'Fill 'er up, please'

An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, refuels Dec. 12 during a combat mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)

Celebrating a milestone

Col. David Romuald, 332nd Air Expeditionary Operations Group deputy Commander, taxis under the spray of two fire department crash trucks Dec. 2 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, after he completed his 3,000th flying hour in an F-16 Fighting Falcon. Approximately 150 F-16 pilots have surpassed this milestone. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jason Epley)

We're boarding, pass it on

The sun sets behind a C-17 Globemaster III Nov. 17 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as Soldiers begin boarding. C-17s can carry payloads up to 169,000 pounds and can land on small airfields. The C-17 is deployed from the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson)

On behalf of a grateful nation

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz hands a folded flag to one of the family members of the fallen B-52 Stratofortress crew Nov. 14 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. A group burial took place for the crew that crashed July 21 off Guam's northwest coast. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Catherine Thompson)

Keeping up with the news

Senior Airmen Gustavo Gonzalez checks the results of the U.S. presidential election Nov. 5 while wearing protective gear during an operational readiness exercise at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Angela Ruiz)

Cleared to land

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier waits as a MQ-1 Predator lands Nov. 7 at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. Members of the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron there teamed up with Marines assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., for a joint training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.)

High five

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Matthew Beckerleg high fives "NASA Astronaut" Cadet Michael Maziarz Oct. 29 on the Academy's terrazzo in Colorado. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Kaplan)

Careful monitoring...

Tech. Sgt. Kristy Wellman checks a patient's vital signs before take off at a base in Southwest Asia during a bandage mission Sept. 23. She is a charge medical technician with the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon)

Perfect parking spot

An HH-60 Pave Hawk sits in the street Sept. 13 during operations in Galveston, Texas, after Hurricane Ike. The Pave Hawk is assigned to the 331st Air Expeditionary Group at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. James L. Harper Jr.)

Getting the 'boot'

Trainee Kyle Bean laces up the new air battle uniform, or ABU, boots during the first clothing issue Sept. 10 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He is in the first flight to receive the ABU boot in basic military training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell)

Evasive action

An AC-130U gunship jettisons flares Aug. 20 over an area near Hurlburt Field, Fla. The flares are a countermeasure for heat-seeking missiles that may be fired at the aircraft during real world missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

Stepping up

A CV-22 Osprey and an MH-53 Pave Low fly over the coastline Aug. 20 near Hurlburt Field, Fla. The CV-22 took over Air Force Special Operations Command helicopter missions when the MH-53 retired in October. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)