Planes over water — AIR FORCE PHOTOS

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Attention to detail

Senior Airman Andrew White, 96th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron load crew member, performs preload checks on a GBU-39 bomb during the 96th Maintenance Group’s fourth-quarter weapons load competition at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 30, 2026. The competition pitted the squadron's F-16 "Blue" team against the F-15 “Red” team for the title of top load crew of the quarter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.)

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Graduating with honors

Senior Airman Ever Quintanilla Ramos, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, holds the American flag close during the Honor Guard graduation ceremony Jan. 30, 2026, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The performance included flag detail, rifle volley, pallbearers and bugler for friends, family and unit commanders. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.)

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Flight prep

F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing are prepared for flight at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 29, 2026. The work of maintenance professionals is critical to integrating fourth- and fifth-generation fighters and sustaining combat-ready airpower. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Belinda Guachun-Chichay)

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Refueling training

An HH-60G Pave Hawk from the 210th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard, approaches a refueling drogue during training over Southcentral Alaska, Jan. 29, 2026. The HH-60G is the 176th Wing’s primary personnel recovery platform, capable of all-weather operations and employing a rescue hoist when landing is not possible. (Alaska Air National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)

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Top off

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing refuels an F-35A Lightning II from the 48th Fighter Wing over the North Sea during exercise Point Blank, Jan. 29, 2026. The recurring exercise enhances allied readiness and interoperability, ensuring the collective defense of the European region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Iris Carpenter)

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Locked and loaded

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alexander Clarke, 36th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, secures a simulated cargo bundle onto a C-130J Super Hercules during a training flight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Jan. 29, 2026. This routine training ensures the wing is prepared to deliver critical equipment rapidly throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kayla Karelas)

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Next in line

U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 909th Air Refueling Squadron taxi down the flightline before takeoff from Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 29, 2026. The KC-135 provides the core aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 60 years. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilton)

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Battling icy conditions

Master Sgt. Aaron Slupski, 121st Maintenance Group crew chief, prepares to marshal a KC-135 Stratotanker at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2026. Maintainers and civil engineers with the 121st Air Refueling Wing reestablished flight line operations after Winter Storm Fran brought over 10 inches of snow and single-digit temperatures to the area. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Ralph Branson)

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Clear for takeoff

Master Sgt. Jodie Sweeney, 114th Operations Support Squadron airfield management specialist from the South Dakota Air National Guard, removes foreign object debris from the flightline during exercise Sentry South 26-1 at Savannah Air National Guard Base, Ga., Jan. 28, 2026. Sentry South is a large-scale exercise that integrates fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft and personnel from across the joint force to enhance air superiority and combat readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Taylor Solberg)

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Snow removal

Airmen from the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron remove snow and ice from the flight line at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Jan. 26, 2026. The squadron conducted round-the-clock snow removal operations to prevent interruptions to the base's global airlift mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Mauricio Campino)

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Lightning strike

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Gabriel Nogalez, 379th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron air transportation specialist, helps load oxygen tanks onto a C-17 Globemaster III at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 25, 2026. The action was part of a U.S. Air Forces Central readiness exercise that tested dispersed operations and rapid deployment across the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Thornbury)

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Joint drop

Army paratroopers from the 11th Airborne Division descend from an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during exercise Palmetto Reach over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 23, 2026. The joint operation highlighted the seamless integration between Army paratroopers and Air Force aircrews to rapidly deploy ground forces anywhere in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Luke Hirsch)

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Precision under pressure

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 35th Fighter Generation Squadron load munitions onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the annual Bomb Build and Loading Competition at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Jan. 22, 2026. The competition challenges Airmen to safely and efficiently load munitions while operating in a simulated chemical-threat environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tallon Bratton)

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Rescue ready

An HC-130J Combat King II assigned to the 211th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, taxis after landing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 22, 2026. The HC-130J is equipped with advanced avionics to locate isolated personnel from extended ranges and supports the insertion of rescue forces through low- and high-altitude airdrops. (Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)

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Maintaining readiness

Airman 1st Class Naim Haji, 23rd Bomb Generation Squadron aerospace propulsion journeyman, de-ices the horizontal stabilizer of a B-52H Stratofortress at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Jan. 21, 2026. De-icing ensures each aircraft is mission-ready by protecting performance and safety before launch. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kyle Wilson)

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Safe and secure

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron secure equipment inside an HC-130J Combat King II at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 22, 2026. The squadron provides personnel recovery and refueling capabilities around-the-clock throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Travis Knauss)

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Lighting it up

An F-22A Raptor from the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, deploys flares during exercise Sentry Aloha 26-1 over the Hawaiian Islands, Jan. 22, 2026. Flares are defensive countermeasures designed to decoy infrared-guided threats by creating an intense heat signature for a missile to follow, drawing it safely away from the aircraft. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Michael Swingen)

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Taking controls

Under Secretary of the Air Force Matt Lohmeier takes control of an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft simulator at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Jan. 21, 2026. The simulator demonstrated the base’s role in developing pilot proficiency and enhancing mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Samantha Melecio)

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SECAF on the move

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink departs Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. aboard a 582nd Helicopter Group MH-139 Grey Wolf following a visit to a 90th Missile Wing intercontinental ballistic missile launch facility, Jan. 21, 2026. The visit highlighted modernization efforts across the missile field that support long-term readiness and strategic deterrence. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mattison Cole)

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Strength in the skies

An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing for aerial refueling over North Carolina, Jan. 22, 2026. Aerial refueling extends the F-15E’s ability to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in support of training and operational requirements. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Samir Harris)

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