![An Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a test at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in a show of nuclear readiness as U.S. near-peer adversaries flexed their assets this year as well. (Airman 1st Class Ryan Quijas/U.S. Air Force photo) An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.](http://images04.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo1.jpg?itok=U5v_Y_Ib)
An Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a test at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, in a show of nuclear readiness as U.S. near-peer adversaries flexed their assets this year as well. (Airman 1st Class Ryan Quijas/U.S. Air Force photo)
![An Air Station Kodiak C-130J Super Hercules airplane prepares to depart on a runway in Bethel, Alaska, Jan. 1, 2022. (Lt. Scott Kellerman/U.S. Coast Guard photo) An Air Station Kodiak C-130J Super Hercules airplane prepares to depart on a runway in Bethel, Alaska.](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo2.jpg?itok=7BvY2snt)
An Air Station Kodiak C-130J Super Hercules airplane prepares to depart on a runway in Bethel, Alaska. (Lt. Scott Kellerman/U.S. Coast Guard photo)
![Ensign Lonni Williams meets his newborn child for the first time after completing a seven-month deployment aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52). (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Melvin Fatimehin/U.S. Navy photo) Ensign Lonni Williams meets his newborn child for the first time after completing a seven-month deployment aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52).](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo3.jpg?itok=inCTvleX)
A sailor holds up his child for the first time after deploying on the USS Pearl Harbor for seven months. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Melvin Fatimehin/U.S. Navy photo)
![Senior Airman Jansen Esteves, 436th Aerial Port Squadron special handler, verifies shipment information for supplies bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, March 20, 2022. (Staff Sgt. Marco A. Gomez/U.S. Air Force photo) Senior Airman Jansen Esteves, 436th Aerial Port Squadron special handler, verifies shipment information for supplies bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.](http://images04.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo4.jpg?itok=r2Ai1vKE)
A U.S. airman inspects supplies bound for Ukraine during Russia's renewed invasion into the country this year. Since 2014, the United States has sent roughly $22.1 billion in security assistance to the country, 87% of which has been committed since late February when Russia initiated its latest invasion. (Staff Sgt. Marco A. Gomez/U.S. Air Force photo)
![Recruits spray a hose into a simulated fire during a firefighting training exercise inside the USS Chief Fire Fighter Trainer at Recruit Training Command. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher M. O'Grady/U.S. Navy photo) Recruits spray a hose into a simulated fire during a firefighting training exercise inside the USS Chief Fire Fighter Trainer at Recruit Training Command.](http://images01.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo5.jpg?itok=XWMLdmOa)
Recruits spray a hose into a simulated fire during a training exercise inside the Navy's USS Chief Fire Fighter Trainer. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher M. O'Grady/U.S. Navy photo)
![A U.S. M1A2 Abrams fires during the 2022 Sullivan Cup at the Army Armor School on Fort Benning, Ga., April 29, 2022. (Spc. Joshua Taeckens/U.S. Army South photo) A U.S. M1A2 Abrams fires during the 2022 Sullivan Cup at the Army Armor School on Fort Benning, Ga.](http://images01.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo6.jpg?itok=ymkblT9T)
An M1A2 Abrams fires a 120mm round at a target during the 2022 Sullivan Cup, a competition held at Fort Benning, Georgia, that puts the best tank crews across the country -- and even around the world -- to the test. (Spc. Joshua Taeckens/U.S. Army photo)
![U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan Neylon, a 60mm mortar section leader (left); Lance Cpl. Isaiah Foshay, a 60mm mortar gunner; and Lance Cpl. Joseph Cucchira, a 60mm mortar assistant gunner with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, stand by for a fire mission during their Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, Jan. 24, 2022. (Lance Cpl. Cedar Barnes/U.S. Marine Corps photo) U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan Neylon, a 60mm mortar section leader (left); Lance Cpl. Isaiah Foshay, a 60mm mortar gunner; and Lance Cpl. Joseph Cucchira, a 60mm mortar assistant gunner with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, stand by for a fire mission during their Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.](http://images02.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo7.jpg?itok=wkgPWC83)
A Marine 60mm mortar team stands by for a fire mission under a starry California sky. (Lance Cpl. Cedar Barnes/U.S. Marine Corps photo)
![U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Thomas C. Kinser, military working dog handler, Provost Marshal Office, Security Battalion, gives his military working dog Faro a bath on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, April 27, 2022. (Lance Cpl. Kayla LaMar/U.S. Marine Corps photo) U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Thomas C. Kinser, military working dog handler, Provost Marshal Office, Security Battalion, gives his military working dog Faro a bath on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.](http://images01.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo8.jpg?itok=7SsRtjsh)
A Marine canine handler gives military working dog Faro a bath. Handlers routinely groom their canine partners -- including bathing, blow-drying and brushing -- to make sure they are clean and healthy. (Lance Cpl. Kayla LaMar/U.S. Marine Corps photo)
![Naval Special Warfare members perform a high-altitude low opening jump, during the 2022 Arctic Edge Exercise. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Trey Hutcheson/U.S. Navy photo) Naval Special Warfare members perform a high-altitude low opening jump, during the 2022 Arctic Edge Exercise.](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo9.jpg?itok=MUhhJdEw)
Naval Special Warfare members perform a high-altitude low opening jump in the Arctic. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Trey Hutcheson/U.S. Navy photo)
![Aerial photography of Section 18 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., April 20, 2022. (Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery/U.S. Army photo) Aerial photography of Section 18 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/2022-12/photo10.jpg?itok=X1pixZpT)
An aerial photo of Arlington National Cemetery, Section 18. (Elizabeth Fraser/U.S. Army photo)
-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.