President Calvin Coolidge presented Torpedoman’s Mate 2nd Class Henry Breault the military’s highest military decoration on March 8, 1924.

Actions in the Panama Canal the year before led Breault to become the silent service’s first Medal of Honor recipient.

On the Atlantic side of the canal, Breault was serving aboard the USS O-5 on Oct. 28, 1923, when a commercial vessel struck the sub, sinking it in less than a minute, according to his Medal of Honor citation.

Breault was in the torpedo room at the time of the collision but managed to make it to the hatch and escape.

But according to Navy General Orders 125 from Feb. 20, 1924, he soon realized a fellow submariner was left behind.

“Upon reaching the hatch, he saw that the boat was rapidly sinking,” the orders read. “Instead of jumping overboard to save his own life, he returned to the torpedo room to the rescue of a shipmate whom he knew was trapped in the boat.”

That shipmate was Chief Electrician’s Mate Lawrence Brown. The ship’s compartments were flooding fast, but Breault secured the watertight door to the torpedo room, giving the pair precious air and time. Breault locked himself and Brown inside. Safe there, they planned to wait for salvage divers.

Brown’s account made it into an article called “The O-5 is Down!″ by Capt. Julius Grigore, Jr., published in a 1972 edition of the U.S. Naval Institute magazine “Proceedings.”

“Breault and I separated to pound on each of the boat’s sides. In this way, the rescuers would know there were two of us,” Brown recalled. “Breault played a kind of tune with his hammer, indicating to the diver that we were in good shape and cheerful. Neither of us knew Morse Code. We had no food or water, and only a flashlight. We were confident we could stay alive for forty-eight hours.”

It took 31 hours, but the pair was rescued.

“Breault’s shipmate almost certainly would have died had Breault not intervened at the risk to this own life,” note National Medal of Honor Museum records.

This action prompted the vessel’s commanding officer, Lt. Harrison Avery, to submit Breault for a Navy Cross.

Researcher Ryan Walker speculates in a 2022 article that the reason Avery did not recommend the Medal of Honor is because Avery’s lower rank didn’t permit him to do so.

Control Force Commander Rear Adm. Montgomery Taylor ultimately made the adjustment and upgraded the recommendation to a Medal of Honor.

“The unusual heroic conduct of Breault and his devotion to duty, particularly in that he almost surely saved Brown’s life at the risk of his own and in that his devotion to duty saved a [considerable] loss of Government property, deserves recognition,” Taylor wrote.

Breault reenlisted several times and was promoted to the rank of Torpedoman’s Mate 1st Class, according to his service record. His last duty station was at the submarine base in New London, Conn.

He ultimately served in the Navy for 20 years before developing a heart condition, which claimed his life on Dec. 5, 1941. He was 41 years old.

The Vermont state legislature is honoring his service 100 years later with a resolution to be presented on March 15.

Though born in Connecticut, he is accredited to Vermont, according to his citation.

Breault specified that he was from Vermont when he received the award, Bill Mattoon of the Green Mountain Base Submarine Veterans group wrote in an email to Military Times.

“For us Submariners in Vermont, this is a special moment in our history,” Mattoon said.

Now, the Association of the United States Army has released a graphic novel, “Medal of Honor: Ruben Rivers,” about his heroic actions with Able Company under the 761st Tank Battalion during World War II.

Rivers’ unit, more commonly known as the “Black Panthers,” was assigned to Gen. George Patton’s Third Army in Europe. Despite facing racial segregation and prejudice — particularly in the form of Jim Crow laws — the battalion of tankers answered the call to serve its nation.

After forming in 1942, the 761st received its first official orders just after D-Day on June 9, 1944.

“Following additional training at Camp Shank in New York, Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers boarded USS Esperance Bay with his unit on August 27, 1944, and made for the United Kingdom” according to the National WWII Museum’s records. “In Britain, the 761st was outfitted with the latest model of the Sherman, the M4A3 with a 76mm gun.”

Rivers first landed on Omaha Beach in October of 1944. A month later, the tanker battalion was tasked with disrupting German industrial advances in the Saar region of France.

On Nov. 16, Rivers’ tank struck a mine outside Guebling, France. Although he suffered a severe leg injury, he refused medical evacuation and instead commanded another tank into battle just one day later.

“Repeatedly refusing evacuation, Staff Sergeant Rivers continued to direct his tank’s fire at enemy positions beyond the town through the morning of 19 November 1944,” his citation reads.

When met with heavy enemy fire, Able Company commander Capt. David Williams ordered all tanks to seek cover. However, Rivers chose instead to provide cover fire for the company once he identified the location of the German antitank fire.

“While doing so, Staff Sergeant Rivers’ tank was hit, killing him and wounding the rest of the crew,” according to his citation. “Staff Sergeant Rivers’ fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify the highest traditions of military service.”

Just four days later, Williams recommended Rivers for the Medal of Honor posthumously. However, he knew it was unlikely to go through because Black soldiers at the time were not held in high esteem by the then-segregated Army.

“Williams knew it was a long shot: no African American had been awarded a Medal of Honor for World War I or II at that point,” the National Park Service notes. “Williams made it his life’s mission to see that Rivers was not forgotten.”

On Jan. 13, 1997, Rivers’ sister received his Medal of Honor from President Bill Clinton. Williams attended the ceremony, which saw seven African American soldiers receive the highest valor award for their service during World War II.

Rivers was laid to rest in a cemetery in Lorraine, France.

To read AUSA’s graphic novel “Medal of Honor: Ruben Rivers” you can visit www.ausa.org/rivers.

“Running gives me a chance to turn off my brain and not think about a lot of the things that are bothering me day to day,” Johnson told Military Times. “It’s almost like a meditation to me, a chance to relax and reflect.”

And over the next 40 days, the 28-year-old surface warfare officer will have plenty of time to do just that as he attempts a mad dash from Los Angeles to New York City to break the world record for cross-country running. He begins on March 1.

But Johnson is not just racing for to win the world record title. He’s also aiming to bring awareness to military mental health issues and fundraise $1 million for the veteran service organization Team Red, White and Blue.

To complete the challenge, Johnson will need to do roughly 75 miles each day. And although he has his apprehensions, he’s also looking forward to the challenge.

“We’re always afraid to jump into the unknown without knowing how things will go,” he said. “This challenge is the epitome of knowing that failure is almost guaranteed, but here we are still attempting it because we are going to work through all of the challenges thrown our way and just maybe, we come out on the other side better for it.”

Johnson was inspired by current record holder Pete Kostelnick, who did 72 miles a day in 2016. While Johnson was attending Penn State, Kostelnick passed through the campus on his route. Johnson began training for the so-called “transcon” when he began a shore tour in January 2023.

“As I got back into running for the Marine Corps Marathon, the thought of the transcon run came back, but I just didn’t have time to do something like that on sea duty,” he said.

He’s done four official races, and his training consisted of 40-mile runs on the weekends.

“One of the toughest things about what we do in the military is losing the tight knit connections and communities that are formed by service,” he said. “Even still active duty, I struggle with those feelings of isolation at times with a different duty station or the way I am experiencing some issues with my anxiety and depression.”

In China, there are, in fact, consequences for such inhumanities. One Chinese man was recently sentenced to 10 months in prison for ruining the marriage of a People’s Liberation Army soldier after he dated — and moved in with — the soldier’s wife.

“China’s Criminal Law stipulates that anyone cohabiting or marrying another person knowing that he or she is the spouse of a PLA soldier will face imprisonment of up to three years,” according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

The man, identified as “Ma,” reportedly began an affair with a former coworker, named Yuan, who was also, unbeknownst to him, an Army wife. When Yuan told Ma of her marital status and the punishment associated with an extramarital affair, he broke it off.

But Ma just couldn’t stay away, and he and Yuan moved in together a month later. Yuan then filed for divorce from her husband, who was away serving with the PLA.

Yuan’s husband, however, became aware of the affair through home security footage and subsequently turned the pair in to the authorities.

While destroying a military marriage could have resulted in a three-year sentence, Ma was reportedly given a shorter stint in jail because he was honest in court about his situation.

“The punishment is so harsh because the state is obliged not only to give special protection to the marriage of a soldier but also to respect and protect the honour of serving members of the military,” the Post added.

The A24 film, which depicts an America in shambles, follows a team of journalists chronicling warring factions across America, according to the film’s description.

In the trailer’s opening scene, Nick Offerman (”The Last of Us”), playing the president of the United States, calls out the actions of an “illegal secessionist government.”

Though little has been offered in the way of film’s plot or the conflict’s backstory, Offerman’s character goes on to label the secessionists as the “Florida Alliance” and the “Western Forces of Texas and California.”

Scenes of tense military action unfold as a haunting, whistled rendition of “America the Beautiful” plays. The overlaid text indicates violence spilling over “from sea to shining shining sea,” before the destruction of the Lincoln Memorial wraps up the trailer.

Wagner Moura (”Narcos”), Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”) and Jesse Plemons (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) star in the film, which lands in theaters on April 12.

As such, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Soldier Center’s Combat Feeding Division in Natick, Massachusetts, has turned to advanced technology to address both issues.

In particular, the division is working now to drastically improve the quality of fruits and vegetables in the Meals Ready-to-Eat, more commonly referred to as MREs.

The division has set its sights on a new technique called “vacuum microwave drying” to turn the produce contained in MREs into crunchy snacks rather than vacuum-sealed preservatives.

The Combat Feeding Division has not, as of yet, specified which fruits and vegetables will be included in the process, however.

Julie Edwards, a senior food technologist with the Combat Feeding Division told Military Times, “These components may provide an opportunity increase the number of fresh like fruits and vegetables (meaning that the fruits and veggies retain a bright color and similar shape but are just crunchy) within the MRE if found to be acceptable by Warfighters during an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation.”

Working with a company called BranchOut foods on the technology, the Combat Feeding Division hopes to include these upgraded fruits and vegetables in the close combat assault ration, which is typically used for short, high-intensity deployments.

A public affairs officer for Combat Capabilities Development Command noted, “[Combat Feeding Division] is conducting storage tests of these items to determine if they meet military ration requirements and is leveraging direct feedback from Soldier Center’s in-house Human Research Volunteer soldiers through sensory evaluations to help down select the vegetables to incorporate into ration items that are more appealing to warfighters.”

The main goal is to preserve not only the nutrition of the produce but also its taste. In addition, the division is experimenting with enhancing flavors with spices and seasonings.

“The flavor is retained post processing and there was an opportunity to add additional flavors after the drying step, so the Soldiers taste tested pineapple with chili lime seasoning as well as vegetables with either ranch or buffalo seasoning,” according to another food technologist, Danielle Anderson. “The VMD process changes the texture from soft to crunchy but does not affect flavor significantly.”

However, these greens haven’t yet entered official testing. As a result, soldiers have not weighed on the flavor, texture or overall impression of the food.

“CFD has not conducted the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) on these items yet so there are no comments currently available,” Anderson said.

The timeline for fielding these foods in MREs is, as of this writing, not officially set.

A long-time staple for children and 20-somethings, during the height of the Global War on Terror Pop-Tarts were a coveted treasure. Whether they were traded as valued currency alongside MRE contents or buried under a pile of white socks at the bottom of a care package, for those downrange, they offered a taste of home.

The bringer of that joy, Pop-Tart creator William “Bill” Post, died on Feb. 10 at age 96.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native deployed with the U.S. military in the Pacific post-World War II before returning home. There, he resumed his high school job at Hekman Biscuits.

“The Father of the Pop-Tart.”

Did you know the leader behind the popular American snack is from Grand Rapids? This morning only on @wwmtnews we’ll introduce you to Bill Post and how he brought the #PopTart to life. pic.twitter.com/T42WrjumLh

— Alexia Petrovic (@lexie_petrovic) November 30, 2021

“After serving in the Army Air Corps in occupied Japan, he returned to the part time job at Hekman and also attended Calvin College for 2 years,” according to Post’s obituary.

That biscuit plant would later become what is known today as Keebler. It was there that Post cemented his name in the annals of pastry history. While working as plant manager in the 1960s, Kellogg reached out to him about a collaboration.

“In 1964 I answered the telephone and Kellogg asked if they could come see some of our equipment,” Post told WWMT in 2021. “I said, ‘yeah.’ They came and looked at our plant. ... They said they wanted something for the toaster, but they didn’t know how to do it.”

Post set to work figuring out exactly how to make a breakfast food that could easily be cooked in a toaster.

“I assembled an amazing team that developed Kellogg’s concept of a shelf-stable toaster pastry into a fine product that we could bring to market in the span of just four months,” he said.

The result was two dough sheets with filling in the middle. The finishing touch — frosting — wasn’t part of original the plan, but Post’s improvisational decision to glaze the pastry turned out to be a hit.

Post, while testing out the experimental pastries, would bring them home to his children. While he said most of the products were duds in their eyes, the Pop-Tarts were a hit with his family as an after-school treat.

His obituary notes that despite being credited as the inventor of Pop-Tarts, Post always viewed it as a team effort.

At the time, rival Post Consumer Brands was working on a competitor: Country Squares. However, Pop-Tarts made it to market first.

“That’s a funny story. I always say I’m the only Post who worked for Kellogg,” Post joked with WWMT.

Delish reported that a book called “American Food by the Decades” notes that the original the name for these delectable treats was “Fruit Scones,” but the moniker was changed after Andy Warhol and his 1960s pop art inspired the branding.

The original Pop-Tarts, which went to market in November of 1964, came in apple currant, blueberry, cinnamon sugar, and Post’s favorite: strawberry.

Post worked for 41 years at Keebler before moving on as a consultant to Kellogg. He married his high school sweetheart, and they were together for 72 years. The couple retired in Grand Rapids.

“In spite of an extraordinary life and legendary accomplishments, Bill remained a humble man of God with a servant’s heart that seemed to overflow with generosity,” his obituary reads.

It’s not surprising, then, that the First World War instilled an entire generation with a brand of patriotism that could prompt risking everything to preserve the American dream. That exact experience is currently showcased in the National World War I Museum’s exhibit “The Little War,” an exploration of childhood between 1914 and 1918.

The exhibit’s items, according to Specialist Curator Natalie Walker, incited questions for museum staff about war’s impact on children, both during World War I and throughout subsequent conflicts.

“[It was] the literature that was being produced for children at the time, the toys, the games they were playing — Allies versus the Central Powers,” Walker told Military Times. “It made it that much easier to embrace the Second World War just 20 to 25 years later.”

Those who produced children’s literature, toys and costumes of the time presented the war in a way that would remove fear factors. In doing so, the lens through which World War I was viewed by children was one of adventure, where morally superior participants always emerged victorious.

It was natural, then, for young Americans raised in such an environment to not only be willing to serve if called upon, but do so excitedly — even subconsciously — as they deployed like the heroes they once read about.

“[The literature] beat it in in terms of good versus evil ... to instill these ideas of patriotism, being a good citizen, and fighting for your country,” Walker noted. “But these kinds of things also trivialized violence and war. [Children are] playing from the safety of their backyards and all of this literature talks about a Boy Scout who goes overseas, and he escapes every battle and conflict unscathed. ... They didn’t want to scare children. ... At the same time, they’re not really telling the truth.”

Some of the most prominent items in the exhibit’s collection include illustrated literature, children’s soldier and nurse costumes, ration books and nighttime prayer missals. Much of the media at the time, meanwhile, dehumanized the enemy in the eyes of children.

“One of my favorite pieces is called ‘Nursery Rhymes for Fighting Times,’” Walker said. “It’s a book that was published in 1914 in Great Britain, and it takes popular nursery rhymes of the time and reworks them as a form of propaganda that really demonizes and dehumanizes Germany.

“There were no holds barred when they were creating this stuff. ... If you’re a little kid, and you’re reading about the Kaiser, who’s going to come and bomb your town and hurt people you love, that’s a scary thing,” she added. “If you’re in middle school, maybe you’re reading this and getting angry. If you’re in high school, you’re probably ready to go enlist.”

The double-edge sword, however, is that many children were vital to the efforts of their countries during both world wars. Even simply by contributing to work around the house, Walker said, many were being molded for duty.

Given that these phenomena continue into today’s conflicts, Walker said she hopes the exhibit will spur conversations between children and adults.

“I want people to walk in this exhibit and get the sense that children had an active, vital role, and here’s what they did,” she said.

The “self-defense” strike happened after U.S. forces determined that the unmanned vessels were carrying explosives and posed a threat to ships in the area.

Iran-backed attacks in Middle East continue after dozens of US strikes

CENTCOM identified the drones in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen before taking them out.

“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM tweeted.

Houthi aggression has ramped up in recent months with attacks in the Red Sea targeting commercial vessels since October, attacks Houthi leaders say are in support of Palestinians as the Israel-Hamas war rages.

In the midst of continued Houthi attacks and counter-strikes, and the bombardment of Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria following a drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers earlier this month, the Pentagon on Monday characterized the actions as “self-defense” strikes, and not a full-blown war.

“But to be clear, our goal is not to ― okay, game on, let’s just do this and go, you know, full scale war against Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Syria,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters. “That’s not what we’re there for.”

The report’s findings, which, in essence, rank end-strength against national security threats, paint a picture of an aging and understaffed military.

“The Active Component of the U.S. military is two-thirds the size it should be, operates equipment that is older than it should be, and is burdened by readiness levels that are more problematic than they should be,” the report reads. “To the extent that progress has been made, it has been at the expense of both capacity and modernization.”

To narrow scope and provide accuracy, the report focused specifically on hard power — namely, the military’s dominating influence on the world stage. Overall, the study was designed to illustrate whether or not the military in its capacity in 2024 would be able to defend the country and pursue its strategic goals.

The researchers ultimately settled on three criteria for measuring hard power: Capability, capacity, and readiness. The criteria were then analyzed through a lens of the U.S. military’s ability to sustain itself through two major, ongoing regional conflicts.

“As currently postured, the U.S. military is at significant risk of not being able to defend America’s vital national interests with assurance,” the report said.

The report’s rankings for each military branch and the force in total, meanwhile, spanned five levels: Very strong, strong, marginal, weak, and very weak.

Of the branches, the Marine Corps was found to be the sole service rated as “strong.” Army and Space Force were considered “marginal,” while the Navy and Air Force were rated as “weak” and “very weak,” respectively.

While the Marine Corps was considered to have the best outlook, data may be stilted due to the fact that, unlike the other branches, the service “is measured against a one-war requirement rather than the two-war requirement to which the other services are held,” the report said.

“The 2024 Index concludes that the current U.S. military force is at significant risk of being unable to meet the demands of a single major regional conflict while also attending to various presence and engagement activities,” the report noted. “The force would probably not be able to do more and is certainly ill-equipped to handle two nearly simultaneous MRCs — a situation that is made more difficult by the generally weak condition of key military allies.”

As a result, the report rated the overall end-strength of U.S. forces as “weak.” The report also notes that things have gotten progressively worse over the last two-to-three years, in particular.

“This is the inevitable result of years of sustained use, underfunding, poorly defined priorities, wildly shifting security policies, exceedingly poor discipline in program execution, and a profound lack of seriousness across the national security establishment even as threats to U.S. interests have surged,” the report concluded.

Update: A previous version of this article reflected older branch rankings but has since been updated.

Is a headlamp or flashlight right for me?

The biggest advantage of a headlamp is you don’t have to hold it to use it. Headlamps strap to your head or helmet, leaving your hands free for other tasks. A headlamp provides focused, directional lighting that follows the movement of your head. Because the light follows your eyes, it’s always shining where you need it. Most headlamps are lightweight and comfortable for extended use. Most come on an adjustable, elasticized strap. Some headlamps also have helmet mounts, for military, climbing, cycling, and other style helmets. Some clip to molle attachments, and some have other mounts as well. Many headlamps are compact—small enough to carry in a pocket.

The biggest downside of a headlamp is that when you’re wearing a headlamp in a group of people and you shift your gaze towards a friend or colleague, the light from your head can be blinding. Because the lamp is on your head, you may need to remove your headlamp to fiddle with buttons or to get beam color and pattern you prefer. And most headlamps aren’t as bright as a full-power, high-end flashlight.

Flashlights come in all shapes and sizes, and, as mentioned, typically have a more powerful beam and more ruggedized construction than a headlamp. Historically, flashlights used C and D-cell batteries. Now, more are rechargeable.

The downside of a flashlight is that you have to hold it, which means you can’t use your hands for other tasks. Some do come with head straps and various clips. Smaller flashlights can be easy to carry in your pocket, on a belt clip, or in a belt pouch, so, like a pocket knife, you always have your EDC light on you. Most flashlights are white light only, while headlamps often have multiple light colors to choose from including lights that preserve night vision, help hunters pursue prey, and add stealth to your mission.

How bright a light do I need?

Every headlamp and flashlight comes with a lumen rating. The higher the number, the brighter the light. Most headlamps also have modes, so you can run the lamp or light at a lower lumen and therefore lower power output to extend battery life. A lamp or light with more lumens will pierce deeper into the darkness and depending on the light pattern can make seeing at night feel more natural. But brighter lights are often larger and heavier. Explore the options to find your sweet spot.

What beam is best?

For focused work, a spot beam directs more intense light into a small and defined area. A broader beam will illuminate a larger area less intensely. Many headlamps and flashlights have both options. If a light beam is too narrow, it can give you tunnel vision, which at night can feel disorienting. When a light has a feathered edge, it allows you to see in the dark more naturally. Bu dispersed lights are often less bright than focused lights.

Why do I need red, green or blue light options?

Red light helps maintain natural night vision. The green light improves the human eye’s ability to discern detail at night. Blue light highlights blood. Blue light is often used by hunters to track prey.

Should I get a headlamp or flashlight with a rechargeable battery?

We prefer rechargeable devices if you use your headlamp or flashlight where there is a reasonable chance you can plug it into a reliable power source. A rechargeable battery lets you top off your lamp or light after each use so it’s always ready for action. It also keeps batteries out of the landfill. If you’ll be using your lamp or light somewhere where it’s easier to carry extra batteries than recharge your device, that’s a relevant consideration.

Items purchased through our links may earn us a commission.

Best dual fuel headlamp

Petzl Aria 2 RGB, $60

• Weight: 3.4 oz
• Brightness: 450 lumens (up to 600 lumens with rechargeable battery)
• Battery: 3 AAA or Petzl Core ($30, sold separately)

Compact and durable, the 450-lumen Aria 2 RGB is a dual-fuel headlamp that can handle being dropped, dunked, and dusted. The headlamp comes with an elasticized strap for wearing this lamp on your head, but it can be worn on your helmet or pack as well with other Aria mounting plates, sold separately. We loved this light for its easy use and bright beam. A glove-friendly single button let us access all light modes, including white, red, green, and blue lights. The lamp has a wide, uniform beam, great for close-range work, and a mixed beam for when you’re toggling between looking close and far. Three white lighting levels–max burn time, standard, and max power, sustained the battery for longer or provided more intense light on demand. The colored lights are continuous or strobe. We also love that this lamp can be run with Petzl’s rechargeable Core battery or three AAA batteries, so you can choose the power option that’s best for where you’re using it. The Core battery ($30, sold separately), give the headlamp a lumens boost from 450 to 600. The Core is equivalent to about 900 sets of AAA batteries. The lamp meets IP67 dust and waterproof ratings. It can be submerged for 30 min in up to three feet of water and it’ll work as good as ever. It meets FL1 ANSI standard for fall protection–the lamp can fall six to eight feet without damage. It’s also impact-resistant, meeting the IK07 rating. A lock mode prevents the lamp from accidentally getting turned on in your pack. If you want a more affordable light, or just don’t need the brightness this one delivers, check out Petzls Aria 1, which has 350 lumens and costs $40.

Buy it at: amazon.com

Best EDC Flashlight

Fenix TK20R Rechargeable Dual Rear Switch Multipurpose Flashlight

• Weight: 7.2 oz
• Brightness: 3000 lumens
• Max Beam Distance: 1,558 feet (475 meters)
• Max Runtime: 48 hours
• Battery: Rechargeable li-ion battery

With a maximum output of 3000 lumens and a range of up to 1558 feet, the six-mode, aluminum casing Fenix TK20R is a powerful and adaptable flashlight that’s ready for a lifetime of use and abuse. Made for outdoor and tactical applications, the flashlight turns on with dual tail switches that also control the flashlight’s six modes, including five brightness levels and strobe. Fenix uses a proprietary technology they call the Advance Pulse Frequency Transmission System to give this flashlight max power for its size and weight. It’s blindingly bright, which is great for lighting the path ahead and also handy for self defense. The flashlight is sealed from the elements, including the cleverly concealed USB-C charging port which is encased in the flashlight’s hard anodized, anti-abrasive aluminum body. It has an internal dual-spring structure so that even if this light takes a severe impact, it’ll keep working. Customize your unit on Fenix’s website with your name, DOB, and select designs. Dustproof and waterproof, this flashlight comes with a pocket clip, a holster, and a lanyard.

Buy it at: amazon.com

Best full-power flashlight

Maglite ML150LR

• Weight: 15.2 oz. 431 g
• Brightness: 1082 lumens
• Max Beam Distance: 1558 feet/ 458m
• Max Runtime: 79 hours
• Battery: lithium iron phosphate rechargeable

The classic Maglite, a staple for law enforcement, now uses LED lights and it’s rechargeable–up to 80% in 30 minutes, and just as powerful as ever. The flashlight has a new patented heat sink that helps it shine brighter while using less power. As always, Maglite’s ML150LR uses a heavy-duty anodized aluminum body. Now instead of big disposable batteries, there’s a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery inside that’s safer and better-performing than disposable batteries. The flashlight has white light only, and it transitions from spot to flood with a ¼ turn of the head. With a click of the power button, the light toggles between five power modes and 12 functions, all of which can be user-programmed. Functions include full power, momentary power, eco, and strobe. It runs 3-plus hours at peak lumens and 79 hours in eco-mode. The Maglite ML150LR case is nearly indestructible. And if you ever have an issue, it’s likely covered by Maglite’s 10-year limited warranty. Charging this flashlight is simple and straightforward. Click it into the holder, and a charge status indicator lets you know the flashlight’s battery level, and when it’s at 100%. To charge this light from fully dead, it takes around 2.5 hours. But in 30 minutes it will be most of the way there. Another bonus: this maglite flashlight snaps into its charging port and it won’t fall out even in extremely rough conditions. The ML1505LR comes with a wall charger as well as a 12v power cord for vehicle charging. This battery will last for approximately 2000 charge cycles.

Buy it at: amazon.com

Brightest headlamp

Black Diamond Distance 1500

• Weight: 7.5 oz.
• Brightness: 1082 lumens
• Max Beam Distance: 384 feet with max power and boost
• Max Runtime: 40 hours
• Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion

Designed for ultrarunners who need a headlamp to help them navigate technical terrain when they’re already sleep-deprived, one that will last through the night, Black Diamond’s Distance is not only long burning, but it’s a headlamp that lets you swap batteries without taking the lamp off your head. A lot of headlamps have two modes–one that focuses the light close but has hard edges, and one that’s more diffuse, but not as powerful. This lamp has a highly engineered multifaceted optical lens that combines both modes so that you don’t have to choose between depth and spot lighting. At max output, the Distance emits 1500 lumens in a light pattern that has no edges, shadows, or artifacts. That reduced the trippy, vertiginous feeling that can come from navigating at night with a hard-edged beam. The lamp uses a touch-to-adjust button that toggles the lamp from any setting to max output. The lamp lasts eight hours at 300 lumens. If you want to swap it, just squeeze the release mechanism at the right side of the battery holder, to pop out the old battery and pop in a new one, all without taking the headlamp off your head. The battery pack is magnetic, so a replacement pack snaps in seamlessly. The battery pack and the light both come mounted on a stretchy strap with a broad rubber support at the forehead and a plastic stiffener at the back of the head. Both are low profile, shaped to contour naturally, and built to minimize bounce. An additional over-the-head strap is also provided. The Distance 1500 has two buttons. One turns the lamp on and off. The other toggles output from full power to reduced power, and into red, green, and blue modes. The headstrap is helmet-compatible. And this lamp has a submersible IP67 waterproof rating.

Buy it at: blackdiamondequipment.com

Best headlamp for on-duty/off-duty

Princeton Tec Vizz Tactical MPLS

• Weight: 3.2 oz.
• Brightness: 550 lumens
• Max Beam Distance: Up to 256 feet
• Max Runtime: 50 hours
• Battery: Three AAA

It’s impossible to know where and when you’ll need a headlamp, and what conditions you’ll encounter when you do. We recommend Princeton Tec’s 550-lumen Vizz MPLS because it transitions seamlessly from work to life, from camping with the kids to being on the job, and back again. It’s light and compact and out of the way when you don’t need it, and easy to always have on hand for when you do. This AAA battery-powered headlamp is perfect for users who don’t have a reliable place to recharge. It comes on an elastic head strap, like most other headlamps, but it’s also compatible with Princeton Tec’s Modular Plated Lighting System (MPLS), which allows the headlamp to mount to molle, rail, helmet, and more. In addition to being compatible with a variety of mounts, this headlamp can also be paired with accessories like Princeton Tec’s Switch MPLS or Switch RGB, sold separately. The lamp has an easy-to-locate and operate oversized, textured button on top that illuminates the headlamp and also lets you toggle between modes, including selecting from red, blue, and green lights, and full power and dimmed white light. With the lamp at full power, it has a four-hour battery life. Used on the dimmed setting, the battery life is 50 hours. The light is programmable – it lets you choose which order the lights toggle. Directions are printed on the back of the headlamp body, so they’re always close at hand. When the lamp is mounted on the headstrap, it rotates nearly 90 degrees so you can point it where you need it. The lamp has five LEDs inside, including a max bright dimmable white LED and ultrabright red, blue, and green LEDs. A screw mechanism opens and closes the battery chamber. It can be finger-tightened or opened and closed using a flathead screwdriver. With the battery compartment closed this headlamp is rated IPX7 waterproof. A lock mode prevents you from turning it on accidentally.

But it at: amazon.com

Best headlamp for camping

Biolite Headlamp 425

• Weight: 2.75 oz.
• Brightness: 425 lumens
• Max Beam Distance: Up to 279 feet
• Max Runtime: 60 hours
• Battery: Rechargeable 1000 mAh Li-Ion

A headlamp that’s easy to stash in your backpack, tuck in your glove compartment, or just have on hand for days when you have time to sneak in a quick run after dark, you’re still on the trail a few clicks after sundown, or you need to navigate to the privy from your campsite. Biolite’s Headlamp 425 is so light that you’ll forget it’s on your head, but it’s still bright enough to light up the night, with soft edges to its flood, laser brightness with the spot, plus the ability to use both together. It’s a lamp that lights up the road or trail in front of you, while also illuminating you from behind to make motorists or other trail users aware you’re there. The USB-C rechargeable lamp has five front light modes and two rear light modes. Front light modes include a dimmable white spot, a dimmable white flood, a dual dimmable spot flood mode, a white strobe, and a red flood that’s also dimmable. The back has both red strobe and red flood settings. Unlike other headlamps that use a light mounted on a removable elastic strap, Biolite’s Headlamp 425 is inset into the strap with wiring to the rear harness sewn in. The design keeps the front light extremely low profile. The front light extends less than 0.4 inches from the wearer’s forehead, and the back of the head light brick is just over 0.5 inches thick. A single click of the front control button turns the front light on, and double clicks toggle between modes. The front light can be tilted down more than 45° for map reading and other tasks. The back-of-the-head light has its own on/off button that also toggles the rear light between spot, strobe, and off. The rear light also houses the lamp’s USB-C charging port, as well as a headlamp battery level indicator. A lock mode keeps the lamp from accidental illumination. It’s not waterproof, but it is rated IPX4 water-resistant. Not all headlamps can be used while charging. This one can. Plug it into a portable powerbrick in your pocket or pack to extend its battery life while you’re wearing it.

Buy it at: amazon.com

Based on author Damien Lewis’ book of the same name, the movie recounts the origins of British special forces — stood up at the direction of Winston Churchill — as a clandestine military banditi assembled as the Special Operations Executive, or SOE. Using “ungentlemanly” methods, the group’s mission is to turn the tide of the war.

Judging by the trailer, the film resembles a heist movie layered with all the quirks familiar to fans of Guy Ritchie’s films. The irreverent killing of Nazis using unconventional — if not gruesome — tactics also feels somewhat similar to “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” though the choreography of action scenes may not be as elaborate.

The film stars Henry Cavill (”Man of Steel”) as the band’s leader, Gus March-Phillipps. Alan Ritchson (“Reacher”) and Eiza González (“Baby Driver”) co-star, with Jerry Bruckheimer (“Top Gun”) producing.

“The “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” hits theaters on April 19.

While departing on the flight from London Gatwick Airport in England, then-18-year-old Aditya Verma reportedly sent a Snapchat message to a friend that read, “On my way to blow up the plane (I’m a member of the Taliban),” according to the BBC.

Verma’s actions, which were flagged by U.K. security services, prompted the Spanish air force to scramble F-18 fighter jets to escort the aircraft toward its destination, the Spanish island of Menorca. An extensive search of the plane revealed no explosives.

“A court in Madrid heard it was assumed the message triggered alarm bells after being picked up via Gatwick’s Wi-Fi network,” the BBC report noted.

During a Jan. 22, 2024 court appearance, Verma alleged that the bomb comment was simply an ethnic joke shared between friends.

“Since school, it’s been a joke because of my features,” he said, according to the BBC. “It was just to make people laugh.”

The Telegraph reported that the fine was originally set to repay a sum equal to $103,000 USD to foot the flight costs of the Spanish Defence Ministry’s F-18s. Additionally, the fine included approximately $24,400 in court fees.

In proceedings, Verma’s lawyer backed his client’s claim that it was simply a joke gone awry, according to The Telegraph.

“Aditya didn’t put his message on Facebook or advertise it. What he did was the equivalent of making a joke inside a car with friends,” Verma’s lawyer told prosecutors. “This boy was 18 years old and was beginning a holiday which was a reward for his school excellence. When he and his friends landed in Menorca, they realised they were in a nightmare.”

The court ultimately chose not to pursue a terrorism charge or jail time for Verma.

How the cast of ‘Masters of the Air’ transformed into the Bloody 100th

Premiering today, the Apple TV+-produced “Masters of the Air” is a masterful military opera set against a backdrop of drama, mortality, love, stunning aerial cinematography, and of course, brotherhood.

While such themes anchor all three series, Hanks and Spielberg have managed to further hone the craft of depicting bonds forged in blood as a formula for over two decades of dazzling television.

History buffs and World War II aficionados will recognize the show’s characters as renowned pilots, operators and strategists whose missions paved the way for victory on the European front — and formed the foundation of the military branch now known as the U.S. Air Force.

The 100th Bomber Group burst onto the scene in 1943 as underdogs flying rickety B-17 bombers against the much more experienced pilots of the German Luftwaffe.

The young pilots, primarily Maj. Gale “Buck” Cleven (Austin Butler) and Maj. John “Bucky” Egan (Callum Turner), embody the prototypical green fly boys anxious to stick it to the Germans — that is, until they actually witness the profound hopelessness of their skyward missions.

Without fighter escorts — especially in the early days of bombing campaigns — B-17s and their crews faced staggering odds to make it back from each mission. Explained in the early episodes, the U.S. military strategy was to bomb Nazi Germany in broad daylight, which, while ensuring better accuracy, made the crews all the more vulnerable to Nazi anti-aircraft fire and fighter aircraft.

It’s for this reason that the U.S. outfit became ominously known as the “Bloody 100th.”

When the series’ pilots take to the skies, dread sets in as anti-aircraft flack renders the crews terrified and nearly ineffective. And that’s before a single Nazi fighter pilot even fires a shot in the series’ dogfights, which provide brilliant cinematic experiences layered with existential fear.

The series is loosely narrated by Lt. Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), a navigator who ultimately served 22 months with the unit, seeing the war turn from one of insurmountable odds to an Allied victory.

“Masters of the Air” also pays particular attention to war’s hardships on various levels: PTSD, action in the face of futility, and political rancor. Throughout the series, its characters find solace in bonds forged by positively brutal experiences. Yet, even in victory, a feeling persists that fighting monsters for so long eventually turns one into the very beast being battled.

The show excels in revealing the cost of victory these men endured for the perceived good of mankind. It also hones in on acting as a cog in a war machine that views its troops as numbers instead of human beings — a phenomenon spanning generations of combat.

Other issues depicted in the series mirror the political discourse of today: prejudice, racism, freedom of religion, and lack of resources, which highlight the cyclical nature of mankind’s ability to unite in times of crisis before returning to the status quo in peacetime. The somewhat disjointed inclusion of the later episodes’ Tuskegee Airmen storyline is particularly poignant in this regard.

In simplest terms, “Masters of the Air” is unequivocally American. The series is the personification of American exceptionalism and an acknowledgment that a rag-tag team of plucky youngsters can stand against ultimate evil and persevere.

Watching it will inevitably leave viewers beaming about the grit of U.S. troops who became known as the Greatest Generation. Such feelings, however, may be followed by a looming sense that America today may be too fractured to unite against such an evil without blinking.

The first two episodes of “Masters of the Air” premiere on Jan. 26 on Apple TV+. Additional episodes will drop every Friday after through March 15.

Sig Sauer didn’t display its products at this year’s Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, but the company’s dominance of recent U.S. military small arms contracts is likely to have a decades-long influence on the market. The M16 and M4 have been the military’s service rifle for more than half a century. The former sidearm, the Beretta M9 pistol, was in service for more than 30 years.

Historically, companies have grown in brand recognition and commercial sales due, in part, to their success with military contracts.

In 2017, Sig Sauer got a shot at the handgun contract when the Army decided to replace the M9. Sig Sauer won the Modular Handgun System award for providing both the standard-sized 9mm handgun, the M17, and the compact-sized weapon, the M18. The Air Force, Navy and Marines subsequently adopted the sidearm as well.

See soldiers shoot the Army's newest handgun for the first time

Since then, the company has shipped 480,000 pistols to the U.S. military. It also recently had its ROMEO M17 pistol optic added to the military supply inventory, making it an item units can order but that is not currently fielded with the pistol.

Shortly after winning the handgun contract, Sig Sauer entered the competition to replace the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon for Army close combat troops under the service’s Next Generation Squad Weapon Program.

In 2022 the Army chose Sig Sauer’s M7 for the new rifle, and the M250 for its automatic rifle. Once fully fielded, the two weapons will be the primary arms for the more than 100,000 close combat forces, from infantrymen and scouts to combat engineers.

That same year, U.S. Special Operations Command chose the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler as its low-signature personal defense weapon. The compact rifle can be configured to fire either 5.56mm or .300 Blackout caliber rounds.

Over that same timeframe, Sig Sauer’s TANGO6T rifle optic won contracts for SOCOM and the Army’s Squad Designated Marksman rifle.

“We are essentially becoming the small arms company of the U.S. military,” Tom Taylor, Sig Sauer chief marketing officer and vice president of sales, told Military Times.

Taylor declined to provide specific sales figures for Sig Sauer products.

Notable non-Sig Sauer options do remain in troops’ arsenals. The Army’s non-close combat force will continue to use the M4. Though the Marine Corps has tested the NGSW, it has not adopted it. In 2017, the service fielded its own M4 replacement, the M27, Infantry Automatic Rifle, made by Heckler and Koch.

Also, the company is currently competing in the SOCOM lightweight medium machine gun program. That effort involves a .338 Norma Magnum machine gun.

The M4, a later version of the original M16 fielded to troops during the Vietnam War, has vastly influenced the U.S. civilian gun market in recent decades. The Armalite, or AR-style, weapons permeate popular culture firearms depictions in film, video games and other media.

Troops using the M16, M4 or M9 over the past decades were familiar with the weapons and sometimes more likely to purchase one post-service.

The incoming generation of soldiers will carry a Sig Sauer rifle or machine gun, use a Sig Sauer optic and strap a Sig Sauer pistol to their side.

“For millions of young men and women going into an AAFES or on the battlefield, Sig is going to be the only small arms they use,” Taylor said.

As the squad weapon, handgun and other Sig Sauer products flow into military use, the entertainment industry is already taking note.

Video games such as “Call of Duty” are already building the M7 and M250 into their next game rollouts, Taylor said.

“From this point forward, the handgun is already in service, military shows are having to transition to that gun,” he added.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to show the number of Modular Handgun Systems delivered to the Army and to use the correct nomenclature for the ROMEO M17 optic.

The pair’s much-anticipated third installment, “Masters of the Air,” debuts Friday on Apple TV+ and centers on the actions of the U.S. Army Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, also known as the “Bloody 100th.”

As with the earlier series, “Masters of the Air” presents camaraderie as a primary driving force behind the Allied victory. The cast, as a result, had to not only work within the historical framework of the Bloody 100th’s actions, but also needed to step into the shoes of the larger-than-life pilots and crew members who took to the skies in B-17 bombers — oftentimes without fighter escorts — on some of the most hazardous missions the U.S. military has ever seen.

One such figure was that of 1st Lt. Harry Crosby, a navigator who began as an airsick and chronically nervous crew member before rising to the rank of major and completing a full 22 months deployed with the 100th.

“I just fell in love with Harry Crosby,” actor Anthony Boyle told Military Times. “I thought he was the most incredible, unique, bizarre human being that I’ve ever seen on screen. I just thought, ‘God, I’d love the play him. I would just love to spend a year with this person.’”

Crosby, who after the war went on to become a prolific writer and the eventual director of the Harvard University Writing Center, serves as the loose narrator throughout the series.

To prepare for the role, Boyle watched available footage of Crosby, who passed away in 2010, and was able to speak to his surviving family members.

“The last few jobs I’ve done have been real people,” Boyle said. “It’s interesting when there’s a limited amount about them. When I played Crosby, there was a book, some chatter about him and a video that I could go off.”

In the show, Crosby develops a close bond with highly decorated pilot Maj. Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, played by Nate Mann. The duo’s sharing of heartwarming support during some of the darkest moments in the 100th’s history is part and parcel for all three of the Spielberg-Hanks WWII series.

The bond that truly carries the show, however, is one between Maj. Gale “Buck” Cleven and Maj. John “Bucky” Egan, played by Austin Butler and Callum Turner, respectively. The duo’s on-screen chemistry is electric, with Butler’s portrayal of the buttoned-up Cleven often tempering the hot-headed, somewhat reckless Egan so perfectly depicted by Turner.

“We had two weeks of boot camp that started us off that really built camaraderie with about 120 of us,” Butler told Military Times. “We’ve learned a lot about each other through that process, going through the physical aspects of that, and also being in the classroom together.”

Cleven and Egan, who were roommates in flight school, were two of the 100th’s most experienced pilots. Both were shot down during separate missions in October 1943, however, and ultimately spent the rest of the conflict together as prisoners of war at the German POW camp Stalag Luft III.

“It was easy with Callum, because he’s one of the greatest guys I’ve ever met,” Butler added. “We became friends really quickly, and that helped with Cleven and Egan.”

The POW experience for Cleven and Egan, which was tensely portrayed on screen, would further solidify their lifelong friendship.

Egan stayed in and eventually served in the newly-formed U.S. Air Force, deploying later in the Korean War. Egan sadly died from a heart attack in 1961. He was just 45. Cleven also remained with the Air Force, serving in Korea and Vietnam before retiring as a colonel in 1955. He died in 2006.

Speaking with Military Times, show producer Gary Goetzman noted the importance of bringing the unbreakable bonds of World War II to the screen eight decades after they were forged.

“You have a story, and you have these great people you’re representing, and you try to give them great representation by your casting, by the settings, by the words, and you try to honor them — [that] is what we really tried to do,” he said.

For Goetzman, this particular portion of the Spielberg-Hanks WWII trilogy was all heart.

“It’s a big story,” Goetzman said. “These are the guys who tenderized the mainland in Europe so our troops could land. We didn’t know what we were doing; we were losing the war. We didn’t get over there until 1943, which is quite astounding.”

“Masters of the Air” premieres Jan. 26 on Apple TV+.

A new add-on device, the ThermoSight HISS-HD, a long-range cooled thermal sniper and machine gun sight by Teledyne FLIR, offers high-resolution views at 2,200 meters, or more than 7,000 feet, and the ability to see the shooter’s bullet in flight even without tracers.

Teledyne FLIR debuted this new optic at the annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show this week.

New HISS-HD Thermal Sniper Sight by Teledyne FLIR

Zack Fuller, senior manager for weapon sights and handhelds with the company spoke with Military Times for SHOT Show this year about the device.

Fuller served a decade in special forces, four years as a sniper with the U.S. Army’s 5th Special Forces Group and another four years at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Science and Technology Department working on visual augmentation.

The HISS-HD is a clip-on thermal sight that fits in front of the existing weapon optic. It was originally developed for the .338 Norma Magnum machine gun, which is still under development, but is compatible with existing weapons such as the M240B machine gun, Fuller said.

The sight offers four times the resolution and clarity of existing thermal sights. What that means for shooters is the ability to see details as precise as whether a target’s hands are at their sides, or if they’re carrying a weapon even at distances over a mile.

That also allows a shooter to see their bullet in flight, or what is called “day trace,” Fuller said.

“It allows you to take a rapid follow-on shot and correct because you’re seeing the shots,” he said.

The thermal sight allows that in day or night conditions.

With those features, Fuller said the sight triples the performance for machine gun sights and doubles it when compared to existing thermal sights designed for sniper rifles.

The optic weighs 4.6 pounds with batteries and measures 10.6 inches long by 3.5 inches wide and 3.7 inches high.

With the MIL-1913 mount, it fits the Picatinny rail system. The optic has digital video recording features and uses a CR123 battery with a three hour runtime, according to data provided by the company.

“I’ve been called a traitor for even having this conversation at SHOT Show,” Kennedy told Military Times via phone days before the start the annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, the nation’s largest firearms trade expo in Las Vegas.

Other names he’s heard: Turncoat and “Fudd” ― a reference to Elmer Fudd, the hapless Looney Tunes hunter who didn’t know how to use his rifle.

Kennedy gets it.

In addition to headlining The Independence Fund’s “Targeting a Solution” panel discussion of veteran suicide at the Venetian hotel, adjacent to the SHOT Show trade floor, on Wednesday, he’s a featured guest at events throughout the week and even fired the ceremonial first shot to open Monday’s media range day event.

New helmet-mounted power, data combo devices premiere at SHOT Show

He’s a firearm owner and enthusiast, and believes the constitutional right to own guns should be protected. But he’s also been personally and profoundly affected by the loss of friends in the military community to suicide.

And as he notes, there’s a close connection between the two matters: 71% of the 4,500 annual veteran suicide deaths involve a firearm.

“Are these mutually exclusive things, or are there ways that we can have conversations around suicide and firearms especially related to veterans without encroaching on the Second Amendment?” Kennedy said. “And that is why we do it at SHOT Show, because it is such a polarizing place to be, and there are so many radicals on both sides of this conversation.”

The Independence Fund, a nonprofit founded in 2007, is dedicated to helping veterans overcome “physical, mental, and emotional wounds incurred in the line of duty.”

The SHOT Show panel, which will also feature podcaster Dan Hollaway and veteran entrepreneurs and personalities Jason Murff, Brian Goldstein, Cody Garrett and Eli Cuevas, will include an unscripted discussion between the panelists on the topic.

Then, attendees will divide into smaller groups to brainstorm about policy and private-sector ways to safeguard the lives of at-risk veterans. The goal, Kennedy said, was to develop ideas that can be brought back to communities and local governments for implementation.

While the panelists change from event to event, all have been headlined by Kennedy, a Special Forces master sergeant, author and on-screen personality who competed in the UFC from 2011–2017. He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

In previous panels, which also have taken place in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and at the the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, attendees have debated “red flag” laws and whether individuals and communities should instead keep the responsibility of safeguarding a veteran’s firearms during moments of crisis.

The also have talked about how to better train law enforcement officers to interact with armed veterans during mental health episodes: to talk with them, establish rapport, and avoid flanking them or triggering threat responses. And sometimes, Kennedy said, the impact of having an open and candid conversation about veteran suicide is more personal.

“It ends up being really powerful and impactful, and almost magical,” he said. “We have people stand up in the audience and be like, ‘Man, you straight up saved my life with this.’”

Kennedy first lost a friend ― his training partner at U.S. Army sniper school ― to suspected suicide in 2008, well before the crisis of military suicides had entered the national conversation. Since then, he said, he’s seen “countless” friends and buddies die by suicide.

For Kennedy and The Independence Fund founder Sarah Verardo, the 2021 U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan and the feelings of moral injury and despair that followed for many veterans particularly demanded a response.

“I have never seen such morale and mental health issues come to an acute point,” Kennedy said. “Every (Global War on Terror) soldier that served in Afghanistan was questioning everything about their friends that lost their legs, their friends that died overseas, their friends that are struggling with PTSD … it was just this tidal wave of mental health issues, with suicide.”

Sean Lee, deputy chief of operations at The Independence Fund, told Military Times that a growing awareness of the problem is enabling better conversations about solutions.

“It is discussed on a more open level than I would say it was five or six years ago,” he said. “Which is good … that’s how we need to attack this. No one entity, government, private, mixture, is going to have the answer. But the more we get it out there, the more answers and suggestions and ideas we can field and apply to the problem.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Feb. 1 to correct the spelling of Jason Murff’s name.

Each are featured at the annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show this week.

The Gentex Corporation’s Railink and Galvion’s Energy Data Grid, or EDG, have developed these devices as the Army, Marine Corps and special operations forces continue to add more sophisticated night vision devices and troop-borne computing systems to their inventory.

For example, the Army’s Program Executive Office-Soldier has a program known as adaptive squad architecture. The program, launched in 2019, uses a wearable, conformable battery worn by soldiers that hooks into an interface that also connects devices.

That allows soldiers to use uniform cables and fewer batteries to power the electronic gear they carry.

Another program under PEO-Soldier, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, features an advanced night vision/augmented reality, helmet-mounted headset. The device, still under development, connects to a helmet-mounted battery and controller.

An earlier version included cabling that linked to chest-mounted accessories. Testing by soldiers showed that the cable got in the way and the device needed to be helmet mounted.

The Railink is a helmet-mounted power and data system entering service with U.S. Special Operations Command units soon, Philip Jones Gentex product marketing manager, told Military Times.

It’s designed to power visual augmentation systems and send information digitally through its wraparound power/data rail and helmet-mounted battery pack. The system is scalable, allowing it to power radio communications equipment, vision devices, lights and other electronics.

Railink has a universal power interface for use with a variety of visual augmentation systems and night vision devices.

The system is both backward and forward compatible with high cut helmet designs.

The Galvion EDG is an improved version of the scalable power solution that the company first used on its PDxT helmet platform as part of the Marine Corps Integrated Helmet System. After Marine Corps trials of that system, Galvion implemented troop feedback for the current design, according to the company release.

The system will be reverse compatible with other already fielded helmet designs or delivered as a fully assembled helmet system.

The EDG includes a base power pack, powered by a single CR123 battery and an attachable extended power pack that can run off two to six AA batteries. That gives the user the option to boost power when using multiple devices or cut back on devices and batteries to lighten the load.

The system includes a battery-powered strobe light and a visual augmentation system connection point for augmented reality and virtual reality devices.

The EDG displays the battery charge status on system indicators that can also be viewed on a night vision device display.

At just 22 years old, Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh made military history on Jan. 14 as the first active-duty service member to be crowned Miss America.

An Air Force Academy alumna who has been piloting since she was a teenager, Marsh entered the pageant scene for the first time while in college. She was crowned Miss Colorado before moving on to the Miss America competition.

Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado — who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024! Marsh is the first active duty servicemember to ever win the title.#AimHigh pic.twitter.com/3RuDu5CulW

— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) January 15, 2024

“As a freshman at the Academy, you might have a hard time finding your identity in a very new and challenging environment,” Marsh said in an Air Force release. “My cousin had competed in pageants for a long time, and one of the big things about it that I love is the community service aspect and the focus on public speaking.”

Instead of twirling a baton or belting out arias on stage throughout her pageant career, Marsh focused on storytelling.

“I’m not conventionally talented — I cannot sing or dance,” she said. “I gave a monologue about my very first solo flight at the age of 16 and how that shaped some of the fundamental leadership characteristics that I got to carry through into USAFA and then into my adult professional life.”

Although she dreamed to one day become an astronaut — and graduated from the academy with a degree in physics and a focus on astronomy — Marsh is now charting a course for a career in public service.

“Marsh is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civilian Institution Program, which falls under Air University,” an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times.

It’s been reported that Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Navy fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell — hopefully he will be promoted beyond captain or finally retiring.

Sequel stars Glen Powell and Miles Teller are also slated to return as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin and Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, respectively. Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison are expected to sign on as well.

The original 1986 “Top Gun” introduced viewers to Cruise’s daring, if not impulsive, “Maverick” as a student attempting to prove his mettle at the Navy’s elite fighter pilot school. In the sequel — decades later — he has to contend with his status as an aging aviator while reconciling the loss of his best friend and co-pilot “Goose” (Anthony Edwards).

“Top Gun: Maverick” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture last year, and it took home an Oscar for Best Sound. Moreover, its nearly $1.5 billion in box office revenue shows that even after nearly four decades, fans have never lost that loving feeling for the franchise.

Paramount has not yet released information about the third movie or its story. Production and release dates are also unclear.

But if variety is missile fuel and life is hot pot, perhaps bland is better. At least, that’s what members of China’s air force may feel after reportedly cooking meals using missile fuel bricks.

One former People’s Liberation Army member who defected and escaped to the United States claimed that corruption in the leadership ranks led to meals cooked over missile fuel, according to a Radio Free Asia report.

Navy Lt. Col. Yao Cheng, a former staff officer of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force — he fled to the U.S. in 2016 — reportedly witnessed troops burning “missile fuel to make hotpot,” a dish that typically involves a pot of hot soup stock, into which diners dip meats and other vegetables.

“When we would eat hotpot, we would take out the solid fuel in the missiles piece by piece, because there were insufficient supplies,” Yao told the publication. “I would often go along to the armory and ask them for a small round piece of solid fuel when we wanted to have hotpot.”

Cheng attributed the act to corruption and the misallocation of funds.

“Some military departments have no money, and if they need money, their chief has to allocate some from the equipment budget,” Yao said. “The equipment budget would have been sufficient, but not after being misappropriated.”

While this is simply one former officer’s personal account, Bloomberg also recently reported that U.S. intelligence confirmed that corruption within the military has prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to carry out a “military purge.” The publication added that an unnamed source confirmed that these circumstances may ultimately prevent the Chinese military from engaging in widespread conflict.

Reuters also reported on Dec. 30 that the purge included removing nine top military officials, almost entirely from the PLA’s Rocket Force, which handles nuclear missiles.

Last year may have unveiled a handful of military-centric films, such as “Guy Ritchie’s: The Covenant” and “Kandahar,” but there are even more action-packed thrillers around the corner in 2024.

Films that troops should have on their radar this year — even just as a means of escaping the barracks for a few hours — span fantasy to history and feature phenomenal casts, writers, directors, and, of course, special effects.

Here’s a look at nine movies to get excited about in the months ahead.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The post-apocalyptic Australian Wasteland is back with a prequel chronicling the origin story of young Imperator Furiosa. The story traces back to her childhood and follows her journey before meeting Max Rockatansky. Anya Taylor-Joy (”The Menu”) takes on the role of the gritty Furiosa, with Chris Hemsworth co-starring. “Furiosa” is set for a May 24 release.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Nearly 200 years before the Fellowship set out to defeat Sauron and destroy the one ring, there was “The War of the Rohirrim.” This animated adaptation is expected to fill in some story gaps between Amazon’s “Rings of Power” series and Peter Jackson’s beloved trilogy — particularly the fall of the kings of Rohan and the origins of Helm’s Deep. The film stars Brian Cox (”Succession”) as the voice of King Helm Hammerhand and is slated for a December debut.

The Old Guard 2

A sequel to 2020′s “The Old Guard,” this film is expected to pick up right after the first film’s shocking end that left fans clamoring for more. The first movie centered on a group of mercenaries whose secret powers of immortality are exposed. The betrayal is explained, but the ending was left open for a follow-up, which began filming in 2022. Original cast members Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and KiKi Layne reprise their roles.

Civil War

An all-too-relevant topic, considering today’s political discourse, civil war has broken out in the United States in this film by Alex Garland (”Ex Machina”). A team of journalists covers the fracturing factions across America amid tense scenes of militarized conflict. Jesse Plemons (”Killers of the Flower Moon”), Kirsten Dunst (”Fargo”), and Nick Offerman (”The Last of Us”) star, with the film expected to arrive in theaters on April 26.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

This Guy Ritchie-directed World War II movie tells the origin story of British special forces, stood up at the direction of Winston Churchill. The film, starring Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) and Eiza González (“Baby Driver”), is based on the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, which was sanctioned to use “ungentlemanly” tactics to fight the Nazis. The exact release date is still up in the air.

Escape from Germany

Arriving in theaters on April 11, “Escape from Germany” tells the true story of 85 American missionaries from the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who narrowly escaped Nazi captors as World War II begins. The film is based on first-hand accounts from diaries belonging to the missionaries.

Land of Bad

Due out Feb. 16, this action thriller directed by William Eubank (“House of the Rising Sun”) boasts a big cast, including Russell Crowe, Milo Ventimiglia, and Liam and Luke Hemsworth. The plot centers on a JTAC mission in the Philippines involving a CIA asset extraction gone wrong. The trailer features tense firefights and some serious hand-to-hand combat, to boot. Even the MQ-9 Reaper plays a pivotal role.

Six Triple Eight

Directed by Tyler Perry and starring Kerry Washington (”Scandal”), “Six Triple Eight” chronicles the impact of the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-female, predominantly Black unit deployed during World War II. The women face racial discrimination, but ultimately prove to be a force for diversification of the U.S. military.

Undying Love

Based on a graphic novel, “Undying Love” centers on a former soldier named John Sargent and his love for a woman who happens to be a vampire held captive by her creator. It’s Sargent’s mission to kill her captor and set her free. Though details are scant and the cast hasn’t been announced, David Leitch (”John Wick” and ”Hobbs & Shaw”) is set to direct. To that, we say “Bring on the gun-fu.”

The vehicle, with bumper number 618-26 and windshield decals reading “PFC Arms and LT Dyke,” has not been recovered. Readers with information can collect a $5,000 reward if they provide CID with a tip that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the theft.

Belated editor’s note: Reward information is where reality ends and where, in this case, satire begins. What follows is Army Times’ senior reporter Davis Winkie’s fictional recreation of the speech the company first sergeant may have given to soldiers after day three of looking for the vehicle. It’s formatted as a screenplay. To be frank, we can’t really tell you why Davis chose to do that. Whatever. It’s Friday.

This satirical story is shockingly devoid of reality. We do not know the people involved, and we don’t know the circumstances under which any of this occurred. Please do not email us unless it’s to offer Davis a movie deal, and do not hold this against the vehicle’s authorized user, who has probably suffered enough already.

FADE IN:

EXT. COF, 618TH ENGINEER SUPPORT COMPANY (AIRBORNE) – 1745 HOURS, FRIDAY NOV. 10

WE OPEN outside the company operations facility, late on Friday afternoon, after three days of searching for the company executive officer’s Humvee, which disappeared without a trace on Tuesday night. The disappearance derailed the company field exercise, and leaders are furious. The shot begins wide, capturing the entire company formation and the building’s facade, before it slowly pushes in closer on the man standing in front of the unit.

As we draw nearer to him, it becomes clear that the FIRST SERGEANT isn’t mad. He’s just (visibly) disappointed. And maybe a little afraid?

FIRST SERGEANT

Ok, 618th, on the command “fall out,” I want you to form a school circle around me, hooah? It’s been a long week, so let’s make this quick and enjoy the long weekend, hooah?

Scattered “hooahs” emanate from the beleaguered paratroopers.

FIRST SERGEANT

Fall out!

BEHIND THE FIRST SERGEANT

The soldiers quickly assemble around the FIRST SERGEANT. Noticeably absent is the COMPANY XO.

FIRST SERGEANT

Listen up, paratroopers. As we all know, someone stole Nasty 5′s Humvee while we were in the field earlier this week. The LT and the CO are currently in the brigade commander’s office.

FACING THE COF, SLIGHTLY ELEVATED TO SEE FIRST SERGEANT OVER THE SEA OF SHOULDERS

FIRST SERGEANT

It’s been a tough three days. We’ve combed damn near every training area on this post.

FIRST SERGEANT

If anyone in this company knows anything about where the LT’s Humvee is, please step forward now. Let’s end this here and now. I can offer amnesty — no harm, no foul, no negative consequences.

BEHIND FIRST SERGEANT, LOOKING OUT ON TROOPS

Nobody steps forward. A few junior enlisted soldiers exchange suspicious glances, but it’s not clear whether they plotted the theft or whether this is just how they act all the time. Really could be either.

CLOSE UP OF FIRST SERGEANT’S FACE

The FIRST SERGEANT pauses, grimaces and shakes his head as if he’s choking on the words that come next.

FIRST SERGEANT

Please.

Several seconds of silence follow. The specialists in the back continue exchanging suspicious glances, and now it’s certain that this is just the way they are. Or is it?

FACING THE COF

FIRST SERGEANT

I’m serious, please return the LT’s truck. If this is a prank, it is no longer funny. Hell, it stopped being funny two days ago. Return it now, and it can be funny again! Please, guys. Please.

The soldiers shift back-and-forth uncomfortably. They sense something bigger might be at play here. The FIRST SERGEANT, visibly nervous, checks his watch — the biggest, chunkiest, most stereotypical rubber impact-resistant watch ever seen on Fort Liberty.

FIRST SERGEANT

You don’t understand what’s going to happen if we don’t find this Humvee by 1800. Any soldier who is man enough to come forward now and admit stealing it — or to tell us who did it — will receive four-day special pass for next weekend as well.

Nobody moves or speaks up. A DISGRUNTLED SPECIALIST IN THE BACK groans audibly.

FIRST SERGEANT

We are running out of time to solve this problem ourselves. I cannot save us from anything that happens next — unless one of you comes forward. Please, guys. It’s Friday of a long weekend. Today was supposed to be a DONSA. My wife has called me six times in the last 30 minutes.

The FIRST SERGEANT’s elaborately shock-resistant, waterproof watch beeps.

CLOSE UP OF CHUNKY WATCH

The watch reads 18:00, because of course the FIRST SERGEANT’s watch is set to 24-hour time. A vehicle engine sounds in the background as a lifted pickup truck approaches.

FIRST SERGEANT

Please! Just give us the LT’s Humvee. If you come forward in the next 30 seconds, you’ll also get out of our next red cycle tasking.

FACING OUT FROM COF, STREET IN BACKGROUND

The doors of the lifted pick-up truck open, and five people get out. It’s not clear how they all fit inside. The BATTALION CSM, two CID AGENTS wearing marked civilian clothes, the COMPANY COMMANDER and the COMPANY XO (who looks like he hasn’t slept since Tuesday) emerge and walk toward the formation.

As the soldiers realize what is happening, they turn around to watch the group approach.

INTERCUT BTWN BATTALION CSM, FIRST SERGEANT, COMPANY COMMANDER and COMPANY XO

BATTALION CSM

First Sergeant, any luck?

The FIRST SERGEANT shakes his head to signal no. The BATTALION CSM appears a little too excited about what’s going to happen next. The COMPANY COMMANDER sports a 1,000-yard stare. The COMPANY XO — wait, is the XO crying?

TRACKING SHOT follows the BATTALION CSM, who is flanked by the CID agents, as they walk to the front of the gaggle formation. (DW note: Not sure if the Imperial March is appropriate for this scene or not, remember to discuss with director.) Camera settles back in FACING THE COF once finished tracking.

BATTALION CSM

How we doing, Nasty Company? You had your chance to do this the easy way. Here’s what is going to happen now.

The BATTALION CSM gestures toward the two CID AGENTS. He pulls out a stack of papers — rights waivers, required for witness and subject interviews. One of the agents appears to mouth the word “sorry” as he stares intently at his feet.

BATTALION CSM

These two gentlemen are going to interview every single soldier in this goddamn company. Yes, you have a right not to speak to them. I don’t care. Every one of you will either sit with them in the COF or sign the sheet saying you refused to speak without a lawyer present. The good news is that Trial Defense Services is able to help those soldiers. The bad news for all of them is that TDS is out of the office until Tuesday, and you are under orders not to leave this company footprint until you and your lawyer complete an interview, hooah.

Absolutely nobody echoes the hooah. The COMPANY COMMANDER slinks into the COF. He probably was going to stay there all weekend sending emails anyways.

BATTALION CSM

But don’t any of you think that doing a one-and-done interview will get you out of this either. Every day this weekend, from 0600 to 1900, the XO will be leading the entire company in a “Hands Across America” police line through the Mott Lake training area — including the water. You will either find this Humvee or drown trying.

QUICK CUT to the COMPANY XO, who is sitting on the ground behind the formation hugging his knees and rocking back and forth, shaking with each successive sob. The crying grows gradually louder even after the camera cuts back to the BATTALION CSM.

BATTALION CSM

OK team, that’s all I have. I’ll be with you this weekend because I don’t like my family anyways. You have 30 minutes for chow; someone bring me a Popeye’s chicken sandwich from the Butner Road shopette. Stay Nasty!

Soldiers scatter and begin calling their families to relay the bad news.

FADE OUT

Embracing passion was a notion engrained in him by his parents at a young age, and it’s something he shares often in the hope that other veterans will be inspired to pursue their dreams.

“I tell everybody, go for your passions,” Rush told Military Times. “Don’t do the safe side. You put your work in, you put your service in, now do something that’s going to make you happy, something that you want to do, not something that you’re forced to do.”

Raised in a family of nine in Columbus, Mississippi, Rush says he adopted his intensive work ethic from his father, while having a profound sense of tenderness instilled from his mom.

“My dad taught me how to work my butt off as soon as I could walk, actually crawl,” he joked. “And my mother taught me the principles of love and caring and all those good things. It was a perfect combination.”

Though he played football and was offered numerous college scholarships, Rush chose instead to enlist in the Army.

“In my mind, I always wanted to serve in the military, I want to do something bigger, better,” he said.

Rush rose to the rank of master sergeant over a decorated 24-year Army career. Coincidentally, 24 is also the number of inches each of his biceps measures.

Everything Rush has done to this point has involved total commitment, he says. The same is true of his culinary career, which brought Rush all the way to the White House — during his Army service and beyond — where he was a chef for four U.S. presidents.

Though he cooked with his mother when he was young, the professional culinary arts were not something Rush ever expected to practice. Still, he wants his career to serve as a guide for other transitioning veterans — a way of encouraging others to explore off the beaten path.

“Your career may be altered or changed by things that you don’t know,” he said. “You may start in one direction, and then something may happen that takes you in a whole different direction. That’s what happened for me.”

Just because a service member enlists in the military, Rush added, doesn’t mean they’re locked into government jobs for life.

“People tell us all the time, ‘Well, here’s a GS job that you can go into. Just take it,’” he said. “Stop devaluing yourself, you are walking billboard, you are all those things. Your biggest cheerleader is going to be yourself. But your worst enemy is also going to be you.”

This is why Rush continues to work so closely with veterans as an advocate for career goals, mental health, and blue star families.

“I still do a lot of work with the military,” he said. “It’s extremely important, even more so now, because transitioning out the military is so much harder.”