Fort Hood in August.

Senior Airman Tristan Quarles, 366th Force Support Squadron food service shift lead, builds a Single Palletized Expeditionary Kitchen (SPEK) on Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Oct. 18, 2022. A SPEK is designed to be used in a deployed environment to provide hot meals.

U. S. Air Force Airmen from the 124th Maintenace Squadron, Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho perform Agile Combat Employment (ACE) training while conducting maintenance on a U. S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft also from the 124th Fighter Wing, during Agile Rage 22, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Mich., June 16, 2022. Exercises like Agile Rage 22 are re-defining Air Force Command & Control operations, shifting focus to decentralized command and control for distributed operations. ACE is the ability to project combat power anytime, anywhere, while remaining operationally unpredictable to complicate an adversary's decision making process.

The Indiana National Guard was visited by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic Lt. Gen. Peter Vojtek during the first week of July in support of the State Partnership Program, a Department of Defense program managed by the National Guard that links states with allied nations to enhance partnership capabilities. The Indiana National Guard has been working with the Slovak Republic for almost 20 years now. July 3, 2013, Vojtek had the opportunity to fire a practice round out of an M119 howitzer while visiting 1st Battalion, 163rd Field Artillery in Evansville, Ind.

SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND, Calif. (March 21, 2018) Engineman 2nd Class Christopher Eckel, assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 3, prepares a Mark 38 Mod 2 machine gun system aboard a Mark VI patrol boat during a live-fire exercise provided by Coastal Riverine Group (CRG) 1 Training and Evaluation Unit. CRG-1 provides a core capability to defend designated high value assets throughout the green and blue-water environment and providing deployable adaptive force packages worldwide in an integrated, joint and combined theater of operations.

Senior Airman Cameron Pierce, a weapons loader with the 142nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, prepares a training missile to be loaded onto an F-15 Eagle during a weapons load competition held at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., June 12, 2022.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Loyur Root (left), a refrigeration and air conditioning technician with Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and Cpl. Samuel Fletcher, a combat photographer with I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, move an air conditioner while setting up a combat operations center in support of Valiant Shield 2022 on Palau, May 31, 2022. Exercises such as Valiant Shield enable real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.

220929-N-PI330-1002 Gulfport, Mississippi (September 29, 2022) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133) assemble the a bridge during a bridge building trainer course on Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, September 29, 2022. NMCB 133 is at homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi conducting training cycles.

U.S. Marines with Marine Air Control Group (MACG) 18 set up a Tactical Elevated Antenna Mast System for a Multi-Functional Air Operations Center at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 5, 2022, in support of Valiant Shield 2022. Exercise Valiant Shield gives units like MACG-18 the opportunity to integrate with forces across the Indo-Pacific to train in successful employment and operations that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cody Lockhart, 621st Contingency Response Support Squadron NCOIC of the Deployment Execution Team, positions a pallet on top a vertical pallet stacker prototype April 12, 2022, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The VPS is projected to save the CRW $22K per sortie for exercise and real-world operations by reducing the demand for aircraft pallet positioning by up to 50 percent. The VPS is an Air Force Research Laboratory project designed to promote Agile Combat Employment while promoting the multi-capable Airmen concept.

U.S. Army Pfc. Patrick Sullivan, a Bradley driver from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, checks engine fluids on an M3 Bradley during vehicle draw activities on the second day of the Sullivan Cup, at Fort Benning, Ga., April 26, 2022. During day 2, Sullivan Cup crews have an equipment layout, draw vehicles and conduct PMCS (Preventive Maintenance Checks), to ensure that their vehicles will be ready to perform for the competition.

Spc. Daniel Reading, an infantryman with the Maryland Army National Guards D Company, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, fires an M249 light machine gun during the marksmanship portion of the Army National Guards 2022 Best Warrior Competition at Volunteer Training Site-Tullahoma, Tennessee, July 27, 2022. The competition spans five physically and mentally demanding days as 14 competitors vie to be named the Army National Guards Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. The winners will go on to represent the Army Guard in the Department of the Army Best Warrior Competition later this year.

Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron alongside 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron loadmasters secure an M-1/A2 Abrams main battle tank aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft Aug 12, 2022 at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. The M-1 Abrams tank requires 38 chains to be securely fastened during flight.

040609-M-5555L-004. Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM Base: Junction City State: Al Anbar Country: Iraq (IRQ)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Erik Jimenez, 23rd Aircraft Maintenance unit apprentice, adjusts a component on a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron prior to departure at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, Sept. 21, 2022. Jimenez was part of a Bomber Task Force focused on detterring adversaries, assuring allies and partners, strengtheing interoperability and maintaining and demonstrating readiness and lethality across Europe.

Airman 1st Class Jonah Fouts, a 91st Security Forces Group Defender unlocks a Launch Facility maintenance hatch during Bully Vigilance, an exercise designed to test the 91st Missile Wings readiness to respond to an outside threat at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Oct. 13, 2022. Exercises like BV provide training opportunities for components, units and task forces to deter, and if necessary, defeat, a military attack against the United States and to employ forces as directed by the President.

Senior Airman William Oskay, 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons load crew member, uses a power drill to test the capabilities of an ADU-468 as a part of the Project Arc program at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Sept. 16, 2022. Project Arc is a program that consists of scientists and engineers from across the Air Force working with units to tackle problems and challenges using their knowledge to design new tools, widgets or rework a workflow.

Airmen assigned to the 909th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and 909th Air Refueling Squadron review KC-135 Stratotanker maintenance records at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Sept. 28, 2022. Kadena conducts operations in support of the defense of Japan, as well as U.S. efforts to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Lucas Hough, a Light Armored Vehicle 25 gunner assigned to Light Armored Reconnaissance Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and an Iowa native, inspects an LAV-25 for corrosion during routine vehicle maintenance aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) in the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 2, 2024. Somerset is currently underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations with elements of the 15th MEU. Marine Corps

U.S. Soldiers with the 169th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Patrick Dean, a diagnostic imaging specialist with the 378th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, takes X-rays of Zazu, a military working dog with the 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron K9 Unit, during a vet visit at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2022. USCENTCOM Airmen and Soldiers eat, play and work together all across PSAB. The joint force partnership fosters, advances and augments each branch's mission capabilities in the Southwest Asia theater. (U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Noah J. Tancer)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Mike Mitrou and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Groeper, both Aircrew Flight Equipment specialist with the 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Illinois Air National Guard, discuss vehicle operations inside the M1078 cargo truck during a scheduled stop on the convoy to Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, June 2, 2022. The 182nd OSS and 169th Airlift Squadron participated in a multi-capable Airman training exercise at Volk Field CRTC from June 2 to June 4, 2022.

U.S. Army Soldier, Maj. Sean Buchanan (right) and Chief Warrant Officer Juan De Leon, remove a generator grounding stake during the Army South CCP deployment exercise at Army Support Activity Soto Cano, Honduras, May 16, 2022. During the nine-day forward exercise, over 60 Soldiers from Army South, 470th Military Intelligence Brigade, 410th Contracting Support Brigade (410th CSB), and 56th Signal Battalion set up the CCP tactical operations center, tactical satellite communications, and participated in several operations and intelligence briefs with Army South, U.S. Agency for International Developments (USAID) and 410th CSB to rehearse their staff functions as SOUTHCOMs command and control element during contingency operations.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Matthew Owens, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of aerial transportation functions, fastens latches holding a Transportable Port Security Boat onto a C-17A Globemaster III on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Sept. 23, 2022. U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Unit 309 members were being redeployed for additional field training after completing exercises near Scott AFB utilizing Transportable Port Security Boats.

U.S. Army National Guard 1st Lt. Robert Angelini, right, from New Jersey's C Troop, 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment points out enemy locations to fellow Soldiers during a training mission on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., June 18, 2018.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief, National Guard Bureau, speaks with Sgt. Timothy York, a member of the 12th Civil Support Team, New Hampshire National Guard, at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, May 3, 2022. Hokanson attended the annual Northeast TAG Huddle and New Hampshire visit hosted by the 157th Air Refueling Wing.

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct an emergency deployment readiness exercise (EDRE) on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Oct. 8, 2022.

Citizen-Soldiers assigned to the 181st Area Support Medical Company of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard perform a medical evacuation training exercise recovering a simulated wounded soldier from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Santiago Joint Training Center, Salinas, Puerto Rico, July 14, 2022. The training aimed to develop medical skills as an aid station providing immediate treatment of casualties while operating a simulated combat scenario.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Cody Prine, a section chief, and Pfc. William Buyan, both High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) crewmembers a part of 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, share capabilities of the M142 HIMARS with Swedish soldiers during Nordic Strike 22, at Vidsel Test Range, Sweden, Sept. 27, 2022. Nordic Strike 22 is a bilateral field artillery live-fire exercise in which U.S. Army Europe and Africa provides ready, combat-credible forces for its Swedish partner, that exercises multi-domain capabilities while enhancing readiness and lethality to defend against near-peer adversaries.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Bongiovi, a Crew Chief from 124th Fighter Wing, Gowen Field Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho, prepares the A-10 Thunderbolt II for a mission on the flightline during Agile Rage 22 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Mich., June 13, 2022. Agile Rage 22 is a National Guard Bureau-led exercise that provides realistic training opportunities, mimicking current and future combat environments dictated by the National Defense Strategy.

U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Yazmin Lostaglia and a fellow Soldier carefully sift soil at an Advanced Crime Scene Techniques course held during Exercise Guardian Shield, May 13, 2022, on Grissom Air Reserve Base, IN. Lostalgia, a Brooklyn, NY. native and battalion executive officer at the 159th Military Police Battalion, Criminal Investigations Division, in Terre Haute, IN., assisted Soldiers with collecting and sorting evidence at a mock grave excavation site conducted as a course exercise.

Afghanistan, Kunar Province, United States Army soldiers adjusting 81mm mortar tube

U.S. Air Force Airmen, U.S. Army Soldiers, and Canadian and Norwegian coalition partners train on how to load and unload injured patients from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Jan. 20, 2023. The 405th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, the 386th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, and members from the U.S. Army and coalition forces partnered together for a real-world simulation on patient loading and unloading from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. This training helps ensure that patients receive the best treatment possible in the shortest amount of time.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Brandon Camacho, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management journeyman from Queen Creek, Arizona was selected as the 18th Wings Airman of the Week at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The Airman of the Week program is an opportunity for outstanding Airmen to be recognized by KAB leadership as well as showcase these young leaders to their peers.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to C Battery, Field Artillery Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, prepare 155mm ammunition during a Table XV Battery Certification live fire exercise at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Nov. 7, 2022. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, assigned to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe, works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater to defend the NATO alliance.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Adam Harkness, 140th Wing, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, simulates an emergency response at Buckley Space Force Base, Colo., Sept. 24, 2022 during readiness exercise, Operation Thundercat. This four-day exercise provides a simulated combat environment that allows Airmen to practice real-world warfighting capabilities.

Soldiers participating in the Spartan Warrior III exercise conduct training at Fort McCoy, WI.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Cusanek, 721st Aerial Port Squadron air terminal operations center information controller, pushes a pallet of infant formula at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, May 22, 2022. U.S. Transportation Command expeditiously coordinated across federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, to support U.S. President Joe Bidens direction to conduct Operation Fly Formula. The 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing provided critical aircraft maintenance, aircrew support, command and control, and aerial port services to coordinate logistics and execute the mission with urgency and safety.

Members of the Louisiana National Guards 926th Sapper Company zero their M-4 carbine rifles in preparation for weapons qualification at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, MS, May 11.

NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (Mar. 18, 2023) Utilitiesman 2nd Class Kyle Webb, from Saginaw, Texas, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, conducts training on the 35KW 8T trailer mounted Generator, increasing the battalionÕs mission readiness. NMCB 1 operates as a part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and is assigned to Commander, Task Force 68 for deployment across the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of operations to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

Airman 1st Class Michael Bryant, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew member, inspects inert guided bomb units prior to loading them into a B-1 bomber mock trainer in the Load Crew Training Facility at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Aug. 13, 2013. Guided bomb units are 500-pound precision strike, satellite guided munitions that deliver accurate strikes against moving and stationary targets.

A Polish military class cadet, left, talks with a U.S. Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division on the turret of an M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle static display at the 5th Annual Ogolnopolskie Mistrzostwa Klas Mundurowych Award ceremony, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, June 2, 2022. The 3/4th ABCT is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces.

735th Air Mobility Squadron ramp service specialists secure a generator to the floor of a C-17 in preparation for its departure on a humanitarian mission to Japan Mar. 12, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The plane will visit various Air Force bases in Japan during its mission to provide support for Japan relief efforts in the wake of tsunami and earthquake damage there.

Airmen with the 914th Aeromedical Staging Squadron construct a tent to maintain readiness June 5, 2022 on Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. In deployed environments, these tents are constructed and used as staging facilities to triage patients before being airlifted to a medical facility.

U.S. Marines with weapons company 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, engage targets with M2 .50 caliber machine guns during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 4-22 at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., July 20, 2022. MAGTF-23 merged at MCGACC from 55 Home Training Centers across the country, further preparing Marine Forces Reserve for potential future mobilizations and deployments.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgts. Patrick Albury and Nathaniel Yandian, aircraft maintainers assigned to the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group, prepare a decommissioned F-15C Eagle assigned to the 125th Fighter Wing for shipment to the "Boneyard" during a TDY to Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida, Jan. 29, 2024. The 402nd AMXG provides Programmed Depot Maintenance for the F-15 airframe and is responsible for the repair, modification, reclamation and rework of more than 200 aircraft worldwide. This departure will represent another step in the 125th Fighter Wing's divesture of the F-15C Eagle airframe as it prepares to receive the first batch of F-35 Lightning II aircraft in early 2025. The arrival of the F-35 will equip the wing with the Air Force's most sophisticated fifth-generation fighter, will posture Airmen to meet air superiority and global strike needs for our nation's defense, and will mark the end of the wing's 30-year era flying F-15 fighter jets. Conversion training and i

Barcelona, 03/27/2023. Military practices of the Army. Photo: Adrián Quiroga. ARCHDC.

220427-N-PG340-1054 PORT HUENEME, Calif. (April 27, 2022) U.S. Navy Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 conduct litter bearer training during the battalions second Command Post Exercise onboard Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, California. NMCB-5 is homeported out of Port Hueneme. They train on high-quality construction, expeditionary logistics, and combat operations to execute construction and engineering projects for major combat operations, disaster response, and humanitarian assistance.

Oregon Army National Guard Soldier, Spec.

Airmen from the 341st Medical Group secure their injured teammate to a spineboard during an exercise July 15, 2022 at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. After two days of class lecture and skills training, the participants of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care-Medical Provider course were able to put what they learned into action in a combat scenario with trauma patients.

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Charles Carroll, an Army Motor Transport Operator with the 425th Transportation Company, leads the push to offload a HUMVEE off a flatbed truck at the JP Martinez Army Reserve Center, Denver, Colorado, Feb. 5, 2023. Carroll helped direct and advise the unloading of equipment.

DF-ST-89-00980. Subject Operation/Series: SHADOW HAWK Base: King Faisal Air Base, Al Jafr Country: Jordan (JOR)

LATHAM -- Private Cory McLean, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to the New York Army National Guards 206th Military Police Company prepares a M1151 HMMWV for emergency response in advance of Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 26.

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct an emergency deployment readiness exercise (EDRE) on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Oct. 8, 2022.

Senior Master Sgt. Mark J. Salter, 131st Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) infrastructure superintendent, hews a beam at 14 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Base in Greenwood, Canada, July 19, 2022. Members with the 131st Bomb Wings 231st CES, 200th REDHORSE Squadron and the 239th Combat Communications Squadron, deployed to Nova Scotia as part of the Construction Engineering Project Exchange Program with the 14 Wing of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). These Guard members worked in cooperation with the RCAF to complete quality of life improvements to the base, to build on skillsets and to strengthen interoperability with Canadian allies.

Munitions Systems Airmen with the 124th Munitions Flight assemble a GBU-38 bomb kit during the 2022 Ammo Rodeo, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, Oct. 15, 2022. The rodeo is an annual training event in which Airmen spend their training time assembling a variety of aircraft munitions.

U.S. Paratroopers, assigned to 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, store a Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missile at the 7th Army Training Commands Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Dec. 13, 2022. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

920th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Airmen unfold an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter after training to load it onto a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, May 16, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir)

A group of 741st Maintenance Squadron Airmen perform a function check and operation of a hydraulic pusher set Sept. 28, 2022, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The 741st Maintenance Squadron supports all maintenance activities affecting the bases Minuteman III launch facilities and missile alert facilities.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to C Battery, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Field Artillery Squadron, move 155mm rounds for the M777 Howitzer during a live fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Feb. 6, 2024. 2nd Cavalry Regiment provides V Corps, Americas forward-deployed corps in Europe, with combat-credible forces capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater to defend the NATO alliance. Army

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Cody Demorest, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) with All-Domain Effects Team Bravo, 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (2d ANGLICO), II MEF Information Group, coordinates fire with a Lithuanian JTAC as part of Defender Europe 22, Kazlų Rūda, Lithuania, May 25, 2022. 2d ANGLICO provides a liaison capability to our joint service and NATO allies by educating the ground forces on Marine Air Ground Task Force fires and air support.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean Evans, an Illinois native and engineer officer with 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, 2d Marine Division (MARDIV), adjusts the optic on an M3E1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapons System (MAAWS) as part of the Division Leaders Assessment Program (DLAP) on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 24, 2024. DLAP is a rigorous course that tests and improves the warfighting abilities of leaders across 2d MARDIV. Marine Corps

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Elizabeth Harrell, right, a clinical nurse with the 81st Medical Group, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., unloads equipment from a Humvee at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, La., March 14, 2014. The JRTC provides U.S. military units and personnel with realistic pre-deployment training scenarios in all aspects of armed conflict.

U.S. Army Spc. Casey Perkins (left), assigned to 961st Engineer Construction Company, puts fuel into one of the bull dozers handled by U.S. Army Pvt. Ryan J. Bonito (right), assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade, at a construction site at Cincu, Romania on May 14, 2022. Resolute Castle 22, a joint multi-national training exercise, focuses on Engineer readiness from the operator to Company level that sets the European Theater with critical infrastructure, while assuring our partners and allies of the U.S. commitment to the region.

Spc. Shane Hess, a Lansing, Mich., native with Company E, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, runs through the steps of a vehicle training exercise at a Fort Hood, Texas, training range July 28. Company E was at the range for convoy training which included reacting to enemy gunfire and improvised explosive devices. Combining Soldiers and equipment from the Michigan and Wisconsin Army National Guard organizations, the 147th trained for a yearlong deployment to Iraq with a fleet of new UH60-M Black Hawk helicopters where it will perform a variety of different missions. 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

GULFPORT, Miss. (Sep. 28, 2022) Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, lay asphalt for during a parking lot repair onboard Naval Construction Battalion Canter Gulfport. The asphalt repair is the last step in completing a new bathroom installation on base. NMCB 1 is conducting an intense homeport training plan to expand their ability to execute construction, humanitarian assistance, and theater operations.

U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Mike Fitzgerald, crew chief, 114th Fighter Wing completes post flight inspections during Lobo Trident at Volk Field Air National Guard Base near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, March 28, 2023. Lobo Trident is a large-scale readiness exercise used to demonstrate the 114th Fighter Wings capability to support adaptive operations in a contested environment.

Senior Airman Cedrick Gaoiran and Staff Sgt. Rogelio Estabillo, 48th Aerial Port Squadron, discuss cargo offload procedures during an engine running onload/offload from a C-17 in support of RIMPAC 22, Marine Corps Hawaii July 21, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel - including Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 624 RSG -- are participating in #RIMPAC2022 from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest internationalmaritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity whilefostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participantscritical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world'soceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971,which aims to strengthen partners' collective forces and promote a free andopen Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Air Force Airman Santiago Pompa Rivera, 354th Logistic Readiness Squadron fuels distribution apprentice, watches fuel levels during an F-16 Fighting Falcon refuel in support of RED FLAG-Alaska 22-1 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 4, 2022. RF-A 22-1 is a Pacific Air Forces-directed field training exercise focused on improving the combat readiness of U.S. and international forces and provides training for units preparing for air and space expeditionary force tasking.

2-2 FAR soldier consolidating and organizing artillery fire dunnage during a live fire exercise.

U.S. Air Force Airman Christian Bartolo, 8th Maintenance Squadron conventional maintenance technician, tightens a bolt on a munition during bilateral immersion training with Republic of Korea Air Force members at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 26, 2022. Members from the 8th MXG led ROKAF members in munitions facility familiarization and a bomb-building demonstration.

040711-M-8703S-002. Base: Mcagcc, Twentynine Palms State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

(220609-N-OI810-0184) GULFPORT, Mississippi (June 9, 2022) Equipment Operator 3rd Class James Crawford, from Titusville, Florida, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 14, replaces and oil dipstick as he conducts a required situational check on a 36-passenger bus before equipment licensing training, during fiscal year 2022, quarter three, Regional Training Platform (RTP-3) at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, June 9, 2022. RTP-3 provided NMCB-14 Seabees hands-on training opportunities in tactical combat casualty care; maintenance and material management; civil engineering support equipment operations; convoy operations; and Seabee combat warfare and expeditionary skills. NMCB-14 provides advance base construction, battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support to our fleet and unified commanders.

240124-N-PI330-1019 ROTA, Spain (Jan. 25, 2023) Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Dakota Hess, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133), positions straps for a crane lift on Camp Mitchell in Rota, Spain, Jan. 25, 2023. NMCB 133 is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by the U.S. 6th Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

Soldiers from Task Force Currahee, 4th Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, recover bundles of fuel that were air delivered to Forward Operating Base Waza K'wah in the Paktika province of Afghanistan via a C-17 Globemaster III. The fuel was delivered to help sustain members of Task Force Currahee whose only means of re-supply is through air delivery.

A U.S. Army Paratrooper assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, prepares a Puma aviation system during Eagle Ursa exercise at the training range in Slunj, Croatia, Feb. 24, 2024. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployableforces to the United States European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility. Forward deployedacross Italy and Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build partnerships andstrengthen the alliance. Army

U.S. Airmen with the 378th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, pavements and heavy equipmentshop, also known as Dirt Boyz, pour a concrete pad at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, June 13, 2022. The pad will be the site of a new fitness facility.

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 172 prepare to take down a sniper tower during a squadron field exercise (FEX) at Camp Schwab training grounds, Okinawa, Japan, October 6, 2022. MWSS-172 conducted the squadron FEX to emphasize tactics, techniques and procedures in an Expeditionary Advanced Base Operation (EABO) environment in preparation for the Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE).

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