Tag: Friday Fun
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Friday Fun
U.S. Army Soldier, Staff Sgt. Justin Reeb, squad leader assigned to 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), transports in a boat after a platoon-level jungle mock-reconnaissance on an island in Oiapoque, Brazil, during Exercise Southern Vanguard 24, Nov. 13, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Taeckens) VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Nov. 27, 2023) Naval Air Station Oceana commanding officer Capt. Steve Djunaedi pets military working dog Misa during her retirement ceremony. Misa served for nine years as an explosive detection dog and deployed with her handler to Kuwait and Syria. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Megan Wollam) U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct carrier qualifications aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 11, 2023. The 15th MEU is currently embarked aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group conducting integrated training and routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Helms C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, prepare for a heavy equipment airdrop at Pōhakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Nov. 4, 2023. The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center is the Army’s newest Combat Training Center and contributes to readiness in environments and conditions where joint forces are most likely to operate. (U.S. Air National Guard photo byMaster Sgt. Mysti Bicoy) -
Friday Fun
Welcome to our weekly excursion into the absurd and sublime, Friday Fun. I’d like to make two quick notes before we get to the fun.
First, I really want to thank you, constant reader, for being a part of this community. I feel that I don’t thank y’all for putting up with us enough, so Thank You.
Second, this Editor went on his yearly deer hunting trip yesterday. There was a time when he hunted all season long, but of late it seems to have lost some of its luster. This year however, despite not getting to the spot until nearly 0900, your editor killed a spindly little 6 point. For whatever reason, that shot seems to have rekindled some of the passion your editor had for deer hunting.
Anyway, on to the fun. . .
Pearls Before Swine
Political Commentary
Memes
Photos
U.S. and Brazilian Army Soldiers move south along the Oyapock River during Exercise Southern Vanguard 24 in Oiapoque, Brazil, on Nov. 12, 2023. Southern Vanguard is an annual exercise at the operational and tactical levels to increase interoperability between U.S and Western Hemisphere forces, in this instance, Brazil. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joseph Liggio PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 17, 2023) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the ÒWildcardsÓ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 approaches the flight deck of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) during flight quarters while underway in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 17, 2023. Somerset is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, with the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, underway conducting integrated training and routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz) U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Ian Mendoza, a company commander with 3rd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, communicates using a radio during a live-fire and maneuver range at the Marine Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Nov. 3, 2023. Live-fire and maneuver ranges give Marines the opportunity to engage and destroy targets in a dynamic environment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Eric Dmochowski F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., fly over the Gulf of Mexico during exercise Checkered Flag 24-1, Nov. 7, 2023. The 325th Fighter Wing recently transitioned missions, progressing towards a combat-ready F-35 mission with more than 70 aircraft projected to call Tyndall AFB home. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Betty R. Chevalier) -
Friday Fun
Welcome to our weekly foray into the ridiculous and sublime, Friday fun.
As has become tradition, we start with a couple of tweets from my personal favorite Twitter/X account, the OKDWC.
I’m not 100% sure, but I believe this deer is from the Seneca Army Depot
U.S. Army Spc. Collin Hall, assistant gunner, and Spc. Areg Safari, M240 gunner, assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, observe their assigned sector of fire from their defensive fighting position while they wait for the opposing force to attack their defensive positions at the Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Nov. 9, 2023, during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) 24-01 rotation. JPMRC is the Army’s newest Combat Training Center (CTC) and generates readiness in the environments and conditions where our forces will most likely operate. JPMRC 24-01 includes over 5,300 training participants across the U.S. Joint Force, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Thailand. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Angelo Mejia) MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Nov. 3, 2023) Ships from the Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), U.S. Sixth Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), and Italian Navy frigates Carlo Margottini (F 592) and Virginio Fasan (F 591) sail in formation in the Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 3, 2023. The two carrier strike groups are operating in the area at the direction of the Secretary of Defense to bolster deterrence in the region. The ships from the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group include the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) and USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117). The ships from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and the USS Mason (DDG 87). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janae Chambers) NOV 14, 2023
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Burton, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, with EOD Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 6, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, fires a M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle during a live-fire sniper rifle range in Hanko, Finland, on Nov. 9, 2023. Marines and Sailors conducted live-fire training to refine their marksmanship techniques and enhance the unit’s combat effectiveness. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mary KohlmannAn F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing flies over the Appalachian Mountains near Linville, N.C., Oct. 16, 2023. The 4th Fighter Wing performs routine flight training ensuring abilities to project agile combat airpower for the United States and its allies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rebecca Sirimarco-Lang) -
Friday Fun
Welcome to our weekly foray into the lighter side of the interwebz, Friday fun.
It’s Gar week, so here’s the latest gar related content from the OKDWC:
U.S. Army Sgt. Curtis Wright, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairer and crew chief assigned to Golf Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, Hawaii Army National Guard, prepare for medevac operations during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-01 (JPMRC) Exercise at Wahiawa, Hawaii, Nov. 4, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Lianne Hirano) PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 3, 2023) Lt. Cmdr. Charles Kollar, the training officer aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), awaits to signal aircraft from the flight deck, Nov. 3, 2023. Theodore Roosevelt is currently conducting routine training and certifications in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Thomas Gooley) U.S. Marines with the Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT), 3rd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division fire a TOW missile from a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a range on the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, Oct 21, 2023. CAAT utilizes various weapon systems to neutralize enemy armored assets. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Eric Dmochowski) Maj. Kristin Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies an F-35 assigned to the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron at the Wings Over Houston Airshow, Texas, Oct. 15, 2023. The airshow showcases vintage World War II aircraft alongside modern aviation and has supported a variety of local and national charities during its 39-year history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish) -
Friday Fun
FRIYAY!!!
Sometimes I wish I was a bear. . .
U.S. Army Soldiers with 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, supporting NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland (eFP Poland), joined other multinational troops from Albania, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom with eFP Latvia for exercise Verboom in Adazi, Latvia, Oct. 28, 2023. During exercise Verboom, U.S. engineers supported eFP Latvia by constructing an improvised door handle charge to demonstrate how to infiltrate a locked door. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. H Howey) ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 24, 2023) An F/A-18 Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 lands aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 26, 2023. George Washington is underway in support of carrier qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman August Clawson) A U.S. Marine with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division jumps from a C-130 Hercules during a free-fall parachute jump operation at Ie Shima, Okinawa, Japan, on Oct. 26, 2023. Marines, Airmen, and Special Operations Soldiers practiced static-line and free-fall jumps to hone their abilities for airborne operations. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bridgette Rodriguez An HH-60W Jolly Green II assigned to the 34th Weapons Squadron takes off to participate in a combat search and rescue training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. 23, 2023. One of the HH-60W’s primary missions is to conduct personnel recovery operations in hostile environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Rufus) -
Friday Fun
It’s Friday! and time for our weekly foray into the lighter side. . .
See, I told you the OKDWC was educational. I didn’t even know bat week was a thing. . .
In honor of Bat Week, here are some bat facts for your cranium:
- The U.S. and Canada are home to about 45 species of bats.
- Not all bats hibernate.
- Bats have few natural predators — disease is one of the biggest threats.
- Without bats, say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes.
- Night insects have the most to fear from bats.
- Bats are the only flying mammal.
- Bats may be small, but they’re fast. Some can reach speeds over 100 miles per hour.
- Like cats, bats clean themselves.
- Baby bats are called pups, and a group of bats is a colony.
This week’s Pearls Before Swine
This strip right here, and others like it, are a big part of why I like Pearls so much. That and the fact I identify closely with Rat. . .
This week’s political commentary:
Memes!
This week’s Mil Photos
U.S. Army Soldiers, attached to 3rd Infantry Division maneuver a Bradley Fighting and other tactical vehicles on a road march into the Joint Multinational Readiness Center for Combined Resolve 24-01, near Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 22, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kenneth Rodriguez) ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 19, 2023) Lt. Sean Greiner signals the launch of an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 19, 2023. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to provide the national command authority flexible, tailorable warfighting capability to maintain maritime stability and to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janae Chambers) U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Michael Melkonyan, a machine gunner assigned to Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fires an M240B machine gun while conducting Range 410A at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Sept. 12, 2023. Range 410A is a platoon live-fire and maneuver combined arms attack range designed to train units in tactics, techniques, and procedures required to provide a sustainable and operational unit across the conflict continuum. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aidan Hekker A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor performs maneuvers during a demonstration at the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition media day at Seoul Air Base, South Korea, Oct. 16, 2023. Approximately 200 U.S. service members showcased a cross-section of U.S. military aircraft for static displays, flyovers and aerial demonstrations during Seoul ADEX 23. (U.S. Air Force by Master Sgt. Eric Burks) -
Friday Fun
FRIYAY!!!
It’s time for our weekly Faffery session.
As usual, the Oklahoma DWC kicks it off. This week’s thread is both funny and educational.
And that right there is why I love that account. Funny and educational. . . Also, DO NOT release any non-native species into your local bodies of water.
I feel this week’s Pearls strip . . .
This week’s political commentary:
MEMES!
This week’s Mil photos
U.S. Soldiers assigned to 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division observe for simulated enemy movement during Decisive Action Rotation 23-10 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Sep. 13, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ryan Gosselin) NAVAL STATION NORFOLK (Oct. 14, 2023) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) deploys from Naval Station Norfolk, Oct. 14, 2023. The Ike Carrier Strike Group will conduct a scheduled deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility in support of enhanced vigilance activities and operations with NATO allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch) U.S. Marines with the Silent Drill Platoon, Marine Barracks Washington, perform for the citizens of Philadelphia during Navy-Marine Week Philadelphia at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, P.A. on October 12, 2023. Marines are participating in numerous events throughout the city of Philadelphia to increase awareness and establish lasting relationships with communities throughout the area. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Kelsey Dornfeld Air Force Reserve aircrews land at Bradshaw Army Airfield in a C-130H Hercules to practice rapid transfers of equipment with minimal ground time during the Rally in the Pacific 2023 exercise in Hilo, Hawaii, Sept. 13, 2023. The team was able to effectively offload cargo with less than five minutes of time on the ground. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Ellie Mayo) -
Friday Fun
Friday fun is going to be a little longer than usual. This editor needs the distraction.
Leading off Friday fun, a post from my fave account, The Oklahoma DWC:
A couple of bonus tweets:
This week’s Pearls Before Swine:
This week’s political commentary
Memes!
This week’s Mil Photos. Just a quick note, these images are all the highest definition available and are suitable for wallpaper and screensavers.
Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly over the Potomac River in Washington during the 39th Annual Army Ten-Miler, Oct. 8, 2023. The race promotes the Army, builds esprit de corps, supports Army fitness goals and enhances community relations. (U.S. Army photo by Bernardo Fuller) PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 10, 2023) A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM ) 161 lands on the flight deck of the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) during a training exercise while underway in the Pacific Ocean during Pacific Partnership 2024-1, Oct. 10, 2023. Now in its 19th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Woitzel) TLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 11, 2023) U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Maj. Paul Gucwa, from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, flies an F-35B during the final first of class sea trials for F-35B test (DT-3) aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), Oct. 11, 2023. The Queen Elizabeth-class (QEC) Prince of Wales’s participation in WESTLANT 23 encompasses a range of United Kingdom and U.S. naval aircraft trials in the western Atlantic Ocean throughout the autumn of 2023. Prince of Wales continues to push the boundaries of naval aviation capabilities and operations from QEC aircraft carriers, including increasing the range and lethality of F-35 operations. The U.K. is the only Tier I partner in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program. U.K. and U.S. interactions during this deployment are characterized by cooperation and reinforce international relationships, as well as enhance interoperability between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy. The F-35 Joint Program Office is the Defense Department’s focal point for the 5th-generation strike aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 is the premier multi-mission, 5th-generation weapon system. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a force multiplier that enhances all assets in the battle space, with stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity, and range. The F-35 has been operational since July 2015 and is the most lethal, survivable, and interoperable fighter aircraft ever built. (U.S. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann) A U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, flies alongside a Royal Brunei Air Force Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk during exercise Pacific Angel 23-3, Rimba Air Force Base, Brunei, Sept. 12, 2023. This iteration of Pac-Angel is focused on regional search and rescue and humanitarian assistance/disaster response capacity-building interoperability with partnering nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Shelimar Rivera Rosado) -
Friday Fun
FRIYAY!!!! Time for a bit of faffery.
And just as they were getting educational . . .
And a couple of the replies, just for fun. . .
As mentioned by the OKDWC in their tweet, it’s fat bear week at Katmai NP. You can vote on the fattest bear Here
This week’s Pearls strip is a little deep. . .
Political Commentary
MEMES!
This week’s Military photos
Sgt. Jake Phillips, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Spc. Chancellor McGuire, a native Georgetown, Texas, representing the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, prepare to evacuate a casualty during the 2023 Army Best Squad Competition at Fort Stewart, Georgia, Sept. 28, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Theron Smith) IONIAN SEA (Oct. 4, 2023) The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), center, the Italian navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (C 550), the Blue Ridge-class command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the destroyer ITS Ciao Duilio (D 554), frigate ITS Virginio Fasan (F 591), and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) steam in formation in the Ionian Sea, Oct. 4, 2023. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. 6th Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Mattingly) OCT 4, 2023
U.S. Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force perform a variety of tasks to operate a combat rubber raiding craft during a coxswain course at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 19, 2023. The coxswain and operations course hosted by Expeditionary Operations Training Group trained Marines in advanced boat handling skills necessary to operate a combat rubber raiding craft.Capt. Samuel Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot, flies an aerial demonstration during the 2023 William Tell Air-to-Air Competition over Tybee Island, Ga., Sept. 13, 2023. After a 19-year hiatus, the competition returned in full force at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish) Would you intercept me? I’d intercept me. . . IYKYK
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Friday Fun
Before we get to the usual faffery, there are a couple of items from the sports world that I’d like to touch on, both from Baseball. As some of you may know, this Editor is a huge fan of America’s pastime, and as such it pains me to know that Brooks Robinson, the Orioles 3rd baseman died. Robinson was the GOAT at 3rd. He was a 16 time gold glove, 18 time All Star and World Series MVP in 1970. Godspeed Brooks.
On another sad note, it’s been announced that Red Sox lefty, Tim Wakefield has been diagnosed with brain cancer. We wish Tim a speedy recovery.
Now, on to the jollity and frolic.
TWO posts from my fave social media account this week! One funny one, and one serious one, posing as a funny one.
This week’s Pearls strip has a lot of applicability to today’s world. It’s sad, really. . .
This week’s political commentary:
MEMES!
Fish heads, fish heads, rolly-polly fish heads. . . At least it’s not 404 Not Found It’s a recycle panda!
Random Dad Joke:
What did the Ginger miss most about the Party?
The invitation.
This weeks Mil photos. Thanks to all the hard working and talented military photogs for their fine work.
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment ‘Red Currahee,’ 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, supporting the 3rd Infantry Division, conduct live-fire training on a confined space light anti-armor weapon as part of anti-tank weaponry training in Adazi, Latvia, Sept. 17, 2023. The 3rd Infantry Division’s mission in Europe is to engage in multinational training and exercises across the continent, working alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s forward deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Cesar Salazar Jr.) A landing craft utility boat departs the well deck of amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) in the Arabian Gulf, Sept. 5, 2023. Components of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley Gasdia) SEP 25, 2023
A U.S. Marine assigned to the Battalion Landing Team 1/6, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (26MEU(SOC)), pilots a Skydio Unmanned Aerial System during an amphibious landing for Northern Coast 2023 (NOCO 23) in Ventspils, Latvia, Sept. 12, 2023. NOCO 23 is a German-led multinational exercise that strengthens military and maritime combat readiness through realistic training in order to sharpen interoperability with our Allies and partners. The San Antonio-class amphibious ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 26MEU(SOC), under the command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jesus Sepulveda Torres)Aircrew assigned to 22nd Airlift Squadron perform pre-flight inspections on C-5M Super Galaxies at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Sept. 22, 2023. The C-5 is the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory and has a wingspan of 222 feet and nine inches. (U.S. Air Force photo by Chustine Minoda)
