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In a recent test at the White Sands Missile Range, a specially equipped C-130 plane fried a parked truck with a powerful laser. And while we still haven't seen evidence of the laser "defeating" a ground target, as Boeing puts it, a video of it scorching a direct hit on the hood of a truck is still pretty amazing.Click here for the video. As you can see, the laser beam burns right through the truck's hood, and then through the engine, "defeating" the vehicle. Called the "Advanced Tactical Laser" (ATL), this is the first time the megawatt-powered chemical laser has...

FORT BRAGG, N.C., Aug. 13, 2009 – As an 8-year-old boy sitting on the roof of a friend’s house in war-torn Haiti in 1994, Claudy Bellanger saw a sight that captivated his attention: helicopters speeding past carrying American soldiers. Army Spc. Claudy Bellanger’s experiences with U.S. soldiers as a boy growing up in Haiti led to his joining the Army. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kissta M. Feldner  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I’d never seen them with my own eyes before, only on television,” he said. Bellanger’s boyhood experiences with U.S. troops in his home country set him...

29th Annual Veterans Wheelchair Games Scheduled for Spokane July 6, 2009 WASHINGTON -- A wide range of disabilities cannot stop more than 500 of America’s greatest wheelchair athletes, all U.S. military Veterans who will begin competition at the 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games being held July 13-18 in Spokane, Wash. “President Obama recently said that caring for Veterans and their families is a matter of honor as a nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The National Veterans Wheelchair Games highlight our nation’s commitment to our wounded heroes. The Games also allow those Veterans to teach us all...

On a dreary, overcast June afternoon in Exeter, England, Cpl. William Wildes attached nozzles to the wings of the green and white C-47 Skytrain aircraft formerly known as the "Pride of Minnesota." Pouring approximately 100 gallons of fuel into each wing, he did it exactly like he had done several times before in the previous months for the training missions to prepare for the Normandy invasion. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except the white invasion stripes and the large "6Z" that was painted onto the fuselage earlier in the day. "The planes were fueled in the afternoon of June...

A popular historical portrayal describes General Dwight Eisenhower managing a political/military alliance, but reminds us he never lead troops in combat. However, his leadership sustained many unprecedented initiatives for successful Normandy landings. The air assault examples the frightful uncertainties of many critical hazards run on this “Day of Days”. The night before D-Day, 20,400 American and British paratroopers dropped behind the Normandy beaches from 1,250 C-47 aircraft plus gliders. This massive assault was attempted just 17 years after Charles Lindberg flew the Atlantic solo for the first time. To the last moment Ike's air commander, British Air Chief Marshall Leigh-Mallory,...

SAINTE MERE EGLISE, France - This town loves paratroopers - in particular, American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne and the 101st Airborne Divisions. It was those two divisions that liberated Sainte Mere Eglise June 7, 1944, making it the first town in France to be liberated during World War II. To show their appreciation for the veterans, an Airborne Museum opened here in 1964. A non-profit organization, all proceeds go back into the museum to pay for upkeep, new exhibits or extensions. The money is also used to provide decorations and celebrations for the anniversary of D-Day, travel for veterans,...

MOSCOW, May 27 (RIA Novosti) - The newly-appointed commander of Russia's Airborne Troops, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov said on Wednesday his personnel remained the core of the Russian army, but modern equipment was needed. Shamanov, a Hero of Russia and commander of the 76th Airborne Division during the second Chechen War, has replaced Lt. Gen. Valery Yevtukhovich, who was discharged on May 6 after reaching the retirement age of 55. "The Airborne troops proved during the five-day war [with Georgia] that they...remain the backbone of Russia's conventional forces," the general said at a first meeting with his staff. However, like...

PADUCAH, Ky. - A federal jury spared a former soldier Thursday of the death penalty for his conviction on raping and fatally shooting a 14-year-old girl after killing her parents and younger sister while he was serving in Iraq. Pfc. Steven Dale Green will be sentenced to life, capping an unusual case of a crime in a war zone being prosecuted in civilian court. Green, 24, of Midland, Texas, was being tried in federal court because he had been discharged from the Army for a personality disorder before he was charged with the Iraq crimes. Green's defense team had asked...

Bud passed away at his residence in Cottage Grove, MN on April 26, 2009. Funeral arrangements are pending... http://www.mnlegion.org/paper/html/ollom.html Bud was also a member of the Midwest All Airborne Alliance http://www.midwestallairborne.com/Pages/Events.php

FORT BRAGG, N.C., Oct. 28, 2008 – If there’s one thing that keeps the 82nd Airborne’s deputy commander awake at night, it’s competing requirements that could threaten the division’s ability to project no-notice combat power and conduct forced-entry missions. Army Brig. Gen. William Mayville shared his concerns as the division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team trains to re-assume its role in June as the U.S. global response force. In this capacity, the brigade will be on 24/7 standby, ready to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours. Its mission, if called, would be to forcibly enter and seize a defended...

In Sainte-Mère-Eglise, a small town in the Normandy region of France, is Rue Robert Murphy, a street named in honor of the Roslindale lad who joined the Army at 17, parachuted there on D-day, and dedicated part of his life to maintaining the memory of the civilians and soldiers who died there on June 6, 1944.

President's Proclamation for National Airborne Day, Aug. 16 WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2001 – Sixty-one years ago, 48 brave volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon pioneered a new method of warfare. Their successful jump led to the creation of a mighty force of more than 100,000 paratroopers. Members of this force were assigned to the legendary 11th, 13th, 17th, 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions and numerous other units that fought in every theater during World War II. The soldiers of the Parachute Test Platoon also forged a unique warrior spirit, a relentless passion for victory, and a reputation...

WOW, what a fun and exciting rally!! 40-50 patriots shows up and the passers by were overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic!! OC Vaughn organized a day laborer site rally - Home Depot Westminster, CA - 40 ralliers were assembled at 7:30 am 6/28/08 At approximately 8:30am a male Hispanic, driving, stopped his truck and yelled at assembled ralliers. He asked "You Minutemen?" No one answered at first, then Kingfish stepped forward and stated "I AM." "You are sick!" The man yelled. "And you, are a little overweight" Kingfish replied. The man became enraged quickly exited the truck ran around and ran...

North Myrtle Beach Times - page 8, Thursday, March 20, 2008Jenerette Completes School KATHERINE JENERETTE GRADUATES from US ARMY AIRBORNE SCHOOL Former North Myrtle Beach Planning Commissioner, U.S. Army Lieutenant Katherine Jenerette recently graduated from the U.S. Army's Airborne school at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Airborne officers are considered to be among the Army's most valuable combat officers. Every member of the Rangers and Special Forces - two of the Army's most elite corps - is airborne qualified.Information about the Airborne school states: Throughout the fast-moving course of instruction, mental alertness and physical conditioning are emphasized and Airborne School is...

Iraqi pilots of the Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron take off from the runway here during the first Iraqi flown sortie in the King Air 350I aircraft. The King Air is currently the most advanced aircraft in Iraq’s arsenal and enhances the abilities of this re-born Air Force. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman SerMae Lampkin. KIRKUK — The Iraqi Air Force’s 3rd Squadron took another step on the path to establishing a fully functioning airpower capability here as Iraqi pilots recently took the controls of a King Air 350 for the first time. The King Air is the...

Airborne astronomers to track intense meteor shower 16:59 03 January 2008 NewScientist.com news service Stephen Battersby The most intense meteor shower of the year hits Earth tonight. If the skies are clear and you live at high northern latitudes, then you could see dozens of Quadrantid meteors streaking over the pole. Or you might spot a plane full of astronomers racing northward, trying to find out how this unusual meteor shower was created, and whether it is the shrapnel of a celestial explosion witnessed in the 15th century. Like other meteor showers, the Quadrantids appear when Earth moves through an...

BAGHDAD - Hundreds of American and Iraqi troops backed by helicopters descended Friday on a remote desert area southwest of Baghdad to root out al-Qaida in Iraq and search for two U.S. soldiers missing after a deadly insurgent ambush six months ago. Acting on intelligence, the soldiers dug with shovels through heaps of sand and went house-to-house after a dramatic pre-dawn air assault into two Sunni villages near the boundary with Anbar province. U.S. officers said there was no sign of the missing soldiers but stressed it was only the first day of the operation dubbed Marne Courageous, which also...

THE DAY OF AUGUST 26, 2007, began like any other for the soldiers of Charlie Company, 2-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment (from the 82nd Airborne Division) -- with a mission in the city. Over a year into its deployment to Samarra, Iraq, and now working on the three-month extension announced by Secretary of Defense Gates in the spring, the company knew the city like the back of its collective hands and had its operational routine down to a science, whatever the mission it might be tasked with. On this morning, that mission was to establish a defensive perimeter around a block...

BANBAR COMMAND POST, Afghanistan, Oct. 23, 2007 – Army Sgt. Jim McKinzie has always made a living out of getting dirty.  Judging from his smiling face and his combat uniform -- soiled and stained with dirt, oil and gasoline -- it looks like he’s not planning to change that any time soon. Army Sgt. Jim McKinzie, a mechanic, squad leader and truck commander in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, helps secure a drop zone that will soon receive an air supply drop in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, Oct. 10, 2007....

A man diagnosed with a rare strain of tuberculosis will be flown to Denver for treatment at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. This morning, officials at Denver’s National Jewish Medical and Research Center weren’t sure when the now world-famous TB patient would arrive for treatment. "I think they’re still figuring out how he’s going to get here," said hospital spokesman William Allstetter. The unidentified patient was transferred from New York to Atlanta on a CDC airplane. Allstetter stressed that National Jewish, which is world renown for treatment of respiratory and immune disorders, is well-prepared to handle the case....

U.S. Army Spc. Blake Wise, a combat medic with 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, receives a Combat Medical Badge from Col. Bryan Owens, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division commander, at Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora, Iraq, Jan. 28, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Amanda Morrissey Airborne Division Soldiers Receive Combat Badges By Spc. Amanda Morrissey 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SAMARRA, Iraq, Jan. 29, 2007 -- Various combat badges were awarded here yesterday to soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, who have faced enemy contact in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom....

Explosive new info in the Iron Triangle Case in the NYT this morning showing that not only did the Army already handle the four Iraqi deaths that the Rangers are charged with, they reprimanded the commander for them and ended his career. The commander, Col. Michael Steele, knowing he had already been punished for the incident, still allowed his men to be charged with murder and imprisoned. No charges have been filed against Colonel Steele in the Army’s continuing investigation. But two Defense Department officials said last week that Colonel Steele was formally reprimanded in the summer by Lt. Gen....

My son enlisted (delayed entry) in the U.S. Army yesterday! He will be follow in the old man's footsteps and, God willing, become a member of the 82ND AIRBORNE!

U.S. Army Capt. Tim Peterman, commander, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, (center), talks with a local farmer about security in the city of Bayji, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Amy A. Bishop 82nd Airborne Takes Over Operations in Bayji Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division officially took command and control of Forward Operating Base Summerall from the 101st Airborne Division Rakkasans. By U.S. Army Capt. Amy A. Bishop 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAYJI, Iraq, Sept. 18, 2006 -- The torch has been passed in the city of...

Photos by Plea Deal and [Mrs] Trooprally WASHINGTON, DC, 9/08/06-- Two officers in full camo uniforms waved enthusiastically as their vehicle exited Walter Reed Army Medical Center to be greeted by our troop-support rally spread over the four corners of the gates. We had arrived and had set up our displays while they were inside the hospital visiting wounded members of their unit. Seeing the DC Chapter's huge banners and dozens of U.S. flags, they wheeled their vehicle back around and stopped at the northwest corner to talk with the young people who were gathered there to hold signs, wave...

Ukraine, Poland and the United Kingdom hold joined military exercises Zhytomyr region hosts "Cossack Steppe 2006" the Ukraine-Poland-UK military exercise. It is the first time the exercises are held in this region of Ukraine, the Cabinet press office informs. The exercises are to deal with training a multinational peacekeeping battalion. All the Ukrainian and Polish military participating in the exercise are experienced in Iraqi peacekeeping mission. The British military will join the exercises on September 7. The exercise is underway within the framework of the Partnership for Peace NATO program. As Military Attaché of the Polish Embassy in Ukraine Krzysztof...

The Patriot Guard Riders need help on the afternoon/evening of Wednesday July 12th for a PGR SPECIAL MISSION in Oak Grove, KY for the Ft. Campbell Eagle Remeberance Ceremony. There is a possibility that protestors may try to show up but PGR really wants to do a tremendously positive display at the front gate that will honor America's fallen heroes and they are requesting help.DETAILS FROM THE PGR WEBSITE: "Ft. Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division are holding the monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony to honor all 101st Airborne Division soldiers who have been killed in the previous month. July's...

Shelby Monroe, a reporter embedded with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division in Iraq, stands in front of an overturned truck that had been found filled with explosives near Tal Afar, Iraq. Courtesy photo by Shelby Monroe Reporter Spends 101 Days with 101st Airborne Tennessee reporter embeds with 101st Airborne to report on soldiers' stories. By U.S. Army Capt. Lyn Graves 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment KIRKUK, Iraq, July 3, 2006 -- Spending 101 days with the 101st Airborne Division in the heat of north-central Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom is not what some journalists would call a...

WASHINGTON - Three soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division have been charged with murder in connection with the deaths of three Iraqi detainees in their custody last month, the U.S. military said Monday. The sergeant and two lower-ranking soldiers with the division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team from Fort Campbell, Ky., also have been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat and obstructing justice. The three detainees died May 9 during an operation near Thar Thar Canal in southern Salah ad Din province, U.S. Central Command said. The soldiers charged are Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard, Spc. William Hunsaker and Pfc....

"There are other effects when a leader in an organization like this goes down. The lesser tiers of the terrorist leadership have to start talking. They will use any number of sophisticated and unsophisticated means to do that talking. Some of them will do what is easy — get on the phones and cell phones. They’ll have to move to meet and determine their next steps. All that talk and all that movement generates what’s called ‘actionable intelligence.’ It puts more and more of them in our crosshairs."

In four days of desperate fighting, from 29 February to 3 March 2000, a large force of Chechen fighters wiped out a Russian paratroop company in the harsh defiles and ridges of the Argun Gorge in the mountains of southern Chechnya. Although the battle was a catastrophic tactical defeat for the Russian airborne force, the company's stubborn defense to the last man and the concentration of Russian relief forces inflicted a strategic setback on the Chechens. The Russians stumbled into this catastrophe through poor unit leadership, but Russian blood and valor transformed it into victory. Hatred to the Bone In...

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joshua Wortley, 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, replaces a B-52 generator. Wortley is deployed from Barksdale AFB, La., in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer Air Force Crew Keeps Aging B-52s Airborne U.S. airmen assigned to the 40th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron keep the aging B-52s airborne, a task vital to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom. By U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, May 3, 2006 — Thirty thousand feet above Afghan terrain, the U.S. Air Force B-52’s...

 ONE STATION UNIT TRAINING GRADUATION A CO 2-58 and C CO 2-19 INFANTRY 21 APR 2006 FORT BENNING , GA GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THAT WAS PRETTY WEAK LET'S TRY IT AGAIN..... GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ~ MUCH BETTER! THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR ALPHA COMPANY, 2 ND BATTALION 58 TH INFANTRY REGIMENT; AND CHARLIE COMPANY, 2 ND BATTALION 19 TH INFANTRY ON BEHALF OF MG WALTER WATCH-A-COW-SKI, COMMANDER OF FT BENNING, COL SCOTT HENRY, THE COMMANDER OF THE INFANTRY TRAINING BRIGADE, AND LTC RICK MITCHELL, COMMANDER OF 2-19 INFANTRY; I'D LIKE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, April 17, 2006 ) – When Sgt. Maj. Kenny Gilluly landed from the final parachute jump of his 30-year airborne career, he didn’t have to make the long walk across the drop zone alone. His son, 1st Lt. Christopher Gilluly, made the jump with him. Sgt. Maj. Gilluly and 1st Lt. Gilluly made their first – and last – jump together a special one when they parachuted from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter onto Sicily Drop Zone April 13. The jump was Sgt. Maj. Gilluly’s 131st and Lt. Gilluly’s 11th. Sgt. Maj. Gilluly, 48,...

1st COSCOM conducts last airborne operation By Capt. Sonise Lumbaca April 13, 2006 FORT BRAGG, N.C.(Army News Service, April 13, 2006) — More than 250 Soldiers of the 1st Corps Support Command took to the skies April 12 to conduct their last airborne operation as COSCOM members. As a unit that is undergoing transformation, the 1st COSCOM will not only lose its airborne status, but will also change its designation to the 1st Theater Sustainment Command after April 18. “There is a little sadness in as much as this is our last official airborne operation,” said Brig. Gen. Kevin A....

Preparing to greet the commies - Early Saturday Morning DStarr chooses a sign from her arsenal as she prepares to confront the leftist march. This past Saturday, March 18, 2006 we conducted our third annual FReep in commemoration of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As in past years, leftists marched through the streets of Fayetteville, NC (home of Fort Bragg and Pope Airforce Base) and congregated in Rowan Park for their day of music and speeches, coordinated by NC Peace and Justice Coalition. The support the troops rally was conducted on the hillside overlooking Rowan Park. Wolfpat's sound...

The latest criticism of the war in Iraq has become so politically manipulative, so disingenuous, so over-the-top that it is undermining a critical cause that we cannot, for a variety of global security reasons, afford to lose... Let’s look at last Thursday, March 16, the day the Iraqi National Assembly opened in Baghdad and a high-profile "air assault" northeast of Samarra, as an example:

And as far as the U.S. effort is concerned, it seems there is almost nothing the White House, the Pentagon, or for that matter any American rifleman on the ground can do that is good enough to garner so much as a one-line "attaboy" from many of our country’s largest newspapers and television news networks. Let’s look at last Thursday, March 16, the day the Iraqi National Assembly opened in Baghdad and a high-profile "air assault" northeast of Samarra, as an example:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan (Army News Service, March 1, 2006) – It had been 61 years since retired Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas had set foot on a battlefield with fellow 82d Airborne Division “Devils in Baggy Pants.” That all changed Feb. 23 when he arrived in Afghanistan to visit paratroopers from the regiment that he called home during World War II, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Megellas has been awarded the title of distinguished member of the regiment and has frequently visited with paratroopers from the 504th throughout the past six decades. Although it is not uncommon for...

A while back, I wrote about Airborne, the "herbal" concoction designed by a schoolteacher that is touted as preventing colds and the flu if taken preemptively or lessening their severity if taken early on in the course of a cold. I concluded that there was no evidence that it did what Victoria Knight-McDowell, a schoolteacher and the creator of Airborne, claims. Now the company itself seems to be admitting as much. It turns out that the company commissioned a study to "prove" Airborne's efficacy, and its results did seem to show a mild positive effect on colds. Unfortunately, the study...

It's taken a while to download ... but I have a very well done 3-minute video clip of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. The video is very well done and professional grade in appearance. If anyone is interested in viewing this clip, send me a note with an email contact!

ORLANDO (Army News Service, Feb. 18, 2006) – The “world’s happiest place” has been invaded by some of the Army’s best entertainers. The Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division “All-American” Chorus entertained hundreds of Mickey Mouse fans – young and old – at an outdoor performance pavilion in Downtown Disney Feb. 18. The concert was a part of Disney’s Magic Music Days program, which brings non-professional bands, choirs and orchestras to Disney World for the chance to participate in educational workshops with Disney musicians or perform for the thousands who visit the amusement parks daily. The program brings over one...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A group of paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division have been moved from their regular barracks while military officials investigate allegations that they appeared on a gay pornography Web site, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. The investigation is still at an early stage, division spokeswoman Maj. Amy Hannah said in a statement. The move was prompted by concerns for the soldiers' privacy and rights, not for fears about their safety, she said.

BAGHDAD, Jan. 19, 2006 – Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli accepted authority as the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq from Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines in a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Camp Victory here today. Vines served as the commanding general of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, N.C., before replacing Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz as the MNCI commander in 2005. From Iraq, Vines will return to his previous position as commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, at Fort Bragg. Chiarelli comes to MNCI from his position as the commander of Task Force Victory, from Heidelberg, Germany. During...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2006 – Servicemembers witnessed the transfer of authority between the 18th Airborne Corps Artillery and the 5th Corps Artillery here today. The 18th Airborne Corps unit arrived in Iraq in January 2005, and served as the Effects Coordination Cell and Force Field Artillery headquarters for Multinational Corps Iraq. These responsibilities now go to 5th Corps Artillery. Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, MNCI Commander, thanked the outgoing soldiers and the coalition forces for their hard work and dedication to the mission, and welcomed the new troops. "This is an historic time for the people of...

Original Title: MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS CLASSIFIED. CONSIDER THE PATIENTS TO BE FAKING The preliminary documents concerning the mass poisoning in Chechnya have been confiscated, and physicians are compelled to choose between the Hippocratic Oath and a non-disclosure agreement.                      Throughout December there were reports of mass poisonings at schools in the Chechen region of Shelkovsk. Just before the New Year's holidays, a government commission which was created in order to 'determine the causes and liquidate the results' of the events there published its official verdict: no need to worry, there were no poisonings, but a mass psychosis due...

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 9, 2005) -- The 101st Airborne Division’s “Rakkasan” brigade assumed control of operations in the Salah Ad Din Province in a ceremony Jan. 5 at Forwarding Operating Base Speicher as Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division prepared to head home. Various Iraqi officials attended the ceremony, including Lt. Gen Abdel Aziz, Iraqi Army 4th division commander, and Humad Mumood Shugti governor of Salah Ad Din. The ceremony opened with the Iraqi national anthem and the United States national anthem played by the 101st Army Band. The ceremony passed authority at FOB Speicher to the...

Why Bridge Too Far attempt was doomed MURDO MACLEOD IT WAS the Bridge Too Far which was the last British defeat of the Second World War. The audacious attempt to race through the Netherlands from Arnhem and sweep into Germany failed to shorten the war and cost 8,000 Allied lives. But today Scotland on Sunday can reveal the secret which doomed some of Britain and Poland's finest soldiers and gave rise to a series of myths about the ill-fated battle. High levels of iron in the soil around the Dutch town of Arnhem and its infamous bridge caused radio interference...

The 213 Things Skippy is no longer allowed to do in the U.S. Army.... 1. Not allowed to watch Southpark when I'm supposed to be working. 2. My proper military title is "Specialist Schwarz" not "Princess Anastasia". 3. Not allowed to threaten anyone with black magic. 4. Not allowed to challenge anyone's disbelief of black magic by asking for hair. 5. Not allowed to get silicone breast implants. 6. Not allowed to play “Pulp Fiction” with a suction-cup dart pistol and any officer. 7. Not allowed to add “In accordance with the prophesy” to the end of answers I give...

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2005 – An 82nd Airborne Division unit has again proven the division's unofficial motto of "America's 911 Force" during its deployment to Iraq's Anbar province. It was a short, violent and ultimately fulfilling deployment for the paratroopers of Task Force 3-504, said its commander, Army Lt. Col. Larry Swift. The unit - built around the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and under command of the 2nd Marine Division while in Iraq - was one of two battalions deployed in September from Fort Bragg, N.C. The unit worked with other coalition and Iraqi...