This is the second “installment” of the best photographs taken in 2012 by U.S. military photographers “of troops as they conduct operations around the world, compete in athletic events such as the Olympics, and reunite with their families.”
You can view the first set of photographs here and the entire American Forces Press Service set of photographs here.
(All photos and captions are courtesy of the Department of Defense)
U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Smith chats with an Afghan boy during a combined patrol clearing operation in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, April 28, 2012. Smith is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
U.S. Army Pfc. Kristina Batty dons a headscarf to meet with female Afghan villagers in Afghanistan’s southern Ghazni province, May 5, 2012. Batty, a medic for a female engagement team, is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with a child with the TAPS organization at the 18th annual TAPS National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp in Arlington, Va., May 25, 2012. TAPS, or Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, is a nonprofit group that supports surviving families of fallen service members. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen
As seen through a night-vision device, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Sam Enriquez, and his K-9 partner Kally, take part in night operations training during the Inter-service Advanced Skills K-9 course, at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Sept. 25, 2012. Enriquez, a military working dog handler, is assigned to 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion, stationed in Okinawa, Japan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aaron Diamant
Soldiers jump to catch mini-footballs during the Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Jan. 7, 2012. The soldiers are assigned to advanced individual training units. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade
Marines take a break during swim practice for the 2012 Warrior Games at Colorado Springs, Colo., April 25, 2012. The Warrior Games offers competitions for wounded warriors in swimming, track and field, cycling, shooting, archery, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. The competition ran from May 1-5, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron Hostutler
As seen through a night-vision device, U.S. Army paratroopers and Afghan soldiers travel aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an air assault mission in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, May 4, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
A soldier assists a family displaced by Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, N.J., Oct. 31, 2012. The soldier is assigned to the New Jersey National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joseph Davis
Marines stand against the wall inside a gas chamber during a training exercise on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Aug. 21, 2012. Unit members spent a day at the facility refreshing their knowledge and skills on the M40 gas mask, practice grenades, fragmentation grenades, martial arts and infantryman tactics. The Marines are assigned to Bravo Company, Marine Barracks Washington. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Dengrier Beaz
U.S. Marines clean their M1A1 Abrams battle tank after a day of training during Exercise African Lion 2012 on Cap Draa, Morocco, April 10, 2012. The Marines are assigned to the 4th Tank Battalion, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler L. Main
Marine Corps Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin, an Iraq War veteran, tells the story of his facial reconstruction while attending a reception to honor Iraq War veterans in Crystal City, Va., Feb. 29, 2012. About 80 such veterans gathered at the reception before going to the White House attend a dinner in their honor. DOD photo by Linda Hosek
President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army Spc. 4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr. and presents it to Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., May 16, 2012. Sabo was killed in action in Cambodia in 1970 while saving the lives of fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War. U.S. Army photo by Eboni Everson-Myart
Top Photo: Two paratroopers and a trainer run through a smokescreen during a live-fire exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center on Fort Polk, La., Jan. 14, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.