Category: Military History

Following an exchange program with the British Special Air Service (SAS) in 1962, Charlie Beckwith realized that America was missing something.

Following a violent hostage crisis in Washington, D.C., the Army green-lit two dedicated counterterrorism units to address the issue.

Assembling a rapidly deploying Special Forces element — Blue Light — to respond to terrorist attacks came just in the nick of time.

On April 17, 1961 a Brigade of exiled Cubans landed on a Southern isolated Cuban beachhead to initiate the infamous invasion known as the Bay of Pigs. The CIA orchestrated operation was intended to remain clandestine until the last possible moment. Yet the operation was immediately compromised by a Cuban radio station near the landing site, which […]

Some historians call Vietnam the “last modern war,” others the “first postmodern war.” Either way, it was irregular: Vietnam was not a conventional war with the frontlines, rears, enemy mobilizing its forces for an attack, or a territory to be conquered and occupied. Instead, it was a formless conflict in which former strategic and tactical […]

This video will give you a quick, three-minute visual summary of the Roman Army and its organizational breakdown.

This documentary explores USAF Special Tactics combat rescue as told by some of the men who helped start the program.

American fighter bombers fly over across South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia dropping bombs filled with tiny fiberglass shards. A few hours later, Viet Cong insurgents — and anyone else unfortunate enough to move into the contaminated areas — begin to develop maddening itches and painful sores. Some go blind from glass in their eyes. This was […]

Born in 1876 in the Netherlands, Margaretha Geertruida Zelle married an affluent Dutch Colonial Army captain at the age of 18. In 1897, she moved with him to the island of Java, where they had two children. Her husband was an abusive and resentful alcoholic. To distract herself from the unhappiness of her marriage, Zelle […]

Pigeon-guided missiles, anti-tank dogs, and the Bat Bomb are just a few of the interesting systems highlighted in this article.  Get a glimpse of these and other bizarre inventions that came about through human ingenuity. (Drew Dwyer) Image Courtesy of the Department of Defense To see this intriguing list of weapons, visit: Business Insider    

Maybe one of these stories will provide the inspiration for America’s next generation of combat medics and corpsman.

On permanent display in the Royal Armouries’ collection at Fort Nelson, Hampshire are two huge, steel pipes bolted together and projecting high into the air. They’re enormous, big enough for someone to crawl through. These giant cylinders are one of the few remaining pieces of a contender for one of the most audacious pieces of engineering ever […]