U.S. Army Training Exercises

Images showcase U.S. Army soldiers engaged in tactical training exercises, emphasizing teamwork and operational readiness during various scenarios in diverse training environments.

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers attached to the 84th Training Command clean, perform weapons maintenance checks, and functions checks on the M2 .50 caliber machine gun Aug. 16, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Estonian, British and U.S. forces fired crew-served weapons to become familiar with operating U.S. weaponry and learned how to properly engage targets using different weapon arsenals from partner forces. British CSgt. Ronnie Sawdon from the British Armys Training Unit (North) said, Observing how the U.S. conducts training is a way we can learn from the U.S.

U.S. Army soldiers partake in various tests to earn their expert infantry badge on May 23, 2022, on Fort Drum, New York.

Arizona Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team navigates to the objective in a platoon-level simulated air assault training exercise during Exportable Combat Training Capability program at Camp Roberts, California, July 18, 2022. The air assault lane consisted of two platoons engaging opposing forces on a platoon level and a company level during a culminating event.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, take a knew after completing a company attack at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Sept. 26, 2022. Alpha Company Soldiers were training in Guam to rehearse their mission as the Ready Response Force.

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers attached to the 84th Training Command clean, perform weapons maintenance checks, and functions checks on the M2 .50 caliber machine gun Aug. 16, 2022, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Estonian, British and U.S. forces fired crew-served weapons to become familiar with operating U.S. weaponry and learned how to properly engage targets using different weapon arsenals from partner forces. British CSgt. Ronnie Sawdon from the British Armys Training Unit (North) said, Observing how the U.S. conducts training is a way we can learn from the U.S.

Paratroopers assigned to Charlie Troop, 1-73 Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division take part in the Machine Gun Event for the XVIII Airborne Corps Best Squad Competition on Fort Stewart, GA, July 27, 2022. The Best Squad Competition tests squads physical, technical and tactical abilities under stress and fatigue to determine which squad from the XVIII Airborne Corps will advance to the Forces Command Best Squad Competition in the coming months.

U.S. Soldiers with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team prepare for combat in a situational training exercise at Camp McGregor, New Mexico, Jan. 24, 2024. They are training at Camp McGregor as they prepare for a deployment to the Horn of Africa.

Gen. Michael X. Garrett, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, left, conducts an after action review with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, after a live-fire training event April 7, 2022, at Fort Carson, Colorado. Squads conduct live-fire training in order to certify and validate squads in preparation for future collective unit training.

2nd Lt. Carlos Betancourt, Army health services admin with the 421st Medical Battalion-Multifunctional, reports that simulated enemy gas munitions are being used during the 30th Medical Brigade Best Squad Competition at Franken Kaserne military base, Ansbach, Germany on Feb. 28, 2024. Soldiers are required to learn how to dawn a gas mask in under nine seconds in the case of a real threat. Events like these are used as a test of grit and toughness, foster readiness and esprit de corps, and are a fundamental part of the Brigade's method of building lethal, cohesive teams and expert leaders. Army

Tennessee Army National Guardsmen clear their weapons upon completion of zeroing during the Tennessee State Best Warrior Competition in Tullahoma, Feb. 23, 2024. Clearing the weapon helps ensure the safety of others. Army National Guard

Army Reserve Soldiers participating in the 2022 Best Squad Competition fired live Sig Sauer M17 service pistol ammunition at targets during the 2022 Best Squad Competition's Expert-In-Competition event at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, on May 16, 2022. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Richard Rodriguez Approximately 50 Soldiers from across the nation travelled to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, to compete in the 2022 U.S. Best Squad Competition from May 14-21, 2022. The 2022 BSC is an annual competition that brings together the best Soldiers and squads from across the U.S. Army Reserve to earn the title of "Best Warrior" and "Best Squad" among their peers. Competitors are evaluated on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-focused events that test their technical and tactical abilities under stress and extreme fatigue. (Army Reserve photo by Sgt. David Barrette)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith Armstrong, Reserve Officer Training Corps, South Dakota State University, evaluates a squad of soldiers creating range cards during the 152nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalions first annual Best Squad Competition at Dakota Nature Park in Brookings, S.D., Sept. 11, 2022. The SDSU ROTC program sent a squad of cadets to compete as well as cadre to support the competition.

U.S. Army Paratroopers, Air Force joint terminal attack controller and Special Tactic Operators wait to jump out of a C-17 Globemaster III from the 176th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 15, 2022 during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-2. Approximately 1,600 service members from three nations participate in flying, maintaining and supporting more than 70 aircraft from over 22 units during this iteration of exercise. The Paratroopers are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, JTACs are assigned to the 3rd Air Operation Squadron both at JBER and ST operators are assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Staff Sgt. Mihai Archer, 366th Force Support Squadron (FSS) operations manager, and Senior Airman David Olaya Mojica, 366th FSS fitness center journeyman, build a Single Palletized Expeditionary Kitchen (SPEK) on Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Oct. 18, 2022. The SPEK is a mobile, palletized kitchen that is designed to provide hot meals in austere environments. Building a SPEK was one of the many tasks FSS was tasked to do in Double Barrel 23-1.

U.S. Soldiers assigned assigned to Chaos Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1ABCT), operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID), discuss field tactics prior to live fire exercises rehearsal at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Nov. 18, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1 ID, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

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

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Chaos Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1 ABCT) operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID) alongside soldiers assigned to the Prince of Wales Troop, The Royal Lancers, Polish 5th Mazovian Brigade of Territorial Defense Force, and Romanian Sky Guardians participated in an extended combined situational training exercise in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 20, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1 ID, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

Pfc. Aaron Bartholomew, a combat engineer with the 833rd Engineer Company out of Ottumwa, Iowa, helps prepare an improvised bangalore torpedo for detonation at Orchard Combat Training Center, in Idaho, on June 10, 2022. The improvised bangalore torpedo is used to defeat obstacles, like concertina wire, which units may encounter in combat.

Sgt. 1st Class Levy Colorado, a Phoenix, Arizona native and a tank platoon sergeant with 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division mount the M2 Browning .50 cal to the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) of their M1A2 Abrams main battle tank as a part of pre-training checks in preparation for upcoming platoon situational training exercises, Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, April 21, 2022. The 3/4 ABCT is among other units assigned to V Corps, Americas forward deployed corps in Europe that works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces; execute joint, bilateral and multinational training exercises; and provides command and control for rotational and assigned units in the European theater.

Soldiers assigned to 8/9th Royal Australian Regiment, left, and 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division ensure a weapon is clear before urban operations training during Exercise Cartwheel at Black Rock Camp, Fiji, September 13, 2022. Exercise Cartwheel is a multilateral military-to-military training exercise with the Republic of Fiji Military, Australian, New Zealand, and British forces that builds expeditionary readiness and interoperability by increasing the capacity to face a crisis and contingencies by developing and stressing units at the highest training levels.

A Soldier, left, recounts the simulated injuries of a casualty to Spc. Desiree Martinez, right, a combat medic with 3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, during eXportable Combat Training Capability 22-01 on Fort Drum, NY, July 21, 2022.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 6th Squad, White Platoon, based out of Fort Irwin California, prepare to begin room clearings in the next area of the Urban Training exercise of U.S. Army Forscom Best Squad Competition, at Military Operations Urban Terrain site, here, at Fort Hood, Texas, August 18, 2022. These Soldiers represent the best in U.S. Army Forces Command.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ross Cargile (left), a Round Rock, Texas, native and a fire direction officer with Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Pfc. Nathanial Wyatt, a Aransas Pass, Texas, native and a cannon crew member with Bravo Battery, practice rushing while attacking a target during training on Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 6.

U.S. Army soldier, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, observes M109 Paladin rounds impact during training and table 6 certifications. A Fire Support Team is responsible for forward observations on the battlefield and activities such as target processing for artillery units and brigade maneuvers.

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division assess area security during Combined Resolve 17 (CbR 17) at Hohenfels Training Area, Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany, June 3, 2022. CbR 17 is a U.S. Army exercise consisting of 5,600 service members, Allies and partners from more than 10 countries, and is designed to assess units abilities to conduct combat operations effectively in a multi-domain battlespace.

Soldiers in the U.S. National Guard and Reserves and a member of the Kosovo Security Force litter carry a casualty to an ambulance during a field training exercise in the Camp Dodge training area while attending a combat medic course at the 185th Regional Training Institute in Johnston, Iowa, on May 17, 2022. Four KSF members are attending the course at the 185th RTI. The Iowa National Guard is partnered with Kosovo as part of the Department of Defenses State Partnership Program, which affords unique opportunities for cross training.

Joint training exercise with Det 2. 6 Co. 3/238th AVN MEDEVAC, Cox Health and Missouri State Highway Patrol at Hercules Glade Wilderness, Bradleyville, Mo., Oct. 06, 2022. Multiple Missouri departments teamed up to practice life-saving MEDEVAC scenarios. (Photo by U.S. Army National Guard Spc. Rose Di Trolio.)

U.S. Army Soldiers and U.S. Air Force Airmen train with a New Jersey National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter with Detachment 1, C Company, 1-171st MEDEVAC during a Medical Simulation Training Center class on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, June 9, 2022. The Medical Simulation Training Center provides state of the art training to aid students in gaining proficiency in treating all areas of trauma and basic medical scenarios.

U.S. Soldiers, assigned to Bull Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR), kick open a door after being breached with a shotgun during a demolition/breaching range at the 7th Army Training Command's (7ATC) Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, June 15, 2022. 2CR provides the 7th ATC with a lethal and agile force capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater in order to assure allies, deter adversaries, and when ordered, defend the NATO alliance.

U.S. Army Soldiers Assigned to 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard communicates with Forward Observers on a range during a Mortar live fire training exercise as part of the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise on July 24, 2022 at Ft. Drum, N.Y. More than 2,500 Soldiers are participating in the training event, which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win.

Pfc. William I. Brady of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 299th Cavalry Regiment performs a tire change on a HMMWV during a mystery event while participating in the Best Warrior Competition at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, March 3, 2018.

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Mason Cannistraro, right, a supply officer, and Lance Cpl. Marciano Stutson, left, a motor vehicle operator, both with Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, create a terrain model during exercise Winter Workhorse 24 on Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan, Feb. 1, 2024. Stutson is a native of Oklahoma. Winter Workhorse is a regularly scheduled training exercise that is designed to enhance warfighting capabilities in contested environments. Marine Corps

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Horan, an aircraft powertrain repairer assigned to the 169th Aviation Regiment, Connecticut Army National Guard, tightens the straps on his rucksack at Joint Base Cape Cod, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, May 11, 2022. Competitors would have to march 12 miles carrying 35 pounds (excluding water weight) in under three hours as part of the 2022 Army National Guard Region One Best Warrior Competition.

U.S. Army 1st. Sgt. Taofegauiai Cajina, first sergeant, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), shows U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet 2nd. Lt. Ucheyah Aguoru how to clear a weapon before exiting a range during an M4A1 weapons qualification range at Grafenwohr Training Area, 31 July 2022.

U.S. Army Private First Class Dante Anderson, a transportation manager with the 274th Movement Control Team, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, puts rounds in an ammunition canister during a Table VI Gunnery at Fort Stewart, Georgia, on Feb. 24, 2024. Commanders and Range Officers push their Soldiers to safely execute critical skills in a rapid, challenging order and manner to build confidence and mastery of the weapons system. Army

U.S. Army squads from across III Armored Corps compete for the title of the corps Best Squad during head-to-head competition at the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition at Fort Hood, Texas, Jun. 22, 2022. The squad representing the 89th Military Police Brigade, including Staff Sgt. Nathan Villarreal, Sgt. Noe Garcia, Spc. Kole Vigilancia, Spc. Austin Moore, and Spc. Daniel McCamish worked together to install an OE-254 antenna. 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 in the U.S. Army Forces Command competition at Fort Hood in August.

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

Pvt. Alexander Barnhart, an infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, right, receives a coin from General Michael X. Garrett, Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces Command, during a Situational Technical Exercise April 7, 2022, at Fort Carson, Colorado. This training is conducted to give squads the training to develop their situational responsiveness.

Two Airmen assigned to the 19th Security Forces Squadron run toward a simulated opposing force individual during ROCKI 22-03 at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, May 14, 2022. ROCKI 22-03 was the culmination event in a series of exercises designed to refine C-130 Lead Wing concepts, including the Command and Control Force Elements ability to rapidly deploy to a theater main operating base to command and control Mobility Air Forces assets.

Kosovo Soldiers assigned to Kosovo Security Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) conduct an EOD training scenario with oversight from Observer, Coach/Trainer Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Palmer, assigned to 7th Army Training Command (7ATC) Raptor Team EOD, as part of Exercise Combined Resolve 17 at the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, June 1, 2022. Combined Resolve is a recurring U.S. Army Europe and Africa-conducted, multinational exercise series held at the 7ATC's Joint Multinational Readiness Center which evaluates and assesses participants' ability to conduct operations in a complex, multi-domain simulated battlespace to enhance interoperability and readiness.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Osborn, deputy adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, visits members of the 833rd Engineer Company out of Ottumwa, Iowa, during their exportable combat training exercise, or XCTC, at Orchard Combat Training Center, in Idaho, on June 10, 2022. The engineers traveled to Idaho to participate in the XCTC, dubbed Western Strike, to hone their skills on demolition and live fire ranges.

Members of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa set up a shelter during quarterly training on Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Jan. 24, 2022. Members of the HSC and Intelligence and Sustainment Company took part in shelter training to improve individual soldier capability and deployment readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Meleesa Gutierrez.)

U.S. Army Soldiers move positions during the M240B support by fire training portion of the Infantry Advanced Leaders Course hosted by the New Jersey Army National Guards 254th Regional Training Institute on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Sept 22, 2020.

Sgt. Jonah Lamboley from 1st Battlion, 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Geronimo), 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division checks the simulated tourniquet during the casualty evaluation lane June 29 on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for the Best Squad Competition. The Best Squad Competition and Best Warrior Competition is a single event used to select the U.S. Army Best Squad of the Year, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Soldier of the Year. (Photos by Staff Sgt. Christopher B. Dennis/11th Airborne Division Public Affairs NCO)

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey W. Jurasek, deputy commanding general of First Army (Support), second from right, listens to a briefing conducted by Staff Sgt. Miguel Galarza of the New Jerseys Army National Guards Alpha Company, 1st Squadron, 102 Cavalry Regiment, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Drum, N.Y. on July 12, 2022 as part of the units training in the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise. More than 2,500 Soldiers are participating in the training event, which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win.

U.S. Army Spc. Blaze Baluyot with the Hawaii National Guard, fills out the maintenance log on his assigned humvee, Arlington, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2021. At least 25,000 National Guard men and women have been authorized to conduct security, communication and logistical missions in support of federal and District authorities leading up and through the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

Teammates lift kettlebells during part of the Defender Challenge event May 17 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Teams competed in various timed challenges related to the security forces experience. The Challenge was part the 96th Security Forces Squadrons Police Week activities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

A group of U.S. Army Paratroopers, assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and Warrior Training Center, walks in formation to board the aircraft with their T-11 parachute during Exrcise Falcon Leap on Eindhoven Air Base, Eindhoven, Netherlands., Sep. 13, 2022. 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

U.S. Air Force Airmen participating in Advanced Ready Training - Outside the Wire provide tactical combat casualty care to an individual after a simulated mortar attack at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Feb. 9, 2024. The ART-OTW course is a pre-deployment requirement to gain experience in specialized tactics and techniques through strenuous training scenarios. Air Force

U.S. Army Spc. Sean Bean, left, and Spc. Charles Tuscano, both Nodal Network Operators assigned to U.S. Army Network Enterprise Center Belgium, 39th Strategic Signal Battalion, run to a combat position as they perform Army Warrior Training, on Chièvres Air Base, Belgium, May 25, 2022. This training tested the proficiency of Soldiers based on the unit Mission Essential Tasks List.

Spc. Nathan J. Wallen of Squad 5, representing the U.S Army Special Operations Command, scales a barrier during the stress shoot portion of the Army Best Squad Competition on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Oct. 5, 2022. The week-long competition will assess each squad on their technical and tactical proficiency, as well as their ability to work as a disciplined and cohesive team, featuring a multitude of fitness, knowledge and combat-related events.

New Jersey and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers supporting the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Teams eXportable Combat Training Capabilities (XCTC) exercise, prepare to mount a UH-60 (Blackhawk) helicopter for a morale flight on July 23, 2022 at Fort Drum, New York. More than 2,500 Soldiers are participating in the training event, which enables brigade combat teams to achieve the trained platoon readiness necessary to deploy, fight, and win.

U.S. Army Spc. John Lambert V. Hoffman, an infantry machine-gunner assigned to Chaos Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1 ABCT) operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID) advances on a simulated target during an extended combined situational training exercise alongside the Prince of Wales Troop, The Royal Lancers, Polish 5th Mazovian Brigade of Territorial Defense Force, and Romanian Sky Guardians, in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, Oct. 20, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1 ID, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

U.S. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 2/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit provide medical care to a simulated personnel of interest during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel exercise at Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area, Australia, June 27, 2023. TRAP provides overland rescue and recovery of downed aircraft personnel and equipment, as well as advanced trauma life support in isolated locations during deployment. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the America 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.

Airman 1st Class Kyle Gutowski reads coordinates to aircrew during a field training exercise at Creswell, N.C., Nov. 15, 2012. JTACs support ground forces in numerous overseas locations. Gutowski is joint terminal attack controller trainee with the 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron at Pope Army Air Field, N.C.

U.S Army Soldiers from Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces take part in a field training exercise during the 1-254th Regional Training Institute's Infantry Advanced Leaders Course 22-02 on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, April 9, 2022. The Infantry Advanced Leaders Course is a branch-specific course that provides Soldiers selected for promotion to Staff Sgt. an opportunity to enhance leadership, technical skill, tactical expertise and experience needed to lead squad-size units.

NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland U.S. Soldiers assigned to Fist Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (3-1 ABCT) operationally controlled by the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID), alongside U.K. soldiers assigned to N Battery Eagle Troop, Royal Horse Artillery conduct call for fire support during a live fire exercise with U.S. Soldiers assigned to Bull Battery, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment in Toruń, Poland, Nov. 3, 2022. The 3-1 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1 ID, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Helpingstine, 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) Headquarter and Headquarters Company, reads out M4 qualifaction scores at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho on Oct. 15, 2022. The headquarters company conducted their annual weapons qualification to maintain unit readiness.

Soldiers in the U.S. National Guard and Reserves and a member of the Kosovo Security Force place a casualty in place to be loaded onto an ambulance during a field training exercise in the Camp Dodge training area while attending a combat medic course at the 185th Regional Training Institute in Johnston, Iowa, on May 17, 2022. Four KSF members are attending the course at the 185th RTI. The Iowa National Guard is partnered with Kosovo as part of the Department of Defenses State Partnership Program, which affords unique opportunities for cross training.

U.S. Army Food Service Specialists from 2nd Cavalry Regiments Field Feeding Team prepare lunch for evaluators from USARPAC as well as soldiers from their regiment as part of the Philip A. Connelly competition at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, January 25, 2022. U.S. Army culinary teams across the force are evaluated during the Philip A. Connelly competition to determine the top team and ultimately improve dining experiences across all Army food service platforms in garrison and field environments. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christian Carrillo)

U.S. Army squads under FORSCOM (Forces Command) compete for the title of Best Squad during a head-to-head competition at the FORSCOM Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022. The 32nd AAMDC squad works together to carry a tactical dummy over an obstacle. On Day 3 of the competition Soldiers underwent a medical evacuation simulation at the Fort Hood MSTC (Medical Simulation Training Center). The Army is the best trained, best equipped, and most skilled fighting force in the world.

An Expert Field Medical Badge candidate prepares his gear, May 23, 2022, during the 10th Mountain Divisions EFMBs evacuation lane on Fort Drum, New York. The 10th Mountain Division is conducting E3B, which encompasses Expert Infantry, Soldier and Field Medical Badge, from May 16 to 26.

U.S. Army Spc. Christian Fuentes-Velazquez, a squad member representing 66th Military Intelligence Brigade, preforms tactical combat casualty care for a simulated casualty on the medical lane of the 2022 U.S. Army Europe-Africa Best Squad Competition on Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Aug. 10, 2022. Teams from across USAREUR-AF test their tactical proficiency, communication, and overall cohesion as they compete for the title of Best Squad. Winners of this competition will advance to represent USAREUR-AF at the U.S. Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Bragg, North Carolina later this year.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexander Caterinicchio, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron precision strike operator, demonstrates parachute landing procedure at the Airborne Sustainment Training Area, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 14, 2022, during RED FLAG-Alaska 22-2. RF-A provides realistic combat training by integrating joint, coalition and multilateral forces into simulated forward operating bases.

A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment, Ohio National Guard, passes an M119 Howitzer 105mm round to another Soldier during a fire mission at exercise Northern Strike at Camp Grayling, Mich., Aug. 12, 2022. Northern Strike tests multi component and coalition forces through a challenging, realistic and detailed scenario based on relevant real-world security challenges and future conflicts.

U.S. Army squads from across III Armored Corps compete for the title of the corps' Best Squad during a head-to-head competition at the III Armored Corps Best Squad Competition 2022 at Fort Hood, Texas, Jun. 23, 2022. On day two of the competition, the squad representing 75th Field Artillery Brigade based out of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, raced against the clock during a Tactical Field Care simulation. The team demonstrates four levels of Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) as part of their Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) test. 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 in the U.S. Army Forces Command competition at Fort Hood in August.

Airmen from the 341st Medical Group transport their injured teammate to a helicopter pick-up site during an exercise July 15, 2022 at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The exercise consisted of Airmen performing tactical combat casualty care on an injured teammate, then transporting them to the helicopter pickup site in a high- stress environment to simulate an active war zone.

Paratroopers across the 82nd Airborne Division finish the 12 mile road march, complete a weapons test, and recieve their E3B on Fort Bragg, NC, April 7, 2023. 371 Paratroopers and Soldiers across multiple units and locations successfully completed E3B.

U.S. soldiers assigned to 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera), maneuver through a buddy-team live-fire range at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, June 23, 2022. Combat Camera soldiers maintain high levels of technical and tactical readiness in order to support missions worldwide.

Staff Sergeant Bennett R. Dannemiller, 264th Medical Battalion Radiology Specialist Instructor,fires his M4 carbine rifle during the stress shoot qualifications for the best medic competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. The event included the Army Combat Fitness Test, obstacle course, M-4 qualification, warrior tasks and battle drills, land navigation, a Tactical Combat Casualty Care assessment and 12-Mile Ruck March.

U.S Marines with 2d Combat Engineer Battalion, 2d Marine Division, discuss their next objective on a patrol during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 12, 2022. The purpose of a MCCRE is to formally evaluate the units combat readiness in preparation for deployment.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Matherly, center right, 824th Base Defense Squadron squad leader, gives instruction during a field training exercise at Stanford Training Area, England, Aug. 17, 2022. Instructors from the 820th Base Defense Group and 435th Security Forces Squadron Ground Combat Readiness Training Center, conducted the exercise to evaluate and bolster the combat readiness skills of the defenders from the 423d SFS.

U.S. Soldiers competing in the Army Best Squad Competition participate in land navigation course on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Sept. 29, 2022. The Army Best Squad Competition tests Soldiers on their individual and collective ability to adapt to and overcome challenging scenarios and battle-readiness events that test their physical and mental endurance, technical and tactical abilities, and basic warrior skills under stress and extreme fatigue. (U.S. Army photo Pfc. Ebony Neal)

220615-A--1002U.S. Army Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers Spc. Seth Fox (left) and Pfc. Kwasi Fowler (right), indirect fire infantrymen, assigned to the Winder-based A Company, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, execute fire missions during the 48th IBCT's Exportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) Exercise at Fort Stewart, Ga, June 15, 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. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Sean Conner, left, and 1st Lt. Thomas Cunningham, both platoon commanders with Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, review their positions during a boat raid exercise on Kin Blue Beach, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 7, 2023. The boat raid increased the Marines proficiency to secure contested terrain and allow friendly forces to advance from ship to shore. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the America 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. Army Reserve Soldier Staff Sgt. Joshua Hammock, assigned to the 982nd Combat Camera Company (Airborne), corrects a malfunction with his M4 Carbine rifle during a weapons qualification on Fort Jackson, SC, April 9, 2022. Soldiers qualify their marksmanship every year in order to maintain combat readiness.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Warren Berry, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, speaks with members assigned to the 821st Contingency Response Squadron during a visit to Travis Air Force Base, California, May 31, 2022. Berry visited various units and met with Airmen leading the way in innovation and readiness.

U.S. Army Soldiers with Cutthroat Company, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (3-4 ABCT) participate in a platoon live-fire exercise at Pabradė Training Area, Lithuania, Oct. 13, 2022. The 3-4 ABCT is among other units assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, proudly working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America's forward deployed corps in Europe.

Sgt. Jonah Lamboley from 1st Battlion, 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment (Geronimo), 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division moves a simulated wounded Soldier during the casualty evaluation lane June 29 on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during the Best Squad Competition. The Best Squad Competition and Best Warrior Competition is a single event used to select the U.S. Army Best Squad of the Year, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Soldier of the Year. (Photos by Staff Sgt. Christopher B. Dennis/11th Airborne Division Public Affairs NCO)

Spc. Yusanat Tway, a combat engineer with A Company, 334th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division aligns her sights before firing at simulated opposing forces during Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training at Camp Ripley, July 18, 2022. Annual Training gave Soldiers with the 344th a chance to practice several of their basic warrior skills, such as room clearing and moving as a unit.

U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Jayson Oliver with 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, poses for a photo during the ANGLICO Basic Course 1-22 culminating event at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, April 8, 2022. The ABC training enhances the capabilities of ANGLICO Marines in support of joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational operations.

First Lt. Murray Johnston, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 54th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade, at Fort Benning, Georgia, performs a M4 carbine function check following the 12-mile ruck march on day five of the Expert Infantryman and Expert Soldier Badge qualification hosted by the "Spartan Brigade," 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, at Fort Stewart, Georgia, April 8, 2022. Johnston was the first candidate to complete the rucksack and function check under two hours and thirteen minutes, demonstrating the EIB/ESB qualification is part of individual training designed to increase Soldier proficiency in the Army Warrior Tasks to increase lethality and unit readiness. .

Providers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division conduct a UH-60 jump on Fort Bragg, NC, March 30, 2022. The jump serves to bring awareness to the Army's SHARP program.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Raymond, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, left, helps Staff Sgt. John Kahlor ,8th CES EOD team leader, put on a bomb suit during training at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, April 22, 2022. The suit is an EOD technicians full-body shield and sole source of protection against an explosive threat.

U.S Marine Corps Cpl. Chance Allen, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, posts security during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 27, 2022. The purpose of a MCCRE is to formally evaluate the units combat readiness in preparation for deployment.

Staff Sgt. Caleb Stinson and Sergeant 1st Class Jason Pate, 68W Combat Medics, 232nd Medical Battalion, conduct damage control and resuscitation during the Best Medic Competition, Sep. 29, 2022 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Tx. Medics who earn entry into the Best Medic Competition are already among the "best of the best." To be eligible for entry, medics must have received either the Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) or the Combat Medical Badge (CMB).2 Both badges require the utmost determination and competence to receive. The overall pass rate for the Expert Field Medical Badge is less than 20%, making it one of the hardest and most respected forms of recognition you can earn in the army.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Treyton Alsworth, an infantry officer with the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, conducts preventative maintenance checks and services on a vehicle preparing for shipment during a Unit Movement Officer (UMO) course, on Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Aug. 16, 2022. The UMO prepares personnel to assume the duties of a unit movement officer/non-commissioned officer in order to get their individual units ready for movement and maintain readiness.

Maj. Jankovich and Sgt. Maj. Lacy went from Henry Post Army Airfield with 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment to the training site to begin the live-fire exercise. Once emplaced in the training area, 2-4th FAR conducted their artillery raid by shooting six rockets from the MLRS.

Army Materiel Commands Best Squad trains on Fort Rucker August 22, 2022 in preparation for the upcoming Army-wide competition in September. Photo by Jay Mann.

Brigade network and communications specialists train on the assembly and operation of the U.S Armys OE-254, a ground based communications antenna at the Rosemount National Guard Training and Community Center in Rosemount, Minn., Sept. 18, 2022. The 40-foot tall antenna is built to withstand up to 90 mph winds and extend communication abilities of the unit to 36 miles across normal terrain.

Army National Guard officer candidates conduct static load training on a CH-47 Chinook during Phase III of Officer Candidate School on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., July 17, 2022. During Phase III, candidates will receive their final leadership evaluations from the qualified instructors of 2nd Battalion, 205th Regimental Training Institute, Washington Army National Guard.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alex Allen, tactical air control party specialist, 15th Air Support Operation Squadron, supporting the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division, speaks with a soldier with the German Armys 6th Battery, 345th Artillery Battalion, during close-air support training at Townsend Bombing Range, Georgia, Feb. 21, 2024. Joint branch training with NATO allies ensures personnel utilize similar procedures and can operate together. Marine Corps

U.S. Army soldier, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, test fires an M17 pistol. Regular range visits allow soldiers to hone their marksmanship and ensure their weapon is functional.

Soldiers from B Company, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, practice riot-control techniques at the Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore, May 1, 2015. The Maryland National Guard was activated for the first time since 1968 to assist local law enforcement with peacekeeping operations while unrest continues in Baltimore.

The rappel master for the Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, checks the gloves and equipment of each Soldier before they begin rappel training at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., on August 3, 2022. The Soldiers from the 1-110th worked with the pilots and crews from the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade to rappel from a black hawk over a field and then later onto a building

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 25th Transportation Battalion, set up an Inflatable Satellite Antenna (ISA) during an academics competition to demonstrate their overall competency on transportation management at U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, South Korea, April 6, 2022. The competition was held by the Movement Control Academy to maintain the battalions readiness and esprit de corps.

U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Infantry Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Soldiers prepare for movement on Pohakuloa Training Grounds, Hawaii, Nov. 2, 2022. Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 23-01 is a realistic training rotation allow us to rehearse strategic movement, and train in unique environments and conditions where they are most likely to be employed in the event of crisis or conflict.

U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, prepare c4 explosive for the setup of the confidence charge during live-fire demolition at Pocek Range in Postonja, Slovenia, Dec. 7, 2022. The exercise was held to demonstrate different demolition and explosive breaching training techniques. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment conduct a fire safety drill prior to a tactical road march at Niinsalo Training Area, Finland, May 8, 2022. Exercise Arrow is an annual, pre-planned, multinational exercise taking place in Finland, where visiting forces to include the U.S., U.K., Latvia, and Estonia, train together with the Finnish Defense Forces in high intensity force-on-force engagements and a live fire exercise with the purpose of increasing military readiness and developing interoperability among participating partner nations.

U.S. Army Sgt. Maria Villa, left, Staff Sgt. Brett Anderson and Staff Sgt. Ramond Pierre, all assigned to 287th Quartermaster Company, 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, set up a radio while being timed during a tactical training event at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Feb. 26-27, 2024. The radio communication training helped Soldiers gain invaluable practice using radio equipment through hands-on work. Army

The solders are from Maryland and the D.C. area, 151st LOD (Legal Operations Detachment). They are on Range 28A on the Fort Dix Range Complex during range training for M16A1. The object is to train and test soldiers on the skills necessary to detect, identify, engage and defeat stationary personnel targets in a tactical array. The secondary purpose is to provide realistic and effective marksmanship training. (Photos taken by the Fort Dix TSC Training Support Center)

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