Necessity is the mother of invention, but combat forces troops to get creative. When your life is on the line, you do whatever it takes to get the job done. Over the years, troops have found some surprising applications on the battlefield for simple everyday items. Here are some of the best. 1. Super Glue […]
Cpl. Henry Warner fought off a German tank with his pistol
HistoryOn Dec. 16, 1944, the Germans launched a massive offensive into the Ardennes Forest that caught the Allies off guard. As the Battle of the Bulge erupted, depleted American forces were rushed into the lines to shore up the defense. One of those units was the 1st Infantry Division’s 26th Infantry Regiment. One of the veterans of […]
Yeager’s career was a lot more than breaking the sound barrier
AirpowerThe late, great legend was so much more than just the first human to break the sound barrier. Family man, Air Force officer, dedicated patriot – these are just some of the ways to describe General Chuck Yeager. Throughout his life, Yeager routinely avoided the spotlight and famously said, “You don’t do it … to […]
The 7 best transport planes in US military history
AirpowerIt’s not the most glamorous Air Force mission, but arguably it’s the most important because, without transport planes, troops and gear don’t make it to the war. (And it’s hard to win a war without troops and gear.) Here are the top seven transport planes that have served the U.S. Air Force over the years: […]
‘Fork-tailed Devil:’ The P-38 was a nightmare for both sides
AirpowerAmong the fighters that allowed America to win World War II, the P-38 Lightning was uniquely successful and was dubbed the “fork-tailed Devil” by the Germans even though its greatest successes came in the Pacific, Mediterranean, and North African theaters. Army Air Corps leaders first solicited for what would become the P-38 in 1937 with the specification […]
5 items to make your field exercise less miserable
LifestyleLet’s face it; no one actually likes going to the field. Round-the-clock operations, sleeping on the ground, and spending way too much time with the people you work with can take its toll. Next time you prep for the field, be sure to consider bringing these items to make your field experience a little more […]
The 5 most commonly cast military movie roles
LifestyleIt’s easy to laugh at Hollywood when filmmakers use a basic blueprint to create one-dimensional “war hero” characters who are clearly clobbered together using stereotypes. But that got us thinking: What if Hollywood sees something in our military and veteran community that we’re too close to see for ourselves? We talk so much about the […]
5 ways to help kids understand a deployment
MilSpouseHaving a parent or family member deploy is rough on the entire family. This is especially true for young kids who might not have the emotional capacity to understand a family member being gone for months on end (Let’s face it … few of us do). After all, it’s supposed to be the happiest time […]
Brian Decker: Former Green Beret changing NFL scouting
LifestyleMaking it through selection to serve in one of America’s elite special operations units marks an unusual milestone in a service member’s career. Making the cut serves as the culmination of a lifetime of preparation and hard work, while simultaneously ushering in a new era full of brutal challenges, higher stakes, and even longer days […]
These are the jets Iran would use in a fight with the US
AirpowerAfter forty years of sanctions and arms embargoes, Iran’s air force has slowly become an eclectic mishmash of aging platforms sourced through various channels. If war were to break out between Iran and the United States today, U.S. pilots would find themselves squaring off with Iranian pilots in a swarm of old American, Soviet, and […]
