US Military Pictures & Videos

US soldiers walk at the site of a gunfight in Kabul on August 20, 2009. Two militants were killed in blistering gunbattles with security forces in the Afghan capital shortly after landmark elections got under way across the nation, police said. The gunmen were holed up in a building and opened fire on police, prompting the standoff with security forces who took up position surrounding the attackers, a police officer told AFP. AFP PHOTO/MASSOUD HOSSAINI (Photo credit should read MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Alert F-16 Fighting Falcons are readied to roll during an alert mission exercise Aug. 11 at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The exercise provided training for the alert maintenance crew and pilots for real-world situations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. John Gordinier)

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Senior Airman Libby See cares for a patient during an aeromedical evacuation mission to transport patients July 21 to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Airman Libby is a 451st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight aeromedical technician. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller)

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US military police officers look on as an Iraqi officer show off his 'stop and search' skills during a workshop at the Hussainiya training camp in the southern city of Karbala, 110 kms south of Baghdad, August 20, 2009. The US military is training the Iraqi police and army in certain fields. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED SAWAF (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP/Getty Images)

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U.S. soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment sit in Chinook CH-47F transport helicopter on their way to a new location in Bargematal, Nuristan, early August 22, 2009.

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U.S. soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment wait to board a Chinook CH-47F transport helicopter at military base "Joyce" on their way to a new location in Bargematal, Nuristan,late August 21, 2009.

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U.S. soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment fire their weapons during a gun battle against attacking

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forces from their position over the village of Bargematal, Nuristan, August 22, 2009.

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U.S. soldiers from the 1-32 Infantry unit fire 81 mm mortars at attacking

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forces from their position over the village of Bargematal, Nuristan, August 22, 2009.

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U.S. soldiers from 1-32 Infantry unit fire 60 mm mortars at the attacking

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forces from their position over the village of Bargematal, Nuristan, August 22, 2009.

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Two U.S. soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment look at a map before boarding a Chinook CH-47F transport helicopter at military base "Joyce" on their way to a new location in Bargematal, Nuristan,late August 21, 2009.

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U.S. soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment take cover during a gun battle against attacking

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forces at their position over the village of Bargematal, Nuristan, August 22, 2009.

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Soldiers from the 19th Engineer Battalion "ground" their gear and form up as their platoon sergeant gives them instructions for processing through Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. The Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan from Fort Knox, Ky.Photo by U.S. Army/released

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KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, patrol the Korengal valley, in Afghanistan's Kunar province, Aug. 18. The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldiers have been battling insurgents in the valley since arriving in June. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

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KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Guadalupe Gardenias calls in coordinates as fellow Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Soldiers watch for suspicious activity, during a routine patrol in Kunar province, Afghanistan's Korengal valley, Aug. 18. Since arriving in June, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldiers, based at Fort Carson, Colo., have endured some of the toughest fighting in Afghanistan. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

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KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Jesus Sanchez, a combat medic, and fellow members of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, patrol an isolated mountain pass of Kunar province, Afghanistan's Korengal valley, Aug. 18. The Fort Carson, Colo., based 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldiers have endured some of the toughest fighting in Afghanistan, since arriving in June. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

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An Iraqi boy rolls a tire behind Staff Sgt. Kevin Foxworth, an infantry section leader from Boston assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, during a joint patrol with Iraqi army soldiers in a market in southeastern Baghdad, Aug. 18.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell

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Staff Sgt. Omar Jackson, an infantry section leader from Newark, N.J., assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, patrols a small market in al-Ma'mel in southeastern Baghdad, Aug. 18. Jackson, on his third deployment to Iraq, said during these patrols the paratroopers stop and talk to local vendors.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell

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From China's new Ministry of Defence website :china:





After wrapping up the goodwill visit to Indonesia, the “Guangzhou” warship of the Chinese PLA Navy left Manado, Indonesia at 19:00 on August 19 and started to return home. On its way back, it staged vessel formation movement exercise and communication drill with the Burke class destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS McCampbell in a sea area to the north of Manado. The two sides also conducted light signal drill at the same time.

At 15:00 on August 20, the “Guangzhou” warship staged a formation movement exercise with the missile frigate Kedah of the Malaysian Navy in the Sulawesi Sea.

flyzies, Thanks for posting!

I too really like that new MOD website. However that photo was posted on navy.mil on 21 August 2009 whereas it is an original USN photo. The photo was taken on 19 August according to navy.mil. Nothing wrong with the Chinese MOD using that photos whereas they are released to the public for use.

Here's the USN version with a hi-res link for that very same photo.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 19, 2009) The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) maneuvers with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) destroyer Guangzhou off the coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia, following an international fleet review that commemorated the 64th anniversary of Indonesian independence. Fitzgerald is part of Destroyer Squadron 15 and the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group underway supporting security and stability in the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ian Schoeneberg/Released)

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U.S. Army soldiers from 1-32 Infantry fight a sporadic shoot-out with Taliban fighters in the village of Bargematal, Nuristan province, August 25, 2009.

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The Amphibious Raids Platoon chief instructor, Special Operations Training Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, signals the coxswains to pull their combat rubber reconnaissance craft against the safety boat, Aug. 12, at the White Beach Naval Facility.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Abigail Wharton : III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs)

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Members of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Special Operations Training Group coxswain course navigate through an inlet during small boat handling practice, Aug. 12, at the White Beach Naval Facility. They are arranged in a staggered column which is compact and provides fire power to the sides of the formation.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Abigail Wharton : III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs)

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Marines with 3d Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command conduct a direct action hit during training, July 17, at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, here. The training was part of a three-week exercise where the operators sharpened their skills in an environment containing elevations up to 7,500 feet above sea level.
(Photo by Sgt. Steven King : Marines Special Operations Command PAO)

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Lance Cpl. Matthew E. Parks, a rifleman with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, provides security during phase one of Mojave Viper training aboard Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 16. The Marines participated in their final exercise before moving on to Clear Build Hold 2, the second phase of Mojave Viper.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Dwight Henderson : II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs)

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Marines from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, set up a MK-19 heavy machine gun during phase one of Mojave Viper training aboard Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 16. The Marines participated in their final exercise before moving on to Clear Build Hold 2, the second phase of Mojave Viper.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Dwight Henderson : II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs)

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Marines from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, provide suppressive fire from the flanks of a trench during phase one of Mojave Viper training aboard Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 16. The Marines participated in their final exercise before moving on to Clear Build Hold 2, the second phase of Mojave Viper.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Dwight Henderson : II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs)

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Sgt. Justin L. Tygart, amphibious raid instructor, Special Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, discusses progress of 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, after completing one of several situational training exercises at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 18, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Lance Cpl. Christian G. Columbus, team leader, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, takes aim as Sgt. Matthew G. Newman, squad leader, 2nd platoon, C Co., BLT 1/9, 24th MEU, guides him into another room-clearing exercise at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 17, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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A Marine from 3rd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, sprints across a danger area while riflemen maintains security at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 17, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Lance Cpl. David D. Burt Jr., rifleman, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, leads his team down a hallway as they conduct room-clearing exercises at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 17, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Pfc. Tony J. Desselle, rifleman, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, leads his Marines to a collection area as a MV-22 Osprey, from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron -162, 24th MEU, takes flight after transporting Marines to a raid training facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Pfc. Will H. Liptak, rifleman, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, remains on the alert as his platoon is in a security halt during a Heliborne Company Raid Course exercise at a raid training facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Pfc. Tony J. Desselle, rifleman, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, escorts his squad to a training compound at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Lance Cpl. Darin B. Blackburn, rifleman, 2nd platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, directs his squad automatic weapon to possible threats before his squad egresses from a raid training facility at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19, during the Heliborne Company Raid Course. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Marines from Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, quickly embark a MV-22 Osprey, from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron -162, 24th MEU, after successfully completing a company-sized raid during the Heliborne Company Raid Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Scout snipers with from Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, rally towards a MV-22 Osprey, from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron -162, 24th MEU, after completing a situational training exercise during the Heliborne Company Raid Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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Marines from 1st platoon, Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, establish security around a landing zone for a MV-22 Osprey, from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron -162, 24th MEU, to medically evacuate casualties from the Heliborne Company Raid Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

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A MV-22 Osprey, from Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron -162, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, soars into the sky, escorting Marines from Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 24th MEU, successfully completed a company-sized raid during the Heliborne Company Raid Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Aug. 19. Charlie Company trained with Special Operations Training Group to become the 24th MEU’s helo raid force for its upcoming deployment.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex C. Guerra)

How about some USAF pix!?!?!

Crew chiefs with the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prep this B-2 Spirit for takeoff Aug. 22 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. The 509th Bomb Wing has 20 Spirits in its inventory. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kenny Holston)

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Senior Airman Douglas Anthony stands prepared to marshal a B-2 Spirit out of a hanger for takeoff Aug. 22 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Twenty B-2s are assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing. Airman Anthony is a crew chief with the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kenny Holston)

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Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Michael Linehan steadies Staff Sgt. Vanessa Goris as she waits to be hoisted into a Coast Guard HC-60J Jayhawk rescue helicopter as part of water survival training Aug. 25 at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The Coast Guard, along with the nearby Hampton (Va.) Police Department, helped with the training. Sergeant Goris is assigned to the 1st Aerospace Medicine Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Zachary Wolf)

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Airman John Baker, (left to right) Airmen 1st Class David Benner and Derrick Scott practice building a Guided Bomb Unit-38 Aug. 20 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The GBU-38 is a 500-pound bomb which is commonly used with the B-1B Lancer. The Airmen are conventional maintenance crew members with the 28th Munitions Squadron. (U.S Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

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F-15 Eagles from the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Mass., lined up on the Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Aug. 25 while participating in a Red Flag exercise. Red Flag offers pilots and ground crews training in actual wartime scenarios to increase their combat skills. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Robert J. Sabonis)

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President

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salutes as he steps off Air Force One at Logan International Airport in Boston Friday, Aug. 28, 2009.

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A Boston police officer salutes as the casket of US Senator Edward Kennedy is carried by an honor guard past honorary paulberers composed of former staff members on August 29, 2009 for a funeral mass into Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. President Barack Obama, three former presidents and a nation's elite gathered in the rain to attend a grand Catholic funeral for Ted Kennedy, America's legendary political patriarch. AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

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A U.S. soldier stands guard near the site of a car bomb attack in Shirqat, 300 km (190 miles) north of Baghdad August 29, 2009. A suicide car bomb exploded near a police station, killing at least nine people and wounding 17 others in Shirqat, police said.

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SAN DIEGO (Aug. 21, 2009) San Diego Charger Tim Dobbins signs autographs for service members and their families at Naval Base San Diego during a 45-minute no-pads practice. (U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kari R. Rodriguez/Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Aug. 21, 2009) Capt. Ricky L. Williamson, commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego, speaks with San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo during a 45-minute, no-pads practice at Naval Base San Diego. (U.S Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kari R. Rodriguez/Released)

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Mr. Rufus Fredrick and Senior Airman Tommy Carter conduct a weekly checkup on a military working dog at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, recently. To reassure all military working dogs are in proper health, each dog is given a weekly checkup. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christopher Griffin)

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Staff Sgt. Christa Quam holds her puppy which will enter the military working dog program in a year at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. MWDs are enrolled in a 60- to 90-day training program where they are taught to detect explosives and drugs. They are also taught deterrence training and how to protect their handler. Sergeant Quam is assigned to the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christopher Griffin)

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Maj. Patrick Hudson taxis a U-2 aircraft to a parking spot Aug. 24 at an air base in Southwest Asia. Major Hudson is assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, and completed his 1,000th hour of flight in the U-2 aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Charles Larkin Sr.)

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Members from the 17th Combat Service Support Battalion out of Fort Richardson, Alaska, wait on board a C-17 Globemaster III before take off Aug. 24 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, for Arctic Response. Arctic Response is a joint operation and total force integration exercise where Air Force active-duty and National Guard members aid the Army in deploying to the exercise site. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia)

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A Marine splashes as he makes his way through an obstacle course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center on Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 21. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Combat Camera and the Provost Marshal Office are training at the center to become effective fighters in a jungle environment.
Photo Date Taken: 8/21/2009
Unit:
Photo ByLine: Sgt. Leon M. Branchaud

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CAMP SHELBY, Miss. (Aug. 19, 2009) Construction Electrician Constructionman Apprentice Brandon Bates, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 22, takes a fighting position during quick reaction force training at Camp Shelby, Miss. NMCB-22 is preparing for deployment to Afghanistan next month. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Kuzlik/Released)

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CAMP SHELBY, Miss. (Aug. 19, 2009) A Seabee assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 22 conducts an immediate action drill during a field training exercise.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael B. Lavender/Released)

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GULF OF ADEN (Aug. 25, 2009) Chief Fire Controlman Rob Skinner, leading chief petty officer of the visit, board, search, and seizure team aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) briefs his team before a training exercise. Anzio is the flagship for Combined Task Force 151, a multinational task force established to conduct counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian K. Fromal/Released)

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GULF OF OMAN (Aug. 22, 2009) Storekeeper 3rd Class Catrina Mahill learns about the Intelligence Specialist rating from Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Sonia Trotter at a career fair aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). The fair was held in order to provide undesignated Sailors, and Sailors looking to change job ratings, with information about available ratings. Ronald Reagan is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lex T. Wenberg/Released)

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SANTA MARTA, Colombia (Aug. 25, 2009) Ensign Kassandra Richardt, assigned to the guided missile frigate USS Doyle (FFG 39), plays with Colombian children during a community service project at a school. Doyle is on a four-month deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean as part of Southern Seas 2009 supporting the U.S. Southern Command Partnership of the Americas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Grieco/Released)

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Now some left over USN pix from this past week..

PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 28, 2009) Sailors assigned to the colors detail fold the national ensign on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are on a deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Robert Winn/Released)

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PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 28, 2009) Sailors man the rails aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as it departs from Yokosuka, Japan. Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are on a deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Robert Winn/Released)

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NORFOLK (Aug. 28, 2009) Fire Controlman 1st Class Scott Roane, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58), greets his girlfriend at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Laboon is returning from a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of responsibility supporting Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Julie R. Matyascik/Released)

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NORFOLK (Aug. 28, 2009) Damage Controlman 2nd Class Jeff McClure, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58), greets his 5-month-old son for the first time at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Julie R. Matyascik/Released)

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PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 24, 2009) Cmdr. Larry Gonzales, executive officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90), poses with his family by the brow of the ship upon return to Naval Station Pearl Harbor after a seven-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. Chafee participated in exercises Foal Eagle 2009, Malabar 2009 and Cooperation and Readiness Afloat Training (CARAT) 2009 while deployed. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Logico/Released)

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YOKOSUKA, Japan (Aug. 24, 2009) Tugboats guide the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as she moors at Fleet Activities Yokosuka for a scheduled port visit. Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are on a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Wilbert D. Dow/Released)

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (Aug. 25, 2009) Rear Adm. Nora Tyson, commander of Task Force 73, presents Indonesian sailors with command coins. The sailors completed visit, board, search, and seizure training aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) as part of Cooperation and Readiness Afloat Training (CARAT) Indonesia 2009. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance the operational readiness of the participating forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lily Daniels/Released)

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BUSAN, Republic of Korea (Aug. 25, 2009) Machinist's Mate Fireman Tara Steiner and Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Christopher Leddy, flying squad rapid responders aboard the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), take atmosphere readings during a toxic gas drill. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Viramontes/Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Nov. 8, 2008) Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Kristin Loitved assigned to Boat Division 56 relays surface contact coordinates to the navigator and coxswain during a low visibility test. Evaluators observed as the crew of her patrol boat demonstrated their ability to safely operate under extremely low visibility conditions, simulated by placing blankets over the windows. The test was part of the Final Exercise Problem (FEP) phase of training for the boat division, which is a detachment of Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 1. )(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. Jason Brunson/Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Nov. 8, 2008) One the many challenges for the crew members of Boat Division 56, a detachment of Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 1, during the Final Exercise Problem (FEP) phase of training, was demonstrating their ability to safely navigate under extremely low visibility conditions. The crews simulate these conditions by placing blankets over the windows and using instrumentation to guide them. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. Jason Brunson/Released)

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SAN DIEGO (Nov. 8, 2008) Senior Chief Store Keeper (EXW) Ray Jeno, command senior enlisted advisor, Boat Division 56, a detachment of Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 1, offers words of encouragement to his Sailors. Jeno said the boat crews worked eight-hour rotating shifts, around the clock, during the six-week training period prior to the deployment, which led up to two weeks of qualifications and testing. "Small boat Sailors are a different breed of Sailor," Jeno said. "They aren't happy if life isn't a little bit difficult." (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. Jason Brunson/Released)

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