Featured Image: Marines with the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon execute the “long line” sequence during a halftime show at the Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots football game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 10, 2024. During the month of November, the National Football League honors the military with Salute to Service games the Silent Drill Platoon performed in front of tens of thousands spectators at the Chicago Bears versus the New England Patriots. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Iyer P. Ramakrishna)
Army
U.S. Army Pfc. Nathaniel Kue, a Paratrooper assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, qualifies on the M249 light machine gun during the 1st Sgt. Funk Deployment Readiness Exercise (DRE) on Fort Liberty, North Carolina, Jan. 14, 2025. The 1st Sgt. Funk DRE is a battalion-level readiness assessment for select units to evaluate systems and gauge the readiness efficiency of a unit’s ability to mobilize, prepare, and engage the enemy as part of the United States Immediate Response Force. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Keegan)
Navy
An E/A-18G Growler from the “Cougars” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Jan. 18, 2025. Nimitz is underway in 3rd Fleet conducting routine training operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carson Croom)
Marine Corps
U.S. Marines operating an Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) complete an amphibious landing from Kushi Crossing to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 10, 2024. This was the first open-water amphibious movement for ACVs deployed to III Marine Expeditionary Force, accomplishing a new milestone for amphibious operations with the vehicle platform in the Indo-Pacific. Amphibious operations, including the use of ship-to-shore connectors, is a foundational aspect of Marine Corps operations and is critical to remaining the Nation’s premier expeditionary force in readiness. The Marines shown are with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kendrick Jackson)
Air Force
Capt. Wyatt Huff, 736th Security Forces Squadron operations officer, dives in a pool to retrieve equipment during a jungle training course at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Jan. 7, 2025. The course instructors took lessons learned from U.S. Army operations and a U.S. Marine jungle leaders’ course to create a curriculum based on Air Force ground operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Manasseh Demissie)
Coast Guard
Coast Guard conducted several Alien Expulsion Flight Operations between California and Texas, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders, the Coast Guard continues to surge assets and leverage its unique capabilities to protect America’s borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s Acting Commandant. “Today’s operation exemplifies our coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, through which we are detecting, deterring, and interdicting aliens, drug smuggling, and other terrorist or hostile activity before it reaches our border.” The Coast Guard is coordinating the operations of multiple Coast Guard units in support of this operation. Led by the Eleventh Coast Guard District in California, the Service is surging assets and personnel from around the nation to support the Department of Homeland Security-led operation. The Coast Guard’s current role is to assist with the national transport of aliens to designated locations in Texas and California, where the Department of Defense will transport the aliens internationally.
