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Pacific Ocean. (November 2, 2024): In 1946, shortly after the end of World War II, Congress established the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to succeed the wartime Manhattan Project. One of the new agency’s missions was to harness the incredible power of the atom to drive America’s warships and submarines. In this photo by Seaman Apprentice Roselia Garcia, Machinist's Mate (Nuclear) 2nd Class Justin Lin, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, closes a watertight door during general quarters drills aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
Before the discovery of nuclear power, America’s naval fleet was fueled by petroleum products that were expensive, difficult to deliver at sea, and limited the range a ship could operate before needing refueling. Nuclear power offered the prospect of an unending supply of clean fuel on board that allows a vessel to theoretically remain at sea forever.
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Fort Riley, Kansas. (October 29, 2024): The Army’s famed 1st Infantry Division Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard (CGMCG) overwhelmed the competition at the recent National Cavalry Competition held in El Reno, Oklahoma. In the above photo, Staff Sergeant Ethan Cizauskas participates in the mounted pistol event where competitors had to ride horseback over and through obstacles while shooting specified targets along the course.
Members of the CGMCG competed alongside London’s Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Fort Irwin’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and various civilian groups. The event provides an opportunity for re-enactors, active and reserve military mounted color guards, and mounted police officers to show off their riding skills.
The competition included mounted saber, mounted pistol, military horsemanship, and military field jumping demonstrations. Re-enactors, in full period dress, demonstrated the skills of the American horse soldier before the advent of the motorized cavalry.
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Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. (October 31, 2024): In this photo by Airman 1st Class Aden Brown, Air Force senior enlisted leaders board a C-17 Globemaster III for Mission Command Training on the Air Force’s Agile deployment concepts. The senior noncoms attended a six day exercise, hosted by Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi, that tested their ability to operate in isolated locations in the absence of orders or resources from higher up.
Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is an Air Force operational concept that uses a "hub-and-spoke" approach to disperse aircraft and airmen from large bases to smaller, more austere locations. The hub is a central location, such our large bases in Guam, while the spokes are the smaller, more dispersed locations, such as civilian airports or airstrips.
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Bethesda, Maryland. (November 1, 2024): It is a diagnosis all women dread and survival sometimes depends on just plain intuition. In the photo above, Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Sayers poses with her husband Major Shannon Beers while on a walk. In April 2023, Sayers, an Airman with nearly eighteen years of service, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Thus began her valiant struggle with this rare and extremely aggressive disease aided by her loving husband and military “family.”
According to the Army, Sayers was just 37 years old when she received her diagnosis, below the age range for regular mammograms, and had no family history of breast cancer. She discovered a lump in her breast and, going with her intuition, sought out medical care that confirmed her worst fears.
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Palmetto, Florida. (October 30, 2024): As Florida’s National Guard completes its duties helping Floridians recover from Hurricane Milton, the extent of their efforts is coming into view. In the above photo, Army Private First Class Victoria N. Torres, assigned to Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, welcomes a spontaneous hug from a toddler while patrolling a neighborhood to reassure residents before the storm. Soldiers returned to the neighborhood after the storm to confirm its residents, including the child’s family, were safe.
Newly released statistics reveal the extent of efforts by National Guard troopers to rescue their neighbors after this devastating hurricane. According to the National Weather Service, Milton came ashore packing winds of 105 mph that generated a six-foot storm surge and spawned forty-six tornadoes as it raced through the center of the state. The tornadoes, the most in one day in 70 years, killed six people while causing an estimated thirty-four billion dollars in damage.
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Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. (October 26, 2024): They risk their lives sniffing out bombs, detecting drugs, and tackling our enemies. Given their service, what happens to military working dogs when they retire? In this photo by Miriam Thurber, Second Lieutenant Madison Marsh dons a bite sleeve during a K-9 training event at the Air Force’s 341st Training Squadron. The 341st is the home of the Department of Defense military working dog program and is responsible for training over six hundred handlers and nearly three hundred canines each year. Their graduates are used in patrol, drug and explosive detection, and specialized missions.
Currently there are about 2,000 authorizations for military working dogs across all services and about 1,600 are in service. In 1942, the military created the Army K-9 Corps and working dogs have joined American troops in battle ever since.
Before November 2000, however, most of these dogs were euthanized or just left on the battlefield (Under the doctrine at the time, they were considered spare equipment). This practice changed after Hollywood movies dramatized the plight of these animals and how they are treated once they no longer serve.
In response to these concerns, the U.S. government created the Military Working Dog Adoption Program for animals that no longer meet the DOD criteria for government work. Under the current program, a dog’s last handler is given first priority to adopt before being offered to the general public. A dog whose handler was killed in action is typically offered to the immediate family before other options are explored.
Due to the nature of their service, some of these dogs may have hips, back, or other medical issues that may require prescription medications for the rest of their lives. Citizens willing to adopt these brave animals are rewarded with a loyal and faithful friend. Those that have too many issues that make them ineligible for adoption are compassionately euthanized.
We owe a great debt to these faithful pooches whose loyalty and devotion saves countless American lives.
(Editor’s Note: Lieutenant Madison Marsh, pictured above, is the current Miss America 2024.)