Regardless of which branch of Service they come from or which Olympic event they will be competing in, the 16 U.S. military athletes in London right now vying for Olympic Gold have one thing in common: training, training, training …
It is not any different for the rest of our military presently serving “stateside” or dodging bullets and IEDs in Afghanistan and other places.
Whether our troops are piloting the most sophisticated aircraft, fighting an aircraft or ship fire, just firing a weapon or hoping to “survive, evade, resist and escape” (“SERE”) when marooned in deserts, mountains or wilderness or captured by the enemy, training, training, training will help them to do just that, and do it well:
Firefighters from the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron extinguish a fire started from a simulated C-130 Hercules cargo plane crash at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, during the operational readiness exercise Beverly Midnight. Each scenario tests their ability to defend the base and conduct daily operations during a heightened state of readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Pishner (left) 4th Operations Support Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist helps Maj. Don Haley, 334th Fighter Squadron pilot, don a harness during a SERE water survival course at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Nieves Camacho)
An Air Force F-15C Eagle from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, participates in the Red Flag 12-4 exercise July 20, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag provides valuable training in planning and executing a wide variety of combat missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
Marine Corps Cpl. Richard Sippl fires a 7.62mm GAU-17/A Minigun during a live-fire combat training mission during the Rim of the Pacific 2012 over the Pohakuloa Training Area in Hawaii.The exercise involves 22 nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel.
U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower practice firefighting during a drill while under way in the Arabian Sea, July 24, 2012. The Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility to conduct maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
A U.S. airman parachutes into the drop zone during a personnel recovery exercise in the Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti, July 19, 2012. The paraescueman is assigned to the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron. Members of the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and Spanish navy also participated in the exercise, which allowed pararescuemen to practice insertion, emergency medical and extraction procedures to support Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
And it is never too early to start the training, training, training…
A member from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron shows cadets how to repel down a tower at Hurlburt Field, Fla. From July 16-20, more than 40 cadets from Pensacola Air Force Junior ROTC visited base for their Summer Leadership School — a course designed to teach cadets leadership, confidence and other traits. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri )
Photos: DOD
