by Staff Sgt. Daniel Yeadon

     ANSBACH, Germany – Six squads from the 30th Medical Brigade competed in the brigade's Best Squad Competition, held Feb. 26 to March 1, 2024. The competition tested the squads' proficiency in basic soldier tasks, such as reacting to direct and indirect fire, marksmanship, and emergency medical and evacuation procedures.

     The Delta Squad belonging to the 421st Medical Battalion (Multifunctional), comprised of four Soldiers, won the enlisted competition. They will move on to compete in a joint competition at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command competition later this year.

     "It feels great to win and represent our battalion,” said Sgt. Cooper Meiner, the Delta Squad leader. “Being able to do this with my squad has made me feel more confident in myself as a leader and I could not ask for a better group.”

by Jonathan Lehrfeld

     A Navy test pilot is leading the next set of astronauts to the International Space Station on NASA’s Crew-8 mission, which successfully launched recently after a few weather delays.

     Cmdr. Matthew Dominick is serving as the commander of the expedition to the orbital laboratory. Liftoff occurred from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to a NASA release.

     The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Endeavour, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket, was initially slated to launch sooner, but the mission was rescheduled twice due to unfavorable weather conditions.

  MAJURO, Republic of the Marshall Islands — Following efforts with Kiribati partners, the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crew recently concluded the next leg of their expeditionary patrol from Feb. 20 to 27, 2024, spending time in Majuro, Wotje Atoll, and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) working with partners, underscoring commitment to maritime security and international cooperation regionally. 

     Underway in support of Operation Blue Pacific, the cutter crew showcased the effectiveness of the U.S. and RMI maritime bilateral agreement, conducting a shared patrol with shipriders emphasizing collaborative efforts in maritime safety, security, and stewardship in terms of resource protection.

by Capt. Kaylin Hankerson

8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

     KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Kingdom of Thailand (AFNS) --  

U.S. Air Force 8th Fighter Wing aircraft and personnel recently participated in a maritime strike exercise scenario as a part of Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 24 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Kingdom of Thailand. 

     Two F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron integrated with U.S. Army AH-64 Apaches, a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon, Royal Thai Air Force JAS-39s and Royal Thai Navy vessels to find, target and destroy simulated maritime targets in the Gulf of Thailand. Designed to test the interoperability of joint and multinational assets, the exercise scenario demonstrated the combined force’s readiness to operate throughout the region. 

By Kristen Pittman

Romania made history, bolstering regional security and NATO’s southeastern flank, with the first live-fire test of its Patriot surface-to-air air defense system.

The Romanian Army’s 74th PATRIOT Regiment conducted the exercise at the Capu Midia Training Range with support from the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command and its Security Assistance Training Management Organization.

Both commands played significant roles in the advancement of Romania’s air defense capabilities, from facilitating Romania’s acquisition of the PATRIOT via foreign military sales to the training of hundreds of Romanian Army troops on the U.S. system.

“The two-day exercise consisted of four demonstrations.” said Maj. John Nastus, the lead for SATMO’s Romania PATRIOT Technical Assistance Field Team, or TAFT. “Our role for the exercise was to help plan and coordinate it. This included helping secure the targets and ensuring they had the equipment they needed, and that subject-matter-experts were on hand should anything happen.”

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Kidd (DDG 100) and USS Sterett (DDG 104) arrived in the Philippines for a scheduled port visit in January.

This visit marks an additional demonstration of the U.S.-Philippine Alliance, and broader commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. It also serves to fortify relationships with local leaders and communities, reaffirming the seven-decade-old Alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines.



Port calls are part of the U.S. Navy’s routine operations, and CSG-1 is committed to maintaining that tradition to support operational readiness and regional partnerships.



WASHINGTON — Something as seemingly simple as picking the right commercial boat radar could make or break the U.S. Marine Corps’ vision for future operations: small units dispersed on islands and beachheads across contested waters, all looking for enemy ships and planes while gathering information to create a common picture of the theater.

But identifying the best radar is more complex than it sounds, according to Col. Matthew Danner, who leads the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

KOROR, Palau — In a critical effort to enhance maritime safety, a team from U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam (FM/SG) recently led a series of Safe Boating Workshops in the Republic of Palau.

The initiative, part of a broader commitment to regional safety and cooperation, involved hands-on training and donating vital safety equipment to local boaters. The workshops coincided with the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) visit to Palau, marking a significant contribution to the Pacific Partnership efforts.

Reports indicate that the SR-72 will be an unmanned aircraft focusing on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasks. Furthermore, it is expected to be compatible with the new High-Speed Strike Weapon (HSSW), making it potentially practical for high-risk missions where traditional manned aircraft might be too slow and pilot safety questionable.

Further information suggests that this new hypersonic weapon system could enable the fastest missile launches globally, thereby immediately achieving hypersonic speeds. Importantly, these speeds will be sustained for more extended periods.

Why should an airplane strive for such high speeds? Primarily, it is to circumvent modern anti-aircraft defenses. To date, only rocket-propelled aircraft and spacecraft, which are single-use, have achieved such speeds. In contrast, the SR-72 is expected to be a reusable aircraft.

By Maj. Joe Legros

A close friend told her there was no way she could do it. She would not make it in the Army, and there was even less chance of her becoming a sniper.

Four years later, she is still defying the odds.

“My nickname growing up was ‘Sniper,’” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maciel Hay, a cavalry scout with 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (1-91 CAV), 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Not only did she make it through basic training while qualifying as an expert with the M4 assault rifle, she quickly followed that up by graduating from airborne school. Now she is truly living up to her childhood nickname as the first active duty female U.S. Army sniper.

By Grady Fontana

In a heartwarming display of camaraderie and goodwill, members of Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) and MSC Far East recently undertook a community relations event at the Learning Center of the Human Help Network in

USS Miguel Keith is an afloat forward staging base-variant of the mobile landing platform designed to provide dedicated support for air and mine countermeasures, and special warfare missions. It’s currently in the Indo-Pacific region in support of U.S. 7th Fleet and is in Thailand undergoing routine voyage repair and maintenance.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Pacific Partnership returned this summer featuring servicemembers of the U.S. Coast Guard to support mission stops in Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.



Now in its 18th year, Pacific Partnership 2023 is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase regional security and stability, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

Members of the Coast Guard joined the mission’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) team to conduct various subject matter expert exchanges, side-by-side trainings, symposiums, and exercises tailored to the specific requirements and based on the requests of each host nation.