President George W. Bush created National Airborne Day in 2002. It was created to honor all current U.S. Airborne Forces, and to commemorate the first parachute jump of 48 volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon on August 16, 1940. After months of restriction due to Covid-19, U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to 2nd […]
Heckler & Koch became famous and successful with a range of roller-delayed blowback small arms they manufactured from the early 1960’s up to the early 1990’s. So successful were these firearms that the name HK basically became synonymous with the roller-delayed blowback system. It may surprise some folks however to learn that HK did not […]
General Douglas MacArthur signing Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri, 2 September 1945. Photo Credit: US National Archives. ********************************** With the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed by atomic weapons, the will of the Japanese leadership was tested. Then it came the news that the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, with troops crossing into […]
Mask up, hook up! Last week Canadian Army members completed the Static Line Square Canopy course with COVID-19 protocols in place at the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre in Trenton, Ontario. Canada entered the airborne world with the creation of two airborne battalions in 1942 that were initially trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA, and […]
Marines with 5th Marine Regiment, assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command 20.2, change firing position during a live-fire range in Jordan. The training stressed the fundamentals of maneuverability and tested various engagement responses in a simulated combat environment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by LCpl. Robert Kuehn […]
On August 4, 1790, President George Washington signed legislation establishing a maritime force simply called “the cutters” or “the system of cutters.” Thus was born the United States Revenue Cutter Service, known today as the U.S. Coast Guard. Congress empowered these cutters to enforce national laws, in particular, those dealing with tariffs. Since the Continental […]
Corporal Buddy Lea was a section commander in 10 Platoon, Delta Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Australian Army. He was shot three times during the Battle of Long Tan while trying to pull a mate to safety. He spent five months in hospital recovering. The photo above shows him being honoured by students at […]
The Stoner 63 light machine gun probably needs no introduction, but if it does, look here. The good news is that G&P has also now finally released a ‘modernized’, railed version of their outstanding MK23 Mod 0 LMG replica. We have to give a hat tip to our friends at Dave’s Custom Airsoft in the […]
British paratroopers have recently jumped with British parachutes from a US Air Force aircraft for the first time, strengthening the ability of British and US airborne forces to operate together. Exercise Pegasus Eagle has seen a C-130J Hercules from USAF’s 37th Airlift Squadron fly into RAF Brize Norton from its base at Ramstein in Germany […]
Water crossing scene during filming of “Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan” in Nerang, Queensland, Australia. Photo credit: Jasin Boland / Red Dune Films […]