At the outbreak of World War II, a British engineer named Dr. Barnes Wallis sat in his office and wondered what he could do to make the war end sooner. He probably thought long and hard about all sorts of rational things he could do, until he finally decided to weaponize earthquakes. The goal was to […]
10 great airplanes before the F-35 that overcame rough starts
HistoryCritics of the F-35 have jumped on the fact that it has suffered a host of problems during the developmental test process while Air Force leadership has remained bullish on the jet’s transformational potential. This isn’t the first time this dynamic has come into play while fielding an airplane. Here are ten planes that had rough starts, […]
Learn how to live off grid from this legendary Navy Vet
LifestyleThis article by Alex Hollings was originally published on We Are the Mighty Nowadays, you can find entire sections of the internet devoted to mastering the art of “off-grid” living. There, you can find both experts and charlatans exchanging argumentative blows in the never-ending digital debates we’ve let permeate through every facet of our modern […]
8 US Navy sailors who received the Medal of Honor
HistorySailors have been serving the U.S. bravely since the Navy was formed on Oct. 13, 1775. Some have gone above and beyond the call of duty and with through their incredible heroism, received the Medal of Honor. While this list contains eight of the sailors who have received the award since Vietnam, more than 700 other […]
The Sherman was actually a great WWII tank
HistoryU.S. tanks were inferior to German tanks in WWII and were cut down in swathes, or so people tend to believe. After all, American tankers supposedly nicknamed the Sherman the “Ronson” because it “lights every time.” However, the Ronson Corporation did not start using this slogan to advertise their lighter fluid until the 1950s, and […]
Six things to do at the start of your deployment
LifestyleThere’s nothing troops anticipate more than the chance to finally get to do what they’ve spent their entire career training for: deploying to a combat zone. Maybe you’re the gungho grunt who just can’t wait to embrace the suck. Maybe you’re the frightened POG who’s terrified of indirect fire sirens. Maybe you’re the salty NCO who’s ready to mark […]
The six most massive tank battles in US history
HistoryHere are 6 times American tank units found themselves massively fighting it out with enemy armor: 1. Battle of the Bulge When the Germans assaulted Allied Lines in what would become the Battle of the Bulge, U.S. tanks and infantry struggled to hold the line against the nearly 1,000 tanks and over 200,000 troops that struck […]
This Navy ‘ace of aces’ shut down a 60 plane attack
HistoryNavy pilot David S. McCampbell, a commander at the time, set the single mission aerial combat record when he led a two-plane flight against a 60-plane Japanese attack and shot down at least nine of the enemy himself, forcing the Japanese forces back before they could fire on a single American ship. McCampbell was the commander of […]
Please, stop calling these other vehicles tanks
Military AffairsLook, we get it. It can be hard to write about the military. What’s the difference between soldiers, troops, and service members? Are Coast Guardsman sailors? Are they Navy personnel at all? Do those guys really prefer to be known as “seamen?” There’s a lot of terminology to get straight, but still, it’s not that hard. And, frankly, we’re […]
The 3 most realistic firefights ever filmed by Hollywood
LifestyleThis article by Alex Hollings was originally published by We Are the Mighty It’s no secret that movies get a lot wrong about firearms and the ways they’re used in a fight. From every 80’s protagonist refusing to shoulder their rifles when they fire, to the seemingly infinite magazine capacity in every hero’s gun, filmmakers […]
