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Panama City, Florida. (June 13, 2025): America’s armed forces are going for the gold. In this photo by Airman 1st Class Zeeshan Naeem, Second Lieutenant Braeden Holcombe, a 325th Civil Engineer Squadron engineering project programmer, tackles the hurdles while preparing for Olympic qualifying. Holcombe is a member of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), a Department of the Air Force initiative that allows active-duty Airmen and Guardians to train and compete at the highest levels of international sports while continuing to serve.
The WCAP is a three-year program to compete in U.S. Armed Forces events, the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (Military World Games), and the Olympic Games. The program was established in 1995 to continue the legacy of Tuskegee Airman Malvin G. Whitfield. Whitfield, a Korean War tail gunner, became the first active-duty American serviceman to win Olympic gold in 1952 in Helsinki. “Marvelous Mal” Whitfield is said to have trained for the ’52 Games by running on and off an airfield between bombing missions.
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Belleau Wood, France. (May 29, 2025): Civilians often wonder why Marines proudly call themselves “Devil Dogs”. In this photo by Corporal Garrett Gillespie, U.S. Marine Corps General Christopher Mahoney, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, left, and a key French leader, right, drink from Devil Dog Fountain during the 107th anniversary of the battle of Belleau Wood.
This famous battle occurred in June 1918 during the German spring offensive in World War I near the Marne River in France. The Germans, having signed a peace treaty with Russia, launched attacks on the Western Front hoping to defeat the Allies before U.S. forces could arrive. The German leadership hoped the influx of fifty divisions could overwhelm the Allied forces in France before millions of Americans could cross the Atlantic and reinforce France and Britain. They nearly succeeded, reaching to within fifty-nine miles of Paris.
That is when they ran into American Marines.
When the battle began, the French ordered the Marines to fall back and dig trenches further to the rear. Countermanding the order, Marine Captain Lloyd W. Williams of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines uttered the now-famous retort "Retreat, hell! We just got here." Instead, he ordered his Marines to "hold where they stand" and to dig shallow fighting positions from which they could shoot from the prone position. The fighting was relentless, much of it at close quarters and involving bayonets, knives, and even fists. The Americans launched six attacks before the Germans were finally expelled from Belleau Wood on June 26.
United States forces suffered 9,777 casualties, included 1,811 killed, while German casualties were estimated to be over 10,000 with 1,600 taken prisoner. After the battle, the French renamed the forest “Bois de la Brigade de Marine” (Wood of the Marine Brigade) in honor of the Marines' tenacity.
An official German report classified the Marines as "vigorous, self-confident, and remarkable marksmen and used the term Teufelshunde (Hell Hounds) to describe their ferocity. To this day, every Marine is proud to be called a “Devil Dog” in honor of their brothers who made such a lasting impression on the enemy.
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Vilseck, Germany. (June 1, 2025): In this photo by Specialist Elijah Magana, Soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and their families begin the family color run on the final day of Dragoon Week at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. The run is part of a weeklong annual observance celebrating the heritage of the Army’s longest continuously serving cavalry regiment, also known as the Second Dragoons. Dragoon Week includes physical competitions, tactical challenges, and plenty of community engagement.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment was founded in 1836 and saw their first combat action during the Seminole Indian Wars in Florida. In 1846, the 2nd Cavalry was ambushed by Mexican troops in a battle that was known as the Thornton Affair. The assault against American troops gave then President Polk the justification for invading Mexico. In declaring war, Polk called the attack "American blood shed on American soil.”
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Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado. (May 25, 2025): While Arlington National Cemetery is the world’s most famous military burial ground, the majority of veterans are actually buried elsewhere. In this photo by Air Force Technical Sergeant Chance Johnson, Mikeala Plaszcz and her child visit the gravesite of her father at one of fourteen national cemeteries managed by the National Park Service.
The first national cemetery was established during the Civil War in 1861 to accommodate the horrific casualties of that bitter conflict. Troops on both sides were being killed at such a rate that on-site burials were simply not feasible. Initially, a system of twelve national cemeteries was established by an act of Congress in 1862. The act authorized the President to purchase land for the establishment of cemeteries for burial of those fighting on behalf of the United States.
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Haleiwa, Hawaii. (May 22, 2025): In this photo by Sergeant Jared Simmons, Soldiers race in ancient “outrigger” canoes as part of their physical training in this island paradise. Outriggers can be traced as far back as 30,000 years ago when the vessels were used to travel between Pacific islands.
Outrigger canoe racing was first recorded by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1779 when he witnessed the sport Hawaiians called hei hei wa’a. Competitors in these races were mainly tribal chiefs, and heavy bets were placed on the outcome. The winning team received rewards and prestige for their tribe. In 1909, the Outrigger Canoe Club (OCC) was founded to introduce the sport to American servicemembers visiting Hawaii. The OCC eagerly hosted military teams by providing canoes, equipment, qualified steersmen, and even an orientation on canoe paddling. Later during World War II, the OCC organized the first racing regatta that included special races for officers and enlisted personnel. In fact, Admiral “Bull” Halsey presented the winning trophy to the enlisted men’s team in 1943 in a ceremony that was attended by the “King” of Hawaiian surfers, Duke Kahanamoku. At the first regatta, three Navy ships stationed at the Honolulu Harbor were invited to participate along with the Belgian naval training ship L’Avenir.
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Colorado Springs, Colorado. (May 29, 2025): In our last edition, we reported on the tortuous end of training as an Air Force Academy cadet is “the longest day of their lives.” In this photo by Dylan Smith, these same cadets enjoy the best day of their lives by graduating and receiving their commissions as second lieutenants. The nine hundred plus members of the Class of 2025 took their oaths of office at a ceremony held at Falcon Stadium on campus.
This year’s class consisted of 909 cadets, of whom 69% are men, and 31% are women. In all, 791 cadets were commissioned into the Air Force and ninety-three were commissioned into the Space Force. Once again, the Academy attracted the absolute best and brightest from U.S. high schools. The average high school GPA for the Class was 3.88 and their average SAT score was 669 in reading and writing and 688 mathematics.