True American heroes: Stunning photographs of U.S. military's bravest among the Defense Department's best images of the year


The Defense Department has released its top picks for the most memorable images of 2012.

The more than 40 images include U.S. soldiers, jets and other military machinery, amputees, citizens in foreign countries and stray dogs. While some of the images call for admiration and awe, others call for sorrow and solemn reflection.

The images were chosen as winners, runners up and honorable mentions for the department’s Visual Information Awards Program in seven categories: Operational Combat, Combat Training, Hardware, News Photography, Pictorial, Portrait and Sports.



The program is ‘designed to recognize, reward and promote excellence among military photographers, videographers, journalists, broadcasters, photojournalists, graphic artists and mass communication specialists for their achievements in furthering the objectives of military photography, videography, and graphic arts,’ according to a Defense Department release.



Below are 20 select photos from the department’s picks for last years’ most visually striking military moments (not in order of ranking).

Candidates at the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School are tested with simulations of real field conditions at the at the Marine Corps Base in Virginia's Combat Course

Pfc. Nicolai 'Cola' Jensen lies in rest at the Church of St. Patrick as his girlfriend, Abby Cuttell, says goodbye Jeremy Lock, MSgt, USAF, was named this year's Military Photographer of the Year for shots like this truck full of Mongolian soldiers driving to their base

Son, USAF Lt. Col. Robert Lock and his wife Chris comfort his mother Mary in her last moments at a nursing facility in Gloversville, New York French Marine Cpl. Nicholas Foubert (center), points out cover and concealment while under enemy fire during a training exercise Members of the Polish and U.S. Air Force honor guard bear the flag during the Aviation Detachment Ceremony Airmen post scores during Global Strike Challenge US Army Sergeant David Milne reenlists while standing in the waves of the Atlantic U.S. Marine Cpl. Garrett Carnes (center) lost his legs in an improvised explosive device attack while he was supporting combat operations in Afghanistan Paratroopers ready an air assault mission in Afghanistan Dela Taghipaur and Luis Diaz embrace before the Lincoln Memorial A Kenyan boy herds cows to a holding pen A U.S. Army M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle practices night-firing during a 15-day training exercise This image of Lance Cpl. Chuck Sketch, who lost his vision and both his legs battling cancer, and is competing against other Wounded Warriors in the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, took first place in the Portrait category U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin Preston cares for an Afghan local national in critical condition and set to be transported to a larger medical facility

U.S. Army Sgt. Fernando Diaz is blind folded and has ice cold water dumped over his head in a mock interrogation administered immediately before a 100-question test in the 2012 Pacific Regional Medical Command Best Medic Competition Navy Search and Rescue swimmers wait in Coronado Bay, San Diego

Wounded warrior Cpl. Marcus Chischilly dives in at the start of the 50-meter race

A Prince George¿s County firefighter removes his breath apparatus after battling a house fire

Soldiers finish a day in the field at Minnesota's Camp Riley U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Drew Parks communicates with a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet in Southwest Asia

A U.S. Army UH-60L Blackhawk takes off in Fairfield, Utah

An Afghan National Policeman is examined after being injured in an attack by a suicide bomber An Afghan boy is tended to after severely cutting his foot on a bicycle wheel

A woman being treated at a Medical Civic Action Program collapses in Kenya

A Marine dog handler peers through a fence in Hawaii

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon Mann and an improvised explosive device detection dog hunt and clear a hill for weapons, drugs and IED component caches on patrol in Sre Kala

An Afghan National Army soldier holds a poppy, a major source of funding for extremist groups

Medic Pfc. Kristina Batty wears a headscarf to meet with female Afghan villagers

Charlie Company recruits help a fellow recruit up an 8 foot wall at Parris Island, South Carolina

U.S. flags are placed above the graves at the Veterans Memorial Park in Utah

The Sanjaray bazaar in Kandahar, Afghanistan, is subjected to a site survey

Soldiers search a compound in Southern Afghanistan during a raid targeting a Taliban sub-commander



