These were America’s first African-American paratroopers
During World War II a company of service soldiers became the world’s first black paratroopers and then made history as smokejumpers.
How 87 paratroopers captured one of the world’s strongest forts
Belgium’s Fort Eben-Emael was the crown jewel of the country’s defense from invasion, boasting huge gun emplacements, defensive ditches and canals, and hundreds of artillery troops, all to protect the heartland and capital.
And the whol…
How these paratroopers came to be called ‘The Rock Regiment’
The 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment is unique in the annals of airborne history. It was one of only two parachute regiments to fight in the Pacific during World War II and the only one still active today.
Why American paratroopers in World War II wore ‘yellow’ gloves
By the time the United States entered World War II, the way the world fought wars had changed. Aircraft found more and more powerful uses, horses had given way to…
The 18 times America did crazy combat jumps
A combat jump and the gold star on your wings is the desire of all airborne personnel. During World War II, the U.S. Army fielded five airborne divisions, four of which saw combat, as well as numerous independent regimental combat teams and parachut…
This is how specialized paratroopers drop into thick forests and jungles
Airborne missions are an extremely risky part of military operations. Despite a multitude of risk mitigation measures including elite pathfinders who prepare drop zones, airborne operations have a higher acceptable…
The fighting spirit of this haircut is sadly unauthorized
The Mohawk is as intertwined with the military history of Airborne paratroopers as the playing card. To this day, a debate rages about which unit shaved t…
What happened when 200 insurgents attacked these 49 Americans
It would go on to be known as the Battle of Wanat, the most costly single engagement for U.S. forces in Afghanistan to that point. Nine U.S. soldiers would make the ultimate …
That time Rangers stole a bulldozer for an assault vehicle
In 1983, Rangers were on the point of the spear during a mission to protect American citizens in Grenada in 1983, attacking a key airfield that was being expanded by Cuban engineers. When the Rangers began to fight the engineers, the Rangers hotwire…
The US plan to train nuclear suicide bomber paratroopers
It’s an idea as old as nuclear weapons themselves: If you could slip a nuke into a city and detonate it, the enemy would never know it was coming. No missiles detected, no early warning radar, just one day: BOOM. In Cold War lore, these man-portabl…