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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?
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Colorado Springs, Colorado. (June 11, 2024): In this photo by Trevor Cokley, Air Force Academy Cadets dance a jig upon receiving their diploma this week. Held at Falcon Stadium, nine hundred and seventy-four Cadets crossed the stage to become Air Force second lieutenants.
Although a separate and distinct branch, the Class of 2024 included ninety-three Space Force officers who trained alongside their Air Force counterparts. This year’s class also included fifteen international students from allied nations around the world. Roughly thirty seven percent were selected to attend undergraduate pilot training.
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Puerto Princesa, Philippines. (June 6, 2024): Despite all the high-tech developments of late, determining the bearing and relaying the distance of enemy targets is still done in a very traditional way, In this photo by MC2 Sang, Kim, Chief Quartermaster Matthew Frey, right, looks through a telescopic Alidade as Quartermaster 3rd Class James Handy, left, operates a Sound Powered Telephone during a sea and anchor evolution aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry.
A telescopic Alidade is an instrument used for determining direction or “bearing” of a distant object. In navigation, a bearing is the relationship between an object and magnetic north on a compass. For example, an object that is due East from your position would be reported at an angle (or azimuth) of ninety degrees. The operator peers through a telescope to “sight” the object while reading its location in degrees at the same time.
In the early days, Alidades were used in fire towers for sighting the bearing to a forest fire. The observer looks through two sights while adjusting them until they are aligned with the smoke from the fire. These sighting devices have likewise served aboard U.S. Navy vessels for decades.
The Alidade readings are relayed to key personnel onboard via a Sound Powered Telephone, a technology that came into service during World War II. These communication devices allow users to speak to each other with a handset that is like a conventional telephone but doesn’t require the use of external power. First employed on Navy ships in 1944, the phones form a circuit to allow communication between key locations on a vessel if power is unavailable.
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Skies Above North Carolina. (June 5, 2024): In 1861, a gunsmith named Richard Gatling had an idea, one that revolutionized warfare to this day. He invented the rotary cannon, a multiple barrel machine gun with a huge rate of fire that terrorized the enemy. In this photo by Lance Corporal Orlanys Diaz Figueroa, Gunnery Sergeant Parrish Hall II, a UH-1Y Venom crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, fires a GAU-17A minigun during live fire maritime to surface warfare training.
What began as a hand operated “Gatling Gun” has evolved into today’s multiple versions and capabilities, all of which are deadly. First used in combat by U.S. forces during the Civil War, the six-barrel gun went on to see service in the Japanese Civil War, the Anglo-Zulu Wars, and it even played a part in Teddy’s Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.
These early versions used multiple barrels (up to ten) to limit overheating, a rotating mechanism, and a gravity fed reloading system that could fire up to two hundred rounds a minute. Despite its promise, the Gatling Gun fell out of favor with militaries of the time and Gatling himself ended up declaring bankruptcy.
Until World War II.
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Darwin, Australia. (June 5, 2024): There are few places on earth as challenging as the steamy jungles “down-under”, even for the most hardened Marine. In this photo by Lance Corporal Nicholas Filca, Corporal Dustin Miles, a rifleman with the Ground Combat Element, Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, is on a combat patrol at Australia’s Tully Jungle Warfare School. The Marine Rotational Force was established in 2012 with up to 2,500 Marines deploying to Darwin on a six-month rotation to train with their Aussie counterparts in the Northern Territory.
During their six-month deployment, Marines train with their Australian counterparts in live fire exercises at various locations in this sprawling training area. Tully is a 33,000 acre mix of swamps, ravines, and sharp cliffs with an annual rainfall of about one hundred and sixty inches. Forces train each other in military methods, artillery fire, infantry tactics, and communications. Warfighters practice their navigation skills in a triple canopy jungle in which GPS is not always available. This forces Marines to employ traditional methods of relying on maps, compass bearings, and pacing to reach their destination, especially at night.
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New London, Connecticut. (June 4, 2024): In this photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme, 225 Coast Guard Cadets take the first step in their nautical careers by taking the oath of office during commencement ceremonies held here. Founded in 1876, the Coast Guard Academy trains future officers for sea duty and to staff land bases around the world.
All graduating cadets earn commissions as ensigns in the United States Coast Guard and Bachelor of Science degrees. Cadets complete a core curriculum of mathematics, science, engineering, and liberal arts plus courses in leadership, ethics, and nautical science. The Academy also prepares these newly commissioned officers in piloting, voyage planning, seamanship, and all aspects of ship handling.
Unlike most college students, cadets live in a military campus where they are expected to follow orders and adhere to a strict code of ethics. As future military officers, cadets endure rigorous training to develop character, teamwork, discipline, and drive. In exchange for a debt-free education worth over $250,000, cadets incur a five-year active-duty service obligation (longer if they choose aviator training). Each year, more than two thousand apply with an average starting class of three hundred cadets. Unlike the other service academies, admission to the USCGA does not require a congressional nomination.
These newly minted offices leave the Academy having been challenged in mind and spirit and ready to lead others in defense of our nation.