AF Week in Photos U.S. Air Force Logo Dec. 15, 2023 Prepared to connect A 920th Rescue Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk prepares to connect to the hose-and-drogue system of an HC-130J Combat King II during helicopter air-to-air refueling off the coast of California during exercise Distant Fury Stallion Dec. 5, 2023. This joint exercise presented a uniquely suited opportunity in remote, austere conditions to validate the wing’s interoperability within the joint team while reaffirming the wing’s lethality, precision and ability to fight and win. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nicole Koreen) Details Download Arrival salute A U.S. Air Force Honor Guard team leads Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin and Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, after an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2023. The visit aimed to strengthen the U.S.-Thailand alliance and advance shared security interests in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich) Details Download Overwatch Two Philippine Air Force FA-50 Fighting Eagles fly alongside two U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles over the South China Sea, Nov. 21, 2023. Bilateral training and cooperation with the Philippine Air Force enhances the mutual readiness required to defend security, prosperity and peace throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexis Redin) Details Download Cool and collected Senior Airman Fred Stamatatos, 96th Fuels Management Flight, begins to detach the liquid nitrogen pipes after a transfer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 7, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Details Download Alternate departure A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron takes off from an alternate departure and landing surface at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Dec. 1, 2023. Once activated, an ADLS provides aircraft with a safe and effective surface to take off from and land on if the main runway is unavailable. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jovan Banks) Details Download Point and shoot Airman Christopher Lyons, 1st Combat Camera Squadron combat camera apprentice, looks through his viewfinder during exercise Green Goblin at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Dec. 6, 2023. This five-day exercise provides relevant and essential night-vision training to prepare combat camera Airmen with enhanced photographic and video capabilities required to capture imagery in low-light and no-light environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William Rio Rosado) Details Download Polar Bear Charge A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 168th Refueling Wing is de-iced in preparation for a "Polar Bear Charge" at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Dec. 2, 2023. Demonstrations such as these are used to project the Air Force's ability to rapidly deploy airpower anywhere in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Spencer Hanson) Details Download Combat airpower An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., flies over Dare County Bombing Range, N.C., Nov. 16, 2023, for exercise Razor Talon 24-1. RT-24 is an agile combat employment-focused exercise designed to test the 4th Fighter Wing’s ability to operate as a lead wing, generating combat airpower while continuing to move, maneuver and sustain the wing and subordinate force elements in a dynamic contested environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin M. Rumbaugh) Details Download Holiday in Blue U.S. Air Force Band of the West performs its Holiday in Blue concert at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Dec. 12, 2023. The Band of the West provides hundreds of performances to military and civilian audiences throughout the year. (U.S. Air Force photo by David Amaral) Details Download Elephant walking with friends Three U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft participate in an elephant walk alongside a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-130H Hercules, and a Republic of Korea Air Force C-130H Hercules at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 9, 2023, during Operation Christmas Drop 2023. USAF, RCAF, JASDF, and ROKAF crewmembers delivered 210 bundles to 58 islands over the span of six days. The deliveries of humanitarian aid reached over 42 thousand remote Micronesian islanders across 1.8 million square miles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Taylor Altier) Details Download One, two, push! U.S. Air Force Airman Ashley Bounds and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Yow, 18th Security Forces Squadron defenders, push a humvee to an objective point during the Best Defender Challenge at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 8, 2023. The mentally and physically demanding objectives throughout the nine-mile route tested the defenders on various tactics, techniques, and procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jessi Roth) Details Download Lighting ahead Capt. Jonathon Gill, assistant to the director of operations for the 187th Operations Group, Alabama Air National Guard, prepares an F-35A Lightning II for takeoff at the Vermont Air National Guard Base in South Burlington, Vt., Dec. 14, 2023. The Alabama Air National Guard partnered with the Vermont Air National Guard, borrowing two F-35s to continue training with the Air Force’s newest 5th generation fighter jet as they wait for more of their F-35s to arrive. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Michael Davis) Details Download This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force. To view all Week in Photos collections, click here.