Best pics of 2018

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  • The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush passes through Magnolia, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, along the train route from Spring to College Station, Texas. (David J. Phillip/AP Pool)
  • U.S. Marines install razor wire next to the U.S.-Mexico border fence on December 2, 2018 as seen from Tijuana, Mexico. Marines continued reinforcing the fence on the San Diego side of the border, with thousands of members of the migrant caravan housed nearby in Tijuana. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
  • Marines run through CS gas during the hike portion of the 1st Marine Division Super Squad Competition at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 30, 2018. (Lance Cpl. Audrey M.C. Rampton/Marine Corps)
  • U.S. Army troopers assigned to the Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, fire their M777 Howitzer on Firebase Saham, Iraq, Dec. 3, 2018. The 3rd Cav. Regt. is deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, working by, with and through the Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition partners to defeat ISIS in areas of Iraq and Syria.
  • Members of the 436th Security Forces Squadron render a final salute to Rico, a retired military working dog. His former handler and current owner, retired Tech. Sgt. Jason Spangenberg, carried him to the Veterinary Treatment Facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Jan. 24, 2018. (Roland Balik/Air Force)
  • A southern black racer snake slithers across the rifle barrel held by a junior Army National Guard sniper as he practices woodland stalking in a camouflaged ghillie suit at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., April 7, 2018, (U.S. Army photo by Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Frye)
  • A United States Air Force F-15 fighter jet based at RAF Lakenheath speeds through the Dinas Pass, known in the aviation world as the Mach Loop on February 16, 2018 in Dolgellau, Wales. United Kingdom. The Royal Air Force and aircraft of the United States use the valleys of Snowdonia to practice low flying techniques and pilot training. The mountain peak vantage points attract aviation enthusiasts from all over the world who hope for a glimpse of their favorite military aircraft spending days waiting for the un-published and un-scheduled fly pasts. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
  • Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division watch as two Chinook helicopters fly in to take them back to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan Nov. 4, 2008. (Spc. Mary L. Gonzalez/Army)
  • Soldiers guide route clearance vehicles over a difficult stretch of road in Afghanistan. (Maj. Luke Talbot/Army)
  • Staff Sgt. Brandon Liptrot, 1st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, sweeps debris off an aircraft at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 18, 2018 . Approximately 40 crew chiefs and avionics specialists travelled down to assist with getting the F-22s flight operational after Hurricane Michael. (Staff Sgt. Matthew Lotz/Air Force)
  • Recruits with Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, crawl under barbed wire during a bayonet assault course at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Jan. 30. The recruits were instructed to utilize their rifles to help shield them from the barbed wire as they crawled to the next portion of the course. Annually, more than 17,000 males recruited from the Western Recruiting Region are trained at MCRD San Diego. Kilo Company is scheduled to graduate March 16. (Cpl. Erick Clarosvillalta/Marines)
  • President Donald Trump speaks at a hanger rally at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. In a surprise trip to Iraq, President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria where they have been helping battle Islamic State militants. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
  • Paratroopers assigned to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, conduct an airborne operation on Malemute drop zone after jumping from CH-47 Chinook helicopters at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 1, 2018. (Justin Connaher/Air Force)
  • President Donald Trump awards the Medal of Honor to Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Slabinski oversaw a daring 2002 assault and rescue mission on a snowy Afghanistan mountaintop and carried a “seriously wounded teammate down a sheer cliff face” while leading “an arduous trek across one kilometer of precipitous terrain, through waist-deep snow while continuing to call fire on the enemy.” (Susan Walsh/AP)
  • A rider slaps hands with some of the supporters who came out to line the route along Constitution Ave. during Rolling Thunder XXXI First Amendment Demonstration Run in Washington, DC on Sunday May 27, 2018. Motorcycle riders from across the nation, rode a designated route through the Mall area of Washington, D.C. The event is an actual demonstration/protest to bring awareness and accountability for POWs and MIAs left behind.(Alan Lessig/Staff)
  • U.S. Marines fire an M120 Mortar round at known ISIS staging areas in the Middle Euphrates River Valley’s Deir Ezzor province, Syria, Oct. 12, 2018. Coalition Forces are committed to the elimination of ISIS as they continue to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with artillery and mortar strikes in support of Operation Roundup. (Sgt. Matthew Crane/U.S. Army)
  • 5th Special Forces Group (A) Operation Detachment Bravo 5310 arrives to meet Maj. Gen. James Jarrard at the Landing Zone at base camp Al Tanf Garrison in southern Syria.
  • US President Donald Trump (2nd-L) and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (2nd-R) attend the annual Army-Navy football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 8, 2018. – Trump will officiate the coin toss at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia between the Army Black Knights of the US Military Academy (USMA) and the Navy Midshipmen of the US Naval Academy (USNA). (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) reunite with their families after mooring in Sasebo, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Levingston Lewis
  • Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL students participate in Surf Passage at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Surf Passage is one of many physically demanding evolutions that are a part of the first phase of SEAL training. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Lynn F. Andrews/Navy)
  • Coalition Forces fire a mortar during training in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria, July 23, 2018. This training is part of the overall building partner capacity mission, which aims to enhance the capabilities of partnered forces fighting ISIS. Combined Joint Task Force-OIR is the global Coalition to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook)
  • U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kwan Walker, a networking administrator assigned to Marine Wing Communication Squadron 28, braces in the cold during a conditioning hike during exercise Ullr Shield at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Jan. 13, 2018. Ullr Shield is a training exercise designed to improve the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s capabilities in extreme cold weather environments. (Lance Cpl. Cody Rowe/Marines)
  • U.S. Navy Hospitalman Jacob Adam drinks Cobra blood at jungle survival training during Exercise Cobra Gold 2018, at Camp Ban Chen Khrem in the Kingdom of Thailand, Feb. 17, 2018. Cobra Gold 18 is an annual exercise conducted in the Kingdom of Thailand from Feb. 13-23 with seven full participating nations. Adam, a San Clemente, California native, is a Corpsman with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. The Hawaii-based battalion is forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan part of the unit deployment program. (Sgt. Ricky Gomez/Marines)
  • Marines in an M1A1 Abrams tank engage a target during semi-annual qualifications at Fort Stewart, Ga., Feb. 13, 2018. The Marines are assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion. (Cpl. Aaron Henson/Marines)
  • Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), fire rounds down-range using a M120 120mm mortar, into the impact zone during a mortar live-fire exercise here on Fort Drum, March 7, 2018. (Staff Sgt. James Avery/Army)
  • Staff Sgt. Benjamin Reynolds, 891st Missile Security Forces Squadron response force leader, crouches in rotor wash during a field training exercise at Turtle Mountain State Forest, N.D., Feb. 14, 2018. During the exercise 91st Security Forces Group defenders coordinated simulated medical evacuations with two 54th Helicopter Squadron UH-1N Iroquois. (Sr. Airman J.T. Armstrong/Air Force)
  • The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) breaks though the ice in the Beaufort Sea in support of Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2018. The five-week exercise that allows the U.S. Navy to assess its operational readiness in the Arctic, increase experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic environment and continue to develop relationships with other services, allies and partner organizations. (MC2 Micheal H. Lee/Navy)
  • Sailors watch the sunset on the wing of an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Stingers” of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VFA) 113 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (MC Michael A. Colemanberry/Navy)
  • A U.S. Marine Corps sniper with Task Force Southwest sights in with a M107 .50-caliber Special Applications Scoped Rifle during a security post for an advising mission with 1st Brigade, Afghan National Army (ANA) 215th Corps as they conduct Operation Maiwand 12 at Camp Shorserack, Afghanistan, March 13, 2018. (Sgt. Conner Robbins/Marine Corps)
  • Airmen from the 820th Base Defense Group low crawl through an obstacle during an Army Air Assault readiness assessment, Dec. 7, 2017, at Camp Blanding, Fla. The AAA readiness assessment is designed to prepare Airmen for the Army Air Assault School curriculum as well as its physical and mental stressors. During AAA, U.S. troops are taught an array of skills associated with rotary-winged aircraft. These skills widen the 820th BDG’s ability to swiftly deploy and defend. (Senior Airman Daniel Snider/Air Force)
  • Mark Kirsch, strong man for “Man vs. Impossible,” pulls a C-17 Globemaster III from a hangar at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, on March 27. Kirsch has been pulling aircraft at various military installations around the world for over 10 years and is scheduled to perform during the JB Charleston 2018 Air & Space Expo April 28. He plans to pull the C-17 100 feet. (Airman 1st Class Joshua Maund/Air Force)
  • U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christipher Watts, machine gunner, Battalion Landing Team 3/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), calls out a simulated misfire while aboard the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) at sea, April 29, 2018. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th MEU integrated to conduct the second major exercise of their pre-deployment training. ARG, MEU Exercise (ARGMEUEX) provides essential and realistic ship-to-shore training, designed to enhance the integration of the Navy-Marine Corps team. ARGMEUEX provides an opportunity to integrate unique individual and unit skills and develop the Essex ARG and 13th MEU’s collective proficiency in challenging and unfamiliar environments. (Cpl. Danny Gonzalez/Marines)
  • Marines with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, conduct a deception breach during a company attack on Range 400 as part of Integrated Training Exercise 3-18 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (Cpl. Antonia E. Mercado/Marine Corps)
  • U.S. Air Force Maj. Paul “Loco” Lopez, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot, performs during AirPower Over Hampton Roads JBLE Air and Space Expo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, May 18, 2018. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force. (Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell/Air Force)
  • BOSTON (May 18, 2018) Fireman Gabriel Lupo, assigned to USS Constitution, climbs the ship’s mizzenmast during ‘Old Ironsides’ underway commemorating the Vietnam War. In coordination with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, the crew of USS Constitution hosted Vietnam veterans onboard as a thank you for their years of service and sacrifice for their country. (MC3 Casey Scoular/Navy)
  • Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller drinks from Bulldog Fountain after a ceremony at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery, Belleau, France. The ceremony honored the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I. (Sgt. Olivia G. Ortiz/Marine Corps)
  • Seth and Hannah Eaton, son and daughter of Col. Casey D. Eaton, 89th Airlift Wing commander, celebrate their fathers final flight as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Md., June 4, 2018 upon completion of 25 years of service. Eaton was responsible for worldwide special air mission airlift, logistics, aerial port and communications support for the president, vice president, cabinet members, combatant commanders, and senior military and elected leaders. (Staff Sgt. Kenny Holston/Air Force)
  • An Air Force Reserve pararescueman from the 920th Rescue Wing jumps out of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter on May 26th, 2018 during the 2nd annual Salute to American Heroes Air and Sea Show, in Miami Beach, Fla. This two-day event showcases military fighter jets and other aircraft and equipment from all branches of the United States military in observance of Memorial Day, honoring servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. (Staff Sgt. Jared Trimarchi/Air Force)
  • An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to the 163rd Fighter Squadron flies a mission over Afghanistan. (Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/Air Force)
  • FC1 Kial Hartwell is greeted by his children during the homecoming ceremony for the guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. O’Kane is returning from an independent deployment to the western Pacific in support of theatre operations. (MCS1 Holly L. Herline/Navy)
  • DC3 Chris McNeil, assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship Blue Ridge, walks into a simulated fire to retrieve a dummy victim. Blue Ridge has entered the final upkeep and training phase in preparation to become fully mission capable for operations. (MC3 Ethan Carter/Navy)
  • B Troop, 4th Cavalry Regiment (Memorial) executes a “Cavalry Charge” in honor of the outgoing commander for the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion, Lt. Col. Paul Oh, during a change of command ceremony at Fort Huachuca, in Arizona on June 15. (Randall Baucom/Army)
  • A time exposure view of Travis Air Force Base, Calif.’s Intel Shooting Star Drone light show where Travis families were shown the choreographed capabilities of over 500 drones during an Independence Day celebration July 5, 2018. ( A1C Christian Conrad/Air Force)
  • New Sailors celebrate after the completion of their pass-in-review ceremony at Recruit Training Command. About 38,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from the Navy’s only boot camp. (MC2 Spencer Fling/Navy)
  • Aviation MachinistÕs Mate 1st Class Sabrina Mayo, from El Paso, Texas, provides intensive training to one of her divisionÕs recruits at Recruit Training Command (RTC). About 38,000 to 40,000 recruits graduate annually from the Navy’s only boot camp. (MC2 Timothy Schumaker/Navy)
  • A bottlenose dolphin in the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), part of the MK 7 Marine Mammal System, places a marking device in the vicinity of an exercise sea mine in Southern California during the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 18, 2018. (U.S. Navy photo)
  • Two members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels make a close pass as they perform in the Seafair Air Show during Seafair Weekend Festival, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
  • Staff Sgt. Ashley Delisle, Oklahoma Army National Guard state awards manager, wipes tears from her face after discovering the final resting place of her great uncle, Pvt. 1st Class Anton J. Reida, at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-En-Tardenois, France, July 27. Reida was killed during WWI on the Aisne-Marne battlefield, Sept. 1, 1918. Soldiers from units that comprised the 42nd Division during WWI participated in the second phase of a year-long WWI Centennial Commemoration across Northern France. (Sgt. Brian Schroeder/Oklahoma National Guard)
  • U.S. military honor guard carry the presumed remains of Korean War soldiers at Hangar 19 Joint base Pearl Harbor Hickam on August 1, 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The remains of 55 service members were flown to Hawaii after being handed over by North Korea. (Photo by Kat Wade/Getty Images)
  • Two B-52H Stratofortress bombers fly over the Pacific Ocean during a routine training mission Aug. 2, 2018. This mission was flown in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific CommandÕs Continuous Bomber Presence operations, which are a key component to improving combined and joint service interoperability. (A1C Gerald R. Willis/Air Force)
  • The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) transits the Mediterranean Sea beneath a star covered sky. Carney, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is on its fifth patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of regional allies and partners as well as U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. (MC1 Ryan U. Kledzik/Navy)
  • A Marine with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division provides security during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training as part of Integrated Training Exercise 5-18 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., August 11, 2018. (Lance Cpl. Aaron Douds/Marine Corps)
  • A Coast Guard members face emerges from the frigid water while competing in the survival swim relay during the Buoy Tender Roundup Olympics in Juneau, Alaska, Aug. 22, 2018. Crews aboard Coast Guard buoy tenders in Alaska service 1,350 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while actively participating in search and rescue, environmental protection and law enforcement missions. (Petty Officer 1st Class Jon-Paul Rios/Coast Guard)
  • Valerie Nessel, holds up the Medal of Honor, during a ceremony on Aug. 22, 2018 at the White House where President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously to her husband, Air Force Combat controller Technical Sgt. John Chapman. She was joined on stage by their two daughters Brianna & Madison, and his mother, Terry Chapman. (Alan Lessig/Staff)
  • A missing man formation flies over the Air Force Memorial on Aug. 24, 2018, during a Medal of Honor unveiling ceremony for Air Force combat controller Technical Sgt. John Chapman, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. (Alan Lessig/Staff)
  • Members of the 1804 Concord Independent Battery render honors as the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) arrives in Boston on Nov. 26, 2018. The warship, named for the Navy pilot from Massachusetts who received a Medal of Honor for his Korean War actions, was commissioned Dec. 1. (MC1 Joshua Hammond/Navy)
  • Hundreds of Airmen did pushups in honor of Air Force combat controller Technical Sgt. John Chapman after a Medal of Honor unveiling ceremony at the Air Force Memorial. Chapman, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor Wednesday for actions on Takur Ghar mountain in Afghanistan on March 4, 2002. (Alan Lessig/Staff)
  • Staff Sgt. Colleen Curren, structures journeyman from the 202nd REDHORSE of Camp Blanding, Fla., chainsaws through a fallen tree on Debi Road in the Bayou George area of Panama City Oct. 14, 2018. The REDHORSE was called on for their expertise in efficient route clearing after Hurricane Michael came through. (Staff Sgt. Carlynne DeVine/Air National Guard)
  • Seaman Jason Heder Petitfrere, from Carrefour, Haiti, assigned to USS Constitution, leads in retiring the colors at the Maryland Fleet Week and Airshow welcoming ceremony. Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore is BaltimoreÕs celebration of the sea services and provides an opportunity for the citizens of Baltimore to meet Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsman, as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of todayÕs maritime services. (Airman Olivia Manley/Navy)
  • Navy divers prepare to attach the “front porch” to a test version of the Orion capsule as part of Underway Recovery Test-7 in the open water of the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 1, 2018. Nearby is the USS John P. Murtha. (Tony Gray/NASA)
  • Combat engineers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, blast through a concrete wall during demolition training at Fort Hood, Texas, July 17, 2018. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Carson Petry)
  • Marines assigned to 2d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion team “One Mass” perform squad push-ups on Oct. 26, 2018, during the All Terrain Unit Competition on Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. The All Terrain Unit Competition is an annual event hosted by Cherry Point Marine Corps Community Services for Marines and sailors on station to build camaraderie through friendly competition. (Cpl. Micha R. Pierce/Marine Corps)
  • A U.S. Marines helicopter flies past a pedestrian bridge after the closing of the United States-Mexico border was ordered on November 25, 2018 at the San Ysidro border crossing point south of San Diego, California. – US officials closed a border crossing in southern California on Sunday after hundreds of migrants tried to breach a border fence from the Mexican city of Tijuana, US authorities announced. The US Customs and Border Protection office in San Diego, California, said on Twitter that it had closed both north and south access to vehicle traffic at the San Ysidro border post, before also suspending pedestrian crossings. (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images)
  • Pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings taxi F-35As on the runway in preparation for a combat power exercise Nov. 19, 2018, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (Senior Airman Justin Fuchs/Air Force)
  • U.S. Air Force members from the 96th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit shake a tow bar to maneuver it into place on a B-52 Stratofortress bomber during exercise Lightning Focus at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia, Nov. 29, 2018. (Senior Airman Christopher Quail/Air Force)
  • FORT BENNING, Ga. (Oct. 26, 2018) — Two soldiers with the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade demonstrate hand-to-hand combat maneuvers during the Rangers In Action demonstration preceding a Ranger Course graduation on Oct. 26, 2018, at Fort Benning, Ga. (Patrick A. Albright/Army)
  • North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team participated in an eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise, Aug. 22, 2018. The XCTC has over 4,000 Citizen-Soldiers from Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and the country of Moldova honing their combat skills of “Shoot, Move, Communicate, and Sustain.” (National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens)