An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Photos

Snapshots of what’s happening in the Defense Department.

U.S. soldiers fire their 120mm mortars during a live-fire exercise on Forward Operating Base Lightning in Afghanistan's Paktia province, Jan. 17, 2014.

U.S. soldiers fire their 120mm mortars during a live-fire exercise on Forward Operating Base Lightning in Afghanistan's Paktia province, Jan. 17, 2014.

U.S. soldiers fire their 120mm mortars during a live-fire exercise on Forward Operating Base Lightning in Afghanistan's Paktia province, Jan. 17, 2014.

Photo Gallery