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“They that go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters;”
Psalm 107, King David.
Atlantic Ocean. (April 16, 2023): American sailors take a step back in history to the days of tall ships driven by the winds and at the mercy of the surf when they board the Eagle, a U.S. Coast Guard sailing ship used to train new officers. In this photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Hillard, Officer Candidate Elle Parks, National Ocean and Aeronautics Administration Corps and Coast Guard Seaman Jake Miller , center, a crew member assigned to the Eagle helm the bridge while underway in the Atlantic Ocean. Eagle conducted a four-month summer deployment to teach practical seamanship skills to the future leaders of the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Corps, foreign military personnel, and partner members from Tall Ships America.
America has been training its naval officers this way since 1877 when the first cadets enrolled in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner to today’s Coast Guard. This 295-foot multi-mast cutter is one of only two active commissioned sailing vessels in the United States military today, along with USS Constitution which is ported in Boston Harbor. The Eagle’s mission is to prepare future officers for command through intense courses including navigation, seamanship, ship and boat maneuvering, line handling, sailing, first aid, weather patterns, damage control, and engineering.
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South China Sea. (April 17, 2023): In this photo by MC3 Hannah Kantner, Sailors perform maintenance on an E-2C Hawkeye from the “Sun Kings” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 116 on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. This legendary squadron has served as the “eyes in the skies” for fleet commanders since the Viet Nam War. Established in 1967, the “Sun Kings” provide command and control of the skies to aircraft carrier strike groups and are stationed at Point Mugu, California.
Manufactured by Northrop-Grumman, the E-2 Hawkeye is a two engine propellor driven aircraft that is distinctive for its 24-foot diameter rotating dome mounted above the fuselage. As with all carrier-borne airplanes, the E-2 is equipped with a tail hook for recovery (landing) and the nose gear can attach to the aircraft carrier's catapults for launch (takeoff). This E-2 is also unique because it is the only carrier-borne aircraft to employ primary antennas for its long range radar and IFF systems. The Hawkeye, like virtually all seaborne aircraft, has folding wings to preserve space.
The aircraft is operated by a crew of five, with the pilot and co-pilot on the flight deck and the combat information center officer, air control officer and radar operator stations located in the rear fuselage directly beneath the rotodome. The E-2 Hawkeye is a crucial component of all U.S. Navy carrier air wings. They run a continuous 24-hour-a-day operation of at least one E-2 in the air and for one or two undergoing maintenance in the aircraft carrier's hangar deck at all times.
The Hawkeye performs a number of vital missions for the fleet including sea and land surveillance, control of the aircraft carrier's fighter planes for air defense, managing strike aircraft on offensive missions, and the directing search and rescue missions for naval aviators or sailors lost at sea. It can also serve in an air traffic control capacity in emergency situations.
Using its advanced electronic sensors combined with digital computer signal processing, the Hawkeye gives commanders real time warning of approaching enemy aircraft and anti-ship missile attacks while controlling the carrier's combat air patrol fighters as they protect the fleet.
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Ft. Benning, Georgia. (April 10, 2023): In this photo by Captain Alex Werden, Sergeant Austin High from 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division uses a map and protractor to determine the distance between two plotted points during Best Mortar Competition at the “Home of Infantry”. Despite recent technologies like GPS, mortar crews continue to use the tried-and-true methods of a generation ago. The soldiers are tested on their ability to calculate the distance between their position and the target and then determine the elevation necessary to shoot their mortar rounds accurately.
Officially called Indirect Fire Infantrymen, they are a member of a mortar squad, section or platoon and are often the difference between life or death on the battlefield. Today’s mortar teams can trace their lineage to 1413 Korea where the first mortar was used in marine combat, the wan'gu (gourd-shaped mortar).Today’s indirect fire weapons are based upon the Stokes mortar, a portable version designed in 1915 by British weapons designer F.W.C. Stokes that became a prime allied weapon during World War I.
The Stokes mortar weighed just over a hundred pounds and could fire up to twenty-two rounds per minute with a range of up to 3,600 feet. Most modern mortar systems consist of four main components: a barrel, a base plate, a bipod, and a sight. The modern mortar is a muzzle-loaded weapon and is relatively simple to operate. It consists of a barrel into which the gunners drop a mortar round and, when the round reaches the base, it hits a fixed firing pin that fires the round.
Ammunition for mortars generally comes in two main varieties: fin-stabilized and spin-stabilized and both types can be either illumination (infrared or visible illumination), smoke, high explosive, or training rounds. Mortar bombs are often referred to, incorrectly, as "mortars". Today’s indirect fire squads employ three types of mortars with varying ranges and power (60mm, 81mm, and 120mm rounds).
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Philippines. (April 15, 2023): In this photo by Lance Corporal John Hall, Australian soldiers with Joint Australian Training Team-Philippines begin a jungle patrol during combined arms field training exercises at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Philippines. This contingent of Aussies are taking part in Balikatan 23, an annual bilateral exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military. The Australians are joining these maneuvers to improve coordination with allied units and as a statement of their support for the American led effort to confront Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
Chinese naval militia continue to harass and ram Filipino anglers working in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and Beijing warships and coast guard vessels are ignoring a 2016 international tribunal’s ruling dismissing its claims to much of the South China Sea. The Chinese are treating the region as its sovereign territory.
The Philippine government has responded by opening new military bases to the Americans and have greatly increased the size and tempo of military exercises.
Balikatan 23 involved three weeks of training focused on amphibious operations, command and control, humanitarian assistance, urban operations, and counterterrorism skills. The Australians will give lessons on combat shooting, urban clearance, tactical care of a combat casualty, and explosive breaching drills to Filipino infantry soldiers. The visitors spent months preparing to overcome the language and cultural barriers when working with foreign militaries. They even went as far as to employ Filipino speaking members to role-play various scenarios to enhance the realism of the training.
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Norfolk, Virginia. (April 18, 2023): In this photo by Corporal Jack Chen, Marines with Fleet Maintenance Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, and Marine Forces Northern Command compete in a tug-of-war during a regional field meet held at Captain Slade Cutter Park, Virginia. The Marines went head-to-head in flag football, rowing, and kickball before battling it out with pugil sticks in simulated ground combat. Events like these challenge Marines to maintain their tough physical conditioning while instilling a sense of camaraderie among America’s finest. Marine Forces Command is responsible for planning, equipping, and deployment of Marine ground forces in the event of war.
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Camp Pendleton, California. (April 18, 2023): In this photo by Corporal Angela Wilcox, Marine Corporal Christopher Mitchell, a military police officer with the Provost Marshall’s Office, Security and Emergency Services Battalion, participates in an active shooter scenario during Semper Durus 23. The exercise is designed to improve regional command and control, interagency coordination, and an installation’s ability to respond to and recover from crises.
The role of the military police officer is like civilian law enforcement with some importance differences. Just like your local police department, military law enforcement officers prevent crime, control traffic, and respond to emergencies. But unlike local police officers, military police are responsible for force protection, counterterrorism, and corrections. Each branch has its own law enforcement division that is responsible for maintaining security and discipline while enforcing laws on military bases.
To become a military police officer, candidates must pass Basic Training and then complete the Military Police Basic Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This 20-week program consists of One Station Unit Training and on-the-job instruction in police methods. Part of this time is spent in the classroom, and part takes place in the field. Students learn patrolling tactics, drug investigations, handling domestic disturbances, and how to secure highly sensitive military installations.