Today's Pics - Thursday, 29th January 2009

U.S. Marines assault a bunker during training on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 24, 2009. The Marines, assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, are preparing for deployment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kelsey J. Green

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 24, 2009) Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 3rd Class David Bellows, assigned to the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (HS) 5 performs maintenance on a .50-caliber crew-served weapon aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during the Carrier Strike Group 8 Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is a training exercise to test capabilities and ensure readiness before a deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Holly Whitfill/Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Jan. 25, 2009) Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Adam Gayner mans a 25MM chain gun aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) while monitoring a small boat transiting from the merchant vessel MV Faina. Faina and her crew are being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Mason is conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael R. McCormick/Released)

SIGONELLA, Sicily (Jan. 27, 2009) Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EODMU) 8 help each other don M-45 gas masks and joint service lightweight integrated suit technology suits during a chemical warfare training exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason T. Poplin/Released)

1 month ago: Picture taken on December 23, 2008 shows German soldiers taking part in a maneuver to secure the frigates "Karlsruhe"and "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" in Djibouti. The German frigate "Karlsruhe" will join European Union-led anti-pirate operations off the Horn of Africa. Heavily armed Somali pirates shot a sailor on an Egyptian bulk carrier in a hijack bid on December 25, 2008 that was foiled by the quick reaction of the German warship "Karlsruhe"

An undated handout released by Intelcenter made from a screenshot displays the German-speaking terrorist of the Islamic Jihad Union. The video that appeared on the internet on 27 January marks a new quality of threat for Germany which the German Ministry for Interiors considers proven. Its message is currently evaluated by the Joint Internet Surveillance Centre (GIZ) of the federal security authorities, releases the ministry on 28 January. Likewise to earlier publications by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Al-Sahab, the public relations arm of Al Qaeda, a German-speaking person was featured

STUTTGART, Germany - Major Amir Nada, second from left, liaison officer from Egypt and assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), joins in a discussion at a conference for foreign liaison officers hosted at the U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, January 27, 2009. The purpose of the conference was to provide an overview of the command’s policies and programs. Foreign liaison officers stationed in Djibouti and representing more than 13 countries were in attendance. CJTF-HOA plays an active role in Anti-piracy, counter-terrorism, and security of the African region. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel P. Lapierre, U.S. Africa Command)

JINJA, Uganda - Soldiers with the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) stand in formation at the UPDF Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (NCOA) in Jinja, Uganda, January 9, 2009. U.S. Soldiers attached to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa are providing mentorship and assistance to instructors and soldiers at the academy. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt)

Handout photo isued by the French Defence Ministry 28 January 2009 of the capture of several alleged Somali pirates by French forces on board the Frigate Floreal, at sea, 27 January 2009. France does extensive patrolling in the area.

US President Barack Obama greets service men and women after a meeting at the Pentagon, in Virginia, USA, 28 January 2009. US President Barack Obama and US Vice President Joe Biden met with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss America's military situation in the world

Congolese soldiers patrol the town of Rutshuru in eastern Congo January 28, 2009. Plans to integrate Tutsi rebels into Congo's army faltered before they could begin on Wednesday, underlining the challenges facing efforts to pacify the east despite renewed Congo-Rwanda cooperation. Separately, Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebels killed more than 100 people in a village in Congo in an apparent reprisal for army operations against them, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Reuters

In this image released by Inter Services Public Relations department, Pakistan's army Chief Gen. Asfaq Pervez Kayani, right, shakes hands with a Pakistani soldier in Pakistan's troubled area of Swat on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009. Pakistan is committed to restoring government control of the Swat Valley, a scenic region increasingly under the sway of Islamist militants, the army chief said Wednesday. AP Photo

Iraqi soldiers carry ballot boxes after closing the polling station in Falluja, 50 km (31 miles) west of Baghdad, January 28, 2009. Soldiers, police, prisoners and displaced people cast early ballots on Wednesday in provincial polls that will define Iraq's political landscape as U.S. forces withdraw and Iraqi forces seek to defend a fragile calm. Polls open to the general public on Saturday in the first Iraqi election since 2005. Reuters

Britain's Prince Charles, Colonel in Chief The Royal Ghurkha Rifles, talks with soldiers of the Rear Party of the 2nd Battalion currently deployed in Afghanistan, at the Sir John Moore Barracks in Folkestone, England, Wednesday Jan. 28, 2009. AP Photo by SHAUN CURRY

From the French Defense ministry website.

Students at the federal training facility in Georgia learn tactical maneuvers that enable them to work in tandem with other agencies Dec. 12, 2008. Coast Guard photo by PA3 Michael Hulme