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Bundase Training Camp, Ghana. (April 19, 2024) American forces joined the Ghana Armed Forces in anti-terrorism exercises this week in this West African nation. In this photo by Technical Sergeant Christopher Dyer, U.S. Special Operations Command Africa and Ghanian troops practice calling in close air support involving two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers during Flintlock 24 exercises held here. The largest annual Special Operations Africa exercise, Flintlock 24 included approximately 1,300 servicemembers from thirty participating nations.
Ghana and the United States have long joined forces to combat terrorism and piracy in this coastal country of thirty-two million. Ghana stands out for its record of stability and peaceful elections and as a long-term partner in the war against terrorism. Ghana abuts the Gulf of Guinea, the scene of much mayhem in recent years, off the African coast. The region is beset by traditional piracy, the seizing of vessels and cargo followed by ransom demands. Besides piracy, notable crimes in the Gulf of Guinea are illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and stealing oil.
Confronting these threats, with U.S. help, is the Ghanian Armed Forces which consists of an infantry regiment, an airborne force, and a group of specially trained commandos. U.S. forces have historically partnered with Ghana through multiple military and civil affairs exchanges like Flintlock 24 to strengthen African capabilities to police the Gulf.
This cooperation is even more important due to democratic backsliding elsewhere in Africa and the growing threat of extremism on the continent.
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Fort Moore, Georgia. (April 27, 2024): In old war films, G.I.s are seen painting their faces with grease to hide themselves from the enemy. Today, so-called “face paint” has come a long way in terms of technology and capability. In this photo by Captain Stephanie Snyder, Captain Moberly with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade applies camouflage paint prior to joining a field training exercise. Soldiers apply camouflage paint to their skin to disrupt the human silhouette which helps them blend into the environment.
Interestingly, the human face is the most detectable part of the body and is easily recognized at a distance. The effective use of camouflage helps break up these facial patterns by applying dark paint where light strikes the face (cheek bones and chin) and light colors where the face is shadowed (eyes). Soldiers must also ensure their neck and hands are likewise covered as the slightest movement is a dead giveaway as the light reflects off the skin.
Today’s “face paint,” however, does so much more.
Camouflage potions now shield troops in the visible and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as from thermal imaging and insects. Thermal imagers, which operate in the mid- and far-infrared regions of the spectrum, detect the heat “signature” of a combatant. These new camouflage creams minimize the risk of heat-based detection with chemicals to fool infrared sensors.
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Fort Moore, Georgia. (April 12, 2024): America’s armed forces want every servicemember to be fit to fight. That is why martial arts training that was once reserved for special operations troops is now provided to the average servicemember in a way that they can build on. In the above photo, Soldiers compete in the Lacerda Cup Combatives Championship in sparring matches that assess their courage and resiliency. The goal of the Army’s Combatives Program, a hand-to-hand combat training program that incorporates several martial art disciplines for use by the military and law enforcement.
The program is designed to build confidence through realistic training in close quarter combat techniques. Combatives draws upon the best methodology from a mix of martial arts disciplines including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and traditional Boxing. Soldiers are taught grappling, submissions, and arm and leg strikes. This ground-based fighting system teaches troops to quickly close with the enemy, gain dominance, and finish the fight.
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Souda Bay, Greece. (April 19, 2024): In an oil spill disaster, seconds count for Navy authorities trying to limit the ecological damage. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Delaney S. Jensen, Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Sweetay and Seaman Apprentice Tencing Wang Po practice deploying an oil boom during a spill prevention and response training exercise. These highly skilled Sailors deploy a variety of “booms” that use different methods to corral and contain a spill. These booms use mooring systems, such as anchors or landlines, which can be maneuvered to close off sensitive habitat or to divert the oil away. The three booms at their disposal are:
The Hard boom: This is a floating piece of plastic that contains floats on top and weights on the bottom to form a “skirt” under the water. If the currents or winds are not too strong, the Hard boom can collect and divert oil spills away from coastal areas.
The next tool available to oil spill responders is the Sorbent boom. This device looks like a huge log made out of cloth material that absorbs oil. The Sorbent booms don't have the "skirt" that Hard booms have so they can't contain oil for very long.
The third collection device is the Fire boom, a series of metal plates that form the “skirt” and designed to corral the oil long enough to be lit on fire and burned off. This “burning in place" of an oil slick is controversial due to its potential effects on wildlife. For this reason, Fire booms are seldom used and only during ideal conditions when the weather is relatively calm.
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Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. (April 17, 2024): In a solemn and dignified ceremony, Senior Airmen Allen Aragon, left, and Anthony Harvey fold the U.S. flag to pay homage to the sacrifices of the 27th Bombardment Group who fought in the World War II Battle of Bataan.
The 27th Bomb Group was one of several air units dispatched to the Philippines in a final effort to build up its defenses against a Japanese invasion. They were one of the last units to arrive in Manila before the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941. The speed of the Japanese assault forced the planes belonging to the 27th Bomb Group to divert to Australia, leaving the rest of the group on the Philippines to fight as infantry, something for which they were not trained.
Members of the group fought alongside other U.S. and Filipino troops who held on for three months despite a desperate lack of supplies. Eventually, they were forced to surrender and had to endure the infamous Bataan Death March. In one of the most horrific war crimes committed during the war, over 80,000 American and Filipino troops were forced to march sixty-five miles in searing heat resulting in the deaths of thousands of POWs.
After fighting in the Philippines and Java in 1941-42, the unit was sent to North Africa where it eventually became the 27th Fighter Group that flew missions in Sicily and Italy.
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Fort Moore, Georgia. (April 14, 2024): U.S. Army Rangers want to know who the best of the best is. In this photo by Specialist Justin Yarborough, 1st Lieutenant. Collin Johnson, assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, climbs across a rope to hit the Ranger tab on day three of the Best Ranger Competition. For three days, teams of Rangers are pitted against each other as they compete for this coveted title. Army Rangers are one of the world’s premier direct action special forces.
During the French and Indian War, Ranger units recruited tough frontiersmen to help battle native tribes and their European allies. These groups of expert woodsmen and sharpshooters were used for scouting missions and direct raids to harass the enemy.
In World War II, six Ranger battalions were formed that modeled the British Special Air Services. They were made famous during the bitter fighting on D-Day when they scaled the cliffs at Omaha Beach to destroy German gun emplacements. After the invasion, the Rangers adopted the slogan “Rangers lead the way.”
Since World War II, the Rangers fought in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Today, the 75th Ranger Regiment primarily conducts direct action raids in hostile environments to kill or capture high-value targets. Their other missions include seizing airfields, recovering personnel, and conducting special reconnaissance.
To become a Ranger, candidates must pass a 62-day course in small unit tactics and leadership that is one of the most challenging in the world. The goal is to develop warfighting skills for close quarter combat and direct fire battles. The course has three training phases: Benning, Mountain, and Swamp. The Benning and Mountain Phases are held in Georgia while the Swamp Phase is conducted in the coastal regions of North Florida.