It’s no secret that North Korea controls its people through fear and propaganda. Here are some of the craziest propaganda claims we’ve ever heard from the Hermit Kingdom:
1. North Korea made a video depicting 150,000 US citizens taken hostage during their invasion of the South Korean capital, Seoul.
2. Kim Jong-Un climbed North Korea’s highest mountain wearing a long top coat and dress shoes.
Kim Jong-Un on the summit of Mt. Paektu. Photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 19, 2015
3. Kim Jong-Il phoned the North Korean soccer coach during their World Cup match against Brazil with an invisible phone he invented himself.
Photo: Dollar Photo Club
4. That time Kim Jong-Il tried golf for the first time and finished with 11 holes-in-one to achieve a 38-under-par game on a championship 18-hole golf course.
Photo: Wikimedia
5. Then there was the time Kim Jong-Il’s track suits set the fashion world on fire, turning him into a fashion icon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6HwsmtzM1k
6. According to North Korea, Americans are imperialists that enjoy killing babies.
Do not forget the U.S. imperialist wolves!
7. Kim Jong-Il has never urinated or defecated.
8. North Korea is the second happiest country behind China, according to North Korean researchers. The United States is dead last.
9. Perhaps the cruelest North Korean propaganda poster ever. The country often suffering from famine claims it has lots of food.
The unfolding situation in Yemen is a huge geopolitical challenge for the US. A number of US allies, including Saudi Arabia, are attacking a rebel movement trained and supplied by Iran.
At the same time, the US is desperate for a nuclear deal with Tehran, reportedly giving ground on Iran’s demand that it be able to operate advanced uranium centrifuges in a heavily fortified, bomb-proof nuclear facility carved into the inside of a mountain even after a deal is signed.
At the same moment the US is wiling to retreat on major nuclear demands in the hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran, the US’s own allies are launching a military coalition aimed at restraining Iranian power.
The US has been trying to triangulate, aiding Operation Decisive Storm with logistical and intelligence support while attempting to reassure Iranian negotiators, who are currently meeting with their US counterparts in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Yemen conflict presents an even more immediate problem for the US. As the Los Angeles Times reported on March 25th, Iran-allied Houthi rebels obtained US intelligence files left behind after raiding an air base in Sana, the capital.
The files were then passed on to Yemeni “officials” sympathetic to the Houthis, who are in turn suspected of relaying them to Tehran, according to the Times.
“This is a disaster for US counterterrorism efforts across the Horn of Africa,” Robert Caruso, a former US Navy intelligence officer, explained to Business Insider by email. “While it would be irresponsible to say what may have been compromised, this is a nightmare for our military and especially our counterterrorism forces in the region.”
Basically, the Houthi advance through Yemen may have just delivered crucial information about US intelligence operations in the Middle East to a US-listed state sponsor of terrorism. And that may complicate the US’s efforts in both Switzerland and the Arabian Peninsula.
The US may want to reassure Iran that it is willing to spare it the embarrassment and potential strategic cost of an even greater escalation against the Houthis, like an Egyptian and Saudi ground invasion. US negotiators also may be hamstrung by the Iranian possession of fresh US intelligence.
“News reports that Iranian military advisers now have classified information about US military and intelligence operations is extremely disconcerting and could be used to harm Americans if the nuclear deal fails,” Caruso wrote. “I think we will find later on that Iran deliberately targeted the airbase and the US facilities there to gather and exploit intelligence that could be used as leverage or to target Americans later on.”
The problem of balancing the nuclear negotiations against other aspects of the US relationship with Iran unique to Yemen. The US has troops in Iraq fighting ISIS and providing air cover to Iranian-allied militant groups. Meanwhile Hezbollah, and Iranian proxy, has a presence on every continent and Iran has plotted against targets inside the US as recently as 2011, when an Iranian effort to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US at an upscale Washington, DC restaurant was uncovered.
The US and Iran are strategically intertwined in Iraq, while Iran has the capability and perhaps even the intention of seriously undermining US interests around the world. Tehran realizes that it has plenty of potential leverage over its US negotiating counterparts.
That might explain why Tehran has demanded so many concessions in the nuclear negotiations — and gotten them.
Officers, medical staff, and interpreters are a few of the high-value targets that enemy forces focus on first while in a war zone. But the enemy also has their crosshairs on another professional that’s excellent at sniffing out homemade bombs: military working dogs.
Over 1,600 dogs train and serve alongside our brave troops, adept at hunting down the nasty ingredients used to produce those dangerous IEDs. Despite the serious nature of their mission, military working dogs are the subject of some of the funniest memes ever created.
Eugene Sledge and several classmates intentionally flunked out of their studies in order to enlist during World War II. Sledge chose the Marine Corps infantry and was trained as a 60mm mortarman before being assigned as a replacement in the 5th Marine Regiment. Pvt. Sledge joined K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines after the Battle of Cape Gloucester in preparation for the assault on Peleliu. Sledge and the rest of the 1st Marine Division attacked Peleliu on September 15, 1944.
The fight for the island was supposed to be short but dragged on for more than two months before the island was secure. It was during the fighting on Peleliu that Sledge began keeping a journal of his experiences tucked in the pages of his bible. The fight for the island had so decimated his division that they would not be fit for action again for over six months.
The 1st Marine Division next saw action during the bloody battle for Okinawa. After 82 intense days of combat, the island was secured and the Marines began preparing for their next mission, the invasion of Japan. Fortunately, the atomic bombs forced a Japanese capitulation and Sledge and the 5th Marines instead were sent to Beijing for occupation duty. Sledge was discharged from the Marine Corps in February of 1946 at the rank of corporal.
Despite being out of the war, the experiences he had continued to plague him. He felt out of place back in Alabama, being around people who had not experienced the war. As he stated in an interview with PBS, “As I strolled the streets of Mobile, civilian life seemed so strange. People rushed around in a hurry about seemingly insignificant things. Few seemed to realise how blessed they were to be free and untouched by the horrors of war. To them, a veteran was a veteran – all were the same, whether one man had survived the deadliest combat or another had pounded a typewriter while in uniform.”
While at the Registrar a clerk reviewing his military transcripts asked him if “the Marine Corps taught you anything useful?” To which he replied “Lady, there was a killing war. The Marine Corps taught me how to kill Japs and try to survive. Now, if that don’t fit into any academic course, I’m sorry. But some of us had to do the killing — and most of my buddies got killed or wounded.”
Along with his difficulties with civilians, Eugene Sledge also found himself a changed man. Prior to the war, he had been an avid hunter but when he came back, he found the experience too much to bear. During one particular hunt, Sledge’s father found him weeping after having to kill a wounded dove, saying he could no longer bear to witness any suffering. The conversation was an important one. His father suggested he could substitute bird watching for hunting. This would be a turning point in Sledge’s transition and help guide his career.
Sledge threw himself into his studies at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), as the studying seemed to help with the flashbacks. In science, he found a subject that would keep him sane and complimented his new passion for observing nature. He completed his bachelor’s degree in only three years, graduating in 1949 with a degree in Biology. He returned to Alabama Polytechnic in 1953 as a graduate student and research assistant before earning his Master’s in Biology in 1955.
Despite his rigorous study keeping many of the bad memories at bay, the war was still with him. At the urging of his wife, he returned to the journal he kept during the war and began work on his memoirs. Then from 1956 to 1960 Sledge attended the University of Florida where he received his Ph.D. in Biology. Dr. Sledge returned to Alabama and became a professor of Biology at the University of Montevallo in 1962.
Dr. Sledge continued to teach at the university until his retirement in 1990. During that time, he also continued to work on his own memoirs. His first book, With the Old Breed: at Peleliu and Okinawa, was published in 1981. Unlike most autobiographical war memoirs, Sledge’s book was written very academically and included cited sources. There is no shortage of authenticity to it, as he describes in gory detail, his experiences from the war. Combined with his academic pursuits, the writing of his book allowed Sledge to finally put the war behind him.
Eugene Sledge died in 2001 but his memory lives on. In 2002, his second book, China Marine: an Infantryman’s Life after WWII, was published. Then in 2007, it was announced that “With the Old Breed” was being used as source material for the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.” “With the Old Breed” is also on the Commandant’s Reading List.
Nowadays, if you want to get fit, you don’t have to settle for rows of treadmills or an overpriced gym membership.
You can select a style of exercise that fits your personality and helps you accomplish your fitness goals without making you dread every minute.
But, getting started can be overwhelming! What IS all this stuff? What’s a WOD? An asana? Why do I need to pulse?
Check out this list, a collection of five popular styles of exercise: Yoga, Pilates, Pure Barre, CrossFit, and traditional exercise. Learn how they work, their benefits and what makes each one special.
Sanskrit for “yoke” or “union,” yoga joins physical movement with breathing. Instructors typically begin classes with a centering and breathing exercise. Then you’ll move through a series of poses, or asanas, before cooling down and finishing with yoga’s signature “Namaste.”
Benefits of yoga
Yoga improves flexibility and increases strength. Even without burpees, you’ll raise your heart rate, which is great for your heart’s health. Military spouses will love the way yoga makes them feel happier, sleep better and stress less (deployment-blues cure, anyone?).
In fact, Army spouse and yoga instructor Hilary Mitchell says that the benefits of yoga are “endless.” If you explore how deeply the practice changes not only your body, but also your mind, you’ll experience the immense benefits, she says.
“Bring a positive and hopeful attitude to the classroom or home practice, trust your body and your instincts,” Hilary says. “Allow yourself the opportunity to just be yourself without restraint.”
Should I try yoga?
Yoga offers classes for all levels. Hatha or Vinyasa yoga are good for beginners, while Ashtanga and Bikram are more demanding.
Hilary recommends to read class descriptions and look for terms like “all levels” or “advanced” to help you choose a class.
Where can I find a yoga class?
Check out your installation’s gym or your local community’s gyms. Or, search online for free or low-cost videos.
“Always look for options nearby for yoga community events or classes too,” Hilary says.
Fire up your powerhouse with Pilates
Pilates also unites movement and breath, but its focus on the “powerhouse,” the body’s deep core, makes it unique. During a Pilates class, you’ll practice its six main principles: control, centering, concentration, precision, breath and flow.
Benefits of Pilates
Practicing Pilates can result in improved posture, increased strength and increased flexibility. It’ll help you shed pounds and boost your mental health, too.
Targeting your powerhouse can also benefit areas that can be embarrassing to talk about, but they’re crucial to your overall health.
Air Force spouse and certified Pilates instructor Samanta Saura-Perez says that working on deep core and pelvic floor muscles can help improve your sex life, recover after childbirth and even control incontinence.
“If we bring the desire to work and concentrate, the overall experience and benefits will be greater,” Samanta says. “By trusting your instructor, after few classes you will see a noticeable increase in mobility, strength and balance.
Should I try Pilates?
Pilates is especially good for people who are recovering from an injury and need a low-impact exercise, women recovering from childbirth and people experiencing back pain, Samanta says. She recommends that anyone with a health issue consult a doctor before trying a new form of exercise.
Where can I find a Pilates class?
Look for Pilates at your installation’s gym or at a local gym. Some communities will have dedicated Pilates studios, too.
Feel the burn with Pure Barre
Pure Barre is rooted in ballet, Pilates and yoga. The low-impact workout leads participants through a series of small, controlled, highly intense movements. You’ll “pulse” and “hold,” feeling Pure Barre’s signature burn, which means you’re activating important deep muscle fibers.
Benefits of Pure Barre
Pure Barre’s slogan, “lift, tone, burn!” accurately describes its effects, results and why people love it. Army spouse and Pure Barre instructor Claire Manganaro says that Pure Barre’s efficient and controlled movements are “creating and defining all major muscle groups.”
“The exercises performed in class safely strengthen core muscles used for increased strength and mobility,” she says.
But Claire says that the Pure Barre community is its “strongest asset.”
Claire has seen students step out of their comfort zones and find their place in the Pure Barre community, accomplishing major weight loss goals or coping with the death of a child.
She believes Pure Barre has the power to transform the “whole self.”
Should I try Pure Barre?
Pure Barre is designed to allow modifications for anyone. Claire says that, because it’s low-impact, it’s especially good for people who are recovering from an injury or pregnant.
Where can I find Pure Barre?
Find a class in over 500 Pure Barre studios nationwide. If you’re OCONUS, search “Pure Barre On Demand” in the App Store!
Unleash your inner bad-ass with CrossFit
CrossFit workouts are varied and intense, and people love them! Classes begin with a group warm-up and skills-building session, in which participants fine-tune particular abilities. The WOD (workout of the day) changes everyday, and includes rowing, squats, kettle bell swings and more.
Benefits of CrossFit
Metabolic conditioning and functional movements burn calories, build muscle and reduce the risk of injury. Plus, they improve balance and agility.
Air Force spouse and certified CrossFit trainer Anna C. Olson says that, while she sees people get stronger and shed pounds, she also sees how CrossFit helps people grow more confident. People are surprised by their accomplishments, which makes them feel “unstoppable,” she says.
Anna also says the community is unique and powerful. “When you are most vulnerable and are tired during the workout, doubting if you can finish, there is someone next to you cheering you on, telling you that they know you can do it,” she says.
Should I try CrossFit?
CrossFit is adaptable to your fitness level and abilities. It uses a lot of special terms and equipment, but Anna says that being patient and setting one or two goals at a time will help you adjust.
“You don’t have to be the fastest or fittest,” she says. “You just have to try.”
“And remember that quitting won’t speed it up!” she adds.
Where can I find CrossFit?
Check for CrossFit at your installation, or search CrossFit.com for a local workout. This can be helpful if you’re on the road (hello, PCS season!) and desperate for a workout.
Keep it real with traditional exercise
If specialized parameters aren’t your jam, traditional exercise might be what you need. “The gym” can be a fitness center or your backyard, allowing you to get creative with an effective aerobic and strength-training workout.
Navy spouse and certified personal trainer Cheryl Roth says that pushups, squats, deadlifts, rows, pullups, overhead presses and lunges will keep you healthy and get results.
Benefits of traditional exercise
Exercising regularly will build muscle, create lasting energy and improve brain function. And don’t forget it’ll also burn calories and help you fit into those skinny jeans.
But well-planned exercise can help you accomplish basic daily activities, Cheryl says, so think about your goals. If you’re a parent who struggles to get down to and up from the floor, include squats and lunges in your routine.
If your shoulders are rounded from sitting at a computer or bending over, Cheryl says this could be a sign of a “tight chest and weak upper back.” She recommends opening your chest with a standing doorway stretch and strengthening your back with a seated row.
Should I try traditional exercise?
Traditional exercise gives you total control to design your own routine. With this in mind, Cheryl says to “come armed with a plan.”
“Know which exercises you want to incorporate that day, the weights you will use, and how many sets and reps you will do,” she says. This will help you stay focused and avoid wasting time.
Where should I go to exercise?
If you need help using the gym’s equipment, ask a trained staff member. If you need guidance at home, search YouTube for an exercise routine. Or, work with a trainer like Cheryl, who owns Me Time Health and Fitness, and works with clients online.
And there you have it! Which exercise style fits you best? Which one are you ready to try?
This article originally appeared on Military Spouse. Follow @MilSpouseMag on Twitter.
The Brimstone missile is Europe’s equivalent of the Hellfire missile. Like the Hellfire, it’s designed to take out tanks and other armored targets, it can be fired with different seeker and warheads, and it’s battle-tested, especially in the Middle East. Now, its manufacturer has packed an insane number of them into small, all-terrain drones that could break apart Russian armor formations.
First, a quick background on the threat. While the U.S. is torn between competing threats in the Middle East, China, and Russia, Europe has a clear top priority in Russia. Europe gets a ton of energy from Russia, but the relationship is tense.
Russia has already invaded Ukraine twice, and it’s still supporting separatists in the Donbas region of that country. It has also allegedly violated the territorial sovereignty of Estonia by kidnapping an intelligence officer. (Russia claims the capture happened on their side of the border, Estonia disagrees, and U.S. and NATO intelligence backs Estonia.)
Russia still has the largest fleet of armored land vehicles in the world, with an estimated 22,000 combat tanks, according to GlobalFirepower.com. The largest European armored fleet in NATO comes from Turkey with about 3,200 tanks, and it’s moving into a Russian orbit. The total tank force of European NATO countries only totals a little over 11,000. Adding the U.S. and Canadian armored fleets only gets NATO to about 18,000 tanks.
So, yeah, Russia’s massive armored forces could cause legitimate heartburn in the rest of Europe. No one wants to be the next Ukraine or the next Georgia. (Russia successfully annexed a portion of Georgia in a 2008 invasion.)
But how do you brush back Russia without an armored corps, a massive attack helicopter fleet, or some other costly investment?
Well, if you need to intimidate an armored corps and can’t afford hundreds of attack helicopters with air-to-ground anti-tank missiles, maybe you could just put those missiles on a small drone on the ground.
“This cassette magazine, with its high weapon loadout, is optimised to counter mass armour,” said Andy Allen, MBDA U.K. Head of Land Domain Sales and Business Development. “Pairing the combat-proven MBDA Brimstone missile with a flexible and mission deployed UGV such as the Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS provides the tactical commander with the capability to rapidly and remotely deliver high volumes of precision anti-armour effects, importantly in all weathers, against all known DAS and at extended ranges.”
At least that’s the logic behind the pairing of the Brimstone missile and the MILREM Robotics THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle. The resulting product looks a bit like WALL-E if you switched out the cute eyes and body for a six-pack of abs missiles.
The THeMIS UGV is an unmanned infantry support vehicle, and MILREM Robotics sells it in a number of configurations, from transport to remote weapon platform to explosive ordnance disposal. But the most robust anti-tank version on MILREM’s website has a single Javelin missile. MBDA’s proposal would pack six Brimstones instead.
This could be especially potent when MILREM finishes the “swarming” control protocol that’s currently in development.
And Europe might invest in the solution. Europe is already heavily invested in Brimstone, and some countries already own a few THeMIS, so a paired solution shouldn’t be an insanely hard sell. So, hey, next time you head to Europe for an exercise, you might see a European soldier with a loyal attack robot following him. An attack robot with six tank-killing missiles.
Throughout military history, the gear our ground troops wear has depended on different aspects, for instance: the available technology, budget, and the weather (for the most part).
The needs of the mission and the environment determine what gear our infantrymen haul on their backs, around their waists, and even what they stuff into their many cargo pockets.
But the endgame of the mission always remains the same — win the war at all cost.
Today, the modern battlefield of Iraq and Afghanistan has prompted our military to change what our troops take with them. “SAPI” plates (Small Arms Protective Insert) were added to help protect the service members vital organs from small arms fire.
All that gear adds up. (Photo: U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jorge Intriago)
Travel back in time where medieval Knights wore several layers and different types of heavy body armor to protect themselves from sharp swinging swords to the accurately shot arrows. These fearless men would spend countless hours training while cloaked in their protective garments, acclimating their bodies for war.
Fast forward to the rice patties of Vietnam where Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers bravely left the wire typically sporting only their thin layered green t-shirts due to the constant humidity of the jungle while still toting pounds of extras.
One 155-pound TV show host wanted to experience just how heavy the gear of an American GI in Vietnam was. So after donning the full Vietnam War style combat load — complete with ammo, an M-16 rifle, an individual medical bag, and 2 quarts of water — the TV show host’s total weight amounted to just under 235 solid pounds of gear. It was an 80-pound difference.
Check out the Smithsonian Channel‘s video below to see this TV show host play grunt for an afternoon.
Love is blind, but marriage is an eye-opener. So goes the old joke. Har Har. But there’s a lot of truth to this vaudevillian knee-slapper: marriage provides an opportunity for each partner to glimpse the other in a new light. This light shows polished surfaces we never knew were there, and also shows some rough or cracked edges that need assistance. And this results in complaints: things they wish they’d realize, things they wish they’d try to do more often, things they do that unknowingly make the other feel lesser or unloved.
And you know what? Listening to complaints is helpful. Really helpful. Because all of us have overlapping tendencies. That’s why we spoke to a variety of wives to find out what they really wished their husbands would stop doing. Most of their complaints boil down issues of emotional intimacy and self-awareness — and can help the rest of us understand what we can do to make life better for our partners. So, consider what these wives said, and look inward. Maybe you’ve been guilty of some of the same infractions. Maybe not. In any case, they’re good to hear regardless to keep yourself in check.
1. I wish he’d give himself more credit
“I wish my husband would give himself more credit. He’s an amazing dad, and an amazing husband – an amazing person, really. But, he’s got a confidence issue, and usually reverts to being extremely humble when he’s praised or when people compliment him. I think he’s afraid to let it sink in. I mean, I know he’s afraid to let it sink in. It’s something we’ve talked about. I admire his humility, I just wish he would pat himself on the back every once in a while for being so great. He deserves it.” – Jasmine, 36, Mobile, AL
(Flicker / 401kcalculator.org)
2. I wish he’d include me in our financial discussions more
“My husband is very secretive about finances. We have joint finances, of course, but he also has a stock portfolio that he doesn’t share with anyone besides his broker, and maybe a friend or two. It’s not the money aspect, really. It’s more the secrecy – I wish he would tell me more about it, because it’s a part of his life. If I ask, he just says, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” And that’s great and reassuring. But it still makes me feel like he doesn’t trust me, or doesn’t think I’m smart enough to understand the whole thing.” – Christine, 63, Chautauqua, NY
3. I wish he’d realize that he doesn’t have to explain everything to me
“I trust my husband – I wish he knew that. He always feels like he has to explain things to me. Like why he was late getting home, or who he just got off the phone with in the other room. I’m thrilled that he’s so honest, but I do trust him. It makes me feel like his mom. I don’t need to know every little detail about his day in order to know that he’s a good man. If it’s something he’s excited to share, that’s awesome. But if he’s just, like, providing an alibi, it makes me feel more like he’s afraid of me than in love with me.” – Jen, 37, West Palm Beach, FL
4. I wish he knew that just saying “sorry” sometimes isn’t enough
“I wish my husband knew that just because he says, ‘I’m sorry’, it doesn’t make the hurtful things he said or did go away. I believe him when he says he’s sorry, but the words we exchanged during the fight, or the hurtful thing he did – or didn’t do – just keeps replaying over and over in my head.” – Kayla, 29, Boston, MA
(Flickr / J Stimp)
5. I wish he would not make me feel as though I was talking at him
“Eye contact. When I’m talking to him about something important, I wish my husband would make eye contact with me. He does, but it’s usually only for a second, and then he goes back to looking at the floor, or off in the distance. I know he can hear me, but I don’t feel like he’s listening. And it makes me feel like he’s either disinterested or terrified – neither of which I want him to be. I just want us to be able to look at each other while we talk to each other, instead of me talking at him.” – Mary, 54, Cleveland, OH
6. I wish he’d realize he’s not as handy as he thinks
“My husband thinks he’s way more handy than he really is. His father is a total ‘Mr. Fix-It’. But my husband just didn’t inherit those genes. He’ll try to fix something around the house, and it’ll usually end up being a temporary solve until it breaks again. I wish he’d just shelve his pride and admit that we should call a pro to fix the problem correctly. I don’t care that he’s not ‘Mr. Fix-It’. Like, at all. And he doesn’t need to try and impress me – that part was cute at first, but now it’s just become annoying. And expensive.” – Zulma, 46, Phoenix, AZ
7. I wish he’d stop being so defensive
“When I come to my husband with a ‘complaint’, I wish he’d respond less defensively. When I say something’s bothering me, my goal isn’t to put him in the hot seat – it’s to try and figure out a solution that works for all of us. But, he immediately starts talking about how horrible he is for what he did, or forgot to do, or whatever. That’s not what I want. I just want to figure it out! Together!” – Erin, 37, Vancouver, Canada
(Flickr / Buscando ando)
8. I wish he would try to woo me again
“My husband used to play his guitar all the time when we were dating. He was trying to woo me, and impress me. He doesn’t play a lot anymore, if ever. It makes me feel like he’s stopped trying – like now that we’re married, with kids, he’s ‘got’ me. I imagine this complaint is similar to a lot of other women’s, but it’s very specifically his guitar in my case. He’s really good! I enjoy listening to him play. It’s not even the “trying to impress me” thing, really. I just know he loves his guitar, and I miss that part of him. When I ask him to play, he just shies away. It makes me sad that I have to practically beg him to play, when it used to be something he’d surprise me with.” – Emily, 40, New York, NY
9. I wish he’d stop being a martyr and just quit his job
“I wish my husband would quit his job. He hates it. Every day he comes home, he’s miserable. But, he’s afraid to quit. It’s not worth it, though – the stress this job puts on him. I don’t care if we have to tighten our budget for a while, so he can find something else. His happiness is more important to me then a temporary lack of security. Part of me feels like he enjoys being a martyr, but that’s stupid. His mood affects everyone in our house. Me and the kids. When he’s unhappy, it makes us unhappy, too. And it’s all because of this awful job. I appreciate the sentiment of wanting to take care of us, but not at this cost. He just needs to grow a pair and quit. He’d be so much happier.” – Sarah, 29, Columbus, OH
10. I wish he’d argue with me more
“When my husband and I are mad at each other, we go silent. Well, he goes silent. I wish he would argue with me more. It sounds silly, but I really do. I think arguing shows that you care about the problem enough to have an opinion. Staying quiet just makes everything so ambiguous. Show me some passion. I’m a big girl – if you think I’m being an idiot, tell me. If you think I’m wrong, tell me. Yelling is talking, and I’d rather talk like that than not talk at all.” – Meg, 32, Woodside, NY
This article originally appeared on Fatherly. Follow @FatherlyHQ on Twitter.
Armenian soldiers take positions along the border with Azerbaijan (Armenian Defense Ministry Press Service)
For decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have feuded over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the region is mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state with an ethnic Armenian majority population. Despite the formal cessation of hostilities in 1994 after a two-year war over the region, clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces continue to erupt along the border.
Following a week-long series of military exercises in the disputed region at the end of May, skirmishes broke out on July 12 which left four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and several wounded on both sides. The South Caucasus neighbors blamed each other for the outbreak of violence. While Azerbaijani and Armenian government representatives threatened deadly consequences should the conflict escalate, the international community weighed in.
Turkey, a historic enemy of Armenia, expressed strong support for Azerbaijan in the conflict. Moscow, an ally to both Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressed concern over the fighting and warned that further escalation could undermine the security of the region. The United States condemned the violence and urged for the de-escalation of hostilities via direct communication links.
Hopes of a return to the ceasefire were dashed as both sides continued to exchange rocket and artillery fire along the border on July 13. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense posted a video showing Azerbaijani artillery destroying an Armenian military base. Later in the day, both sides reported damage to civilian houses.
Hostilities escalated further on July 14 as both sides employed UAVs for aerial strikes. Armenian-made UAVs were used in combat for the first time. “[They] showed brilliant results,” said former Spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun Hovhannisyan. “It seems high-ranking officers became victims of their strike.” Later in the day, Azerbaijan confirmed the deaths of Major General Popad Hashimov and Colonel Ilgar Mirzoev as well as five other servicemen.
On July 15, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense shared four videos of Armenian bases and vehicles being destroyed by Azerbaijani artillery fire. In response, Hovhannisyan shared a video of shelled Armenian houses and blamed Azerbaijan for attacking civilian villages. As of the writing of this article, exchanges of fire along the border between the two countries continues.
To date, Armenia has confirmed five of their soldiers killed, one as recently as July 23, and a further 36 wounded. Azerbaijan has confirmed 11 of their soldiers killed, including the aforementioned Major General and Colonel.
The outbreak of violence between the two countries has prompted protests by ethnic Azeris and Armenians around the world. On July 17, a protest outside the Armenian embassy in London turned violent. Carrying their national flags and chanting slogans, Azeris and Armenians exchanged insults before the demonstrations devolved into physical altercations, forcing the intervention of law enforcement.
On July 19, about 500 Armenians from around France congregated in Paris to protest in front of the Azerbaijani embassy. To prevent a repeat of the violence in London, the organizers did not publicize the event in advance and communicated via telephone. Without approval for the demonstration, the protesters were dispersed by police before long.
Protests have been taking place around the world and the United States is no exception. In Los Angeles, which has the highest population of Armenians outside of Armenia, a protest on July 21 near the Azerbaijan Consulate General in Brentwood turned violent. Fistfights broke out leaving demonstrators on both sides and one LAPD officer injured.
July 23 saw an escalation of violence in Europe. In Germany, an official government vehicle was set on fire outside of the Armenian Embassy in Berlin. In Ukraine, an Armenian owned coffee shop was burned down. A video of the fire surfaced online along with a narration that translates to, “This is an Armenian coffee shop in Kiev. This is a gift to Armenians from the Azerbaijanis. Accept it.” In Russia, violence has come in the form of street attacks. At least two Armenian men have been beaten by Azeris. The Russian Special Purpose Police Unit known as OMON has taken an undisclosed number of Azeris into custody for the attacks.
As the fighting in the Caucasus region spills over across the globe, the United States response remains hopeful of de-escalation and a return to a ceasefire. However, with violence surging, more experienced military veterans may need to dust off their old maps and MDMP slides from the GAAT scenario.
An overview GAAT map (US Army Combined Arms Center)
Warriors guard their hearts underneath a stoic resolve because showing emotion is often misunderstood as a weakness. Leaders often weigh the needs of the many against the needs of the few to build a brighter future for their people to live and prosper. Love is an unstoppable force that can influence the influencer or conquer the conqueror. What can those in command do when love is true but the world is wrong?
They change it.
Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World-GARDENS OF BABYLON PART 1
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife Queen Amytis. He knew his queen’s happiness stayed in the green mountain valleys of her childhood home in Media. In order to make his wife happy, he built one of the seven wonders of the ancient world between 605 and 562 BC in what is now known as modern day Iraq.
The word ‘hanging’ that gave the wonder its name sake comes from trees planted on elevated balconies. The wonder used raised platforms, aqueducts, and a system of irrigation centuries before their time to water the vast collection of plants and trees.
He literally built his wife a mountain.
Archaeologists debate whether the wonder was built in Nineveh (back then called New Babylon) instead of Babylon itself. The ruins shared the same fate as Cleopatra’s Tomb of being lost in the sands of time.
Emperor Hongzhi seen here not cheating on his wife with 10,000 options.
They refused concubines and consorts — Emperor Hongzhi of China
High status men in late imperial China over the age of forty were encouraged to take on a second wife or a mistress. It was also common that your mistress would try to kill your first wife and all your children. In the case of Emperor Hongzhi, he had his mother killed by one of his father’s mistresses.
The death of his murdered mother by a mistress was enough to highlight the advantages of monogamy. He had no children outside of his one marriage to his empress and had no extramarital affairs.
He loved his wife and five children so much that he did not want to risk their safety over loose women and swore them off completely. The importance he placed on monogamy was seen as out of place since most emperors during those times had a man-cave harem with 10,000 available women, empire wide, determined to show you the privileges of being a ruler.
Dr. Kenneth Swope, of the University of Southern Mississippi describes Hongzhi as the “most uninteresting and colorless of all the Ming emperors.”
He chose to have his life be seen as a model of morality and his morals as the center piece for his anti-corruption campaign. He used his love for his one and only wife to shape his empire in peace.
“That was still an expensive divorce, Henry.”
The Simpsons
They changed religions — King Henry VIII of England
Marriage and religion are touchy subjects, especially when conversions are involved. Henry VIII had fallen in love with with a young woman named Anne Boleyn, but there was a problem: he was already married. He became convinced his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was cursed because she was his brother’s widow. The king commanded asked the pope to annul his marriage.
However, Catherine’s nephew was the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and he commanded urged Pope Clement VII to not annul the marriage.
The king then decided that he didn’t need the pope’s permission to do anything so he declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, changed England’s religion, decreed his daughter Mary illegitimate, and got a divorce. In 1533 Henry and Anne Boleyn were married.
She then bore him a daughter so he had her beheaded.
During the early days of World War I, it was not unheard of for airplanes to drop mortar rounds on the enemy. In fact, that was pretty much all those early air warriors had as an ordnance option.
But dropping mortar rounds was soon superseded by dedicated bombers that held racks of dumb bombs that weighed as much as 2,000 pounds.
A German pilot prepares to drop a mortar round on a target. This was what passed for bombing in the early days of World War I. (Youtube screenshot)
Now air-dropped mortar rounds are making a comeback, and they promise to be much more effective. That’s because a new generation of extended-range GPS-guided 81mm and 120mm mortar rounds will be leveraged for use from UAVs. These rounds deploy winglets that allow them to glide towards a target as opposed to being committed to a ballistic arc.
As such, they can not only strike within six feet of their aim point thanks to their precision guidance (an optional low-cost laser seeker will give the rounds the ability to engage a moving target), they can also travel over 12 miles when fired from a baseline mortar like the M120 120mm mortar or the M252 81mm mortar.
Now, imagine if these were dropped from a UAV from, say, 25,000 feet, as opposed to being fired by a mortar on the ground. During a presentation at the 2017 Armament System Forum in Fredericksburg, Virginia, hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association, Alan Perkins of UTC Aerospace Systems discussed how these mortars could be used on UAVs like the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper instead of the usual AGM-114 Hellfire missile.
Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Robert Neller, is briefed on the Advanced Capability Extended Range Mortar (ACERM) during an Office of Naval Research (ONR) awareness day. The ACERM uses dual-mode guidance, advanced aerodynamics and improved propellants to increase the performance significantly beyond that of current systems. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams)
The reason: The mortar rounds will have long range – in excess of 30 miles – when dropped from a UAV’s normal altitude. Furthermore their warheads are much smaller than the Hellfire’s. The 120mm mortar’s M57 round has about four and a half pounds of high explosive. Compare that to the 20-pound warhead on a Hellfire. That greatly reduces collateral damage, but when a 120mm mortar round lands six feet away from some ISIS terrorists, it still ruins their day.
In short, the old way of hitting ground targets for airplanes has become new again.
You might think that legendary fighter planes like the F4U Corsair and P-51 Mustang saw their last action in the Korean War.
It seems like a reasonable assumption – but it’d be dead wrong.
Believe it or not, the last combat those planes saw came around the time that F-4 Phantoms and MiG-21s were fighting for air superiority over North Vietnam, and Israeli Mirages and Neshers took on the air forces of Egypt, Syria, and other Arab countries.
Ranker.com
In 1969, El Salvador and Honduras went to war. It lasted about 100 hours, and started less than three weeks after the end of a contentious qualifying series for the 1970 World Cup.
Dubbed the “Soccer War,” the fighting left nearly 3,200 people dead, both military and civilian.
Notable was that it was the last combat action that some legendary planes would see. The war started when El Salvador began its attacks — a makeshift affair with passenger planes being modified to carry bombs for the first strikes. El Salvadoran troops followed the strikes and pushed into Honduras.
Honduras at the time had 19 F4U Corsairs in its inventory, along with 6 AT-6 Texan attack planes. El Salvador had 11 P-51D Mustangs in service, plus some that upgraded Cavalier Mustangs. They had 25 F4U/FG-1 Corsairs in service as well.
During the fighting, Honduran Corsairs downed a P-51 and two Corsairs, gained air superiority over the battlefield, and began pushing the invaders back. Anti-aircraft fire claimed two more Salvadoran Mustangs, while two P-51s were lost in a mid-air collision.
Two Salvadoran Corsairs were also shot down by ground fire.
Photo: US Navy
When all was said and done, the Organization of American States intervened to arrange for a cease-fire. The war ended with a status quo ante bellum. Today, both Air Forces operate A-37B Dragonfly attack planes (15 for El Salvador, 10 for Honduras), but Honduras also has nine F-5E Tiger II fighters. Honduras and El Salvador took over a decade to sign a formal peace treaty, but the underlying tensions remain in that region.
While the disputes that lead to the Soccer War have not been resolved, the Soccer War did give some legends one last chance to serve.
The airport is a busy space. We’ve all experienced those long security lines, the annoyance of shoe removal and the not so fun physical pat down. All of that is just to get to your plane, never mind the things that come with the flight. All of this stress combined with traveling with small children, the thought of flying strikes feelings of absolute dread in the hearts of most parents.
The other side of travel is also stressful; those that work in the industry are responsible for a lot. One study reported that almost 40% of pilots experience burnout. Despite the demands and high responsibility associated with their jobs, one airline and their employees took the time to bring kindness to a military family with a unique need.
Arielle Britton was reportedly traveling with her toddler, Kenley, when her daughter lost her doll at some point between two airports. This wasn’t just any doll but a daddy doll with a picture of her deployed father and a specially recorded message inside the doll from him. Her daddy is away, serving in the United States Marine Corps. Britton said that her daughter would listen to her father’s “goodnight” message every evening and slept with it always.
Both mom and daughter were devastated.
Britton reached out on Facebook and created a public post pleading for help in finding her daughter’s special doll. She also contacted both airports they’d traveled through to report the loss. Her post garnered nearly 4,000 shares and then the story spread to Twitter. Delta saw her message and personally called her, sharing that all of their employees would be on the hunt for her daughter’s special doll.
A few days after Britton’s initial post, she made another one, this time sharing that the doll was found safe found on a plane and Delta was sending it back home to be with her daughter. She also went live on Facebook in a video, saying that she never dreamed that her plea for help would gain so much traction. A story that started with a parent helpless to console her heartbroken daughter was completely turned around thanks to the kindness of strangers.
It may seem like a simple thing, seeing people jump in to search for this special doll, but it so much more. It was a ripple that spread far and wide, touching the lives of thousands involved.
This military spouse wasn’t just dealing with a lost toy. She was walking through a season of fear and stress due to having a deployed husband while also having to be strong for her young daughter. The loss of something that gave her little girl a connection to her father was immeasurable. The Marine serving his country made that special doll for his daughter to be consoled when she was missing him but also so that he could feel closer to her while he was deployed. Watching people come together to help bring this doll home is something this military family will remember for the rest of their lives.
The lesson and purpose to be found in this story is easy: kindness can change the lives of everyone it touches.
The airline employees and travelers were for once united. They had a shared commitment to making a little girl smile. Gone for a time was the stress of endless complaints about security lines, legroom or lack of favorite snacks on board. Kindness took over for those few days; improving work environments, travel experiences and hearts. Can you imagine what it would be like if it was like that always? The dread of work or traveling would disappear; kindness is that powerful.
Did you know witnessing an act of kindness sparks oxytocin which is considered the love hormone? Or that it can change your entire brain when you perform an act of kindness? It has been scientifically proven to light you up with positive energy, reducing depression, and help make you feel calmer. Guess what? All that feel goodness is contagious, which was clearly seen with the daddy doll search for a military child.
So, go out and be kind. You won’t just be making yourself feel happier but sparking a ripple that will travel far and wide, changing the lives of everyone it touches. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
