Britain’s Forgotten Bomber: The Short Stirling

The Royal Air Force’s Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax are considered by many aviation historians to be among the most capable heavy bombers of the Second World War. However, neither were the RAF’s first four-engine bomber. Overshadowed by the Lancaster’s success was the ...

By Peter Suciu

A First in 60 years: JB Andrews Stands Up New Helicopter Squadron

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AFNS) —   Joint Base Andrews activated the 5th Helicopter Squadron Aug. 27, marking the installation’s first U.S. Air Force helicopter squadron activation in 60 years. The squadron stands up at a time when the base anticipates accepting the HH-60W Jolly Green...

By Eric G

Capt. Dale Dye: The Battle of Guadalcanal

“It was scary, you know? The damnedest thing…” The old Marine flicked at a bright yellow tie he was wearing. “We were ordered to take Atabrine to prevent malaria. Most of us did that but it tended to turn our eyes and skin a bright yellow. And then a rumor started that the stuff would Rea...

By Capt. Dale Dye, USMC (Ret)

M10 Booker: Not Your Daddy’s Light Tank

For more than a century, infantry units have fought under an unforgiving reality: When you’re humping a ruck through non-cooperative terrain and you run face-first into an entrenched bunker, fortified machine-gun nest or enemy light armor, your options for immediate heavy fire support are painf...

By Mason Berryman

What Are Your Training Scars?

Editor’s Note: The content in this article is presented for informational purposes. The article does not replace quality training from a qualified instructor. The Newhall Incident was a formative moment in American law enforcement training. The incident happened in 1970 when four Californi...

By Kevin Creighton

Grumman J2F Duck: From Bataan to Antarctica

On April 24, 1933, a legend was born when Grumman test pilot Paul Hovgard flew the prototype Grumman J2F “Duck,” designated XJF-1, on its first flight, taking off from the factory’s grass strip at Farmingdale, New York. The flight marked the debut of one of the most versatile amphibious...

By Friedrich Seiltgen

The Thompson Submachine Gun

Few firearms have had as colorful a history as that of the iconic “Tommy Gun.” It was developed for the trenches of the First World War. But, as it arrived too late, the Thompson submachine gun was marketed to civilians, and later was carried by Allied soldiers in World War II. It could be ar...

By Peter Suciu

Air National Guard Squadron Sharpens Readiness in Jungle Terrain

Wind moves through the trees at Schofield Barracks’ East Range as leaves crunch underfoot and boots sink into mud. Humidity clings to uniforms as security forces airmen navigate steep terrain, flowing water and unfamiliar surroundings, trading the familiar landscape of the Midwest for the j...

By Eric G
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