FRIDAY FOTO Extra (October 17, 2014)

This Way Out.

Michigan National Guard photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Helen Miller

U.S. paratroopers rush from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during Operation Silver Arrow in Adazi, Latvia, Oct. 5, 2014. The helicopter engines are so powerful, look at how the heat wave distorts the background to the right of the Chinook. Looks almost like an impressionist painting.

The multinational exercise includes forces from Latvia, Estonia, Great Britain, Norway and the Michigan Army National Guard, and is being held in conjunction with U.S. Army Europe and Operation Atlantic Resolve. The paratroopers are assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Airborne, Vicenza, Italy.  Elements of the 173rd have been conducting exercises with troops in Poland and the Baltic states (like Latvia and Estonia) to show these NATO countries their partners support them in and response o Russian aggressive behavior in Eastern and Central Europe.