Paratroopers with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, prepare to conduct a tactical airborne operation at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, May 20, 2014. Approximately 600 paratroopers fr More
A member of the Michigan Army National Guard's Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Platoon, Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, briefs Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh M More
Paratroopers from Lithuania, Estonia, the U.S. and Latvia, participate in a Baltic forces regional training event at Military Base Adazi, Latvia, May 27-28, 2014. The annual training event was a NATO fixed- and More
Juris Calitis, a Harvard Divinity School graduate and founder of the Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home, talks with U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Samuel Cox of the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, a More
U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Mendez (left), a paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, strains to pin fellow paratrooper Spc. Anthony Crisci during an allied-force arm-wrestling More
First Lt. Bryce Starratt, company fire support officer with Company A, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, calls in an 81mm mortar strike as part of a combined joint live-fire exerci More
The welcome sign at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Mich., at the beginning of the eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise, July 13, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Seth LaCount, Michigan Na More
Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, Adjutant General and the Director of Military and Veterans Affairs for the Michigan National Guard and Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube, Chief of Defense for the Latvian Army oversee the b More
Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, take a fortified firing position during the eXportable Combat Training Capability exercise at t More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, Rhode Island Army National Guard, cling to the barrel of the M777 A-1 howitzer to level the weapon before executing a live-fire More
A CH-47 Chinook provides air lift support for Artillery Raid exercises conducted during XCTC 2014 at Camp Grayling, Mich.
Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., exit a CH-47 Chinook during an artillery raid exercise at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, J More
A gunnery sergeant assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment, West Virginia National Guard, scans the horizon from his M109A6 Paladin for opposing forces during a battery defense More
Sgt. Eric Wolschleger, a Soldier assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard, performs maintenance and lubricates the M240G machine gun mounted on a UH-60M More
First Sgt. Scott D. Leist, Bravo Troop first sergeant assigned to the 1st Squadron, 126th Cavalry Regiment, 63rd Troop Command leads soldiers participating in the spur ride, a time honored cavalry tradition, to More
A Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion 148th Infantry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard, provides fire support from a hill top with the M240 Bravo machine gun during a call-for-fire exercise at the Camp Grayling More
Spc. Robert A. Anderson, from Brighton, Mich., Spc. Sara E. Boehringer, from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Staff Sgt. Joel Schively, from Kingsley, Mich., who work the day shift for the Grayling Fire Department on t More
Soldiers assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, perform maintenance on the tracks of the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle at a motor pool in Rukl More
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army veteran, greets Maj. Matthew P. Weberg, brigade chaplain, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, during the se More
Sgt. 1st Class Robby Burns, acting first sergeant assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and Staff Sgt. Sostakas, assigned to Lithuanian Armed Forces analyze range schematics and safety measur More
Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and soldiers assigned to the Lithuanian Armed Forces execute a combined arms live-fire exercise to demonstrate joint maneuvering capability and fi More
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, carry a simulated casualty to a fortified, safe position during a room clearing exercise as part of Iron Sword 2014 on Nov. 4,2014. This More
Latvian air force Commander Col. Aivars Mezors (foreground) observers paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct an airfield seizure at Lielvarde Airfield, Latvia, More
Paratroopers with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conduct a tactical airborne operation at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, May 20, 2014. Approximately 600 paratroopers from the 173r More
Joint fires observers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and a Latvian Joint terminal attack controller (right), take part in a Baltic forces regional training event at Militar More
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, shovel mounds of rocks to be set around small bodies of water to prevent erosion May 30, 2014 at the Zva More
Latvian Private Andi Gruduls (left), a member of the Latvian Land Forces 1st Battalion, yells as he attempts to pin the arm of U.S. Army Pfc. Nicholas Bedwell, a paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry R More
First Lt. Bryce Starratt (right), company fire support officer with Company A, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, stands beside Latvian army forward observers critiquing mortar accu More
Pfc. Tyler Sumpter with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., takes a brush-covered, defensive firing position during a situat More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, Rhode Island Army National Guard, stabilize their M777 A-1 howitzer by dropping its laterally mounted spades into the ground at More
Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment prepare to ground the M777A1 howitzer with the CH-47 Chinook during an artillery raid exercise on Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver More
Staff Sgt. Devin Piraino, section chief assigned to gun two, Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 201st Field Artillery Regiment, West Virginia National Guard, barrels rounds from the M2 .50-caliber machine gun down r More
First Sgt. Bryan Dick and Sgt. Eric Wolschleger, Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard, extract used shells fired from the M240G machine gun mount More
Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion 148th Infantry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard, provide hill-top fire support while others assault across the objective using two M240 Bravo machine guns and three M4 semi More
Sgt. Brandon Torres, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, bounds across his objective lane after reacting to fire during a bunker assault exercise at a More
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army veteran,, visits with Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division on a Lithuanian military More
Soldiers from C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and their Lithuanian army counterparts assigned to Lithuanian Armed Forces prepare for a combined arms live-fire exercise at a military installation ne More
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and their counterparts from the Lithuanian Armed Forces display their weapons and vehicles in front of a crowd of Lithuanian civilian medi More
1st Lt. Brian Blair, platoon leader assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, directs military policemen assigned to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, through an objective building to be searched, dur More
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh greets paratroopers assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, May 20, 2014. The “Sky Soldiers” from the 173rd Airborne had just parachuted More
U.S. Army Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, eat lunch alongside Latvian military police soldiers May 30, More
U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Crisci (left), a paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, grimaces as Latvian Pfc. Andres Vaivods, a member of the Latvian Land Forces 1st Battalio More
Pfc. Forest Weinheimer (right) with Company A, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, fires a mortar from the M224-A1 mortar system as part of a combined joint live-fire exercise with t More
A Charlie Company Soldier with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., armed with his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, maintains a steady fire positi More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, Rhode Island Army National Guard, stage their M777 A-1 howitzer to perform a position occupation as part of the eXportable Comb More
Soldiers assigned to gun one, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, sling load the M777A1 howitzer with the CH-47 Chinook during an artillery raid exercise on More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 201st Artillery Regiment, West Virginia National Guard roll through a situational training exercise lane on the M109A6 Paladin during the eXportable Combat Tra More
First Sgt. Bryan Dick and Sgt. Eric Wolschleger, Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Battalion, Wisconsin National Guard, fly above Camp Grayling Joint Maneuever Training Center on More
Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion 148th Infantry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard, assault across and objective during a call-for-fire exercise on the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center Aug. 17, 20 More
Spc. Donta Damper, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, fires his M4 rifle from a concealed firing position during a bunker assault exercise at a Lithua More
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army veteran, speaks with Soldiers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, about their experience abroad More
Capt. Christopher Sims, commander of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, directs attention down the firing range and discusses firing points with Sgt. 1st Class Robby Burns, acting first sergeant assig More
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and their allied partners assigned to the Lithuanian Armed Forces wait to board their vehicles before participating in a combined arms liv More
Soldiers assigned the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, work alongside military policeman assigned to Lithuanian Land Forces during a room clearing exercise as part of Iron Sword 2014, a 2-week lon More
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh eats lunch with paratroopers assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia on May 20, 2014. McHugh was in Latvia t More
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, dig a ditch to prepare it for concrete while constructing a chicken coop May 30, 2014, at the Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home in More
U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Crisci (right), a paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, comes close to pinning the arm of fellow paratrooper Spc. Cody Luke during an arm-wrestl More
Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, secure their battery's perimeter with direct fire from a fortified position at the 40 Complex o More
Pfc. Peter Mathew, a Soldier assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Artillery Regiment, Rhode Island Army National Guard, observes M777 A-1 howitzer deflection angles measured for indirect fire capabil More
Soldiers assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment prepare the M777A1 howitzer for a firing mission after an artillery raid exercise using the CH-47 Chinook for sling load opera More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 201st Artillery Regiment, West Virginia National Guard are directed by their section chief on maneuvering tactics while moving through a battery defense lane d More
Soldiers assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, execute dismounted security around the M1126 Stryker Combat Vehicle in response to a simulated improvised explosive device that hit their convoy More
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army veteran, greets Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, during the senator's visit to More
Sgt. 1st Class Robby Burns, acting first sergeant assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and Staff Sgt. Sostakas, assigned to Lithuanian Armed Forces discusses range groundwork and anticipated More
Maj. Gen. Michael A. Bills, 1st Cavalry Division commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew L. Barteky, 1st Cav. Div., stand beside their Lithuanian counterparts, Maj. Gen. Almantas Leika, Land Forces commander, a More
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Lithuanian Land Forces perform search procedures on simulated POWs during a house clearing exercise at a military training area near P More
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh (right) and 173rd Airborne Brigade commander Col. Michael L. Foster (left) observe paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) landing at Lielvarde A More
U.S. Army Pvt. Joel Samson (left), a paratrooper assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, carries logs to be chopped for firewood May 30, 2014 at the Zvanninieki Alternative F More
An allied team of U.S. and Latvian soldiers ham it up for a group shot June 2, 2014, following the first known U.S. vs. Latvia arm-wrestling tournament to be held on Adazi Military Base, Latvia. Paratroopers wi More
Infantrymen assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., scout their perimeter while maintaining cover and concealment du More
Soldiers assigned to 1st Platoon, Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, Rhode Island Army National Guard, transport the M777 A-1 howitzer during a tactical convoy as part of the eXportab More
Pfc. Brent Kearns, assigned to gun two, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment pulls the lanyard of the M777A1 howitzer after an artillery raid exercise that brought the cannon to firing More
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Hoban, assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 201st Artillery Regiment, West Virginia National Guard, critiques his Soldiers' execution of a battery defense exercise during an after action More
Spc. Robert Jimmy, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, clears his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon when his weapon malfunctions during a bunker assault exer More
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army veteran, converses with deployed Soldiers in Lithuania assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, More
First Lt. Louis Griffith, executive officer, C-Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, highlights firepower capability of the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the Striker Fighting Vehicle while speaking to More
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Lithuanian Land Forces, hold simulated opposing forces at a staging area to be searched during a house clearing exercise at a military More
Soldiers assigned the 1463rd Engineering Company, Michigan National Guard, roll across the 40 Complex at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center on miniature excavators prior to a live-fire exercise being More
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh (left) speaks with Michigan Army National Guard Spc. Daniel Welburn May 20, 2014 at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia. Welburn is in Latvia with the Michigan-based Shadow RQ-7B U More
A Latvian soldier cuts firewood to be used by a local Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home during a community outreach event May 30, 2014, in Vaive, Latvia. Approximately 120 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 503rd I More
Soldiers assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, working alongside Lithuanian Land Forces, discuss the order of operations and mission expectations prior to executing exercise lanes at a Lithua More
Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and their counterparts assigned to the Lithuanian Armed Forces stand before a crowd of onlookers, including local civilian media from Lithuania a More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, perform a maintenance check on the M777A2 Howitzer cannon prior to a live fire exercise on Camp Grayli More
Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh (left) reenlists Michigan Army National Guard Spc. Daniel Welburn, May 20, 2014 at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia. Welburn is in Latvia with the Michigan-based Shadow RQ-7B UA More
Two U.S. Army paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, carry firewood toward a local Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home during a community outreach event May 30, 2014, More
First Lt. Brian Blair, platoon leader assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, analyzes mission schematics, highlighting route maneuvers across the lin More
A soldier assigned to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, speaks to a crowd of Lithuanian civilian media and distinguished leadership from both the U.S. and Lithuanian Armies and highlights the specific capabilities o More
A Lithuanian soldier briefs military commanders from nine NATO countries prior to the commencement ceremony for Iron Sword 2014, a major exercise taking place on military installations near Pabrade and Rukla, L More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, guide an excavator to penetrate icy terrain along a firing point before grounding the howitzer cannon More
U.S. Army Soldiers with the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion, out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, dig a trench to supply clean water for animals outside a local Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home May 3 More
Staff Sgt. Dylan Flanders, platoon sergeant, C Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, provides guidance to Lithuanian Land Forces during a mission briefing prior t More
Soldiers assigned to C-Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, maneuver through a Lithuanian range in their Striker Fighting Vehicle during a combined arms live-fire exercise on a military installation near More
Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard dig into frigid terrain on Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center before grounding the M777A2 how More
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Erin Malapit, an officer assigned to the 500th Engineer Company, 15th Engineer Battalion based out of Grafenwoehr, Germany, plays with a child from the Zvanninieki Alternative Family Home duri More