An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Photos

Snapshots of what’s happening in the Defense Department.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Martin Uresti prepares to fire a signal flare from an observation tower on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2008. Uresti, who is assigned to the 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and other Air Force security personnel practiced their proficiency deploying signal and illumination flares.

BALAD FLARE

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Martin Uresti prepares to fire a signal flare from an observation tower on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2008. Uresti, who is assigned to the 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and other Air Force security personnel practiced their proficiency deploying signal and illumination flares.

Photo Gallery