The military has very talented photographers in its ranks, and they constantly attempt to capture what life as a service member is like during training and at war. This is the best of what they shot this week:
AIR FORCE:
A C-130 Hercules receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker Oct. 22, 2015, over the Atlantic Ocean. The two aircraft, assigned to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, were training in Trident Juncture, an exercise designed to help militaries respond more effectively to regional crises with NATO allies and partners — improving security of borders, ensuring energy security and countering threats of terrorism.
Two pilots, assigned to the 71st Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., fly a C-130J Super Hercules during rescue and refueling training near Beja Air Base, Portugal, Oct. 23, 2015. The training was in support of Trident Juncture 2015, the largest NATO exercise conducted in the past 20 years, involving more than 35,000 troops from over 30 NATO member nations and partners.
ARMY:
Soldiers, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Italian soldiers, assigned to Folgore Brigade, Esercito Italiano conduct a combined airborne operation at Lidia Drop Zone, Siena, Italy, during Exercise Mangusta 15, Oct. 26, 2015.
Army paratroopers, assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade, fire an M224 60 mm mortar system during a live-fire exercise as part of Exercise Rock Proof V, in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, at Pocek Range, Postonja, Slovenia.
NAVY:
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Oct. 21, 2015) Navy Diver 2nd Class David Close, assigned to Commander, Task Group (CTG) 56.1, conducts a ship’s husbandry dive to inspect running gear. CTG 56.1 conducts mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, salvage-diving, and force protection operations throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 19, 2015) U.S. Naval aircraft and aircraft from the Chilean Air Force participate in a fly-by adjacent to aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). UNITAS 2015, the U.S. Navy’s longest running annual multinational maritime exercise, is part of the Southern Seas deployment planned by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. This 56th iteration of UNITAS is conducted in two phases: UNITAS Pacific, hosted by Chile, Oct. 13-24, 2015 and UNITAS Atlantic, hosted by Brazil scheduled for November.
MARINE CORPS:
Take Aim: Lance Cpl. Dakota A. Kaiser engages enemy units during a raid on Combat Town, Central Training Area, Okinawa, Japan, October 26, 2015. The raid was part of Blue Chromite 2016, a large-scale amphibious exercise that achieves high-level training at a low cost, while keeping naval forces in a forward-deployed posture.
Corporal Derek Detzler, a bugler with the 2nd Marine Division Band, performs Taps during the 32nd Beirut Memorial Observance Ceremony in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Oct. 23, 2015. The ceremony was held to honor the memory of service members, most of whom were from 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 24th Marine Amphibious Unit, killed in the 1983 Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon.
COAST GUARD:
A golden sunrise starts the day at USCG Station Islamorada, Florida.
Crews from USCG Cutter Frank Drew, U.S. Navy Amphibious Construction Battalion Two and City of Virginia Beach work to reflect a 6,100 pound buoy discovered on the beach after Hurricane Joaquin.
