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Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. (December 8, 2024): How do you promote and retain highly capable senior NCOs whose knowledge and skills are vital to the Army? Why not give them a chance to become an “Officer by another means.” In this photo by Sergeant 1st Class Shane Smith, Sergent 1st Class Ratthiny Ly is promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer 1 with all the duties and privileges of that office.
WO1 Ly will join the roughly 26,000 warrant officers in today’s Army who serve as both technical experts and leaders who command units, aircraft, vessels, and armored vehicles. A warrant officer is a hybrid between enlisted personnel and commissioned officers.
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Visakhapatnam, India. (December 2, 2024): Some of the best warfighters in the world mixed it up this week during a training exercise hosted by the Indian Navy. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Alex Perlman (portions of which have been blurred for security reasons), U.S. Naval Special Warfare operators and Indian Marine Commando Force members conduct close quarters combat training during Malabar 2024 . This is the twenty fourth year of exercises involving the United States and India and they often include friendly allies.
This year, Japan and Australia are contributing their forces to the event. The Japanese are sending the destroyer JS Ariake and a contingent from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Aussies are contributing the Navy frigate HMAS Stuart and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Americans are adding a P-8 Poseidon aircraft assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Deweya and the Indian hosts are contributing the destroyer INS Delhi as well as at least four other surface combatants and aircraft.
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Philippine Sea. (November 30, 2024): In this photo by Petty 1st Class Ryre Arciaga,
Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Kristiana Tyler, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, clings to a giant MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter while installing a tail fastener. Tyler is assigned to Maritime Strike Squadron 51 and currently serves aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble. An Aviation Structural Mechanic (ASM) maintains all aircraft hydraulic power systems, wing airfoils and associated surfaces, and flight controls. It is exacting work, and the consequences of mistakes can be catastrophic.
There are two types of ASMs, Structural Hydraulics and Safety Equipment. The structural types concern themselves with the hydraulic system, landing gear, and the entire fuselage. The safety types are responsible for maintaining aircraft protection systems, including ejection seats, oxygen supply, and fire extinguishing systems. ASMs may be assigned to sea or shore duty anywhere in the world and may work in hangars on base or on aircraft carrier flight decks.
To become an ASM, a candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent, complete eight weeks Basic Training, and 18 months’ of technical instruction at Pensacola, Florida. That is when school really begins. An ASM’s value increases dramatically with the type of high-speed, real-world experience gained in the service.
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Al-Tanf, Syria. (December 5, 2024) In this photo by Staff Sergeant Emma Scearce, U.S. Soldiers provide toys and health care items to villagers during a security patrol in northeast Syria. There are roughly a thousand U.S. military personnel who are at greater risk of attack by various Islamic groups vying for power in Syria. American troops have been in Syria for the past ten years to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State. The U.S. presence also supports Washington’s Kurdish allies and helps contain the influence of Iran and Russia in the country. It also makes it more difficult for Iran to move weapons into Lebanon to support its proxy, the Lebanese Hezbollah.
The Americans are based at Al-Tanf, an outpost in occupied territory fifteen miles from the Iraq/Jordanian border. The 13-year civil war reignited with surprising speed resulting in a total collapse of the country in less than one week. Syrian strongman Bashar al Assad’s allies abandoned him and he is reportedly taking refuge in Russia.
Leading the offensive is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Organization for the Liberation of Greater Syria, a former al-Qaeda affiliate. In 2012, the U.S. and several other nations designated the group a terrorist organization. Back then they were known as the al Qaeda Syrian branch. The group has recently renounced the Islamic State’s tactics to project a more moderate image.
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Pacific Ocean. (November 15, 2025): He was one of the very few individuals to be honored by having an entire fleet of Navy ships named for him during his lifetime… but just who was Arleigh Burke? In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Greg Johnson, Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Wiggins, from Mobile, Alabama, stands watch in the combat information center aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey, one of seventy-three destroyers named for the Admiral.
Arleigh Albert Burke was born on October 19, 1901, in Boulder, Colorado and rose to the rank of Admiral after forty-two years in the Navy. During his career, Burke served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations and he served honorably in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
During World War II, Burke commanded Destroyer Squadron 23, known as the "Little Beavers", that covered the initial landings in Bougainville in November 1943 and fought in 22 other separate engagements. His aggressive philosophy in combat was crystalized by his famous admonition that “the difference between a good officer and a bad one is about ten seconds.” He came to this conclusion having witnessed uncertainty and hesitation by naval commanders that had cost them dearly.
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Indonesia. (November 15, 2024): It is a nation of thousands of islands spread across the Indo-Pacific and a key ally in America’s strategy to contain Chinese ambitions in Southeast Asia. In this photo by Sgt. Shaina Jupiter, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sergeant Chris Smith, right, with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, holds a unit flag alongside his comrade Indonesian Marine with 10th Marine Infantry Battalion, Korps Marinir. The Marines are completing a series of exercises practicing coastal defense during MAREX 2024, an annual bilateral exercise to strengthen relationships with this vital U.S. partner.
During the exercises, a combined force of nearly six hundred personnel from the Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia joined the 10th Marine Infantry Battalion of the Indonesian Marine Corps to conduct expert-lead exchanges and training events. Topics ranged from staff-level planning to jungle survival tactics. The partners also practiced skills like combat patrolling, ambush tactics, casualty evacuations, and combat marksmanship, all culminating in a successful execution of a final coastal defense scenario.