30 incredible military night shots

Illumination rounds light the way for forward observers to adjust artillery and mortar fire during a night portion of a four-day, live-fire exercise following the conclusion of Talisman Saber 13 in Townshend Island, Queensland, Australia. (Marine Corps/Cpl. Michael Oxton)

An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter is readied for launch during flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). (Navy/Seaman Apprentice Edward Guttierrez III)

Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit prepare to collect simulated enemy casualties and weapons during a mechanized raid at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia. (Air Force/Sgt. Sheila deVera)

Pvt. Lewis T. Washington, a 14S Air and Missile Defense Trooper with I Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, uses a Stinger Missile to bring down an Apache Helicopter during a force-on-force engagement against 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division on Fort Irwin, California. (U.S. Army/Spc. David N. Beckstrom)

An MV-22 Osprey assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 166 (Reinforced) takes off during flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4). (Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian Jeffries)

A 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Maritime Raid Force Marine fires an M40 sniper rifle during a nighttime live fire in Jordan. (Marine Corps/Sgt. Christopher Q. Stone)

The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199). (Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho)

Paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, call for indirect fire during an airfield seizure at Sicily Drop Zone during Operation Fury Thunder at Fort Bragg. (Army/Sgt. Juan F. Jimenez)

Cavalry Scouts from 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-Blackhorse, conduct escape and evasion lane training at Ft. Irwin, California. (Army/Spc. David N. Beckstrom)

Capt. Jonathan Ferricher prepares a C-130J for flight June 4, 2013, at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. (Air Force/Senior Airman Jonathan Stefanko)

Lance Cpl. Hailey Carrol with Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, refuels a logistics vehicle system replacement after conducting a combat logistics patrol (CLP) to Forward Operating Base Shukvani, Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Marine Corps/Sgt. Anthony L. Ortiz)

Marines participating in Talisman Saber 2013 regroup after fast-roping from HH-60H Sea Hawks assigned to the Firehawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 85 at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. (Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Matthew Bragg)

A C-17 Globemaster III is towed into position on the flightline to be chained in place due to approaching tropical storm Andrea May 6, 2013, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (Air Force/Senior Airman Dennis Sloan)

Marines participating in Talisman Saber 2013 prepare to fast-rope from an HH-60H Sea Hawk assigned to the Firehawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron (HSC) 85 at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. (Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Matthew Bragg)

Marines with Battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division load an M777 lightweight 155mm Howitzer for firing during Exercise DESERT SCIMITAR aboard Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. (Marine Corps/Cpl. John Clary 1st Marine Division, Combat Camera)

Firefighters from the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department extinguish a simulated aircraft fire as part of an operational readiness exercise, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (Air Force/Airman 1st Class Alystria Maurer)

Hurlburt Field held the 18th Annual Sound of Independence celebration at the Soundside Marina June 28, 2013, on Hurlburt Field, Florida. (Air Force/Airman 1st Class Christopher Callaway)

Airman 1st Class Everardo Torres scans an airfield for potential threats in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, while a C-130 Hercules from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron transfers equipment and personnel. (Air Force/Master Sgt. Ben Bloker)

Tech. Sgt. Andrew Gravett walks along the top of a C-17 Globemaster III while wearing a safety harness as he does a routine maintenance check of the aircraft June 4, 2013, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (Air Force/Senior Airman Dennis Sloan)

Soldiers fire at targets as the night sky with simulated munitions. (T. Anthony Bell)

A wall of fire erupts behind the Blue Angels. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Jamean Berry)

An MV-22 Osprey prepares to take off at night. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Oscar Espinoza)

A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft lights up the sky with flares during a night mission. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Master Sgt. Ray Lloyd)

Sailors perform night search and rescue jumps. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher B. Stoltz)

A B1-B Lancer aircraft takes off at night toward the Las Vegas Strip during exercise Green Flag-West at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. (U.S. Air Force/Val Gempis)

An F/A-18C Hornet makes its final approach on the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alexander Tidd)

U.S. soldiers take in the night sky at a patrol base on an overnight mission near Forward Operation Base Lane, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini)

U.S. Army Sgt. Aaron Sweeny and Staff Sgt. Robert Novak watch explosions from a mountain top near Forward Operating Base Salerno. (U.S. Army/Spc. Ken Scar, 7th MPAD)

A pilot takes the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft up for its first night flight near Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Tom Reynolds)

A Phalanx close-in weapons system is fired at night. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Kelly)