Jacob Sotak: Why I Enlisted in the United States Army

Editor’s note: What a better way to celebrate the Military Appreciation Month than with some “Why I Joined” stories? I was skipping class the morning of September 11th.  It was three days after my 17th birthday and I was a cocksure senior with a buddy who had a car. I was making my way to […]

The Pic of the Day: Some mortar action for the Monday blues

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to the Hammer Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, fire a 120mm high explosive mortar round from a Stryker Mortar Carrier Vehicle during NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group-Poland mission in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, May 5, 2020. NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence consists of four battalion-sized battle groups deploying on a persistent […]

The Pic of the Day: Marines FARPing their helicopters

Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369 conduct forward arming and refueling point training, at Ie Shima Okinawa, Japan, April 29, 2020. The FARP is designed to provide fuel and ordinance necessary for highly mobile and flexible helicopter and fixed-wing operations.

The Pic of the Day: Greet the weekend like these Afghan civilians

The weekend is right around the corner. Relax and have some fun. Don’t worry, the imminent destruction of our civilized world by World War 3/The Pandemic/Aliens will be still there on Monday. Afghan men rest on the back of their wheelbarrows in a Kabul, Afghanistan, intersection on April 29, 2020.

The Pic of the Day: Airmen and firefighters at the same time

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to 86th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department participate in a rescue certification course at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 28, 2020. The rescue certification course was held by U.S. Air Forces in Europe Fire Academy and the 435th Construction and Training Squadron.

The Pic of the Day: Pumping those rounds like nobody’s business

U.S. Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) 19.2, fire Mossberg 590A1 12-gauge shotguns during a non-lethal weapons range in Kuwait, April 25, 2020. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region.

The Pic of the Day: USS Theodore Roosevelt still has a crew

U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) board the ship May 2, 2020. Theodore Roosevelt’s essential watchstanders and cleaning team conducted a crew swap starting April 29, turning over a clean ship to a COVID-negative crew after the completion of their off-ship quarantine or isolation. The aircraft carrier has […]

The Pic of the Day: Should that make it into the next safety brief?

An assortment of F-35 Lightning II’s and F-16’s fly in formation May 1 during a national COVID-19 Total Force flyover at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The flyover included an aerial review over Luke Air Force Base followed by a morale flyover over Phoenix-Metro to demonstrate local military continued readiness during the national COVID-19 response, […]

The Pic of the Day: Beautiful sunsets with the Coast Guard

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) conducts helicopter in-flight refueling operations with an Air Station Barbers Point MH-65 Dolphin helicopter off Oahu, Hawaii, March 26, 2020. The crew completed their first operation patrol in the Pacific at the end of April.