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A curving beam of light illuminates a dark blue sky as a rocket launches. - An Atlas V rocket carrying a Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite for an Air Force mission lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Jan. 19, 2018. Photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance

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America’s Nuclear Triad

A soldier shakes hands with a resident. - Texas National Guard soldiers assist residents dealing with flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Aug. 27, 2017. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Zachary West

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Helping Hands

Watch: 60 Second Snapshot

Amanda Agana has made a name for herself as a runner, but as a midshipman 2nd class at the United States Naval Academy, she runs toward a greater purpose: serving in the military.
Midshipman Runs Toward Purpose
1:00
Aerial refueling has more than one meaning for Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Smith. In addition to operating the boom that refuels Air Force jets, he makes the treats that refuel his on-board crew. Pizza is his specialty.
Refueling Crew Embraces 'Pie in the Sky' Idea
1:00
A tortoise walks along the desert next to branches and grass.
Protecting the Desert’s Little Tanks
1:00
A service member speaks into a microphone from behind a radio station control board.
Goooooood Morning, Tokyo!
1:00
Col. Kyle Clement wears the Air Force uniform, but he’s got a not-so-secret stash of uniforms he’s been collecting for years. Some date all the way back to the first World War.
Preserving a Uniform Past
1:00
His own country wanted him dead, so he left the only home he ever knew in 1994 for the United States. Years later, he gave back to the nation that saved his life by joining the U.S. Army.
Giving Back Through Service
1:00

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Know Your Military

Discover more about the men and women who serve in your military — who they are, what they do and why they do it.

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Observe: Top Photos

An Air Force cadet lures a flying falcon in the middle of an empty football stadium.
Falcon Flight
Several guardsmen clear brush and downed trees from a road at night.
Clearing Debris
A sailor wears a breathing mask while another sailor waves a burning stick near the mask.
Protective Gear
A Coast Guardsman tosses a cylindrical object out of the back of an open aircraft.
Buoy Toss
Army Special Forces paratroopers enter a building during close quarters battle training
Close Quarters
High school football players, a referee, and an airmen watch a coin flip through the air before a football game.
Coin Toss
More than a dozen soldiers, shown in silhouette, stand and look out on a hill.
Observation Formation
A soldier prepares to throw a drone aircraft in a field.
Raven Launch
A sailor peers out over the open sea at night.
Standing Watch
Five Marines, bound to a rope, hang midair, carried by a helicopter.
By a Thread
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