Defense Secretary Ash Carter shakes hands with Pvt. Truman, a working dog assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., at the Pentagon, Aug. 26, 2016, to recognize National Dog Day. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tim D. Godbee

Week in Photos is a collection of the best images published on defense.gov during a seven-day period.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Blackman lifts 495 pounds during a deadlifting event aboard amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Pacific Ocean, Aug. 25, 2016. The Boxer is operating in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Caracci

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Laura A. Hale and Petty Officer 3rd Class Martin Rodriguez do troubleshooting work in the radio room aboard the USS Bataan in Norfolk, Va., Aug. 18, 2016. Hale is an information systems technician; Rodriguez is an electronics technician. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Zachariah Grabill

Women's Equality Day is observed on the 26th day of August and commemorates the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. The annual observance has grown to include focusing attention on women's continued efforts toward gaining full equality.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter applauds the winners of the 2016 Employer Support Freedom Award at the Pentagon, Aug. 26, 2016. Fifteen companies received the award. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tim D. Godbee

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, right, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom, at the Pentagon, Aug. 26, 2016. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique A. Pineiro

The Defense Department honors 15 businesses and government organizations with the 2016 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the department gives to employers who support employees who serve in the National Guard and reserve.

Sailors guide an MV-22 Osprey onto the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 24, 2016. The Richard is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to support security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Quinlan

The president has authorized U.S. Central Command to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes of Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Frederic Pravato cuts through a cinder block wall at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., Aug. 25, 2016. Pravato is a firefighter assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy

Defense leaders remain focused on efforts to strengthen relationships and modernize U.S. alliances in the Asia-Pacific region as a priority for 21st century security interests and sustaining U.S. global leadership.

Marines jump from the back of a C-130 during Exercise Northern Strike 2016 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Mich., Aug. 17, 2016. The exercise unites about 5,000 U.S. and international service members. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Devan Barnett