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Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam. (June 10, 2024): With the recent shoot down of a Chinese spy balloon, many Americans are asking if we still use balloons in our Air Force. In this photo by Senior Airman Natalie Doan, Flight operations personnel prepare to launch a high-altitude balloon in support of Exercise Valiant Shield 2024. The U.S. military continues to use balloons of all types for long endurance, persistent air capabilities that serve as platforms for a variety of payloads and sensors.
The first recorded use of balloons for military purposes was in China during the Han Dynasty in 202 BC. The Chinese used lanterns for military communications including paper-made hot air balloons to signal a call for rescue. During the American Civil War, the Union Army established the Balloon Corps which employed “aeronauts” flying gas-filled balloons to spy on the Confederate Army. During World War II, the Navy used balloon airships in anti-submarine warfare in the Mediterranean.
Balloons also have a long history of espionage. As early as 1850, the American military established the Corps of Topographical Engineers for mapmaking and observation of enemy troops. When tethered to the ground, these “kites” provided a stable platform to gain a bird’s eye view of troop positions and movements on the battlefield.
Balloons and kites were the first inventions used in aerial warfare and their primary role was reconnaissance. Later, incendiary devices were added to light fires or drop explosives on enemy positions.
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Orting, Washington. (June 8, 2024): The U.S. Marines have extended “honorary” status to its youngest recipient, a four-year-old boy battling bravely against cancer. In this photo by Staff Sergeant Courtney White, Arlan Russell, accompanied by this parents Josh, a Marine Corps veteran, and mom Carrie, pose for a photograph with a Marine Corps color guard at the conclusion of his Honorary Marine ceremony here. The title of “Honorary Marine” is bestowed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to civilians who have made extraordinary contributions to the Marines.
According to Staff Sergeant Courtney White, little Arlan was born with a Mitochondrial disease that affects his heart, liver, brain, muscles, and bones. He was not expected to live past his first year, but his condition improved over time due to medication and IV therapy. Unfortunately, in 2023, his condition worsened, and doctors found inoperable tumors on his liver. There is no safe treatment for his liver cancer, making his illness terminal.
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Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. (June 13, 2024): In this photo by Airman 1st Class Audree Campbell, a B-1B Lancer from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron receives a bath after returning from a practice mission. The Lancer dates to President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and has been the backbone of America’s long range bomber force ever since. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.
A key feature of the Lancer is its swept wings which are set forward on takeoff and sweep back for supersonic flight. These wings give the B1-B incredible maneuverability and greater speeds, particularly at high altitudes. In addition to carrying a substantial payload, the Lancer has advanced radar targeting systems and the ability to “loiter” over an area for a substantial period. Using mid-air refueling, the Lancer can strike targets day or night and in all weather.
The Lancer has a synthetic aperture radar that is capable of tracking, targeting, and engaging moving vehicles and an extremely accurate Global Positioning System-aided Inertial Navigation System allowing aircrews to navigate without the aid of ground-based radars.
For self-defense, the B1-B carries electronic jamming equipment including a radar warning receiver and countermeasures like chaff or flares. These systems identify the full spectrum of threatening emissions and apply the appropriate jamming technique automatically.
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Camp Pendleton, California. (June 9, 2024): Former United States Marine Corps General and Secretary of Defense James “Bull Dog” Mattis referred to them as “Little Sparta” for their ability to punch above their weight. In this photo by Lance Corporal Alexis Ballin, U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Ender Wichlacz, left, a team leader with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, hikes alongside members of the United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard. These elite Arab troops, although coming from a tiny Gulf nation, are some of the toughest warfighters in the business.
The Emirati troops joined the Marines to train in reconnaissance, counterinsurgency, and small unit tactics. The goal is to practice coordinating forces as they would in combat. UAE forces took part in Operation Desert Storm in 1990 where they lost ten soldiers helping liberate Kuwait. They also sent troops to Afghanistan and have contributed to numerous peacekeeping missions including Kosovo, Lebanon, and Somalia. Recently, the UAE armed forces joined U.S. and Saudi forces seeking to track down Al Qaeda terrorists in neighboring Yemen.
The UAE armed forces have a Navy with two thousand Sailors operating seventy-two vessels and a four thousand strong Air Force. The UAE purchases a variety of aircraft from allied countries France (Mirage 2000), Great Britain (Hawk Aircraft), and the U.S. (F-16s). Their Army is comprised of eight brigades: two armored, three mechanized, two infantry, and three regiments of artillery. Many of their officers are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Tiny but tough, America can count on this close ally to be there when we need them.
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Lima, Peru. (June 19, 2024): America’s big heart was on display this week during Exercise Resolute Sentinel 2024, a joint exercise involving U.S. and local forces from host countries Peru, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. In this photo by Technical Sergeant Devin Boyer, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kim Broughton (left) conducts leg surgery alongside Peruvian surgeons as part of humanitarian and disaster preparedness exercises.
Hosted by the U.S. Southern Command, Resolute Sentinel 2024 is both a training event and a chance to forge critical relationships that will be vital in any future emergency. Some 1,500 American medical personnel trained with their local counterparts on everything from disaster response and medical readiness to cyber defense and small arms combat tactics. This year, special emphasis was placed on medical readiness with joint medical teams operating field hospitals to provide care to local communities.
The primary goal of the training is to enhance America’s ability to respond collectively to natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, which are prevalent in the region.
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Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (June 17, 2024): It is the difference between taking a course on something and dedicating your career to the subject. That is the case with Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and what civilians call a “foreword observer.” In this photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens, Technical Sergeant Gabriel Pillcurima, a joint terminal attack controller assigned to Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, practices his craft of guiding attack aircraft for the Air Force. The Air Force offers careers in close air support, far beyond mere certification as a controller.
Sergeant Pillcurima is part of a Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, comprised of a small team of military personnel who provide coordination between aircraft and ground forces when providing close air support. His squadron is part of Air Force Pacific and trains, equips and deploys these teams to support elements of the 11th Airborne Division (previously United States Army Alaska ) and its 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
A part of Air Force Special Warfare, these parties embed with Army and Marine units on the frontline to call in air strikes on the enemy. Additionally, TACPs advise ground commanders on the best use of air power, establish communications, and deliver precision terminal attack guidance for close air support aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire.
These teams operate with special forces including the Army’s Rangers, Navy SEALS, and members of the Special Operations Command. Air Force TACPs attend the Special Warfare Preparatory Course, Airborne School, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape (SERE) training before earning their certifications.