Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Crysten Ivy, a clarinet player with the Marine Corps Quantico Band, interacts with the audience during a holiday concert at the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Dec. 17, 2024.

Marines participate in night reconnaissance training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Dec. 16, 2024. The training was designed to evaluate Marines’ ability to conduct assigned mission essential tasks.

Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fly over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 15, 2024.

Air Force Senior Airman Collin English trains military working dog Eper at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 18, 2024.

A soldier greets a loved one at the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville, N.J., Dec. 14, 2024. Soldiers were deployed to Iraq, Kuwait and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The USS Green Bay arrives in its new homeport of San Diego, Dec. 9, 2024.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Walters instructs a sailor on firefighting techniques during a live-fire training exercise at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., Dec. 17, 2024.

An Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk performs a helicopter air-to-air refueling with a Marine Corps KC-130J during a training exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 17, 2024. The training enhanced squadron combat readiness while supporting community relations in remote Alaskan regions during the holiday season.

The U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Band and the Rheinland-Pfalz International Choir perform during the Kaiserslautern Military Community Christmas concert in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Dec. 13, 2024. The band's performances serve to increase cultural ties and enhance the continuous relationship between the U.S. and Germany.

Marine Corps Capt. Michael McDonald, dressed as Santa Claus, participates in Toys for Tots at June Nelson Elementary School in Kotzebue, Alaska, Dec. 5, 2024. The Toys for Tots mission strengthens community ties while sharpening the Marines' readiness for Arctic operations.

An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III sits at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Dec. 9, 2024, before an aeromedical evacuation mission.

Navy Seamen Joslyn Ortega, left, and Demary Rivera perform preventative maintenance on an EA-18G Growler aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the Philippine Sea, Dec. 15, 2024.

Marines hike to their objective during a combat readiness evaluation at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Dec. 9, 2024.

A Marine conducts a high-altitude, high-opening jump during military free-fall sustainment training in Laurinburg, N.C., Dec. 6, 2024. The training maintains insertion qualifications, enhances proficiency and ensures tactical readiness.

A soldier assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” walks the mat in the rain at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Dec. 11, 2024.

Sailors prepare a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet for flight operations aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the Philippine Sea, Dec. 15, 2024.

Service members participate in a human spaceflight support exercise at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Dec. 11, 2024.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Juan Cruztrejo participates in land navigation training at the Central Training Area Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 10, 2024. The training is designed to increase Marines’ knowledge of using a compass and plotting grid coordinates to maintain combat effectiveness and basic skills.

Soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division join World War II veterans for a parade in Bastogne, Belgium, Dec. 14. 2024. The parade marked the 80th anniversary of Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge and honored the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) for its defense of the city and region from the German offensive during World War II.

A formation of C-130J Super Hercules and C-130H Hercules aircraft fly together over the Pacific Ocean to culminate Operation Christmas Drop, Dec. 14, 2024. Christmas Drop is an annual tradition with a long history of providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the Indo-Pacific region.