PHOTOS: Here’s Who Calls The Shots For The U.S. Military

Last month, the Pentagon released photo essays of its favorite shots of 2013. We immediately shared the one from Afghanistan, because we have our priorities in order, and promised to share the rest.

True to our word, here's the Pentagon's photo essay showing the best photos from the biggest names in the military. Chronicled in the shots below are:

• President Barack Obama, the commander in chief.
• Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
• New Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin Dempsey
• Former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter
• New Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox

The photos are great, and chronicle what was an eventful year for the Pentagon. Check them out below.

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President Barack Obama greets U.S service members on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 7, 2013. Obama said he holds a special place in his heart for Marines, who help protect him. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Mercure

President Barack Obama lays a wreath to honor victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon during a private remembrance ceremony for the victims and family members at the Pentagon Memorial, Sept. 11, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp

President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to former Army Capt. William D. Swenson during a White House ceremony, Oct. 15, 2013. Swenson received the medal for his actions during combat operations in Afghanistan's Kunar province, Sept. 8, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Mulderick

President Barack Obama, center, joins Army Gen Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who hosted a farewell tribute to honor Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, left, on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Feb. 8, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega

President Barack Obama hugs Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta during the armed forces farewell tribute to honor him on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Feb. 8, 2013. Panetta is stepping down as the 23rd defense secretary. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Vice President Joe Biden administers the ceremonial oath of office to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during a welcome ceremony at the Pentagon, March 14, 2013. Hagel, the 24th defense secretary, started serving in his position Feb. 27, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with U.S. troops to thank them for their service in Amman, Jordan, April 23, 2013. Hagel is on a six-day trip to the Middle-East, where he is visiting foreign counterparts in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel pins a Purple Heart on Army Spc. Trevor Hoover during a troop event as he visits Fort Bragg, N.C., July 15, 2013. Hagel is on a three-day trip to visit bases to get feedback from troops on the effects of sequestration and furloughs. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel participates in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Memorial in Cairo, April 24, 2013. Egypt is Hagel's fourth stop on a six-day trip to the Middle East to meet with defense counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William C. Mayville Jr., commander of Regional Command East, on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 9, 2013. Hagel traveled to Afghanistan on his first trip as the 24th defense secretary to visit U.S. troops, NATO leaders and Afghan counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks with female Afghan soldiers at the Kabul Military Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 10, 2013. Hagel traveled to Afghanistan on his first trip as the 24th defense secretary to visit U.S. troops, NATO leaders and Afghan counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addresses troops on Fort Carson, Colo., June 28, 2013. Hagel is on a two-day tour of installations in Colorado. DOD photo By Glenn Fawcett

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel returns a salute from a Saudi army officer during a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, the country's defense minister, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 23, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., April 17, 2013. Hagel discussed the fiscal year 2014 defense budget request. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel places a wreath as Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and Robert Ozzett, director of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial's libraries, watch at the memorial in Jerusalem, April 21, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks with Gold Star family members as he visits Section 60 during the 145th annual Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., May 27, 2013. U.S. service members who died during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried in that section. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visits the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines, Aug. 30, 2013. The 152-acre cemetery is the resting place of 17,201 U.S. service members killed in World War II, most of whom died during operations in New Guinea and the Philippines. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel greets Chinese army Lt. Gen. Qi Jianguo, deputy chief of general staff, at the start of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, May 31, 2013. Hagel told Qi that U.S. President Barack Obama was looking forward to hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping in California to discuss areas of mutual concern.DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel gets a hug and a question from fifth-grade students from John Tyler Elementary School during the “Spirit of Service” day at the Pentagon, May 10, 2013. The students participated in various activities, including a tour of the Pentagon, a luncheon with Defense Department representatives and a demonstration by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, receives a jersey representing the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team from New Zealand Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman during a joint press conference at the Pentagon, Oct. 28, 2013. Hagel and Coleman met earlier to discuss national and regional security issues of mutual interest. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

From right to left, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Navy Adm. Jonathan Greenhart, chief of naval operations; Navy Secretary Ray Mabus; and Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, honor the 12 victims of the Washington Navy Yard shooting during a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., Sept. 17, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies on the Defense Department's response to the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2013. Testimony also included the findings of the department's internal review following the attack. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, left, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrives on Forward Operating Base Sharana in Paktika province, Afghanistan, April 7, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks with U.S. service members on Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 25, 2013. Dempsey addressed a variety of issues, including sequestration, regional security and readiness. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chad C. Strohmeyer

U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Stout in Souda Bay, Greece, Dec. 7, 2013. Dempsey visited the sailors as part of his annual USO Holiday Tour. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with Screech, the mascot of the Washington Nationals, before a game between the Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., July 4, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, receives a briefing on the U.S. Army Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command's current mission while visiting Scott Air Force Base, Ill., June 19, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter hands out challenge coins as he thanks troops at the Defense Logistics Agency's retrograde facility at Regional Command South in Kandahar, Afghanistan, May 14, 2013.DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter shares lunch with U.S. Army enlisted men and women from U.S. Central Command in Amman, Jordan, Feb. 5, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

As a Black Hawk helicopter hovers overhead, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ronald F. Lewis, right, during a visit to forward operating bases in Afghanistan, May 13, 2013. Lewis is the deputy commanding general for support for Regional Command East. DOD by Glenn Fawcett

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter pins a Purple Heart medal on Army Staff Sgt. Jerry M. Amis during a ceremony at the Warrior and Family Support Center on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Oct. 29, 2013, as Amis' wife, Nerrisha, looks on. Amis was injured Sept. 3, 2013, when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle during a mounted patrol in Afghanistan. Carter visited with several warriors at the medical center.U.S. Army photo by Robert Shields

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with Christine H. Fox, appointed acting deputy defense secretary by President Barack Obama, in his office at the Pentagon, Dec. 4, 2013. Fox assumed her duties, Dec. 5, following the departure of outgoing Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine H. Fox departs her office to chair a meeting of senior Pentagon officials as she begins her first day in her new position at the Pentagon, Dec. 5, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett