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Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (June 17, 2024): It is the difference between taking a course on something and dedicating your career to the subject. That is the case with Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and what civilians call a “foreword observer.” In this photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens, Technical Sergeant Gabriel Pillcurima, a joint terminal attack controller assigned to Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, practices his craft of guiding attack aircraft for the Air Force. The Air Force offers careers in close air support, far beyond mere certification as a controller.
Sergeant Pillcurima is part of a Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, comprised of a small team of military personnel who provide coordination between aircraft and ground forces when providing close air support. His squadron is part of Air Force Pacific and trains, equips and deploys these teams to support elements of the 11th Airborne Division (previously United States Army Alaska ) and its 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A part of Air Force Special Warfare, these parties embed with Army and Marine units on the frontline to call in air strikes on the enemy. Additionally, TACPs advise ground commanders on the best use of air power, establish communications, and deliver precision terminal attack guidance for close air support aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire.
These teams operate with special forces including the Army’s Rangers, Navy SEALS, and members of the Special Operations Command. Air Force TACPs attend the Special Warfare Preparatory Course, Airborne School, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape (SERE) training before earning their certifications.
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Naval Base San Diego, California. (June 17, 2024): “Surely, beekeeping can’t be a military occupation,” asked a representative of Support Our Troops of public affairs officials at the base here. We had hoped to interview Lieutenant Junior Grade Kaylee Newcomb, pictured above in her protective equipment removing bees from the USS Tripoli. (Photo by Seaman Recruit Eliora Sims). America’s enormous warships provide an attractive place for bees to establish their hives but naturally this can be a threat to crew safety.
What is astonishing is that Newcomb, a cyber warfare officer aboard an assault ship, would have the knowledge, equipment, and skills to move a swarm of bees safely to their new location.
Is there a class at Cyber School for bee removal?
Having not heard from Lieutenant Newcomb, we decided to do some digging on our own and learned a lot about bees in the process. Interestingly, bees are very aware of and loyal to their hive and it takes some pushing to make them want to leave. There is a saying among bee types that you can move a hive “three feet or three miles” and they will find their way home. If the distance is more than three miles, bees cannot recognize their location and must reorientate themselves to their unfamiliar environment. It is as if they wake up in a different landscape and GPS location which can be very disorienting for our bee friends.
Bees are so attached to the location of their hives that they pirouette as they leave the entrance, always keeping an eye on the way home. They fly in small figure eights in front of the hive gathering information about landmarks and the sun’s direction before they head out to forage for nectar, pollen, and water.
To move a hive, protective gear including a full bee suit, gloves, and a veil is an absolute must. If relocating a short distance, it is not necessary to cover the entrance as the bees will follow the hive to the new location easily. If longer distances are involved, there are a couple of considerations to preserve the health of a bee colony.
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Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. (June 12, 2024): Every military branch has its unique “hell week” period of training to determine if someone really wants to serve. For potential Coast Guard officers, the torturous path begins with Swab Summer, an indoctrination period for new cadets to prepare them for a career at sea. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West, Cadets from the Coast Guard Academy attend a welcoming ceremony aboard the Cutter Eagle. One of our nation’s oldest active tall ships, the Eagle, has trained Academy cadets since 1792. The tour aboard the Eagle teaches cadets basic seamanship, navigation, and the leadership skills they will need to take command.
Surviving Swab Summer, however, is no pleasure cruise.
The first phase is an intense seven-week basic training program designed to turn civilians into military servicemembers ready to defend their country. The program includes rigorous physical conditioning, seamanship fundamentals, and a well-rounded classical education. The Academy emphasizes teamwork, individual initiative, and the military values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty.
Swabs know they will be both physically and mentally tested.
Cadets run obstacle courses and complete team rope course challenges between units. They are taught basic sailing at the Jacobs Rock Seamanship and Sailing center and are expected to know Coast Guard history and their chain of command.
Swab Summer ends with “Sea Trials,” a thirteen-hour final examination that evaluates a Swab’s ability to perform as a Sailor and a leader. Cadets are evaluated on teamwork and perseverance as they face multiple stressful situations. There is a simulated shipwreck, for example, where Cadets are graded on their coolness under fire. The day begins at 3:30 a.m. with alarms sounding as Cadets grab their gear for an hour long round of calisthenics. Swabs spend the remainder of the day completing various tasks including road marches, river rafting, and they even carry a log around campus.
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Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. (June 15, 2024): In the fast-paced world of military aviation, aircraft parts suffer wear and tear that, if undetected, could cause a catastrophe. Aboard ships, there is little time to analyze aircraft parts for damage, especially for ‘destructive’ testing that requires dissolving materials into liquids. In this photo by Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem, Airman 1st Class Gwynavere Baarstad, 325th Maintenance Squadron non-destructive inspection apprentice, checks a simulated aircraft part for damage. Traditional chemistry requires using acid to liquify a sample for analysis by Atomic Absorption or X-Ray Fluorescence (tools to measure the elemental content) that require the sample to be destroyed. Nondestructive testing (NDT), by contrast, is a multidisciplinary profession that blends quality assurance and materials science to inspect and evaluate materials without destroying their serviceability.
For the Air Force, this means using analytical methods like ultrasound, X-rays, and fluorescent dies to ensure aircraft components are operational and ready for the next mission. The goal of non-destructive inspection is to identify even the tiniest defect in systems or equipment that could become a danger to an aircraft. These highly skilled technicians use three primary methods to peer inside vital components, Ultrasonic Testing, Eddy Current Testing, and Radiographic Testing.
Expectant parents are familiar with the most used non-destructive tool to check aircraft parts for possible defects, the Ultrasound. Ultrasonic testing uses high-frequency sound waves to inspect for flaws in the thickness of a material without altering it chemically. When sound waves hit a defect, they bounce back to give a real time view of the interior of a sample.
Eddy Current Testing uses a conductive wire to create an electromagnetic current that is used to probe the surfaces of materials. These currents are extremely sensitive and can find even the minutest defect or flaw on the surface of a conductive material. Eddy currents are ideal for testing materials under extreme conditions such as underwater or on hot temperature surfaces.
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Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. (June 12, 2024): In this photo by MC2 Stuart Posada, Navy recruits take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance during a ceremony held at Recruit Memorial Chapel. These “New Americans” join hundreds of thousands of immigrants that have served in our armed forces since the beginning of our republic. In the last twenty years, more than 148,000 immigrants earned their U.S. citizenship by serving and in the past century, over 760,000 immigrants from thirty countries became Americans through military service. In fact, twenty percent of all Medal of Honor winners were foreign born.
These aspiring citizens not only bring exceptional skills, like language. but are also less likely than their U.S. born counterparts to leave the military. Today, there are approximately 65,000 immigrants, five percent of the force, serving on active duty and non-citizens account for four percent of all recruits annually.
To become a naturalized citizen, recruits must complete at least one year of honorable service during peacetime, or they may be granted citizenship immediately if their service occurred during designated periods of hostility. Last year, some twelve thousand service members gained their citizenship, a fourteen percent increase on the previous year.
Since the beginning of the republic, the American armed forces have offered a path to citizenship for patriots willing to fight to defend our country.
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Câmpia Turzii, Romania. (June 10, 2024): If the Russians follow through on threats to invade Europe, will America be ready to move air and equipment assets across the seas in time? That is the question that Exercise Astral Knight 24 is attempting to answer. In this photo by Airman 1st Class Albert Morel, a flight of F-16s joust in the skies above Romania as part of a NATO air and missile defense exercise.
Exercise Astral Knight has gained urgency with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and warnings by Vladimir Putin that he will use missiles and even nuclear weapons against the West. NATO has stepped up the pace of realistic exercises to counter these arial threats.
Some fifty U.S. aircraft participated in simulated combat operations in the skies over Poland and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. The British Air Force also participated and personnel from Denmark and Greece were sent as observers.
This year’s Astral Knight focused on how to counter attacks from relatively cheap Iranian-made drones like the ones launched against Ukraine’s air defenses. According to the U.S. Air Force Europe (USAFE), at least one hundred and seventy drone, rocket, and missile attacks have been launched against U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since October. The goal is to create an effective, multi-layered missile defense system like those employed by Israel. When Iran recently launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, Israel, U.S., and coalition partners shot them down before they could cause any damage. NATO hopes to establish a protective umbrella like this for Europe as well.
Read more: European Invasion… Will U.S. Help Arrive On Time?