The Air National Guard is offering members a $7,500 bonus if they reenlist for three years. The “Summer Surge Incentive” comes as part of the Air Guard’s recruitment drive to hire 8,842 Airmen by the end of Fiscal Year 2026, which puts the heat on the service considering that the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30—providing potential candidates with roughly 50 days to make decisions. Payments will be made immediately, and there is no cap on the total number of available bonuses. Those interested must sign the three-year enlistment contract by that Sept. 30 deadline. “It is all part of…
Just hours after a 14-year-old boy shot and killed his grandparents before attacking teachers and classmates at his high school, Thailand’s prime minister is vowing to crack down on legal gun owners by prohibiting their ability to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense. Politicians the world over often rush to “do something” in the wake of a tragedy, and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is no different. Three years ago Anutin, who was then the country’s Interior Minister, cracked down on legal gun owners by imposing a freeze on new licenses and prohibiting individuals younger than…
Enlisted Air Force ranks are categorized into three levels: airmen (pay grades E-1 through E-4), noncommissioned officers (E-5 and E-6), and senior noncommissioned officers (E-7 through E-9). Some personnel can enlist at an advanced rank if they have college credits or have participated in Junior ROTC. The highest advanced rank one can enlist with under these programs is airman first class (E-3). The Air Force offers accelerated promotion for service members who agree to enlist for six years. Under this program, enlistees who enter service as an airman basic (E-1) are promoted to airman (E-2) after basic training is finished,…
Within the Air Force, officer ranks follow a clear-cut structure, divided into three categories: company grade, field grade, and general officers. Company grade officers range from O-1 to O-3. Climbing the ranks, next are field grade officers, in the O-4 to O-6 range, taking the helm of mid-level command. Finally, at the top of the hierarchy are general officers, O-7 and above, who oversee strategy. Air Force Company Grade Officer Ranks Second Lieutenant (O-1) The rank of second lieutenant is shown through a single gold bar. Proper forms of address include “second lieutenant” or “lieutenant.” Commissioned airmen sometimes may skip…
I got my first Swiss Army knife at a flea market when I was about 11 years old. I have no clue which model it was, but it had the basic tools we typically see nestled between those familiar red handle scales, such as a knife blade, can opener, bottle opener, and corkscrew. I beat the hell out of that knife for a few years. It whittled hundreds of sticks into sharp points. I used it to open cans of Dinty Moore or Chef Boyardee I’d brought to the campfire. It trimmed rope we used in countless forts in the…
Iowa’s always been pretty decent when it comes to gun laws, but the state has made a couple of major improvements over the past few years. In 2021, the state’s permitless carry law kicked in, and the following year voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that declares firearm ownership a fundamental individual right and mandating that courts apply “strict scrutiny” to any future gun control legislation. Those advances could be in danger, though, unless Iowa gun owners turn out in force this November. While Democrat candidates like Christina Bohannan and Josh Turek don’t…
I really get sick of the claim that mass killings with a firearm only happen in the United States. That’s what the phrase “uniquely American” means when describing the phenomenon. To be fair, we do have more than most people, even if you account for population, but we are also a very different country than most. Thailand, however, seems to also be having a bit of a problem. Despite acting to tighten gun restrictions after previous massacres, it doesn’t look like it did a whole lot of good.Not today, at least, as six people are…
Some military photographs make their importance obvious, while others look ordinary until you learn the story behind the image. Five brothers pose aboard a Navy cruiser. Women sort packages in a crowded warehouse. A pilot stands among children near an airfield. At first glance, photographs could be routine snapshots of military life, but once you learn the story that led up to or followed the camera click, you’ll realize they’re anything but. Each image carries a story of survival, loss, courage or deception that the photograph alone cannot explain. Once you know these stories, it becomes impossible to see the…
Widows of service members who died while serving our country are often faced with a difficult choice, years after their loss. By federal law, a financial benefit known as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation or DIC, equating to about $1,700 per month, ends as soon as a surviving military spouse remarries, or stays in place as long as the spouse remains single through age 55. The organization known as the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) has been urging lawmakers to protect the DIC benefit, rather than strip it away, no matter a surviving spouse’s marital status. “The compensation is intended…
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Watch full video on YouTube
National Purple Heart Day falls on Aug. 7 every year, honoring the men and women wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It’s an unofficial observance — businesses and government offices don’t close — but it’s marked widely in practice, with states and cities pausing in recognition and Major League Baseball teams routinely honoring local recipients during pregame ceremonies. The Nation’s Oldest Military Decoration On Aug. 7, 1782, Gen. George Washington personally ordered creation of the Badge of Military Merit, meant to recognize bravery in combat at a time when the Continental Army had almost no formal…
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Did I make a mistake trying to do a LS Swap in my 80 series Landcruiser? Since this video was filmed we have worked a solution … Watch full video on YouTube
The U.S. military has always trained around the weather. This has not changed. What has changed is how often the weather influences commanders’ adjustments to their mission set. Over the past several years, record-breaking heat has changed the schedules of physical training, altered field exercises, and changed how troops operate in the field. All over the country, from Texas to the Southeast, heat-related illness has disrupted operational readiness. Wildfires in the West, hurricanes at coastal bases, and other weather-related problems have delayed mission readiness activities. The lesson has become clear: weather is a disruptor and needs to be factored into…
Every day, Military.com tells the stories of service members, veterans, military spouses and caregivers who overcome challenges, pursue new opportunities and continue serving their communities long after military service. This time, we want to help write the next chapter of one of those stories. Today, Military.com is opening applications for its new $25,000 Homefront Grant. This is an initiative designed to provide one deserving member of the military community with funding to help overcome a significant challenge, pursue an important goal or create a brighter future. Military life often brings opportunities that don’t fit neatly into existing programs or benefits.…
Catalina Island’s long-running fight over its non-native mule deer now has another firm date. The 2026 season will be the final recreational deer hunt managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy before the organization moves forward with its state-approved deer removal program. Catalina Island has opened applications for its final recreational deer season, but the island’s nearly century-old mule deer saga isn’t ending quietly. The 2026 season will run from Oct. 24 through Dec. 18. Participation is limited to Catalina Island residents, and the Catalina Island Conservancy will issue up to 200 tags at no cost. Hunters must still purchase a…
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Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More The Ignik Gas Growler was there when I cooked dinner in a blizzard next to a wall tent 3 years ago. It was there last weekend when I cooked some lake trout caught just minutes before, near my campsite. And it’ll be there for every camping trip I take in the foreseeable future. Simple, efficient, and vastly cheaper over time than disposable green propane canisters, the Ignik Gas Growler is one of the few products that I actively promote to my friends on darned…
There’s almost no chance of a discussion with an anti-gunner that doesn’t eventually end up with some variation of how great gun control works in other countries. Those who have either good memories or good bookmarks might even give you numbers that they’ll claim show how right they are. They’re not. They’ve never been right about it.What often happens is that anti-gunners become fixated on some single aspect of the crime statistics, rather than seeing them as part of a cohesive whole.When you actually look at them more broadly, you see something interesting.In 1996 in…
