These Are The US Navy's Top Photos Of 2014

To celebrate the end of 2014, the US Navy compiled a list of its top ten favorite photos the branch took this year. 

The Navy's 2014 list was selected from its photos that it had shared on Facebook and Instagram based on the number of fan likes. The top ten images represent the diversity of the Navy, ranging from the controversial littoral combat system to to the Navy Blue Angels and everything in between. The photos also give a sense of the branch's massive and even worldwide geographic sweep. 

Below are the Navy's most striking images of the past year.

In 2014, the Navy successfully deployed two of its littoral combat ships to the Pacific, putting the branch's proposed ship of the future in an area of increasing US interest. 

The USS Donald Cook, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, carried out a patrol on the Black Sea. 

Meanwhile, in California, the Navy flight demonstration team the Blue Angels practiced their formation flying. The team had to complete 120 practice flights before kicking off the 2014 air show season.

Prospective Navy SEALs participate din the Surf Passage, one of the first phases of the physically and mentally demanding SEAL training. 

Constant training is important across the Navy. Here, an MH-60S Sea Hawk participates in an exercise off the coast of the Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.

The Navy's constant vigilance can make heavy demands of its personnel. Here, submarine Sonar Technician 2nd Class Willian Wade holds his daughter for the first time moments after arriving back at Submarine Base New London from a deployment. 

The Navy's reach means that it has constant international obligations. Here, a Carrier Strike Group participates in a maneuvering exercise alongside a Peruvian submarine in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Of course, there is more to the Navy than just ships. Here, sailors with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Evaluation Unit maintain their jump qualifications by parachuting out of a C2-A.  

In terms of missions, 2014 was a busy time for the Navy. Here, the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush passes through the Gulf of Aden after supporting strike operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.  

Navy sailors enjoy a selfie just as much as anyone else. Here, Capt. Greg Fenton, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, takes a selfie with Capt. Carlos Sardiello, Master Chief Shaun Brahmsteadt, and 275 new petty officers after a command frocking ceremony.