History

Medal of Honor recipient and OSS director William J. Donovan wanted “Ph.D.s who could win a bar figh...

“White House Plumbers,” HBO’s new series about the orchestrators of the Watergate scandal, barely scratches the surface. The real-life “plumbers” were even crazier.

Military tattoos have been a rite of passage around the world for thousands of years. As the US military tries to modernize, updating tattoo rules is an easy way to appeal to young recruits.

The Battle of Hamburger Hill became the subject of congressional debate during the Vietnam War and was later immortalized with a film following the events that transpired.

In recognition of the women who have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces, BRCC is releasing Service Roast. The bag design highlights our WASPs, WACs, WAVES, and SPARs.

Flashbangs are useful for assault teams during hostage rescue missions and high-risk arrests. Yet sometimes they pose more risk than reward.

Submarines have rammed enemy warships, sailed below icebergs (just to see if it was possible), and transported more than half of America’s nuclear arsenal — all while submerged underwater.

Hidden in the "We're Not Here" bag’s design are several nods to Richard Nixon’s policies and controversies, but the discerning ECS subscriber might also notice some familiar characters.

Known for its reliability as both a combat weapon and a utility knife, the Kabar has been a favorite blade among American warfighters since World War II.

Two centuries ago, Old Ironsides was saved from certain death by an unlikely hero. Today, she survives as the world’s oldest floating ship.

With decades of combat experience and a stack of medals to his name, Chesty Puller remains the most accomplished leatherneck in Marine Corps history.

A GAU-17/A (minigun) mounted on a SOC-R, which is being operated by a SWCC during a training exercise. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jayme Pastoric.

Developed in the 1950s, the highly versatile and modifiable C-130 has since proven to be one of the most significant military innovations of the modern era.

From the mountains of Italy to the mountains of Afghanistan, the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division built its legendary reputation by fighting in some of the most inhospitable places in the world.

Before their time at the top of the rifle food chain finally ended, both the M16A2 and the M16A4 proved to be among the most reliable and lethal weapons ever built.

For the better part of the 20th Century, the Tommy Gun was the weapon of choice for federal agents, organized crime, and American commandos.

Before and after his presidency were some of the greatest contributions Jimmy Carter made to the world we know today.

Eddie Rickenbacker, the “ace of aces,” may have broken the record for aerial victories in World War I, but that was hardly the most remarkable part of his extraordinary life.

The reason some hydration devices — like the hand-held canteen — have staying power is because of their simple versatility.

More than half of US presidents served in the military, but only a handful have impressive service records.

Like its famous namesake, the M4 Sherman tank proved that the quickest path to battlefield victory is through sheer, American-made firepower.

Only five pilots have ever become triple aces. Only one did it with two different airplanes.

The dreaded Dear John: the wartime breakup notice that took weeks to arrive in the mail.

Valentine’s Day is amateur hour. In the world of espionage, spies lure, lie, and love to steal secrets.

Ernest Hemingway, the American author so closely associated with the ethos of soldiering, may not have served in the military, but that didn’t keep him from winning medals in both world wars.

The USS The Sullivans, named for five brothers killed in the Pacific, was the first American warship designated in honor of more than one person.

Before he was a literary superstar, Edgar Allan Poe was a high-ranking cannon cocker who really hated life in the United States Army.

How a battleship called the USS Alabama survived World War II to become a symbol of pride and patriotism for Alabamians.

The M203 has bailed US forces out of sticky situations for over half a century. Now, it’s time to say goodbye to the old grenade launcher and usher in a new era of indirect fire.

Though often described as a political conservative, Hemingway openly supported socialist luminaries like Fidel Castro and Eugene Debs, a founder of the American Socialist Party.

Two centuries ago, during the American Revolution, a German soldier lost his head to a cannonball, and the legend of the headless horseman was born.

Developed to protect Nazi pilots and inflict mass civilian casualties, the V-1 rocket ushered in a new era of long-range warfare.

On D-Day+1, a US Army photographer captured an image on Omaha Beach that he would later describe as “the picture of heroic beauty.”