AF Week in Photos U.S. Air Force Logo June 16, 2023 Let the sparks fly Carlos Ramirez, 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron structures shop welder, welds a boiler pipe flange at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, June 8, 2023. The welding shop at 502nd CES has completed more than 1,000 welding jobs this year, allowing the training mission at JB San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston to continue unabated. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jonathan Mallard) Details Download Grazing time Sheep graze through a field at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., May 31, 2023. Wildlife biologists assigned to the 60th Civil Engineer Squadron coordinated a flock of approximately 600 sheep to clear overgrown grass and weeds. This grazing method saves time and money, reduces fire hazards and protects the environment by eliminating the need for herbicides and machinery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Heide Couch) Details Download Ready for full ops An RQ-4 Global Hawk assigned to the 452nd Flight Test Squadron flies in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., May 23, 2023. The 452nd FLTS held a sunsetting event for the RQ-4 flight test program at Edwards AFB June 9, 2023. The event marked the completion of the squadron’s test campaign for the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Bryce Bennett) Details Download Damage assessment A U.S. Air Force pararescueman from the 57th Rescue Squadron takes notes at a simulated helicopter crash during exercise Astral Knight 2023 in the Albanian countryside May 23, 2023. Exercises like AK23 support NATO allies and partner nations' operational readiness and strengthen partnerships, crisis response efforts and deter threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan) Details Download Home stretch Senior Airman Stephen Pulter, 1st Combat Camera Squadron ground combat camera journeyman, stretches his legs at the finish line after completing The Hunter event on day four of the 2023 Spc. Hilda I. Clayton Best Combat Camera Competition at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., May 24, 2023. The annual, multi-day competition tests the tactical and technical proficiency of visual information and public affairs specialists across the Defense Department and participating international competitors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Corban Lundborg) Details Download Off we go ... A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer takes off at Royal Air Force Fairford, United Kingdom, June 7, 2023, during a Bomber Task Force rotation. The rotation of strategic bombers into the theater enables interoperability and enhances operational readiness to support U.S. National Defense Strategy objectives through strategic predictability and operational unpredictability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Josiah Brown) Details Download Rest assured Airmen with the 841st Missile Security Forces Squadron rest following the end of a training scenario at Fort William Henry Harrison, Mont., May 31, 2023. The training was part of Operation Avalanche Defender, an exercise designed for the 841st MSFS to get in an offensive mindset and work to maneuver and attack their enemy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Elora J. McCutcheon) Details Download Blade runner Airman 1st Class Miles Heaney, 55th Rescue Generation Squadron HH-60 helicopter crew chief, inspects the tail rotor of an HH-60G Pave Hawk at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., June 1, 2023. The 55th RGS maintains HH-60s, ensuring Davis-Monthan AFB can accomplish its rescue mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paige Weldon) Details Download Keeping the spirit alive A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 121st Air Refueling Wing refuels a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit over the skies of Missouri, June 7, 2023. The KC-135 enables the B-2, also known as a stealth bomber, to bring massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere around the globe through previously impenetrable defenses. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Ivy Thomas) Details Download Ace in the hole Capt. Lamont Wood, assigned to the 180th Airlift Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard, simulates patching a hole in a raft at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Mo., June 10, 2023. Aircrew conducted the water-survival training to familiarize themselves with the different types of equipment and to prepare for the possibility of evacuating the aircraft into the water. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Michael Crane) Details Download Extending the mission A U.S. Air Force KC-10A Extender flies above Saudi Arabia after participating in a Bomber Task Force mission June 8, 2023. The BTF mission was designed to build agility and interoperability between the U.S. and coalition partners while demonstrating the rapid deployment of combat power to deter regional aggression while promoting regional stability in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Frank Rohrig) Details Download Flying with friends U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors fly in formation with a Romanian air force F-16 Fighting Falcon during joint training with Romanian and Italian air forces over Câmpia Turzii, Romania, May 23, 2023. The fifth-gen. fighters flew in support of NATO’s Allied Air Command’s Air Shielding mission along Europe’s eastern flank. (Courtesy photo) Details Download This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.