HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii -- Joint service personnel coordinate air assets Aug. 7 in the air operations center during Exercise Valiant Shield. Valiant Shield is a week-long exercise, which tests the military’s ability to rapidly consolidate joint forces in response to regional contingencies, involves approximately 22,000 troops, 30 ships and some 275 aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)