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Some history of the Natick MA Quartermaster Labs solar furnace. "http://www.boston-online.com/bizarro/the_cockroaches_that_ate_natick.html" "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tK3s1Vnol0"

The following is the executive summary of the U.S. Navy’s investigation into the Jan. 12, 2016 seizure of 10 U.S. sailors by Iranian forces near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. https://news.usni.org/2016/06/30/document-summary-u-s-navy-investigation-farsi-island-incident

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a legendary aircraft — an icon of the Vietnam War and the archetype of the third-generation jet fighter designs that entered service in the 1960s. More than 5,000 of these heavy supersonic fighters were built, and hundreds continue to serve and even see combat in several air forces today. But the Phantom’s record in air-to-air combat over Vietnam — especially when compared to its successor, the F-15 Eagle, which has never been shot down in air-to-air combat — has left it with a reputation of being a clumsy bruiser reliant on brute engine power and obsolete weapons technology.

The Soviet Union began the Cold War well behind the United States in submarine technology. Although the Soviets acquired several of the most advanced German submarine types towards the end of the war, the United States had amassed a wealth of experience in submarine and antisubmarine practice from the Pacific War and the Battle of the Atlantic.

FULL TITLE: Outrage as thousands of children run over the graves of fallen soldiers from WWI’s Battle Of Verdun in stunt organised by German filmmaker during 100th anniversary commemorations in France Images of thousands of laughing children jogging through one of the most sacred Great War battlefields in the world have caused outrage. They were taken on Sunday during commemorations at Verdun - scene of one of the bloodiest battles in military history. The Battle of Verdun between German and French troops lasted over 300 days, and saw the deaths of more than 300,000 soldiers on both sides in 1916.

The Marine Corps is eliminating the job title “basic infantryman” along with 18 others and replacing them with terms that are gender neutral. Others titles, including “rifleman” and “mortarman,” will remain the same, due to their historical and cultural significance for Marines. The service plans to replace 19 of its military occupational specialty titles, the Marine Corps Times reported Tuesday, seven months after Navy Secretary Ray Mabus ordered the Marine Corps to conduct a review of all job titles to ensure gender neutrality. For most of the 19 terms that will be changed, the word “Marine” will replace the...

By fall 1959, a number of CORONA photo-reconnaissance spacecraft had already been launched under cover of the Discoverer program, but none had operated successfully. Program officials became concerned that the Agena spacecraft that carried CORONA might be vulnerable to tracking by Soviet radars, or possibly even deliberate electronic interference. They did not think this explained CORONA’s early string of failures, but it was a possibility they worried about. At the time, Harold Willis was working in the Office of ELINT located at CIA Headquarters when CORONA officials briefed him about their program and told him about their concerns. Willis also...

According to a senior White House official, India will gain access to almost 99 percent of US defense technologies after it is recognized as a ‘Major Defense Partner’. Earlier this month, after a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, the US, in a joint statement, recognized India as a ‘Major Defense Partner', a status coined specifically to mark unique level of military cooperation between two nations. The official estimated this access as "99 percent" of all US defense technologies available. "[In reality], less than one per cent of all exports [requests]...

Rolls-Royce isn't limiting its robotic transportation plans to luxury cars. The British transportation firm has outlined a strategy for deploying remote-controlled and autonomous cargo vessels. It's working on virtual decks where land-based crews could control every aspect of a ship, complete with VR camera views and monitoring drones to spot issues that no human ever could. Accordingly, Rolls is designing boats where humans wouldn't have to come aboard. In theory, one human would steer several boats -- crew shortages would disappear overnight. The move to crew-free ships promises more than a few advantages, Rolls says. You wouldn't need a bridge...

The B-29 bomber known as Doc may be flying again before the summer is over. On May 20th, the nonprofit group Doc’s Friends announced that they had accepted an airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Several dozen members of the group, along with other supporters, attended a ceremony at Doc’s hangar at Air Capital Flight Line, the former Boeing Wichita factory complex. “The biggest thing is how important this airplane is to history,” said Jeff Turner, board chairman for Doc’s Friends. “The light of freedom was growing dimmer (during World War II), and the men and women of our...

When US Secretary of State John Kerry wanted to push his country to take the lead on climate change, it was no accident that he chose to give a speech in Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk Naval Station is the biggest naval installation in the world. But, Kerry said last November, “the land it is built on is literally sinking.”

The 36th NVWG will offer 19 events plus one additional sport – triathlon. Keeping with the mountain theme, bobsledding will be offered as the year’s exhibition sport. While the official theme and logo are still being determined, the obvious underlying theme will be the beauty of the outdoors and the natural wonders of Utah, said Jill Atwood, chief of communications for the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.

I am 59 years old and a traditional Army Guardsman with 21 years service. My retirement package is already prepared and sent in thru an excellent program run by the Indiana Guard for it's soon to be retired members. This was done last September. I officially enter the tender embrace of the VA in November. My question: How good is TRICARE? Not just me but my dependents? Because of the nightmare of Obamacare I lost my employer provided health insurance and have been running on a VERY unsatisfactory plan thru my wife's employer. We would like to go 100% TRICARE...

Army Capt. Paul “Buddy” Bucha faked out the enemy while leading a motley crew in Vietnam. The Medal of Honor recipient was hailed as a hero after he made North Vietnamese fighters believe his 187th Infantry Regiment was much bigger than it really was. The combination of bravery and cunning helped him earn the nation's highest military honor, an award bestowed upon him by the president. In 1967, Bucha — who graduated from West Point and earned an MBA at Stanford — arrived in Vietnam and was given a squad filled “with the rejects of all the other units,” including...

As Congress marches toward major defense reforms in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, one area receiving increasing attention is the National Security Council (NSC). The narrative surrounding President Obama’s NSC has been shaped by biting criticisms of micromanagement in the operations of the Departments of Defense and State and indecision on major national security issues. As some have noted, the NSC has long been the preferred punching bag for foreign policy spectators over the last half century. However, the chorus of criticism has seemed to peak more recently, manifesting in proposed legislation.

David Thatcher, an Army Air Force gunner who was decorated for helping to save the lives of four severely wounded fellow crewmen in the Doolittle Raid on Japan of April 1942, America’s first strike against the Japanese homeland in World War II, died on Wednesday in Missoula, Mont. He was 94 and the next-to-last survivor among the mission’s 80 airmen. His death, announced by his family through the Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula, leaves Richard Cole, age 100, as the last surviving veteran of a legendary chapter in Air Force history. Mr. Cole was a co-pilot alongside Lt. Col....

SAA campaign disaster in Western al-Raqqah | June 22nd 2016

removing hidden ISIS bombs (IED's) from the soil of Iraq

One such weapon is the Vehicle-Mounted Active Denial System, which uses directed energy—a focused beam of millimeter waves—to make targeted individuals feel that they are burning up, without actually doing harm. The effect ends when the target flees or the weapon is turned off. ... Regrettably, the human-rights groups were intransigent, and most of us in the military concluded that we shouldn’t spend scarce dollars on systems that would never be used.... Unfortunately, even the existing VMADs weapons will probably never be used and more-capable weapons never developed. Why? Because of complaints by human-rights advocates, who seem to think that...

The world of Game Of Thrones is filled to the brim with evil, scheming psychopaths who think nothing of exacting the most unthinkably heinous punishments and persecutions upon enemies and strangers alike. That’s probably why the HBO series is so popular—it’s remarkably similar to the real world. Case in point: A few sinister maesters of technology have created an online service, Spoiled.io, that will, for just 99 cents, anonymously text show spoilers to anybody deserving (or undeserving) of a little distress. The surprise-ruining tidbits are dispersed throughout the world by automated Faceless Men immediately after the newest episode airs, and...