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Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. (September 18, 2024): In this photo by Senior Airman Alexis Orozco, Air Force Master Sergeant Michael Brick rings a bell in honor of firefighters who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. According to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), 343 members of the FDNY were killed and in the 23 years since more than 360 members have died of World Trade Center-related illnesses.
While most of the victims were from New York, others were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. It took many years, but the United States caught up to 911 mastermind Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, killing him at his compound in Pakistan.
MSgt Brick is an assistant fire chief of health and safety for the 944th Fighter Wing, a reserve unit that trains reservists during peacetime to be ready for world-wide deployments. As part of remembrance ceremonies, over one hundred Airmen conducted a solemn 5k run/march followed by events to honor the fallen.
The 944th is assigned to Tenth Air Force under the Air Force Reserve Command based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
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“Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.”
General George S. Patton
Speech to Third Army on June 5, 1944
Army-Best Warrior Competition-George Patton-National Guard-Sergeant Peter Fillion-Sergeant Kirtley Finnell-Support Our Troops
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. (September 12, 2024): These immortal words from General Patton sum up the American will to compete to see who is the best of the best. In this photo by Specialist Nathaniel Delgado, Soldiers hold a briefing on a night operation to rescue a simulated high value target during the Army’s Best Warrior Competition. Best Warrior is an annual competition run by the Army to identify and recognize soldiers who demonstrate excellence in a myriad of combat skills.
This year’s winners are Sergeant Peter Fillion, an infantryman with C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, and Staff Sergeant Kirtley Finnell with the 20th Special Forces Group, Alabama Army National Guard. As Soldier and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, they will receive prestigious honors and cash awards in recognition of their achievements, and they will represent the Army at special events throughout the year.
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Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (September 9, 2024): There are very few professions that require a spouse to regularly say goodbye to their family while heading to far flung places to defend our nation. The Air Force understands the pressure this places on military families and has developed a comprehensive program to teach children how to cope with a deployment. In this photo by Senior Airman Elizabeth Figueroa, children of service members move a simulated injured Airman during a Kids Understanding Deployment Operations (KUDOS) event that included other age-appropriated games.
The KUDOS event hosted forty families with eighty kids, ranging from ages 4 to 13, who proceeded through different deployment stations such as a mock fitness test, an obstacle course, and they learned about the roles of fire and emergency services, security forces, medics, and the explosive ordnance disposal team.
KUDOS gives the youngsters the opportunity to ask questions about mom and dad’s job and what happens during a deployment. The goal is to convey this very important information to families while having fun doing it. Younger children may need simple explanations while older siblings often require help assuming unfamiliar roles like managing household expenses and paying the bills. Families must also adjust to living without a significant other for long periods of time. Even after a member returns, families may still need help readjusting to normal routines.
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Baltic Sea. (September 15, 2024): With both Finland and Sweden joining the alliance, the entire Baltic Sea has become known as NATO’s Lake. In this photo by Corporal Elton Taylor, French Special Forces board a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral during Baltic Operations 24 (BALTOPS). The annual 21-day exercise involved more than fifty ships, eighty-five aircraft, and approximately 9,000 personnel. It is the first time that nearly all the 5,000 miles of the Baltic coastline are safeguarded by NATO forces.
At-sea, the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York conducted joint maneuvers with members of the French and Spanish navies. On land, armed forces from more than eight NATO nations conducted urban warfare training including tactical recovery of personnel, aerial insertions, and beach landings by Marines. NATO troops practiced deployment of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in simulated combat scenarios.
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Raeford, North Carolina. (September 10, 2024): All most civilians know about the Airborne is what they’ve seen in films like the Band of Brothers, Soldiers jumping out of perfectly good airplanes drifting lazily to the ground. As you can imagine, there’s a lot more to it than that. In this photo by Megan Hackett, Army Staff Sergeant Mark Pierce, a member of the famed Golden Knights parachute team, performs an advanced canopy maneuver during a jumping competition held here this week.
The goal of every paratrooper is to effectively control their canopy as they direct their “flight” to the ground. The first consideration in “piloting” a parachute is the type of canopy involved. Canopy designs have evolved over the years from round to square to elliptical shapes which has increased the need for parachute control. A paratrooper controls a canopy by pulling on steering lines connected to “toggles” that direct the parachute’s flight. The trooper can toggle left and right or pull both toggles to slow the parachute’s descent. As every type and size of parachute flies differently under varying weather conditions, an expert parachutist must understand the subtleties of canopy flight to ensure a safe landing.
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New London, Connecticut. (September 10, 2024): There is a long-standing myth that Coast Guard training is the easiest of the services, nothing could be further from the truth. In this photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matt Thieme, cadets carry a log uphill during sea trials, a daylong series of physical and mental challenges to mark the end of their summer training program. Obtaining a commission in the U.S. Coast Guard is no easy feat, both physically and mentally, and is one of the toughest programs in the military services.
The Academy was formed as the U.S. Revenue Cutter School of Instruction-Underway in 1876 and officially became the Coast Guard in 1915. the Coast Guard Academy's mission is to “graduate young men and women with sound bodies, stout hearts, and alert minds, with a liking for the sea and its lore, and with that high sense of honor, loyalty, and obedience.” The Academy also stresses initiative, leadership, and officers who are well-grounded in seamanship, the sciences, and have a strong resolve to serve their country.
Each year, about a thousand students attend the school to study one of nine majors including four types of engineering degrees that involve programs in naval architecture and marine science. In a typical Academy class, 88% played varsity sports in high school, 41% had a parent who served in the military, and 78% planned to pursue a technical major.