14 of the best photos of US military life during 2016

Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kayla Newman

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michelle Hooper, left, and Staff Sgt. Jordan Kimble perform with Full Spectrum, a six-piece band, in front of airmen at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, May 4, 2016. The band is from the US Air Force Heritage of America Band.

Scattered across hundreds of bases in scores of countries around the world, US military personnel often find themselves in mundane, even austere, surroundings.

There's no shortage of things for them to do while on station, but military life isn't all marching and scrubbing.

The 14 photos below, compiled by the US Defense Department, depict some of the lighter moments enjoyed by soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and coast guardsmen during 2016.