( CNN ) A sergeant wipes away a tear while kneeling before a battlefield cross at a Memorial Day ceremony for fallen service members at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti . Seven Air Force recruits plunge into the deep end of a swimming pool , their hands and feet bound , in a training exercise meant to prepare them for stressful real-world operations . An Air Force captain jumps rope in a Texas gym despite missing her left leg , which was amputated after being diagnosed with cancer . These striking images are among the winning entries in the 2014 Military Photographer of the Year competition , open to photography by U.S. service members only . Winners of the annual contest , judged by the Stars and Stripes newspaper , were announced this month . The Military Photographer of the Year honor went to Air Force Staff Sgt . Vernon Young , a photojournalist with Airman magazine , the official magazine of the U.S. Air Force . The judges recognized Young for the strength and breadth of his images , among them a F-16 pilot refueling in midair , a soldier whacking golf balls into the Afghan desert and a Navy lieutenant celebrating after winning a game of cards . The contest is part of the Defense Department 's Visual Information Awards Program , designed to recognize and promote excellence among military photographers , videographers , journalists , mass communication specialists and graphic artists .
Winners announced in the 2014 annual rookie of the Year competition . The annual contest is open to all service ##men .