Marines with Alpha Company, 1st Tank Battalion, put their M1A1 abrams main battle tank into a defensive position during Exercise Desert Scimitar aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., May 11, 2014. The training gave the Marines the opportunity to refine and rehearse essential combat skills needed in a battlefield environment. Desert Scimitar is an annual exercise that includes elements from the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The exercise focused on conventional operations and provided realistic training that prepared Marines for overseas operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Christopher J. Moore/Released)