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Pacific Ocean. (August 24, 2024): U.S. Navy helicopter crews are like superheroes because they swim, fly, and engage in combat while saving lives. In this photo by Seaman Kenneth Ostas, Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class Michael Case, from Mountain Home, Arkansas, mans a M3 .50-caliber machine gun aboard a MH-60S Sea Hawk while underway with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Few Navy jobs offer such a range and variety of missions. An Aircrewman can expect to drop off or pick up Navy SEALs, bring supplies to ships at sea, or even jump into the water to save someone’s life. One day they are shooting at enemy planes and the next performing drastic rescues at sea.
Officially called Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) or AWS for short, these highly skilled professionals perform search and rescue, search for mines from the air, and they insert and extract Special Operations Forces doing dangerous missions. They also fight as aerial gunners, operate radars and sonars, and conduct reconnaissance missions for the fleet. An AWS is an enlisted Sailor who doubles as loadmasters, repair technicians, and is responsible for the safe flight of their assigned aircraft.
Obviously, not everyone can qualify for such a demanding role.
To become an AWS, candidates must pass Basic training and then their thirteen-week A-School at Pensacola, Florida. Next, it is off to Naval Aircrew Candidate School for an additional six weeks of training in water and land survival as well as flight safety. The training is physically tough with topics such as aircrew tasks and assignments, survival, first aid, and water rescue procedures. Candidates must pass a class II swim test, an aviation flight physical, and the Navy Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) prior to reporting for this demanding aircrew training.
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Monte Tarn, Chile. (August 18, 2024): The U.S. Marines joined their Chilean brethren this week to try a little mountaineering in the Andes, the longest mountain range in the world. In this photo by Sergeant Gabriel Groseclose-Durand, Marines with the 1st Marine Division and members of the Cuerpo de Infanteria Marina Chile assess their skills in a freezing weather, high altitude environment. The Marines trained to improve combined task force operations, practice land navigation, and to hone their field craft skills. They certainly chose a tough opponent in the Andes, a mountain range that stretches some 4,400 miles with peaks over 22,000 feet. Throughout the exercise, Marines learned proper techniques for obtaining food and water, employed different weapons and gear, built shelters, practiced foot movements over snow, and performed personnel rescues.
Chile is one of the United States’ strongest partners in Latin America and a leader in promoting respect for the rule of law, economic stability, environmental protection, and human rights. The U.S. supports Chile’s ability to combat terrorism, international crime, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.
Regarded as one of the least corrupt and most vibrant democracies in South America, Chile is a party to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, also known as the Rio Treaty. Article three of the Rio Treaty states that “an armed attack on any member is considered an attack on all nineteen signatory countries in the Western Hemisphere. Chile’s law enforcement officials participate in capacity-building programs with the U.S. through the Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ International Law Enforcement Academy. U.S. military assistance strengthens and maintains Chile’s peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response capabilities through equipment purchases, education, and training.
According to several global opinion polls, Chileans have a considerably positive opinion of the U.S. with 72% viewing the U.S. favorably and 62% viewing American influence positively, the highest rating for any surveyed country in Latin America.
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Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. (August 19, 2024): In this touching photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Barnes, Navy Lieutenant Killian Monley greets his family after returning from a scheduled deployment aboard the Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Charlotte. What most Americans may not realize is the demands we place on our Sailors that keep them far from home for way too long.
Generally, submarine officers like Lt. Monley rotate between sea and shore assignments and they typically spend three years assigned to a specific sub. Depending upon the submarine type, Sailors can expect to be deployed between three and six months at a time which places an enormous burden on their families.
During a deployment, Sailors lose virtually all contact with their loved ones except for an occasional e-mail. This lack of communication is perhaps the hardest aspect of submarine life. It is perfectly normal for families to go weeks, maybe even as long as a month or two, without receiving emails. Sailors can communicate via phone during sporadic port calls that may last from a couple of days to two weeks.
Every command designates the spouse of a sailor to act as an ombudsman for the crew. As a liaison between the command and the sailors’ families, the ombudsman is privy to the latest information about the sub’s return and is also the emergency contact to relay urgent information while the Sailor is at sea. Additionally, each base has a Family Readiness Group staffed by volunteers to be a resource and support system for the families.
Every American should appreciate the sacrifices these Sailor families make defending our nation far from home for extended periods of time.
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Fort Riley, Kansas. (August 18, 2024): The famed 1st Infantry Division, known affectionately as the Big Red One, has created a modern link to the frontier days of the U.S. Cavalry. In this photo by Specialist Koltyn Omarah, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Infantry Division Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard (CGMCG) ride horses at a rodeo held in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Established in 1992, the CGMCG is outfitted with the uniforms, accessories, and armaments of the Civil War period. The unit performs various drills using the 1861 Cavalry Light Saber, a .45-caliber revolver, and the 1873 Remington .45-caliber lever action repeater rifle. The troopers receive instruction from the actual manuals used by Civil War cavalrymen to recreate the colorful spectacle of the American horse soldier.
The CGMCG performs mounted drill and weapons demonstrations and parades for community events and rodeos, as well as military ceremonies on Fort Riley. The mounted demonstration is an exhibition of the skill and precision required of a cavalry soldier patrolling the frontier.
Experience with horses is not a requirement to become a member of the CGMCG and it is open to both officers and enlisted. The formal tryout lasts eight weeks. The first week introduces the candidates to their horses and they watch an example of a typical rodeo by the experienced Troopers. The candidates must master the basics of horse anatomy and learn stable duties while acquainting themselves with the period’s weaponry and equipment. After completing the eight-week training, candidates will receive their iconic red hat and belt buckle in a ceremony making them part of the historic CGMCG.
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Springfield-Beckley Airport, Ohio. (August 12, 2024): The first time this aircraft flew over California, local authorities received hundreds of 911 calls about UFO sightings. What these startled civilians were witnessing was the maiden flight of the Blackfly, an electric powered super drone being developed for the Air Force. In this photo by Matthew Clouse, Ohio-based defense contractor Modern Technology Solutions Inc. launches its latest creation, the vertical take-off and landing aircraft called the Blackfly. The plane was developed as part of the AFWERX Agility Prime program to accelerate emerging technologies. AFWERX is the innovation arm within the Air Force Research Laboratory charged with translating the newest innovations into tools for America’s warfighters.
This sleek single seat aircraft, which also comes in an unmanned configuration, has eight propulsion motors, four on each wing. It has a V-shaped tail and a streamlined fuselage that gives it an out-of-this-world appearance. The craft takes off vertically, so it needs very little space to operate making it ideal for confined areas. The plane ascends to a comfortable altitude before transitioning from vertical to forward flight. Its engines produce an impressive nine hundred pounds of thrust and the plane has a range of over forty miles. The Blackfly cruises at sixty-two mph and can carry payloads up to 250 pounds. Oddly, the plane lands on its belly assisted by four small, fixed struts on the bottom end of each wing to protect them from hitting the ground.
The Air Force envisions using this unique craft to conduct surveillance and to transport critical materials quicker and with less noise than a traditional helicopter. In case you are interested in owning one, there is a civilian version available at a base price of $190,000.
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Mediterranean Sea. (August 17, 2024): Have you ever wondered how the U.S. Navy deploys and recovers special forces using submarines? In this photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Almagissel Schuring, U.S. Marines from the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, assigned to Task Force 61/2, conduct dive training aboard the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia. The USS Ohio has a detachable Dry Deck Shelter that houses and deploys divers allowing easy exit and entrance while the boat is submerged.
Ever since Jules Verne’s fictional Nautilus, the Navy’s ability to deploy frogmen from submerged submarines has captured the public’s imagination. Frogmen in World War II conducted clandestine operations from the diesel-electric submarines of the period and today’s divers have a specially equipped “Lock Out trunk” that allows divers to remain dry as they transport to their launch site, don wetsuits and dive gear, and then exit and return to the sub undetected. The chamber, which can hold up to fourteen special operators, is filled with water until the pressure in and outside the ship equalizes allowing the hatch to open. Once outside, special forces access an operations box that contains their weapons and gear for the mission.
These Lock Out Trunks have multiple compartments for specific purposes. The forward-most compartment is a hyperbaric chamber used for treatment of injured divers. In the middle compartment, or transfer trunk, operators enter and exit the submarine and/or either of the other compartments. The third compartment is a hangar that houses either a SEAL Delivery submersible or a Combat Rubber Raiding Craft. To get back to the sub, Special Operators follow a pinging sonar that guides them back to the shelter once the mission is complete.
The Dry Deck Shelter can also be used to rescue the crew of a downed sub at depths up to six hundred feet. The hatch can release two crewmen at a time wearing survival suits through these special airlocks. With an expected forty-year service life, Dry Deck Shelters will likely continue to support the missions of Special Operations Forces for many years to come.