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Wake Island. South Pacific. In this photo by Air Force Senior Airman Audree Campbell, A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly in formation over Wake Island, a tiny island with an extremely dark past. During World War II, Wake was the scene of some of the worst atrocities committed by Japanese troops against innocent civilians and POWs.
Wake Island is a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean located 2,300 miles west of Honolulu and 1,500 miles northeast of Guam. Originally part of Micronesia, the atoll is currently under the administration of the American Department of the Interior. The island is shaped like a crescent with a 4.5-mile reef surrounding a deep-water lagoon. For years prior to the war, Wake was a lonely outpost used mostly by Pan American Airlines as a transit stop for long flights over the Pacific.
The Japanese conducted two amphibious assaults, one on 11 December 1941 (which was rebuffed) and another on 23 December, which led to the Japanese capture of the atoll. As they did elsewhere in the Pacific, the Japanese used the 98 POWs for slave labor and subjected them to inhuman conditions. Many prisoners were placed on a "hell ship" to be transported to a prison in Japan occupied China. Encouraged by the ship’s captain, the POWs were given too little food and water in unsanitary conditions in the ship's holds, and they were systematically beaten and tormented. Five were executed during the voyage.
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San Antonio, Texas. (June 21, 2025): In this photo by Senior Airman Gabriel Jones, Actor Tom Cruise greets Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Gilda Alexander, command chief of Joint Base San Antonio and U.S. Army Colonel Will B. Freds, deputy commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing during a leadership reception. Cruise visited with JB San Antonio leadership and service members to thank them for their sacrifices in support of the mission.
The reception comes at the end of filming of the hit movie "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning", the eighth installment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise. Hollywood has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. military for assistance with filming war movies dating back to World War II. Military participation is essential to ensure that no sensitive information is inadvertently disclosed and for historical accuracy. For example, Hollywood costume departments consult with active-duty military to make sure patches and insignia are correct on uniforms and that standard military operations are accurately portrayed.
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Five Hills Training Area, Mongolia. (June 16, 2025): They are descendants of a warrior culture that conquered the known world in 1223 A.D. In this photo by Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Stelter, 1st Lieutenant Davonta Vaughn and interpreter Fa Ganbaatar speak to Mongolian Armed Forces Staff Sgt. Dadaasuren Tumen Ulzii during foot patrol training. The Americans are participating in Khaan Quest, an annual exercise designed to promote regional peace and security. The U.S. is working with Mongolia to foster stronger democratic institutions, including supporting citizen participation, and promoting a more market-driven economy.
The warrior spirit of the people of Mongolia is legendary. In 1206, Genghis Khan was able to unite the various Mongol tribes into a fighting force that terrorized their enemies. Today, the Mongolian armed forces consist of three branches, a ground force, a construction and engineering unit, and special forces. The current ground component has roughly five hundred tanks, 650 infantry fighting vehicles, and over five hundred mobile air defense systems. Most of them are old Soviet Union models designed between the late 1950s to early 1980s. Instead of heavy combat, its mission is focused on peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance.
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Atlantic Ocean. (June 13, 2025): "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Today’s Marines have a new tool to track enemy movements at sea in real time and in all weather conditions. In this photo by Sergeant Nathan Mitchell, a Jump 20 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flies a reconnaissance mission while underway with the Amphibious Ready Group, Marine Expeditionary Unit. A product of AeroVironment, the Jump 20 is an artificial intelligence-equipped autonomous aircraft designed specifically for maritime operations.
The plane can take off and land vertically and is equipped with advanced multi-sensor intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Designed to be operated at sea, the Jump 20 uses artificial intelligence to precisely land on moving vessels. Measuring nineteen feet long with a nine-foot wingspan, the Jump 20 can be set up and operational in less than 60 minutes without the need for launch or recovery equipment. It can loiter up to thirteen hours above a target and has a range of 115 miles. Powered by a heavy fuel engine for enhanced operational flexibility, the Jump 20 can cruise at a speed of fifty-eight miles per hour at a maximum altitude of 17,000 feet.
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Twentynine Palms, California. (Jun 18, 2025): No surprises. These are the watchwords for Marine commanders as they prepare their troops for combat. One of the key tools for planning successful operations is the Marine Corps’ Battle Simulation Center. In this photo by Corporal Anna Higman, Marines with the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, participate in simulated training at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.
The Marines are collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to study and improve Marine Corps training using advanced technology. DARPA is famous for developing game-changing technological advances like the Internet, GPS, drones, and stealth aircraft. The agency also funds research studies that keep the U.S. military on the forefront of modern warfare.
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Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2025): In this photo by Staff Sergeant Oscar Toscano, Soldiers participate in the Army's 250th Birthday Parade that included troops in historical and modern uniforms marching alongside equipment and vehicles from key eras of Army history.
Finding themselves without a force to fight the British, the American Army was established on June 14, 1775. under the command of George Washington. Prior to the creation of a professional Army, the colonists relied on local civilian soldiers, or militia, which were untrained and often ineffective. In 1784, the first full regiment of Regular Army infantry, the 3rd Infantry Division, was formed. The unit today is known as the “Old Guard” and remains the oldest branch of the U.S. military. The Army overcame numerous military setbacks, a lack of equipment, and dwindling supplies to defeat the British Army, the most powerful military force in the world at the time.