FORT POLK, La. -- U.S. Air Force aerial porters from the 570th Contingency Response Group at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., conduct a shift change at Geronimo Landing Zone on Fort Polk, La. Oct 15, 2012. The CRG was supporting Joint Readiness Training Exercise Decisive Action. The exercise includes emphasis on joint forcible entry, phased deployment with an airborne parachute operation, a combined noncombatant evacuation, combine arms maneuver, wide area security, unconventional warfare and unified land operations in a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres) (Released)

Army Spc. Marquis Talbot, a cargo specialist with the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element in Fort Eustis, Va., straps simulated disaster-relief supplies to a flat-rack pallet on the flight line of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 7, 2013, as part of Exercise Gateway Relief, a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-response scenario. The 689th is joining with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group to stand up and operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening through Aug. 9. The JTF-PO, which combines an Air Force Aerial Port of Debarkation with an Army trucking and distribution unit, ensures the smooth flow of relief supplies into affected areas by airlift and coordinates final distribution over land. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

A U.S. Soldier of 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division investigates a vehicle while conducting recon patrol operations during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Feb. 26, 2016. The KFOR MRE 21 is based on the current operational environment and is designed to prepare the unit for peace support, stability, and contingency operations in Kosovo in support of civil authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Malik Gibson/Not Reviewed)

As part of the ongoing Africa Contingency Operations Training & Assistance (ACOTA) program, Sgt. 1st Class Grady Hyatt, USARAF ACOTA military mentor, talk to members of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces to conduct peacekeeping operations in Darfur.

Photo by U.S. Army Africa

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

The Sig Sauer P320C 9mm: polymer-framed pistol that's currently the most operator-safety focused striker duty pistol on the market today.

Contingency X Sig Sauer P320C Unboxing: youtu.be/BSQnWnBwlCo

ORLANDO, Fla. - In today’s complex and high tempo operational environment, America’s Army Reserve to rapidly deploy highly trained units to any corner of the world with the personnel and equipment they have on hand. With multiple contingencies and numerous potential threats capable of employing cutting-edge tactics with modern military equipment, the Army Reserve looks to its premiere sustainers such the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) to lead, train and equip its 10,000-Soldier command.

In taking the first, major step toward achieving this vital mission, the 143d ESC conducted a Mission Training Brief Feb. 2-3, 2018, at the command’s headquarters in Orlando, Fla.

“An MTB promotes cohesion through collaboration,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Walter L. Flinn, commander, 332nd Transportation Terminal Battalion. “It offers a forum for commanders to share their successes and shortcomings while seeking and offering guidance among their fellow leaders.”

Led by U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Kotulich, commanding general, 143d ESC, the MTB featured dozens of senior leaders from the company to the ESC level whose wealth of knowledge and experience offered solutions to a myriad of logistical challenges.

“The expectation of having several months to bring your Soldiers up to speed at a pre-mobilization station is coming to an end,” Kotulich announced to dozens of battalion and brigade commanders and command sergeants majors huddled in the conference room. “We must assume that we will mobilize at a moment’s notice, and it’s our responsibility that we physically and mentally prepare every Soldier for the rigors of combat through realistic training.”

Kotulich expects every downtrace unit to spend less time in classrooms and more time in the field. This focus on individual and collective readiness stems from the U.S. Army Reserve Command’s Ready Force X initiative.

“Ready Force X is the Army Reserve’s answer to the [U.S.] Army’s demand for properly equipped and highly trained Soldiers who can rapidly deploy into combat,” said U.S. Army Col. Wanda Williams, commander, 641st Regional Sustainment Group. “Almost half of the 143d ESC’s downtrace units must meet the strict criteria established by Ready Force X’s “Fight Fast” mentality. This MTB offers precious time for commanders to obtain timely information needed to properly execute the numerous requirements to maintain a constantly high state of readiness.”

While Kotulich entrusts her fellow officers to formulate plans and carry out the Army Reserve’s “Fight Fast” initiative, she relies on her command sergeants major to refine the tasks required to carry out their commanding general’s intent.

“There are 43 individual training requirements that every unit must complete before reporting to a pre-mobilization site,” said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos O. Lopes, command sergeant major, 143d ESC. “As NCOs, we are responsible for providing effective training that ensures every Soldier has mastered these fundamental skills that directly determine one’s survivability on the battlefield.”

“NCOs can only do this if they understand their commanders’ intent,” added Command Sgt. Maj. Kenyatta S. Stamps, command sergeant major, 787th Combat Support and Sustainment Battalion. “The MTB allows us to hear those intentions firsthand and develop effective techniques and tactics to achieve them.”

These techniques and tactics encompass a variety of tasks that enhance speed, agility and sustained readiness at the individual, team and unit level. From warrior drills to medical readiness, commanders must meticulously manage finite time and resources to crystallize the Army Reserve’s strategic vision and implement the 143d ESC’s operational mission.

“Ready Force X is about leadership, energy and execution,” said Flinn. “Commanders must own the responsibility for readiness. Establishing an open dialog among senior leaders remains paramount to understanding not only what we do but how we do it.”

With more than half of the 143d ESC falls under the Ready Force X umbrella, every unit and Soldier must face the challenges if they are to reap the awards of transforming America’s Army Reserve into the most lethal and capable federal reserve force in U.S. history.

“America demands highly trained and proficient Soldiers, and the Army Reserve is blessed to have motivated men and women ready to endure the hardships inherent in armed conflict,” said Williams. “That’s why I tell my Soldiers, ‘Don’t worry about the names. Just be ready. Be ready now!”

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal members along with U.S. Air Force 36th Contingency Response Group Airmen attached to Joint Task Force 505 work together to repair the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 10, 2015. The Nepalese officials and Airmen teamed up to conduct necessary repairs to the airfield after it sustained damage following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. In response to the Nepal earthquake, the U.S. military sent Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors as part of JTF 505 to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Nepal at the direction of U.S. Agency for International Development. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)

An aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group places a pallet of in-bound humanitarian aid in the cargo yard of Joint Task Force-Port Opening Senegal at Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 2, 2014. The cargo, which includes medical supplies and troop-support equipment, will be airlifted to Liberia aboard U.S. Air Force C-130s in support of Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)

SOUTH CHINA SEA (March 2, 2018) Marines, assigned to the 3d Marine Division (MARDIV), fire M4 carbines during a live-fire exercise on the starboard aircraft elevator of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). Bonhomme Richard is operating in the Indo-Pacific region as part of a regularly scheduled patrol and provides a rapid-response capability in the event of a regional contingency or natural disaster. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Sykes/Released)

U.S. Army paratrooper Capt. Donald Vance (left), C Battery commander of 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, assists a Moldovan Special Forces Battalion soldier donning his T-11 parachute as part of a multinational airborne training at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, April 10, 2015. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the Army contingency response force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central commands areas of responsibility within 18 hours. (U.S. Army Photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/released)

'Doc' explains possible treatments for Soldier's aches and pains.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – 1st. Lt. Michael Lohse, the officer in charge of the Physical Therapy clinic at Contingency Operating Base Speicher suggests possible remedies for lower back pain to a patient Jan. 13, 2011. Lohse, of Ettrick, Wis., is one of two medical personnel assigned to the 256th Combat Support Hospital responsible for the operation of the COB Speicher Physical Therapy clinic. The 256th CSH, an Army Reserve unit based out of Twinsburg, Ohio, is responsible for three physical therapy clinics in U.S. Division North.

(U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. David Strayer, 109th MPAD, USD-N PAO)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sergeant 1st Class Bobby “Smoke” Brewster, field artillery platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Battery B, 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, reviews a maintenance checklist for an M198 155mm howitzer with 2nd Iraqi Army Division soldiers during a training exercise at the Ghuzlani Eagle Training Site, July 19, 2011.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Terence Ewings, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD-N)

Paint as Material Contingency

Exhibition in the Artlab by the Third Year Advanced Painting class (VAS 3310).

October 31 - November 14, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 6, 2014,

Participating student artists from VAS 3310

Sophie Bisnaire

Danielle Brideau

Michelle Bunton

Tabitha Chan

Christie Constantine

Cayley Cowan

Emilie Currie

Yara El Safi

Corry Faulkner

Angela Ferreira

Jacob Freeman

Brenda Fuhrman

Ella Gonzales

Karissa Hill

Alexandra Kalifer

Sophia Lloyd-Jones

Rowan McCormick

Jasmine Park

Faith Patrick

Andrea Polzer

Robin Scott

Abby Vincent

Daniel Welsh

Carina Wharton

By installing your artwork in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, you agree to have it photographed and release all rights in and consent to the use of this photo for all legal purposes. Would you like to see your work properly captioned? vrlibrary@uwo.ca

© 2014; Department of Visual Arts; Western University

modification controlled by Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Special Traffic Operations, Traffic and Transportation Management Plan, and Program Contingency Engineers during the operation for the Los Angeles Marathon Mile 2 from the Start Line of Dodger Stadium to the Avenue of the Stars Race Course Route in Century City Finish Line replaced the Santa Monica Finish Line of its extended race course route to the Sea of Santa Monica Bay next to Pacific Ocean, College Street traffic signal green lights, left turn protected permissive green yellow lights and pedestrian crosswalk crossing white walking lights, Chinatown Central Plaza Mid-Block PED XING Pedestrian Crosswalk Crossing, straight green arrow lights and Bernard Street intersection traffic signal green lights located at Chinatown Los Angeles, California 90012. This intersection is frequently used and it is so busy periodically.

The former G.D.P. route was on Northbound Broadway (ended here until 2000) from Cesar E. Chavez Avenue to Bernard Street and Southbound Hill Street at Ord Street took place here until 2006.

The new current G.D.P. route travelled Southbound Broadway and made a left turn at East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and ENDED at New High and Spring Streets for parade floats disbanding zone since February 2007 to February 2012 but now this Golden Dragon Parade route on Southbound Broadway turns right to Westbound Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and ENDS at Grand Avenue for parade floats disbanding zone since February 2013 to present.

This signalised intersection sits next to Dynasty Plaza Shopping Centre opened in 1991

洛杉磯中國城華埠金福珠寶金行及香港三和良記燒臘麵家北百老滙及愛盼街交叉十字路口

This is the continuous Ciclavia Heart of Los Angeles Car-Free Open-Streets Bicycle Route

This intersection is a vehicle crossing point during CicLAvia automobile-free route

@chinatownla @lachinatown @chinatownlosangeles @losangeleschinatown @dynastycenter @dynastyplaza @chinatowncentralplaza @LAMarathon @LosAngelesMarathon

#chinatownla #lachinatown #chinatownlosangeles #losangeleschinatown #northbroadway #broadwayalpine #alpinebroadway #alpinestreet #westalpinestreet #dynastycenter #dynastyplaza #firecrackerla #firecracker10k #firecracker10krun #firecracker10k2022 #LAMarathon #LosAngelesMarathon #lamarathonstadiumtothestars #stadiumtothestars

A soldier with the 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, prepares for the battalion quality assurance inspection at the Wrangler Dome on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. (Photo by Master Sgt. Oren E. Rae)

...jorge and his eight-footer, entertaining the leather contingencies prior to walking the parade route!

Senior Airman Bryant Lurty, 621st Contingency Response Squadron Aerial Port team member, shows Flight Lt. Nicola Durie, Royal New Zealand Air Force air movements, the controls to a forklift during a Joint Readiness Training exercise at Alexandria International Airport, LA. April 17, 2016. JRTC is a multinational exercise focused on pre-deployment and airdrop capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua King)

U.S. Army Africa Commander Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Donahue II awards the Army Commendation Medal to Navy Cmdr. Stephen Motter, Monday, May 13.

Donahue recognized a group of military personal who supported U.S. Army Africa operations from Feb. 19 to May 10. According to the citiation, their exceptional leadership, planning ability and expertise was invaluable to the successes of USARAF. In doing so, the command met or exceeded all requirements in sychonizing Department of Defense efforts in Mali. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Wil Patterson)

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Senior noncommissioned officers in U.S. Army Africa Contingency Command Post work together to move heavy tent pieces into place. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Sgt. 1st Class Will Patterson)

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Captain Rodney Saunders, head emergency room nurse, 256th Combat Support Hospital, explains CSH trauma room procedures to 1st Lt. Ayyub, a nurse assigned to the Iraqi Air Force Academy Clinic at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Aug. 9, 2011. Saunders, who hails from Fredricktown, Ohio, explained to his Iraqi counterpart, that in order to serve their patients in life threatening situations, they must maintain rigid organization of equipment.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, USD – N PAO)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – U.S. Division-North and 4th Infantry Division commanding general, Maj. Gen. David G. Perkins, speaks with leadership from the Ninewa Operations Command and 3rd Federal Police Division following the 2nd Battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division’s completion of a month-long training rotation at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, May 26, 2011. Perkins joined U.S. Soldiers assigned to 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, to observe Iraqi soldiers’ combat skills during a culminating battalion-level live fire exercise.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Terence Ewings, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD-N)

A multinational team comprised of U.S. Air Force engineers with the 36th Contingency Response Group, Joint Task Force (JTF) 505, a member of the Disaster Assistance Response Team, and a Nepalese civil engineer with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, determine the geotechnical engineering properties of the soil at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal, May 8, 2015. The team tested the soil to determine its stability following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal, April 25. The pavement evaluation tested to see if there were any significant changes to the soil beneath the runway since the earthquake. Any changes could restrict weight limitations to incoming flights in order to prevent any runway damage. JTF-505 works in conjunction with USAID and the international community to provide unique capabilities to assist Nepal. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by MCIPAC Combat Camera Staff Sgt. Jeffrey D. Anderson/Released)

U.S. Army Africa 1st Lt. Salvatore Buzzurro, Africa Contingency Operations Training & Assistance program military mentor, conducts a class on troop leading procedures to members of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces in anticipation of upcoming peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Sudan. Photo by U.S. Army Africa.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica

Family members, friends, fellow Soldiers and Virginia Guard senior leaders bid a formal farewell to the Soldiers of the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group Feb. 8, 2014, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Virginia Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters of the 8th District, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Green, the Virginia National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Col. Michelle Rose, commander of the 329th RSG, Lt. Col. Michael Waterman, commander of the 529th CSSB, Lt. Col. Brent Carey, team leader of the 1944th CCT, and Capt. Bert Hankins, commander of the 1945th CCT, were among the speakers at the ceremony. The four-Soldier team will now head to Camp Shelby, Miss., for premobilization training before they head to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Clark Morgan, 36th Mobility Response Squadron Contingency Engineer Flight commander with Joint Task force 505, talks with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal members while they repair the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 10. The Nepalese officials and Airmen teamed up to conduct necessary repairs to the airfield after it sustained damage following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. In response to the Nepal earthquake, the U.S. military sent Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors as part of JTF 505 to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Nepal at the direction of U.S. Agency for International Development. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)

131204-M-UY849-769

RIMBA AIR BASE, Brunei - Brunei Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah, Prince 'Abdul Wakeelat and their friends receive pins from Lt. Col. Joseph S. Lee Dec. 4 at Rimba Air Base, Brunei, during the 4th Biennial Brunei Darussalam International Defense Exhibition and Conference. The five-day event includes displays and demonstrations of military equipment, with the theme of bridging the capability gap. BRIDEX 13 is an opportunity for communication and cooperation with regional partners and allies, builds strong multilateral relationships and enhances preparedness for disasters and other contingency operations. U.S. participation in BRIDEX 13 demonstrates cooperative engagement with Brunei and continued commitment to regional security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Lee is the executive officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

This exposure is the first of two that Charlie Duke took to advance the film in this magazine, before removing it from the camera. It shows the hand-controller. A detail

www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a16/a16JY-WristMirror17744orig.jpg

shows John's wrist mirror.

And if that isn't enough...

www.history.nasa.gov/alsj/alsj-FrameCounter_WristMirror.html

Even a "throw-away" shot/fram reveals cool stuff!

All of the above garnered from the ALSJ.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Calvary Division, handing out gifts to children at an orphanage in Tikrit, Iraq, Sept. 12, 2011. The infantrymen gave out school supplies, personal care items and clothing to the children. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Crystal Hudson, 29th MPAD, USD – N PAO)

Maj. Matthew Symonds embraces his daughter, Kylie Jo at Rapid City Regional Airport on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 after spending 9 months deployed to Afghanistan. Symonds is a part of the 1978th Contingency Contracting Team, which is responsible for assisting with the development and administration of contracting support plans, policy and appendices in support of operational, contingency and deliberate plans. He retunred with Sgt. 1st Class Jack Hahne, which concludes the 1978th's deployment.

Tech. Sgt. Jerrod Blanford, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, spots a forklift as it unloads cargo from a Kentucky Air Guard C-130 Hercules during Capstone '14, a homeland earthquake-response exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., on June 17, 2014. The 123rd CRG is joining with the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening here from June 16 to 19, 2014. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Pictured:

Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.

As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.

Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.

“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”

Ten Tors:

As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.

The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.

Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.

It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.

They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.

NOTE TO DESKS:

MoD release authorised handout images.

All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.

Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)

Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk

richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk

shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk

Si Longworth - 07414 191994

Richard Watt - 07836 515306

Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723

The final convoy for 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, Virginia Army National Guard heads out of Contingency Operating Base Adder, Dec. 2. (Photo by Spc. Anthony Zane, 362nd MPAD)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – Spc. Stephon McIntyre, with B Company, 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and a native of Anderson, S.C. rides in the back of a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle during a Sustainment Replenishment Operation in southern Iraq, Aug. 24, 2011. The Soldiers of B Company are responsible for the movement of supplies throughout southern Iraq. (U.S. Army Photo by 1st Lt. Justin Hackett, 215th BSB, 3AAB, 1st Cav. Div.)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 15, 2017) Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Kenneth Rettig from Gastonia, N.C., left, and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Gerald Vaughan from Vancouver, Wash., both assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), load rounds into a .50-caliber machine gun on the ship’s forecastle during a live-fire exercise. Ashland, with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance partnerships and be a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay/Released)

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, augmented by troops from the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard units in multiple states, dowload relief supplies from aircraft around the clock at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the wake of Hurricane Maria Oct. 6, 2017. The unit’s Airmen established an aerial port of debarkation upon arrival here Sept. 23, and have processed more than 7.2 million pounds of cargo and humanitarian aid for distribution in the first three weeks of the operation. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Dale Greer)

004. Maj. Michael Lowe, commander for the Bismarck-based 1919th Contingency Contracting Team, speaks with Sen. Heidi Heitkamp during a Freedom Salute ceremony Dec. 7 at Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck. Lowe and three other members of the highly specialized unit recently returned from a yearlong deploment to Afghanistan and other areas of Southwest Asia. The Freedom Salute campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history, designed to publicly acknowledge Army Guard Soldiers and those who supported them during missions in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Jungels/Released)

For more on the North Dakota National Guard, check out:

Website: www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NDNationalGuard

YouTube: www.youtube.com/NDNationalGuard

Twitter: www.twitter.com/NDNationalGuard

Copyright information: www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/news/pressroom/Pages/Copyright.aspx

Lt. Col. Richard M. Scott, commander of the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, works to secure his T-11 parachute after successfully exiting a C-130 Hercules Alaska Air National Guard aircraft Dec. 12, 2013 at the Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Scott and his unit exited the aircraft from the tailgate with a full arctic combat load, demonstrating their unique ability to rapidly deploy troops into arctic environments in response to a variety of contingencies. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Smith/Released)

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group unload a Kentucky Air Guard C-130 Hercules during Capstone '14, a homeland earthquake-response exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., on June 17, 2014. The 123rd CRG is joining with the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening here from June 16 to 19, 2014. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Chaplain (Cpt.) Young Jin Jung, chaplain, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, talking with Pfc. William Norris, his assistant, at the chapel on Contingency Operating Site Warrior, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2011.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kandi Huggins, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD-N)

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 689th Rapid Port Opening Element in Fort Eustis, Va., load simulated disaster-relief supplies onto a Load Handling System truck on the flight line of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., on Aug. 7, 2013 as part of Exercise Gateway Relief, a U.S. Transportation Command-directed earthquake-relief scenario. The cargo will be hauled to a forward node, where it will be staged for further movement over land by trucks. The 689th is teaming up with the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group through Aug. 9 for the exercise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer/Released)

Synergy.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE, Iraq – Lt. Col. Ardrelle Evans, Provincial Police Transition Team Chief for Kirkuk Province, meets with Kirkuk Provincial Director of Police, Maj. Gen. Jamal Tahr Bakr during a cordon and search operation in Kirkuk City, Iraq, Jan. 25, 2011. During the search, Kirkuk Police interviewed local citizens to gain information about violent extremist activity in the area. “We are one team here,” said Jamal, referencing the advise and assist partnership between the Iraqi Police ESU and the “Thunderhorse” Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Team, 1st Infantry Division.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, USD-N PAO)

Maj. Matthew Symonds, commander of the 1978th Contingency Contracting Team, South Dakota Army National Guard, addresses family, friends and guests during the welcome home ceremony of his unit Sept. 24, 2013, on Camp Rapid in Rapid City, S.D. The 1978th returned from a nearly 10-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Beck/Released)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Clark Morgan, 36th Mobility Response Squadron Contingency Engineer Flight commander with Joint Task force 505, talks with Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal members while they repair the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 10. The Nepalese officials and Airmen teamed up to conduct necessary repairs to the airfield after it sustained damage following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. In response to the Nepal earthquake, the U.S. military sent Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors as part of JTF 505 to support the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in Nepal at the direction of U.S. Agency for International Development. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq – Sgt. Christopher Cisco, a signal support specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, observes Pfc. Naiem Gelewa, a communications specialist assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, as he trains on a combat network radio system at the Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, April 6, 2011. Cisco, a native of Freehold, N.J., trains the Iraqi soldiers at GWTC to program encrypted networks, secure radio channels, and communicate with adjacent units using radio systems.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Terence Ewings, 4th AAB PAO, 1st Cav. Div., USD-N)

Special Traffic Operations, Transportation and Traffic Management Plan Contingency Engineers during the operation of the cicLAvia Heart of Los Angeles Car-Free Open-Streets Bicycle Route, this street has another final upcoming intersection crossing points for all automobile traffic crossings for bikes and vehicles on Glendale Blvd. crosses at Temple Street intersection traffic signal green lights and pedestrian crosswalk crossing white walking lights located at Angeleno Heights, Historic Filipinotown and Echo Park in Los Angeles, California 90026.

This is the continuous Ciclavia Heart of Los Angeles Car-Free Open-Streets Bicycle Route.

U.S. Airmen parachute onto a landing zone at Bitburg Airfield in Germany July 12, 2010, to establish a temporary airfield during Operation Wing Lightning. The Airmen are from the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, 435th Contingency Response Group, 435th Security Forces Squadron and 435th Air Mobility Squadron. The Airmen are participating in Wing Lightning to show their capability to open and operate an airfield in order to provide humanitarian assistance in case of a natural disaster. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Lawree Roscoe Washington Jr., U.S. Army/Released)

26 June 2010

Muskoka Airport, Ontario

Members of the Canadian Forces (CF) Tactical Reserve contingency force, from the Royal 22e Régiment based out of Valcartier, Quebec, provide surveillance around the perimeter of the Muskoka Airport prior to the arrival of dignitaries following the 2010 Muskoka G8 Summit.

During Operation CADENCE, the CF provide unique resources and capabilities to support to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)-led Integrated Security Unit (ISU) by monitoring maritime, air and land approaches. The ISU is responsible for ensuring the security of the Summit participants and nearby residents during the 2010 Muskoka G8 and Toronto G20 Summits and is comprised of members from the CF, RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police.

The G8/20 Summits provide the leaders of the world’s most industrialized nations and the leading emerging nations with an opportunity to discuss issues such as fiscal and monetary policy co-ordination and international development to advance international economic co-operation.

3 MERCIAN Mortar Cadre

With training for contingency ops a priority, the need to train in all weathers is exemplified by soldiers on the 3 MERCIAN Mortar Cadre. Being able to do your job in the cold or the heat is paramount so the weather provided the perfect training opportunity!

Photo credit to read - Cpl Ross Fernie RLC Crown Copyright

Master Sgt. Joshua Younce, an aerial porter for the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group, talks to Michael Thomasson, deputy director for McCracken County, Ky., Emergency Management and Jeff Steen, associate director of Calloway County, Ky., Emergency Management, about the disaster-response capabilities of the 123rd CGR at Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, Ky., on June 18, 2014. The 123rd CRG is joining with the U.S. Army’s 688th Rapid Port Opening Element to operate a Joint Task Force-Port Opening during Capstone '14, a homeland earthquake-response exercise at Fort Campbell, Ky., from June 16 to 19, 2014. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Staff Sgt. Bruce Henderson, an infantryman assigned to Charlie Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, secures his equipment in preparation for follow-on movement after successfully exiting a C-130 Hercules Alaska Air National Guard aircraft Dec. 12, 2013 at the Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Henderson and his unit exited the aircraft from the tailgate with a full arctic combat load, demonstrating their unique ability to rapidly deploy troops into arctic environments in response to a variety of contingencies. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Epperson/Released)