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Mildenhall, England. (November 30, 2023): They are the vital link during mid-air refueling and give the Air Force the ability to fly anywhere in the world non-stop. In this photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Campbell, Airman 1st Class Anthony Toliver and Technical Sergeant Fernando Brome, boom operators with the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, lower the boom during mid-air refueling. Since the beginning of the Cold War, enlisted boom operators have played a leading role in the Air Force’s crucial ability to keep planes flying longer and farther.
Boom operators are responsible for the delicate task transferring aviation fuel from “flying gas stations,” in this case the KC-135 Stratotanker. For the past 60 years, the reliable KC-135 and its many versions have extended America’s reach around the globe. Able to fuel two planes at once, these super tankers can dispense over 30,000 pounds of fuel and carry 50,000 pounds of cargo while cruising at over 530 miles per hour. In addition to its duties as a mobile petrol station, the KC-135 can also be used to transport patients during aeromedical evacuations.
The boom operator is stationed in the rear of the plane to control what is called the “drogue.” The drogue is shaped like a bad mitten collar attached to a hose trailing behind the aircraft. The boom operator manipulates the drogue into position using 3-D cameras and direct coordination with both pilots. This is a delicate and potentially dangerous operation where one mistake at such close range and at high speeds can be catastrophic.
It’s a little tricky for the receiving pilot too. Each receiving aircraft is fitted with multi-point refueling points consisting of special pods mounted on their wingtips. The pilot makes an approach to connect with the drogue which is stabilized in flight by the bad mitten “collar” which acts as a funnel. The receiving probe is designed to be retractable when not in use, particularly for high-speed aircraft. The valves in the drogue are “NATO standard” which mean the KC-135 can refuel aircraft from many nations.
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Pacific Ocean. (November 27, 2023): Talk about a day at the office! In this photo by MC3 Adina Phebus, Sailors watch as an F/A-18F Super Hornet launches off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Unlike most offices, the deck of an aircraft carrier must be one of the most dangerous and thrilling experiences anyone can ask for. Launching and landing high speed aircraft requires an elegant symphony of tasks done in coordinated duties by various air crews working seamlessly under enormous pressure.
Deck crews are assigned separate roles in managing these air operations signified by the color of their jerseys. Sailors wearing Yellow are responsible for the movement of all aircraft on the flight deck and hangar assisted by entry level flight deck workers who wear Blue. Sailors that operate the catapult and arresting gear wear Green while aviation fuel handlers are identified by their Purple jerseys. The fire fighters and damage control parties wear Red as do those that oversee explosives. Finally, Brown is worn by the air wing squadron personnel who prepare aircraft for flight while White is worn by quality assurance and landing signal officers.
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Camp Pendleton, California. (November 21, 2023): In this photo by Sergeant Sean Potter, retired U.S. Marine Corps and Army veteran Maj. Billy Hall, age 97, enjoys the view of the California coastline during an honor flight in a UH-1Y Venom helicopter with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Major Hall celebrated the 82nd anniversary of his graduation from Marine Corps Recruit Training by reconnecting with his Marine brothers who volunteered to take him aloft one more time. Major Hall has the distinction of being the last living veteran to join the armed forces before the U.S. entered World War II, at just 15 years old.
He went on to see combat action in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Hall served as a radioman and gunner on Guadalcanal in 1942 and later flew bomber aircraft on over one hundred combat missions. After the war, Hall joined the Army National Guard as an infantry officer and was deployed to Korea where he devised ways to improve radio communications between units. In Vietnam, Hall trained as a helicopter pilot where he flew over fifty insertion and extraction missions during nine months in-country.
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Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. (November 17, 2023): Given the recent seizures of private vessels by Iran-back Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen, the U.S. Navy has ramped up training to go into action should these violations continue. In this photo by Corporal Ryan Ramsammy, Marines with Battalion Landing Team 1/8, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit race along in their rigid-hull inflatable boat during visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) training off Chesapeake Bay. This VBSS course teaches Marines how to properly board suspicious vessels and the procedures and maritime rules for interdicting vessels in international waters. Not everyone measures up as the school has a wash-out rate around thirty percent.
VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels involved in terrorism, piracy, and smuggling and to conduct customs or safety inspections. To qualify, candidates must pass three courses lasting eight weeks each as well as follow on training. Students are taught Close Quarters Battle skills, hand-to-hand combat tactics, search methods, and arrest procedures. The teams practice tactical movements including rappelling from helicopters onto suspect vessels.
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Honolulu, Hawaii. (November 30, 2023): When people think of Hawaii, images of swaying palm trees and pristine beaches come to mind. For the Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, it is a jungle with steep mountains and stifling heat. In this photo by Specialist Brendon Donahue, 25th Division Soldiers celebrate a combat victory over their rival Blue forces at the newly opened Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC). The Army’s newest combat training facility is in the mountainous center of the island of Oahu with over 17,000 acres of really tough terrain.
The 25th Infantry Division was established in 1908 to provide defense of the island’s main port, Pearl Harbor. Nicknamed the Tropic Lightning Division in 1941, the 25th fought in some of the bloodiest battles in World War II. The division today is a highly mobile light infantry unit supported by a range of aviation units guarding the Asia-Pacific region. The new center operates in three training rotations, one in Hawaii, another in the freezing terrain of Alaska, and another at satellite locations in friendly countries.
Credit for keeping these rotations running smoothly goes to the 196th Infantry Brigade, the training support brigade for the 25th Infantry Division and the 11th Airborne Division. During this cycle, as many as 6,000 participants underwent realistic training in an environment that they would likely encounter in the steamy jungles of the Pacific. The current cycle includes Soldiers from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Thailand who developed closer cooperation with their American allies.
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Syndalen, Finland. (November 17, 2023): While “Kamikaze” drones and Predator unmanned aircraft have dominated the headlines, another type of autonomous system is being developed by the Navy that is literally beneath the waves. In conjunction with commercial scientists, this aggressive program will develop and build unmanned underwater vehicles to perform a wide range of shallow water missions. In this photo by Corporal Mary Kohlmann, Corporals Gabriel Hawks and William Morris with Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, prepare to retrieve the “AMY”, an unmanned surface vehicle during a series of tests to experiment with its capabilities. The AMY is a lightweight (145 pounds) autonomously operated platform that can handle missions ranging from delivering lifesaving supplies to scanning for mines and much more.
Working with Arizona-based Hydronalix Corporation, the Marine Corps is experimenting with equipping these underwater drones with various x-band radars, side scan sonars, and even a high-speed bandwidth connection via satellite for communications and control. Powered by twin electric jet drives, the AMY can reach a top speed of 18 miles per hour, even in rough surf conditions, while searching for mines or obtaining measurements such as depth and water temperature.
The goal is to use the AMY to send vital supplies ashore especially when helicopters cannot. A Marine could load a lifesaving cargo of plasma and morphine, for example, then select a destination on shore and dispatch the AMY directly to that location. The system requires no central ground station and the AMY can be programed to return to be recovered, reloaded, and sent off again.