21 award-winning shots from military photographers

Dueling demonstrations clash as the Klu Klux Klan holds a protest rally on the steps of the South Carolina State House building at the same time as a New Black Panther Party rally coupled with other black activist groups, July 19, 2015, Columbia, South Carolina.

The KKK held the rally to protest against the removal of the Confederate Flag from the State House grounds which was taken down July 10, 2015.

The demonstration groups nearly went head-to-head as both rallies concluded and ended up face-to-face in the streets of downtown Columbia.

In this photo young African American men push past metal barricades which are the only thing between them and several KKK members as they shout at the Klan members to leave or die.

A fan mourns the loss of Dean Smith the former North Carolina Tar Heels basketball coach as a memorial service for the legendary coach comes to an end at the Dean Smith Center on February 22, 2015 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dean Smith passed away on February 7, 2015. He was 83 years old. Smith retired from the University of North Carolina in 1997 after 36 seasons.

His teams won 879 games and had 27 consecutive seasons of at least 20 victories.

While those statistics are staggering many don’t know that earlier in his career Smith also served in the US Air Force and later coached the Air Force baseball and golf teams.

Roy Williams, the current North Carolina coach who spent 10 years as Smith's assistant, said Smith "was the greatest there ever was on the court but far, far better off the court with people."

US Air Force Combat Control trainees assigned to Operating Location C, 342nd Training Squadron, laugh with each other while sharing a meal ready to eat during a long day of training February 13, 2015.

Working as a team and keeping morale high within the unit is vital to each Airman’s success as they push through training. At the 342nd TRS both CCT and Special Operations Weather Team trainees go through four months of grueling tactical and class room training.

A US Air Force crew chief assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, crawls out of the intake of an F-16 Fighting Falcon as she completes her post flight inspection on the aircraft, January 15, 2015, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.

Crews chiefs work around the clock to keep Shaw’s fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons mission ready at all times.

Allen Sanford, a homeless man with several health issues, a severe drug addiction and an impending divorce says he feels trapped and thinks he will be stuck on the streets and addicted to heroin for the rest of his life.

Recently, Syracuse, New York was statistically ranked number one for poverty and several town hall meetings have been held to come up with ideas on how to resolve the increasing heroin problem sweeping across the city.

These images depict Sanford’s daily struggle with his addiction and surviving on the streets of Syracuse.

Residence of Baltimore protest, riot, and loot after the funeral of Freddie Gray, April 27, 2015. Gray, died April 19, 2015 from a severe spinal injury that allegedly occurred while in police custody.

Looting and riots broke out in Baltimore after the funeral. The Maryland governor declared a state of emergency and enlisted the aid of 2,000 soldiers from the Maryland National Guard to help disseminate the riot.

Some of the people participating in the riot/protest explained that their actions were a part of the Black Lives Matter movement which began sweeping across the nation in 2012 after Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman fatally shot Martin who was a 17-year-old African American. Zimmerman, was the neighborhood watch coordinator. He shot Martin, who was unarmed, during an altercation between the two of them.

Dan Kelsey, a farmer from Clyde, New York and World War II veteran who served in the Army Air Corps, sits on the rear bumper of his van, crouched over with both hands covering his face due to exhaustion and body ailments brought on by a long day of selling produce at the Central New York Regional Market, September 5, 2015, Syracuse, New York.

Dan and his son Carl Kelsey raise and harvest their own produce to sell at the market each week. Dan has been selling his crops at the market since 1938, in between his time in the military where he served as an aircraft mechanic on the B-26 Invader.

While some years in the farming industry are better than others, 2015 has proven to be a tough one for Dan and his son as the production of their crops has been down due to weather conditions thus resulting in a loss of money.

The father and son team normally bring approximately 150 baskets of tomatoes to sale at the market along with other produce which earns them nearly $1,500 on a good day but they have only been able to bring about 40 baskets each time this year knocking their earnings down to about $600, less than half their normal profit.

As summer narrows and the weather changes, it could possibly be a long winter for the WWII veteran and his son.

Two soldiers play catch with a football while a fellow soldier watches the perimeter of the training grounds during the Expert Field Medic Badge course at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, September 24, 2015.

The EFMB is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge and is awarded to medical personnel of the U.S. military who successfully complete a set of qualification tests.

US Army Sgt. Robert Bellasalma, 514th Medical Company expert field medic badge candidate, provides medical care to a simulated patient during the EFMB course at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, September 24, 2015.

Every year airmen and soldiers attempt to pass the EFMB course where less than 20 percent of all candidates leave successful.

Col. Arthur Fiedler (ret.) has his portrait taken during an interview recapping his time in service during the 1940s 50s, 60s and 70s as an aviator at his home in Oxnard, California, June 23, 2015.

Fiedler knew he wanted to be an aviator in 1930 at the age of seven.

A soldier takes a nap in the bed of a pickup during the midday heat on Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, June 1, 2015.

Camp Guernsey exists to facilitate and support realistic combat training for current and future American fighting forces.

Maj. Sherrill Arvin (ret.) has his portrait taken during an interview recapping his time in service during the 1940s 50s, 60s and 70s as an aviator in the Airman Heritage Museum on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, April 16, 2015.

Arvin began his military involvement on JBSA-Lackland at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center and continues by volunteering at the Airman Heritage Museum.

US Army Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, carry an injured soldier during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, April 15, 2015.

The exercise tested the soldiers' abilities to successfully conduct a mission, complete the objective and rapidly evacuate casualties.

Participants traverse through obstacles and help each other during a Spartan Sprint Race at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, September 19, 2015. Fort Bragg hosted the race which drew more than 7,000 participants. The course was more than five miles long and had more that 25 obstacles that tested strength, endurance, teamwork and willpower.

British Royal Army soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade work with U.S. Army soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, during a simulated raid at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, April 18, 2015.

The British soldiers integrated with their American counterparts to improve interoperability for future combined operations.

A US Marine Corps recruit shouts commands to his teammates during combat training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, Dec. 3, 2015.

The training pushed the recruits to their limits while testing their ability to solve problems and work together as a team.

A US Marine Corps recruit marches to his platoons next event during tactical training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, December 3, 2015. Each event had different obstacles that challenged the recruits' metal, physical and emotional capacities.

US Marine Corps recruits help their teammates put on gear before pugil stick fighting training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina, December 3, 2015. The training teaches recruits the importance of knowing how to fight as well as how to work together in order to succeed.

A US Air Force wounded warrior retired Staff Sgt. Daniel Crane practices tossing the volleyball during the Air Force hosted North East Regional Warrior CARE event at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, November 17, 2015.

The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program is a federally mandated program that provides personalized care, services and advocacy for wounded, ill and injured airmen through sports, fellowship and treatment.

A young girl eats her snacks and watches a show from a handheld device under the shade of a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, September 19, 2015.