Air Force year in photos

A C-5M Super Galaxy taxis down the flightline after landing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Nov. 8, 2023. The C-5M, a strategic transport aircraft, is the largest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory. It is an upgraded version of the C-5 Galaxy, with new engines, modernized avionics and a strengthened airframe and can carry up to 281,001 pounds of cargo for over 8,000 miles without refueling. (U.S. Air Force by Senior Airman Jack Rodgers)
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass participates in a ride-along with Amanda Sorensen, an Air Force Recruiting Service-sponsored driver, at a Formula Drift event at the Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif., Oct. 14, 2023. Bass joined Sorensen for a lap around the track, where Sorensen showcased her professional driving abilities by expertly balancing speed and control while drifting around the track. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Colin Hollowell)
Staff Sgt. Cameron Cullen, a student with the 68th Rescue Squadron Formal Training Unit, jumps from a plane during the Combat Leader Course over Marana, Ariz., Aug. 14, 2023. The CLC trains the next generation of Air Force pararescuemen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Devlin Bishop)
A T-38 Talon assigned to 50th Fighter Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., sits on the flightline at MacDill AFB, Fla., July 7, 2023. Students with the 50th FTS train on advanced aircraft handling, tactical navigation, fluid maneuvering and an increased emphasis in two and four-ship formations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster)
Fireworks explode behind a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron during the Celebrate America event at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 3, 2023. Celebrate America is an annual event providing military members and their families the opportunity to enjoy games, food and live bands before culminating in a fireworks display over the Yokota AB airfield to celebrate Independence Day. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)
Airman 1st Class Kyle Datu and Staff Sgt. Matt Trevizo, 99th Civil Engineering Squadron fire protection specialists, extinguish a fire during an aircraft live fire training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. 12, 2023. Propane ignitors are built in multiple positions throughout and around the training fuselage, providing firefighters with a realistic training environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Rufus)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgts. Patrick McCartney and Clint Elkins, 189th Airlift Wing loadmasters, Arkansas National Guard, sit on the ramp of a C-130 Hercules aircraft during a low-level training mission over Germany during exercise Air Defender 2023, June 20, 2023. Exercise AD23 integrates both U.S. and allied airpower to defend shared values, while leveraging and strengthening vital partnerships to deter aggression around the world. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Caila Arahood)
Tech. Sgt. Tristan Geray, 40th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, wraps up a fuel hose during Operation Night King in the California desert March 26, 2023. The 40th AS tested Multi-Capable Airman concepts during the exercise by empowering air crew to assist in rapid refueling procedures while simultaneously moving people, equipment or supplies on and off the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mercedes Porter)