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Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. (March 30, 2024): Since the earliest days of our Republic, military chaplains have tended to the spiritual needs of servicemembers and their families at bases all over the world. In this photo by Kemberly Groue, the Easter Bunny spreads holiday cheer to youngsters of Air Force servicemembers. Events like these are only a part of the efforts of military clergy to support the needs of members of our armed forces.
The Chaplain Corps is one of the oldest branches of our military and was established by the Continental Congress in 1775. Congress authorized one chaplain for each regiment of the Continental Army and many also served in the ranks of local militias. Since then, chaplains have served in every American war.
Like the nation they serve, the ranks of military chaplains have evolved over the years to include the addition of Roman Catholic priests in the Mexican American War and Jewish and African American ministers during the Civil War. In 1979, the Army commissioned its first female chaplain and today, some 1,300 active-duty Army chaplains and 1,200 in the reserve components, representing five major faiths groups (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist) and over 120 denominations, administer to soldiers and their families.
The primary role of military clergy is to conduct religious services and to provide counseling for their adherents. In wartime, they are vital for offering encouragement and comfort to troops under the extreme stress of battle. Stories abound of chaplains administering the last rites to fallen soldiers, oblivious to the fire around them, or dashing out into the open to rescue the wounded without regard to their own lives. In fact, there are nine chaplains that have earned the Medal of Honor for bravery. Many military chaplains have made the ultimate sacrifice, living up to the Chaplain Corps motto, For God and Country.
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Southwest Asia. (March 23, 2024): The American military is launching a massive effort to send critical lifesaving supplies to the innocent citizens of Gaza as the Middle East war intensifies. In the above photo, a C-130J Super Hercules is loaded with over 38,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and water destined for an airdrop over Gaza as part of the U.S. Air Force’s rapid global mobility relief campaign.
The U.S. has conducted several humanitarian assistance airdrops into Gaza alongside the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the combined operations have delivered hundreds of thousands of badly needed meals to civilians. The U.S. decided to mount the air drops after more than 100 Palestinians, who had surged to pull goods off an aid convoy, were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops.
Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped sixty-six bundles into southwest Gaza on the beach along the territory’s Mediterranean coast. The airdrop was coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, which said it had two food airdrops Saturday in northern Gaza and has conducted several rounds in recent months.
Army Soldiers who specialize in the aerial delivery of supplies built the bundles and ensured they are dropped safely. The MREs— shelf-stable meals that contain a day’s worth of calories in each sealed package — were dropped in locations that were thought to provide civilians with the greatest level of safety to access the aid. Afterward, the U.S. monitored the sites and was able to see civilians approach and distribute food among themselves,
A C-130 can airlift as much as 42,000 pounds of cargo and its crews know how to rig the cargo, which sometimes can include even vehicles, onto massive pallets that can be safely dropped out of the back of the aircraft. Air Force loadmasters secure the bundles onto pallets with netting that is rigged for release in the back of a C-130, and then crews release it with a parachute when the aircraft reaches the intended delivery zone.
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San Antonio, Texas. (March 15, 2024): The Department of Defense recently reported results from a survey that found half of all young people today know “little to nothing” about military service. In this photo by Staff Sergeant ShaTyra Cox, Army Specialist Chao Yang instructs students drill and ceremony during Career Day at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in San Antonio. The Army, which missed its recruiting goal this year by 15,000, hopes these Career Day demonstrations will entice more young folks to consider the benefits of serving their country.
During these events, active-duty soldiers conduct demonstrations involving military equipment and the day-to-day life in the military. Students and parents also learn about the educational benefits, financial incentives, and diverse career options for both officers and enlisted personnel in today’s Army.
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Lossiemouth Air Base, Scotland. (March 14, 2024): In this photo by MC2 Jacquelin Frost, Lieutenant Sara Wedemeyer, left, and Lieutenant Wesley Neal, naval aviators attached to Patrol Squadron 46, fly the Navy’s premier maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft the P-8A Poseidon. Manufactured by Boeing Defense, the plane is named after one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology who presides over the seas, storms, earthquakes, and as the protector of seafarers.
Patrol Squadron 46, also known as the "Grey Knights", is the oldest maritime patrol squadron in United States Navy and is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. The Poseidon is primarily used in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and also to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. It is armed with torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles and can drop and monitor sonobuoys.
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Kailua, Hawaii. (March 18, 2024): A victim of a motorcycle crash is alive today thanks to the quick response and cool nerves of a U.S. Marine. In this photo by Lance Corporal Logan Beeney, Lance Corporal Kayden Cardona, an aircraft maintenance support equipment electrician, is awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal by his commanding officer Colonel William Heiken. Cardona is assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. An Arlington, Texas native, Cardona came upon a terrifying motorcycle accident on January 26, 2024, and his decisive efforts are credited with saving the victim’s life. Hailed as a hero by local authorities, Cardona humbly attributed his response to being in the right place at the right time.
He was commended for his remarkable courage in providing vital emergency medical care to the injured rider who was struck by a car travelling in the opposite direction. The rider was ejected from his bike and suffered significant trauma to his head and left leg. According to his citation, Cardona “without hesitation sprang into action to provide aid by using his belt to fashion a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from the rider’s injured leg.” Drawing upon his training in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Cardona enlisted the assistance of a nearby Marine to monitor the rider’s breathing while he continued to assess the victim for additional injuries.
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MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. (March 19, 2024): The Air Force is evaluating a sentry that doesn’t tire, never sleeps, needs no food, and it can talk. In this photo by Senior Airman Zachary Foster, representatives of Asylon, a robotic perimeter security company, lead a robotic dog in a capabilities demonstration for Air Force security forces. The demonstration showcased this emerging technology in remotely operated security systems that allow for immediate response in emergency situations without endangering the life of servicemembers.
Essentially a camera on legs, the “dogs” are technically called quadruped unmanned ground vehicles. Costing as much as half a million dollars per unit, they function as an extra set of eyes for base security officers that can also listen and communicate with suspected intruders. Funded through a small business innovation research program called the AFWERX initiative, these quadrupeds weigh approximately a hundred pounds and have a top speed of seven miles per hour. They can travel a distance of thirteen miles at a top speed of seven miles per hour for up to three hours on a single charge.
They can also be outfitted with drones that can launch and return to their backs while in motion, allowing the drones and dogs to perform missions as an integrated team. Future plans include equipping them with sensors that allow them to operate autonomously without human intervention. These dog/drone teams will become the ultimate platform for security patrol operations in the future.