An amputee Captain fighting her way through adversity; a soldier using his helmet to draw out enemy fire; special tactics training squadron members entering the pool with their hands and feet bound -- these are some of the most evocative photographs that have been honoured by the United States military.
The winners of the annual US Military Photographer of the Year competition showcase the compelling body of work military photographers compiled in 2014.
Let's take a look:
Jeffrey Allen: Picture of the Year
Image: US Air Force wounded warrior, Capt Sarah Evans, jumps rope in a gym in San Antonio, Texas. Evans was diagnosed with cancer while deployed to Afghanistan and was medically evacuated back to the United States where her leg was amputated.
Photograph: Master Sgt Jeffrey Allen/US Air Force
Nathaniel Newkirk: 1st Place Combat Doc Training
Image: US Army Rangers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, fire a 120 mm mortar during a tactical training exercise on Camp Roberts, California, January 30, 2014. Rangers constantly train to maintain the highest level of tactical proficiency.
Photograph: Pfc Nathaniel Newkirk/US Army
Larry E Reid Jr: 1st Place News
Image: The US Air Force Thunderbirds fly the Delta formation over Falcon Stadium during the US Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony, May 28, 2014. The flyover marks the return of the Thunderbirds to Colorado Springs since sequestration last year.
Photograph: Sgt Larry E Reid Jr/US Air Force
Harold Flynn: 1st Place Combat Doc Ops
Image: Soldiers assigned to Palehorse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Calvary Regiment move over rough terrain during Operation Alamo Scout 13, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, February 10, 2014. The operation was a joint effort between Palehorse troops and the Afghan National Army's 205th Corps Mobile Strike Force to conduct reconnaissance patrols in villages around Kandahar Airfield.
Photograph: Sgt Harold Flynn/US Army
Jeffrey Allen: 1st Place Pictorial
Image: A 22nd Special Tactics Squadron Airman climbs a ladder into a CH-47 Chinook helicopter hovering over the ocean June 20, 2014.
Photograph: Master Sgt Jeffrey Allen/US Air Force
Ezekiel R Kitandwe: 2nd Place Pictorial
Image: A US Marine assigned to Echo Company 4th Reconnaissance Battalion rappels out of a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter at Camp Upshur, Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico Va, July 17, 2014. The training exercise was part of a week-long jump, dive, breach, and shooting package conducted around MCB Quantico.
Photograph: Gunnery Sgt Ezekiel R Kitandwe/US Marine Corps
Devin N Boyer: 1st Place Illustrative
Image: Family and friends can be important influences in helping someone get treatment for mental health issues. Reaching out and letting them know you are there to help them is the first step.
Illustration: Airman 1st Class Devin N Boyer/US Air Force
Eric R Dietrich: 2nd Place News
Image: US Air Force Master Sgt Tiffany Robinson, assigned to 449th Air Expeditionary Group, kneels in front of a battlefield cross following a Memorial Day ceremony at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, May 26, 2014. The cross was created with combat gear representing each of the five US military branches, in commemoration of fallen service members.
Photograph: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric R Dietrich/US Navy
Jeffrey Allen: 1st Place Feature
Image: Members of the Special Tactics Training Squadron enter the pool with their hands and feet bound. The drown proofing exercise teaches students to remain calm in the water during stressful situations, skills that are vital during real-world operations.
Photograph: Master Sgt Jeffrey Allen/US Air Force
John R Nimmo: 1st Place Portrait
Image: US Air Force Staff Sgt Nadia Rowell, health services management journeyman, 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, NC, stands for a portrait outside the aeromedical evacuation crew tent at Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La, March 15, 2014. Service members at JRTC 14-05 are educated in combat patient care and aeromedical evacuation in a simulated combat environment.
Photograph: Master Sgt John R Nimmo/US Air Force
Corey J Hook: 3rd Place Combat Doc Training
Image: US Army soldiers assigned to the 3rd Squadron 17th Regiment are picked up by a blackhawk helicopter after participating in a survival, evasion, resistance and escape exercise during Decisive Action Rotation 14-09 at the National Training Center, August 13, 2014. Decisive action rotations are reflective of the complexities of potential adversaries our nation could face and include: guerilla, insurgent, criminal and near-peer conventional forces woven into one dynamic environment.
Photograph: Staff Sgt Corey J Hook/US Air Force
Marcus Fichtl: 2nd Place Combat Doc Training
Image: Sgt Timothy Martin, wheeled vehicle mechanic, Company B, 204th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, prepares to conduct night land navigation during the brigade’s Soldier and NCO of the Year competition at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, April 23, 2014. The competition consisted of three days of events and will culminate with an awards ceremony on May 1.
Photograph: Sgt Marcus Fichtl/US Army
Perry Aston: 2nd Place Combat Doc Ops
Image: Casualties airlifted by an Afghan Air Force C-130 Hercules from a Taliban attack on Camp Bastion, are off loaded, December 1, 2014, at Kabul International Airport. The Afghan military successfully repelled the attack on the camp, after receiving control of the base from coalition forces over a month ago.
Photograph: Staff Sgt Perry Aston/US Air Force
Vernon Young: 1st Place Picture Story
Image: Staff Sgt Chantel Thibeaux was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2014 during her very first class as an Air Force technical school instructor. With the support of her husband Wendell, mother Carla daughter Somaya and Air Force family, she's been able to fight through a disease that has claims the lives of thousands each year. Thibeaux, usually seen with a smile on her face, kept her genuine spirit and candid remarks throughout chemotherapy appointments while juggling mommy and wife duties. As a US Air Force technical school instructor, Thibeaux has been charged to train the next generation of dental assistants. She is considered by many that know her story as a sole survivor.
Photograph: Staff Sgt Vernon Young/US Air Force
Harold Flynn: Honorable Mention Feature
Image: A soldier assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Calvary Regiment jokingly holds his helmet above the hesco barrier at Combat Outpost Mushan in an attempt to draw out gunfire during Operation Chamtoo II in Panjwai district, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, February 15, 2014. Operation Chamtoo II was an operation planned and conducted entirely by Afghan National Security Forces to passify Panjwai district ahead of the April presidential elections.
Photograph: Sgt Harold Flynn/US Army
Corey J Hook: Honorable Mention Illustrative
Image: Media pressures to be model thin are overwhelming for many American women. From ages as young as 5, advertisements and television shows present an almost impossible to attain image of feminine perfection. The struggle to meet the beauty standards set by media can become an obsession for women and girls.
Illustration: Staff Sgt Corey J Hook/US Air Force
