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Atlantic Ocean. (January 29, 2023): In this photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mikaela McGee, U.S. Coast Guardsmen and a member of the Nigerian Navy conduct law enforcement training aboard USCGC Spencer in the Atlantic Ocean. These training sessions are part of the annual Obangame Express 2023, a multi-national maritime exercise conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa to improve cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea and the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
The U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, plays host to multiple navies conducting the full spectrum of joint naval operations to advance U.S. national interests and security in Europe and Africa.
Obangame Express 2023, staged in Lagos, Nigeria, includes both in-port and at-sea exercises with the Nigerian Navy and 32 other nations to improve coordination among forces. The participating nations exchanged knowledge on search and rescue operations, boarding suspect vessels, and emergency medical techniques. The goal for Obangame Express 2023 is to ensure interoperability between forces which is vital to success in combat or an emergency.
The exercise centers on the Gulf of Guinea, a vast and diverse region stretching from Senegal to Angola with approximately 3,700 miles of coastline. It is an important shipping zone transporting oil and gas, as well as goods to and from central and southern Africa.
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Marine Corps Base Honolulu, Hawaii. (January 24, 2003): In the above photo by Corporal Patrick King, Marine Sergeant Amed Issa poses for a press photo after his heroic actions while off duty in Honolulu exploded into the local media. According to local press reports, Sgt. Issa was off duty after a night spent in famous Waikiki when he came to the aid of a stranger who had been shot. He performed lifesaving techniques he learned in the Marine Corps to come to the victim’s aide. According to the Honolulu Police Department, no suspect has been arrested in the case. Sgt. Issa is a classic example of why Americans admire the Marines… Always Faithful.
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Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (January 12, 2023): In this photo by Staff Sgt. Derek Seifert, Technical Sergeant Tech. Sgt Jeremy Briggs and Senior Airman Kenan Pierre, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron pavements and construction equipment journeymen, lay concrete at the 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron compound on Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron facility management team was created to address an increasing amount of “enhancement” work to dormitory facilities at Al Udeid Air Base, a major U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf. Today, the sprawling hub is Qatar’s strategic gem, showcasing the Gulf Arab emirate’s tight security partnership with the United States.
Built on a flat stretch of desert about 20 miles southwest of the Qatari capital Doha, Al-Udeid Air Base once was considered so sensitive that American military officers identified it as only being somewhere "in southwest Asia.". At the height of U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, more than 10,000 troops called the base and other sites in Qatar home. Today, the U.S.-Qatari relations are stronger than ever in this very strategic part of the world.
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Above is an official Navy filed photo of Navy SEALs operating in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From left to right, sonar technician (surface) Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, of Cupertino, Calif.; Senior Chief information systems technician Daniel R. Healy, of Exeter, N.H.; quartermaster Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; hospital corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell; machinist’s mate Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, of Boulder City, Nev.; and Lt. Michael P. Murphy, of Patchogue, N.Y. With the exception of Luttrell, all were killed June 28, 2005, by enemy forces while supporting Operation Red Wing.
We take security to the extreme, and the only reason this photo is published showing their faces is because the military the Department of Navy has released the photo confirming it is now acceptable to do so without placing lives at risk. Loose lips sink ships and as always their faces would otherwise be obscured..
The amazing thing about heroes is, they are so ordinary. They come from all walks of life, rich and poor, big cities, and country farms, basically the fabric of American society. A very few choose to serve their country in the armed forces and fewer still reach the level of excellence of a Navy SEAL.
They volunteered to tackle the most dangerous missions, knowingly risking their lives as the tip of the spear for America’s armed forces. Some make the ultimate sacrifice while trying to save their comrades. Lt. Michael P. Murphy, from Patchogue, N.Y. was one such hero.
Murphy was born May 7, 1976, in Smithtown, New York and his family moved to Patchogue on Long Island when he was very young, Murphy was good at sports, and he began sticking up for others at an early age — his family said he got into a fight at school while defending a student with disabilities.
After graduating from High School in 1994, Murphy went to Penn State University where he graduated with honors with two degrees, one in political science and one in psychology. Murphy was accepted into a few law schools, but he decided on a different path — he wanted to become a Navy SEAL. After completing this legendary training, Murphy earned his trident in July 2002, eventually deploying to Afghanistan.
On June 27, 2005, Murphy took part in Operation Red Wings, a reconnaissance mission to locate Ahmad Shah, a high-level anti-coalition militia leader in the Hindu Kush mountain range east of Asadabad. Murphy, along with three fellow SEALs: Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Axelson and Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, inserted into a rugged, enemy controlled area high in the mountains when they came across three goat herders who they questioned and let go. It is believed the herders sympathized with the enemy and promptly reported the presence of the Americans to the Taliban.
Read more: MEDAL OF HONOR MENTION… THE REAL HEROES BEHIND "LONE SURVIVOR"
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (December 10, 2022): They leap from airplanes thousands of feet in the air and then perform a perfect landing in the middle of a football game as the crowd roars in appreciation. They are called “Leap Frogs”, and they are something special.
In the above photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Breum, Chief Aircrew Survival Equipment man Mike Halford and Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Cory Hager, members of the Navy parachute team the “Leap Frogs,” perform a demonstration at the 123rd Army-Navy Game held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Leap Frogs are the official parachute demonstration team of the United States Navy and are part of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. The Leap Frogs Navy Parachute Team are made up of active-duty Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Divers, and support personnel.
The Team began in 1969 when Navy SEALs and Underwater Demolition Team members volunteered to perform at weekend air shows. The team was officially commissioned “The Leap Frogs” in 1974 by the Chief of Naval Operations with the mission to demonstrate Navy excellence throughout the United States. Each team member has conducted real-world operations before volunteering to join this elite unit. Following a three-year commitment with the Navy Parachute Team, they will return to their operational units.
Today, the Leap Frogs continue to tour nationwide dazzling audiences with aerial demonstrations.
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Atsugi, Japan (December 15, 2022): In this photo by MC2 Ange Oliver Clement, Chief Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) Reginald Harvey from the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron is greeted by his family at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. Crewman Harvey and the “Golden Falcons” completed a U.S. 7th Fleet deployment where they provided airpower in support of the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group while it operated with allies and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Golden Falcons are a helicopter anti-submarine squadron established in 1952 and they are the oldest active anti-sub squadron in the Navy. The unit has a complement of 190 enlisted and twenty-two officers who operate eight MH-60S Seahawk helicopters.
Read more: DADDY’S HOME! JOYOUS REUNIONS AS SQUADRON RETURNS