US Military Pictures & Videos

Lance Cpl. Michael Ellmer, fire team leader, 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, native of Gig Harbor, Wash., sights in on an enemy position during a company-sized life fire and maneuver exercise at Range 400 here, March 6. Photo by Cpl. Colby Brown

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Staff Sgt. Claude Watson, platoon sergeant, 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, native of Jamaica Queens, N.Y., takes a break after sprinting more than 200-meters wearing a combat load during a company-sized life fire and maneuver exercise at Range 400 here, March 6. Photo by Cpl. Colby Brown

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A Bangalore explodes at Range 400 here, as Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conducts a company-sized life-fire and maneuver exercise March 6. The Lava Dogs practiced company operations while attacking a known enemy position. During the exercise, a combined anti-armor team reinforced each company. The Lava Dogs are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in May in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo by Cpl. Colby Brown

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Preparing to inspect a small shop in the Malmand Bazaar, Sgt. Ryan Sotelo, a native of San Mateo, Calif., supervises the clearing of any suspicious or illegal materials from the shops in the area March 12. Sotelo is a squad leader with 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8. Sotelo’s platoon is operating in support of Operation Golden Shillelagh. Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith

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Lance Cpl. John Torres, a Cheney, Wash., native, does a little “kidding” around while talking to villagers in March 13 during a security patrol in support of Operation Golden Shillelagh. Torres is the platoon radio operator for 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8. Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith

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Walking down the center of the Malmand bazaar, Lt. Col. Jason Morris (right), the commanding officer for 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, discusses the Marines’ progress during Operation Golden Shillelagh March 12 with 1st Lt. Charles Broun, the platoon commander for 2nd Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Morris was impressed with how the Marines were handling the situation during the operation. Photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith

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Lance Cpl. Michael Ellmer, fire team leader, 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, native of Gig Harbor, Wash., sights in on an enemy position during a company-sized life fire and maneuver exercise at Range 400 here, March 6. Photo by Cpl. Colby Brown

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NEVADA TEST AND TRAINING RANGE, Nev.-- Tech. Sgt Sean Gray, 822nd Base Defense Squadron squad leader, reports back to his convoy team March 14, 2011. Sergeant Gray, along with British Airmen, secured the land before allowing the convoy to proceed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Mancha)(RELEASED)

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NEVADA TEST AND TRAINING RANGE, Nev.-- Airman 1st Class Meghan Hilton, 822nd Base Defense Squadron member, watches out for danger during a DESERT EAGLE patrol as she mans the .50-caliber machine gun. She has been shooting since she was 7. At About the same time, she decided she wanted to join the military. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Mancha) (RELEASED)

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Airmen of the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare a B-1B Lancer to support Operation Odyssey Dawn on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 27, 2011. Their work was made especially difficult by severe weather, including four inches of snow; glare ice, and freezing fog. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)

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Servicemembers from the 4th Battalion, 10th Group, Fort Carson, Colo., prepare to depart Apalachicola, Fla., for Eglin AFB during Emerald Warrior on March 1, 2011. Emerald Warrior 2011 is a U.S. Special Operations Command-sponsored, multiservice exercise designed to leverage lessons learned from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom to provide trained and ready forces to combatant commanders.

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AV-8B Harrier jump jet returns to USS Kearsarge for fuel and ammunition resupply while conducting air strikes in support of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, March 20, 2011. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya

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U.S. Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) drop from a CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Squadron (HMM) 163 to the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) while conducting a fast-rope exercise in the Indian Ocean March 24, 2011. Boxer is the flagship of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which is under way with the 13th MEU on a regularly scheduled western Pacific Ocean deployment.

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon moves into place in order to be refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron over the skies of Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn.

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A U.S. Navy Seabee with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 26, departs a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during Operation Paksazi Mojadad in the Shorabak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, March 7. Operation Paksazi Mojadad is a joint operation to build an Afghan Border Police checkpoint in the Shorabak district. NMCB 26 is part of Task Force Overlord. The 25th Naval Construction Regiment is the command and control element for Task Force Overlord, which is responsible for all construction engineering and engineering support in Southern and Western Afghanistan.

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U.S Marines and USN Hospital Corpsman with 2nd Platoon, Company I, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, Regimental Combat Team 8, conduct a security patrol through a poppy field from their patrol base in Helmand province's Green Zone, west of the Nahr-e Saraj canal, March 25. Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Bryce Piper

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MEDITERRANEAN SEA (April 1, 2011) Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), conduct a chemical, biological, and radiological environment weapons training exercise aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the command ship of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Scott Pittman/Released)

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MEDITERRANEAN SEA (April 1, 2011) Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), conduct a chemical, biological, and radiological environment weapons training exercise aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the command ship of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Scott Pittman/Released)

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A weapons loading team from the 25th Fighter Squadron, loads "bombs" on an A-10 at Osan Air Base, South Korea, April 4. The base is practicing increased security measures during the 2011 Korea Pacific Air Forces Command Operational Readiness Inspection. An ORI is conducted to evaluate and measure the ability of units with a wartime, contingency orforce sustainment mission to perform operations plan and assigned tasks. Inspectable areas include initial response, employment, mission support and ability-to-survive and operate in a chemical environment.

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Senior Airman Charlene Plante, 22nd Training Squadron, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape specialist, teaches her students triangulation March 13, 2011 in Colville National Forest, Wash., The purpose of this block of training is to teach students how to pinpoint their location using a map, compass and sticks. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. JT May III)

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U.S. Army Pfc. Ryan Warner, Company D, 1st Platoon, 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment of the Massachusetts National Guard security forces member from Hudson, Mass., secures an area during a visit to Bala Hissar Citadel in Ghazni City, Afghanistan, by the Hayward-Ghazni Sister City Committee March 29. The goal of the visit was to increase cultural understanding and aid Afghans in future projects such as the Ghazni 2013 Center for Islamic Culture celebration.

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U.S. Army medic SFC Alfonso Albright from "Dustoff" team, C Company, 1-214 Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade leads Marines as they carry an Afghan boy who shot himself in the leg by accident onto a Medevac helicopter in Helmand province April 7, 2011.

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U.S. Marines carry an Afghan boy, who shot himself in a leg by accident, onto "Dustoff", C Company, 1-214 Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade medevac helicopter in Helmand province April 7, 2011.

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U.S. Army medic Sergeant First Class Alfonso Albright from "Dustoff" team, C Company, 1-214 Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, inspects a note of medical care rendered by Marines to an Afghan boy, who shot himself in a leg by accident, as he is transported to a hospital aboard a medevac helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 7, 2011.

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MEDITERRANEAN SEA (April 6, 2011) Lance Cpl. Todd, assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), checks his rifle aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the command ship of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Mann/Released)

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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Dyke and Lance Cpl. Zachary Brizio, right, both with 1st Platoon, Company I, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, Regimental Combat Team 8, set in their M240B machine gun during a security patrol through a poppy field from their patrol base in Helmand province's Green Zone, west of the Nahr-e Saraj canal, March 27. Elements of 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to Afghanistan to provide regional security in Helmand province in support of the International Security Assistance Force.

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U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Dyke, left, and Lance Cpl. Zachary Brizio, both with 1st Platoon, Company I, Battalion Landing Team 3/8, Regimental Combat Team 8, set in their M240B machine gun during a security patrol through a poppy field from their patrol base in Helmand province's Green Zone, west of the Nahr-e Saraj canal, March 27. Elements of 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to Afghanistan to provide regional security in Helmand province in support of the International Security Assistance Force.

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