Mission Astral Knight [Image 1 of 5]

ZEMUNIK AIR BASE, CROATIA

05.16.2023

Photo by Sgt. Matthew Roberts 

319th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Senior Airmen Thomas Hester, a Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance Airmen, with the 55th Rescue Generation Squadron out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ, prepares to ground guide a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Zemunik Air Base, Croatia, as part of mission Astral Knight, May 16, 2023. Astral Knight helps maintain a capable U.S. presence in Europe, strengthens our national security by encouraging peace, unity, and cohesion between Europe's individual nations. U.S. service members in Europe continue to generate global peace alongside our Allies and partners.
DefenderEurope is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led exercise focused on the strategic deployment of continental United States-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners. Taking place from 22 April to 23 June, Defender Europe 23 demonstrates USAREUR-AF’s ability to aggregate U.S.-based combat power quickly in Eastern Europe, increase lethality of the NATO Alliance through long-distance fires, build unit readiness in a complex joint, multi-national environment, and leverage host nation capabilities to increase USAREUR-AF’s operational reach. Defender Europe includes more than 7,000 U.S. and 17,000 multi-national service members from more than 20 nations who will participate including, but not limited to: Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Roberts) (This photo was edited to recreate the original scene)

• Date Taken: 05.16.2023
• Date Posted: 05.18.2023 05:09
• Photo ID: 7803189
• VIRIN: 230516-A-UV833-1062
• Resolution: 6720x4480
• Size: 859.89 KB
• Location: ZEMUNIK AIR BASE, HR