POWs have done some innovative things over the years to free themselves from captivity and get back into the fight. Here are four of the most daring escapes in military history.
Have you ever wondered how the toughest competitors in the UFC would stack up against the military?
Well, you can stop wondering. A YouTube video called “UFC Fighters Experience Marine Corps Martial Arts” gives a look at what happened when five fighters — Marcus Davis, Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, (former Marine) Brian Stann, and UFC President Dana White — made the trek to Quantico, Virginia’s Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence, better known as MACE.
After seeing a morning demonstration of tactics and techniques, the fighters attempted a training lane used to test Marines for their ability to train with knives, bayonets, and fighting sticks. The fighters lost to the Marines. Badly.
Although to be fair, even former Marine Brian Stann had some trouble standing up to his fellow Marines who were experts in the Corps’ Martial Arts program.
In Part 2 of this amazing series by Army veteran Rebecca Murga, Maj. Lisa Jaster arrives at Ranger School as one of 400 candidates (including, for the first time, 19 women) who are part of Class 06-15. Jaster quickly discovers the physical pain and mental anguish is going to push her past her limits. The average age of her Ranger School classmates is 23; she is 37.
Although hungry and sleep-deprived, Jaster realizes that she is changing male soldier’s attitudes toward females by her mere presence not to mention her effort.
“During the road march I came in in the first quarter of the company,” she recounts. “Some guy – I never saw his face – just said to me, ‘You killed me. I ran the whole thing because every time I looked up you were right behind me, and I couldn’t let you finish before me.’ Then he said to me, ‘I’m sorry. For everything you never heard me say, I’m sorry. And I’ve changed.'”
That impact keeps Jaster going even though she is forced to “recycle” Ranger School, which means she has to start all over again if she wants to earn her tab. Her challenges have just begun . . .
Look for Part 3 of ‘Earning the Tab’ at WATM next week.
Today we have a special on a special kind of personal hygiene.
Here at the Mighty Value Center, we provide only the best quality, top-of-the-line products developed from extensive research on the front lines and delivered right to your door!
Military scientists have spent decades pursuing the answer to the question: What do you do when you’re in “the suck” and nature insists on making a call?
Well the Mighty Value Center has taken the success of field tested practices and developed a product that can be utilized in the field, in the office, or even at home!
Veteran salesman J.P. Connolly brings you the Portable Toilet! Forget about walking all the way to the bathroom. … Never be caught with your pants down again!
Team Red, White Blue kicked off the Old Glory Relay 2016 on 9-11. Sixty-two teams of runners, walkers, and cyclists will carry the American flag across 10 states for 4,216 miles, starting in Seattle, WA and ending in Tampa, FL.
With the support of the presenting sponsor, Microsoft, along with other partners, Amazon, Westfield and Starbucks, the relay will be following a route through Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles through the end of the month. The relay then turns east, through Phoenix, Tucson and San Antonio before crossing the South through the Florida Panhandle to Tampa.
Team Red, White Blue’s mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity, and the Old Glory Relay is one of the cornerstones of their efforts.
France has been looking for some new recruits for its Commandement des Opérations Spéciales, and it’s turning to YouTube to drum up some interest.
Members of France’s special forces fire their HK416 rifles. (Youtube screenshot)
According to a report by the London Daily Mail, the video is titled, “A very special video” (gee, did they draw their inspiration from promos for the TV show “Blossom” when they were talking titles?), and shows French commandos in the type of scenes you’d see in a Hollywood blockbuster.
This includes insertions by parachute, minisub, and with scuba gear.
A Eurocopter Tigre escorts a transport helicopter. (Youtube Screenshot)
The French Commandement des Opérations Spéciales was founded in 1992 to control the special operations forces across the entire French military. This includes the 1st Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine and the 13th Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes from the French army, the Force Maritime des Fusiliers Marins et Commandos from the French navy, and the Division des Opérations Spéciales from the French air force.
The famous Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale — known for a number of hostage rescues and counter-terrorism missions — can be called on by the COS for reinforcement, along with other units across all the French armed forces.
A C-160 Transall comes in for a landing. (Youtube Screenshot)
One notable piece of gear that is featured in the video is the Transall C-160, a Franco-German twin-engine cargo plane that can hold up to 88 paratroopers and which has a top speed of 368 miles per hour and a range of 1,151 miles. France had 75 of these planes in service.
Also seen are helicopters like the AC532 Cougar, the AS332 Super Puma, and the AS330 Puma, Tigre gunships, and assault rifles like the HK416 and FAMAS. You can see the entire trailer below.
In this episode Gunny is patrolling for love. But instead he finds some efficiency issues in the speed dating model. So he turns to with a little Gunny-brand tough love. (Animated by Marine vet Vannick Douglas.)
Throughout our military careers, we had the distinct privilege of shopping at the base exchanges and would receive discounts on many items. After being discharged, most of us lost those benefits — until now.
Mark Wahlberg and Marcus Luttrell are here to officially announce that those discount advantages are coming back starting Nov. 11, 2017, for veterans who qualify.
“All honorably discharged veterans are encouraged to visit VetVerify.org to confirm eligibility for their lifetime exchange online benefit today,” Luttrell states in the informational video. “Thank you for your service and welcome home, guys.”
This process is extremely simple; just go to www.vetverify.org and register your information to see if you’re eligible. Once completed, you’ll receive an email confirming your newly earned lifelong online benefits. Many veterans are even being pre-selected to test the benefits immediately, instead of waiting until November.
The duo first teamed up in 2013’s epic true story “Lone Survivor,” directed by Peter Berg. Wahlberg played Luttrell in the film, exemplifying the SEAL’s heroic journey.
One of the best things about serving in the military is the camaraderie built with the men and women we serve beside. We depend on each other when we’re away from home, missing our families, and even fighting for our lives.
That’s why trust among service members is so important. And what better way to build trust than to eff with the new guy/gal?
It might sound counterintuitive, but it works. An initiation rite is a way to challenge someone new in a safe but hilarious way and see how they handle tough situations. An added bonus, as in Jesse Iwuji’s case, is that it also communicates that there’s some fun to be had.
Butterbars, am I right? (No Sh*t There I Was Screenshot)
As the junior ranking officer on his first ship fresh out of the Naval Academy, Iwuji was the perfect target. Check out this episode of No Sh*t There I Was to see how Iwuji handled his task of “lowering the mast” of the USS Warrior…
Leave a comment and tell us your favorite stories of messing with the newest person to the team.
We Are The Mighty was invited to New Orleans to attend the premiere of Lionsgate’s “Deepwater Horizon,” director Peter Berg’s new disaster drama. Featuring a cast of heavy hitters like Kate Hudson, Mark Wahlberg, and Kurt Russell, the red carpet was full of big names who were happy to take a moment to speak about the U.S. military.
And, hey, did you know that Kurt Russell was in the Air Force?
WATM’s own August Dannehl stormed (nice pun, huh?) the red carpet at the TLC Chinese Theatre this week for the premiere of Disney’s ‘The Finest Hours’.
The film is based on the thrilling true story of U.S. Coast Guardmen making a daring rescue when two oil tankers split apart in a blizzard off the coast of Cape Cod.
Augie chats with the stars of the film: Eric Bana, Casey Affleck, Chris Pine, and more.
Jayson Floyd and Tyler Grey discuss their new documentary “That Which I Love Destroys Me” with Jack Osbourne in part 3 of this 3 part interview with We Are The Mighty.
While much of the world’s attention is focused on the effort by North Korea to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with working nuclear warheads, there is another weapon that is also quite deadly in the arsenal of Kim Jong Un’s regime. Ironically, it is quite low-tech.
That weapon is the An-2 Colt, a seventy-year-old design that is still in front-line service, which means it has the B-52 Stratofortress beaten by about eight years! So, why has this little plane stuck around, and what makes it so deadly in the hands of Kim Jong Un?
An-2 Colt on skis. (Photo: Dmitry A. Mottl/CC BY-SA 3.0)
According to MilitaryFactory.com, the An-2 has a top speed of 160 miles per hour, and a range of 525 miles. Not a lot when you compare it to the B-52, which can go 595 miles per hour and fly over 10,000 miles. China is still producing the plane, while upgrade kits are being developed by Antonov. The plane was in production for 45 years, and according to the report from Korrespondent, thousands remain in service.
When it comes down to it, what seem like fatal weaknesses actually make the An-2 deadly in modern combat.
The reason? The plane usually flies low and slow – and as such, it is very hard for modern fighters like the F-22, F-35, and F-16 to locate, track, and fire on. Not only that, the slow speeds and low-altitude operations meant that large portions of the plane can be covered with fabric, according to Warbird Alley. There are also a lot of An-2s in North Korea’s inventory – at least 200, according to a report by MSN.com.
A look at the inside of the An-2, showing seats for passengers. Or commandos. (Wikimedia Commons)
While the plane is often used to deliver troops or supplies, the real threat may be the fact that it could carry some other cargo. While North Korea is just now developing nuclear warheads that fit on missiles, there is the frightening possibility that a nuclear weapon could be delivered using an An-2.
That is how this 70-year-old biplane design could very well be North Korea’s deadliest weapon. You can see a video on the An-2 below.
