A firefighter assigned to the 137th Air Refueling Wing operates a fire hose in preparation for a live-fire training exercise, Dec. 11, 2025, at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. The training is part of an intensive 10-day orientation course that prepares new firefighters for the unique, high-risk operational environment of a military installation. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Firefighters emerge from thick, black smoke through a doorway during a live-fire exercise, Dec. 11, 2025, at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. This scenario was designed to simulate the zero-visibility conditions firefighters must be prepared to operate in while searching the installation's massive warehouses and confined spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Firefighters gathered at a dedicated training area on Dec. 11, 2025, at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., to complete an intensive orientation course focused on fireground survival. This facility is where they bridge the gap between initial certification and the real-world operational demands of protecting the base's massive warehouses and aircraft hangars. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Missouri Air National Guard leadership recognizes Airmen with the 131st Force Support Squadron for their contributions towards the unit winning the Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank Award at Jefferson Air National Guard Station, St. Louis, Missouri, Sept. 6, 2025. The Eubank Award recognizes the top Force Support Squadron in the Air National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Phoenix Lietch)

Staff Sgt. Josh Lapooh, a Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Party Airman assigned to the 124th Air Support Operations Squadron trains for close air support training at Saylor Creek Bombing Range, Idaho, December 16-19, 2025. New to the unit, Lapooh worked closely with visiting Kansas Air National Guard TACP Airmen to accomplish a variety of CAS objectives. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech Sergeant Joseph R. Morgan)

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth poses for a photo with troops at the Department of War’s Recruiting Excellence Forum at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)