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The United States once planned to drop more than 1,000 bomb-carrying bats over Japanese cities. A psychologist taught pigeons to guide missiles. Cold War troops were issued a recoilless weapon capable of launching a nuclear warhead. British engineers built a giant pair of rocket-powered wheels stuffed with explosives and expected the contraption to drive itself up a beach. These weren’t concepts that lived only on paper. Every weapon on this list reached at least the prototype or testing stage. Several entered military service, and some were used in combat. Here are 15 of the strangest weapons military engineers actually built.…
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Major Andrés H. Cáceres-Solari arrived at NATO’s Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands in the summer of 2013 after a successful company command in Japan. By the time he left two years later, he had lost his security clearance, faced a Board of Inquiry, and was on a path that ended with his involuntary separation from the Marine Corps. In his recently published book, “Criminal Negligence in Command,” Cáceres-Solari says the turning point came after he repeatedly raised concerns about emerging threats that were being ignored by the highest officers in the NATO command. Those concerns included indicators of…
We’re smack dab in the middle of National Shooting Sports Month, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is celebrating in a big way on Saturday. The department is waiving all of the fees for using public ranges tomorrow, and at two of the state-operated ranges new shooters and would-be gun owners will be able to get some free hands-on instruction. From 10 AM to 2 PM at the Delaware Wildlife Area range in Ashley and the Spring Valley Wildlife Area range in Waynesville, staff will be on hand to give folks some…
Receiving the Medal of Honor requires the recipient to commit to an action that risks their life “above and beyond the call of duty.” This means no one involved would blame the person for not performing the action. Sometimes, this means taking on an enemy while outnumbered; sometimes, it means rescuing a battle buddy from certain death. For U.S. Army Staff Sgt. George Hall, it meant both — only, the person he rescued was himself, and he had to cut off his own leg to do it. George John Hall was a native of Massachusetts who joined the Army long…
U.S. Air Force Airmen recently rescued a five-person Navy crew following what officials described as an “aircraft mishap.” The incident occurred Aug. 10 and involved the deployment of two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters to rescue five Navy personnel near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., according to a release issued Aug. 14. The deployment involved airmen from the 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS), assigned to the 355th Wing but geographically located at Nellis Air Force Base, and the 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron (88 TES). U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8,…
The best running vests carry water, fuel, and safety layers without bounce, bulk, or breaking your stride. Over a three-month test cycle, ultrarunner Constance Mahoney tested three new running hydration vests, logging more than 30 miles in each. From a 50K in Northern California to mountain missions and crewing for a 200-mile ultra-race, Mahoney tested each vest for fit, bounce, storage access, breathability, and long-run comfort. The Salomon Adv Skin 12 remains our best overall pick for its dialed fit, smart storage, and proven long-distance comfort. Meanwhile, the Decathlon Kiprun Essential Trail 5L earned our budget award for delivering dependable…
It sure looks that way. The Broncos ownership, using a vaguely named LLC, has been buying up property along Denver’s Eighth Avenue, which Broncos general counsel Tim Aragon recently described as the “front door” to the city’s stadium district. According to the website BusinessDen, Aragon told attendees at a BusinessDen event held in March that, “some of the things that existed in those properties might not be things that we wanted,” and it appears a local gun shop may be one of those undesired businesses. Alec Henkelman runs High Country Armory, and he got a…
The best power banks keep your essentials alive without unnecessary bulk. Whether you’re traveling, working remotely, or exploring outside, a solid power bank can save your primary tools for communication, photos, navigation, and more. For this round, GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar put two power banks through a 6-month testing cycle, draining and recharging them at home, on flights, during road trips, and in the field. From flights to Jackson, Wyoming, to hikes and long driving days through Yellowstone National Park, Kassar tested how each model balanced capacity, charging speed, port layout, packability, and real-world convenience. We crowned the Nestout 15,000mAh…
The Second Amendment Foundation, joined by the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and two private plaintiffs, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging Virginia’s newly enacted ban on semiautomatic rifles classified as “assault firearms” and on magazines holding more than 15 rounds. The suit, McDonald v. Katz, was filed in U.S. District Court following Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signing of the legislation earlier this month into law. The bans take effect July 1, 2026. What the Virginia law does Under House Bill 217 and Senate Bill 749, signed by Spanberger as part of a broader gun legislation package, importing, selling, manufacturing,…
Nothing ruins a hot hike or a freezing morning faster than a lukewarm drink. The best insulated water bottles reliably keep ice water frigid, coffee steaming, and hydration effortless. Lead tester Meg Carney and GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar put six of our top insulated water bottles through a rigorous 9-month testing cycle. To directly compare temperature retention, lid usability, and leak resistance, we logged over 150 hours on the trail, 3,000 multi-state road trip miles, and hundreds of daily office hours. These bottles weathered continuous, real-world use across scorching Colorado foothill hikes, hot-weather gravel rides, and the daily commute. This…
The best first-aid kits keep essential medical supplies organized, accessible, and ready when minor injuries or backcountry mishaps happen. Lead tester Meg Carney and GearJunkie Editor Chris Kassar long-term tested seven kits over the past 12 months. Carney is a guide and climbing instructor who has responded to numerous field emergencies, while Kassar is a longtime Wilderness First Responder. We brought these first-aid kits on high-alpine hikes up Colorado fourteeners, kayaking trips off the Washington coast, and casual car-camping adventures. Across those outings, we logged more than 30 field days and 150 backcountry miles while assessing internal organization, durability, and…
The Trace tried to make Turner’s Outdoorsman the bad guy in the latest attempt on President Donald Trump’s life. There’s no evidence they did anything wrong, and ample evidence that they’re very careful in following the law, but the would-be assassin’s purchase, coupled with the fact that as the major retailer in the state selling guns, many of them end up in criminal hands, was enough for them to become a target. I called it stupid at the time, and the only reason I haven’t called it worse is that there are certain words I’m…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a mission carried out Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said. Trump announced the joint operation in Africa’s most populous country in a late-night social media post that offered few details. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second-in-command of the Islamic State group globally and “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.” Al-Mainuki was viewed as the key figure in IS organizing and finance, and had been…
It started as a dream and a vision in 1999 to memorialize the spirit of Marines and Sailors serving in the Carolinas for future generations. On June 8, that dream officially becomes a reality. Starting as an idea floated at the tail end of the 20th century by a trio of Marines—Maj. Gen. Ray Smith, Col. Bruce Gombar and Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle—the Carolina Museum of the Marine will officially open its doors to the public on June 8. The 25,000-square-foot building located in Jacksonville, N.C., broke ground on May 17, 2024, and cost more than $30 million to construct.…
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Watch full video on YouTube
Watch full video on YouTube
