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Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. (June 28, 2024): In this photo by Senior Airman Steven Cardo, Senior Airman Brett Egan, 79th Fighter Generation Squadron weapons load crew member, checks training munitions before takeoff during exercise Checkered Flag 24-2. Checkered Flag is a live fire exercise that is part of the Air Force’s Weapons System Evaluation Program. This event is the Department of Defense’s largest air-to-air live fire evaluation and is used to assess the performance of pilots and air crews under simulated combat conditions.
The maneuvers were led by the 79th Fighter Squadron "Tigers", a combat ready F-16C/D squadron tasked with air-to-air, air-to-surface, and suppression of enemy air defense missions. Organized in 1918, the 79th is one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force that saw action in both world wars and was part of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) during the Cold War.
This year’s maneuvers involved sixty aircraft from the 79th Squadron flying over 230 hours in 111 sorties to evaluate its enemy air suppression abilities on a large-scale. The evaluation allowed ground crews and pilots to conduct air-to-air missile and 20 mm gun live-fire training while rehearsing tactics they would use in real combat.
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Washington, D.C. (June 18, 2024): Summer is here and that means the Navy Band and its talented artists will be on display during a series of performances at our nation’s Capital. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ava Conway, Petty Officer 1st Class Ashleigh Leas and Petty Officer 1st Class Madeline Jarzembak perform as part of the Navy Band’s flute and harp duo during the band’s chamber recital series.
The Navy’s premier Concert/Ceremonial Band is staffed by 85 musicians who rotate between concert and ceremonial duties. The band is recognized as one of the finest wind ensembles in the world and has dazzled audiences for over a century. The concert band unit performs marches, patriotic selections, and modern wind ensembles on national tours and public conferences throughout the year. They also perform at official government functions and special events including those held at the White House. The Navy Band also has the honor of conducting ceremonies for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Fort Magsaysay, Philippines. (June 17, 2024): In the event of war, how do you set up a command center in the middle of dense jungle halfway around the world? In this photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Moeger, Sergeant Ratu Komaisavai fires his weapon during a simulated engagement in the jungles of the Philippines during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable (JPMRC-X). The concept is to create a “deployable” package of personnel and equipment that can be dispatched to establish Joint Operating Centers (JOC) to run military exercises anywhere in the world.
The JOC facilitates real-time information sharing, joint planning, and direct coordination among participating units. For this deployment, Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters ferried everything from food and water to huge communication towers into the jungle sixty miles north of Manila. Working alongside the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, members of the American 25th Infantry Division cut new roads and trails through dense vegetation to allow rapid movement of supplies and equipment to support the exercises.
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Bridgeport, California. (June 20, 2024): For over two hundred years, America has relied on the dependable mule to serve as “beasts of burden” and they continue to play an important military role today. In this photo by Lance Corporal David Intriago, Corporal Parker Shaffer loads equipment onto a pack mule during Mountain Training Exercise 4-24 at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center here. The exercise familiarizes Marines with the many uses of these loyal animals when operating at high altitude and in mountainous terrain.
The faithful Mule, a hybrid of a horse and donkey, was first used by the U.S. military by General George Crook. Known to history as America’s best Indian fighter, General Crook saw donkeys as a solution to the difficulty of using wagons to cross mountains and streams. Wagons would often bog down in mud, flip over when crossing streams, or could not handle steep mountainous terrain. General Crook found that four or six mules could carry the same as a wagon and be able to negotiate virtually any terrain. Later during the Civil War, mules were used to pull supply wagons, artillery equipment, ambulances, and food supplies.
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Boston, Massachusetts. (July 2, 2024): In this photo by MC1 Raymond Minami, volunteers with the 812 Marine Guard fire a saluting volley aboard USS Constitution during 4th of July celebrations in Boston Harbor. The world's oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution was launched in 1797 after President George Washington ordered the creation of an American Navy. She earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” after cannonballs seemed to bounce off her hull in a battle against the British warship HMS Guerriere. She also played a key role during the Barbary Wars (1801-1805) defending American shipping lanes against pirates. She was undefeated in battle, destroyed or captured 33 opponents, and is credited as the only remaining U.S. Navy ship to have sunk an enemy warship.
Today, the 227-year-old vessel is a floating museum and a training venue for a select few lucky Sailors who get to live in a piece of history. During numerous patriotic celebrations throughout the year, the USS Constitution will fire its cannons in a 21-gun salute while Sailors, dressed in traditional garb, weigh anchor and man the ship’s sails just as they did at the beginning of the Republic. Each year, over 600,000 civilians are given free tours of the ship and her operations as part of the Navy’s mission to preserve our maritime heritage.
The USS Constitution’s role as a training facility for young officers (midshipmen) began in 1860 when she sailed to Annapolis, Maryland to serve the U.S. Naval Academy. Today, midshipmen perform “climbing revolutions”, scrambling up and down the rigging and sails of this ancient vessel, as they learn modern navigation and leadership. These crews also assist the Constitution’s Museum staff as they host thousands of school groups from across the country.
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Philippine Sea. (June 11, 2024): They are responsible for the lives of thousands of Sailors and billions in military hardware, and serve on the front lines in a dangerous world. Meet Rear Admiral Greg Newkirk, pictured left, commander of Task Force 70 and Carrier Strike Group 5, and Commander Stephen Szachta, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta at work in the combat information center (Photo by MC1 Devin Monroe).
The commanders are guiding their respective forces during Exercise Valiant Shield 24, a multinational operation to demonstrate the world’s resolve to uphold freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific. The timing of these drills comes at a fraught moment for America’s allies in the region. Last week, Chinese and Philippine forces clashed once again in the South China Sea resulting in numerous injuries and raising the danger of the U.S. intervention. Under the existing 1951 U.S-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty, Article V states that “one partner is obliged to come to the other’s aid in the event of an armed attack”.
China has asserted sovereignty over nearly all the South China Sea, including islands falling within Philippine’s exclusive economic zone. The international courts dismissed these claims in 2016 but Beijing has ignored these rulings and continues to threaten and harass peaceful shipping. In the latest incident, Chinese naval forces used non-deadly force, including water cannons, up-close maneuvers that risk a collision, and alleged high-powered laser and sonic devices against Filipino vessels.
This is where the American Navy comes in. Rising to meet these provocations are the Sailors of the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.