Little help from above

Sgt. Joe Archer watches as the LUA-72 helicopter to arrive for the next medical evacuation during a downed aircraft exercise on the Eglin range, Oct. 20. The 6th Ranger Training Battalion, Team Eglin’s emergency responders and local medical facilities participated in the exercise that simulated a helicopter crash with 12 Soldiers injured deep within the Eglin range. The victims were either evacuated by helicopter or by ambulance to area hospitals. The annual exercise was to validate the battalion’s emergency procedures and test their communication with Team Eglin and local emergency and medical units. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Into the wild

A black bear is released back into the wilds of Eglin Air Force Base’s range Oct. 23. The 325-pound bear was found along the Eglin property line near Fort Walton Beach, Fla. This wasn’t the first time the bear had to be relocated according to Florida Fish and Wildlife employees. This was the fourth bear relocation on Eglin this year. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

The Monsoon Season

Eglin received record rainfall in August and September is shaping up to make another run at the record books. Many drains here like the one in this photo illustration lead directly to a creek, bayou or Choctawhatchee Bay. Do your part to protect our environment by keeping pollutants like trash, oils and household chemicals from being swept into a drain by stormwater runoff. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Scott Moorman)

Pictures

Kevin McDonald, a wildlife technician with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sets up an infra-red camera to document the activities around a bear trap set up nearby in Poquito Bayou, a section of base housing on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Sept. 10. Recent sightings of Florida Black Bears in the region have kept the FWC busy. According to 96th Civil Engineer Group wildlife management experts, people should make every attempt to secure their trash to prevent the bears from finding an easy food source, which eliminates their need to forage in the forest. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Summer storms

A large-scale summer storm moves toward Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 30, bringing winds, rain and lightning. The thunderstorm moved in from the Southeast and drenched the base for an hour and a half late in the day. A similar storm rolled through the morning of July 31 as well. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Summer storms

A large-scale summer storm moves toward Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 30, bringing winds, rain and lightning. The thunderstorm moved in from the Southeast and drenched the base for an hour and a half late in the day. A similar storm rolled through the morning of July 31 as well. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)