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Riga, Latvia.(September 24, 2023): In this remarkable photo by Staff Sergeant Jesus Sepulveda Torres, a Marine assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/6, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit appears to be directing both sea and air forces ashore using a handy laptop. This amphibious landing scene unfolded during Northern Coast 2023; a German-led multinational exercise hosted by the Latvian Armed Forces.
The United States established diplomatic relations with Latvia in 1922 following its independence after World War I. In World War II, Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and the country finally claimed its independence in 1991.
Latvia and the United States have signed treaties on investment, trade, intellectual property protection, extradition, mutual legal assistance. Latvia has enjoyed most-favored-nation treatment with the United States since December 1991.
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Orchard Combat Training Center, Boise, Idaho.(September 23, 2023): In this photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, Army National Guard Soldier Staff Sgt. Lauren Cox completes an 11-mile ruck march with 40 lbs. of weight carried in a pack during the Best Warrior competition held here. The Idaho Army National Guard hosted the four-day event that featured fifteen Idaho National Guard Soldiers competing for the prestigious title.
The Best Warrior Competition is an annual event conducted by the United States Army to identify and honor the most skilled and proficient Soldiers across various military occupational specialties. It is designed to evaluate a Soldiers’ physical fitness, military knowledge, marksmanship, tactical proficiency, leadership abilities, and mental resilience.
The Best Warrior Competition consists of a series of challenging events that simulate real-world combat scenarios and tasks. These events include an Army Combat Fitness Test, a land navigation course, and shooting competitions to demonstrate weapons proficiency. Soldiers must overcome various obstacle courses including urban warfare simulations and tactical combat casualty care. They also must pass various written exams and oral boards to assess their knowledge of military doctrine, tactics, and leadership skills. Competitors had to endure little sleep and high stress that challenged them both physically and mentally while evaluating their ability to shoot, move, communicate, and survive.
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Punta Arenas, Chile.(September 21, 2023): In this photo by Sergeant Cameron Hermanet, U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and members of the Chilean naval infantry climb Mount Tarn for the culminating event of a bilateral freezing weather training exercise. Throughout the maneuver, Marines learned proper techniques for obtaining food and water, employed different weapons and gear, built shelters, practiced foot movements over snow, and conducted wintry weather personnel rescue. Training exchanges in South America provide U.S. forces opportunities to train in exotic environments such as humid jungles, frigid mountains, and complex waterways while strengthening partnership and enhancing overall interoperability with regional partners.
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, education, environmental protection, human rights, and sustainable development.
Regarded as one of the least corrupt and most vibrant democracies in South America, with a healthy economy, Chile is noted as being one of the closest strategic allies of the United States in the Southern Hemisphere, along with Colombia, and remains part of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.
The Chilean Marine Corps consists mainly of an amphibious assault force, a coastal defense force, special forces, and support garrisons. The Chilean Marines provide artillery and coastal defense, with batteries of howitzers and Excalibur missiles, and they protect the country’s naval facilities. They also specialize in bomb disposal as part of their international responsibilities.
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Atlantic Ocean.(September 21, 2023): Working on a busy flight deck is one of the most dangerous jobs on earth, and these guys wouldn’t have it any other way. In this photo by MC1 Seaman August Clawson, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Launching and Recovery) Airman Apprentice Ryan Bowden, assigned to Air Department V2 Division, stands by to recover aircraft during flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
Imagine the scene on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier at sea. This 300-foot runway is packed with incoming and outgoing aircraft taking off and landing in all climates, day, and night. The noise created by jet engines and helicopter rotors is so deafening. Sailors must communicate through hand signals. Danger is everywhere on the flight deck as bombs and missiles are transported to waiting fighters while other planes are taxiing to the launch catapults or to their parking locations. The slightest mistake and a Sailor can be blown off the deck or sucked into one of the planes jet engines.
To work in this “controlled chaos,” Seamen must be in excellent physical and mental condition and be cool in extremely stressful situations. Despite the dangers, Aviation Boatswain's Mates seem to enjoy the adrenalin rush of this chaotic work environment.
To become a Navy Launching and Recovery Boatswain’s Mate, candidates attend Class A Technical School in Pensacola, Florida after passing basic training. This five-week course trains Sailors to operate, maintain, and perform maintenance on steam catapults, barricades, arresting gear, and associated equipment. Students learn how to operate catapult hydraulic systems, retraction engines, water brakes, jet blast deflectors, and arresting gear engines. They are also taught the necessary aircraft handling duties related to the operation of aircraft launching and recovery equipment.
Read more: Sailors Thrive In The “Controlled Chaos” Of A Carrier Flight Deck
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Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. (September 13, 2023): It is a heartbreaking reality. Suicide rates among active-duty military members are at an all-time high since 911 and have been increasing over the past five years at an alarming pace. In fact, some branches of the Armed Forces are experiencing the highest rate of suicides since before World War II. In this photo by Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Nicholas Renard, servicemembers participate in Camp Lemonnier's Suicide Prevention Awareness Month activity, a 22 Push-Up Challenge to highlight the problem and to stop this senseless loss of precious life.
According to the Department of Defense, 519 servicemembers died by suicide in 2021 with young, enlisted male servicemembers at greatest risk. The Annual Report shows that the suicide rates for Active Component Service members have gradually increased since 2011 and that 202 dependents also died by suicide during this same period. The Army experienced the highest increase in suicides, losing forty-nine servicemembers in the first three months of 2023, compared to 37 a year ago.
Why are our servicemembers suffering such high suicide rates compared to civilians?
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Norfolk, Virginia. (Sept. 15, 2023): Is there an old folk’s home for retiring Navy ships? Well… sort of. In this photo by CC2 Matthew Nass, Sailors render honors as the national anthem is played during the decommissioning ceremony of the guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto after more than 35 years of service.
The life cycle of a US Navy ship begins when its keel is laid down for construction. After construction is completed, the ship is launched on a shakedown cruise to evaluate crew performance at sea. Finally, when a vessel is deemed ready, the ship is commissioned into service, becoming an official part of the United States Armed Forces.
The USS San Jacinto was laid down on 24 July 1985, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, in Pascagoula, Mississippi and was launched in November 1986. Two years later, the ship was commissioned by then vice-president George H. W. Bush in Houston, Texas.
When its services are no longer needed, what happens, exactly, at that point?
Retiring or “decommissioning” Navy ships is a lengthy process that involves multiple phases before a vessel is put in mothballs. Before being officially decommissioned, the ship enters a “cool down” period at a naval facility where crews will remove usable parts. Next, weapons and ammunition are removed from a decommissioned ship and transferred to a different vessel as needed. The same happens with the crew which is reassigned to other ships in order of a crewmember’s duty. A gunner, for instance, would not remain on a ship after the guns have been removed.
When a ship is struck from the Naval Vessel Register, the name (but not her hull designation) is freed up for use on a future ship. Names are often reused as ships are commissioned and decommissioned before their final retirement. The battleship Missouri, for instance, was in service on and off from 1944 to 1992 until its final retirement.