Military Photo Thread [READ FIRST POST BEFORE POSTING]

Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the Mentoring Task Force - Two (MTF-2), Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Craig Howe greets Australian soldiers as they return from a patrol in the Chorah Valley region of southern Afghanistan.

Australian Bushmaster vehicles prepare to roll out of a patrol base in the Chorah Valley region of southern Afghanistan.

NORFOLK (Nov. 15, 2010) Retired Navy Cmdr. Bob Coolbaugh pilots a replica of a Curtis Pusher Biplane on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The original aircraft was flown off the deck of the light cruiser USS Birmingham by Eugene Ely on Nov. 14, 2010 to launch naval aviation.

This Nov. 14, 1910 photo provided by the U.S. Naval Historical Center, shows Eugene B. Ely flying his pusher airplane from USS Birmingham, in Hampton Roads, Va. Bob Coolbaugh a 61-year-old retired Navy pilot will mark the 100th anniversary of Navy aviation by flying a replica of the plane off the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush

US President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta of the US Army November 16, 2010 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Giunta is receiving the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan in October 2007.

Announced a few minutes ago - you read it here first.

Australian Army in Afghanistan to use MultiCam

All Australian troops operating 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan will don the new 'Multicam' combat uniform following positive feedback from a Special Forces trial.

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced the extension of the trial today during his address to the biannual Land Warfare Conference in Brisbane.

...

Mr Clare said the feedback from Special Forces troops has been extremely positive.

"Special Forces soldiers have said this is the uniform they want to wear," Mr Clare said.

"The camouflage pattern provides troops with greater levels of concealment across the range of terrains in Afghanistan – urban, desert and green.

"It also makes it easier for our troops to do their job."

...

Mr Clare said Defence has made an urgent order from the United States to get these uniforms to troops in Afghanistan as quickly as possible.

"I have also instructed the Defence Materiel Organisation to pursue the purchase of a licence to provide for the potential manufacture of this uniform in Australia if the extended trial is successful," Mr Clare said.

Full press release


Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan.

Irish Soldiers during the recent training exercise in Sweden involving Irish and Swedish troops who form the Nordic Battle Group which will be on Stand-by from 01 Jan 2011 for 6 months. The exercise was to test the Battle Groups operational capabilities prior to the Stand-by period commencing. The Irish form the ISTAR element which provides intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities to the Battle Group.

A Jamaican native, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. McCarthy Phillip (center), an infantry squad leader who resides in Decatur, Ga., assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog, and other soldiers patrol in a small village in the Pech River Valley in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, Nov. 20.

United States Marines Corps

Polish Border Forces

US soldiers of the 502nd Infantry regiment 2nd Batallion Charger company blow up a wall of a compound around Kop Ahmed camp near Kandahar city on November 29, 2010.

Sergent Jeffery Vista from Brooklyn of the 502nd Infantry regiment 2nd Batallion Charger company 1st platoon, patrols around Kop Ahmed camp near Kandahar city on November 28, 2010

An International Security Assistance Force Special Operations Forces in position overlooking the Tagab Valley while a Road Maintenance Team checkpoint is being built in Tagab, Afghanistan, Nov. 26, 2010. Afghan civilians, RMT members, International Security Assistance Force Special Operations Forces and Afghan National Police-Provincial Response Company members all helped to build the checkpoint.

This still image provided on Tuesday by IntelCenter shows the Taliban associated video production group Manba al-Jihad December 7, 2010 release of someone that appears to be US soldier Bowe Bergdahl (L), who has been held hostage by the Taliban since his disappearance from his unit on June 30, 2009. Also with him in this clip appears to be Taliban commander Maulawi Sangin (R). He had contacted the media on July 16, 2009 and threatened to kill Bergdahl but has not been seen in a video with him before. This footage appears next to previously released footage, however, this video contains a non-cropped version of the previously released footage that has never been seen. The footage of Bergdahl in this video is brief and not the focus of the release unlike the past three hostage videos which featured him.