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Delta finds its best counter-terrorists with this 'Long Walk'
The U.S. Army's Delta Force, or 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, is one of the single best military forces in the world. They hunted Bin Laden through the treacherous Tora Bora mountains in 2001 and 2002. They have liberated hostages and taken down terrorists around the world. And the road to join it goes down the "Long Walk."
When aspiring operators are being screened for selection into Delta Force, a collection of the most elite soldiers in the Army, they have to pass a series of rigorous and challenging tests, including a ruck march that they begin with no announced distance, no announced end time, and no encouragement. If they can complete this grueling ruck march, they will face a selection board and possibly join "The Unit."
If they fall short, they go home.
These night-vision goggles could let troops shoot around corners
US Army soldiers will soon be deploying with game-changing new night vision goggles as the service wraps up the final round of testing this week.
Troops will be putting the Enhanced Night Vision Goggles - Binocular (ENVG-B), recognized as one of the most advanced night vision optics available, to the test at Fort Drum in New York at the last of ten limited user events. Once the testing is complete, the ENVG-B will enter full-rate production with fielding scheduled for this fall, PEO Soldier announced April 22, 2019.
An armored brigade combat team set to deploy to South Korea this fall is expected to be the first unit to deploy with the new system, according to Army Times.
Watch Kim Jong Un's charlie foxtrot of a red carpet entrance
Tension and confusion gripped a train platform in Russia's far-eastern city of Vladivostok on April 23, 2019, when North Korean Kim Jong Un's bullet-proof armored train pulled in for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Both Putin and Kim are known for making grand entrances and power moves like showing up late to meetings with world leaders. But Kim on April 23, 2019, appeared delayed due to a gaffe.
Kim arrived via train, as is his family's custom and perhaps a clever way to avoid admitting his country has few working aircraft — but something was amiss.
US Navy making a show of force near Russia's 'doorstep'
The US Navy deployed two carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean Sea to send an unmistakable message to Russia.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS John C. Stennis and their escort ships began dual carrier operations in the region April 23, 2019, the US Navy said in a statement. The combined force includes more than 130 aircraft, 10 ships and 9,000 sailors and Marines, a force that no other power has the ability to bring together.
These flashbang grenades are legal for civilians
IWA International is a company based out of Miami, FL that specializes in importing unique tactical gear from all around the world. We recently got a chance to play with a couple of their latest releases — civilian-legal flashbang grenades.
Actual flashbangs produced for military and law enforcement use are classified as destructive devices by the ATF and are not available on the commercial market. They typically consist of an explosive charge and fuse mechanism inside a steel or aluminum grenade body. We have seen simulators and training aids available for unrestricted purchase that use shotgun blanks or even CO2 cartridges to create the bang, popular for use in airsoft and paintball matches.
These pistols are carried by NCOs at the Tomb of the Unknowns
Many military members are familiar with the sight of a shift change at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Only the U.S. Army's finest can join the Old Guard and walk the carpet as a tomb sentinel, so the highlight of any visit to Arlington is catching the Changing of the Guard, where the guard's M-14 rifle is famously inspected during the ceremony.
What you might not notice is the duty NCO's sidearm, holstered but clearly ready for use. This weapon is as clean as the rifle the NCO inspects, with one important difference for the guards.
The threatened Philippine war over trash would be hilarious
Neither country has significant power projection, and Canada is much stronger than the Philippines, but Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has threatened war with Canada over a large shipment of trash that has been stuck in a Philippine port for years.
The Philippine president and authoritarian strongman Rodrigo Duterte has threatened war with Canada over a festering trash debacle. That would be an amazing overreach by the bombastic leader, and it would result in one of the most mismatched military engagements in modern history, if the two sides could even manage to hit each other in any real way.
A North Vietnamese soldier hid in the jungle for 40 years
In 1972, Ho Van Thanh was a soldier stationed near his hometown in North Vietnam. After American bombs hit his home and killed his mother and two sons, he grabbed his one-year-old son and ran off into the jungle. He stayed put there, found by neither side of the war, until 2013.
Thanh was in his early 80s when he was convinced to come back from his self-imposed seclusion. His son was in his 40s.
What you need to know about self-referral
The intent of a self-referral is to provide you with a means of intervening in the progression of alcohol abuse early enough for you to get help before a problem becomes more advanced and more difficult to resolve without the risk of disciplinary action.
Have you ever wondered what the self-referral process is like? This recently released video testimonial from the Keep What You've Earned Campaign (KWYE) shows the real-life story of one chief's experience with seeking help. You can view the testimonial video, and more information is available on the NAAP website.
