An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 25th Fighter Squadron sits on display during the 4th of July Liberty Festival at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, July 4, 2018. More than 4,500 service members and their families attended the festival to enjoy food, entertainment and a fireworks show hosted by the 51st Force Support Squadron […]
Marines
Gear in the Wild: The Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle is one mean piece of kit
U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, rehearse firing a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during the blank iteration of a combined arms live fire excercise in support of Swift Response 19 in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, June 24, 2019. Swift Response 19 is a U.S. Army Europe multinational […]
Watch: US Marines train in a live fire shoot house
Clearing a building is among the most treacherous tasks a warfighter can be faced with in a combat zone. A building full of unknown twists, turns, and hiding spots, potentially full of well-armed opponents isn’t anyone’s idea of an easy day, but the reality of modern warfare requires that our service members are experts in […]
Gear in the Wild: Getting all dressed up to go for a ride
A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) rescue swimmer hangs of the side of an MH-65 Dolphin off the coast of Tybee Island Coast Guard Station, Georgia, June 21. 2019. The rescue swimmer aided pilots from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, during a search-and-recovery exercise with the USCG. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman […]
Watch: How does astronaut food compare to MREs?
Retired Marine Colonel Randy Bresnik cut his teeth as a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet program, before going on to serve combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now, he’s an astronaut, and one of the few remaining with the experience necessary to give us the lowdown on how space food stacks up […]
Research says it takes just 15 extra pounds of gear to compromise your ability to fight
It’s the mental debate every war fighter has before departing for a mission, every hiker has before stepping off on a journey, and every camper has as they pack their bags: how much can I carry and still be as effective as I need to be? At what point is the extra weight of our […]
Winning the fight: The biggest, strongest guy in the bar usually isn’t the one you need to worry about
For the security conscious, walking into a crowded bar usually isn’t your idea of a good time. Crowds are exceptionally good at concealing threats, and those who have built careers (either legitimate or otherwise) by being a threat know that. These days, I’m a pretty big fella. At six feet tall and around 245 pounds, […]
Pepper Spray and Defense: Why I’d rather be shot than sprayed with OC again
During my tenure on the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection Team for Southern California, I had the opportunity to participate in a number of interesting and exciting training revolutions. I got to learn knife techniques alongside the L.A. SWAT team, vehicle searches with military police units, and to gain proficiency with a number of weapon systems not […]
Assault through with the T3 Assault Backpack
Assault: 1. The Climax of an attack, closing with the enemy in hand-to-hand fighting. 2. To make a short, violent, but well-ordered attack against a local objective, such as a gun emplacement, a fort, or a machine gun nest. – (Joint Pub 1-02) There was a time when I was cool. Way back in 2009-2010 […]
Marines test rig that turns any helicopter into a resupply drone
The introduction of drones has, in many ways, changed the face of warfare. Between long duration loitering, reconnaissance and even direct fire support, drones have already proven their value on the battlefield. It seems likely that, in the years to come, we’ll only see more autonomous aircraft in the skies above our war fighters. However, one of […]