Winged Sentry

A red tailed hawk stands guard outside the front door of the Air Armament Center headquarters the morning of Oct. 11 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The hawk perched on the stair railing and watched military and civilians enter the building for more than five minutes before flying away. Red tailed hawks are just one of many bird-of-prey species that populate the Eglin reservation. Female red tails can weigh more than four pounds and have up to a 52 inch wingspan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

On lookout

A red tailed hawk peers out from behind some low-hanging foliage at the Air Armament Center headquarters building the morning of Oct. 11 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Later, the hawk perched on the stair railing outside the front door of the building. Red tailed hawks are just one of many bird-of-prey species that populate the Eglin reservation. Female red tails can weigh more than four pounds and have up to a 52 inch wingspan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Talulla turtle

A Kemp's ridley sea turtle was found stranded along Eglin's restricted portion of Santa Rosa Island by Eglin Sea Turtle Monitoring Program managers June 28. The 20-pound, 14-inch turtle was flipped on her side as a result of rough surf and appeared lethargic and emaciated. Turtle monitors took newly-named "Talulla" to the Gulfarium on Okaloosa Island for treatment. She will be eventually be released back into the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo/Erica Laine)

Help from above

Firefighters from Jackson Guard's fire management section fly aboard a Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter to fight the wildfires from the air June 22. The helicopter can carry up to 100 gallons of water in the "Bambi" bucket and place water strategically and safely. The helicopter is contracted to support Eglin's Fire Management Program in both prescribed burning and fire suppression efforts. The wildfires burned more than 15 acres of forest and threatened homes and businesses, but due to firefighting efforts no structures were damaged. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roger Kennedy)

Cloud cover

Firefighters from Jackson Guard's fire management section fly over the wildfires in a Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter June 22. The helicopter can carry up to 100 gallons of water in the "Bambi" bucket and place water strategically and safely. The helicopter is contracted to support Eglin's Fire Management Program in both prescribed burning and fire suppression efforts. The wildfires burned more than 15 acres of forest and threatened homes and businesses, but due to firefighting efforts no structures were damaged. (U.S. Air Force photo/Roger Kennedy)

Hot response

Firefighters from Eglin Fire Department and Jackson Guard work with the Ocean City/Wright and Fort Walton Beach Fire Departments to contain two urban-interface wildfires within the same vicinity on Eglin reservation, June 22. Northwest Florida is in the midst of a severe drought and is 15 inches below normal rainfall for the year. The wildfires burned more than 15 acres of forest and threatened homes and businesses, but due to firefighting efforts no structures were damaged. (U.S. Air Force photo/Mike Spaits)