Today's Pix, Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

[He219]

United States Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno throws out the first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 12, 2012 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

Bea Cohen, who at 102 is the oldest living female World War II veteran in California, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers and Angels meet in an interleague baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Tuesday, June 12, 2012. When she was 4 years old Cohen saw the start of World War I when her hometown in Romania was bombed. Her family immigrated to the U.S. , where she went to work for Douglas Aircraft during World War II, but left Douglas to join the Army. The man assisting her is unidentified.

An army tank moves as it fires at positions of al Qaeda-linked militants near the southern coastal Yemeni town of Shaqra June 13, 2012. Yemen on Wednesday pressed ahead with a U.S.-backed offensive to drive al Qaeda-linked insurgents from the country's south, a day after the army notched up its biggest victory in more than a year by recapturing two strategic cities.

In this handout photo provided by the Defense Ministry, a Yemeni army soldier,left, takes cover at the frontline of fighting with al-Qaida militants near the city of Zinjibar, Yemen, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.

In this handout photo provided by the Defense Ministry, a Yemeni army soldier flees for cover at the frontline of fighting with al-Qaida militants near the city of Zinjibar, Yemen, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Yemeni troops backed by armed tribesmen routed al-Qaida on Tuesday from two southern strongholds the terror network had held for more than a year, the most significant victory so far in a monthlong offensive against a local franchise that has tried time and again to bomb U.S.-bound planes.

[-DENO-]

Sunset Salute at Sea



Marine Lt. Col. Andrew Bergen, left, and Navy Cmdr. Homer Denius salute during a ceremony aboard USS Pearl Harbor June 4, commemorating the Battle of Midway. Bergen hails from Elmwood Park, N.J., and serves as commanding officer for Combat Logistics Battalion 11, which provides logistics and services to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked the ship, as well as USS Makin Island and USS New Orleans in San Diego, Nov. 14, beginning a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific, Horn of Africa, and Middle East regions.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tommy Huynh)

M2 on the Stryker

Adazi, Latvia - Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers participated in a joint live fire exercise with Lithuanian Soldiers. The Soldiers are deployed to Latvia as part of U.S. Army in Europe's multinational security exercise Saber Strike. Lithuania is a state partner with Pennsylvania and these Soldiers join nearly 2,000 others from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. (Photo by Capt. Robert Sperling, Pennsylvania Air National Guard Public Affairs)

Live Fire Preparations

Adazi, Latvia - Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers participated in a joint live fire exercise with Lithuanian Soldiers. The Soldiers are deployed to Latvia as part of U.S. Army in Europe's multinational security exercise Saber Strike. Lithuania is a state partner with Pennsylvania and these Soldiers join nearly 2,000 others from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. (Photo by Capt. Robert Sperling, Pennsylvania Air National Guard Public Affairs)

Engaging targets

Adazi, Latvia - Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers participated in a joint live fire exercise with Lithuanian Soldiers. The Soldiers are deployed to Latvia as part of U.S. Army in Europe's multinational security exercise Saber Strike. Lithuania is a state partner with Pennsylvania and these Soldiers join nearly 2,000 others from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. (Photo by Capt. Robert Sperling, Pennsylvania Air National Guard Public Affairs)

Rounds Complete

Adazi, Latvia - Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers participated in a joint live fire exercise with Lithuanian Soldiers. The Soldiers are deployed to Latvia as part of U.S. Army in Europe's multinational security exercise Saber Strike. Lithuania is a state partner with Pennsylvania and these Soldiers join nearly 2,000 others from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. (Photo by Capt. Robert Sperling, Pennsylvania Air National Guard Public Affairs)

[Dave76]

No. 4 Squadron Combat Controllers, Sergeant G (front) and Corporal R, conducting assault zone survey training with a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer and a handheld Global Positioning System. 13/06/2012 © Commonwealth of Australia

No. 4 Squadron Combat Controllers, Sergeant G (left) and Corporal R, conducting assault zone survey training with a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer and a handheld Global Positioning System. 13/06/2012 © Commonwealth of Australia

No. 4 Squadron Combat Controllers, Sergeant G (left) and Corporal R, conducting assault zone survey training with a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer and a handheld Global Positioning System. 13/06/2012 © Commonwealth of Australia

[He219]

A Belarusian Sukhoi Su-25 jet fighter flies during a drill near the village of Pobednoe, some 30 km (19 miles) southwest of Minsk April 1, 2010. A military Sukhoi Su-25 jet fighter crashed and a pilot was killed during a drill June 12, 2012, state agency BELTA reported. Picture taken April 1, 2010.

Hires

Canadian special operations forces snipers plan an entry strategy into the sniper stalk event field June 9, 2012, at the Colombian National Training Center, Fort Tolemaida, Colombia, during Fuerzas Comando 2012. Fuerzas Comando is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored special operations skills competition and senior leader seminar that is conducted annually in Central and South America and the Caribbean. (DoD photo by Sgt. 1st Class Keith Turner, U.S. Army/Released)

[santana]

Fuerzas Comando 2012
Final Score and Standings

Fuerzas Comando, established in 2004, is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored Special Forces skills competition and senior leader seminar which is conducted annually. The event is aimed at enhancing training and strengthening regional and multinational cooperation, mutual trust, readiness and interoperability of Special Forces in the region. Special Operations Command South serves as the execution agent for the exercise.

*Colombia first place and Champions of Fuerzas Comando 2012

[Dave76]

Army soldiers man a checkpoint on a road leading to the southern Yemeni city of Zinjibar after the army retook the city from al-Qaeda-linked militants. (*******)

An 11-year-old boy holds his firearm as he attends a tribal gathering aimed at resolving local feuds in Arhab district north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa June 12, 2012. *******/Khaled Abdullah

Honor guards pay tribute to war veterans at the Heroes Pantheon as a dog walks past them in Asuncion. Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo commemorated the 77th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty that ended the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia from 1932 to 1935. (*******)

A young bonded child laborer cries as he is led away after being rescued during a raid by workers from Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or Save the Childhood Movement, at a garment factory in New Delhi, India, on June 12, 2012. Kevin Frayer / AP

A riot policeman throws stones at protesters during clashes in the Ettadhamen district of the capital Tunis June 12, 2012. Tunisian police have detained 86 people after Salafi Islamists, angered by an art exhibition they say insults Islam, rioted overnight and clashed with police who tried to disperse them, an interior ministry media official said on Tuesday. *******/Zoubeir Souissi

FILE--Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower visits paratroopers, including Bill Hayes, at center behind Ike's right hand, in England on June 5, 1944, moments before the troops boarded transport planes bound for Normandy and the June 6 D-Day invasion. Hayes, who now lives in Fargo, N.D., recalls how he told Eisenhower that he was "damned scared" before the mission, his first combat jump of the war. This photo became a pre-invasion classic and continues to bring Hayes a measure of celebrity.
Not many know the story behind the iconic photo of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower speaking with a group of U.S. paratroopers on the eve of the D-Day invasion. Former Sun librarian Susan S. Waters told reporter Frederick N. Rasmussen details of the encounter for a story published in The Sun in 1999. Wallace C. Strobel, the young paratrooper with the blackened face and jumpmaster’s No. 23 standing in front of Eisenhower in the photo, was in fact, Waters’ stepfather. So what did Ike say to the soldiers? The obvious guess would be that Eisenhower was rallying the paratroopers with words of victory, a great crusade and defeating the Nazis, but as Rasmussen wrote, it was actually fishing that was the topic of conversation. (AP Photo/File)

Russian ex-spy Anna Chapman, center, walks a Turkish catwalk flanked by two men posing as secret agents at a fashion show in Antalya, Turkey. AP

[He219]

Nice pix guys!

Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, chief of staff of the U.S. Army, throws a ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium June 12, 2012 before the interleague game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Odierno also led a special swearing-in ceremony for Army recruits on the field. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Thousands of participants ran in the Fort Bragg 16th Annual Army Birthday 10-miler at Fort Bragg on June 8. The race included individual age group and team competitions in men’s, women’s and mixed divisions.

Hires

TAN TAN, Morocco (June 8, 2012) Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3, Det. Morocco, run up a sand dune during a physical training session. NMCB 3 is an expeditionary naval construction element assigned to U.S. 6th Fleet's commander, Task Force 68, to provide construction, engineering and security services that support national strategy, naval power projection, humanitarian assistance and contingency operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Construction Electrician 3rd Class Rebecca Wydeen/Released)

Hires

NORFOLK (June 10, 2012) Quartermaster 1st Class Rafael Yebra, assigned to Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, instructs a visitor during Operation Sail 2012 (OPSAIL). OPSAIL, a gathering of military and independently owned tall ships from nine different countries, intends to promote goodwill among nations, inspire patriotism and foster interest in American maritime history and heritage. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte/Released)

Hires

PACIFIC OCEAN (June 12, 2012) A Chilean special forces team prepares to enter the centerline passageway of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36) after boarding the ship. Underwood is deployed to Central and South America and the Caribbean in support of Southern Seas 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Frank J. Pikul/Released)

Hires

PALANGA, Lithuania (June 11, 2012) Lithuanian special forces members lie in formation on a beach during a Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2012 amphibious operation exercise. This is the 40th iteration of BALTOPS, a maritime exercise intended to improve interoperability with partner nations by conducting realistic training at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Troutman/Released)

Hires

PALANGA, Lithuania (June 11, 2012) Lithuanian Special Forces members lie in formation on a beach during a Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2012 amphibious operation exercise. This is the 40th iteration of BALTOPS, a maritime exercise intended to improve interoperability with partner nations by conducting realistic training at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Troutman/Released)

[He219]

Hires

ARABIAN GULF (June 11, 2012) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Kestrels of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137 launches from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua E. Walters/Released)

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Said Jalili (R) meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) in Tehran on June 13, 2012. Lavrov reiterated Russia's opposition to unilateral sanctions imposed by Western countries that are hurting Iran's oil export-dependent economy.

Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, attends a parade in Moscow May 9, 2012. A prominent investigative reporter claims he had to leave Russia after receiving death threats from Bastrykin, in a forest near Moscow, where he was taken by the official's bodyguards, his paper said on Wednesday. Picture taken May 9, 2012.

[santana]

Fuerzas Comando 2012
Airborne Event

Fuerzas Comando, established in 2004, is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored Special Forces skills competition and senior leader seminar which is conducted annually. The event is aimed at enhancing training and strengthening regional and multinational cooperation, mutual trust, readiness and interoperability of Special Forces in the region. Special Operations Command South serves as the execution agent for the exercise. this year the event is taking place in Tolemaida Military Fort in Colombia at the Colombian Army National Training Center.

A special operations forces paratrooper participates in a multi-national airborne jump over the Colombian National Training Center as the Fuerzas Comando exercise at Fort Tolemaida comes to a close.

[Dave76]

A CH-46 comes in to land at Forward Operating Base Mirwais in Uruzgan Province, bringing the first elements of the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Battle Group to take over from Mentoring Task Force 4. The advance party for 3RAR Battle Group has arrived at Forward Operating Base Mirwais as part of the mentoring effort for the Afghan National Army in Uruzgan province. Soldiers arrived by helicopter from Multi National Base Tarin Kot after completing RSO&I training. Members from 3RAR Battle Group disembarked the aircraft and were greeted at the entrance gate of the Forward Operating Base. Photo by Corporal Hamish Paterson. 12/06/2012 © Commonwealth of Australia

A CH-46 unloads the first elements of the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Battle Group at Forward Operating Base Mirwais in Chora, Afghanistan.M Photo by Corporal Hamish Paterson. 12/06/2012 © Commonwealth of Australia

[Lugiahua]

what unit is the CH-46 from? never seen the bright red/white paint before.

[the breacher]

civilian coy

[Dave76]

what unit is the CH-46 from? never seen the bright red/white paint before.

Boeing Vertol 107-II N6674D operated by Columbia Helicopters Inc. providing airlift for ISAF.

[kiss0]

Columbia Helicopters.

Damn it, you beat me!

[hogdriver]

HiRes

The 23rd Bomb Squadron sent a B-52H Stratofortress on a 24-hour Global Power mission from Minot Air Force Base to France and Germany, then back to Minot in early May. The mission included four aerial refuelings, with one being a French tanker. (Courtesy photo)

HiRes

The 23rd Bomb Squadron sent a B-52H Stratofortress on a 24-hour Global Power mission from Minot Air Force Base to France and Germany, then back to Minot in early May. The mission included four aerial refuelings, with one being a French tanker. (Courtesy photo)

HiRes

The 23rd Bomb Squadron sent a B-52H Stratofortress on a 24-hour Global Power mission from Minot Air Force Base to France and Germany, then back to Minot in early May. The mission included four aerial refuelings, with one being a French tanker. (Courtesy photo)

HiRes

6/13/2012 - Staff Sgt. Derrick Bell marshals an F-22 on the runway before conducting an end of runway inspection during the 477th Fighter Group Unit Training Assembly weekend here June 9. During an end of runway inspection the maintainers inspect the landing gear, hydraulic systems, weapons systems and all exterior panels and doors for leaks, loose or missing hardware or other damage that would be unsafe for flight.

HiRes

Two U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., return to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, after completing a combat training mission June 11, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2. Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units. The entire exercise takes place in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska as well as a portion of Western Canada for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles.

HiRes

A German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon takes off from Eielson AFB, Alaska, for a combat training mission June 11, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2. Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units. The entire exercise takes place in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska as well as a portion of Western Canada for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles.

HiRes

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. takes off from Eielson AFB, Alaska, for a combat training mission June 11, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2. Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units. The entire exercise takes place in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska as well as a portion of Western Canada for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles.

HiRes

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, takes off from Eielson AFB, Alaska, for a combat training mission June 12, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2.

HiRes

Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units. The entire exercise takes place in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska as well as a portion of Western Canada for a total airspace of more than 67,000 square miles.

HiRes

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. takes off from Eielson AFB, Alaska, for a combat training mission June 12, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2. Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, joint/coalition, tactical air combat employment exercise which corresponds to the operational capability of participating units.

HiRes

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 18th Aggressors Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, takes off from for a combat training mission June 12, 2012, during Red Flag-Alaska 12-2.